bbc--2020-09-04--Chelsea sign Germany's Havertz for £71m

Chelsea sign Germany's Havertz for £71m

Last updated on .From the section Chelsea Chelsea have signed attacking midfielder Kai Havertz from Bayer Leverkusen on a five-year contract in a deal worth about £71m .
He is Chelsea 's second most expensive signing after Kepa Arrizabalaga joined from Athletic Bilbao ( £71.6m ) in 2018 .
`` I am very happy and proud to be here .
It is a dream come true to play in a big club like Chelsea , '' said Havertz .
• None The 'new Michael Ballack and a future superstar ' - who is Kai Havertz ?
Chelsea director Marina Granovskaia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the best players of his age in world football , so we are very happy that his future lies at Chelsea .
`` He is an exciting , dynamic talent .
We are delighted to be able to add his versatility and quality to the squad before the season begins . ''
Havertz , 21 , is Blues manager Frank Lampard 's seventh signing of the summer .
He follows forward and compatriot Timo Werner , midfielder Hakim Ziyech , and defenders Xavier Mbuyamba , Malang Sarr , Ben Chilwell and Thiago Silva @ @ @ @ @ @ @ loaned out , while Mbuyamba has gone into the Blues ' Under-23 squad .
Having graduated from the Leverkusen academy , Havertz scored 18 goals in 45 appearances last season , including eight in the 11 games after the campaign restarted .
The versatile midfielder , who can also play up front , has scored once in seven appearances for Germany .
Chelsea begin their Premier League campaign away at Brighton on Monday , 14 September ( 20:00 BST ) .
Chelsea are interested in signing Rennes goalkeeper Edouard Mendy to increase competition @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one bid rejected by the French club for the 28-year-old from Senegal .
It is understood the interest in Mendy is not in order to replace Kepa , who was dropped by Lampard last season .
But with second-choice keeper Willy Caballero turning 39 later this month , the club wants a younger challenger to their number-one choice .
Reports suggest Rennes want more than £30m for Mendy .
Having been unable to sign players last summer because of a transfer ban , Chelsea have certainly made up for lost time .
That @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , whose team finished fourth in the Premier League last campaign in his first season and were FA Cup runners-up .
There will also be questions about how much playing time some of Chelsea 's academy graduates get , having made their breakthroughs last season when the transfer ban was still in force .
Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page .
• None What do they really think about the return to school ?

Last updated on .From the section Chelsea
Kai Havertz is Chelsea's second most expensive signing
Chelsea have signed attacking midfielder Kai Havertz from Bayer Leverkusen on a five-year contract in a deal worth about £71m.
The Germany international has scored 36 goals and contributed 25 assists in 118 appearances for the Bundesliga club.
He is Chelsea's second most expensive signing after Kepa Arrizabalaga joined from Athletic Bilbao (£71.6m) in 2018.
"I am very happy and proud to be here. It is a dream come true to play in a big club like Chelsea," said Havertz.
The £71m fee for Havertz includes add-ons.
Chelsea director Marina Granovskaia said: "Kai is one of the best players of his age in world football, so we are very happy that his future lies at Chelsea.
"He is an exciting, dynamic talent. We are delighted to be able to add his versatility and quality to the squad before the season begins."
Havertz, 21, is Blues manager Frank Lampard's seventh signing of the summer.
He follows forward and compatriot Timo Werner, midfielder Hakim Ziyech, and defenders Xavier Mbuyamba, Malang Sarr, Ben Chilwell and Thiago Silva to Stamford Bridge.
Sarr will be loaned out, while Mbuyamba has gone into the Blues' Under-23 squad.
Having graduated from the Leverkusen academy, Havertz scored 18 goals in 45 appearances last season, including eight in the 11 games after the campaign restarted.
The versatile midfielder, who can also play up front, has scored once in seven appearances for Germany.
Chelsea begin their Premier League campaign away at Brighton on Monday, 14 September (20:00 BST).
Chelsea look to Mendy
Chelsea are interested in signing Rennes goalkeeper Edouard Mendy to increase competition for Kepa.
They have already had one bid rejected by the French club for the 28-year-old from Senegal.
It is understood the interest in Mendy is not in order to replace Kepa, who was dropped by Lampard last season.
But with second-choice keeper Willy Caballero turning 39 later this month, the club wants a younger challenger to their number-one choice.
Reports suggest Rennes want more than £30m for Mendy.
Analysis
Alistair Magowan, BBC Sport
Having been unable to sign players last summer because of a transfer ban, Chelsea have certainly made up for lost time.
Havertz's signing takes Chelsea's summer spending to almost £200m.
That will mean more is expected of Lampard, whose team finished fourth in the Premier League last campaign in his first season and were FA Cup runners-up.
There will also be questions about how much playing time some of Chelsea's academy graduates get, having made their breakthroughs last season when the transfer ban was still in force.
Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.


bbc--2020-09-04--US Open 2020: Naomi Osaka beats Marta Kostyuk to reach fourth round

Last updated on .From the section Tennis Naomi Osaka was given a test by Marta Kostyuk before coming through in three sets to reach the US Open fourth round .
Japan 's Osaka , 22 , had to save five break points to avoid going 3-1 down in the decider but then managed to win the last five games at Flushing Meadows .
She will play 14th seed Anett Kontaveit next .
The world number nine is carrying a hamstring injury that forced her out of last week 's Western and Southern Open final and wore heavy strapping on her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been speaking out against racism in the United States , came on to court at Flushing Meadows wearing a face mask bearing the name of Ahmaud Arbery , a black man who was shot dead while jogging in Georgia in February .
She has said she will wear a mask with a different name for each match she plays in New York .
Elsewhere in the women 's draw , German 2016 champion Angelique Kerber beat Ann Li 6-3 6-4 and will now play American 28th seed Jennifer Brady , who saw off @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Garcia had knocked out top seed Karolina Pliskova in the previous round .
Croatian eighth seed Petra Martic won 6-3 6-3 against Russia 's Varvara Gracheva and next faces Kazakh 23rd seed Yulia Putintseva .
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Last updated on .From the section Tennis
Naomi Osaka wore a face mask bearing the name of Ahmaud Arbery, a black man who was shot dead in February
2020 US Open Venue: Flushing Meadows, New York Dates: 31 Aug-13 Sept Coverage: Selected live radio and text commentaries on BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra, BBC Sounds, the BBC Sport website and app.
Naomi Osaka was given a test by Marta Kostyuk before coming through in three sets to reach the US Open fourth round.
The 2018 champion, seeded fourth, won 6-3 6-7 (4-7) 6-2 against the 18-year-old Ukrainian on Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York.
Japan's Osaka, 22, had to save five break points to avoid going 3-1 down in the decider but then managed to win the last five games at Flushing Meadows.
She will play 14th seed Anett Kontaveit next.
The world number nine is carrying a hamstring injury that forced her out of last week's Western and Southern Open final and wore heavy strapping on her left thigh.
Osaka, who has been speaking out against racism in the United States, came on to court at Flushing Meadows wearing a face mask bearing the name of Ahmaud Arbery, a black man who was shot dead while jogging in Georgia in February.
She has said she will wear a mask with a different name for each match she plays in New York.
Elsewhere in the women's draw, German 2016 champion Angelique Kerber beat Ann Li 6-3 6-4 and will now play American 28th seed Jennifer Brady, who saw off France's Caroline Garcia 6-3 6-3.
Garcia had knocked out top seed Karolina Pliskova in the previous round.
Czech sixth seed Petra Kvitova breezed past American Jessica Pegula 6-4, 6-3 to set up a last-16 encounter with Shelby Rogers, also of the United States.
Petra Martic won 6-3 6-3 against Russia's Varvara Gracheva and the Croatian eighth seed next faces Kazakh 23rd seed Yulia Putintseva.


bbc--2020-09-04--Van Aert wins stage seven of Tour as Yates retains yellow jersey

Last updated on .From the section Cycling Wout van Aert won stage seven of the Tour de France in a sprint finish as Britain 's Adam Yates retained the leader 's yellow jersey .
The Jumbo-Visma rider edged out Norway 's Edvald Boasson Hagen and Frenchman Bryan Coquard .
Mitchelton-Scott 's Yates was ninth and stays at the head of the standings .
An eventful stage had started with Bora-Hansgrohe setting a punishing early pace on the first categorised climb of the day up the Cote de Luzencon , to scatter the peloton .
And while that succeeded in helping @ @ @ @ @ @ @ jersey from Ireland 's Sam Bennett , it also ensured a thrilling finale to the stage .
With a number of the sprint favourites distanced the battle at the top of the general classification developed over the last 40km when crosswinds caused splits in the leading group .
Tadej Pogacar and Mikel Landa both lost over a minute though Yates survived a potentially dangerous moment on the outskirts of Castres to bridge across as Ineos Grenadiers upped the tempo at the front .
`` We were expecting an easy day today but Bora @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` We rode full gas from start to finish , it was a hard day for everybody .
I was n't too anxious really , just a few moments where you had to be in position because of the wind .
`` It was not too crazy but enough to split the bunch , so you had to be in position . ''
'It was always hectic' One rider who always appears to be well placed is Van Aert , whose primary assignment was to act as a chaperone to team-mates Primoz @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has already exhibited his climbing and sprinting credentials in this edition of the race and timed his final effort to perfection to pip Boasson Hagen on the line .
`` I 'm really proud of it , '' Van Aert said .
`` It was straight from the gun really hard .
It was a very impressive stage from Bora-Hansgrohe , they were flat out from the first kilometre and made sure a lot of the sprinters were dropped .
`` It was always hectic because everyone feared the crosswinds .
At the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to put a lot of energy into the positioning .
I was with Primoz the whole day in the front so it was a good day for the team .
`` A lot of the GC favourites lost time and I could finish it off as well . ''
While Ineos ' Richard Carapaz dropped off the leading group with a puncture , his team-mate and defending champion Egan Bernal was also a beneficiary of the late drama , taking the white jersey for the best young rider from Pogacar .
`` In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and we took advantage of it to split the bunch , '' said Bernal .
`` The Tour de France is also won in stages like this one , you have to use all terrains .
My team did a perfect job . ''
The race now moves on to the Pyrenees on Saturday with the 141km rollercoaster route from Cazeres-sur-Garonne to Loudenvielle .
• None What do they really think about the return to school ?

Last updated on .From the section Cycling
Wout van Aert is the first rider from Belgium to win more than one stage at a single Tour de France since Tom Boonen in 2007
Wout van Aert won stage seven of the Tour de France in a sprint finish as Britain's Adam Yates retained the leader's yellow jersey.
The Belgian, who also won stage five, got the better of his sprint rivals at the end of a blustery 168km ride from Millau to Lavaur.
The Jumbo-Visma rider edged out Norway's Edvald Boasson Hagen and Frenchman Bryan Coquard.
Mitchelton-Scott's Yates was ninth and stays at the head of the standings.
An eventful stage had started with Bora-Hansgrohe setting a punishing early pace on the first categorised climb of the day up the Cote de Luzencon, to scatter the peloton.
And while that succeeded in helping Slovakia's Peter Sagan reclaim the green jersey from Ireland's Sam Bennett, it also ensured a thrilling finale to the stage.
With a number of the sprint favourites distanced the battle at the top of the general classification developed over the last 40km when crosswinds caused splits in the leading group.
Tadej Pogacar and Mikel Landa both lost over a minute though Yates survived a potentially dangerous moment on the outskirts of Castres to bridge across as Ineos Grenadiers upped the tempo at the front.
"We were expecting an easy day today but Bora had other ideas," Yates said.
"We rode full gas from start to finish, it was a hard day for everybody. I wasn't too anxious really, just a few moments where you had to be in position because of the wind.
"It was not too crazy but enough to split the bunch, so you had to be in position."
'It was always hectic'
One rider who always appears to be well placed is Van Aert, whose primary assignment was to act as a chaperone to team-mates Primoz Roglic and Tom Dumoulin.
The 25-year-old has already exhibited his climbing and sprinting credentials in this edition of the race and timed his final effort to perfection to pip Boasson Hagen on the line.
"I'm really proud of it," Van Aert said. "It was straight from the gun really hard. It was a very impressive stage from Bora-Hansgrohe, they were flat out from the first kilometre and made sure a lot of the sprinters were dropped.
"It was always hectic because everyone feared the crosswinds. At the end we saw it was worth it to put a lot of energy into the positioning. I was with Primoz the whole day in the front so it was a good day for the team.
"A lot of the GC favourites lost time and I could finish it off as well."
While Ineos' Richard Carapaz dropped off the leading group with a puncture, his team-mate and defending champion Egan Bernal was also a beneficiary of the late drama, taking the white jersey for the best young rider from Pogacar.
"In the finale, we saw the opportunity and we took advantage of it to split the bunch," said Bernal.
"The Tour de France is also won in stages like this one, you have to use all terrains. My team did a perfect job."
The race now moves on to the Pyrenees on Saturday with the 141km rollercoaster route from Cazeres-sur-Garonne to Loudenvielle.
Stage seven results
1. Wout van Aert (Bel/Jumbo Visma) 3hrs 32mins 03secs
2. Edvald Boasson Hagen (Nor/NTT Pro Cycling) Same time
3. Bryan Coquard (Fra/B&B Hotels-Vital Concept)
4. Christophe Laporte (Fra/Cofidis)
5. Jasper Stuyen (Bel/Trek-Segafredo)
6. Clement Venturini (Fra/AG2R-La Mondiale)
7. Hugo Hofstetter (Fra/Israel Start-Up Nation)
8. Egan Bernal (Col/Ineos Grenadiers)
9. Adam Yates (GB/Mitchelton-Scott)
10. Alejandro Valverde (Spa/Movistar)
General classification after stage seven
1. Adam Yates (GB/Mitchelton-Scott) 30hrs 36mins 00secs
2. Primoz Roglic (Slo/Jumbo-Visma) +3secs
3. Guillaume Martin (Fra/Cofidis) +9secs
4. Egan Bernal (Col/Ineos Grenadiers) +13secs
5. Tom Dumoulin (Ned/Jumbo-Visma) Same time
6. Nairo Quintana (Col/Arkea-Samsic)
7. Romain Bardet (Fra/AG2R-La Mondiale)
8. Miguel Angel Lopez (Col/Astana)
9. Thibaut Pinot (Fra/Groupama-FDJ)
10. Rigoberto Uran (Col/EF Pro Cycling)


bbc--2020-09-04--Ceballos rejoins Arsenal on loan from Real Madrid

Last updated on .From the section Arsenal Midfielder Dani Ceballos has rejoined Arsenal for a second successive season-long loan from @ @ @ @ @ the winning goal in the FA Cup quarter-final win over Sheffield United , and started @ @ @ @ @ the competition for the 14th time .
`` Dani was an integral part of our @ @ @ @ @ said boss Mikel Arteta .
`` We 're all delighted to welcome him back and @ @ @ @ @ him pick up where he left off . ''
Find all the latest football transfers @ @ @ @ @ • None What do they really think about the return to school ?

Last updated on .From the section Arsenal
Ceballos has represented Spain at youth and senior level
Midfielder Dani Ceballos has rejoined Arsenal for a second successive season-long loan from Real Madrid.
The 24-year-old Spain international, who moved to Madrid from Real Betis in the summer of 2017, made 37 appearances for the Gunners last season.
He scored the winning goal in the FA Cup quarter-final win over Sheffield United, and started the final as they won the competition for the 14th time.
"Dani was an integral part of our team last season," said boss Mikel Arteta.
"I love Dani's passion and commitment and he's a highly skilful player.
"We're all delighted to welcome him back and we look forward to seeing him pick up where he left off."
Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.


bbc--2020-09-04--Haaland scores first goal for Norway - Nations League round-up

Last updated on .From the section Football Erling Braut Haaland scored his first senior goal for Norway but it was not enough to save his side from losing at home to Austria in the Nations League .
Borussia Dortmund 's Haaland , 20 , reduced the deficit with a neat finish in his third appearance for Norway .
Elsewhere , Tottenham 's Steven Bergwijn hit the winner for the Netherlands against Poland in Group A1 .
• None Nations League 2020-21 : What , when , where ... and why ?
The forward tapped home into an empty net after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Virgil van Dijk captained the Netherlands who sent on new £35m Manchester United signing Donny van de Beek as a substitute .
Poland were without their prolific forward Robert Lewandowski , who helped Bayern Munich win the Champions League last month .
In the other game in Group A1 , Italy were forced to settle for a point after being held to a 1-1 draw by Bosnia-Herzegovina .
Former Manchester City forward Edin Dzeko put the visitors ahead before Stefano Sensi equalised .
Czech Republic got their Group B2 off to an impressive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ while in Group C4 Kazakhstan won 2-0 in Lithuania and Albania won 2-0 in Belarus .

Last updated on .From the section Football
BBC Sport profiles Norwegian striking sensation Erling Haaland
Erling Braut Haaland scored his first senior goal for Norway but it was not enough to save his side from losing at home to Austria in the Nations League.
Austria led the Group B1 game 2-0 through Michael Gregoritsch and Marcel Sabitzer's penalty.
Borussia Dortmund's Haaland, 20, reduced the deficit with a neat finish in his third appearance for Norway.
Elsewhere, Tottenham's Steven Bergwijn hit the winner for the Netherlands against Poland in Group A1.
The forward tapped home into an empty net after Hans Hateboer's pass.
Liverpool's Virgil van Dijk captained the Netherlands who sent on new £35m Manchester United signing Donny van de Beek as a substitute.
Poland were without their prolific forward Robert Lewandowski, who helped Bayern Munich win the Champions League last month.
Steven Bergwijn joined Tottenham from PSV Eindhoven for £27m in January 2020
In the other game in Group A1, Italy were forced to settle for a point after being held to a 1-1 draw by Bosnia-Herzegovina.
Former Manchester City forward Edin Dzeko put the visitors ahead before Stefano Sensi equalised.
Czech Republic got their Group B2 off to an impressive start with a 3-1 in Slovakia, while in Group C4 Kazakhstan won 2-0 in Lithuania and Albania won 2-0 in Belarus.


bbc--2020-09-05--Trump panned over reports he called US war dead 'losers'

US President Donald Trump is facing a backlash over reports he mocked American soldiers killed in action as `` losers '' and `` suckers '' .
The alleged remarks were first reported in the Atlantic magazine , and some details were corroborated by the Associated Press and Fox News .
But the president and his allies have denied he made the remarks .
Veterans ' groups were among those who attacked the president over the reports .
Progressive group VoteVets posted a video of families whose children were killed in action .
`` You do n't know what it is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Paul Rieckhoff of the Iraq & Afghanistan Veterans of America , tweeted : `` Who is really surprised by this ? ''
Analysts say the comments could prove damaging with the president needing support from military voters as he bids for re-election .
What is Trump reported to have said ?
According to The Atlantic , Mr Trump cancelled a visit to a US cemetery outside Paris in 2018 because he said it was `` filled with losers '' .
Four sources told the magazine he rejected the idea of visiting because the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he did not believe it important to honour America 's war dead .
• Trump loves the military .
Do they love him back ?
• Trump says famed military newspaper will not close During the same trip , the president also allegedly referred to 1,800 US soldiers who died at Belleau Wood as `` suckers '' .
The battle helped to prevent a German advance on Paris during World War One and is venerated by the US Marine Corps .
The Atlantic 's reporting was based on anonymous sources but the Associated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the remarks .
A Fox News correspondent said she had corroborated some of the remarks .
In 2018 the White House said the visit was cancelled because bad weather had grounded the president 's helicopter .
This account was backed up in a recent book by President Trump 's former National Security Adviser John Bolton , who has been a vocal critic of Mr Trump .
The US Navy also said it cancelled the trip to the cemetery because of rain in response to a request under the Freedom of Information Act @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has the reaction been ?
On top of the comments from veterans , President Trump 's challenger in November 's presidential election , Joe Biden , responded by saying his rival was `` unfit '' to lead .
`` If the article is true - and it appears to be , based on other things he 's said - it is absolutely damning .
It is a disgrace . ''
Democratic Senator Tammy Duckworth , a veteran who lost both legs while serving in Iraq , said President Trump `` liked to use @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' .
Khizr Khan , the father of a US soldier killed in Iraq who criticised Mr Trump during the 2016 Democratic convention , joined Ms Duckworth on the call .
He said : `` When Donald Trump calls anyone who places their lives in service of others a loser , we understand Trump 's soul . ''
How is the White House fighting the story ?
President Trump has pushed back hard against the reports , calling them `` fake news '' .
`` To think that I would make statements negative @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when nobody 's done what I 've done with the budgets , with the military budgets , with getting pay raises for our military , '' he said .
`` It is a disgraceful situation by a magazine that 's a terrible magazine . ''
Speaking to reporters on Friday , he suggested the source of the story was his former White House chief of staff , John Kelly .
Mr Trump said the former US Marine general `` was unable to handle the pressure of this job '' .
Secretary of State @ @ @ @ @ @ @ morning he was with the president for a good part of the trip to France and never heard him use the words described in the article .
Defense Secretary Mark Esper was quoted by Politico as saying Mr Trump had `` the highest respect and admiration for our nation 's military members , veterans and families '' , though the Pentagon chief did not explicitly deny the story .
Another former White House chief of staff , Mick Mulvaney , and former press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders were among those in Mr Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ false .
Where do Trump and the US military stand ?
The US president has often staked claim to strong support among the military , and Pew Research Center last year found that veterans were generally supportive of him as commander-in-chief , with 57 % in favour .
Three-fifths of the veterans identified as Republican , the research found .
But there have been previous spats and controversies .
He caused outrage by saying the late Senator John McCain , a prisoner of war in Vietnam , was not a `` war hero @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who were n't captured . ''
President Trump has never served in uniform .
He received five deferments from a military draft during the Vietnam War - four for academic reasons and one for bone spurs , a calcium build-up in the heels .

"To think that I would make statements negative to our military and our fallen heroes when nobody's done what I've done with the budgets, with the military budgets, with getting pay raises for our military," he said. "It is a disgraceful situation by a magazine that's a terrible magazine."


bbc--2020-09-05--Coronavirus: Arrests at Australia anti-lockdown protests

In Melbourne , the centre of Australia 's outbreak , about 300 people marched in defiance of tough measures that have been in place for a month .
`` In the absence of a vaccine , we may have to live this way for years , '' he warned .
Confirmed virus cases in Australia have more than tripled to over 26,000 over the past two months , with deaths rising to 748 from 104 over the same period .
What happened at the protests ?
Victoria Premier Daniel Andrews was also singled out - `` We are in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is actually worse than what 's happening , '' protester Fiona Kat told AFP .
Police said they had made 15 arrests - 14 for breaching lockdown rules and one for assaulting a police officer who received lacerations to the head .
They also issued more than 150 fines for lockdown breaches .
Mr Andrews condemned the event - `` It is not safe , it is not smart , it is not lawful .
In fact , it is absolutely selfish for people to be out there protesting , '' he told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , including two in Sydney and one in Byron Bay that turned violent , according to local media .
Police made 14 arrests , including three people suspected of assaulting police officers .
Police had earlier drawn criticism for the arrest of a pregnant woman for promoting the protest online .
On Friday officers broke into the home of a former bodybuilder and conspiracy theorist who had also been calling for people to join the event .
Why does Melbourne have such a strict lockdown ?
Victoria has been in a six-week lockdown @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that has fuelled Australia 's second wave .
Authorities have imposed stay-at-home rules and a curfew in Melbourne , the state capital .
The lockdown has closed many businesses and banned gatherings around the state .
Victoria accounts for 75 % of Australia 's total infections and 90 % of all deaths .
The state reported 11 deaths on Saturday and more than 70 new infections - down from the peak of 725 new infections on 5 August but more than health officials had hoped for five weeks after the restrictions came in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to announce some easing of restrictions .
It follows calls by Australia 's federal government and businesses to that end .
The state accounts for about a quarter of the country 's economy .
However he has urged caution .
`` Until you fix the health problem , there can be no economic repair , '' he said .
What about the rest of Australia ?
On Saturday there were five new coronavirus infections in New South Wales , one in Queensland and one in South Australia .
However the geographically largest state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plan until the other states have the virus under control .
It has not had a local transmission for 129 days and there are no restrictions in place there .

Victoria accounts for 75% of Australia's total infections and 90% of all deaths. The state reported 11 deaths on Saturday and more than 70 new infections - down from the peak of 725 new infections on 5 August but more than health officials had hoped for five weeks after the restrictions came in.


bbc--2020-09-04--US election 2020: Will Trump voters support the president again?

Voters in Johnstown , Pennsylvania , helped Donald Trump win the White House in 2016 .
Will the residents of @ @ @ @ @ him again ?
Produced by Chelsea Bailey ; filming and editing by Xinyan Yu .

Voters in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, helped Donald Trump win the White House in 2016.
Will the residents of this historic steel town back him again?
Produced by Chelsea Bailey; filming and editing by Xinyan Yu.


bbc--2020-09-05--Jessica Krug will not teach this semester, George Washington University says

A US academic who said she lied about being black will not teach classes this semester , George Washington University has confirmed .
Jessica Krug , an associate professor whose work focuses on Africa and the African diaspora , admitted in a blog post that she was in fact a `` white Jewish '' woman from Kansas City .
The post read : `` I have built my life on a violent anti-black lie . ''
Her colleagues said they were `` shocked and appalled '' by her admission .
In a Medium post published on Thursday , Ms Krug @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that I had no right to claim : first North African Blackness , then US rooted Blackness , then Caribbean rooted Bronx Blackness '' .
In a statement , George Washington University said Ms Krug would not teach classes and acknowledged `` many students , faculty , staff and alumni are hurting . ''
It said it was `` reviewing '' the case .
Her employment status at the university is unknown .
Ms Krug has not commented .
• White US professor says she lied about being black What has the reaction @ @ @ @ @ @ @ GWU 's Department of History released a joint statement calling for her to resign from her post or for the university to remove her tenure .
`` She has betrayed the trust of countless current and former students , fellow scholars of Africana Studies , colleagues in our department and throughout the historical discipline , as well as community activists in New York City and beyond , '' the statement said .
`` The discipline of history is concerned with truth telling about the past .
With her conduct , Dr. Krug has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ own research and teaching . ''
A student at GWU who was due to start Ms Krug 's class on Latin American history on Monday told the Washington Post : `` It just breaks my heart that these students came in , very bright-eyed and eager , to learn about Latin heritage and the history .
We all placed a lot of trust in her . ''
Ms Krug 's academic work includes the 2018 book `` Fugitive Modernities : Kisama and the Politics of Freedom '' , focuses on the politics and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Her case bears strong parallels to race activist Rachel Dolezal , a white woman who claimed to be black .
After her parents outed her in 2015 , she said she `` identified as black '' .
What else did she say in the post ?
Ms Krug described her behaviour as `` the very epitome of violence , of thievery and appropriation , of the myriad ways in which non-Black people continue to use and abuse Black identities and cultures . ''
She added that she had continued the pretence even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mental health issues and trauma experienced in her early years , although she said this was not an excuse for her actions .
According to media reports , Ms Krug also used the name Jessica La Bombalera as an activist .
In one video posted earlier this year , she berated white New Yorkers for failing to `` yield their time for Black and Brown indigenous New Yorkers '' .
You may also be interested in : • What is cultural appropriation and why is it a problem ?

Jessica Krug will not teach this semester, George Washington University says Published 5 September 2020
Image source, Duke University Press Image caption, George Washington University said Jessica Krug would not teach this semester
A US academic who said she lied about being black will not teach classes this semester, George Washington University has confirmed.
Jessica Krug, an associate professor whose work focuses on Africa and the African diaspora, admitted in a blog post that she was in fact a "white Jewish" woman from Kansas City.
The post read: "I have built my life on a violent anti-black lie."
Her colleagues said they were "shocked and appalled" by her admission.
In a Medium post published on Thursday, Ms Krug said she had falsely assumed identities "that I had no right to claim: first North African Blackness, then US rooted Blackness, then Caribbean rooted Bronx Blackness".
In a statement, George Washington University said Ms Krug would not teach classes and acknowledged "many students, faculty, staff and alumni are hurting." It said it was "reviewing" the case.
Her employment status at the university is unknown. Ms Krug has not commented.
What has the reaction been?
Ms Krug's colleagues at GWU's Department of History released a joint statement calling for her to resign from her post or for the university to remove her tenure.
"She has betrayed the trust of countless current and former students, fellow scholars of Africana Studies, colleagues in our department and throughout the historical discipline, as well as community activists in New York City and beyond," the statement said.
"The discipline of history is concerned with truth telling about the past. With her conduct, Dr. Krug has raised questions about the veracity of her own research and teaching."
A student at GWU who was due to start Ms Krug's class on Latin American history on Monday told the Washington Post: "It just breaks my heart that these students came in, very bright-eyed and eager, to learn about Latin heritage and the history. We all placed a lot of trust in her."
Ms Krug's academic work includes the 2018 book "Fugitive Modernities: Kisama and the Politics of Freedom", focuses on the politics and culture of African and African diaspora societies.
Her case bears strong parallels to race activist Rachel Dolezal, a white woman who claimed to be black. After her parents outed her in 2015, she said she "identified as black".
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Media caption, "The idea of race is a lie" - Rachel Dolezal speaks to Emily Maitlis
What else did she say in the post?
Ms Krug described her behaviour as "the very epitome of violence, of thievery and appropriation, of the myriad ways in which non-Black people continue to use and abuse Black identities and cultures." She added that she had continued the pretence even in her personal relationships.
She cited mental health issues and trauma experienced in her early years, although she said this was not an excuse for her actions.
According to media reports, Ms Krug also used the name Jessica La Bombalera as an activist. In one video posted earlier this year, she berated white New Yorkers for failing to "yield their time for Black and Brown indigenous New Yorkers".
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bbc--2020-09-05--Trump bans 'anti-American' diversity training

US President Donald Trump has ordered federal agencies to stop racial sensitivity training , labelling it `` divisive , anti-American propaganda '' .
A memo to government agencies says it has come to his attention that millions of dollars of taxpayers ' money have funded such `` trainings '' .
The document says these sessions only foster resentment in the workforce .
Mr Trump has previously said he does not believe systemic racism is a problem in the US .
The memo comes amid the social justice protests that have swept the nation in recent months .
• 'They push @ @ @ @ @ @ @ BLM signs' Friday 's two-page document from Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought is addressed to the heads of federal executive departments and agencies .
`` All agencies are directed to begin to identify all contracts or other agency spending related to any training on 'critical race theory , ' 'white privilege , ' or any other training or propaganda effort that teaches or suggests either ( 1 ) that the United States is an inherently racist or evil country or ( 2 ) that any race or ethnicity is inherently @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The memo says that `` according to press reports , employees across the Executive Branch have been required to attend trainings where they are told that 'virtually all White people contribute to racism ' or where they are required to say that they 'benefit from racism ' . ''
Again citing press reports , the text says that some of the training sessions `` have further claimed that there is racism embedded in the belief that America is the land of opportunity or the belief that the most qualified person should receive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 'trainings ' not only run counter to the fundamental beliefs for which our Nation has stood since its inception , but they also engender division and resentment within the Federal workforce . ''
It was not clear which reports Mr Vought was referring to or what prompted the memo .
But such training sessions have been highlighted by the Discovery Institute , a conservative non-profit think tank based in Seattle .
Chris Rufo , one of its research fellows , told Fox News this week that the US Department of Treasury is among @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Mr Rufo says his public records requests show these sessions have included teaching employees that white people uphold America 's system of racism , and sending white male executives to mandatory training in which they write letters of apology to minorities .
Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden , who will challenge Mr Trump for the White House in November , has vowed to fight systemic racism if elected .
`` For generations , Americans who are black , brown , Native American , immigrant , have n't always been fully included in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the former vice-president said in July .

"All agencies are directed to begin to identify all contracts or other agency spending related to any training on 'critical race theory,' 'white privilege,' or any other training or propaganda effort that teaches or suggests either (1) that the United States is an inherently racist or evil country or (2) that any race or ethnicity is inherently racist or evil," it says.


bbc--2020-09-04--Daniel Prude: Police union says officers followed training

The US police officers involved in the suffocation death of a black man were following their training `` step by step '' , the officers ' union chief said .
Daniel Prude - who suffered from mental health issues - died after being put in a `` spit hood '' , designed to protect officers from detainees ' saliva .
The mayor suspended the seven Rochester Police officers involved on Thursday .
Mr Prude , 41 , died in March but his death has just recently been reported after body camera video was released .
His death came two months @ @ @ @ @ @ @ killing while in police custody sparked widespread outrage and incited national and international demonstrations against police brutality and racism .
• 'They push black people out and replace us with BLM signs' • In pictures : Thousands gather for March on Washington The officers ' suspension this week is the first disciplinary action taken in the wake of Mr Prude 's death .
Contract rules mean that the officers will still be paid while on leave , according to city officials .
`` To me , it looks like they were watching the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said Michael Mazzaeo , president of the Rochester Police Locust Club on Friday .
`` If there 's a problem with that , let 's change it . ''
Mr Mazzaeo further defended the officers , saying they were in a difficult position trying to help someone who appeared to have a mental illness , and they did not intend to harm Mr Prude .
The spit hood is standard equipment for officers , he said .
Mr Prude 's brother , Joe , has said he called police on 23 March as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
When officers arrived , he had been running naked through the streets in a light snow .
Police body camera video obtained by the family shows Mr Prude lying on the ground as officers restrain him .
Mr Prude , who was not carrying a weapon , can be seen complying with officers immediately .
While sitting on the road , he becomes agitated , alternately asking for money or a gun .
He spits repeatedly on the ground , but does not appear to offer any physical resistance , according to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mr Prude told them he has Covid-19 , and they place the spit hood on him .
One officer can be seen pressing down on Mr Prude 's head with both hands , saying `` stop spitting '' .
Mr Prude stops moving and goes quiet , and officers note he feels cold .
Paramedics are called and Mr Prude is taken to hospital in an ambulance .
His family took him off life support days later on 30 March .
The Monroe County medical examiner ruled Mr Prude 's death a homicide @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the setting of physical restraint '' , according to a post-mortem examination .
The autopsy report also cited `` excited delirium '' and acute intoxication by phencyclidine , or the drug PCP , as contributing factors .
New York Attorney General Letitia James ' office has launched an investigation into Mr Prude 's death and Governor Andrew Cuomo has called for the case to be concluded `` as expeditiously as possible '' .

"To me, it looks like they were watching the training in front of them," said Michael Mazzaeo, president of the Rochester Police Locust Club on Friday. "If there's a problem with that, let's change it."


bbc--2020-09-05--Alexei Navalny: Trump refuses to condemn Russia over poisoning

President Donald Trump has refused to condemn Russia over the poisoning of opposition figure Alexei Navalny , saying he had not seen proof .
He said the case was `` tragic '' but urged reporters to focus instead on China , which he said was a bigger threat to the world than Russia .
Nato and Germany say there is `` proof beyond doubt '' that Mr Navalny was attacked with a Novichok nerve agent .
His team says he was poisoned on the Kremlin 's orders .
Russia denies this .
Mr Navalny - an anti-corruption campaigner who has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ opposition to President Vladimir Putin in Russia - is in a coma in a Berlin hospital having been airlifted there from Siberia , where he fell ill. What did Trump say ?
Speaking at a press event on Friday , he said he had yet to see evidence of poisoning in the case .
`` So I do n't know exactly what happened .
I think it 's tragic , it 's terrible , it should n't happen .
We have n't had any proof yet but I will take a look , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ short of criticising Mr Putin and said Beijing posed a greater threat .
`` It is interesting that everybody 's always mentioning Russia and I do n't mind you mentioning Russia but I think probably China at this point is a nation that you should be talking about much more so , '' he said .
Tests at a military laboratory in Germany show `` beyond doubt '' the presence of a Novichok nerve agent , the German government and Nato say .
On Friday Nato called for Russia to disclose its Novichok @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said members were united in condemning the `` horrific '' attack on Mr Navalny .
Mr Stoltenberg said it required an international response , but gave no further details .
The US National Security Council has pledged to `` work with allies and the international community to hold those in Russia accountable '' .
What has Russia said ?
The Kremlin has repeatedly denied any involvement in Mr Navalny 's case .
Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Germany had not yet shared any findings with Moscow prosecutors and said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Meanwhile a toxicologist in Omsk - where Mr Navalny was initially treated after the plane he was flying on made an emergency landing - insisted no poison had been found by doctors who examined him there .
`` Any external factors could have triggered a sudden deterioration .
Even a simple lack of breakfast , '' said Alexander Sabayev , chief toxicologist for the Omsk region .
He fell ill last month while on a flight from Siberia to Moscow .
The plane made an emergency landing in Omsk and Russian officials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ airlifted to Germany two days later .
A nerve agent from the Novichok group identified by Germany in the Navalny case was also used to poison ex-spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter in the UK in 2018 .
They both survived but a local woman , Dawn Sturgess , died after coming into contact with the poison .
Britain accused Russia 's military intelligence of carrying out that attack in Salisbury .
As part of a co-ordinated response , 20 countries expelled more than 100 Russian diplomats and spies .
Russia denied any @ @

Under the 1992 Chemical Weapons Convention, Russia and the US committed themselves to eliminating all of their nerve agents and other chemical weapons. The US is expected to destroy its final stockpile by the end of 2023 while Russia officially completed the process in 2017


bbc--2020-09-05--Typhoon Maysak: North Korea vows to punish officials over 'casualties'

North Korea has vowed to punish local officials over a typhoon that hit the eastern coast on Wednesday .
A Workers ' Party newspaper blamed authorities in the coastal city of Wonsan for failing to prepare for Typhoon Maysak , and accused them of having an `` irresponsible attitude '' .
The paper did not say how many were missing , injured or dead , but said there were `` dozens of casualties '' .
It claimed officials failed to follow orders given by the ruling party .
Local authorities in Wonsan had been instructed to `` immediately organise a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and evacuate all residents '' , Saturday 's Rodong Sinmun newspaper said .
`` A decision was made to impose severe party , administrative , and legal punishment to those responsible for the casualties . ''
• Kim Jong-un 'gives more power ' to sister It is impossible to verify whether the local officials did ignore these orders , or if they 're being unfairly targeted by the ruling party in order to calm public discontent , reports BBC Asia Pacific Editor Celia Hatton .
Footage on state broadcaster KCTV earlier in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kangwon province destroyed by high flood waters .
Typhoon Maysak caused damage in North Korea just one week after another typhoon , Typhoon Bavi , hit the country .
North Korea is particularly vulnerable to flooding , due to deforestation of mountains and hills .
Its ailing infrastructure also means that natural disasters pose a particular challenge .
Typhoon Maysak also hit South Korea , killing at least two people and causing the evacuation of more than 2,200 people to the southern city of Busan .

It is impossible to verify whether the local officials did ignore these orders, or if they're being unfairly targeted by the ruling party in order to calm public discontent, reports BBC Asia Pacific Editor Celia Hatton.


bbc--2020-09-05--Beirut explosion: Hopes fade in search for survivor

Hopes are fading in Beirut that anyone will be found beneath the rubble of a building destroyed in last month 's explosion .
Rescue workers are searching for the third day after sensor equipment detected possible signs of life .
But the rescuers , including Chilean specialists , have not yet found the source of the signal .
Thousands more were injured by the blast , which happened when 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate detonated .
There has been outrage that so much hazardous material was stored unsafely in a warehouse in the city 's port , close to many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ resignation shortly afterwards failed to pacify protesters , who clashed with police in the city for several nights .
One month on , seven people are still missing , according to Lebanese officials .
Search efforts got under way after a rescue team from Chile said it had detected possible signs of life under a destroyed building located between the residential districts of Gemmayze and Mar Mikhael .
The rescuers were walking through the area on Wednesday night when their sniffer dog - trained to find bodies - gave a sign that there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ returned on Thursday , the dog went to the same place and gave the same sign .
Specialist sensor equipment then detected a pulsing signal in the area .
The head of the Chilean rescue team , Francisco Lermanda , told reporters on Friday that slow breathing had been detected under the rubble at a depth of 3m ( 9.8ft ) .
Rescuers dug three tunnels to try to reach the spot where the pulse was detected , he said .
But , he added , it was too soon to know if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ beneath the debris .
Earlier on Friday , rescue co-ordinator Nicholas Saade told the AFP news agency that the pulse had slowed significantly since the previous day .
Reporters at the scene said the most recent test detected no signals at all .
`` Search operations have been going on since the day before yesterday but the chances are very low , '' the civil defence agency 's operations director , George Abou Moussa , told AFP .
The Chilean rescuers are from the renowned Los Topos aid organisation , which took part @ @ @ @ @ @ @ miners trapped 700m ( 2,300ft ) underground for more than two months .
In the same year , the Chilean team also rescued a survivor after 27 days following a devastating earthquake in Haiti , the Washington Post reported .
More on the explosion in Beirut

The rescuers were walking through the area on Wednesday night when their sniffer dog - trained to find bodies - gave a sign that there was a person inside. When they returned on Thursday, the dog went to the same place and gave the same sign. Specialist sensor equipment then detected a pulsing signal in the area.


bbc--2020-09-05--Coronavirus: Tests 'could be picking up dead virus'

The main test used to diagnose coronavirus is so sensitive it could be picking up fragments of dead virus from old infections , scientists say .
Most people are infectious only for about a week , but could test positive weeks afterwards .
Researchers say this could be leading to an over-estimate of the current scale of the pandemic .
But some experts say it is uncertain how a reliable test can be produced that does n't risk missing cases .
Prof Carl Heneghan , one of the study 's authors , said instead of giving a `` yes/no '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ detected , tests should have a cut-off point so that very small amounts of virus do not trigger a positive result .
He believes the detection of traces of old virus could partly explain why the number of cases is rising while hospital admissions remain stable .
The University of Oxford 's Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine reviewed the evidence from 25 studies where virus specimens from positive tests were put in a petri dish to see whether they would grow .
This method of `` viral culturing '' can indicate whether the positive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can reproduce and spread , or just dead virus fragments which wo n't grow in the lab , or in a person .
This is a problem we have known about since the start - and once again illustrates why data on Covid is far from perfect .
But what difference does it make ?
When the virus first emerged probably very little , but the longer the pandemic goes on the bigger the effect .
The flurry of information about testing and the R number creates confusion .
But however we cut @ @ @ @ @ @ @ very low levels of infection in the UK overall , lower than a number of other European countries .
Where there are local outbreaks the system - by and large - seems to be having success in curbing them .
And this comes after the opening up of society over the summer .
Of course , the big question is what happens next , with schools back and winter around the corner .
There is a growing sense within the public health community that the UK is in a strong position - and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of infection seen in the spring should be avoided .
But there is also extreme caution and an understandable desire for complacency not to creep in .
The PCR swab test - the standard diagnostic method - uses chemicals to amplify the virus 's genetic material so that it can be studied .
Your test sample has to go through a number of `` cycles '' in the lab before enough virus is recovered .
Just how many can indicate how much of the virus is there - whether it 's tiny fragments @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in turn appears to be linked to how likely the virus is to be infectious - tests that have to go through more cycles are less likely to reproduce when cultured in the lab .
But when you take a coronavirus test , you get a `` yes '' or `` no '' answer .
There is no indication of how much virus was in the sample , or how likely it is to be an active infection .
A person shedding a large amount of active virus , and a person with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ already been cleared , would receive the same - positive - test result .
But Prof Heneghan , the academic who spotted a quirk in how deaths were being recorded , which led Public Health England to reform its system , says evidence suggests coronavirus `` infectivity appears to decline after about a week '' .
He added that while it would not be possible to check every test to see whether there was active virus , the likelihood of false positive results could be reduced if scientists could work out where the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prevent people being given a positive result based on an old infection .
• TESTING : What tests are available ?
• SYMPTOMS : What are they and how to guard against them ?
• GLOBAL SPREAD : How many worldwide cases are there ?
• TEST AND TRACE : How does it work ?
And Prof Heneghan said that would stop people quarantining or being contact-traced unnecessarily , and give a better understanding of the current scale of the pandemic .
Public Health England agreed viral cultures were a useful way of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said it had recently undertaken analysis along these lines .
It said it was working with labs to reduce the risk of false positives , including looking at where the `` cycle threshold '' , or cut-off point , should be set .
But it said there were many different test kits in use , with different thresholds and ways of being read , which made providing a range of cut-off points difficult .
But Prof Ben Neuman , at the University of Reading , said culturing virus from a patient sample was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ review runs the risk of falsely correlating the difficulty of culturing Sars-CoV-2 from a patient sample , with likelihood that it will spread , '' he said .
Prof Francesco Venturelli , an epidemiologist in the Italian region of Emilia-Romagna , which was hit hard by the virus in March , said there was `` not enough certainty '' about how long virus remains infectious during the recovering period .
Some studies based on viral cultures reported about 10 % of patients still had viable virus after eight days , he said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ earlier than the UK , `` for several weeks we were over-estimating cases '' because of people who acquired the infection several weeks before they were identified as positive .
But , as you move away from the peak , this phenomenon diminishes .
• THE NAKED SCIENTISTS : Where did COVID-19 come from ?
• `` WE 'RE ALL STRONGER THAN WE THINK '' : What are the positives of 2020 ?
Prof Peter Openshaw at Imperial College London said PCR was a highly sensitive `` method of detecting residual viral genetic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ evidence of infectivity , '' he said .
But the clinical consensus was that patients were `` very unlikely to be infectious beyond day 10 of disease '' .

But when you take a coronavirus test, you get a "yes" or "no" answer. There is no indication of how much virus was in the sample, or how likely it is to be an active infection.


bbc--2020-09-05--Newspapers delayed as Extinction Rebellion blocks printing presses

Extinction Rebellion ( XR ) activists have delayed the distribution of several national newspapers after blocking access to three printing presses owned by Rupert Murdoch .
More than 100 protesters targeted Newsprinters presses at Broxbourne in Hertfordshire , Knowsley in Merseyside , and near Motherwell , North Lanarkshire .
Newsagents said some of the papers - which XR accuse of failing to report on climate change - have arrived late .
The Sun tweeted saying copies of the paper would be delayed arriving at newsagents , adding the blockade was an `` attack on all the free press '' .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Corp titles including the Sun , the Times , the Sun on Sunday , the Sunday Times , and the Scottish Sun .
They also print the Daily Telegraph and Sunday Telegraph , the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday , and the London Evening Standard .
XR used vehicles along with individual protesters chaining themselves to structures to block roads to the presses .
Vans were covered with banners including `` Free the truth '' and `` Refugees are welcome here '' .
Newsprinters also condemned the protests as an `` attack @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which it said had affected workers going about their jobs and others such as newsagents who faced `` financial penalty '' .
`` Thanks to other industry partners , printing was transferred to other sites , '' it said .
Hertfordshire Police said officers were called to Great Eastern Road near the Broxbourne plant at about 22:00 BST , where they found about 100 protesters who had `` secured themselves to structures and one another '' .
And Home Secretary Priti Patel tweeted the overnight action by XR was an `` attack @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , 13 arrests had been made with police expecting more to follow , but delivery lorries had still been unable to leave the site to distribute papers .
Officers in Hertfordshire said by about 09:30 42 people had been arrested .
Merseyside Police tweeted on Saturday morning officers were still at the Knowsley plant .
Officers said the site had been cleared of protesters by about 10:30 and 30 people had been arrested on suspicion of aggravated trespass .
Police Scotland said in a statement the protest at the Eurocentral plant near Motherwell @ @ @ @ @ @ @ issues '' .
XR has accused the newspapers and their owners of `` failure to report on the climate and ecological emergency '' and `` polluting national debate '' on dozens of social issues .
The Federation of Independent Retailers condemned the demonstrations , saying members left without supplies of papers were having `` to deal with angry customers who are unable to get their daily newspaper '' .
National president Stuart Reddish said it also meant retailers were unable to get papers to elderly and vulnerable customers .
`` Newsagents have played @ @ @ @ @ @ @ newspapers into the hands of readers and this is not helpful at a time when every sale counts , '' he added .
Extinction Rebellion has planned 10 days of action and demanded the government declare a climate and ecological emergency .
On Thursday , more than 300 people were arrested during protests in central London .
Meanwhile , climate change protesters have been warned they risk large fines if they fail to comply with coronavirus rules banning gatherings of more than 30 people .
A procession of activists that set off walking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to march the final stretch to Parliament later .
The Met Police said risk assessments of the march in Westminster `` did not meet the required standard '' and have banned XR from taking a 20ft model boat named after teenage activist Greta Thunberg to the streets of Westminster .

"Whatever your politics you should be worried by this. There are also questions for the police who perhaps placed the right of these few people to protest above the right of the rest of the people to read a free press."


bbc--2020-09-05--Coronavirus: 'Critical moment' as students return to university

A leading epidemiologist has warned the country is at a `` critical moment '' in the coronavirus pandemic , as students prepare to return to universities .
Dame Anne Johnson , of University College London , told the BBC data showed the highest number of detected infections was in young people .
It comes after government scientific advisors said `` significant outbreaks '' linked to universities were likely .
Universities have said steps are being taken to minimise risks on campuses .
Speaking to BBC Radio 4 's Today programme , Dame Anne , professor of infectious disease epidemiology at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now seeing the highest number of infections or at least detected infections in younger people aged 20 to 29 and also going up to 45-year-olds . ''
She added that the data was `` not surprising '' , as young people , she said , were more likely to have socialised with friends and family after lockdown restrictions were eased .
The latest figures from Public Health England showed the highest coronavirus case rates were among the 15 to 44-year-old age group .
In the regions with the highest overall rates , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ England 's local lockdown watchlist , the age group most affected appeared to be young working adults aged 20 to 29-years-old .
Meanwhile , the government 's scientific advisory group , Sage , said in a document published on Friday : `` There is a significant risk that HE ( Higher Education ) could amplify local and national transmission , and this requires national oversight . ''
The report added : `` It is highly likely that there will be significant outbreaks associated with HE , and asymptomatic transmission may make these harder @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Which are re-opening , when ?
• BUBBLES : How do they work and who can be in yours ?
• SOCIAL DISTANCING : What are the rules now ?
• LOOK-UP TOOL : How many cases in your area ?
It comes as officials are urging young people in Leeds to take responsibility for controlling the spread of coronavirus following an increase in house parties in the city .
The city has been added to the lockdown watchlist - along with Middlesborough , South Tyneside , Corby and Kettering - meaning people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ number of infections continues to increase .
Council leader Judith Blake said there had been an increase in music events , house parties and illegal raves , adding fines of £10,000 were being given , and urged caution at a time when university students were set to return .
`` We feel there is a bit of a complacency coming in .
What we are seeing is the numbers are changing , and actually more young people are testing positive and they are spread around the city , '' she said .
Dame @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` going to be incredibly important to communicate to young people the risks of transmitting coronavirus '' , with particular emphasis on maintaining social distancing .
She said it should be highlighted `` that we need to avoid those situations where we have a lot of close contact , keep distanced '' .
`` When we ca n't do that wear face coverings , wash hands , and isolate when we 're sick , '' she said .
Dame Anne also stressed the importance of infection control among vulnerable communities , particularly in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's important that young people do mix with older people in their families , in workplaces , in the NHS and social care , so they are not isolated from the rest of the community , but we need to make sure that we protect the more vulnerable community more carefully through this winter , '' she said .
Elsewhere , concerns have been raised that students could spread the virus when they travel from their family homes to university campuses .
Dr Mike Tildesley , an associate professor at the University of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ told BBC Breakfast : `` At the moment in the country we 're dealing with a series of really local outbreaks that we 're trying to manage with local control policies .
`` But when students come to university , potentially they 're travelling across the country and possibly they may be moving from parts of the country where there 's a lot of infection to parts of the country where there may not be as much infection . ''
He warned this could have a `` knock-on effect '' and prompt a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ return home to their families for Christmas .
The academic said universities were trying to minimise the risk on campuses with strategies including online teaching , grouping students together within year groups , and also putting in place local testing and tracing policies `` so if we do start to see outbreaks , we can try to manage them as rapidly as possible '' .
He added that small group teaching was still happening in person , but would take place inside large lecture theatres to allow for social distancing .
Sage has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ facilities to enable students who test positive to quarantine and minimise the risk of an outbreak .
Universities have also been urged to work with local authorities in addition to conducting their own test and trace programmes .
Peter Openshaw , professor of experimental medicine , Imperial College London , said : `` While universities conduct their own testing and contact tracing , isolation and health education strategies , it is vital that there is alignment and co-ordination with local borough public health officers to avoid duplication of effort and ensure a collaborative @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in both sectors . ''
• THE NAKED SCIENTISTS : Where did COVID-19 come from ?
• `` WE 'RE ALL STRONGER THAN WE THINK '' : What are the positives of 2020 ?

Dr Mike Tildesley, an associate professor at the University of Warwick and expert in infection modelling, told BBC Breakfast that the UK was mostly dealing with "really local" outbreaks, but the movement of students across the country could cause a wave of infection, especially as they return to families for Christmas.


bbc--2020-09-04--US protests: Dark-clad thugs on planes and other claims fact-checked

Images of protests in American cities and debates about what is behind the unrest have flooded social media .
Misleading information and unfounded rumours are rife too .
Here are some of the claims we 've been investigating .
Claim : President Trump says thugs in uniforms intent on inciting unrest have been seen travelling around the United States on a plane Verdict : There have been no reports that this incident took place , and the White House has provided no evidence President Trump told Fox News earlier this week that someone had seen `` thugs ... in dark @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Washington DC intent on doing damage at the Republican National Convention last week .
A day later he told reporters that the witness saw an `` entire plane filled up with the looters , the anarchists , rioters , people looking for trouble '' .
The president was on his way to Wisconsin where days of protest followed the police shooting of a black man , Jacob Blake , in the city of Kenosha .
The president offered to refer journalists to the witness but said he would check with the person first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has come to light .
The White House said : `` The president is referring to questions that need answers such as who may be funding travel and lodging for organised rioters . ''
When pressed on the president 's claim during an interview on CNN , US Attorney General William Barr said he did n't know `` what the president was referring to '' .
He said the government had numerous reports of people flying to protests and was monitoring antifa - a loose affiliation of mostly far-left activists - crossing the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Senator Rand Paul told Fox News that the people who confronted him after the Republican National Convention were being flown from city to city and some were staying in `` $ 600 to $ 1,000 '' a-night hotels .
We contacted Senator Paul 's office for further details .
Similarities have been pointed out between the president 's account and a false rumour that circulated on Facebook in Idaho .
One example posted on 1 June raised the alarm that a dozen men , dressed in black , were spotted getting off a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had come from Seattle .
But the local sheriff 's office rejected the alleged sighting and stated it was `` false '' .
Claim : A video being shared on Facebook shows antifa and Black Lives Matter protesters chasing a father and daughter because they were Trump supporters Verdict : This video , first shared in 2019 , is among others from previous protests being recirculated A conservative activist based in Northern Ireland posted this video on Twitter , claiming it shows a Trump-supporting father and his young daughter being chased by `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has been viewed more than 700,000 times since 1 September .
The clip is actually of an incident during protests in the city of Portland in 2019 , long before the recent Black Lives Matter protests in the United States began .
This is not made clear by the people sharing it .
According to Oregon Live 's reporting in 2019 , the man - dressed up in an Ancient Greek warrior costume - being chased by the large group is a well known right-wing figure .
Claim : Joe Biden praised antifa @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' in a video announcing his candidacy Verdict : Mr Biden was praising all the counter-protesters who opposed a far-right rally An article on a conservative blog says Mr Biden endorsed antifa in a video that launched his election campaign in 2019 .
In the video , Mr Biden criticised President Trump for comments he made following a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville in 2017 .
The Democratic Party 's presidential nominee said the far-right group was met by a `` courageous group of Americans and a violent clash ensued '' .
Anti-fascists @ @ @ @ @ @ @ far right , were among the counter protesters .
A range of groups turned out that day to oppose the gathering .
Mr Biden does not mention antifa by name .
His comments appear to refer to all the counter-protesters , some of whom fought the white nationalists .
Claim : A video taken in Portland , Oregon shows an antifa protester encampment Verdict : The video is in fact of socially-distanced tents arranged for homeless people This post , shared more than 7,000 times , claims to have discovered proof of an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a city where widespread protests have been taking place .
We matched the footage in the tweet with photos , videos and reports of the actual location .
The video actually shows an area of the city set up for homeless people during the coronavirus outbreak .
Three of these camps are run by a local homeless charity .
Other posts shared by conservative and QAnon supporting accounts , generating tens of thousands of shares , describe the camp as `` antifa HQ '' .
There have been 100 days of unrest in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in clashes with security forces .

US protests: Dark-clad thugs on planes and other claims fact-checked Published 5 September 2020
Image source, EPA Image caption, Protests against racism in the US city of Portland have passed the 100-day mark
Images of protests in American cities and debates about what is behind the unrest have flooded social media. Misleading information and unfounded rumours are rife too.
Here are some of the claims we've been investigating.
Claim: President Trump says thugs in uniforms intent on inciting unrest have been seen travelling around the United States on a plane
Verdict: There have been no reports that this incident took place, and the White House has provided no evidence
President Trump told Fox News earlier this week that someone had seen "thugs... in dark uniforms" on a plane destined for Washington DC intent on doing damage at the Republican National Convention last week.
A day later he told reporters that the witness saw an "entire plane filled up with the looters, the anarchists, rioters, people looking for trouble".
The president was on his way to Wisconsin where days of protest followed the police shooting of a black man, Jacob Blake, in the city of Kenosha.
The president offered to refer journalists to the witness but said he would check with the person first. No information of such an event has come to light.
Image source, Reuters Image caption, President Trump talking to reporters before flying to Kenosha
The White House said: "The president is referring to questions that need answers such as who may be funding travel and lodging for organised rioters."
When pressed on the president's claim during an interview on CNN, US Attorney General William Barr said he didn't know "what the president was referring to".
He said the government had numerous reports of people flying to protests and was monitoring antifa - a loose affiliation of mostly far-left activists - crossing the country to join "riots".
Senator Rand Paul told Fox News that the people who confronted him after the Republican National Convention were being flown from city to city and some were staying in "$600 to $1,000" a-night hotels. We contacted Senator Paul's office for further details.
Similarities have been pointed out between the president's account and a false rumour that circulated on Facebook in Idaho.
Image caption, A false Facebook post
One example posted on 1 June raised the alarm that a dozen men, dressed in black, were spotted getting off a plane in Boise, Idaho, which had come from Seattle.
But the local sheriff's office rejected the alleged sighting and stated it was "false".
Claim: A video being shared on Facebook shows antifa and Black Lives Matter protesters chasing a father and daughter because they were Trump supporters
Verdict: This video, first shared in 2019, is among others from previous protests being recirculated
A conservative activist based in Northern Ireland posted this video on Twitter, claiming it shows a Trump-supporting father and his young daughter being chased by "far left" protesters.
The video has been viewed more than 700,000 times since 1 September.
The clip is actually of an incident during protests in the city of Portland in 2019, long before the recent Black Lives Matter protests in the United States began. This is not made clear by the people sharing it.
According to Oregon Live's reporting in 2019, the man - dressed up in an Ancient Greek warrior costume - being chased by the large group is a well known right-wing figure.
Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Joe Biden also spoke in Kenosha, the site of recent Black Lives Matter protests
Claim: Joe Biden praised antifa as a "courageous group of Americans" in a video announcing his candidacy
Verdict: Mr Biden was praising all the counter-protesters who opposed a far-right rally
An article on a conservative blog says Mr Biden endorsed antifa in a video that launched his election campaign in 2019.
In the video, Mr Biden criticised President Trump for comments he made following a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville in 2017.
The Democratic Party's presidential nominee said the far-right group was met by a "courageous group of Americans and a violent clash ensued".
Anti-fascists, who do routinely clash with the far right, were among the counter protesters. A range of groups turned out that day to oppose the gathering.
Mr Biden does not mention antifa by name. His comments appear to refer to all the counter-protesters, some of whom fought the white nationalists.
Claim: A video taken in Portland, Oregon shows an antifa protester encampment
Verdict: The video is in fact of socially-distanced tents arranged for homeless people
This post, shared more than 7,000 times, claims to have discovered proof of an "antifa encampment" in Portland, a city where widespread protests have been taking place.
We matched the footage in the tweet with photos, videos and reports of the actual location.
The video actually shows an area of the city set up for homeless people during the coronavirus outbreak. Three of these camps are run by a local homeless charity.
Other posts shared by conservative and QAnon supporting accounts, generating tens of thousands of shares, describe the camp as "antifa HQ".
There have been 100 days of unrest in Portland, where protesters have been involved in clashes with security forces.


bbc--2020-09-05--Allan: Everton sign Brazilian midfielder for £21m from Napoli on three-year deal

Last updated on .From the section Everton Everton have signed Brazilian midfielder Allan from Napoli on a three-year contract for a fee believed to be around £21.7m .
`` It is a real pleasure to sign for Everton .
I am immensely happy to be here , '' said the 29-year-old .
Everton are also closing on deals for Watford 's Abdoulaye Doucoure and James Rodriguez from Real Madrid .
Allan played 61 games under Ancelotti at Napoli , and he says the Italian did `` everything possible '' to bring him to Goodison Park .
Allan added : `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in my entire career , I contribute with my performances together with my team-mates and that I put in some great games , great performances and win important things .
`` It is a club with a rich history in the Premier League , has real ambition and then there is 'Professor ' Ancelotti .
`` It is the size of the club and the name of the coach which means you do n't think twice about coming to Everton . ''
Allan made more than 200 appearances for Napoli after joining from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Richarlison as hosts Brazil won the 2019 Copa America .
`` A strong part of my game is marking and the desire going in to win absolutely every ball , '' he said .
`` I believe with my desire I can put in really good performances to win the fans over .
I received a lot of messages from Everton fans and that made me really happy and confident in the work I can do here . ''
Ancelotti 's side travel to Tottenham for their opening Premier League game on Sunday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Allan has been a top priority signing for Everton manager Carlo Ancelotti once he decided he had to reshape his midfield .
The Brazil international is a tough-tackling , mobile competitor , the sort Everton have lacked since the departure of Idrissa Gueye to Paris St-Germain and in the absence of his permanently injured successor Jean-Philippe Gbamin .
Ancelotti admires Allen hugely having worked with him at Napoli and the feeling is mutual , with the player referring to his manager as 'The Professor ' .
Everton 's midfield was simply too @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ancelotti is determined to address that flaw with signings such as Allan , who says `` winning a 50-50 is like scoring a goal '' , and Watford 's Adboulaye Doucoure .
It is the first serious business concluded by Ancelotti - and one he regards as vital .

Last updated on .From the section Everton
Brazilian midfielder Allan is Everton's first signing of the summer
Everton have signed Brazilian midfielder Allan from Napoli on a three-year contract for a fee believed to be around £21.7m.
Allan is Everton's first signing of the summer and the move reunites him with former Napoli boss Carlo Ancelotti.
"It is a real pleasure to sign for Everton. I am immensely happy to be here," said the 29-year-old.
Everton are also closing on deals for Watford's Abdoulaye Doucoure and James Rodriguez from Real Madrid.
Allan played 61 games under Ancelotti at Napoli, and he says the Italian did "everything possible" to bring him to Goodison Park.
Allan added: "I hope, like I have done in my entire career, I contribute with my performances together with my team-mates and that I put in some great games, great performances and win important things.
"It is a club with a rich history in the Premier League, has real ambition and then there is 'Professor' Ancelotti.
"It is the size of the club and the name of the coach which means you don't think twice about coming to Everton."
Allan made more than 200 appearances for Napoli after joining from Udinese, and played alongside Toffees forward Richarlison as hosts Brazil won the 2019 Copa America.
"A strong part of my game is marking and the desire going in to win absolutely every ball," he said.
"I believe with my desire I can put in really good performances to win the fans over. I received a lot of messages from Everton fans and that made me really happy and confident in the work I can do here."
Ancelotti's side travel to Tottenham for their opening Premier League game on Sunday, 13 September (16:30 BST).
Analysis
BBC chief football writer Phil McNulty
Allan has been a top priority signing for Everton manager Carlo Ancelotti once he decided he had to reshape his midfield.
The Brazil international is a tough-tackling, mobile competitor, the sort Everton have lacked since the departure of Idrissa Gueye to Paris St-Germain and in the absence of his permanently injured successor Jean-Philippe Gbamin.
Ancelotti admires Allen hugely having worked with him at Napoli and the feeling is mutual, with the player referring to his manager as 'The Professor'.
Everton's midfield was simply too easy to play against last season and Ancelotti is determined to address that flaw with signings such as Allan, who says "winning a 50-50 is like scoring a goal", and Watford's Adboulaye Doucoure.
It is the first serious business concluded by Ancelotti - and one he regards as vital.
Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.


bbc--2020-09-04--Why I don't think we've heard the end of Messi saga - Balague column

So now we know .
Lionel Messi is to stay at Barcelona , at least for one more season .
But while Barcelona have won this battle there is no guarantee they will end up winning the war - or even that this victory does n't turn out to be a pyrrhic one .
• None Football Daily podcast : Messi stays - but will things ever be the same ?
So why has Messi decided to stay ?
Ultimately , Messi is staying because he feels he has no option and that he has been deceived by the club @ @ @ @ @ @ @ says always assured him if he still felt unhappy with the way things were at the end of the season he could leave the club as the contract suggested .
Messi may well be staying , but this is a man who wants to leave .
The spirit of his contract said he could decide what he wanted to do at the end of the season .
The letter of the contract said he had to inform the club by 10 June .
On 10 June , coronavirus meant the last phase of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Barcelona were , at the time , two points clear at the top of the league with 11 games to play and still very much in the Champions League , with the second leg of the last 16 to be played .
Hardly the time to hand in your notice .
At the time , Messi was comforted by verbal assurances he had received from the president that at the end of the season he could decide whether he wanted to stay or go .
In a nutshell , Messi thought he had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his chance and was not about to be remembered as the president who let Messi leave .
In the Goal interview broadcast on Friday , Messi has been unequivocal about it .
The reason - well , the main one - he is staying for another season is that he has been told the only way he can leave is by paying the 700m euro buyout clause the club claim is still in his contract .
Or go to court .
And he was not going to court with the club he loves @ @ @ @ @ @ @ going to happen .
Messi 's legal team have been keen to point out to their client that they believe he had more than a fair chance of winning the argument in a court of law , that - as his father and agent Jorge Messi said in a letter to La Liga - the contract says there is no 700m euro buyout clause applicable from the end of last season .
But Messi was never going to go down the legal road against the club that had given him everything and to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ made it quite clear in his interview that it never crossed his mind to take Barcelona to court .
So how did we get here ?
For a long time , Messi had become increasingly disillusioned with what he perceived as a lack of a project at the Nou Camp , as he himself suggests in the interview .
At the age of 33 he felt in his heart this was a club going backwards .
Weaknesses were being masked , mostly by him , sticking plasters placed on gaping wounds .
Messi @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will be a winner .
He has never done losing very well .
He also knows he is now in the twilight of what has been a stellar career and wants to finish it as he always lived it - as a winner .
It had become blindingly obvious to him that this was n't going to happen if he stayed on at Barcelona , as much as he wanted to finish his career with them .
He had lost patience with those taking decisions at the club , mostly Bartomeu , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ needs to be the best he can be .
Above all , Messi was not enjoying himself and made no secret of the fact to the club 's hierarchy .
Do n't worry , he was told , if you feel like that at the end of the season then you can go .
When it became clear the club were not listening to his protestations he finally decided after the exit from the Champions League to officially announce by burofax that he was leaving the club , and that as far as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to leave on a free transfer .
Suggestions handing in his notice by recorded delivery were disrespectful were way off the mark .
The burofax was sent to make official what he wanted to do because the president was not taking what he said seriously .
All year he had been telling the president that he wanted to go , as he has admitted in the interview .
Had he not sent it , nothing would have happened and it would have looked like he was prepared to stay for another year .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ his family to move ( not without tears as they imagined a life away from what they love and in the place they will return if he ends up moving at some point ) , Messi will now stay .
He has said his attitude will not change and even though he has tried to leave he will still give his best .
What he will find is a club in transition , although with the likes of Antoine Griezmann , Ansu Fati , Ousmane Dembele , Marc-Andre Ter Stegen , Frenkie de @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this is still a very good side .
Maybe - just maybe - new manager Ronald Koeman can convince Messi he is at the right club , playing the right way , making the right advances and between them they can change things , move mountains , be successful , and then suddenly all the unhappiness he is feeling will disappear .
But I 'm not sure we have heard the end of this saga yet .
Koeman and Barcelona are going to have to get used to working with a player who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ club president , a player who has made it abundantly clear he wants to leave , and a player who has openly stated he is unhappy .
Make no mistake , Barcelona are keeping a player at the club who does n't want to be there because of the way the club is run and because of who is running it .
Bartomeu , who would leave his post in March before elections , got his wish of not being the president that lost Messi , but was his agenda favoured ahead of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this campaign would be reduced to perhaps 700m euro - a big deduction from the 1bn of last season - and one player will take more than 100m euros of that .
Messi himself said his departure would have been good for a club in need of fresh blood ( and more sound finances ) .
For him .
For everyone .

So now we know. Lionel Messi is to stay at Barcelona, at least for one more season.
In the short term, it is a victory for the club and its directors in a much-publicised stand-off between them and the Argentine genius.
But while Barcelona have won this battle there is no guarantee they will end up winning the war - or even that this victory doesn't turn out to be a pyrrhic one.
So why has Messi decided to stay?
Ultimately, Messi is staying because he feels he has no option and that he has been deceived by the club president Josep Maria Bartomeu, who he says always assured him if he still felt unhappy with the way things were at the end of the season he could leave the club as the contract suggested.
Messi may well be staying, but this is a man who wants to leave. The spirit of his contract said he could decide what he wanted to do at the end of the season. The letter of the contract said he had to inform the club by 10 June.
On 10 June, coronavirus meant the last phase of the season had not even begun. Barcelona were, at the time, two points clear at the top of the league with 11 games to play and still very much in the Champions League, with the second leg of the last 16 to be played. Hardly the time to hand in your notice.
At the time, Messi was comforted by verbal assurances he had received from the president that at the end of the season he could decide whether he wanted to stay or go.
In a nutshell, Messi thought he had a verbal agreement, but Bartomeu saw his chance and was not about to be remembered as the president who let Messi leave.
In the Goal interview external-link broadcast on Friday, Messi has been unequivocal about it. The reason - well, the main one - he is staying for another season is that he has been told the only way he can leave is by paying the 700m euro buyout clause the club claim is still in his contract. Or go to court. And he was not going to court with the club he loves.
That is something that is not going to happen.
Messi's legal team have been keen to point out to their client that they believe he had more than a fair chance of winning the argument in a court of law, that - as his father and agent Jorge Messi said in a letter to La Liga - the contract says there is no 700m euro buyout clause applicable from the end of last season.
But Messi was never going to go down the legal road against the club that had given him everything and to whom he has given everything. He made it quite clear in his interview that it never crossed his mind to take Barcelona to court.
So how did we get here?
For a long time, Messi had become increasingly disillusioned with what he perceived as a lack of a project at the Nou Camp, as he himself suggests in the interview.
At the age of 33 he felt in his heart this was a club going backwards. Weaknesses were being masked, mostly by him, sticking plasters placed on gaping wounds.
Messi is, always has been and always will be a winner. He has never done losing very well. He also knows he is now in the twilight of what has been a stellar career and wants to finish it as he always lived it - as a winner.
It had become blindingly obvious to him that this wasn't going to happen if he stayed on at Barcelona, as much as he wanted to finish his career with them.
He had lost patience with those taking decisions at the club, mostly Bartomeu, and with that also lost the passion he needs to be the best he can be.
Above all, Messi was not enjoying himself and made no secret of the fact to the club's hierarchy. Don't worry, he was told, if you feel like that at the end of the season then you can go.
When it became clear the club were not listening to his protestations he finally decided after the exit from the Champions League to officially announce by burofax that he was leaving the club, and that as far as he was concerned his contract allowed him to leave on a free transfer.
Suggestions handing in his notice by recorded delivery were disrespectful were way off the mark. The burofax was sent to make official what he wanted to do because the president was not taking what he said seriously.
All year he had been telling the president that he wanted to go, as he has admitted in the interview. Had he not sent it, nothing would have happened and it would have looked like he was prepared to stay for another year.
Messi signed for Barcelona at the age of 13 - 20 years ago
So what happens now?
Having convinced his family to move (not without tears as they imagined a life away from what they love and in the place they will return if he ends up moving at some point), Messi will now stay. He has said his attitude will not change and even though he has tried to leave he will still give his best.
What he will find is a club in transition, although with the likes of Antoine Griezmann, Ansu Fati, Ousmane Dembele, Marc-Andre Ter Stegen, Frenkie de Jong and Miralem Pjanic in the squad this is still a very good side.
Maybe - just maybe - new manager Ronald Koeman can convince Messi he is at the right club, playing the right way, making the right advances and between them they can change things, move mountains, be successful, and then suddenly all the unhappiness he is feeling will disappear.
But I'm not sure we have heard the end of this saga yet.
Koeman and Barcelona are going to have to get used to working with a player who claims he has been deceived by the club president, a player who has made it abundantly clear he wants to leave, and a player who has openly stated he is unhappy.
Make no mistake, Barcelona are keeping a player at the club who doesn't want to be there because of the way the club is run and because of who is running it.
Bartomeu, who would leave his post in March before elections, got his wish of not being the president that lost Messi, but was his agenda favoured ahead of the club's?
The expected income this campaign would be reduced to perhaps 700m euro - a big deduction from the 1bn of last season - and one player will take more than 100m euros of that.
Messi himself said his departure would have been good for a club in need of fresh blood (and more sound finances). For him. For everyone.