bbc--2020-08-08--Venezuela: Former American soldiers jailed over failed coup

A Venezuelan court has sentenced two former American soldiers to 20 years in jail for trying to overthrow President Nicolás Maduro .
Luke Denman and Airan Berry were found guilty of conspiracy , illicit trafficking of weapons and terrorism .
The pair were among 13 people arrested in May as they attempted to enter Venezuela by sea from Colombia .
Attorney General Tarek William Saab said proceedings will continue against others accused of assisting the raid .
In a tweet , Mr Saab shared images of vehicles , weapons and identity documents , and said the American `` mercenaries '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ facts '' .
US President Donald Trump , long an opponent of socialist President Maduro , has denied accusations by Venezuela that he was behind the incident .
The US backs opposition leader Juan Guaidó and recognises him as the country 's legitimate leader .
What is the background to this ?
Denman , 34 , and Berry , 41 , are former special forces soldiers who appeared in video shown on Venezuelan state TV earlier this year .
In the video , Denman appears to confess to his involvement in `` Operation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ kill President Maduro or kidnap him and take him to the United States .
He explained that he was hired to train Venezuelans in Colombia before returning to Caracas and taking control of an airport to allow Mr Maduro to be taken out of the country .
Denman said he and Berry were contracted by a Florida-based security company , Silvercorp USA , to carry out the operation .
The firm is headed by Jordan Goudreau , an American military veteran who has openly admitted involvement in the operation .
The Washington Post @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is a contract between Silvercorp and the Venezuelan opposition worth $ 213m ( £170m ) to invade Venezuela and overthrow President Maduro .
Opposition leader Juan Guaidó denied having anything to do with Mr Goudreau .
Relations between the US and Venezuela are tense .
Mr Maduro has accused America of manipulating political opposition to steal the country 's vast oil wealth .
America and Mr Guaidó , meanwhile , have blamed the president for Venezuela 's economic collapse .

He explained that he was hired to train Venezuelans in Colombia before returning to Caracas and taking control of an airport to allow Mr Maduro to be taken out of the country.


bbc--2020-08-08--Talking about Beyoncé's Black Is King

Talking about Beyoncé's Black Is King

Beyoncé 's hotly anticipated visual album `` Black Is King '' , inspired by `` The Lion King , '' @ @ @ @ @ Disney+ .
Fans have been waiting with great anticipation ever since the film was first @ @ @ @ @ to a professor of film , a film director and a student about their take @ @ @ @

Beyoncé's hotly anticipated visual album "Black Is King", inspired by "The Lion King," has recently been released on Disney+.
Fans have been waiting with great anticipation ever since the film was first announced.
BBC Africa spoke to a professor of film, a film director and a student about their take on the film.
Produced by Jameisha Prescod and Saidata Sesay.
Edited by Jameisha Prescod.


bbc--2020-08-08--Canada brewery apologises for beer named 'pubic hair' in Maori

A Canadian brewery has apologised for unwittingly naming one of its beers after a Maori word that is commonly used to mean pubic hair .
Hell 's Basement Brewery in Alberta said it released its Huruhuru pale ale two years ago , thinking it meant `` feather '' .
But Maori TV personality Te Hamua Nikora pointed out the common interpretation of the word in a Facebook video .
The brewery 's founder said the product would now be rebranded .
`` We acknowledge that we did not consider the commonplace use of the term huruhuru as a reference to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a Maori representative would have been a better reference than online dictionaries , '' Mike Patriquin told Canadian network CBC .
• What high fashion is doing about cultural appropriation • Why this face tattoo has got NZ talking '' We wish to make especially clear that it was not our intent to infringe upon , appropriate , or offend the Maori culture or people in any way ; to those who feel disrespected , we apologise . ''
Mr Nikora also criticised a leather store in New Zealand for using the name @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the store and brewery over their use of the word .
`` Some people call it appreciation , I call it appropriation , '' he said .
`` It 's that entitlement disease they 've got .
Stop it .
Use your own language . ''
A spokesperson for the New Zealand leather store told the RNZ news site they had meant no offence by the name , which they had intended to mean wool , or feather or fur .
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"We wish to make especially clear that it was not our intent to infringe upon, appropriate, or offend the Maori culture or people in any way; to those who feel disrespected, we apologise."


bbc--2020-08-08--MV Wakashio: Mauritius declares emergency as stranded ship leaks oil

The island nation of Mauritius has declared a `` state of environmental emergency '' after a vessel offshore began leaking oil into the ocean .
MV Wakashio ran aground on a coral reef off the Indian Ocean island on 25 July and its crew was evacuated .
But the large bulk carrier has since begun leaking tons of fuel into the surrounding waters .
France has pledged support and the ship 's owner said it was working to combat the spill .
Mauritius Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth declared the state of emergency late on Friday .
He said the nation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ expertise to refloat stranded ships '' as he appealed to France for help .
The French island of Reunion lies near Mauritius in the Indian Ocean .
Mauritius is home to world-renowned coral reefs , and tourism is a crucial part of the nation 's economy .
`` When biodiversity is in peril , there is urgency to act , '' French President Emmanuel Macron tweeted on Saturday .
`` France is there .
Alongside the people of Mauritius .
You can count on our support dear Jugnauth . ''
In a separate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said a military aircraft from Reunion would bring pollution control equipment to Mauritius .
Happy Khambule of Greenpeace Africa said `` thousands '' of animal species were `` at risk of drowning in a sea of pollution , with dire consequences for Mauritius ' economy , food security and health '' .
The ship - owned by a Japanese company but registered in Panama - was empty when it ran aground , but had some 4,000 tonnes of fuel aboard .
MV Wakashio is currently lying at Pointe d'Esny , in an area @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In a statement , the ship 's owner , Nagashiki Shipping , said that `` due to the bad weather and constant pounding over the past few days , the starboard side bunker tank of the vessel has been breached and an amount of fuel oil has escaped into the sea '' .
`` Oil prevention measures are in place and an oil boom has been deployed around the vessel , '' it said .
Nagashiki Shipping added that it `` takes its environmental responsibilities extremely seriously and will take every effort with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ marine environment and prevent further pollution '' .
Earlier , the environment ministry reportedly said attempts to stabilise the vessel and to pump out the oil had failed due to rough seas .
`` This is the first time that we are faced with a catastrophe of this kind , and we are insufficiently equipped to handle this problem , '' Fishing Minister Sudheer Maudhoo said .
Police have opened an inquiry into the spill .

In a statement, the ship's owner, Nagashiki Shipping, said that "due to the bad weather and constant pounding over the past few days, the starboard side bunker tank of the vessel has been breached and an amount of fuel oil has escaped into the sea".


bbc--2020-08-09--Belarus election: President Lukashenko faces toughest test in years

President Alexander Lukashenko of Belarus is seeking a sixth term in office in an election he is both tipped to win but which is also likely to be his toughest challenge yet .
He won previous elections by a landslide but the votes were condemned by election observers .
This time though he has a prominent rival in a 37-year-old who is running in place of her jailed husband .
Belarus has also seen large opposition protests and a row with Russia .
President Lukashenko , 65 , and sometimes referred to as Europe 's last dictator , was first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vote in 2015 , he was declared winner with 83.5 % of the vote .
There were no serious challengers and election observers reported problems in the counting and tabulation of votes .
So will this vote be different ?
Probably not .
President Lukashenko is widely expected to win again .
But the vote is being closely watched amid growing signs of frustration at his leadership .
The campaign has seen the rise of opposition candidate Svetlana Tikhanovskaya , a former teacher who became a stay-at-home mother until thrust into the political @ @ @ @ @ @ @ blocked from registering for the vote so she stepped in to take his place .
`` People are waking up , rediscovering their self-respect , '' she told AFP in a recent interview .
But she also said she expected the election to be rigged .
President Lukashenko has dismissed Ms Tikhanovskaya as a `` poor little girl '' , manipulated by foreign `` puppet masters '' .
Tens of thousands defied an escalating crackdown on the opposition last month to attend a protest in the capital Minsk last month , the largest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of protesters have been held since May , human rights activists say .
On the eve of the vote Ms Tikhanovskaya 's team said her campaign manager had been arrested and would not be released until Monday .
Is anyone else running ?
There are three other candidates : • Anna Kanopatskaya , a former MP who won a rare seat for the opposition in parliamentary elections in 2016 • Sergei Cherechen , the leader of the Social Democrat party • Andrei Dmitriyev , the co-chair of the Tell the Truth movement , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the authorities Two key opposition figures were barred from running and threw their weight behind Ms Tikhanovskaya 's campaign .
The calm streets of Minsk sporadically burst with the noise of drivers honking their car horns .
Some flew a flag with a red stripe on the white background - the symbol used by the opposition .
Voicing dissent is dangerous in Belarus but activists still make noise despite a crackdown .
People can be detained even for playing the wrong music , as happened to two DJs at a government-sponsored event @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is this defiance that is making the election if not unpredictable then at least the most challenging for Aleksander Lukashenko .
Since the start of the election campaign in May , more than 2,000 people have been detained , according to Human Rights Centre Viasna .
Early voting began on 4 August and monitoring groups say their volunteers have frequently been prevented from observing the vote and even arrested .
Rumours have spread widely that the government is going to shut down mobile networks on Sunday to hide mass falsification of the results @ @ @ @ @ @ @ month Belarus arrested more than 30 Russian nationals and accused them of plotting violent protests with members of the opposition .
Russia denied the allegations , saying the 33 - claimed to be members of a shadowy mercenary group - were only travelling through Belarus en route to Turkey .
Despite the apparent rift some analysts say Russia would like to see President Lukashenko win but be weakened by the vote , to force him into closer ties .
Three Russian opposition activists were detained on Saturday as they travelled to Belarus to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ group said .
Anger towards Mr Lukashenko 's government has been in part fuelled by the response to coronavirus .
The president has downplayed the outbreak , advising citizens to drink vodka and use saunas to fight the disease .
Belarus , which has a population of 9.5 million , has had nearly 70,000 confirmed cases and 600 deaths .

In the last vote in 2015, he was declared winner with 83.5% of the vote. There were no serious challengers and election observers reported problems in the counting and tabulation of votes.


bbc--2020-08-08--Kerala plane crash: 'Black boxes' from Air India jet found

Investigators have found the so-called `` black boxes '' of a plane that crashed in the southern India state of Kerala , killing at least 18 people .
The Air India Express plane , en route from Dubai , skidded off the runway during bad weather before breaking in two while landing at Kozhikode airport .
There were 190 people on board the flight and one official said it was a `` miracle '' the toll was not higher .
It is still India 's worst passenger air crash in a decade .
The flight was repatriating Indians stranded by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the crash have been asked to go into quarantine .
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was `` pained '' by the accident .
What do we know about the crash ?
Flight IX 1134 was carrying 184 passengers , including 10 infants , and six crew when it attempted to land at the airport in Kozhikode , formerly known as Calicut .
The Boeing 737 aircraft crashed at 19:40 local time ( 14:10 GMT ) on Friday .
Indian media said the pilots could not see the runway during a first attempt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ When they did touch down , the plane is said to have landed 1,000 metres beyond the threshold of the runway before skidding off and sliding into a ditch .
The impact broke the plane in two .
Images from the scene showed the fuselage shredded , with the blue seats from the jet scattered along the ground .
Kozhikode has a table-top airport , a challenge for air crew during difficult landings as they typically have steep drops at one or both ends of the runway .
Both the pilots were among @ @ @ @ @ @ @ being treated in hospital .
What 's the latest on the investigation ?
India 's Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri visited the scene of the crash on Saturday , where he announced the recovery of the flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder , which could prove crucial to investigating the crash .
He praised the lead pilot and said it was too early to say what the precise cause of the accident was .
`` We have to be grateful that the casualties are only this much , '' he said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ 10 metres ] down and rescue people were able to reach there immediately , cut the body of the plane and retrieve people trapped inside . ''
An unnamed official told AFP : `` Fuel had leaked out so it was a miracle that the plane did not catch fire , the toll could have been much higher , '' one senior emergency official at the scene said . ''
Victim who never made it Twenty-nine-year old Sharfudeen was so excited about returning home that he posted on social media that they would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ made it , one of the victims of the crash at Kozhikode Airport .
His baby daughter and his wife Amina were injured and are being treated in hospital .
`` The doctors told us that she is fine .
She has been shifted to the intensive care ward , '' Hani Hasan , her uncle , told the BBC .
`` She was constantly asking for her husband .
We did not tell her anything , '' he added .
At least half of the passengers were those who had lost their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The remaining where largely Indian nationals who had got stranded in Dubai because of the coronavirus lockdown .

Kerala plane crash: 'Black boxes' from Air India jet found Published 8 August 2020
Image source, EPA Image caption, The flight was carrying Indian citizens left stranded by the coronavirus pandemic
Investigators have found the so-called "black boxes" of a plane that crashed in the southern India state of Kerala, killing at least 18 people.
The Air India Express plane, en route from Dubai, skidded off the runway during bad weather before breaking in two while landing at Kozhikode airport.
There were 190 people on board the flight and one official said it was a "miracle" the toll was not higher.
It is still India's worst passenger air crash in a decade.
The flight was repatriating Indians stranded by the coronavirus crisis. First responders to the crash have been asked to go into quarantine.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was "pained" by the accident.
What do we know about the crash?
Flight IX 1134 was carrying 184 passengers, including 10 infants, and six crew when it attempted to land at the airport in Kozhikode, formerly known as Calicut.
The Boeing 737 aircraft crashed at 19:40 local time (14:10 GMT) on Friday. Indian media said the pilots could not see the runway during a first attempt at landing due to heavy rain.
When they did touch down, the plane is said to have landed 1,000 metres beyond the threshold of the runway before skidding off and sliding into a ditch.
The impact broke the plane in two. Images from the scene showed the fuselage shredded, with the blue seats from the jet scattered along the ground.
Kozhikode has a table-top airport, a challenge for air crew during difficult landings as they typically have steep drops at one or both ends of the runway.
Both the pilots were among the dead. Nearly 150 people are being treated in hospital.
What's the latest on the investigation?
India's Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri visited the scene of the crash on Saturday, where he announced the recovery of the flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder, which could prove crucial to investigating the crash.
He praised the lead pilot and said it was too early to say what the precise cause of the accident was.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Media caption, Aftermath of the Kerala plane crash shows the plane broken in two
"We have to be grateful that the casualties are only this much," he said.
"The aircraft fell 35 feet [10 metres] down and rescue people were able to reach there immediately, cut the body of the plane and retrieve people trapped inside."
An unnamed official told AFP: "Fuel had leaked out so it was a miracle that the plane did not catch fire, the toll could have been much higher," one senior emergency official at the scene said."
Victim who never made it
By Imran Qureshi, BBC News
Twenty-nine-year old Sharfudeen was so excited about returning home that he posted on social media that they would be back within hours.
He never made it, one of the victims of the crash at Kozhikode Airport.
His baby daughter and his wife Amina were injured and are being treated in hospital.
"The doctors told us that she is fine. She has been shifted to the intensive care ward,'' Hani Hasan, her uncle, told the BBC.
"She was constantly asking for her husband. We did not tell her anything,'' he added.


bbc--2020-08-08--UK seeks navy help over migrant Channel crossings

Defence chiefs are considering a request from the Home Office for help to deal with migrants attempting to cross the English Channel .
The government is looking at using boats to `` prevent people from leaving '' , Schools Ministers Nick Gibb said .
It comes as more migrants were brought ashore on Saturday .
Meanwhile , the home secretary has appointed a former National Crime Agency executive to a new role leading the UK 's response to the crossings .
More than 500 people have been intercepted crossing the English Channel in recent days , including 235 - the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Thursday .
The Home Office said at least 151 people arrived in UK on Saturday in 15 boats .
A total of 146 people arrived on Friday on 17 boats .
The Ministry of Defence ( MoD ) said it was `` working hard '' to identify how best to assist , after receiving a request under the military aid to the civilian authorities ( MACA ) protocol .
• Why are migrants crossing the English Channel ?
Two boats carrying a total of 26 migrants arrived on the Kent coast on Saturday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also landings at Deal and Folkestone - although they have not been confirmed .
A person in a wheelchair was among those brought ashore in Dover .
French officials said 33 migrants in two boats that got into difficulty have been returned to Calais .
Home Secretary Priti Patel has appointed Dan O'Mahoney as the UK 's Clandestine Channel Threat Commander .
He will work to make the Channel route `` unviable '' for small boat crossings .
The Home Office said Mr O'Mahoney , director of the Joint Maritime Security Centre since @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will seek `` tougher action in France , including stronger enforcement measures and adopting interceptions at sea and the direct return of boats '' .
Earlier , Ms Patel said in a tweet that ministers were working to make the `` dangerous '' Channel crossing route `` unviable '' , but added that the government faces `` legislative , legal and operational barriers '' .
On Saturday morning , the BBC filmed a rubber boat with up to 20 people on board - including a baby , the BBC was told - departing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of France .
The `` overloaded '' boat struggled for almost an hour at the water 's edge , according to BBC Europe reporter Gavin Lee , who said there was no sign of any surveillance from French authorities on the beach near the harbour of Gravelines .
BBC reporter Simon Jones said people living in Kent have been asking why more is not being done by the French to patrol the coastline , but French authorities have said they need more money from the UK government .
Questions have been raised about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ France once they arrive in the UK .
Ministers said they will press French authorities to crack down on migrants attempting to cross the Channel .
The government is also considering using boats to prevent migrants from making the crossing , Mr Gibb told BBC Breakfast .
A similar approach is already in place in Australia , where it is used against migrants travelling from Indonesia .
Under this `` push back '' policy , military vessels patrol Australian waters and intercept migrant boats , towing them back to Indonesia or sending asylum @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The MoD generally only deploys within the UK if the civilian authorities can not cope with a crisis , or need specialist military skills .
Examples include bomb disposal experts defusing huge World War Two bombs and the Army carrying out coronavirus testing at the height of the lockdown .
So given there is no suggestion the UK Border Force is buckling under the strain , military planners will want to know exactly what they are expected to do that ca n't be better solved through talks with Paris .
There has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Navy to copy Australia 's controversial policy of physically pushing back migrant boats .
But there are no international waters in the Straits of Dover to push them back into - so such an operation would need British vessels to enter French seas - and our neighbour 's formal permission to do so .
Not only that , it would risk a drowning incident - a complete reversal of the current policy and legal obligations to pluck people from the sea .
On Saturday the MoD said it would `` do all it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But an unnamed MoD source also told the PA news agency that the idea of using the Navy was `` completely potty '' , and that military resources should not be used to address `` political failings '' .
Former Labour home secretary Jack Straw said any attempt to model Australia 's controversial `` push back '' tactics would not work and could lead to boats capsizing .
`` The crucial point here is the obvious one , is that it requires the co-operation of the French , '' Mr Straw said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Detention Action human rights campaign , condemned the idea of boats being forced back into French waters as `` an unhinged proposal '' that would be met with legal challenges .
Writing in the Daily Telegraph , Immigration Minister Chris Philp said migrants should be fingerprinted .
However , it is unclear what the proposal will amount to , as the fingerprints of asylum seekers are already stored under the European Union Eurodac system .
Mr Philp said migrants would know `` they face real consequences if they try to cross again @ @ @ @ @ @ @ negotiate hard '' with French officials about how to deal with the crossings .
Former director general of UK Border Force , Tony Smith , said smugglers have identified a `` loophole '' in international law .
The UN 's 1951 Refugee Convention says that once a person is in the jurisdiction of a country - such as territorial waters - then authorities are obliged to rescue people , bring them ashore , and allow them to lodge an asylum application , Mr Smith told BBC Radio 4 's Today programme .
However @ @ @ @ @ @ @ called `` Dublin III '' , the UK has the right to send back anyone who is seeking asylum if they could have reasonably claimed it in another country along the way .
That arrangement will cease at the end of the Brexit transition period - next January - unless the UK and the EU agree a similar deal .
Our team arrived just before first light to the main tourist beach of Petit Fort Philippe near Gravelines this morning , 20 miles east of Calais .
Within minutes , we spotted more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and its motor in the distance .
They were holding it above their heads as they walked for 15 minutes from the dunes , past the beach huts to the sea .
Children were at the back , holding hands and wearing life jackets .
When they first got into the water , they were clearly in trouble .
The boat was overloaded with 21 people on board , letting in water and came back to shore .
Several men , who appeared to be smugglers , appeared from the dunes to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ child off the boat .
They then relaunched .
It looked dangerously close to sinking and still overcrowded despite the calm waters .
In total , it took almost an hour before the boat left .
In this time , there was no sign of any surveillance .
We called the police to alert them , worried that the boat may be in imminent danger .
They told us they were on the way .
Four hours later , there is still no sign of them .
Several bird spotters on the beach @ @ @ @ @ @ @ told us that this is the third time this week that boats have left from here , and that each time , he could hear children crying before they got into the boat .
More than 1,000 migrants arrived on UK shores using small boats in July .
MPs have launched an inquiry into the rising numbers entering the UK , while Labour has accused ministers of `` failing to get to grips with the crisis '' .
French police have told the BBC they intercepted 10 times the number of migrants from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ year , compared to the same period last year .
They said their success rate in catching migrants has increased from 40 % in 2019 to 47 % in 2020 .

So given there is no suggestion the UK Border Force is buckling under the strain, military planners will want to know exactly what they are expected to do that can't be better solved through talks with Paris.


bbc--2020-08-08--Coronavirus: Masks made mandatory in parts of Paris as infections rise

Wearing a face mask will be compulsory in busy parts of Paris from Monday amid a rise in coronavirus infections in and around the French capital .
Police said the order would apply to people aged 11 and over in `` certain very crowded zones '' .
The virus had been circulating more widely in the region since mid-July , they said .
Face masks are already compulsory in enclosed public spaces .
Experts have warned that France could lose control of Covid-19 `` at any time '' .
Several cities , such as Nice and Lille , have introduced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in certain outdoor areas .
• Where are the world 's coronavirus hotspots ?
• What do I need to know about Europe 's coronavirus rules ?
Paris authorities have not yet detailed which areas will be affected by the new order , which will come into force at 08:00 ( 06:00 GMT ) on Monday .
The zones where masks are mandatory will be evaluated on a regular basis , they said .
In a statement on Saturday , authorities said the rate of positive coronavirus tests was 2.4 % in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ national average of 1.6 % .
They added that 400 people were testing positive for coronavirus every day in the region , with those aged between 20 and 30 particularly affected .
Officials earlier this week said they had called for new measures on masks in the French capital .
`` We are going to ask that [ mask-wearing ] become compulsory in crowded outdoor places and where respecting a metre 's distance between people is difficult , '' said Anne Souyris , the deputy mayor in charge of health .
The new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ advisers warned on Tuesday that France could lose control of the virus `` at any time '' .
France reported 2,288 new coronavirus infections in its daily figures on Friday , marking a new post-lockdown high .
In total , the country has recorded more than 235,000 cases of coronavirus and more than 30,000 deaths , according to data collated by Johns Hopkins University .
• A SIMPLE GUIDE : How do I protect myself ?
• IMPACT : What the virus does to the body • COMPARING COUNTRIES : Why it is @ @

"We are going to ask that [mask-wearing] become compulsory in crowded outdoor places and where respecting a metre's distance between people is difficult," said Anne Souyris, the deputy mayor in charge of health.


bbc--2020-08-08--DJ quits BBC over use of racial slur

DJ quits BBC over use of racial slur

BBC 1Xtra DJ Sideman has quit the station over the use of a racial slur in a BBC News report .
Sideman , real name David Whitely , said in a statement the `` action and the defence of the action feels like a slap in the face of our community '' .
The N-word was used in full in a report about a racially aggravated attack in Bristol , broadcast by Points West and the BBC News Channel .
The BBC has defended the use of the slur but accepted it caused offence .
More than 18,600 complaints have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ broadcast .
In addition , broadcast regulator Ofcom said it received 384 complaints .
In a video on Instagram , captioned `` I ca n't look the other way '' , Sideman said : `` I 've thought long and hard about what I 'm about to say and what it means .
`` And on this occasion I just do n't think that I can look the other way . ''
A spokesperson for BBC 1Xtra said : `` Sideman is an incredibly talented DJ .
Obviously we are disappointed that he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ absolutely wish him well for the future .
The door is always open for future projects . ''
In the video posted on Saturday afternoon , the DJ said he believes change can happen , adding : `` I understand it 's not something that 's going to happen overnight , that there will need to be a lot of learning and tearing down of certain building blocks of our society that took a long time to build up .
`` So I 'm OK with process .
I 'm OK with waiting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to change .
`` But the BBC sanctioning the N-word being said on national television by a white person is something I ca n't rock with .
`` This is an error of judgement where I ca n't just smile with you through the process and act like everything is OK. '' Sideman said he was quitting his show with immediate effect .
He said he made no apology for the decision , adding : `` I just do n't feel comfortable being aligned with the organisation . ''
His decision was applauded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ entertainment industry including former 1Xtra DJ Dotty and Radio 1 and 1Xtra DJ MistaJam .
DJ Charlie Sloth said : `` I admire and respect you David !
Well done for standing up for what you believe is right !
You 're a King !
!
This world needs people like you ! ''
In a tweet , BBC Radio London presenter Eddie Nestor described Sideman as a `` king '' , adding that he was writing a letter to publicly send to his BBC bosses on the issue .
Decision was 'not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ aired on Wednesday 29 July , described an attack on a 21-year-old NHS worker and musician known as K or K-Dogg .
He had been hit by a car on 22 July while walking to a bus stop from his workplace , Southmead Hospital in Bristol .
He suffered serious injuries including a broken leg , nose and cheekbone .
Police said the incident is being treated as racially aggravated due to the racist language used by the occupants of the car .
A fourth man was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's resignation , a BBC spokesperson said the decision to use the word in the report `` was not taken lightly and without considerable detailed thought : we were aware that it would cause offence '' .
`` The BBC set out the context of the news report about the shocking attack on an NHS worker in Bristol .
As we have said , the word is highly offensive and we completely accept and understand why people have been upset by its use .
`` But , in this specific context we felt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , not just the injuries but , given their alleged extreme nature , the words alleged to have been used - a position which , as we have said , was supported by the family and the victim . ''
In an earlier statement in response to complaints about the use of the word , the BBC said : `` The victim 's family were anxious the incident should be seen and understood by the wider public .
`` It 's for this reason they asked us specifically to show the photos of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ determined that we should report the racist language , in full , alleged to have been spoken by the occupants of the car . ''
The BBC said the decision was taken independently of the victim 's family 's wishes , and was made `` by a team of people including a number of senior editorial figures '' .
In its fortnightly bulletin , the BBC said it had received 18,656 complaints about the incident by Sunday 2 August .
That makes it the second-most complained about incident since the BBC began using @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Newsnight 's opening monologue about Dominic Cummings in May received more , with 23,674 .

In the video posted on Saturday afternoon, the DJ said he believes change can happen, adding: "I understand it's not something that's going to happen overnight, that there will need to be a lot of learning and tearing down of certain building blocks of our society that took a long time to build up.


bbc--2020-08-08--Juventus appoint Andrea Pirlo to replace Maurizio Sarri

Juventus have appointed Andrea Pirlo as manager to replace the sacked Maurizio Sarri , a week after hiring the former midfielder as Under-23 boss .
The Italian giants sacked Sarri after just one season despite winning Serie A following the club 's Champions League last-16 defeat by Lyon on Friday .
The former Italy midfielder was only named the club 's Under-23 manager on 30 July .
Juventus said the decision to promote him is `` based on the belief that Pirlo has what it takes to lead from his debut on the bench , an expert and talented squad @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The decision for Pirlo was very natural , in the Juventus style , because he is someone who played for us , has always been in contact with everyone here and it felt natural , '' said Juventus ' chief football officer Fabio Paratici .
`` We also believe he is pre-destined for greatness .
He was as a player and we are confident he can do the same as a coach . ''
Pirlo played 164 games for Juventus between 2011 and 2015 and won four Serie A titles in Turin after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he spent most of his career and won two Champions League and two league titles .
• 'The football genius who defied the number crunchers' Pirlo , who won 116 caps for Italy and helped them to win the 2006 World Cup , retired in 2017 having spent two years in Major League Soccer at New York City FC after leaving Juventus .
After he was appointed Under-23 boss , Pirlo said he would like to have the same `` journey '' as Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola and Real Madrid manager Zinedine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Real Madrid 's reserve teams respectively before taking on the main job .
`` But you need to earn it , gaining experience , '' said Pirlo .
`` The path I 'm about to embark on is the right one for me . ''
Pirlo played at Juventus alongside goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon , who at 42 is older than his new boss .
Posting on Instagram after the announcement , Buffon wrote : `` So now I have to call you Mister ?
Good luck # CoachPirlo . ''
Former boss @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a three-year contract last summer after one year at Premier League club Chelsea .
The Italian guided Juventus to a ninth straight Serie A title , although they lost three of their last four league matches to finish only a point clear of Inter Milan .
They were also beaten by Napoli in the Coppa Italia final after football in the country restarted following the coronavirus shutdown .
• The Missing Cryptoqueen : The search for Dr Ruja is back on • How did football begin ?
: The origins of the game @ @ @ @ @ @

Last updated on .From the section European Football
Andrea Pirlo won four Serie A titles, a Coppa Italia and two Italian Super Cups at Juventus
Juventus have appointed Andrea Pirlo as manager to replace the sacked Maurizio Sarri, a week after hiring the former midfielder as Under-23 boss.
The Italian giants sacked Sarri after just one season despite winning Serie A following the club's Champions League last-16 defeat by Lyon on Friday.
Pirlo, 41, has signed a two-year deal until June 2022.
The former Italy midfielder was only named the club's Under-23 manager on 30 July.
Juventus said the decision to promote him is "based on the belief that Pirlo has what it takes to lead from his debut on the bench, an expert and talented squad to pursue new success".
"The decision for Pirlo was very natural, in the Juventus style, because he is someone who played for us, has always been in contact with everyone here and it felt natural," said Juventus' chief football officer Fabio Paratici.
"We also believe he is pre-destined for greatness. He was as a player and we are confident he can do the same as a coach."
Pirlo played 164 games for Juventus between 2011 and 2015 and won four Serie A titles in Turin after joining from AC Milan, with whom he spent most of his career and won two Champions League and two league titles.
Pirlo, who won 116 caps for Italy and helped them to win the 2006 World Cup, retired in 2017 having spent two years in Major League Soccer at New York City FC after leaving Juventus.
After he was appointed Under-23 boss, Pirlo said he would like to have the same "journey" as Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola and Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane.
Guardiola and Zidane coached Barcelona and Real Madrid's reserve teams respectively before taking on the main job.
"But you need to earn it, gaining experience," said Pirlo.
"The path I'm about to embark on is the right one for me."
Pirlo played alongside Buffon at Juventus and for Italy
Pirlo played at Juventus alongside goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon, who at 42 is older than his new boss.
Posting on Instagram after the announcement, Buffon wrote: "So now I have to call you Mister? Good luck #CoachPirlo."
Former boss Sarri, 61, was appointed on a three-year contract last summer after one year at Premier League club Chelsea.
The Italian guided Juventus to a ninth straight Serie A title, although they lost three of their last four league matches to finish only a point clear of Inter Milan.
They were also beaten by Napoli in the Coppa Italia final after football in the country restarted following the coronavirus shutdown.


bbc--2020-08-08--Hiroshima and Nagasaki: 75th anniversary of atomic bombings

It is 75 years since the US dropped atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki on 6 and 9 August , leading to the end of World War Two .
The recorded death tolls are estimates , but it is thought that about 140,000 of Hiroshima 's 350,000 population were killed in the blast , and that at least 74,000 people died in Nagasaki .
Following the end of the fighting in Europe on 7 May 1945 , the Allies told Japan to surrender by 28 July , but the deadline passed without them doing so .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Commonwealth were killed in the war against Japan , including more than 12,000 prisoners of war who died in Japanese captivity .
The Hiroshima bomb , known as `` Little Boy '' , contained the equivalent of between 12,000 and 15,000 tons of TNT and devastated an area of 13sq km ( 5sq miles ) .
`` It felt as if I had been left all alone .
The next moment there was a loud roar .
Then I blacked out . ''
`` Many fled over Mount Konpira to our community @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , their hair dishevelled , almost all naked , badly burned with their skin hanging down .
`` My mother grabbed towels and sheets at home and , with other women in the community , led the fleeing people to the auditorium of a nearby commercial college where they could lie down .
`` They asked for water .
I was asked to give them water , so I found a chipped bowl and went to the nearby river and scooped water to let them drink .
On the same day , US @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a crowd gathered outside the White House in which he said : `` This is the day we have been waiting for since Pearl Harbor .
This is the day when fascism finally dies , as we always knew it would . ''
The following day , Japan 's Emperor Hirohito was heard on the radio for the first time ever in a broadcast in which he blamed the use of `` a new and most cruel bomb '' for Japan 's unconditional surrender .
He added : `` Should we continue to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the ultimate collapse and obliteration of the Japanese nation , but would lead also to the total extinction of human civilisation . ''
He added that special thanks went to the US `` without whose prodigious efforts the war in the East would still have many years to run '' .
The Atomic Bomb Dome in Hiroshima , seen below in August 2020 , was one of the few buildings to survive the bomb and has been preserved as a memorial .
The dome is located in the city 's Peace Memorial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Unesco World Heritage site .

On the same day, US President Harry Truman gave an address to a crowd gathered outside the White House in which he said: "This is the day we have been waiting for since Pearl Harbor. This is the day when fascism finally dies, as we always knew it would."


bbc--2020-08-08--Beirut explosion: Tear gas and police clashes amid Beirut protest

Police and protesters have clashed in angry scenes in Beirut after thousands of people took to the streets .
While @ @ @ @ @ peaceful , some protesters set fires and police fired tear gas .
It comes four @ @ @ @ @ that killed at least 158 people in the port area , which has reignited anger @ @ @ @ @ , who many see as inept and corrupt .
Read more : Thousands show anger @ @ @ @ @

Police and protesters have clashed in angry scenes in Beirut after thousands of people took to the streets.
While most of the demonstration was peaceful, some protesters set fires and police fired tear gas.
Protesters set up make-shift gallows, with the message "resign or hang" for government officials.
It comes four days after the huge explosion that killed at least 158 people in the port area, which has reignited anger at Lebanon's political leaders, who many see as inept and corrupt.
Video by James Wignall
Read more: Thousands show anger in Beirut streets after blast


bbc--2020-08-08--Coronavirus: Winchester teenager films lockdown documentary

A teenager has filmed a documentary about people 's experiences of the coronavirus pandemic .
Octavia Sanger , 16 , @ @ @ @ @ interviewed 35 people across the world for her film Life in Lockdown .
The one-and-a-quarter @ @ @ @ @ the pandemic has altered people 's perceptions of issues such as family life , relationships @ @ @ @ @ her mum 's camera and learned filming and editing skills as she went along .
@ @ @ @ @ film to the Amazon Prime streaming platform .

A teenager has filmed a documentary about people's experiences of the coronavirus pandemic.
Octavia Sanger, 16, from Winchester in Hampshire, interviewed 35 people across the world for her film Life in Lockdown.
The one-and-a-quarter hour film deals with how the pandemic has altered people's perceptions of issues such as family life, relationships and faith.
Octavia used her mum's camera and learned filming and editing skills as she went along.
She has now uploaded the film to the Amazon Prime streaming platform.
Video journalist: Ben Moore


bbc--2020-08-07--Your pictures on the theme of 'open spaces'

We asked our readers to send in their pictures on the theme of `` open spaces '' .
Here are @ @ @ @ @ to us from around the world .
The next theme is `` garden creatures '' @ @ @ @ @ is 18 August 2020 .
Send pictures to yourpics @ bbc.co.uk or follow the link @ @ @ @ @ pictures here '' .
Further details and terms can be found by following the link @ @ @ @ @ theme , you take the picture '' at the bottom of the page .

Image caption,
Goody Riley: "This summer hasn't been the same as other summers but we are managing to find a few moments of outdoor fun! This was taken as my sons raced their dad at Hidden Beach in California."


bbc--2020-08-07--Beirut explosion: Captain Boris Prokoshev on why Rhosus was in Beirut

How to spot fake news about the Beirut blast This week has seen a huge explosion in Lebanon which has @ @ @ @ @ the country .
There 's been a lot of information shared online , but how @ @ @ @ @ can trust ?

Lebanon's government has blamed the huge blast that devastated parts of Beirut on the detonation of 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate stored at the city's port.
The government has not named the source of the ammonium nitrate, but the same amount of the chemical arrived in Beirut in November 2013 on a Moldovan-flagged cargo ship, the MV Rhosus.
Moscow correspondent, Sarah Rainsford, spoke to the ship's captain Boris Prokoshev.


bbc--2020-08-08--12 months, 12 lives: Kashmiris in limbo and lockdown

On 5 August 2019 , the Indian government revoked a constitutional article that stripped the semi-autonomous status from the part of Kashmir it administers and split the region into two federally-run territories .
A stringent curfew was imposed and thousands detained along with a communications black-out .
The lockdown began to be eased in March , but was then re-imposed due to the Covid-19 pandemic .
It has been a year of shutdowns , anger and fear .
The BBC spoke to 12 different Kashmiris , to find out what their lives have been like during this year .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ca n't separate the personal from the professional , '' says Ms Mattoo , who has been a journalist for the last four years .
`` We have been through lockdowns in previous years .
But last year there was an environment of fear psychosis .
We did n't know what was happening .
Our modes of communication changed .
We innovated to be heard . ''
Ms Mattoo said that security personnel attitudes towards reporters - already quite hostile - hardened further after August .
`` Now journalists are questioned , arrested @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I have to put up a post on social media , I have to think twice or thrice now because I have to work too .
The fear is always there . ''
`` There is a degree of concern for me at home .
But I do n't share my professional work with my family .
I do n't discuss it with them .
Sometimes one has to lie as well . ''
Altaf Hussain 's son was one of the first casualties post the government order on 5 August .
Usaib @ @ @ @ @ @ @ jumped into a river to escape security forces who were chasing him - a charge they have denied .
A year later , his death has still not been officially acknowledged - even the hospital where he died has refused to issue the family with a death certificate .
`` He had gone to play football but he returned in a coffin .
Police insist no-one died that day .
They are not acknowledging that he was killed .
I have witnesses but still they are refusing to file a case .
We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but there 's been no justice , '' he says .
Muneefa was caught in the crossfire after a protest broke out between protesters and security forces .
She was hit in the right eye , apparently with a slingshot .
`` I was in hospital for many days .
But I do n't remember much now .
I have forgotten my school lessons .
I used to get 100 out of 100 marks .
Once my eye is cured , I want to become a doctor .
I like doctors because they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ says .
Her father , who is a cameraman for a local news agency , says her eye is completely gone and he had to take her out of school after he could no longer afford to pay the fees .
`` I can only see shadows .
I ca n't read books .
I do n't go anywhere .
Doctors said I will be able to go to school after 15 days but a year has passed , '' she says .
He started working while he was still a young boy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Srinagar , the capital of Indian-administered Kashmir .
In 2003 , with his wife 's gold ornaments and his own savings , he purchased a bus of his own .
Today , along with a partner and a bank loan , he has a fleet of seven buses - but all of them are grounded .
Transport has been one of the worst hit sectors in the region this year .
`` Recently we renewed the insurance policies of these buses for around 400,000 rupees ( $ 5,335 ; £4,380 ) without @ @ @ @ @ @ @ employees are on the verge of starvation .
But how am I supposed to take care of their families when my own family is suffering ?
People like me sold our precious assets to make a respectable livelihood - when we do n't earn , how will we repay our debts ?
Mr Ahmed now works as a manual labourer to try and pay off his back loan .
Ms Ahmad runs her own fashion designing business - a career choice she made she says , because she did n't want anyone bossing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to promote Kashmiri culture through her work - which she sells online .
`` The internet shutdown inflicted a big blow to my business and 2G has n't been helpful .
I have customers all over the world including the US , Dubai and Australia .
But most of my customers are Kashmiri and they ca n't see my products because pictures do n't open on 2G speed .
Earlier , I used to get 100-110 orders a week .
Now I only get about five or six .
International customers worry over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to congratulate her for delivering her order after six months .
Another asked her to `` get lost '' because she did n't reply to her text on time due to the internet shutdown .
`` I do n't think I can sustain my business for long like this .
My monthly expenses are close to 200,000 rupees .
And if I do n't earn anything , how will I pay my seven workers ? ''
`` As a law student , I study the constitution , spirit of democracy , fundamental rights @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But these are merely words .
The castle they build is crumbling .
We are losing individual liberties .
For all students and teachers , studying law has become a joke . ''
Mr Dujia is fast becoming disillusioned with his chosen profession .
`` Speaking used to be a remedy but now it can land you in jail .
As an intern with a human rights advocacy group in Kashmir , I saw a man bundled into a police van for speaking with media .
Our spirit is being destroyed .
There @ @ @ @ @ @ @ study law to see it damaged by those who are paid to uphold it .
I am searching for a different job . ''
Mr Bhatt heads the media wing of India 's ruling Hindu-nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party ( BJP ) - which abrogated the erstwhile state 's special status .
He says he has been ostracised by his friends and family for choosing to join the party , but insists he will `` not go to hell '' because of it .
To the contrary , he feels that he is helping @ @ @ @ @ @ @ My aim is not power or earning money but changing the lives of others .
Our youngsters pick up guns but this is not a solution .
Those who die in Kashmir are my brothers too - but violence is not the answer . ''
Mr Ahmed worked as a boat operator on the picturesque Dal Lake in Srinagar for the last 25 years , ferrying tourists up and down .
It was a lucrative enough livelihood - he would earn around 500 rupees a day .
`` Now , I am forced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ where are the customers in a lockdown ? ''
he asks .
He says he struggles to pay even his children 's school fees .
`` Our future has been ruined .
Tourists wo n't come because of fear .
This is a difficult time for everyone in Kashmir .
But the tourism sector has suffered the most . ''
Mr Ahmad says the government has promised boatmen 1,000 rupees each but says that wo n't even help pay his electricity bill .
`` I have left it to God because I have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rest of India , students have the best education opportunities .
I am at a level where I am being deprived of even a basic education .
If we miss out on important concepts at this point , how will we pass competitive exams in the future ? ''
Falah asks .
`` I am facing problems with basic concepts in science and mathematics .
But with the internet cut , I could n't even search for solutions .
Now the internet is back but speeds are terrible .
Even if I try @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there is no use because I have no concepts to begin with . ''
She says she misses school - her teachers and friends .
`` I do n't leave my home .
For one year , I have been confined to this place .
If any other state had been under lockdown for a year , students would have come out and protested .
They would n't stay home .
But we ca n't protest .
We can be jailed . ''
Mr Farooq is a hotelier and a third-generation businessman but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He talks about the death and violence he has seen since 1990 - the beginning of a militant uprising against Indian rule in the state .
`` It took three generations to build this hotel .
But since 1990 , we have only been surviving . ''
Business , he says , has become unsustainable .
`` For electricity , I have to pay 200,000 rupees whether my hotel uses it or not .
There are other service charges .
I ca n't pay employees .
I do n't see things getting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rest of the country celebrates .
What the rest of country celebrates , we mourn it .
So everything has become political .
In everything , there is conflict .
In such a situation , how can businesses run ? ''
Mr Ahmed is a fruit farmer in Kashmir - one of the main sources of agricultural revenue in the region .
He says a combination of unseasonal weather and the lockdown has landed him in a situation where he may have to even sell his land .
Unexpectedly early snowfall damaged both @ @ @ @ @ @ @ then to add to his woes , a shortage of labour meant that he could not spray his crops , which led to a poor harvest .
`` We have been idle for a year now .
The apple produce used to fetch between 100,000 and 150,000 rupees but this year I have made only 30,000 rupees .
My brother harvested 1,200 boxes of peaches but he had to throw away most of them because there were no buyers .
If the situation continues like this , I may be forced to sell @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do any other work .
I have not studied much . ''
Mr Sidiq works in pottery but says his work has ground to a halt because he ca n't get his raw material .
The state government recently handed out sand and rock extraction permits to non-local contractors , putting thousands of locals like Mr Sidiq out of work .
`` The government has banned soil extraction .
They say there are court orders .
But where were the courts all these years ?
Did the judges not give a thought about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
Do they want to starve us to death ?
Due to the lockdown , all of my products are unsold , I have stopped making new products and instead work as a manual labourer . ''

"We have been idle for a year now. The apple produce used to fetch between 100,000 and 150,000 rupees but this year I have made only 30,000 rupees. My brother harvested 1,200 boxes of peaches but he had to throw away most of them because there were no buyers. If the situation continues like this, I may be forced to sell off the land - I can't do any other work. I have not studied much."


bbc--2020-08-08--Why the French are 'European champions' at abandoning pets

After weeks of lockdown , the French are keener than ever to get away from the stifling cities this weekend .
But the dense traffic will also serve as an ugly reminder of another annual summer trend here .
The French have the unfortunate distinction of being the European `` champions '' for abandoning pets that have become too cumbersome for their summer trips .
Animal shelters up and down the country are proof of this unique and sad tradition .
Betty Loizeau has run a shelter just north of Toulouse for more than 20 years .
There are rabbits @ @ @ @ @ @ @ here and each has their own individual story of abandonment .
`` Owners rarely have the courage to turn up with their unwanted companions , '' she says .
`` Instead they call up to say where they can be found , or drop them off in boxes outside the shelter under the cover of darkness . ''
• Why you should n't get a pet during lockdown Curled up at the very back of a cage sits a silent , hesitant , white-haired cat .
Pom Pom 's male owner gave her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a new girlfriend who did n't like cats .
Another feline , Misha , has a badly twisted leg after jumping from a balcony .
Her owner did n't want to pay the vet 's fees and that 's how she ended up in a shelter .
There are plenty of dogs here , too .
Pepito is a five-year-old miniature pinscher whose owners tied him up next to a lamp-post before calling the refuge .
`` The excuses they typically give are that they 're going on holiday , having a baby @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a new partner with allergies , `` Ms Loizeau explains .
She says the owners come from all social classes , but cases of badly treated animals are higher on the poor housing estates and amongst the Roma Traveller community .
For shelters like this one , it is the busiest time of the year .
Given that just over half of all French households have at least one pet , it would be fair to assume they are a nation of pet lovers .
Yet , every summer , emotional animal rights @ @ @ @ @ @ @ persuade people to look after their animals .
Between 100,000 and 200,000 pets are abandoned in France each year , with 60 % of these incidents occurring over the summer .
By comparison , the RSPCA animal charity told the BBC that the figure is close to 16,000 in the UK .
In the latest hard-hitting advertising campaign , the French are described as the `` European champions for abandoned pets '' .
As if to emphasise the point , the soundtrack to the video is Queen 's rock anthem We are the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ appeal work ?
It seems not .
A parliamentary report in June revealed that each year owners turn their pets loose in ever greater numbers .
So why is the figure still rising and what does it say about the French in general ?
`` Pets are increasingly seen as an impulse buy , '' says Marina Chaillaud , a vet near Bordeaux who has studied the social relationship between the French and their pets .
Ms Chaillaud has several explanations for this phenomenon .
`` A certain breed of cat or dog @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just like a new smartphone , '' she says .
`` Of course , like a smartphone , when it goes out of fashion they dump it for an upgrade a couple of years later , when a new breed is considered trendy . ''
She also points to the issue of pets being given as gifts as a reason why so many are abandoned .
`` Often parents will get pets for their children and when they grow up and lose interest in them , out goes the pet . ''
Ms @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plenty of abandoned pets so far this summer .
But she says there is another , sociological , explanation for the phenomenon .
`` In France , where the state is so omnipresent , people are so used to getting prescription medication from a pharmacy without handing over any money , '' she says .
`` They are shocked when they have to pay to treat their pets .
As a result , many domestic animals are abandoned when they get sick or old . ''
Over the summer , owners discover that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ban them altogether .
This explains why you will often see frightened , lost , dogs wandering near motorway service stations or beach resorts .
One MP in Toulouse , Corinne Vignon , owns several stray cats and has co-introduced a bill in parliament that would make it harder to buy pets and easier to trace owners who mistreat or abandon them .
The bill would introduce compulsory tagging , as well as raise the minimum age limit of buyers .
`` The way owners act with pets is a good indicator of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` Studies show that those who treat their animals badly are far more likely to be involved in domestic violence too . ''
She believes cross-party support means her bill will most likely get passed later this year .
But back at the refuge , Betty Loizeau is unconvinced that new laws are needed .
`` We already have stiff sentences available , including jail for owners who treat their pets badly , '' she says .
`` The police help me but every time I go to the prosecutor 's office @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' Ms Loizeau says .
`` [ Animal cruelty ] is just a low priority for them .
Abusers are rarely punished .
But I wo n't give up . ''
For more on this story , listen to From Our Own Correspondent on BBC Radio 4 or via the BBC Sounds app .
Chris Bockman is the author of Are you the foie gras correspondent ?
Another slow news day in south-west France .

"In France, where the state is so omnipresent, people are so used to getting prescription medication from a pharmacy without handing over any money," she says. "They are shocked when they have to pay to treat their pets. As a result, many domestic animals are abandoned when they get sick or old."


bbc--2020-08-08--Coronavirus: Fact-checking fake stories in Africa

As the number of confirmed coronavirus cases across Africa passed the one million mark this week , we 've looked into some of the widely shared fake news about the pandemic on the continent .
A voice recording endorsing various false conspiracies about the coronavirus pandemic has been attributed to the President of Ghana .
We are n't sure who 's speaking .
It is a West African accent , but it is definitely not President Nana Akufo-Addo .
Ghana 's Information Minister has confirmed that the voice was not the president 's and said the claim was `` obviously @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unsubstantiated claims about the origins of the virus , including the widely-shared false notion that the pandemic was a planned event , a so-called 'plandemic ' .
It also features false claims about mandatory vaccinations and the involvement of Bill Gates in manipulating events .
We 've previously written in detail about these compulsory vaccine rumours and the 'plandemic ' conspiracy theory .
Different versions of the clip have been circulated in Europe , North America and Africa .
One , posted on a Nigerian YouTube channel , has clocked up more than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the channel says he changed the title of the video to `` Africa Leader ... Exposes Bill Gates Deadly Vaccine For Africa '' after people in the comments pointed out it inaccurately named the Ghanaian president .
However , Nana Akufo-Addo 's photograph is still showing .
• How fast is coronavirus spreading in Africa ?
• The fight to prove Covid-19 is real in Africa Verdict : This false claim was intended as satire , but has been widely shared in Africa .
A satirical video of a man 's reaction to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in South Africa on a TV news channel has been viewed thousands of times on Facebook and is also circulating on WhatsApp .
The video has been edited to replace a senior representative of the Liquor Traders Association of South Africa ( who was being interviewed ) , with a comedian .
The comedian Thandokwakhe Mseleku posted the video of his television appearance on Instagram and YouTube .
In the video , he says : `` Sanitiser has got 70 % alcohol , so if you are drinking alcohol , it is like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Judging by some of the comments to the video , people clearly thought it was real .
The comedian later labelled his videos as 'parody ' .
We have asked Thandokwakhe Mseleku for a comment .
Drinking alcohol-based hand sanitiser is extremely dangerous and has led to deaths .
It certainly does n't protect you from coronavirus .
A misleading poster claiming to offer advice from inside isolation hospitals on what to do to protect someone from coronavirus has been circulating on social media in Africa .
It claims that the 'acidity ' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ consuming high-alkaline foods , and lists a variety of fruits with their apparent pH levels .
The pH scale ranges from zero ( very strong acids ) to 14 ( most alkaline ) .
A pH of 7 is neutral .
Some of the values in the shared poster are way off this scale : Avocados register 15.6 and Watercress 22.7 .
This is simply incorrect .
But would alkaline foods kill the virus ?
Different parts of the body have different natural pHs which are naturally kept in balance and ca n't @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , blood is very slightly alkaline , your stomach is acidic .
So eating certain foods would not have an effect on the pH level inside cells .
`` Given that it would be impossible to increase the pH of your cells , then it 's a bit of a pointless argument to determine if high pH would inhibit the virus '' , says Connor Bamford , a virologist at Queen 's University Belfast .
According to Lee Mwiti , Chief Editor , Africa Check , the spread of misinformation on WhatsApp is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The messaging app is hugely popular across the African continent , but as a closed platform it is hard to measure the spread of falsehoods and debunk them .
He says Africa Check 's work with 'tiplines ' and podcasts means they are `` quite confident that it is a strong source of misinformation '' .
Claim : A coronavirus vaccine trial in Africa has led to the death of two children When two French doctors controversially suggested on French TV in April that early vaccine trials should be conducted in Africa , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ among some in the African diaspora .
A London-based vlogger responded to the French doctors ' comments by falsely claiming that vaccine trials were already under way in Guinea , and made the further false accusation that two children had died as a result .
The video was illustrated with what was claimed to be a local news report showing unrest on the streets and interviews with sick children .
In fact , the news report was from March 2019 , before the coronavirus outbreak began , and the incident was not related @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ministry put out a statement at the time which explained some people had experienced side-effects after being given an anti-parasitic drug treatment .
According to officials interviewed in the report itself and local articles , there were no deaths reported from this treatment .
The claims in the video first surfaced in May and were debunked at the time , but they have continued to circulate on Facebook and closed WhatsApp groups , and have been watched around 25,000 times on YouTube .
• Coronavirus vaccine trials in Africa : What you need @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hard to debunk these and other false stories circulating online .
Lee Mwiti from Africa Check says the most shared and enduring falsehoods are those that have tapped into people 's anxieties , vulnerabilities and `` lack of control in a time of unprecedented disruption '' .

The messaging app is hugely popular across the African continent, but as a closed platform it is hard to measure the spread of falsehoods and debunk them. He says Africa Check's work with 'tiplines' and podcasts means they are "quite confident that it is a strong source of misinformation".


bbc--2020-08-07--US election 2020: What is the electoral college?

The US presidential election will take place in less than 100 days .
But it 's possible the candidate with the most votes from the public wo n't be the winner .
This is because the president is not chosen directly by the voters , but what 's known as the electoral college .
So who are Americans voting for ?
When Americans go to the polls in presidential elections they 're actually voting for a group of officials who make up the electoral college .
The word `` college '' here simply refers to a group of people with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ electors and their job is to choose the president and vice-president .
The electoral college meets every four years , a few weeks after election day , to carry out that task .
How does the electoral college work ?
The number of electors from each state is roughly in line with the size of its population .
There are 538 electors in total .
California has the most electors - 55 - while a handful of sparsely populated states like Wyoming , Alaska and North Dakota ( and Washington DC ) have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ represents one electoral vote , and a candidate needs to gain a majority of the votes - 270 or more - to win the presidency .
Generally , states award all their electoral college votes to whoever won the poll of ordinary voters in the state .
For example , if the Republican candidate won 50.1 % of the vote in Texas , they would be awarded all of the state 's 38 electoral college votes .
There are only two states ( Maine and Nebraska ) which divide up their electoral college @ @ @ @ @ @ @ each candidate receives .
This is why presidential candidates target specific `` swing states '' - states where the vote could go either way - rather than trying to win over as many voters as possible across the country .
Every state they win gets them closer to the 270 electoral college votes they need .
Can you win the public vote but not be president ?
Yes , you can .
It is possible for candidates to be the most popular candidate among voters nationally , but still fail to win enough @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In fact , two out of the last five elections were won by candidates who had fewer votes from the general public than their rivals .
In 2016 , Donald Trump had almost three million fewer votes than Hillary Clinton , but won the presidency because the electoral college gave him a majority .
In 2000 , George W Bush won with 271 electoral votes , although Democrat candidate Al Gore won the popular vote by more than half a million .
Only three other presidents have been elected without winning the popular @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 19th Century : John Quincy Adams , Rutherford B Hayes and Benjamin Harrison .
Why was the system chosen ?
When the US constitution was being drawn up in 1787 , a national popular vote to elect a president was practically impossible .
This was because of the size of the country and the difficulty of communication .
At the same time , there was little enthusiasm for allowing the president to be chosen by lawmakers in the capital , Washington DC .
So , the framers of the constitution created the electoral @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Smaller states favoured the system as it gave them more of a voice than a nationwide popular vote to decide the president .
The electoral college was also favoured by southern states , where slaves made up a large portion of the population .
Even though slaves did n't vote , they were counted in the US census ( as three-fifths of a person ) .
Since the number of electoral votes was determined by the size of a state 's population , southern states had more influence in electing a president @ @ @ @ @ @ @ given them .
Do electors have to vote for the candidate who won ?
In some states , electors could vote for whichever candidate they prefer , regardless of who voters backed .
But in practice , electors almost always vote for the candidate who wins the most votes in their state .
If an elector votes against their state 's presidential pick , they are termed `` faithless '' .
In 2016 , seven electoral college votes were cast this way , but no result has been changed by faithless electors .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ majority ?
The House of Representatives , the lower house of US lawmakers , will then vote to elect the president .
This has happened only once , when in 1824 four candidates split the electoral vote , denying any one of them a majority .
With two parties dominating the US system , this is unlikely to happen today .

US election 2020: What is the electoral college? Published 27 October 2020
Image source, Getty Images
The US presidential election takes place 3 November. But it's possible the candidate with the most votes from the public won't be the winner.
This is because the president is not chosen directly by the voters, but what's known as the electoral college.
So who are Americans voting for?
When Americans go to the polls in presidential elections they're actually voting for a group of officials who make up the electoral college.
The word "college" here simply refers to a group of people with a shared task. These people are electors and their job is to choose the president and vice-president.
The electoral college meets every four years, a few weeks after election day, to carry out that task.
How does the electoral college work?
The number of electors from each state is roughly in line with the size of its population. Each state gets as many electors as it has lawmakers in the US Congress (representatives in the House and senators).
California has the most electors - 55 - while a handful of sparsely populated states like Wyoming, Alaska and North Dakota (and Washington DC) have the minimum of three.
There are 538 electors in total.
Each elector represents one electoral vote, and a candidate needs to gain a majority of the votes - 270 or more - to win the presidency.
Generally, states award all their electoral college votes to whoever won the poll of ordinary voters in the state.
For example, if a candidate wins 50.1% of the vote in Texas, they are awarded all of the state's 38 electoral votes. Alternatively, a candidate could win by a landslide and still pick up the same number of electoral votes.
It's therefore possible for a candidate to become president by winning a number of tight races in certain states, despite having fewer votes across the country.
There are only two states (Maine and Nebraska) which divide up their electoral college votes according to the proportion of votes each candidate receives.
This is why presidential candidates target specific "swing states" - states where the vote could go either way - rather than trying to win over as many voters as possible across the country.
Every state they win gets them closer to the 270 electoral college votes they need.
Try our quiz on the key states at this election
What information do we collect from this quiz? Privacy notice.
Yes. In fact, two out of the last five elections were won by candidates who had fewer votes from the general public than their rivals.
It is possible for candidates to be the most popular candidate among voters nationally, but still fail to win enough states to gain 270 electoral votes.
In 2016, Donald Trump had almost three million fewer votes than Hillary Clinton, but won the presidency because the electoral college gave him a majority.
Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Republican candidate George W Bush won the 2000 election against Democrat Al Gore
In 2000, George W Bush won with 271 electoral votes, although Democrat candidate Al Gore won the popular vote by more than half a million.
Only three other presidents have been elected without winning the popular vote, all of them in the 19th Century: John Quincy Adams, Rutherford B Hayes and Benjamin Harrison.
Why was the system chosen?
When the US constitution was being drawn up in 1787, a national popular vote to elect a president was practically impossible. This was because of the size of the country and the difficulty of communication.
At the same time, there was little enthusiasm for allowing the president to be chosen by lawmakers in the capital, Washington DC.
So, the framers of the constitution created the electoral college, with each state choosing electors.
Smaller states favoured the system as it gave them more of a voice than a nationwide popular vote to decide the president.
The electoral college was also favoured by southern states, where slaves made up a large portion of the population. Even though slaves didn't vote, they were counted in the US census (as three-fifths of a person).
Since the number of electoral votes was determined by the size of a state's population, southern states had more influence in electing a president than a direct public vote would have given them.
Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Each state has a certain number of votes in the electoral college
In some states, electors could vote for whichever candidate they prefer, regardless of who voters backed. But in practice, electors almost always vote for the candidate who wins the most votes in their state.
If an elector votes against their state's presidential pick, they are termed "faithless". In 2016, seven electoral college votes were cast this way, but no result has been changed by faithless electors.
The House of Representatives, the lower house of US lawmakers, will then vote to elect the president.
This has happened only once, when in 1824 four candidates split the electoral vote, denying any one of them a majority.


bbc--2020-08-08--Letter from Africa: 'How I helped put Gambians on Google Maps'

In our series of letters from African journalists , Sierra Leonean-Gambian writer Ade Daramy explains how he was instrumental in getting Gambians an address .
Last year I did a piece for the BBC about how easy was to get lost in The Gambia where very few streets are named .
It sparked lively debate here in the small West African nation and I also received lots of messages on social media from people saying : `` It 's the same in my country . ''
Some viewed it as humour - as I explained how bank forms , for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you to draw where your house was , in relation to the nearest landmarks .
But it has taken Covid-19 to show us that addresses are not a cosmetic add-on but a necessity .
How do you contact trace and monitor suspected coronavirus-infected people , if you do not have a proper address where you can find them ?
How do you pick up all the suspected cases to take to a quarantine centre , when you spend hours being directed to a single house and there are hundreds of patients in other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up ?
Well , imagine my surprise and delight when the non-profit organisation Finding Gambia called the TV channel where I work to see if we could cover a pilot scheme to give people addresses .
My name and telephone number were given as contacts , at which point they said : `` Is it the same Ade Daramy who wrote that BBC article ? ''
I was quite flattered to be told that my piece had been used in several meetings to convince potential partners - central government and municipal councils - @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people who started Finding Gambia , Bakary Suso and Alieu Sowe , explained that they were using something called `` plus codes '' to do this .
It is Google technology , useable both online and offline , that creates a short code for any location which can easily direct people using Google Maps .
The codes work just like street addresses - and are made up of a combination of two elements : • First is a short code of between six and seven letters and numbers • And then a locality @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to say , I was intrigued , as our team set off to `` address '' the issue .
We arrived at the first house where a sign with its code printed on was fixed to the outside wall .
The process was repeated at residences and businesses in one of the largest residential areas of The Gambia , each with its own unique identifier .
I tested it out on my Google Map app - and indeed it worked - pointing me directly to one of the doors .
Despite the unarguable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Mr Suso and Mr Sowe told me they had been having a hard time getting the required authorities on board , which is where Covid-19 has probably come to their rescue .
More on The Gambia : • How a teenager risked his life to work in a restaurant • Ex-BBC reporter : I was tortured in The Gambia • The Gambian who took Aung San Suu Kyi to the world court The authorities have been dealing with the nightmare of people absconding from quarantine and not being able to trace them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the this first happened , after a minister sought to allay worries at a press conference by saying : `` We have their contact details . ''
It turned out , all they had were telephone numbers and a vague idea of the area in which they lived .
It 's like trying to find someone who tells you their address is `` Peckham , London '' or `` Kibera , Nairobi '' or `` Alexandra , Johannesburg '' .
'The fire engine was too late' As part of the fight against Covid-19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new ambulances and the Red Cross has ordered seven .
However , until the plus codes are rolled out across the country , which with government backing Finding Gambia optimistically thinks will take around three years , those ambulances will still struggle to get to people 's homes .
My TV channel could broadcast at least one or two stories a week about houses or compounds consumed by fire , with each resident telling the same story : `` The fire engine found the place too late . ''
The beneficiaries of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unlikely now to be their fate .
Though the owner of one house , well-known music producer Abdou Karim Waagan Fye , having sung the praises of this address system , did say : `` I 'd still like to have a street name , though , so , I can tell someone , ' I live at such and such a street . '
'' Music to my ears - as while the plus codes system is good , it lacks the community spirit that street names bring .
And how do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you do n't have street name ?
• The country where black people are called slaves • 'Living overseas no longer seems so attractive' • What Donald Trump gets wrong about Somalia • 'The racist questions I was asked at Eton' Follow us on Twitter @ BBCAfrica , on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica

How do you pick up all the suspected cases to take to a quarantine centre, when you spend hours being directed to a single house and there are hundreds of patients in other places who also need to be picked up?


bbc--2020-08-08--Coronavirus pandemic: Tracking the global outbreak

Coronavirus is continuing its spread across the world , with more than 19 million confirmed cases in 188 countries .
More than 700,000 people have lost their lives .
Cases of the disease are continuing to surge in many countries , while others which had apparent success in suppressing initial outbreaks are now seeing infections rise again .
Where are cases and deaths rising ?
The WHO says Latin America is the epicentre of the pandemic .
Brazil has the second highest number of cases in the world and has recorded almost 100,000 deaths , while Mexico , the second-most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recorded more than 50,000 deaths .
Cases are also increasing rapidly in Colombia , Peru , Argentina and Bolivia .
Iran has also been badly affected by the pandemic .
Information leaked to the BBC Persian service revealed the number of deaths from coronavirus was 42,000 by 20 July , around three times the total claimed by Iran 's government .
More than a million cases have been confirmed in Africa , although the true extent of the pandemic across the continent is not known .
Testing rates are reported to be low @ @ @ @ @ @ @ South Africa and Egypt have seen the largest outbreaks so far in Africa , with South Africa becoming only the fifth country in the world to record more than 500,000 confirmed cases .
Where are the world 's coronavirus hotspots ?
India now has world 's highest daily cases and deaths India has recorded more than 50,000 new infections every day for more than a week , and has pushed past two million cases in total , according to government figures .
The world 's second most populous country has the fifth highest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ease public restrictions despite the spike in cases .
Several countries across Europe have reported a recent rise in cases .
Travellers from the UK have been told they will have to quarantine for two weeks if they are returning from Spain , Belgium or Luxembourg , following a surge in infections .
Cases in France are also rising rapidly again .
A number of countries have re-imposed localised lockdowns in their worst-affected regions , and there have been renewed appeals for people to wear masks and follow social distancing rules .
Spain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ - although most of the new cases have been concentrated in the north-east of the country .
Other countries outside Europe that also appeared to have controlled initial outbreaks , like Israel , Australia and Japan , are now seeing cases rise again .
Vietnam has also seen an increase , after weeks with no reported cases .
The country also saw its first Covid-19 death last week and the toll has since risen to 10 .
In the table below , countries can be reordered by deaths , death rate and total @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the right-hand side , countries in which cases have risen to more than 5,000 per day are those with black bars on the relevant date .
The US has seen record numbers of new cases in recent weeks , although numbers do now appear to be falling again .
The death toll stands at more than 160,000 - more than a fifth of the reported coronavirus deaths around the world .
President Donald Trump has warned that the US pandemic may `` get worse before it gets better '' .
The University of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more than 295,000 by the beginning of December - though it says this could be reduced to about 230,000 if 95 % of Americans wore masks in public .
The outbreak has had a devastating impact on the US economy , with GDP falling by a record annualised rate of 32.9 % in the three months from April to June .
• How did Florida get so badly hit by Covid-19 ?
How many cases and deaths have there been overall ?
There have been more than 19 million confirmed cases worldwide so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ died .
Note : The map , table and animated bar chart in this page use a different source for figures for France from that used by Johns Hopkins University , which results in a slightly lower overall total .
US figures do not include Puerto Rico , Guam or the US Virgin Islands .
WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has said the coronavirus pandemic is `` easily the most severe '' global health emergency the organisation has ever seen and that it `` continues to accelerate '' .
However , he has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ virus has been detected in 188 countries , almost half of all cases reported so far were from just three : the US , Brazil and India .
The virus , which causes the respiratory infection Covid-19 , was first detected in the city of Wuhan , China , in late 2019 .
The outbreak spread quickly across the globe in the first months of 2020 and declared a global pandemic by the WHO on 11 March .
A pandemic is when an infectious disease is passing easily from person to person in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ same time .
Europe and North America saw their first major outbreaks in April but as they began to ease , Latin America and Asia started seeing cases spike .
Governments across the world have been forced to limit public movement and close businesses and venues in a bid to slow the spread of the virus .
This has had a devastating impact on the global economy .
The International Monetary Fund has said the world is in the midst of the worst recession since the Great Depression and warned that it could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ return to pre-pandemic levels .
The United Nations has said that up to 265 million people could face starvation by the end of the year because of the impact of Covid-19 .
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• THE R NUMBER : What it means and why it matters • COMPARING COUNTRIES : The pitfalls of doing so • R0 , FURLOUGH : The language of the outbreak • RECOVERY : How long does it take to get better ?
The data used on this page comes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ includes figures collated by Johns Hopkins University , data from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control , national governments and health agencies , as well as UN data on populations .
When comparing figures from different countries it is important to bear in mind that not all governments are recording coronavirus cases and deaths in the same way .
This makes like for like comparisons between countries difficult .
Other factors to consider include : different population sizes , the size of a country 's elderly population or whether a particular @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people living in densely-populated areas .
In addition , countries may be in different stages of the pandemic .

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


bbc--2020-08-08--Coronavirus Vietnam: The mysterious resurgence of Covid-19

In mid-July , Vietnam still shone as a Covid-19 outlier .
No reported deaths , and months without a locally transmitted case .
Fans packed into football stadiums , schools had reopened , and customers returned to their favourite cafes .
`` We were already back to normal life , '' said Mai Xuan Tu , a 27-year-old from Da Nang in central Vietnam .
Like many in the coastal city wildly popular with domestic visitors , she works in the tourism industry and was slowly resuming bookings for the tour company she founded .
But by the end of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of a new coronavirus outbreak , the source of which has stumped scientists .
Cases suddenly surged after 99 straight days with no local transmissions .
Last week the city saw the country 's first Covid-19 death , a toll that has since risen to 10 .
Just weeks earlier , Vietnam was praised globally as a rare pandemic success story .
The communist country acted fast and decisively where other nations faltered , closing its borders to almost all travellers except returning citizens as early as March .
It quarantined and tested @ @ @ @ @ @ @ facilities , and conducted widespread contact-tracing and testing nationwide .
So what went wrong ?
`` I 'm not sure anything went wrong , '' says Prof Michael Toole , an epidemiologist and principal research fellow at the Burnet Institute in Melbourne .
Most countries that thought they had the pandemic under control have seen resurgences , he says , pointing to a long list including Spain , Australia and Hong Kong .
`` Like in the first wave , Vietnam has responded quickly and forcefully . ''
• Vietnam 's British patient @ @ @ @ @ @ @ any other country' • Vietnam warns country is at risk of new outbreak Around 80,000 visitors in Danang - many of whom had relaxed into thinking the disease was contained - were flown home promptly after the new cases emerged , as the historic port city sealed itself off from visitors and retreated into full lockdown .
Vietnam 's spike shows that `` once there 's a little crack and the virus gets in it can just spread so quickly , '' Prof Toole says .
Scientists and researchers across the country are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ did .
In Hanoi Prof Rogier van Doorn , director of the Oxford University Clinical Research Unit , says the source of this latest outbreak remains a `` big mystery '' .
His team works with the government on its infectious diseases programmes and some of them focus on what he calls `` genetic detective work '' - the sequencing of viruses that can help illuminate `` the chains of transmission .
Who or where the virus came from '' .
But so far no-one knows how the first new case in Da @ @ @ @ @ @ @ patient 416 - came into contact with the coronavirus .
The knowledge gap has allowed some speculation to set in .
Local media have carried reports suggesting the latest outbreak may have been caused by a more virulent strain of the virus .
Others have pointed to recent people-smuggling cases along the Vietnam-China border .
But there is no evidence to suggest a more deadly strain or that migrants have brought the virus into the country .
A more likely possibility , say researchers , is that the virus went undetected during the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , potentially being asymptomatically transmitted in the community .
Or there could have been an error somewhere along the quarantine process with someone released prematurely .
`` There 's evidence [ the virus ] was circulating in Da Nang for several weeks before that first case was diagnosed , '' says Dr Justin Beardsley , a senior lecturer in infectious diseases at the University of Sydney whose research has focused on Vietnam .
There could be some element of people dropping their guard , he adds , while noting that Vietnam showed exceptionally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ curbing spread of the virus .
`` There was big national pride about controlling the pandemic .
And I think that 's been missing in some Western countries . ''
Since hovering around the 400 mark in late July , the number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Vietnam has surged above 780 .
The deputy health minister has said they expect numbers to rise and forecast on Wednesday that the epidemic will reach a peak in 10 days .
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With the recent tourists to Da Nang now back at home , cases have been detected in a total of 14 cities and provinces including the capital and Ho Chi Minh City .
But it has been reassuring , says Prof Van Doorn , that all new cases in other parts of the country so far have had a direct link to the Da Nang outbreak .
Crucially , there has been no reported community transmission outside of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is something authorities will be monitoring closely .
`` What was successful before is being done again .
I 'm again impressed , '' he adds .
'The year we look after our health' Speckled among the praise showered on Vietnam for its handling of Covid-19 were some questions about the accuracy of the authoritarian state 's data , which medical and diplomatic communities had widely agreed was reliable .
`` The new deaths reported shows that there is transparency in reporting Covid-19 in Vietnam and that previous 'no deaths ' should have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' Dr Huong Le Thu , a senior analyst at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute , tells the BBC .
All the fatalities so far have been older patients with co-morbidities .
In Da Nang residents are readjusting .
The beaches and streets are virtually empty once again as people only leave home to buy food .
All eateries have been closed , including for takeout and deliveries .
Flights are grounded .
Each resident is set to be tested for the virus , and a field hospital has been erected as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spread of the disease .
Freedoms mostly remain intact in other parts of the country , though Hanoi has closed down bars and karaoke parlours as an extra precaution , and several cities including the capital and Ho Chi Minh City have made face masks compulsory again in public places .
Like many worldwide , Xuan Tu is rolling with the uncertainty triggered by the pandemic .
`` This year is now the year we look after our health .
Focus on family .
The things that are most important , '' she @ @

But it has been reassuring, says Prof Van Doorn, that all new cases in other parts of the country so far have had a direct link to the Da Nang outbreak. Crucially, there has been no reported community transmission outside of the city and bordering province. This is something authorities will be monitoring closely.