bbc--2020-07-30--Coronavirus: US economy sees sharpest contraction in decades

The US economy shrank at a 32.9 % annual rate between April and June as the country grappled with lockdowns and spending cutbacks during the pandemic .
It was the deepest decline since the government began keeping records in 1947 and three times more severe than the prior record of 10 % set in 1958 .
Reduced spending on services such as healthcare drove the fall .
Economists have said they expected to see the sharpest drop in the second quarter , with recovery thereafter .
But as virus cases in the US surge and some areas re-impose restrictions on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of stalling .
More than 1.4 million people filed new claims for unemployment last week , up slightly from the prior week for the second week in a row .
Other data points to spending cuts and falls in confidence in July .
Jerome Powell , the head of America 's central bank , on Wednesday warned of renewed slowdown , describing the downturn as the `` most severe in our lifetimes '' .
He urged further government spending to help American households and businesses weather the crisis .
That call was echoed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the figures brought into focus the scale of the economic crisis facing the country .
`` The staggering news of the historic decline of the gross domestic product in the second quarter should shock us all , '' said Neil Bradley , chief policy officer at the US Chamber of Commerce , a business lobby group .
`` This jarring news should compel Congress to move swiftly . ''
• Fed warns of continuing need to protect US economy The International Monetary Fund has predicted that global growth will fall by 4.9 % @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reported a record quarterly decline of 10.1 % , while Mexico 's economy also reported a double digit contraction .
Compared with the same quarter a year ago , the US economy contracted 9.5 % .
Exports and imports were both down more than 20 % from a year ago , while consumer spending - the main driver of the US economy - fell 10.7 % year-on-year .
'No signs of getting back to normal' New York City pub owner Anthony LoPorto has been serving drinks at his Bean Post venue since 1994 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bad .
After waiting months to re-open , he is now struggling to fill his tables as people worried about the virus or loss of income stay home .
It is a drop-off in trade that is magnified across the US - a reason why the GDP numbers were so bad .
`` This is now going on for months and we were told that there would be an opportunity for us to start getting back to some normalcy around this time - there 's no signs of normalcy whatsoever , '' he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ n't stop , wo n't stop ' type of attitude ... but it 's getting to a point where I 'm nervous and I 've got to be honest - I 'm nervous that even if I continue to go on , what 's going to happen with the neighbourhood ? ''
The more offices that close or keep staff at home , the more the Bean Post 's custom dwindles .
`` I do n't believe in a quick bounce-back at all , '' he says .
`` This is a long @ @ @ @ @ @ @ money .
`` There are nights when there 's just nobody around ...
There 's just not enough money in people 's pockets and not enough want in people 's spirits . ''
The US has lost nearly 15 million jobs since February , despite strong hiring in May and June .
The US census estimates more than half of American adults live in households that have seen incomes cut since the pandemic .
Economists warned it will take years for the US to recover from the devastation .
`` Even when the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ June , the Covid-19 economic shock inflicted so much damage in earlier months that the net result was an economic catastrophe for the second quarter , '' wrote Josh Bivens , director of research at the Economic Policy Institute .
`` The fact that initial jobless claims have risen for a second week is worrying and underscores that the nascent consumption recovery is at risk , '' said Madhavi Bokil , vice president of Moody 's Investors Service .

"This is now going on for months and we were told that there would be an opportunity for us to start getting back to some normalcy around this time - there's no signs of normalcy whatsoever," he says.


bbc--2020-07-31--Lockdown tightened for millions in England

Separate households have been banned from meeting each other indoors in Greater Manchester , East Lancashire and parts of West Yorkshire following a spike in coronavirus cases .
Matt Hancock said the increase in transmission was `` largely due '' to people not observing social distancing .
Labour criticised the government for a lack of clarity over the measures and for announcing them `` late at night '' .
More details were published two hours after the initial announcement .
More than four million people in Greater Manchester , Blackburn with Darwen , Burnley , Hyndburn , Pendle , Rossendale @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be affected by the tightening of restrictions .
The new measures , which came into force at midnight , mean different households will not be allowed to meet in homes or private gardens , but individual households will still be able to go to pubs and restaurants together .
Health Secretary Matt Hancock also said the same restrictions would apply in Leicester , where a local lockdown has been in place for the last month .
However , pubs , restaurants and some other facilities will be allowed to reopen in the city @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stricter measures are lifted .
• Pubs and restaurants to reopen in Leicester The new lockdown rules for parts of northern England come nearly four weeks after restrictions were eased across England and people were allowed to meet indoors .
Mr Hancock , who tweeted the announcement at 21:16 BST , said : `` The spread is largely due to households meeting and not abiding to social distancing .
So from midnight tonight , people from different households will not be allowed to meet each other indoors in these areas .
`` We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but we can see increasing rates of Covid across Europe and are determined to do whatever is necessary to keep people safe . ''
The government said it would give police forces and councils powers to enforce the new rules - adding that some exemptions would be put in place , including for the vulnerable .
It acknowledged in its statement that the measures would `` come as a blow '' to Muslim communities preparing to celebrate Eid this weekend .
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer welcomed the move but criticised the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ measures `` affecting potentially millions of people late at night on Twitter is a new low for the government 's communications during this crisis '' .
He added : `` When the government ended the daily press conferences , they said they would hold them for 'significant announcements ' , including local lockdowns .
It 's hard to imagine what could be more significant than this . ''
• People in Greater Manchester , Blackburn with Darwen , Burnley , Hyndburn , Pendle , Rossendale , Bradford , Calderdale , Kirklees and Leicester @ @ @ @ @ @ @ apart from those in their support bubbles ) in private homes or gardens • People in those areas can only go to pubs , restaurants and other hospitality venues with other members of their household • From Monday in Leicester , restaurants , cafes , bars and hairdressers can open but leisure centres , gyms and pools will remain closed • Cinemas and museums will also be able to open in Leicester from Monday and religious ceremonies will be able to take place • The borough of Oadby and Wigston on the outskirts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lockdown • Also , gyms and leisure centres will remain closed in Blackburn , but they will be able to reopen in Luton - both towns saw the lifting of restrictions paused last week The government always warned it would slam on the brakes if it had to .
Now it has - on an unprecedented scale , with two-and-a-half hours notice .
And snatched with a rebuke from the health secretary for England - Matt Hancock - who repeatedly said this was necessary because some in the areas affected had failed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 'm told the change comes without a time limit , but will be reviewed every week .
And do n't be surprised if the government , from the prime minister down , make the case that this could happen elsewhere too if people are cavalier about the rules .
And yet , in Leicester , the local , more severe restrictions imposed there are to be eased .
The baby steps back towards normality are going to be hesitant and faltering ; messy in their detail and messy in their geography .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It continues to rob us of any certainty .
Andy Burnham , the mayor of Greater Manchester - an area with a population of about 2.8m - said he agreed with the decision as there had been a `` marked change in the picture '' with regard to the spread of Covid-19 in the area .
`` We have gone from a falling rate of cases in nearly all of our boroughs last week to a rising rate in nine out of 10 affecting communities across a much wider geography , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the one borough where cases have fallen , they are still too high . ''
He said all residents `` young and old alike '' should `` protect each other '' by observing the requirements , which will be reviewed weekly .
This means `` the more we stick to them , the quicker they will be removed '' , he said .
Some local Conservative MPs questioned the government 's decision to apply the measures to the whole of Greater Manchester , which includes 10 local authority areas - Bolton , Bury @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Salford , Stockport , Tameside , Trafford and Wigan .
William Wragg , MP for Hazel Grove in Stockport , tweeted that Greater Manchester was `` not one homogeneous area '' and treating all 10 boroughs the same was `` not the right approach '' .
His view was supported by Graham Brady , MP for Altrincham and Sale West , who added that the `` latest update for Trafford says 'infections continue to be at a low level ' '' .
• SYMPTOMS : What are they and how to guard against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ should you wear one ?
• TESTING : Who can get a test and how ?
• BUBBLES : How do they work and who can be in yours ?
Jonathan Reynolds , shadow secretary for work and pensions and an MP in the Greater Manchester area , said the figures were showing an increase in infections including in Tameside where positive tests per 100,000 population has gone from 4.9 to 16.3 .
Leicester introduced a strict local lockdown at the beginning of July because the city 's seven-day infection rate had risen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It has since fallen and the lockdown was lifted for some suburbs of the city .
First Minister of Scotland Nicola Sturgeon said the decision to ban households in Greater Manchester , East Lancashire and West Yorkshire from meeting indoors was the `` right '' one .
She said the UK government was `` right to act quickly '' , adding : `` This is a sharp reminder that the threat of this virus is still very real . ''
Miqdaad Versi , spokesman for the Muslim Council of Britain , said the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ large impact '' on Muslim families celebrating Eid .
`` Unclear why such short notice provided but important that this message is cascaded as quickly as possible given it goes live within a few hours , '' he tweeted .
On Thursday , a further 38 people in the UK died , bringing the total number of Covid-19 associated deaths to 45,999 .
And 846 cases were reported - the highest number of cases in a day for a month .
• The rules on how many people can meet outdoors in Wales @ @ @ @ @ @ @ groups of up to 30 to meet • Passengers arriving in the UK from Luxembourg from Friday will have to isolate for 14 days after the country was taken off the quarantine-free list • Official analysis shows the UK saw some of the biggest rises in deaths rates in Europe in the months until the middle of June • 'GUIDED BY SCIENCE ' : A dangerous gamble with people ’ s lives or a sound scientific approach ?
• I MAY DESTROY YOU : The groundbreaking drama making headlines in lockdown

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bbc--2020-07-30--Michael Flynn: Appeal court to re-hear case of ex-Trump aide

A US appeals court has agreed to re-hear arguments over efforts to drop charges against ex-National Security Adviser Michael Flynn , one of several Trump associates convicted of lying .
Flynn , a former three-star US general , was the highest ranking official snared by the special counsel inquiry into Russian meddling in the 2016 election .
A federal court moved to dismiss the charges last month .
An oral argument in the case will be held on 11 August .
Flynn was forced to resign early in the Trump presidency for lying to Vice-President Mike Pence about his contacts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are Trump and Obama in a new spat over Flynn ?
• Trump says he has right to act on criminal cases The surprise 2-1 ruling to drop the case was made by the US Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia on 24 June , after Flynn pleaded guilty to lying to FBI investigators about his conversations with the Russian ambassador to Washington .
It followed a highly criticised request from the Department of Justice ( DOJ ) to drop the case and an attempt by Flynn to change his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ judge overseeing the Flynn case to immediately drop all charges and cease his scrutiny of the DOJ decision to drop the long-running prosecution .
President Trump cheered the `` great '' ruling in a tweet and called for fired FBI director James Comey to apologise to him .
However , US District Judge Emmet Sullivan asked the full court to reconsider the ruling , saying that dropping the case was unprecedented and had to be carefully scrutinized .
The US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit agreed on Thursday to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in less than two weeks .
Democrats have said the Flynn case is an example of Attorney General William Barr playing a role in high-profile legal and political battles involving President Trump .

The surprise 2-1 ruling to drop the case was made by the US Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia on 24 June, after Flynn pleaded guilty to lying to FBI investigators about his conversations with the Russian ambassador to Washington.


bbc--2020-07-30--Nasa Mars rover: Perseverance robot launches to detect life on Red Planet

The US space agency 's Perseverance robot has left Earth on a mission to try to detect life on Mars .
The one-tonne , six-wheeled rover was launched out of Florida by an Atlas rocket on a path to intercept the Red Planet in February next year .
When it lands , the Nasa robot will also gather rock and soil samples to be sent home later this decade .
Perseverance is the third mission despatched to Mars inside 11 days , after launches by the UAE and China .
Nasa made this mission one of its absolute priorities when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ work practices to ensure Perseverance met its launch deadline .
`` I 'm not going to lie , it 's a challenge , it 's very stressful , but look - the teams made it happen and I 'll tell you , we could not be more proud of what this integrated team was able to pull off here , so it 's very , very exciting , '' Administrator Jim Bridenstine told reporters .
Perseverance is being targeted at a more-than 40km-wide , near-equatorial bowl called Jezero Crater .
Scientists say the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a good chance of retaining evidence of past microbial activity - if ever that existed on the planet .
Perseverance will spend at least one Martian year ( equivalent to roughly two Earth years ) investigating the possibility .
Unlike the previous four rovers Nasa has sent to Mars , its new machine is equipped to directly detect life - either current or in fossilised form .
But any evidence it uncovers will almost certainly have its sceptics , which is why researchers want to bring whatever Perseverance finds back home for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can perform .
The rover will therefore package its most interesting rock discoveries in small tubes .
An elaborate mix of future missions will then launch later this decade to try to retrieve these samples .
How is Perseverance different from earlier rovers ?
At first glance , Perseverance looks to be a copy of the Curiosity robot Nasa sent to Mars ' Gale Crater in 2012 .
Indeed , the new robot even incorporates some leftover parts from the earlier mission .
But the seven instruments on Perseverance are either major upgrades @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new imagery from the 23 cameras on the vehicle - and sound , because the Perseverance mission carries microphones as well .
`` We hope to capture some of the sounds of entry , descent and landing ; and some of the sounds of driving around , merging that with the video we can take , '' explained Jim Bell , the principal investigator on the rover 's mast-mounted camera system , MastcamZ .
In addition to geological investigations and the search for life , there 's an emphasis on future human exploration @ @ @ @ @ @ @ oxygen from Mars ' carbon dioxide-dominated atmosphere ; and there are even samples of spacesuit material aboard to see how they cope in the planet 's harsh environment .
• What you need to know about Perseverance What role will the Ingenuity helicopter play ?
This is purely a technology demonstration .
Ingenuity aims to prove that aero vehicles can operate in Mars 's rarefied air .
The 1.8kg machine will be deployed from Perseverance 's belly once a suitable location for its flight experiments has been identified .
Ingenuity 's twin , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fast to get off the ground .
Engineers have five sorties planned over a 30-day period , with the ambition on each excursion of climbing ever higher into the sky and getting further away from Perseverance .
`` Today , we simply do n't use the aerial dimension in space exploration , but in future we will , '' said Nasa 's Ingenuity project leader , MiMi Aung .
`` They will be used , for example , in a scouting function .
When humans arrive , or indeed future rovers , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ high-definition images of the way ahead , '' she told BBC News .
Why is Jezero Crater so interesting to scientists ?
Jezero is named after a town in Bosnia-Herzegovina .
In some Slavic languages the word `` jezero '' also means `` lake '' - which should explain the fascination .
This 500m-deep bowl once saw huge volumes of water flow in through the western wall to pool on the crater floor .
Where the water entered , it even deposited sediments to form a delta .
Perseverance will try to land @ @ @ @ @ @ @ multiple rock types , including clays and carbonates , that have the potential to preserve the type of organic molecules that would hint at life 's bygone existence .
Particularly enticing is the `` bathtub ring '' of sediments laid down at the ancient lake 's shoreline .
It 's here that Perseverance could find what on Earth are called stromatolites .
`` They leave behind very thin layers , with concentrations of particular elements and organics at repeated intervals .
We 'll be looking for those fine laminations , looking for chemistry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ these things were just abiotic , or did n't involve life . ''
• A deep dive into the science of Jezero Crater How does Perseverance fit into wider Mars goals ?
We know from the search for the earliest life on Earth that the evidence can sometimes be controversial .
So , even if Perseverance stumbles across rocks that appear to have been fashioned by some ancient Martian biology , it will almost certainly require confirmation by analytical instruments on Earth that are far superior to the miniaturised versions carried on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ task for Perseverance will be to package its most interesting rocks in small metal canisters and leave them on the Jezero Crater floor .
Nasa and the European Space Agency ( Esa ) intend to go fetch these tubes with two more missions that are scheduled to leave Earth in 2026 .
It 's a remarkable endeavour involving a second rover , a Mars rocket and a huge satellite to ship the sample tubes home , getting them here in 2031 .
`` You can argue that what we 'll be trying to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Moon landings - when you think of the complexity of the robotics involved , '' David Parker , director of human and robotic exploration at Esa , told BBC News .
`` And it will also be a step on the way to sending humans to Mars because the architecture of this Mars Sample Return project is really a scale model of a human mission with its multiple vehicles that have to launch , land , launch again , rendezvous in orbit and return to Earth . ''
Nasa and Esa estimate the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Earth , including the $ 2.7bn ( €2.3bn ; £2bn ) cost of Perseverance , will come to at least $ 7bn ( €6bn ; £5.4bn ) .
Click here to see how will Nasa and Esa bring rocks from Mars to Earth .
Jonathan.Amos-INTERNET @ bbc.co.uk and follow me on Twitter : @ BBCAmos

"I'm not going to lie, it's a challenge, it's very stressful, but look - the teams made it happen and I'll tell you, we could not be more proud of what this integrated team was able to pull off here, so it's very, very exciting," Administrator Jim Bridenstine told reporters.


bbc--2020-07-30--Hong Kong's new security law explained

Hong Kong's new security law explained

China has imposed a national security law on Hong Kong which changes many things for citizens in the territory .
@ @ @ @ @ up to life in prison - for advocating for Hong Kong 's independence .
China @ @ @ @ @ the law means , and what people there think .

China has imposed a national security law on Hong Kong which changes many things for citizens in the territory.
It introduces new penalties - up to life in prison - for offences including advocating for Hong Kong's independence.
Critics have called it "the end of Hong Kong", but supporters say it is needed to stamp out the chaos of anti-government protests.
China correspondent Stephen McDonell explains what the law means, and what people there think.
Video by Edward Lawrence.
Read more: China's new law: Why is Hong Kong worried?


bbc--2020-07-30--Italy's Salvini to face new trial over migrant ship blockade

Italy 's Senate has voted to allow the prosecution of ex-interior minister Matteo Salvini for blocking a migrant ship off Italy 's coast last August .
More than 100 migrants were stuck on the Spanish rescue ship Open Arms for 19 days off the isle of Lampedusa .
Prosecutors in Sicily accuse Mr Salvini of illegal detention , which could bring a jail term of up to 15 years .
The anti-immigration , right-wing politician is already set to stand trial in a similar case .
The Senate voted 149 to 141 to strip him of his parliamentary immunity in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for prosecution .
Mr Salvini , 47 , insists that preventing irregular migrants from disembarking in Italy was government policy at the time .
`` Defending Italy is not a crime .
I am proud of it , I would do it again , and I will do it again , '' he said on Wednesday .
His blockade of the ship caused an outcry and a serious split in the coalition government at the time .
His League party was in a coalition with the anti-establishment Five Star , but now he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's Salvini in row with PM over migrant ship Opinion polls suggest the League 's popularity has slumped during the coronavirus crisis , though a Demopolis poll this week showed it still the top party , on 25.4 % , followed by the centre-left Democratic Party ( PD ) on 21 % .
Coronavirus restrictions have prevented Mr Salvini holding rallies up and down the country or posing for selfies on the beach - campaign tactics which have endeared him to many Italians .
His popularity is driven by prolific use of social @ @ @ @ @ @ @ influx of migrants from North Africa .
In February , the Senate voted to strip him of his parliamentary immunity in a similar case , involving the Italian coastguard boat , Gregoretti .
The opening court hearing in that case has been postponed until 3 October because of coronavirus restrictions .
Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte had called Mr Salvini `` obsessed '' with keeping migrants out of Italian ports .
All the parties in his governing coalition voted on Thursday to lift Mr Salvini 's immunity .
Mr Salvini tweeted defiantly on Thursday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they 're giving me a big gift , but unlike the others I 'm going there with my head held high and my back straight '' .
Last summer Open Arms filed a legal complaint against Mr Salvini 's block on their ship and finally on 20 August the authorities allowed it to dock in Lampedusa , a tiny island off Tunisia that has struggled for years to cope with boatloads of migrants .
By that time , many of the migrants had already been allowed off the ship .

Coronavirus restrictions have prevented Mr Salvini holding rallies up and down the country or posing for selfies on the beach - campaign tactics which have endeared him to many Italians. His popularity is driven by prolific use of social media, in which he condemns the influx of migrants from North Africa.


bbc--2020-07-30--Belarus accuses 'Russian mercenaries' of election plot

Authorities in Belarus say they have arrested 33 suspected Russian mercenaries believed to be plotting `` terrorism '' ahead of the country 's 9 August presidential election .
Russia is seeking clarification on the arrests , a Kremlin spokesman said .
Dmitry Peskov said he knew nothing of a plot or the Wagner paramilitary group , which Belarus suspects of involvement .
President Alexander Lukashenko has been in power since 1994 and is seeking a sixth term in office .
He has exerted authoritarian control over Belarus in a style reminiscent of the Soviet era and has faced a wave @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Since the collapse of the USSR in 1991 Russia has maintained close ties with Belarus and they have held joint military exercises .
The secretary of the Belarus Security Council , Andrey Rawkow , said investigators suspected as many as 200 Russian mercenaries had entered the country to `` destabilise the situation during the election campaign '' .
The Investigative Committee ( SK ) , handling the case , says it is examining possible links between the Russian suspects and the jailed husband of opposition presidential candidate , Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya .
Syarhey @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is accused of trying to foment mass unrest , despite being in jail .
He faces other charges too .
`` Tsikhanouski , [ Mikola ] Statkevich and 33 detained Russian citizens - they acted together , '' SK spokesman Sergei Kabakovich told the AFP news agency .
Mr Statkevich , a veteran opposition activist , is also in jail .
Andrey Rawkow said 14 of the detained Russians had fought in Ukraine 's Donbas conflict , describing their presence in Belarus as a `` very unpleasant situation '' .
Reports by UN @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have documented Wagner group operations in Ukraine , Syria , Libya , Sudan and the Central African Republic .
The Russian government denies any links to the group .
The Belarus state news agency Belta has named all 33 Russian suspects and given their dates of birth .
Meanwhile , the Ukrainian SBU security service says it plans to seek the Russians ' extradition , so that they can be prosecuted for alleged crimes in eastern Ukraine .
Russia is under international sanctions for its military involvement in Ukraine , though the Kremlin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The state TV channel Belarus 1 showed the Russians being arrested by the Belarus KGB at a sanatorium .
The video report ( in Russian ) said the group had raised suspicions because of their disciplined , military-style behaviour - for example they avoided alcohol .
Read more about the Wagner group : • Who are Russia 's shadowy mercenaries fighting in Syria ?
The SK statement said that on Wednesday the authorities had `` arrested 33 citizens of the Russian Federation , members of the Wagner PMC [ private military company @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Belorusochka sanatorium in Minsk district '' .
Video footage of the group 's arrest showed they had Sudanese currency and a Sudanese phone card with them .
The Wagner group is known to be active in Sudan , and there is speculation that it was using Belarus as a transit country for African operations .
In Moscow , Mr Peskov said on Thursday : `` We know 33 Russians were detained yesterday in Belarus .
Two hundred are still at large .
We do not know of any illegal activity that would be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also said there was `` no such concept '' as `` Wagner PMC '' in Russia .
`` There are already insinuations that some organisations from Russia are sending someone to destabilise the situation in Belarus .
Or course it is nothing but insinuations , '' he said .

Video footage of the group's arrest showed they had Sudanese currency and a Sudanese phone card with them. The Wagner group is known to be active in Sudan, and there is speculation that it was using Belarus as a transit country for African operations.


bbc--2020-07-30--Zimbabwe police clear streets ahead of anti-government protests

Zimbabwe 's security forces have cleared people off the streets of the capital , Harare , and forced shops to close , a day before planned anti-corruption protests .
As a result , the city 's streets are unusually deserted , reports the BBC 's Shingai Nyoka .
Citizens have been warned not to take part in the demonstrations on Friday .
Government officials have accused Western governments of being behind the protests .
• Is Zimbabwe once more on the brink of collapse ?
• 'We were tortured and forced to drink urine' The authorities have said that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and it is using the protests to try and overthrow the government .
Charges that both opposition leaders and diplomats deny .
Our correspondent says the government is nervous about the demonstrations and growing public anger over a deepening economic crisis .
More soldiers have now been deployed at police roadblocks , which were set up to enforce the four-month-old Covid-19 lockdown , she adds .
This has left the streets of the capital city eerily quiet for a Thursday .
Several opposition parties , churches and civil society groups have called on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is accused of going ahead with in a suspicious looking deal to buy masks and other equipment to protect against coronavirus despite not getting the necessary consent of Zimbabwe 's procurement registration authority .
He has not commented on accusation .
• Is Zimbabwe once more on the brink of collapse ?
After investigative reporter Hopewell Chin'ono was arrested after reporting on the original story .
Zimbabwe is also struggling with its worst economic crisis in a decade .
Nurses have been on strike , demanding to be paid in US dollars .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ healthcare : seven babies were stillborn in one night at a major hospital this week because their mothers did not get adequate medical care due to the strike .

He is accused of going ahead with in a suspicious looking deal to buy masks and other equipment to protect against coronavirus despite not getting the necessary consent of Zimbabwe's procurement registration authority. He has not commented on accusation.


bbc--2020-07-30--Coronavirus: Luxembourg taken off UK travel exemption list

Passengers arriving in the UK from Luxembourg from Friday will have to isolate for 14 days after the country was taken off the quarantine-free list .
The government said there had been a `` consistent increase '' in Covid-19 cases in the country since the end of June .
More than 120,000 Britons visit Luxembourg each year but the Foreign Office now advises against all but essential travel there .
It comes after quarantine for Spain was reimposed on Sunday .
In advice published on Thursday , the Foreign Office said it was not telling Britons already in Luxembourg to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ should `` follow the advice of the local authorities '' .
• Can I still go abroad on holiday this summer ?
It said data from the Joint Biosecurity Centre and Public Health England had `` indicated a significant change in both the level and pace of confirmed cases of coronavirus in Luxembourg '' .
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps - who is self-isolating after returning from Spain - said in a tweet : `` Unfortunately the latest Luxembourg data shows an increase in Covid-19 cases meaning the country will be removed from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ source told the BBC that Belgium would stay on the quarantine-free list - for the moment - but case numbers would continue to be monitored .
• What 's the evidence Europe is having a 'second wave ' ?
Earlier it was announced that people who test positive for coronavirus or show symptoms in the UK must now self-isolate for at least 10 days , rather than seven .
The change , announced by the UK 's chief medical officers , comes as ministers try to avoid a resurgence of the virus .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the UK died , bringing the total number of Covid-19 associated deaths to 45,999 .
And 846 cases were reported - the highest number of cases in a day for a month .

In advice published on Thursday, the Foreign Office said it was not telling Britons already in Luxembourg to leave. Instead it said UK travellers should "follow the advice of the local authorities".


bbc--2020-07-30--Obama eulogy makes thinly veiled digs at Trump

'We ’ re still waiting at home for them to come back' Latinos represent 18 % of the total US @ @ @ @ @ third of Covid-19 cases .

Barack Obama eulogised the late congressman John Lewis, calling for people to continue his civil rights legacy.
And during his funeral oration the former US president directed a few barely concealed jabs at his White House successor.
Read more: Barack Obama calls for end to US voter suppression


bbc--2020-07-30--In pictures: Iraqis try to stay cool in 51C heatwave

Iraqis have been struggling to keep cool as a heatwave continues across much of the Middle East .
The temperature in the capital Baghdad reportedly approached 52C on Tuesday , one of the highest the city has ever seen .
The heat is said to have remained above 51C on Wednesday .
• Summers could become 'too hot for humans' Many people stayed indoors , with some in central Baghdad seeking respite under an improvised shower .
But the extreme heat has put even greater pressure on the country 's already strained public resources .
Electricity cuts have left many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ keep fans and air conditioners running .
The situation has led to widespread anger , with renewed protests taking place earlier this week .
At least two demonstrators died on Monday , with the Iraqi High Commission for Human Rights reporting that more than 20 people were killed by security forces .
The country has also been affected by a drop in oil prices since the coronavirus pandemic began .
The pandemic has resulted in more than 118,000 cases and 4,603 deaths in Iraq , according to figures from Johns Hopkins University .

At least two demonstrators died on Monday, with the Iraqi High Commission for Human Rights reporting that more than 20 people were killed by security forces.


bbc--2020-07-30--South Africa's apartheid-era statues 'should be put in a theme park'

Historical statues are at the centre of debate around the world .
What should modern societies do with reminders of @ @ @ @ @ South African sculptor Pitika Ntuli , himself an anti-apartheid veteran who spent decades in exile @ @ @ @ @ this question .

Historical statues are at the centre of debate around the world. What should modern societies do with reminders of colonial and racist history?
South African sculptor Pitika Ntuli, himself an anti-apartheid veteran who spent decades in exile, has been mulling over this question.
Filmed and edited by Christian Parkinso, produced by Kyla Herrmannsen


bbc--2020-07-30--Africa's week in pictures: 24-30 July 2020

In a church in the Kenyan capital , Nairobi , on Sunday this woman sings her heart out after the @ @ @ @ @ to reopen following the coronavirus lockdown ...

Image caption,
In a church in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, on Sunday this woman sings her heart out after the government allowed places of worship to reopen following the coronavirus lockdown...


bbc--2020-07-30--Quiz of the week: Which star called out disinformation?

It 's the weekly news quiz - how closely have you been paying attention to what 's been going on @ @ @ @ @ past seven days ?
If you can not see the quiz , follow this link @ @ @ @ @ quiz via this link .

It's the weekly news quiz - how closely have you been paying attention to what's been going on in the world during the past seven days?


bbc--2020-07-30--Amazon boss Jeff Bezos rejects claims company acted like a 'drug dealer'

Amazon boss Jeff Bezos has rejected claims that his company acted like a `` drug dealer '' in its business @ @ @ @ @ Cicilline , the Democrat leading a hearing looking into the world 's biggest tech companies @ @ @ @ @ by lawmakers had showed several online platforms had `` wielded their power in destructive , @ @ @ @ @ expand '' .
Mr Bezos insisted his decisions were based on what was good for @ @ @ @ @ : Tech bosses grilled over claims of 'harmful ' power

Amazon boss Jeff Bezos has rejected claims that his company acted like a "drug dealer" in its business tactics.
US Congressman David Cicilline, the Democrat leading a hearing looking into the world's biggest tech companies, said a year-long investigation by lawmakers had showed several online platforms had "wielded their power in destructive, harmful ways in order to expand".
Mr Bezos insisted his decisions were based on what was good for the consumer.
Read more: Tech bosses grilled over claims of 'harmful' power


bbc--2020-07-30--Billions have been raised for racial equity groups - what comes next?

During the global anti-racism protests in the wake of George Floyd 's death , corporations , celebrities and regular people chose to show support for the cause with donations eventually totalling billions of dollars .
What comes next ?
There was a lot going on when Imam Makram El-Amin received a message from some out-of-town friends .
His North Minneapolis mosque is home to Al-Maa'uun , a charity that runs food , work and housing programmes in a part of the city with some of the highest rates of disparity in the state .
`` Healthcare , wealth gap , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ You pick it , we got it here .
So there 's no shortage of need , '' he says .
Al-Maa'uun 's resources were being stretched by economic shocks caused by the global coronavirus pandemic when Minneapolis was rocked by the 25 May killing of George Floyd , an unarmed black man whose death in police custody in that Midwestern city launched global protests .
Even before those two tragedies - Floyd 's death and the pandemic - Mr El-Amin says `` we were struggling mightily in this community to just get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' .
• WATCH : What happened when a city disbanded its police force ?
• Why are African Americans hit so hard by virus ?
Then the turbulence and civil unrest in Minneapolis after Floyd 's death meant some neighbourhood stores were closed , reducing access to groceries , essential items and medication for the community .
At that time , Mr El-Amin took to Facebook with `` just a real time assessment of what was happening and what we were trying to do to combat it '' .
Soon , offers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him there was deep concern across the US regarding Floyd 's death , and on matters of policing , racism and injustice .
People were ready to help groups that were doing work on the ground in the community , they told him .
They helped the charity quickly craft an online fundraising campaign to take advantage of the moment , though the imam told them : `` Let 's start small and if it grows , fantastic . ''
`` And my goodness .
I was not expecting the response that we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( £19,650 ) goal was reached in 24 hours .
In another six , they reached $ 50,000 .
The campaign eventually closed at $ 400,000 , an amount Mr El-Amin calls a `` game changer '' .
• Seven solutions to US police problems • 'My son was also killed by police in Minneapolis' '' This is what we wanted all the time , this is what we prayed for , you know what I mean ? ''
he says .
`` And this moment - as tragic as it is , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ - has also blessed us in this moment in terms of being able to help more folks . ''
Al-Maa'uun was not alone in receiving the largesse of donors around the world seeking to make a difference in the wake of Floyd 's death .
Since 25 May , roughly $ 5bn in pledges and commitments were made to racial equity organisations , according to data compiled by Candid , which tracks and analyses global philanthropy .
That accounts for over 50 % of the racial equity funding that Candid has identified since @ @ @ @ @ @ @ firms Google and Microsoft , finance firms like Morgan Stanley , and entertainment giants like Netflix and YouTube , celebrities and philanthropists , and are pledged to various causes like the Equal Justice Initiative , the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund , and the National Urban League .
While donations have slowed in recent weeks with many big firms having made their commitments , foundation grants are now beginning to flow in , says Candid 's corporate philanthropy manager Andrew Grabois , pointing to a recent $ 220m commitment by billionaire philanthropist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ This week MacKenzie Bezos , former wife of Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos , said she had given over $ 585m in recent months to racial equity causes as part of her broader philanthropic pursuits .
Candid 's accounting does not include small donations from individuals that flooded charities , bail funds and GoFundMe campaigns set up for George Floyd 's family and for the families of other black Americans killed in interactions with police .
Mr Grabois does not believe they would come close to matching the billions in large corporate and celebrity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ significant .
ActBlue , an online small donations fundraising platform for progressive non-profits and Democrat candidates and committees , confirmed to the BBC that June was its biggest month since its 2004 founding in terms of the volume of donations , and that racial justice charities led the way .
Among the most popular places to donate was community bail funds , which pay to free people held on bail and advocate for criminal justice reforms .
Driven in part by the online endorsement of celebrities like singer Lizzo , performer Janelle Monae @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dollars went to bail out protesters nationwide .
The National Bail Fund Network - an organisation of over 60 community bail funds - has received over $ 80m in donations since late May , according to its director , Pilar Weiss .
One member , the Minnesota Freedom Fund - a small local fund with an annual budget of about $ 200,000 - alone raised $ 35m in two weeks from some 900,000 donors worldwide .
In early June they paused donations and , like a number of smaller nonprofits suddenly flooded with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ charities doing work in the racial justice realm .
Ms Weiss says while the donated dollar amounts are large `` the bail amounts are also large '' , noting the recent total to bail out protesters in Oklahoma City came to $ 4m .
It also allows the bail funds to post bail - an amount some people charged with crimes must pay in order to be released while they fight their case - for people with amounts set at higher levels , she says .
Unsurprisingly , the massive influx of donations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pledged - mostly in apparent error - to a California-based organisation called the Black Lives Matter Foundation , which had no affiliation to the broader Black Lives Matter movement .
New York 's attorney general later ordered the foundation to stop soliciting funds in the state and urged people to do their due diligence before giving .
ActBlue had to debunk false online claims that donations to the charities linked to the Black Lives Matter movement were being funnelled to the Democratic campaigns .
And the Minnesota Freedom Fund faced an online backlash @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people questioned why they had only spent about $ 200,000 on bail in the two weeks despite raising millions .
The fund released a statement urging donors to remember that `` scaling up to put this amount of resources to use with integrity takes time '' .
Tyrone Freeman , an assistant professor of philanthropic studies at the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy , cautions that when a non-profit is `` suddenly confronted with a massive influx '' it 's `` important that donors take a breath and have some grace , if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the social change they wanted to help pursue with their money in `` not like an Amazon purchase '' , he says .
`` Social change is not going to show up on your doorstep .
It takes time .
Activism is a long-haul proposition .
Activism is all about people , the process , keep showing up and moving an agenda forward .
It can be slow work . ''
For some charities , he compares it to a life-changing lottery win , saying `` things will be very different for you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ down and capture a sense of how to move forward before you get out there and go crazy with all the money '' .
For Al-Maa'uun , their influx has allowed them to hire extra staff , including potential permanent positions , to bolster their affordable housing , mentoring and community organising work and to respond to immediate needs in `` a larger way '' , says Mr El-Amin .
It has heightened their profile , allowing them to look into building collaborations around bringing medical services and legal aid into the neighbourhood @ @ @ @ @ @ @ relationship with their 7,000 new donors , hoping to get them both to share ideas and to help amplify Al-Maa'uun 's message .
`` This really gives us an opportunity and space to be able to do that , '' says Mr El-Amin .
`` Ultimately make us much stronger down the road . ''

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bbc--2020-07-30--Covid-19: Why Hong Kong's 'third wave' is a warning

Until recently , Hong Kong was considered a poster child in its handling of the Covid-19 pandemic .
Despite sharing a border with mainland China , where the first cases were reported , Hong Kong kept its infection numbers down and was able to avoid the extreme lockdown measures introduced in parts of China , Europe and the US .
But now , it 's been hit by not even a second , but a third , wave of infections .
The government has warned its hospital system could face collapse , and it 's just had a record high @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
What went wrong , and what lessons are there for countries juggling both the pandemic , and the economic pain caused by lockdown ?
Hong Kong had its first Covid-19 cases in late January , leading to widespread concern and panic buying , but infection numbers remained relatively low and the spread was controlled quite quickly .
It experienced what became known as its `` second wave '' in March , after overseas students and residents started returning to the territory , leading to a spike in imported infections .
As a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ controls , banning all non-residents from entering its borders from overseas , and everyone who returned was required to undergo a Covid-19 test and 14-day quarantine .
It even used electronic bracelets to track new arrivals and make sure they stayed at home .
That , combined with the widespread use of masks and social distancing measures , worked - Hong Kong went for weeks without a locally transmitted case , and life seemed to be heading back to normal .
So how did the `` third wave '' - that has led @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nine days in a row - arrive ?
`` It 's quite disappointing and frustrating because Hong Kong had really got things very much under control , '' says Malik Peiris , Chair of Virology at the University of Hong Kong .
He believes there were two flaws in the system .
First , many returnees opted to quarantine for 14 days at home - an arrangement that 's common in many countries including the UK - rather than in quarantine camps .
`` There is a weakness there because other people in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of restriction , and will still be coming and going , '' says Prof Peiris .
However , he believes the more serious problem came from the government 's decision to exempt several groups of people from testing and quarantine when they entered Hong Kong .
Hong Kong had exempted about 200,000 people , including seafarers , aircrew and executives of companies listed on the stock exchange , from quarantine .
It said the exceptions were needed to ensure normal daily operations continued in Hong Kong , or because their travel was necessary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ As an international city and trading port , Hong Kong has a high number of air links , and many ships change crews there .
The territory also depends on imports from mainland China and elsewhere for food and essential goods .
Joseph Tsang , an infectious diseases specialist and doctor , describes the exemptions as a significant `` loophole '' that increased the risk of infection , particularly from seafarers and air crew who also visited tourist spots and used public transport .
The government initially said that the quarantine exemptions were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there was evidence that the exemptions were behind the latest outbreak .
They have now tightened rules for air and sea crews - but it can be difficult to enforce .
There was alarm earlier this week when a foreign pilot was reportedly spotted sightseeing while awaiting Covid-19 test results .
And balancing public health , practical concerns and the economy can be hard - a union representing pilots at FedEx has asked the company to stop flights to Hong Kong because it says the stricter Covid-19 measures , including mandatory hospital stays @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` unacceptable conditions for pilots '' .
Benjamin Cowling , a professor of epidemiology at the University of Hong Kong , says Hong Kong 's experience with quarantine problems could also happen in other countries .
`` In the UK , you also have a 14-day quarantine at home , so you would have the same potential issue with leakage . ''
Meanwhile , New Zealand and Australia have a mandatory hotel quarantine policy , which is `` a good concept… although there 's the issue of who pays for it '' , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the UK also exempts certain travellers from border rules , including drivers of goods vehicles , seafarers and aircrew .
Hong Kong 's quarantine exemptions have been around for months , but the third wave did n't hit until July .
Prof Peiris believes this is because of a second crucial factor - social distancing measures were significantly rolled back in June .
`` As long as social distancing measures were in place the system could cope - but once measures were relaxed '' the imported infections spread rapidly , he says .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
Dr Tsang recalls that by late June the government had allowed public gatherings of up to 50 people , while there were celebrations for Fathers ' Day and Hong Kong 's handover anniversary .
`` Many citizens were fatigued after months of social distancing , so when the government said things seemed fine and relaxed restrictions , they started meeting with friends and family .
`` I think it 's very unfortunate - many factors combined at the same time . ''
However , Prof Peiris stresses that Hong Kongers had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ distancing and hygiene measures during in the first and second waves - `` in fact , they were even a step ahead of government instructions , wearing face masks before they were compulsory . ''
He believes the reintroduction of social distancing measures now are already having an effect , and hopes that Hong Kong will be back to close to zero local infections within four to six weeks .
At that point , he adds , the challenge will be to stop imported infections - particularly once social distancing measures are lifted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will also face once they are successful in containing the virus within their borders , because `` when you get to low levels of transmission within your population , having unregulated introductions from outside can lead to disaster . ''
Did the pro-democracy protests spread the virus ?
Many of Hong Kong 's pandemic struggles will apply to other cities , but the territory has also experienced another crisis - a political one - over the past year .
On 1 July , thousands of people took part in a pro-democracy rally , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who said it broke social distancing guidelines .
Hundreds of thousands also voted in opposition primaries in mid-July , despite the government warning that the primaries could breach a new security law .
Since then , Chinese state media have blamed both events for triggering the third wave of infections , while one politician called it `` absolutely irresponsible behaviour '' .
However , health experts say there is no evidence of them causing the spike in infections .
Prof Cowling says scientists `` are able to link together cases to identify chains @ @ @ @ @ @ @ clusters attributed to those events , '' while Prof Peiris argues that the events `` may have aggravated things slightly , but I do n't think it was a major determinant one way or the other '' .
Meanwhile , Dr Tsang says research has shown that `` the strain of coronavirus in the third wave is different from those in previous waves '' - in particular , it has type of mutation seen in aircrew and seafarers from the Philippines and Kazakhstan , so he believes the strain was imported .
There @ @ @ @ @ @ @ - particularly in light of anti-racism protests sparked by the death of George Floyd - over whether demonstrations can lead to a spike in infections , with some experts suggesting that outdoor events where participants wear masks and take precautions could be lower risk than initially expected .
There is widespread speculation that Hong Kong 's government could postpone September 's elections to Hong Kong 's parliament - the Legislative Council - citing the spike in infections .
Several local media reports , quoting anonymous sources , say the government is set to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ politicians have accused the government of using the pandemic as an excuse to delay elections , especially as the opposition had performed strongly in local elections late last year .
• Why people are scared of Hong Kong 's new law However the move has been welcomed by some , including former Legislative Council president Jasper Tsang , who told local media : `` The government wo n't be able to absolve itself of blame if polling stations turn into hotbeds for spreading the virus .
`` It 's also nearly impossible for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ distancing rules . ''
Prof Cowling says that social distancing measures reintroduced by the government have already stopped case numbers from accelerating over the past week .
`` I 'm not sure it 's necessary to delay the elections - certainly not for a year .
You could consider delaying them for two weeks or a month , because by then we 'd almost certainly have [ local infection ] numbers back down to zero . ''
He adds that there are many ways to make elections safer , including increasing the number @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wait times , ensuring polling stations are well-ventilated , and testing all polling station staff two days before the election .
Governments have taken very different approaches to this - at least 68 countries or territories postponed elections due to Covid-19 , while 49 places held elections as planned , says the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance .
Singapore held its general elections earlier this month - and had its highest turnout in recent years , says Eugene Tan , a law professor and political commentator at Singapore Management University .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ for an election during a pandemic , '' he says , but the vote went ahead with several safety measures in place and `` demonstrates that it is possible to protect public health even as people go about exercising their democratic right to vote . ''
However , he believes that making a decision on whether to proceed with elections is a tough judgement call for governments , particularly if public trust is low .
`` If you delay elections you could be accused of waiting for a more favourable time [ for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ go ahead you could be accused of playing fast and loose with people 's lives .
The worst thing would be to have an election , and then have a spike in the number of cases . ''

"If you delay elections you could be accused of waiting for a more favourable time [for the government] - but if you go ahead you could be accused of playing fast and loose with people's lives. The worst thing would be to have an election, and then have a spike in the number of cases."


bbc--2020-07-30--What exactly is a 'Karen' and where did the meme come from?

Earlier this week Domino 's Pizza had to issue an apology over a promotion it ran in Australia and New Zealand , offering free pizza to `` nice Karens '' .
The company did n't pick out the name Karen at random .
`` Karen '' has , in recent years , become a widespread meme referencing a specific type of middle-class white woman , who exhibits behaviours that stem from privilege .
To give some examples , `` Karen '' is associated with the kind of person who demands to `` speak to the manager '' in order to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and carries out racist micro-aggressions , such as asking to touch black people 's hair .
But a predominant feature of the `` Karen '' stereotype is that they weaponise their relative privilege against people of colour - for example , when making police complaints against black people for minor infringements .
And in recent months , the meme has evolved into something new : Coronavirus Karen .
This particular form of Karen refuses to wear a face covering in shops , wo n't stick to quarantine , and thinks the whole @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the meme has become increasingly mainstream , some have argued that it 's sexist and ageist .
Where did the meme come from ?
Although its exact origins are uncertain , the meme became popular a few years ago as a way for people of colour , particularly black Americans , to satirise the class-based and racially charged hostility they often face .
Over the last decade , as it became easier to film confrontations on our smartphones , incidents started to be captured on camera and uploaded to social media with far @ @ @ @ @ @ @ police when a black eight-year-old child was selling water without a permit , for example .
When these videos inevitably went viral , people online would assign the perpetrators commonplace names that chimed with the situation .
The woman who complained about the young water-seller was dubbed `` Permit Patty '' .
Another woman who called the police when a black family was having a barbecue was named `` BBQ Becky '' .
And a white woman who called 911 on a black dad at a football match , while sitting in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gail '' .
This trend properly broke through in 2018 , and eventually all of these names became distilled into one or two of the most popular - including Karen .
It also became synonymous with a particular type of hairstyle - specifically , the short , choppy cut sported by US reality TV personality Kate Gosselin in 2010 .
( Gosselin has since changed her hairstyle . )
And in recent months a male version of the Karen meme has emerged , although it is less widely used : Ken .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mark McCloskey were pictured pointing guns at protesters passing by their home in St Louis , Missouri , they were widely dubbed `` Karen and Ken '' .
The wearing of face coverings in this pandemic has been extremely politically charged in the US , with some insisting mandatory usage is an affront to personal liberty .
Since the coronavirus arrived in the country , videos have periodically gone viral on social media of people refusing to wear face coverings in stores and restaurants , often berating service staff .
Aggressively refusing to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ others from the virus has been seen as a new iteration of the stereotype of the entitled Karen who harasses service industry workers .
Similarly , people who share coronavirus disinformation and conspiracy theories on social media are called Karens , too .
• Why are Americans so angry about masks ?
In the US , as in the UK , Covid-19 has become a racially charged issue as well .
The pandemic disproportionately affects people from black and other ethnic minority backgrounds .
The refusal of some people to acknowledge the risks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be shielded from these risks by their white privilege , has also been seen as `` Karen '' behaviour .
What about racism and Black Lives Matter ?
On Memorial Day this year , 25 May , black birder Christian Cooper was walking in Central Park , New York , when he ran into a woman called Amy Cooper ( no relation ) , who had let her dog off the lead in a leash-only area of the park .
He asked her to put her dog back on the lead .
Her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in histrionic tones , tell operators that `` there 's an African-American man threatening my life '' .
The entire exchange was filmed , uploaded to social media , and Ms Cooper was from then on known as `` Central Park Karen '' .
George Floyd was killed by police officers in Minneapolis that same day , just hours after the Central Park incident - meaning people began linking the racism of `` Karens '' such as Amy Cooper to the wider issue of systemic racism and police brutality .
In April , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Does anyone else think the 'Karen ' slur is woman-hating and based on class prejudice ? ''
This is an argument that has been repeated in recent months , as the meme has become more mainstream .
Some people responded to Bindel 's tweet agreeing with her summary .
Even British supermarket Sainsbury 's has had a run-in with the meme .
However , people who use the term `` Karen '' say that it is not simply a catch-all for all middle-aged white women - and is , rather , dependent on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , writer Karen Geier - a Karen in the traditional sense - responded to Bindel : `` As the only Karen replying to you : No .
If you have a problem being called ' a Karen ' then do n't be one ?
I do n't call the police on people or ask to speak to the manager .
Very simple ! ''
So , when is a Karen not a Karen ?
The Wall of Moms bloc in the current protest movement in Portland , Oregon is a good example of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not being Karens .
Instead , the Wall of Moms are seeing as using their privilege to protest against the very same systemic racism and classism that Karens actively seek to exploit .

He asked her to put her dog back on the lead. Her response was to call 911 and, in histrionic tones, tell operators that "there's an African-American man threatening my life". The entire exchange was filmed, uploaded to social media, and Ms Cooper was from then on known as "Central Park Karen".


bbc--2020-07-30--The 'real' threat to Russia’s former doping mastermind

The former mastermind of Russian sports doping , Grigory Rodchenkov , gave an interview to the BBC this week with his veiled face in the dark shadow of a wide-brimmed straw hat .
Now in hiding in the US , after revealing all to the World Anti-Doping Agency ( Wada ) , it 's a potentially life-saving precaution .
Matt Majendie explains why .
Only a small handful of people are aware of the current whereabouts of Dr Grigory Rodchenkov .
Not even his lawyer , Jim Walden , knows his address in hiding .
But Russian officials are keen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ expelled 60 Russian diplomats , in protest at the poisoning of Sergei Skripal in Salisbury in March 2018 , Walden says he was informed some had been closing in on his client .
`` What we learned from the bureau [ FBI ] was that three of the Russians that were expelled were people that had been placed here by the Kremlin to try to find Dr Rodchenkov .
We actually saw pictures of those individuals .
So , the threat to Dr Rodchenkov is real . ''
Head of the Moscow drug-testing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Russian doping at London 2012 and at the winter games in Sochi two years later .
But when a Wada-instigated investigation in 2015 revealed the covering up of failed tests at his lab and the hasty destruction of 1,417 samples , he fled to the USA .
Then , as recounted in the Oscar-winning documentary , Icarus , he became a high-level whistleblower , confessing all .
To some Russians , this makes him a traitor .
President Vladimir Putin has mused that he is `` under the control of American special services @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as `` an imbecile with obvious problems '' .
But for now , Rodchenkov has lived to tell the tale .
As Walden puts it : `` He has lived multiple lives in one body .
It 's really incredible the way by dint of good relationships , luck and a degree of cunning he has somehow survived against all odds . ''
• Listen to Matt Majendie 's podcast , Bloodsport , the story of systematic doping at London 2012 and Sochi 2014 , on BBC Sounds Rodchenkov 's career in Russian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an end in 2011 when he was arrested and accused of drug trafficking along with his sister , Marina .
Ordered to plead guilty in the case , he instead made a gruesome and botched attempt to take his own life .
He was then incarcerated in a series of psychiatric institutions and given a series of `` psychotropic drugs '' , according to Walden , who says his life was saved by a simple invitation from London .
On paper , he was still laboratory chief for the Sochi Games in 2014 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ London 2012 testing chief David Cowan at the Harlow laboratory for the 2012 Games .
It was an intelligence-gathering opportunity that could n't be missed and the invitation was for him alone , so he was released and officially cleared of all charges .
Cowan was n't happy about it - like many , he had suspicions about his Russian colleagues - but it was out of his control .
`` Because he was a member of the IOC medical commission , the laboratory was required to give him information on what was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` He was entitled to see anything . ''
At this stage , the drug of choice used by many Russian athletes was oral turinabol , a drug created as part of another state-sponsored doping programme in East Germany during the 1970s .
Already by the time of his lab visit , Rodchenkov knew Russians would , most likely , wholesale be caught , not at the Games themselves but through subsequent retrospective testing with a new ground-breaking test coming out for long-term metabolites .
And the reason he knew this was that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his findings in 2011 , despite the fact he knew it could prove costly to Russians in the future .
Why he did this remains a mystery .
And they were caught .
Of the 140 athletes to have been disqualified from London 2012 , more than a third are Russian .
It 's still possible that more will be announced before 6 August , exactly eight years on since the end of the London games .
After that , no more retesting can take place .
But in 2012 , Rodchenkov already @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , famously known as the Duchess cocktail , containing three anabolic steroids - oxandrolone , metenolone and trenbolone , a drug used to enhance growth in farm animals .
As yet , none of them are detectable using the long-term metabolite tests .
At the Sochi winter games , the cocktail was taken with alcohol to aid absorption - Chivas whisky for men , vermouth for women - and swilled around the mouth before being spat out .
The drugs entered the body through the cells of the cheek .
If before the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ athletes drugs during training , this time the Duchess cocktail was taken during the games too .
As described in the documentary , Icarus , the Russians ' dirty urine samples were passed out of the Wada lab through a hole in the wall and swapped for clean samples that entered the lab via the same route .
The key to it was a technique the Russian security service , the FSB , had developed to open supposedly tamper-proof bottles with thin pieces of metal .
It was cheating on an Olympic scale @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's delight , topped the medal table with 33 medals .
Rodchenkov - who had been jailed only three years earlier - was awarded by the Russian government with the Order of Friendship .
But the golden moment was shortlived .
The house of cards started collapsing thanks to Russian whistleblowers , a German TV investigation in December 2014 , and a subsequent Wada investigation , which in 2015 formally accused Russia of state-sponsored doping .
In the weeks after the publication of the Wada report , Rodchenkov says he was tipped off @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that his life was in danger so he packed his bags , kissed his wife and children goodbye and relocated to the US .
He then co-operated with further investigations , including one by Canadian lawyer Richard McLaren which detailed the Russian cheating at Sochi , and ultimately led to the ban on Russian track and field athletes and weightlifters from the Rio games .
In the years since , 28 athletes banned as a result of Rodchenkov 's testimony have had their bans overturned at the Court for Arbitration in Sport on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is little sign of Russia cleaning up its act .
In December , it was banned from all major sporting events for four years for tampering with laboratory data .
Russia 's appeal against that ruling in November could shed more light on the contents of the lab 's database , potentially providing further evidence to corroborate Rodchenkov 's allegations .
• Russian athletes must be kept out of Tokyo games says whistleblower Rodchenkov • US anti-doping head fears athletes could 'take advantage ' of reduced tests • Wada doping penalty throws up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) Had Rodchenkov stayed in Russia , Walden says he knows how the story would have played out .
In the space of two weeks in 2016 , not long after his client 's departure , two former heads of the Russian Anti-Doping Agency ( Rusada ) , Vyacheslav Sinev and Nikita Kamaev , both died in suspicious circumstances .
According to Walden , the threat to Rodchenkov 's life remains serious even after the expulsion of the Russian diplomats .
`` As long as Vladimir Putin is presiding over the current Russian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for Dr Rodchenkov , '' Walden says .
`` He literally has to look over his shoulder and be careful at every step of the way . ''
Margarita Pakhnotskaya , who was brought into Rusada as its deputy director general to , as she puts it , `` restore the functionality and image '' of the organisation , is confident the Russian anti-doping system is now fit for purpose but admits more needs to be done to restore its reputation around the world .
`` My motto in life is 'Deeds Not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` People can judge .
But Rusada is absolutely different… it 's another story , different people , different processes .
I feel that we are moving the right way . ''
And as for Rodchenkov himself , does he come out as a villain or hero from the whole saga ?
`` Well he was a villain in the system as it was being practised at the time , '' says Wada founding president , Dick Pound .
`` He 's now revealed it all at considerable personal expense and will live @ @ @ @ @ @ @ life about efforts on the part of Russia to find him and either get him back to Russia or some other solution .
And I do n't know if it makes him a hero , it certainly makes him courageous . ''
Rodchenkov makes no secret of having taken drugs himself during his career as an athlete .
Former Wada president John Fahey once told me a story about touring the London lab with Rodchenkov .
As they passed a photograph of three runners , including the young Rodchenkov , the Russian scientist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Doper , doper , doper . ''
And as for his own side of the story , his tell-all book , The Rodchenkov Affair , hit the shelves this week .
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"Well he was a villain in the system as it was being practised at the time," says Wada founding president, Dick Pound. "He's now revealed it all at considerable personal expense and will live with apprehension for the rest of his life about efforts on the part of Russia to find him and either get him back to Russia or some other solution. And I don't know if it makes him a hero, it certainly makes him courageous."


bbc--2020-07-30--Bollywood's 'warts and all' biopic on 'human computer'

Indian math wizard Shakuntala Devi , often described as a `` human computer '' , is the subject of a new film that premieres on streaming giant Amazon Prime Video on Friday .
Bollywood actress Vidya Balan , who plays the math genius , has described her as a `` small-town Indian girl who took the world by storm '' .
Shakuntala Devi 's dazzling skill with numbers earned her a place in the Guinness Book of World Records and turned her into a minor globe-trotting celebrity .
In the official trailer of the eponymous biopic , Balan is seen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she should `` give the answer from the left to right or from right to left '' when asked to multiply two multiple-digit numbers .
A video of the real-life Shakuntala Devi doing the same in an interview with Canada 's Asian Television Network ( ATN ) has been watched more than half a million times since it was uploaded in April 2013 when she died at the age of 83 .
Balan told the BBC that she too had watched it while prepping for her role .
In the video , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Canadian university , says `` it will take three minutes for a calculator to give the answer '' - Shakuntala Devi does it in seconds .
`` She had no formal education but she could perform the most complex calculations in her mind with astonishing speed , she was faster than the fastest computer , '' Balan told me over the phone from Mumbai .
In her interviews , Shakuntala Devi said she was `` doing mathematical calculations from the age of three in my head '' and that her father , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ numbers while playing cards with her when he discovered that she was beating him not by cheating but by memorising the cards .
`` It 's god 's gift , a divine gift , '' she said whenever she was asked to explain her extraordinary mathematical skills .
At the age of six , she first displayed them in a public performance in the city of Mysore in Karnataka , the southern state where she was born .
She taught herself reading and writing and for decades travelled around the world , doing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ universities and theatres and in radio and television studios .
In 1950 , when she participated in a BBC television show , her answer to a problem differed from the host 's .
That was because , as she pointed out , there was a flaw in the question .
She was proved right when experts re-examined the numbers .
In 1977 in the American city of Dallas , she beat Univac , one of the fastest supercomputers ever built .
And for her 1982 Guinness Book record , she multiplied two 13 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ computer , in front of an audience of 1,000 at the Imperial College of Science and Technology in London .
She took 28 seconds , including the time to recite the 26-digit answer .
Balan says besides being a math genius , Shakuntala Devi also had an alternate career as an astrologer .
She wrote books on astrology , cookery , math and crime .
She also wrote a book calling for decriminalising homosexuality which in the 1970s was a big deal not just in India but in most parts of the world @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
She lived life on her own terms , she was unafraid , totally unapologetic about it and to think that was 50 years back . ''
Balan says two years back when director Anu Menon met her and `` I heard about all the ups and downs in Shakuntala Devi 's life , I said , 'Oh my god ! '
This is a film waiting to be made '' .
She prepped for the role by watching lots of videos , read all the articles that had been published about her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Devi 's only daughter who lives in London with her family .
`` It all gave me a glimpse into her life .
What truly fascinates me is that you would n't normally associate a fun person with math and she completely turns that perception on its head .
`` She played with numbers , you see a kind of joy when she did math , she had so much showmanship , she enjoyed performing .
It was all so unusual for a mathematician because math is generally considered a boring and dry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not words usually associated with Shakuntala Devi .
In a 1990 study , Arthur R Jensen , a researcher on human intelligence at the University of California , Berkeley , described her as `` alert , extroverted , affable and articulate '' .
But despite her gregariousness , she had `` deep-seated unhappiness '' , says journalist , filmmaker and former MP Pritish Nandy .
`` Some of it was personal , '' he told the BBC , `` but the most important was that she had a skill and she could n't @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Shakuntala Devi had talked about how as the child prodigy she was often under pressure to earn money as the sole breadwinner for her family and later in life due to her marriage to a closeted gay man .
Mr Nandy , who was one of India 's most prominent editors in the 1980s , says Shakuntala Devi would visit him whenever she was in Mumbai and that he got to know her well .
`` She did n't quite figure out where her talent came from , '' he says .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you delve deep into your head and find out how you do it ? '
And she would always say , 'It comes to me naturally ' .
`` She did n't know why she was brilliant .
What was tragic was no one else was interested in finding out either . ''
Mr Nandy says she was worried that she was not able to monetise her extraordinary skills .
`` Being a genius does n't necessarily help , she always complained that she did n't get too many shows .
But by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a freak show , not as a skill , '' he says .
`` She was at a loose end , the numbers ' whiz was forgotten .
She 'd lost a bit of her confidence .
She was moving towards astrology and she was scrambling to make a living .
She tried to do a hundred other things , including contesting parliamentary elections , but none of it came to much . ''
Bollywood biopics usually end up being hagiographies , but Balan promises this is different .
She does not want @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plot , but says theirs is `` a warts-and-all biopic '' .
`` Geniuses are not perfect human beings , that 's the beauty of life , and that 's the beauty of this film .
Everyone goes through ups and downs in life , it 's not the preserve of the less fortunate .
And that 's what makes it such a wholesome biopic . ''
Balan says she 's hoping the film will entertain people at a time when everyone is stuck at home because of the pandemic .
`` I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a change in the way we teach math , make it more interesting , take away the fear of the subject and inspire more people to take it up . ''

"She didn't quite figure out where her talent came from," he says. "I would always ask her, 'Can you delve deep into your head and find out how you do it?' And she would always say, 'It comes to me naturally'.


bbc--2020-07-30--The middle-css Pakistani students fighting for a homeland dream

Nearly three months have passed since Sana Baloch disappeared .
Like many students , he 'd travelled home during the coronavirus lockdown in the spring .
Like many , he faced an uncertain future .
A promising postgraduate student at one of Pakistan 's top universities in Islamabad , Sana Baloch was born in a small town called Kharan in the sparsely populated province of Balochistan , hundreds of miles south-west of the capital .
It was on the outskirts of Kharan on 11 May that he went missing .
His case is not unique - it mirrors a host @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Balochistan , where Pakistan 's military is accused of a decades-long campaign to brutally suppress aspirations for provincial autonomy - a charge it denies .
In recent years , `` internment '' or `` torture '' centres are reported to have proliferated inside military cantonments in Balochistan .
These are described by the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan ( HRCP ) as places `` where people are disappeared , tortured and interrogated outside of the law '' .
Activists say that thousands have gone missing in recent years .
Several sources with knowledge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be identified for safety reasons , told the BBC that Sana Baloch was being held at such an internment centre in the town of Kharan itself .
His family do n't know - or wo n't say - where he is .
Nor have they gone to court to press the authorities for information on his whereabouts .
But it is not because of a lack of concern .
`` When you live in Balochistan , you do n't do that , '' said one of the sources .
`` You wait @ @ @ @ @ @ @ - just like the parents of Shahdad Mumtaz . ''
Shahdad Mumtaz , another student from Balochistan , went missing in early 2015 .
His family remained silent , and months later their son came back to them .
But what happened to him in the end might hold lessons for others .
On 1 May , 10 days before Sana Baloch went missing , Shahdad Mumtaz was killed in a shoot-out with the Pakistani military .
To the surprise of many who knew him , an armed separatist group , the Baloch @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him as one of its members .
It said in a statement that he had died fighting `` the Pakistani army and members of its proxy death squad '' .
Was Shahdad Mumtaz planning on being an armed insurgent all along , keeping his secret from relatives , friends and lecturers ?
If he was , why was he released by his captors ?
Could Sana Baloch be on the same path ?
The answers to these questions lie in decades of troubled relations between Balochistan and Islamabad - and the impact of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ educated youth .
Tensions are explained not just by Balochistan 's vast natural wealth - the province comprises 44 % of Pakistan 's land area but only about 5.9 % of its population , and has mineral resources estimated at more than $ 1 trillion - but also its geographical contiguity to southern Afghanistan , where conflict has raged for decades and affects people over the border in Pakistan .
This is the world into which young men like Shahdad Mumtaz and Sana Baloch were born and raised .
• 'My father was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ • The untold story of Pakistan 's other war Educated and socially active , Shahdad Mumtaz taught at a prestigious grammar school in his home town of Turbat in the far south of the province , and worked as a regional co-ordinator for the HRCP , mostly reporting on missing persons - a major issue in the region .
In 2015 he joined the ranks of the missing , but he was among those lucky ones who , in the words of a local analyst , `` manage to convince their captors that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nationalist activism was a mistake '' .
After his release , in 2016 , Shahdad Mumtaz joined Islamabad 's Quaid-e-Azam University ( QAU ) for a Masters ' programme , and he confided in a fellow Baloch student about his life in detention .
`` He told me that the message being imparted was mainly about the ills of political activism , '' the former student told the BBC , requesting anonymity for his safety .
`` 'End it , they would say .
Take an interest in your studies , find a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shouting slogans that suit the designs of the enemies of Pakistan ? '
'' The message was conveyed to the interned men `` through torture and abuse '' , the student said .
`` They would kick them , beat them with sticks , hurl at them threats of death and dishonour , abuse them , keep them awake for days , '' he said .
`` And the only food they gave them was lentils . ''
Shahdad hated lentils , he said .
They reminded him of his days in captivity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to die .
It was apparent in his activities at the university .
He joined the university 's student council ; he was injured during a clash with a hardline religious students ' group ; and he and many others were arrested by the police during a student protest against the university administration .
Shahdad was also a `` compulsive preacher '' of Baloch rights , the student friend said - and the book Prison Notebooks , by the Italian Marxist Antonio Gramsci , was `` his bible '' .
`` In endless @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , he would use the book 's construct of a hegemonic culture to convey how the state was dismantling the Baloch people 's indigenous outlook and perspective , '' he said .
Such feelings are widely shared in Balochistan , and date back to Pakistan 's independence in 1947 .
When Britain partitioned India , princely states dotting the sub-continent were given options to either join India , join the new Pakistan or remain independent .
The state of Qalat , which encompassed modern-day Balochistan , declared independence .
Pakistan forcibly annexed the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ birthed a movement for Baloch rights that has increasingly drifted towards left-wing nationalism , and in some extreme cases armed separatism .
There has been conflict ever since , fuelled by Balochi demands for a greater share of the proceeds from their vast mineral wealth , notably gas reserves in the Sui area in central Balochistan .
The latest , and by far the most enduring , round of conflict dates from the early 2000s when then military ruler General Pervez Musharraf held what many saw as rigged elections .
That caused unrest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after a female doctor working in Sui was raped by a soldier .
No one was convicted .
Thousands of troops were sent in to quell the rebellion that followed .
Over the years since , the military has expanded its presence by building new garrisons and , as reported by several rights groups , funding private spy networks to detain real or suspected nationalists in the province .
Activists say the army has `` disappeared '' those caught instead of producing them in courts of law .
It is also accused of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Baloch areas to further its aims , both in Balochistan and over the border in Afghanistan .
There have been widespread allegations of the military using local crime gangs and former rebels `` reformed '' in internment centres to operate `` death squads '' - armed groups that provide local intelligence on nationalists and separatists so that the military can track them down and eliminate them .
According to estimates provided by the Europe-based Human Rights Council of Balochistan ( HRCB ) , at least 20,000 Baloch activists have been `` disappeared '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them are dead .
The Pakistani authorities routinely deny allegations of abuses in Balochistan .
The BBC contacted the army 's spokesman and Pakistan 's human rights minister for comment for this report but there was no immediate reply .
In the past , the military has avoided comment on allegations of enforced disappearances , `` torture centres '' or extra-judicial killings .
The civilian government in the province has previously blamed the killings of hundreds of political activists and suspected armed separatists in recent years on infighting among insurgent groups .
Analysts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and a failure by other state institutions such as parliament and the judiciary to rein in the powerful military and address the problems in Balochistan , has caused nationalist groups to radicalise and to evolve from their tribal roots .
The middle class `` is today the main target of the Pakistani military in what seems to be an attempt to eradicate all manifestations of Baloch nationalism and to rule out the very possibility of its renaissance '' , said a report by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace , a US based @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as 2013 .
Shahdad Mumtaz was very much a member of that educated , urban middle class .
But students who knew him say that at no point did they ever suspect he would pick up a gun and wage a war against the state .
On the contrary , he completed his Masters in 2018 and enrolled for an M.Phil course .
He also had plans to go to Lahore with a friend to prepare for civil service exams , the route to a career in Pakistan 's administrative elite .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , said his student friend .
`` When some activists he knew would go missing , or their mutilated bodies would be found , or when some journalist or teacher would be killed in a targeted attack , he would say , 'Man , this state only understands the language of the gun ' . ''
Friends last saw him in late January , when he was headed to Lahore for his planned preparation for the civil service exams .
After that they could not reach him .
Then on 1 May , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Balochistan , he lost his life .
The case of Sana Baloch appears not much different from the case of Shahdad Mumtaz , or hundreds of other Baloch activists .
He too is a staunch nationalist , and an active member of the BNP-M party .
He is also an accomplished student , having completed a Masters in Balochi literature , and currently studying for an M.Phil degree at Islamabad 's Allama Iqbal Open University ( AIOU ) .
One of his teachers told the BBC that he had almost completed his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it by end of May but had to leave for his home town when the university closed due to the coronavirus lockdown .
A BNP-M source in Quetta , the capital of Balochistan , says that while in Kharan , Sana Baloch resumed his political work .
This involved `` helping local villagers with paperwork to apply for their national IDs , sorting their issues with the local police and the administration , and so on '' .
What will happen to him now is unclear .
Will his dead body turn up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Might he agree to use his contacts to spy on other nationalists for the authorities , as many others have done ?
Or will he come home `` reformed '' , lie low for a while and then take up arms against the state , as Shahdad Mumtaz did ?
Only time will tell , and meanwhile his family must wait .
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But what happened to him in the end might hold lessons for others. On 1 May, 10 days before Sana Baloch went missing, Shahdad Mumtaz was killed in a shoot-out with the Pakistani military. To the surprise of many who knew him, an armed separatist group, the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), claimed him as one of its members. It said in a statement that he had died fighting "the Pakistani army and members of its proxy death squad".


bbc--2020-07-30--What you need to become an internet streaming star

Via guesswork , Google and a bit of trial and error , Iain Lee thinks he has the right equipment to broadcast his new show with Katherine Boyle .
The show is not on the radio , instead the pair broadcast on Twitch , an internet-based service mainly used to watch people play computer games like Fortnite , No longer just the host , Mr Lee is now the studio manager , camera and lighting operator , plus sound engineer who films , edits and mixes the show .
`` I love doing the buttons and the faders and all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ understand it , but I 'm a big fan of failure .
And oh , do you feel alive when there 's an audience and it 's going wrong . ''
says Mr Lee , who was once a BBC radio presenter .
The new show required some new equipment .
He had to buy a PC , because his iMac was not much good for playing games on .
A decent camera was also purchased to stream live and record him and Katherine Boyle on their chat show , The Late Night @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
His Elgato game capture device will help broadcast his video game playing .
Another computer with pre-loaded sounds is attached to an audio mixer deck that also feeds into the PC .
But Mr Lee 's favourite purchase is the £69 ( $ 90 ) microphone arm .
It is spring loaded , clips to the desk and swivels silently without bouncing .
`` God , getting it was the sexiest moment of my life - apart from when I labelled plugs , recently , '' he jokes .
Mr Lee is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ joined 7.1 million other streamers who came to Twitch this past month , wanting to create TV from their own home .
Lockdowns flooded Twitch and has been a bonanza for any company that makes equipment to help streamers .
They say sales have surged and demand has exploded .
Some were waiting for this moment .
Computer accessories companies like Corsair and Logitech have been snapping up many of the smaller firms that make streaming related broadcasting equipment .
Over the last three years , Logitech , has acquired Jaybird headphones and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nabbed gaming equipment and software companies like Streamlabs , Astro Gaming and Saitek .
Bracken Darrell , Logitech 's chief executive , says that he realised streaming was a business opportunity the moment that customers began using their mice , keyboards and webcams to broadcast video games on YouTube .
Mr Darrell says the lockdown has helped people to find their voice and respond to what is going on in the world .
He does not think things will return to normal .
`` You ca n't put the genie back in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Maier , the head of Blue Microphones agrees .
Trends seen for years have been `` hyper-charged '' .
`` People want better sound , video , a better way to share - it all went through the roof as soon as people started to be at home , '' Mr Maier says .
On 21 July , Logitech reported a record 23 % increase in sales to $ 792m ( £622m ) .
Mr Darrell believes that the technology for streaming has a long way to go before it 's for everyone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ remove steps .
So we 're nowhere near the point where broadcast and streaming is easy enough .
It 's still way too hard , too complicated , '' he says .
Broadcaster and popular Twitch streamer , Claire Lim , or `` Wee Claire '' as she 's known on Twitch , initially found it difficult to broadcast while playing video games .
She started 18 months ago , playing Red Dead Redemption 2 , while chatting via an old webcam .
`` I kept falling off my horse , and then @ @ @ @ @ @ @ horse .
I killed it , '' she laughs .
In between gaming , she began to introduce chatting sessions .
Now as a Twitch partner , she broadcasts on the platform full time , switching seamlessly between several different graphics backgrounds , mixing audio and calling out and reacting to her followers .
Ms Lim 's show includes different characters and her graphics transform in order for her to have a rant as her character , `` Scottish Mum '' .
She says that instead of a single TV show , she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ entire channel .
`` I want my viewers to laugh , to enjoy their time with me .
I want to give them a visual feast , '' she says .
For this , she uses a streaming deck from Elgato .
A bit like a DJ booth for Twitch , its buttons activate stored zoom screens and alert sounds .
Each press works like the audio visual queue called by a TV director on a live show .
Elgato is another company , recently acquired by Logitech 's competitor , Corsair , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the rise of streaming during lockdown .
Its products have been selling-out according to Julian Fest , the general manager for Elgato .
His father Markus Fest founded the company 20 years ago but it was around the time that Twitch began , in 2012 , that Elgato entered streaming .
• Training your brain to relax on a virtual island • The stress of leading a start-up through the pandemic • How to run a conference without a venue • The perfume makers that ca n't smell a thing • Why Hollywood @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he and his father found their software was being pirated , they contacted illegal downloaders to find out why they were stealing the product .
`` And they all came back with the same response , oh , I 'm recording my Xbox , I 'm recording my PlayStation and uploading it to YouTube , '' says Mr Fest .
Instead of fighting them , they built a product based on their feedback .
In 2018 , Elgato was sold for an undisclosed amount and Mr Fest went with it to Corsair .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the show is `` going great guns '' and the tech is holding up .
`` Katherine and I are having fun learning in front of everyone and I think the audience like it .
Why would anyone need to go to a studio to do a radio or TV show ever again ?
It just does n't make sense anymore . ''

"I love doing the buttons and the faders and all the technical stuff. I don't understand it, but I'm a big fan of failure. And oh, do you feel alive when there's an audience and it's going wrong." says Mr Lee, who was once a BBC radio presenter.