bbc--2020-02-12--Nigeria's roads: 'My son died in a car accident - now I control traffic'

During her free time , Nigerian Justice Monica Dongban-Mensem controls traffic in the capital , Abuja , eight years after her son was killed in a hit-and-run accident .
On the day I met her she was clad in her blue traffic vest , feet spread apart , sweaty arms slicing the air at a frantic pace , as she directed cars in 38C ( 100F ) heat fuelled by the idling cars .
Around her was the busy chaos of the Berger roundabout in the city 's central area .
The cars that were not moving were hunched on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ impatiently waiting for her to say `` go '' .
She was clearly in charge .
`` Many Nigerians are impatient and it shows in their driving , '' Justice Dongban-Mensem told me .
She did not know who was responsible for her son 's death but wanted to tackle some of the poor driving she witnessed .
She started going to bus stations to speak to drivers about road safety in Nigeria .
What she found shocked her .
Most of the drivers had not received proper training and were not familiar @ @ @ @ @ @ @ might have caused the death of her son and she was determined to change that .
The 62-year-old has set up a non-profit organisation named after her late son - Kwapda'as Road Safety Demand - to educate motorists about safety and she also plans to establish a driving school for potential commercial drivers , where they can receive training free-of-charge .
Not content with that , Justice Dongban-Mensem wanted to play a role in controlling the traffic herself .
After weeks of training with the road safety commission she qualified as a traffic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , five years after the accident , that she felt able to visit the scene of her son 's death in the central Nigerian city of Jos .
`` My mission was to find someone who could just tell me or describe to me how my son died . ''
But once she got there , she was left terrified , sad and angry by the chaos she saw .
The Miners Junction , in the Tundun Wada area of the city , is one of the busiest junctions in the city , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state capital .
She thought that the road planning was poor , she saw that a section of the road was deteriorating in parts and some traffic signs were absent .
'Son was lying on the road' It was a dangerous setting that had led to several accidents such as the one that killed her son , 32-year-old Kwapda'as Dongban , in 2011 .
`` From a layman 's point of view , I could see that the road was structurally dangerous and we learnt that many persons had been killed along that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has been able to fix it , '' she said .
The authorities in Jos told the BBC they are rehabilitating the bad roads and sympathise with those that have lost loved ones .
But , an official said , pedestrians and motorists must take responsibility for how they use the roads .
People in the area told the judge that they saw her son lying on the road , but could not assist him .
`` He broke his two legs and neighbours within the area looked the other way as my @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one end of the road to the other , '' Justice Dongban-Mensem said in anger .
`` He gave up the ghost in the pool of his own blood but I am sure he would have survived if he was rushed to the hospital . ''
Her son had just graduated with a law degree from the University of Jos and had returned to the city for his certificate when he was killed .
`` My son wanted to be the best prosecutor in the world but died like a chicken on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Since Kwapda'as Dongban was knocked down , the number of people who have died on Nigeria 's roads has remained fairly constant .
According to the Federal Road Safety Corps , there was a slight dip in 2013 , but since then between 5,000 and 6,000 people have been killed every year .
That works out at more than 13 people every day .
Most of the accidents are caused by drivers without a licence , which is a common problem , the authorities say .
In May 2019 , for example , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were driving without a licence .
In addition , there is no national database for registered cars or road cameras to capture the identities of fleeing drivers .
This makes it difficult to track hit-and-run drivers , like the one that killed Justice Dongban-Mensem 's son .
If hit-and-run drivers are caught they can be charged with manslaughter and face up to 14 years in jail if found guilty .
Justice Dongban-Mensem felt this was not enough .
She argued that those found guilty should be imprisoned for life and the families of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But this would still not help deal with the pain of losing a loved one .
You may also be interested in : • ' I was kidnapped and now only travel by train' '' I gave up sleep , hoping that my son will walk through the door and give me a big hug .
`` I also left a plate of food on the table hoping he would return hungry , '' she said .
She does not want other mothers to go through this and is determined to carry her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ country .
`` I can only feel fulfilled if no Nigerian dies as the result of a road crash , '' she said .

"From a layman's point of view, I could see that the road was structurally dangerous and we learnt that many persons had been killed along that portion of the road and no government has been able to fix it," she said.


bbc--2020-02-12--Coronavirus: Chinese Grand Prix expected to be postponed over virus fears

The Chinese Grand Prix is expected to be postponed as a result of the coronavirus outbreak .
The race is scheduled to be held in Shanghai on 19 April and a decision is set to be made in the next few days .
Formula 1 managing director Ross Brawn has previously said it will look to reschedule the race if it can not be held on its original date .
The last time a race was postponed was 2011 , when the Bahrain Grand Prix was affected by the Arab Spring uprisings .
On Tuesday , the FIA said it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' .
Formula 1 Group chief executive Chase Carey told Reuters : `` We recognise that the postponement of the event is certainly a possibility and you could probably go even further and say a likelihood just given what seems to be transpiring . ''
There have now been more than 40,000 cases of the new coronavirus worldwide , which has been declared a global health emergency .
The death toll in China stands at 1,016 .
• China and the virus that threatens everything Earlier this month , sports authorities in Shanghai @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the city .
The Shanghai Sports General Association instructed sports bodies to suspend events until the threat from the virus is over .
They were told to `` formulate a plan for epidemic prevention to avoid internal infections '' and to `` implement a daily hygiene management system and strengthen health education to urge employees to protect themselves '' .
The virus outbreak has already led to the cancellation of a number of sporting events in China , including the World Athletics Indoor Championships in Nanjing , scheduled for 13-15 March , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ E series in Sanya the following weekend .
Olympic organisers also say they are `` seriously concerned '' about the spread of the coronavirus and the impact it could have on the Tokyo Games in Japan this July and August .

Last updated on .From the section Formula 1
The Chinese Grand Prix was due to take place on 19 April
The Chinese Grand Prix has been postponed as a result of the coronavirus outbreak.
The FIA, Formula 1's governing body, has accepted a request from Chinese organisers to postpone the Shanghai race, due to take place on 19 April.
In a statement, it added all parties would take the "appropriate amount of time" to discuss potential new dates.
The decision has been made to "ensure the health and safety" of drivers, staff and fans.
"The Chinese Grand Prix has long been an important part of the F1 calendar with many passionate fans," the statement continued.
"The FIA F1 community looks forward to racing in China as soon as possible and wishes everyone in the country the best during this difficult time."
F1 managing director Ross Brawn has previously said there would be efforts to reschedule the race if it could not be held on its original date.
"We will leave open the opportunity to see if the race can run later in the year," he said.
"It might need another race to move and that's a major consideration and a major concern. It would be pretty stressful for the teams to fit it in but I don't think any of us want to lose the Chinese Grand Prix."
Brawn added that the inaugural Vietnam Grand Prix is scheduled to go ahead on 5 April.
The last time a race was postponed was 2011, when the Bahrain Grand Prix was affected by the Arab Spring uprisings.
The initial intention then was to run the race later in the year but the teams objected and in the end the race was cancelled.
There have now been more than 40,000 cases of the new coronavirus strain worldwide, and it has been declared a global health emergency.
The death toll in China stands at 1,016.
Earlier this month, sports authorities in Shanghai recommended the suspension of all sporting events in the city.
The Shanghai Sports General Association instructed sports bodies to suspend events until the threat from the virus was over.
They were told to "formulate a plan for epidemic prevention to avoid internal infections" and to "implement a daily hygiene management system and strengthen health education to urge employees to protect themselves".
The virus outbreak has already led to the cancellation of a number of sporting events in China, including the World Athletics Indoor Championships in Nanjing, scheduled for 13-15 March, and a race of the all-electric Formula E series in Sanya the following weekend.
Olympic organisers also say they are "seriously concerned" about the spread of coronavirus and the impact it could have on the Tokyo Games in Japan this July and August.
'Slim' chance of race happening this year - analysis
Andrew Benson, chief F1 writer
The postponement of the grand prix was an inevitability and Formula 1 was just waiting for the official request from the race organisers to push the button on it.
The FIA has said it will look at "potential alternative dates" later in the year - but even assuming the virus outbreak becomes more under control, the chances of the race happening this year are slim.
Firstly, there is the open-ended question of when holding a major international sporting event in China will be considered safe again.
Beyond that, there is the congestion of the F1 calendar and the fact that the teams have to agree to any rescheduled date.
F1 has already suggested to the teams the idea of running China the week after the Hungarian Grand Prix, which would mean a date of 9 August and cut into the sport's summer break. The teams have rejected this idea.
Once F1 returns at the Belgian Grand Prix, there are nine races in 14 weeks to the end of the season.
Slotting in China between Italy and Singapore on 13 September would mean a run of five races on consecutive weekends.
Between Russia and Japan on 4 October, Japan and the USA on 18 October, or Mexico and Brazil on 8 November would in each case mean four consecutive race weekends (not to mention, on the last of those, the questionable practicalities of flying to Asia between two events in the Americas); and between Brazil and Abu Dhabi on 22 November three consecutive races to end the season.
The teams are unlikely to agree to any of these, given the expense and disruption involved - and a date that extends the season into December would be equally unpopular.
As a result, F1's record 22-race season looks like it will have to wait at least another year.


bbc--2020-02-12--Bournemouth want referee's 'sarky' comments investigating

Bournemouth have asked the Premier League to `` look into '' alleged comments made by referee Jonathan Moss during Sunday 's defeat at Sheffield United .
Cherries midfielder Dan Gosling says Moss showed `` zero respect '' and was a `` disgrace '' for making `` sarky comments '' about their league position .
Bournemouth are 16th in the table , two points above the relegation zone .
The PGMOL , the body responsible for Premier League referees , has declined to comment .
Moss apologised to Bournemouth 's Adam Smith in 2017 after wrongly booking the defender .
And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Sunday with some of his decisions , Gosling says the official also made disparaging comments about the club being in a relegation battle .
`` The ref did n't help .
Giving soft fouls away and little comments to two or three of the lads did n't help as well really , '' Gosling told the Daily Echo .
`` I thought it was very disrespectful what he was saying .
`` It was just the little niggly ones and then the little sarky comments .
`` The officials talk about respect @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there was zero respect from Jon Moss on Sunday .
`` The comments that he made especially to me and one other player - talking about the relegation zone and 'you 're still in the relegation zone ' , 'you 're having one ' , 'your team 's having one ' this and that and it was very , very disrespectful . ''
Gosling confirmed the comments were made during the game before adding : `` I think he should really come out and apologise because I thought he was a disgrace .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ term that Moss had taken charge of a game involving Bournemouth .

Last updated on .From the section Bournemouth
Jon Moss has refereed Bournemouth on three occasions in the past two seasons
The Premier League will not take any action against referee Jon Moss after Bournemouth alleged he made comments during Sunday's 2-1 defeat at Sheffield United, says BBC Radio Solent.
Cherries midfielder Dan Gosling says Moss showed "zero respect" and was a "disgrace" for making "sarky comments" about their league position.
The Football Association will also not be taking any action against Gosling.
Bournemouth are 16th in the table, two points above the relegation zone.
Bournemouth and Gosling consider the matter closed, but the club back their player unequivocally after the Professional Game Match Officials Limited - who are are responsible for match officials in English professional football - and the Premier League decided no action was necessary against Moss.
Moss apologised to Bournemouth's Adam Smith in 2017 after wrongly booking the defender.
And while Moss again irritated the Cherries players on Sunday with some of his decisions, Gosling says the official also made disparaging comments about the club being in a relegation battle.
"The ref didn't help. Giving soft fouls away and little comments to two or three of the lads didn't help as well really," Gosling told the Daily Echo. external-link
"I thought it was very disrespectful what he was saying.
"It was just the little niggly ones and then the little sarky comments.
"The officials talk about respect at the start of the season and there was zero respect from Jon Moss on Sunday.
"The comments that he made especially to me and one other player - talking about the relegation zone and 'you're still in the relegation zone', 'you're having one', 'your team's having one' this and that and it was very, very disrespectful."
Gosling confirmed the comments were made during the game before adding: "I think he should really come out and apologise because I thought he was a disgrace."
Sunday was the first occasion this term that Moss had taken charge of a game involving Bournemouth.


bbc--2020-02-12--New Hampshire primary: The winners, losers and quitters

Election night in New Hampshire delivered something the Iowa caucuses had failed to do .
Results .
And those results @ @ @ @ @ candidates in the crowded field to take stock of their prospects .
Here 's how @ @ @ @ @ take on Donald Trump in November reacted to a new reality .

Election night in New Hampshire delivered something the Iowa caucuses had failed to do. Results.
And those results forced some of the Democratic candidates in the crowded field to take stock of their prospects.
Here's how the politicians who want to take on Donald Trump in November reacted to a new reality.


bbc--2020-02-12--New Hampshire primary: Andrew Yang drops out of 2020 race

In 2016 , Howard County in Iowa was the single largest pivot county in the country , voting for President @ @ @ @ @ Obama in 2008 and 2012 .

'We can get along because that's America' Video, 00:01:55'We can get along because that's America'


bbc--2020-02-07--US election 2020: Inside the race to take on Donald Trump

Veteran politician who was a Delaware senator for more than three decades before becoming Barack Obama 's vice-president in 2009 .
For the better part of 2019 , campaign-watchers in the media and the political world were waiting for the former vice-president 's stumbles and bumbles to catch up with him .
Entire candidacies ( Cory Booker , Kamala Harris and others ) were built around the premise that the early frontrunner was poised for a fall .
That has n't ended up happening .
While other candidates have surged and faded , Biden keeps on keeping on .
His @ @ @ @ @ @ @ largely from elderly , moderate and black voters .
He does n't have as much money or draw crowds as big as some of his rivals - and that could catch up with him in the end .
He has n't faded , but he hasn ’ t surged either - and the only way that may happen is if he becomes the safe harbour candidate for voters concerned about more radical alternatives .
But even if the road gets rocky , Biden has proven he has staying power .
Comfortability .
Like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is a known , unthreatening quantity .
After four years of Donald Trump , that could be the ticket to victory .

Veteran politician who was a Delaware senator for more than three decades before becoming Barack Obama's vice-president in 2009.
Key issues:
Rebuilding the middle class; investing in federal infrastructure; tuition-free public universities.
Anthony's take:
For the better part of 2019, campaign-watchers in the media and the political world were waiting for the former vice-president's stumbles and bumbles to catch up with him. Entire candidacies (Cory Booker, Kamala Harris and others) were built around the premise that the early frontrunner was poised for a fall.
That hasn't ended up happening. While other candidates have surged and faded, Biden keeps on keeping on. His support has been doggedly stable, drawing largely from elderly, moderate and black voters.
He doesn't have as much money or draw crowds as big as some of his rivals - and that could catch up with him in the end. He hasn't faded, but he hasn’t surged either - and the only way that may happen is if he becomes the safe harbour candidate for voters concerned about more radical alternatives.
But even if the road gets rocky, Biden has proven he has staying power.
Secret weapon:
Comfortability. Like an old pair of jeans, Biden is a known, unthreatening quantity. After four years of Donald Trump, that could be the ticket to victory.


bbc--2020-02-12--How Sanders always beats the odds

How Sanders always beats the odds

Bernie Sanders , a 78-year-old senator from Vermont , is a front-runner in the Democratic race for president .
The registered independent has performed well in the first states to vote .
So who is he ?
Senator Bernie Sanders likes beating the odds .
His first political victory , running in 1981 for mayor of Burlington , Vermont , pitted him against the Democratic machine that had controlled the city for decades .
Mr Sanders won - by a margin of 10 votes - but the political newcomer still faced formidable resistance from within the city government .
On @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 13 members opposed Mr Sanders and actively conspired against his agenda .
This same Democratic machine worked to thwart his re-election two years later , but Mr Sanders emerged triumphant - this time by more than 20 percentage points .
The battle offered an early taste of Mr Sanders ' career , which has represented a nearly 40-year challenge to the political establishment .
Bouncing back from a bitter loss to former US First Lady and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in 2016 , Mr Sanders is running again for the top prize @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a heart-attack and fundraised more than $ 100m ( £77m ) .
Here 's a look at who he is and what the self-proclaimed democratic socialist stands for .
Mr Sanders was born in Brooklyn , New York , to Jewish parents .
He once said his humble upbringing in a tiny apartment made him class-conscious at an early age .
He attended the University of Chicago , and in the 1960s and 1970s participated in anti-war and civil rights activism , like the 1963 March on Washington .
He applied for conscientious @ @ @ @ @ @ @ though he was too old to be drafted by the time his application was rejected .
Mr Sanders entered politics in 1971 running for a US Senate seat in Vermont as a Liberty Union candidate , a party with anti-war and socialist roots .
He lost that race , along with a couple of campaigns to become governor .
His first major political success came when he was elected mayor of Burlington , Vermont , in 1980 , beating a six-term incumbent .
He went on to serve four terms .
It was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ married his current wife , Jane O'Meara , the former president of Burlington College once described as a `` key adviser '' in his political career .
Combined , they have four children from previous relationships .
He was first elected to the US House of Representatives in 1990 , the first independent to do so in 40 years .
He served there until he ran for and won a seat in the Senate in 2007 .
During that campaign , a younger Barack Obama stumped for him .
Since first arriving in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Democratic politicians alike as being beholden to wealthy donors and industries - for this he was sometimes dismissed as a gadfly .
He is the longest-serving independent in congressional history .
In 2010 , he famously stood and spoke for eight-and-a-half hours to attempt to block the extension of Bush-era tax policies that Mr Sanders said benefited the rich and worsened the nation 's income gap .
He became the chairman of the Senate Committee on Veterans ' Affairs in 2013 and helped negotiate bipartisan solutions when former soldiers complained of dangerously @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He was a staunch opponent of the Iraq War .
He is fond of praising the social policies of Nordic countries , like universal healthcare and paid leave for new parents .
He wants to make college free and erase all student debt .
Mr Sanders has been attacked for his voting record on gun control , including his opposition to various forms of the Brady Bill , which required background checks and waiting periods for gun purchasers .
He says his record merely reflects the priorities of his Vermont constituents .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ run , Mr Sanders jumped into the Democratic race as a long-shot candidate , squaring off against establishment favourite Hillary Clinton .
But once again , Mr Sanders confounded expectations : setting fundraising records and , for a time , casting doubt on the once-seemingly inevitable nomination of Mrs Clinton .
Now , anti-establishment tone intact , Mr Sanders is running on a characteristically progressive platform , featuring Medicare for all , a $ 15 minimum wage , and tuition-free public college .
He is quick to note that many items on his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now embraced by Democrats .
Still , some Democratic leaders remain sceptical that Mr Sanders could win their party 's nomination , a degree of doubt that seems to galvanize him .
In October , his candidacy appeared in peril after Mr Sanders suffered a minor heart attack and was forced to suspend his campaign .
The episode reignited criticism that Mr Sanders is too old to compete for the presidency .
The Vermont senator - who will be 79 by election day - would be the oldest US president in history .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ bolstered by an endorsement from Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez , the party 's liberal darling and youngest ever US congresswoman .
Mr Sanders is an unapologetic curmudgeon - he shrugged off a recent claim by Mrs Clinton that nobody likes him , saying : `` On a good day , my wife likes me . ''
And few other candidates could get away with telling a voter 's crying baby to `` keep that down '' .
But Mr Sanders ' supporters say it goes to show he is authentic .
He now draws crowds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he makes the case that the 2020 election will be won because of his principle and policy , not in spite of it .
And if the outsider candidate is able to clinch victory in Iowa , he may be poised to beat the odds once again .
Who is Sanders up against ?
• Choose your candidate and filter by category • Why Biden is the favourite to take on Trump • Can Elizabeth Warren go all the way ?

Mr Sanders is an unapologetic curmudgeon - he shrugged off a claim by Mrs Clinton that nobody likes him, saying: "On a good day, my wife likes me." And few other candidates could get away with telling a voter's crying baby to "keep that down". But Mr Sanders' supporters say it goes to show he is authentic.


bbc--2020-02-12--'It ain't over yet man,' claims Biden

'It ain't over yet man,' claims Biden

Joe Biden assured South Carolina voters that `` it ai n't over ... we 're just getting started '' .
@ @ @ @ @ the New Hampshire primary , the former vice-president insisted that winning the nomination will require @ @ @ @ @ minority voters .

Joe Biden assured South Carolina voters that "it ain't over... we're just getting started". After a poor result in the New Hampshire primary, the former vice-president insisted that winning the nomination will require "overwhelming support" from minority voters.


bbc--2020-02-06--US election 2020: What are primaries and caucuses and how do they work?

Four years after the world watched Donald Trump 's momentum build and build until he became the Republican nominee , America is again deciding who will run for the White House .
The nominees will be chosen through a series of primaries and caucuses in every US state and territory , that began in Iowa on 3 February and ends in Puerto Rico in early June .
Short of a big shock , the Republican nominee will be Donald Trump .
Even though technically he has two challengers , he is so popular among Republicans , he has a clear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in mind , the Democratic primaries are the only ones worth watching .
It 's an unusual process , not all of which makes sense , although we 've tried .
A whole year before the primaries , the first candidates emerged from hibernation .
Over the year , others woke up and eventually 28 people announced they were running to become the Democratic nominee for president .
But dwindling funds , luke-warm or ( ice-cold ) public reaction and campaign infighting have , to varying degrees , led to 16 candidates pulling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democrat will take on Trump ?
• The strange symbol on one candidate 's hand At the start of primary season , 11 people remained in the running .
In theory , any one of them could become the nominee .
In reality , only a few have a chance .
The first event of the primary season is n't a primary at all - it 's a series of caucuses , in Iowa .
These took place on Monday 3 February , in somewhat chaotic fashion .
A caucus involves people attending @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hours - before they vote on their preferred candidate , perhaps via a head count or a show of hands .
Those meetings might be in just a few select locations - you ca n't just turn up at a polling station .
As a result , caucuses tend to really suit candidates who are good at rousing their supporters to get out of bed .
People like Bernie Sanders , for example , who performed well in Iowa this time , as did Pete Buttigieg .
• Nine odd things about the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more popular back in the day , but this year , Democrats are holding only four in US states - in Nevada , North Dakota , Wyoming and Iowa .
If any candidate gets under 15 % of the vote in any caucus , their supporters then get to pick a second choice from among the candidates who did get more than 15 % , or they can just choose to sit out the second vote .
A win there for any candidate can help give them momentum and propel them to victory @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first in the primary calendar ?
You can blame Jimmy Carter , sort of .
Iowa became first in 1972 , for various technical electoral reasons too boring to go into here .
But when Carter ran for president in 1976 , his team realised they could grab the momentum by campaigning early in Iowa .
He won there , then surprisingly won the presidency , and Iowa 's fate was sealed .
Why does Iowa not matter ?
Iowa does n't represent the entire US - it 's largely white , so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , very different than in other states .
Its record on picking the eventual nominees is a bit rubbish too , at least when it comes to Republicans - when there 's an open Republican race , Iowa has n't opted for the eventual nominee since 2000 .
Such names as Mike Huckabee , Rick Santorum and Ted Cruz have won there in recent years .
This year , Iowa suffered a bloody nose when the Democratic result was delayed by days due to technical glitches .
Its curtain-raiser status may now be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ New Hampshire primary Eight days after Iowa on Tuesday , 11 February , is the first primary , in New Hampshire .
The tiny north-eastern state of only 1.3m people will once again become an unlikely hotbed of political activity .
Unlike a caucus , where voters are expected to turn up at a few limited locations at certain times and stick around for a while , primary voters can just turn up at a polling booth and vote in secret .
Then leave .
The more votes a candidate gets in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ delegates '' they are awarded , and all candidates will be hoping to win an unbeatable majority of delegates .
The number of delegates differs in each state , and is decided by a convoluted series of criteria .
In California 's primary , for example , there are 415 Democratic delegates up for grabs this year .
In New Hampshire , it 's only 24 .
This year is a bit different .
Any candidate would need to get at least 15 % of the vote in any primary or caucus to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 11 candidates in the running - an unusually large number - so there 's a risk the vote share will be spread out and some of the candidates may struggle to reach 15 % .
After New Hampshire , we could get a clear picture of who is struggling , but whoever has claimed the most delegates at this stage is still far from guaranteed to be the nominee .
And even those who are struggling may not drop out right after New Hampshire , because there is so much at stake on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ between New Hampshire and the end of February , but this is when things really start to warm up : Super Tuesday , on 3 March .
It is the big date in the primary calendar , when 16 states , territories or groups vote for their preferred candidate in primaries or caucuses .
A third of all the delegates available in the entire primary season are up for grabs on Super Tuesday .
By the end of the day it could be much clearer who the Democratic candidate will be .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voting on Super Tuesday - California ( with 415 Democratic delegates ) and Texas ( 228 ) .
California is voting three months earlier than in 2016 , making Super Tuesday even more super than normal .
California and Texas are two states with very diverse populations , so we may see them going for very different candidates than those chosen in Iowa and New Hampshire .
Step five : The rest of the race After hectic Super Tuesday , everyone gets to cool down for a week , before another busy day @ @ @ @ @ @ @ six states vote , with 352 delegates available .
After that , the primary season still has three months left to run , and at the end , the role of those delegates will become clear ... Donald Trump will almost certainly be sworn in as the Republican nominee at the party convention in Charlotte , North Carolina , between 24 and 27 August .
The Democrats will confirm their candidate at their own convention between 13 and 16 July in Milwaukee , Wisconsin .
What happens in a convention ?
Here 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's say that during primary season , candidate A wins 10 delegates .
During the convention , those 10 delegates would vote for candidate A to become the Democratic nominee .
( Any party member can apply to be a delegate - they tend to be party activists or local political leaders . )
All through the Democratic primaries , there are 3,979 delegates available .
If any one candidate wins more than 50 % of those delegates during primary season ( that 's 1,990 delegates ) , then they become the nominee @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But if we get to the Democratic convention and no-one has more than 50 % of the delegates , it becomes what 's known as a `` contested '' or `` brokered '' convention .
This could well happen this year .
There are so many candidates that no one frontrunner emerges in the primaries , and they split the delegates between them .
In that circumstance , a second vote would follow .
In that second vote , all the 3,979 delegates would vote again , except this time they would be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' .
These are senior party officials past and present ( former president Bill Clinton is one , as is current Vermont senator and presidential contender Bernie Sanders ) , and they 're free to vote for whomever they wish .
If a candidate wins 50 % or more in that vote - 2,376 delegates - then they become the nominee .
This is all thanks to a rule change in 2020 : last time around , the superdelegates voted at the start of the convention , with the delegates .
But many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ even before the convention , leading her rival Mr Sanders to suggest the deck was stacked against him .
He 's the one who campaigned for the change - and it may benefit him in 2020 .
After inching past Iowa , negotiated New Hampshire , survived Super Tuesday and come through the convention , there is only one step left for the nominee : the presidential election , on 3 November .
We 'll explain how that one works a little closer to the time .

This year is a bit different. Any candidate would need to get at least 15% of the vote in any primary or caucus to be awarded delegates. There are still eight candidates in the running - an unusually large number - so there's a risk the vote share will be spread out and some of the candidates may struggle to reach 15%.


bbc--2020-02-12--Coronavirus: 'Way too early' to predict end of outbreak, WHO says

It is `` way too early '' to predict the end of the coronavirus epidemic despite an apparent slowdown in the number of new cases in China , the World Health Organization ( WHO ) says .
`` This outbreak could still go in any direction , '' WHO Director-General Tedros Ghebreyesus warned .
Earlier , China reported its lowest daily number of new coronavirus cases - 2,015 - for two weeks .
The virus has killed more than 1,100 people and infected 44,600 .
The number of new daily infections reported by Chinese authorities hit a peak last week @ @ @ @ @ @ @ top Chinese epidemiologist Zhong Nanshan said the epidemic should peak in China this month before subsiding .
• Wuhan volunteer : ' I believe we 'll get through this' • China and the virus that threatens everything The WHO has been able to track down the source of transmission in all but eight of the 441 cases of the virus outside China , its head of emergencies Michael Ryan said .
He said that the apparent stabilisation in the number of new cases in China and the slower spread of cases outside Hubei @ @ @ @ @ @ @ - was reassuring .
`` [ That ] is to a great extent due to a huge public health operation in China , '' he said .
But he added : `` I think it 's way too early to try to predict the beginning , the middle or the end of this epidemic right now . ''
Four possible vaccines were being funded for pre-clinical development , WHO Chief Scientist Soumya Swaminathan told reporters .
`` I think we will find a vaccine , '' she said .
`` It will take @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be made overnight . ''
• Super-spreaders : Why are they important ?
• How worried should we be ?
Dr Tedros , the WHO chief , also praised Cambodia for taking in the Westerdam , a US cruise ship that had earlier been turned away from ports in Japan , Thailand and Taiwan despite having no sick patients on board .
It was `` an example of the international solidarity we have consistently been calling for '' , he said .
• The world 's largest mobile phone showcase , Mobile World @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cancelled over coronavirus concerns , organisers in the Spanish city of Barcelona have confirmed .
It comes after a slew of big tech firms pulled out • The US Centers for Disease Control said it was preparing for the coronavirus to possibly `` take a foothold in the US '' .
Thirteen cases have been confirmed in the US • About 300 employees have been evacuated from Singapore 's biggest bank , DBS , after one person fell ill with the coronavirus .
All 300 had been working on the same floor and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Chinese Grand Prix , due to take place in Shanghai on 19 April , has been postponed .
Motorsport governing body FIA said the measure had been taken `` in order to ensure the health and safety of the travelling staff , championship participants and fans '' • In its latest measure to try to halt the spread , China said it would stagger the return of children to school .
Several provinces have closed schools until the end of February • In Japan , the number of infections on a cruise ship @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
With 174 confirmed cases , the Diamond Princess is the largest single cluster of the virus outside China Read more about the coronavirus and its impact SHOULD WE WORRY ?
Our health correspondent explains YOUR QUESTIONS : Can you get it more than once ?
WHAT YOU CAN DO : Do masks really help ?
UNDERSTANDING THE SPREAD : A visual guide to the outbreak ECONOMIC IMPACT : Why much of 'the world 's factory ' remains closed

"The deaths are quite worrisome, there is an increased number of deaths reported, but if you look overall at the total number of deaths and the total number of cases, the fatality ratio is about the same as it has been - but it is still high, as high as the death rate in influenza."


bbc--2020-02-12--Record-breaking astronaut: 'Do what scares you'

Christina Koch spent 328 days on the International Space Station and was part of the first all-female spacewalk .
The @ @ @ @ @ female record reached by Peggy Whitson in June 2017 for time spent in space .
@ @ @ @ @ Earth on 6 February .

Christina Koch spent 328 days on the International Space Station and was part of the first all-female spacewalk.
The astronaut also surpassed the previous female record reached by Peggy Whitson in June 2017 for time spent in space.
She touched back down to Earth on 6 February.


bbc--2020-02-12--Coronavirus: The volunteer putting himself at risk in Wuhan

As Wuhan - the Chinese city at the centre of the coronavirus outbreak - remains under lockdown , groups of volunteers have stepped in to help by taking patients to hospital and acting as taxis for health workers who have no transport .
The BBC spoke to one such volunteer , a man surnamed Zhou , who described how the network of volunteers emerged as normal life in the city shut down .
Everything happened so suddenly .
Life was normal until the lockdown and we were all caught off guard .
At the beginning of the outbreak , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 06:00 to 23:00 and some of them do n't have cars .
Public transport has been stopped so sometimes they had to cycle for up to two hours to get to work .
It 's very tough in the winter .
So people started to set up WeChat [ a popular Chinese messaging app ] groups to recruit and organise volunteers .
• China and the virus that threatens everything • The Chinese doctor who tried to warn about coronavirus Car owners like me joined those groups and volunteered to ferry them about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ medical staff to and from work and to deliver medical supplies to hospitals .
We also deliver meals to them from restaurants that have been providing free food throughout the outbreak .
It 's possible [ that we are transporting infected people ] because they are potentially exposed to the virus and may fall ill as well .
But we do have guidelines : there are volunteers in the groups who are professionals and who have trained us how to protect ourselves .
• Super-spreaders : Why are they important ?
• How @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also given us protective clothing .
I used to just wear raincoats and goggles and two surgical masks , one on top of the other , when it had just started , but now I have a protective suit .
I disinfect my car every time after I 've dropped someone off , and when there 's a gap between two assignments , I go home to have a shower and change my clothes .
Sometimes I have three or four showers a day .
I 'm doing it because I was born @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has lived here for three generations .
I love this city , as simple as that .
Also I think I 'm cut out for this work because I 'm on my own , I 'm healthy and strong , and I have the ability .
So I signed myself up .
I think many people from Wuhan are like me , we 're warm-hearted , and we 're people with courage .
In this difficult time , we have to unite and look after each other , so there 's hope .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of us expected .
Yes , the local authorities were lacking resources at the beginning .
For them , it was beyond their ability to deal with such a sudden outbreak .
They had to ask for help from the central government and this takes time .
So , ordinary people like us felt that we had a responsibility to do something to protect our people and our hometown , and to support the government while we 're waiting for help .
People are trying to be optimistic .
And I believe we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 've spoken to many doctors .
They did n't have the right experience to deal with the emergency either .
Some of them are very young - just starting their careers .
It 's true that there were limited resources at the beginning , a lack of masks and protective suits .
Sometimes one protective suit had to be shared by many health workers , so they were under huge pressure .
But the situation is gradually getting better and I think they have the basic supplies they need - much to their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them up in the middle of the night , I honestly think they 're great ; I have respect for them .
They have their own families too , but they 're putting patients first .
So we should do something as well to support them .
I think we should all do our best : if you can protect yourself well while helping others , then do it .
Otherwise , staying at home is also a form of support .
Read more about the coronavirus and its impact SHOULD WE WORRY @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : Can you get it more than once ?
WHAT YOU CAN DO : Do masks really help ?
UNDERSTANDING THE SPREAD : A visual guide to the outbreak ECONOMIC IMPACT : Why much of 'the world 's factory ' remains closed

I've spoken to many doctors. They didn't have the right experience to deal with the emergency either. Some of them are very young - just starting their careers. It's true that there were limited resources at the beginning, a lack of masks and protective suits. Sometimes one protective suit had to be shared by many health workers, so they were under huge pressure.


bbc--2020-02-12--Italy Salvini: Senate votes for far-right leader to face trial

Italy 's Senate has voted to allow prosecutors to put far-right leader Matteo Salvini on trial over charges of holding migrants at sea .
Mr Salvini , who previously served as Italy 's interior minister , is accused of illegally keeping people on a boat off Sicily for days in August 2019 .
Some 116 migrants remained aboard the Gregoretti for close to a week .
On Wednesday , a majority of senators voted for the trial of the anti-immigration League leader to go ahead .
Mr Salvini has repeatedly said he wants to go to court .
He told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the world '' that his migration policies `` saved tens of thousands of lives . ''
`` I am absolutely calm and proud of what I have done .
And I 'll do it again as soon as I get back into government , '' he said later .
Senators from his League party left the chamber rather than take part in Wednesday 's vote .
Under Italian law , ministers have parliamentary immunity for actions taken while they were in office .
But a committee voted last month to strip Mr Salvini @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decision in the hands of the Senate on Wednesday .
The upper house Senate voted 152-76 in favour of lifting the immunity .
After the tally was announced , Mr Salvini compared himself to US President Donald Trump , who was impeached in December and accused opponents of undermining his electoral success through the courts .
`` I , like Trump ?
He has a few more billions and a few more years , but it 's a bad little habit of the left , going around in the world , to try @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he wrote on Twitter .
If successfully prosecuted at trial , Mr Salvini could face up to 15 years in jail .
The response of most politicians when the hand of the judiciary comes knocking is to deny , evade , or flee .
The response of Matteo Salvini : bring it on .
For a man who has built his political success on a hard anti-migrant line , the decision to try him for blocking migrants from Italy feeds the image he presents of himself as defender of the Italian nation .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ move that depicts the man of the people as being targeted by the establishment .
And although eventual conviction could potentially end Matteo Salvini 's political career , he wo n't be too worried for now .
The wheels of justice move slowly in Italy : even if he were convicted , he 'd have the right to two appeals , which could take years .
And he 'll take solace from his predecessor as Italy 's lead populist , Silvio Berlusconi , who was convicted for fraud , his sentence then commuted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
A political comeback , Italian-style .
What is Mr Salvini accused of ?
For years , some in Italy have complained that the country has taken in a large number of migrants fleeing across the Mediterranean , and has called for other EU nations to take their share .
Mr Salvini in particular took a hard stance on migrant boats while he was in office , implementing a closed ports policy .
On 25 July 2019 , Italian coastguard ship the Gregoretti picked up about 140 migrants trying to travel to Italy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ several people off the ship for medical attention , some 116 people remained on board for days while Mr Salvini demanded other EU countries take them in .
• Reality Check : Who is responsible for migrants at sea ?
• Are migrants who cross the Channel sent back ?
The decision drew an immediate backlash .
Prosecutors opened an investigation into conditions aboard after reports that migrants only had one toilet between them .
After the Catholic Church and a number of states agreed to care for those on board , in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Avramopoulos helped to broker , Mr Salvini eventually consented to let them dock on 31 July .
The League leader insists the decision to keep the migrants offshore had the support of Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte and the rest of the government .
But prosecutors believe he acted alone , ignoring repeated requests from Mr Conte to release them .
Italy 's Populist Five Star Movement - at the time in coalition with the League - had backed Mr Salvini in previous cases , such as when 140 migrants on board the Diciotti @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sicily for six days in the summer of 2018 .
But the party says that in the case of the Gregoretti he acted alone .
Later in February Mr Salvini also faces losing his immunity over another migrant case .
He is accused of keeping the Open Arms migrant vessel offshore for days in August last year .
At the time , Prime Minister Conte called Mr Salvini `` obsessed '' with keeping migrants out of Italy .

For a man who has built his political success on a hard anti-migrant line, the decision to try him for blocking migrants from Italy feeds the image he presents of himself as defender of the Italian nation. Italy's populist-in-chief will revel in a move that depicts the man of the people as being targeted by the establishment.


bbc--2020-02-13--US investigates Harvard and Yale over foreign funding

The US has launched investigations into Harvard and Yale universities over suspicions they received undisclosed funds from foreign countries , including Saudi Arabia and China .
The US Department of Education said the elite schools did not fully report hundreds of millions of dollars in foreign gifts and contracts .
Harvard and Yale told the BBC they were preparing responses for the government .
It comes amid a clamp down on foreign funding to academic institutions .
Under US law , universities are required to report all gifts and contracts from foreign sources that exceed $ 250,000 ( £193,000 ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Education said it had uncovered some $ 6.6bn in previously unreported gifts from countries including Qatar , China , Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates .
It said this figure could be `` significantly underestimated '' .
• How UK 's Huawei decision affects rest of the world Officials have previously described foreign spending on US universities as a `` black hole '' and warned that such money can come with strings attached .
`` This is about transparency .
If colleges and universities are accepting foreign money and gifts , their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to know how much and from whom , '' said US Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos .
`` Unfortunately , the more we dig , the more we find that too many are underreporting or not reporting at all , '' she said .
What are Harvard and Yale accused of ?
The Department of Education said Yale University had chosen not to report any foreign funding over the last four years , and is suspected of failing to disclose at least $ 375m in foreign gifts and contracts .
The agency said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` appropriate institutional controls over foreign money '' and had failed to fully report foreign gifts and contracts .
Earlier this month , the chairman of Harvard 's chemistry department and two Chinese researchers were charged with making false statements about ties to the Chinese government .
In letters to the Ivy League universities , the Department of Education called on them to supply the names and addresses of foreign sources involved in contracts and gifts , as well as the activities supported by the funding since August 2013 .
Harvard was asked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ China , Qatar , Russia , Saudi Arabia and Iran , as well as companies including Chinese technology giant Huawei .
Officials called on Yale to disclose similar information about foreign contributions .
Yale did not comment on the allegation that it had failed to report $ 375m in foreign gifts and contracts , but told the BBC it was preparing a response to the government 's letter .
Harvard said it was also preparing a response .
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In letters to the Ivy League universities, the Department of Education called on them to supply the names and addresses of foreign sources involved in contracts and gifts, as well as the activities supported by the funding since August 2013.


bbc--2020-02-12--UN lists 112 businesses linked to Israeli settlements

The UN human rights office has issued a long-awaited report on companies linked to Jewish settlements in the Israeli-occupied West Bank .
The report names 112 business entities the office says it has reasonable grounds to conclude have been involved in activities related to settlements .
The Palestinians said the report was a `` victory for international law '' , but Israel called it `` shameful '' .
About 600,000 Jews live in about 140 settlements built since Israel 's occupation of the West Bank and East Jerusalem in 1967 .
The settlements are widely considered illegal under international law @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The Palestinians have long called for the removal of the settlements , arguing that their presence on land they claim for a future independent Palestinian state makes it almost impossible to make such a state a reality .
Last month , US President Donald Trump unveiled a peace plan that may pave the way for Israel annexing the settlements .
In an address to the UN Security Council on Tuesday , Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas reiterated his rejection of Mr Trump 's plan , describing the proposed Palestinian state as looking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said it was `` the best plan that exists for the Middle East ... and for the State of Israel and for the Palestinians , too '' .
• Can the Jewish settlement issue be resolved ?
• Trump 's 'deal of the century ' is huge gamble • What does Trump ’ s Mid-East plan say on key issues ?
What does the report say ?
In 2016 , the UN Human Rights Council mandated the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights ( OHCHR @ @ @ @ @ @ @ involved in specific activities relating to settlements .
The activities included : • Supplying equipment and materials facilitating the construction and expansion of settlements and Israel 's West Bank barrier • Supplying equipment for the demolition of housing and property , and the destruction of farms , greenhouses , olive groves and crops • Providing services and utilities supporting the maintenance and existence of settlements , including transport • Banking and financial operations helping to develop , expand or maintain settlements and their activities , including loans for housing and businesses Following what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ assessment of all information available , the OHCHR presented a report on Wednesday identifying 112 business entities that it said , there were reasonable grounds to conclude , had been involved in one or more of those activities .
Of the entities listed , 94 are domiciled in Israel and 18 in six other states - the United States , France , the Netherlands , Luxembourg , Thailand and the UK .
`` The report makes clear that the reference to these business entities is not , and does not purport to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' the OHCHR said .
`` While the settlements as such are regarded as illegal under international law , this report does not provide a legal characterisation of the activities in question , or of business enterprises ' involvement in them , '' it added .
Any further steps will be a matter for Human Rights Council member states .
`` I am conscious this issue has been , and will continue to be , highly contentious , '' said Michelle Bachelet , the High Commissioner for Human Rights .
What has been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Foreign Minister , Riyad al-Maliki , said : `` The publication of the list of companies and parties operating in settlements is a victory for international law . ''
He also called on the Human Rights Council member states to `` issue recommendations and instructions to these companies to end their work immediately with the settlements '' .
Mr Netanyahu suggested his country would retaliate , saying on Twitter : `` Whoever boycotts us will be boycotted .
We strongly reject this contemptible effort . ''
The main body representing Jewish settlers , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had `` clear anti-Semitic features '' and insisted the companies were `` working to strengthen the economy in the area and are contributing to peace more than the UN has done in all its years of operation '' .
Human Rights Watch said the list `` should put all companies on notice : to do business with illegal settlements is to aid in the commission of war crimes . ''
There were no immediate comments from the companies named on the list .

Following what it said was a thorough review and assessment of all information available, the OHCHR presented a report on Wednesday identifying 112 business entities that it said, there were reasonable grounds to conclude, had been involved in one or more of those activities.


bbc--2020-02-12--Lawrence Ray: US student's dad charged for sex trafficking

A man accused of abusing his daughter 's university roommates has been arrested in the US and charged with extortion , sex trafficking and forced labour .
Prosecutors say Lawrence `` Larry '' Ray extorted some $ 1m ( £771,000 ) from students at New York 's Sarah Lawrence College , abusing them `` emotionally , physically , and sexually '' .
The charges were prompted by a story in New York magazine , which detailed the alleged workings of Mr Ray 's `` cult '' .
He was arrested on Tuesday in the state of New Jersey .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decade , we allege there was no limit to the abuse Ray 's victims received , and there is no way of knowing the amount of damage he may have caused them in the years to come , '' said FBI Assistant Director William Sweeney .
What are the accusations ?
According to New York magazine , the abuse started when Mr Ray showed up at his daughter 's university in 2010 , after being released from prison , where he had been serving time on charges related to a custody dispute .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to friends as a `` truth-teller '' who had been unjustly imprisoned .
A former FBI informant , Mr Ray had been a close associate of former New York police chief Bernard Kerik .
The pair fell out and Mr Ray cooperated with authorities in a high-profile corruption case against Kerik .
Mr Ray moved into his daughter 's dormitory , where prosecutors say he presented himself as a father-figure and began conducting `` therapy '' sessions .
During the sessions , he allegedly learned intimate details about the students ' private lives @ @ @ @ @ @ @ several of them from their parents , persuading some to move into a Manhattan apartment and convincing them that they were `` broken '' and needed his help .
After gaining their trust , prosecutors say Mr Ray subjected his victims to interrogation sessions in which he falsely accused them of harming him by attempting to poison him or damage his property .
He allegedly demanded confessions , using tactics including sleep deprivation , sexual humiliation and physical violence .
On one occasion , after accusing a male victim of damaging his property @ @ @ @ @ @ @ threatened to dismember the victim with it , forcing a false confession , the indictment says .
• 'Why I joined a cult - and how I left' • What we learned from the Nxivm sex cult trial He is accused of using the false confessions to extort money , which the victims attempted to pay by draining their parents ' savings and opening credit lines , among other means .
Authorities say he collected more than $ 500,000 from one woman after forcing her into prostitution , while several were forced to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he is accused of extorting about $ 1m from at least five victims .
Authorities say he laundered the proceeds of his crimes through an internet domain business .
Manhattan US Attorney Geoffrey Berman said : `` College is supposed to be a time of self-discovery and new-found independence .
But as alleged , Lawrence Ray exploited that vulnerable time in his victims ' lives through a course of conduct that shocks the conscience '' .
Mr Ray has denied the charges , claiming they are the result of a conspiracy against him @ @ @ @ @ @ @ media , Sarah Lawrence College described the charges as `` serious , wide-ranging , disturbing , and upsetting '' .
It said it launched an internal investigation after the New York magazine story was published , which it said `` did not substantiate those specific claims '' .
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"For the better part of the last decade, we allege there was no limit to the abuse Ray's victims received, and there is no way of knowing the amount of damage he may have caused them in the years to come," said FBI Assistant Director William Sweeney.


bbc--2020-02-12--Brexit: EU Parliament makes tough demands for talks

The European Parliament has approved a tough opening position for talks with the UK on its future relationship with the EU .
MEPs called on the UK to follow EU policies in a host of areas as the price for an ambitious free trade deal .
These range from chemicals regulation to climate change , food labelling and subsidies for companies .
This should be with `` a view to dynamic alignment '' - code for the UK adopting European rules as they are introduced .
The wide-ranging resolution also called for measures to ensure that Brexit does not cause @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tax havens with links to the UK , and for a joint UK-EU position at the upcoming UN climate conference in Glasgow in November .
How the EU 's language has toughened up It 's an attempt to influence the detailed instructions for the EU 's chief negotiator Michel Barnier - `` the mandate '' - currently being discussed by the European Commission and the governments of the EU 's 27 member states .
• What happens after Brexit ?
It 's also the latest example of the mandate being toughened up as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the EU .
When Mr Barnier published a first draft in early February , there was no mention of alignment and definitely not the automatic kind .
Then a new version emerged that had been tweaked by diplomats from national governments .
It had extra references to the need for a level playing field - commitments by the UK to fair economic competition to prevent European businesses being undercut by their British rivals .
And those commitments would have to evolve over time .
A reference to `` building on '' existing access @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was upgraded to `` upholding '' it .
The UK 's participation in the Galileo satellite positioning system was downgraded from `` should '' to `` could . ''
And now MEPs have gone further than all of them .
What is the European Parliament hoping to achieve ?
`` It means we can be bad cop , '' said a senior MEP from the European Parliament 's new UK Co-ordination Group .
`` Michel Barnier can say to London that he ca n't do certain things because the Parliament wo n't accept @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mr Barnier is virtually guaranteed to use .
And he will have to take the European Parliament 's views into account because it is likely to have a vote on whatever deal emerges from the talks with the UK .
MEPs were not willing to oppose the divorce deal , but will they be tougher when it 's a free trade agreement that touches on Europe 's values and social model ?
For now the focus is on agreeing the EU 's opening position to be finalised at a meeting of European ministers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the ambitions at the start , not the compromises at the end .
It 's also about shaping the terms of the discussion with the UK before it 's even begun .
MEPs and the entire EU know : if you do n't ask , you do n't get .

That's a tactic Mr Barnier is virtually guaranteed to use. And he will have to take the European Parliament's views into account because it is likely to have a vote on whatever deal emerges from the talks with the UK.


bbc--2020-02-12--Lyra McKee: Man charged with journalist's murder

A 52-year-old man has been charged with the murder of journalist Lyra McKee in Londonderry .
He is also charged with possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life and professing to be a member of a proscribed organisation .
Ms McKee , who was 29 , was observing rioting in Derry 's Creggan estate when she was shot on 18 April 2019 .
The 52-year-old , from Derry , is due to appear at Londonderry Magistrates ' Court on Thursday .
Det Supt Jason Murphy said a number of individuals were involved with the gunman on the night @ @ @ @ @ @ @ while today is significant for the investigation the quest for the evidence to bring the gunman to justice remains active and ongoing , '' he added .
Ms McKee was a writer and campaigner from Belfast who had only recently moved to Derry when she was killed .
She was standing near a police 4x4 vehicle on the night of 18 April 2019 when a masked gunman fired towards officers and onlookers .
Regarded by many as a rising star in Northern Ireland media circles , she had written for many publications , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Atlantic and Mosaic Science .
She was named Sky News young journalist of the year in 2006 and Forbes Magazine named her as one of their 30 under 30 in media in Europe in 2016 .
The Belfast woman had signed a two-book deal with the publisher Faber and Faber , with her forthcoming book The Lost Boys due out this year .
According to those who knew her best , the gay rights advocate was someone who `` believed passionately in social and religious tolerance '' .
Her death caused widespread revulsion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Her funeral was attended by then prime minister Theresa May , Irish PM Leo Varadkar and Irish President Michael D Higgins at St Anne 's Cathedral in Belfast .
Fr Martin Magill received a standing ovation when he asked why it took her death to unite politicians .
Days later the British and Irish governments announced a new talks process aimed at restoring devolution .
Northern Ireland 's political institutions were restored last month after three years of deadlock .

She was named Sky News young journalist of the year in 2006 and Forbes Magazine named her as one of their 30 under 30 in media in Europe in 2016.


bbc--2020-02-12--US white supremacist propaganda incidents 'rose by 120% in 2019'

Incidents of white supremacist material being spread across the US rose by 120 % in 2019 , according to the Anti-Defamation League ( ADL ) .
It was the second year that the circulation of racist and nationalist posters and banners more than doubled , the hate monitoring group said .
One Texas-based group was responsible for two-thirds of all propaganda .
The ADL found that white supremacists held 20 % fewer events , `` preferring not to risk the exposure '' to the public .
The ADL Center on Extremism 's report released on Wednesday documented 2,713 cases of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to 1,214 cases in 2018 .
The cases amounted to an average of seven reported incidents per day .
University campuses were frequent targets , the ADL found , with all but seven out of 50 states reporting incidents of banners , posters and flyers .
`` The data is unmistakable .
White supremacists are doubling down on their efforts to promote messages of hate and recruit new members , '' said the ADL , which was founded in 1913 to combat anti-Semitism .
`` The barrage of propaganda , which overwhelmingly features @ @ @ @ @ @ @ slant , is an effort to normalise white supremacists ' message and bolster recruitment efforts while targeting minority groups including Jews , Blacks , Muslims , non-white immigrants and the LGBTQ community , '' the statement added .
• ' A battle for the soul of America' Center on Extremism Director Oren Segal told the Associated Press that the groups are making an effort to emphasise `` patriotism '' in an attempt `` to make their hate more palatable for a 2020 audience '' .
Last week , FBI Director Christopher Wray acknowledged @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now considered a `` national threat priority '' presenting the same danger as foreign terror organisations such as the so-called Islamic State .
About 90 % of all incidents came from three groups - Patriot Front , American Identity Movement and the New Jersey European Heritage Association .
The Texas-based Patriot Front - responsible for around 66 % of racist propaganda - was formed in August 2017 .
The ADL describes it as `` formed by disaffected members '' of the white supremacist organisation Vanguard America after the Charlottesville rally in 2017 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a white supremacist .

The Texas-based Patriot Front - responsible for around 66% of racist propaganda - was formed in August 2017. The ADL describes it as "formed by disaffected members" of the white supremacist organisation Vanguard America after the Charlottesville rally in 2017, in which a counter-protester was killed by a white supremacist.


bbc--2020-02-12--Fifth largest refinery in US catches fire in Louisiana

An ExxonMobil refinery caught fire on Tuesday night in Baton Rouge .
The firm 's volunteer firefighters worked to put @ @ @ @ @ were no reported injuries .
The Baton Rouge fire department is monitoring the air quality @ @ @ @ @ video has no commentary

An ExxonMobil refinery caught fire on Tuesday night in Baton Rouge.
The firm's volunteer firefighters worked to put out the fire and there were no reported injuries.
The Baton Rouge fire department is monitoring the air quality around the site.
This video has no commentary


bbc--2020-02-12--Scandinavian airline ad pulled after online criticism

A Scandinavian airline has pulled an advert after it was criticised by anti-immigration parties for belittling the region 's history and culture .
`` What is truly Scandinavian ?
Absolutely nothing .
Everything is copied , '' the SAS advert begins .
The iconic Swedish meatball , Danish pastry , and Scandinavian parental leave are then attributed to Turkey , Austria and Switzerland .
SAS said they believe they were the target of a co-ordinated online attack .
The advert pointed out that liquorice came from China , windmills were invented in Iran , and that the progressive politics the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the US .
`` We take everything we like on our trips abroad , adjust it a little bit , and it 's a unique Scandinavian thing , '' the advert , which was taken down on Wednesday , claimed .
Danish & Co Noa agency produced the campaign , which SAS defended as highlighting how travel `` inspires individuals and societies . ''
Politicians with Danish and Swedish anti-immigration populist parties criticised the message .
`` What nonsense and self-hatred .
Always tried to fly with SAS , but never again @ @ @ @ @ @ @ secretary of the populist Sweden Democrats Richard Jomshof wrote on Facebook , '' I have always flown with SAS a lot but I would have bad taste in my mouth if I did it again because they spit on us like that , '' the populist Danish People 's Party foreign affairs spokesperson Soeren Espersen , told Danish newspaper Ekstra Bladet .
SAS believe their campaign was hijacked by online groups , the company said on its website .
`` We do not want to risk being a platform for views that we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ temporarily removed the film from our channels . ''
Right-wing populist parties that oppose multiculturalism and immigration have been increasing in popularity in the region .
In December 22.6 % of Swedish voters said they support the Swedish Democrats , putting the party second to the ruling Social Democrats .
Norway 's Progress Party formed part of the country 's ruling coalition until it quit in protest over the government 's decision to return from Syria a Norwegian woman suspected of involvement with the Islamic State ( IS ) group .
But in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more then half their parliamentary seats in 2019 .
You might also be interested in : • China and the virus that threatens everything The SAS advert spread widely in right-wing circles online on Tuesday , suggests researcher Mathias Cederholm in Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet .
The Kremlin-backed Russian news agency Sputnik called the advert an `` unapologetic globalist , pro-immigration tirade '' , which helped to encourage online attacks on the campaign , Mr Cederholm claimed .
The globalist message is similar to other advertising campaigns in Europe , including HSBC bank 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that lists international influences on Britain 's economy and culture .
Comedian Nish Kumar was attacked by Brexit supporters last week after he presented a children 's programme that pointed out that many British traditions like tea originate elsewhere .

"I have always flown with SAS a lot but I would have bad taste in my mouth if I did it again because they spit on us like that," the populist Danish People's Party foreign affairs spokesperson Soeren Espersen, told Danish newspaper Ekstra Bladet.


bbc--2020-02-12--WWE: The Rock's daughter, Simone Johnson, will step into the ring

The daughter of wrestling legend , Dwayne `` The Rock '' Johnson , is set to continue her family 's legacy .
Simone Johnson , 18 , has started training with WWE - following in the footsteps not just of her dad but her grandad , and her great-grandad too .
She will be the first fourth-generation superstar in WWE history .
`` It means the world to me , '' Simone said in a statement .
`` To know that my family has such a personal connection to wrestling is really special to me and I feel grateful to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wrestle , but to carry on that legacy . ''
Her training has already started alongside other future wrestling stars at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando , Florida .
`` Simone Johnson 's unbridled passion and incredible drive has earned her a coveted spot training with the elite athletes from around the world at the WWE Performance Centre , '' said Paul `` Triple H '' Levesque , executive vice president .
Following the announcement , The Rock posted on his Instagram : `` Dreams ai n't just for dreamers ...
So @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's work . ''
He was part of the first ever black tag team to win a WWE championship .
Although she might feel like she has a lot to live up to - her parents are keen to make sure she feels no pressure .
In his post , The Rock wrote that Simone 's journey `` will always be [ hers ] to create , earn & own '' .
Her mum , Dany Garcia , echoed that view , saying : `` Your future will be uniquely yours to earn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 12:45 and 17:45 weekdays - or listen back here .

"It means the world to me," Simone said in a statement. "To know that my family has such a personal connection to wrestling is really special to me and I feel grateful to have the opportunity, not only to wrestle, but to carry on that legacy."


bbc--2020-02-12--German man shocked to see marriage proposal on Google Maps

A German man 's marriage proposal has been captured in an aerial picture used by Google Maps , to the surprise of him and his fiancée .
Part-time farmer Steffen Schwarz spelled out the words `` Will you marry me ? ''
in German in a field of corn , according to local media reports .
The 32-year-old then got his girlfriend to fly a drone over the field last year , revealing the romantic message .
But his proposal got a bigger audience than he had planned .
Mr Schwarz told local media that he had no idea his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ service until he was alerted by an aunt in Canada who sent him a screenshot .
The proposal , which he spelled out using a seeding machine , extends across the entire width of the almost two-hectare ( five-acre ) field in Huettenberg , central Germany .
Mr Schwarz told local news site hessenschau.de that he told his girlfriend he had seen wild boars in the field when he asked her to fly a drone over it .
`` At first she could n't see it [ the proposal ] because the drone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when she realised , she said yes immediately , '' he said .
The couple now plan to marry in June and the drone may be used again - this time for wedding photos .
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Mr Schwarz told local media that he had no idea his proposal had appeared on the popular mapping service until he was alerted by an aunt in Canada who sent him a screenshot.


bbc--2020-02-12--Can a blood pressure drug help ease the painful memory of an ex?

A Montreal researcher says he has found a way to take the emotional sting out a bad breakup by `` editing '' memories using therapy and a beta blocker .
Dr Alain Brunet has spent over 15 years studying post-traumatic stress disorder ( PTSD ) , working with combat veterans , people who have experienced terror attacks and crime victims .
Much of his research has centred on the development of what he calls `` reconsolidation therapy '' , an innovative approach that can help remove emotional pain from a traumatic memory .
At the heart of his work is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ beta blocker long used to treat common physical ailments like hypertension and migraines , but which research now suggests has a wider application .
The reconsolidation method involves taking propranolol about an hour before a therapy session where the patient is asked to write a detailed account of their trauma and then read it aloud .
`` Often when you recall memory , if there 's something new to learn , this memory will unlock and you can update it , and it will be saved again , '' the Canadian clinical psychologist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reconsolidation creates a window of opportunity to target the highly emotional portion of that memory .
`` We 're using this enhanced understanding on how memories are formed and how they are unlocked and updated and saved again - we 're essentially using this recent knowledge coming out of neuroscience to treat patients , '' says Dr Brunet .
His work has often been compared to the science fiction film Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind , where an estranged couple have their memories of each other other erased , though Dr Brunet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ therapy , they just stop hurting .
Memories , their neutral , factual elements , are saved in the brain 's hippocampus .
But the emotional tone of the memory is saved in its amygdala .
`` Imagine that you are shooting a movie in the old-fashioned way so you have the image and and the sound and they are on two separate channels , '' he says .
When a person relives their traumatic memory they experience both channels .
Propranolol helps target one channel - the emotional aspect of memory - @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
A memory recalled under the influence of the medication will then be `` saved '' by the brain in its new , less emotional version .
His research suggests about 70 % of patients found relief within a few sessions of reconsolidation therapy .
Dr Brunet has collaborated with other PTSD researchers , including Harvard University 's PTSD expert Dr Roger Pitman , in studying the method .
More recently , he launched a programme in France in the wake of deadly terror attacks in Paris and Nice , training some 200 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ victims , witnesses and first responders .
So far , over 400 people have undergone the therapy in that country as part of the programme .
After showing success with post-traumatic stress , the doctor says he wanted to broaden the application for the treatment .
In 2015 , along with one of his former graduate students , Michelle Lonergan , at McGill University in Montreal , he turned his attention to the broken hearted and their `` romantic betrayals '' .
`` If you look at Greek tragedies what are they of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` It 's really at the heart of the human experience . ''
A bad breakup can also be tremendously painful , he notes , and people can feel emotional reactions similar to those seen in trauma survivors .
The patients they recruited for the study were n't suffering just a mild case of heartbreak .
There were cases of infidelity .
Some had been suddenly abandoned by someone they believed was a loving partner .
• Hacking heartbreak : the ultimate guide to getting over 'The One' They were struggling to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not turn the page , they can not get over it '' , says Dr Brunet .
`` That 's what people were constantly telling them , which is not helpful .
But [ their friends ] are pinpointing the problem . ''
It was like the patients were `` stuck in Groundhog Day '' - the 1993 comedy where Bill Murray 's character relives the same 2 February day over and over - but were instead stuck obsessively reliving their painful betrayals in their minds .
What he and Dr Lonergan found @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many of the heartbreak sufferers felt relief , some after a single reconsolidation therapy session .
After five sessions , when they read aloud the memory of their betrayal , they had the `` impression that this could have been written by someone else - like reading a novel '' .
`` This treatment approximates the normal working of memory , how we gradually forget and turn the page , '' he says .
His Montreal-based lab is currently recruiting about 60 people who have suffered infidelity or some other form of deception @ @ @ @ @ @ @ therapy study .
Dr Brunet is also hopeful the scope of reconsolidation therapy can be expanded further , used to treat phobias , addiction , complicated grief .
`` Any type of distress which emanates from an emotional event , '' he says .

"Often when you recall memory, if there's something new to learn, this memory will unlock and you can update it, and it will be saved again," the Canadian clinical psychologist tells the BBC.


bbc--2020-02-11--Coronavirus: China and the virus that threatens everything

On a cold Beijing morning , on an uninspiring , urban stretch of the Tonghui river , a lone figure could be seen writing giant Chinese characters in the snow .
The message taking shape on the sloping concrete embankment was to a dead doctor .
`` Goodbye Li Wenliang ! ''
it read , with the author using their own body to make the imprint of that final exclamation mark .
Five weeks earlier , Dr Li had been punished by the police for trying to warn colleagues about the dangers of a strange new virus infecting patients in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wuhan .
Now he 'd succumbed to the illness himself and pictures of that frozen tribute spread fast on the Chinese internet , capturing in physical form a deep moment of national shock and anger .
There 's still a great deal we do n't know about Covid-19 , to give the disease caused by the virus its official name .
Before it took its final fatal leap across the species barrier to infect its first human , it is likely to have been lurking inside the biochemistry of an - as yet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ probably infected after the virus made an earlier zoological jump from a bat , is thought to have been kept in a Wuhan market , where wildlife was traded illegally .
Beyond that , the scientists trying to map its deadly trajectory from origin to epidemic can say little more with any certainty .
• Coronavirus super-spreaders - why are they important ?
But while they continue their urgent , vital work to determine the speed at which it spreads and the risks it poses , one thing is beyond doubt .
A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Covid-19 has shaken Chinese society and politics to the core .
That tiny piece of genetic material , measured in ten-thousandths of a millimetre , has set in train a humanitarian and economic catastrophe counted in more than 1,000 Chinese lives and tens of billions of Chinese yuan .
It has closed off whole cities , placing an estimated 70 million residents in effective quarantine , shutting down transport links and restricting their ability to leave their homes .
And it has exposed the limits of a political system for which social @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the rigid layers of censorship with a tsunami of grief and rage .
The risk for the ruling elite is obvious .
It can be seen in their response , ordering into action the military , the media and every level of government from the very top to the lowliest village committee .
The consequences are now entirely dependent on questions no one knows the answers to ; can they pull off the complex task of bringing a runaway epidemic under control , and if so , how long might it take ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ how to respond to the small number of cases being detected in their own countries .
The public mood can swing between panic - driven by the pictures of medical workers in hazmat suits - to complacency , brought on by headlines that suggest the risk is no worse than flu .
The evidence from China suggests that both responses are misguided .
Seasonal flu may well have a low fatality rate , measured in fractions of 1 % , but it 's a problem because it affects so many people around the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 'world 's factory ' remains shut • How worried should we be about Coronavirus ?
The tiny proportion killed out of the many , many millions who catch it each year still numbers in the hundreds of thousands - individually tragic , collectively a major healthcare burden .
Very early estimates suggested the new virus may be at least as deadly as flu - precisely why so much effort is now going into stopping it becoming another global pandemic .
But one new estimate suggests it could prove even deadlier yet , killing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who contract it .
For any individual , that risk is still relatively small , although it 's worth noting such estimates are averages - just like flu , the risks fall more heavily on the elderly and already infirm .
But China 's experience of this epidemic demonstrates two things .
Firstly , it offers a terrifying glimpse of the potential effect on a healthcare system when you scale up infections of this kind of virus across massive populations .
Two new hospitals have had to be built in Wuhan in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2,600 patients , and giant stadiums and hotels are being used as quarantine centres , for almost 10,000 more .
Despite these efforts , many have still struggled to find treatment , with reports of people dying at home , unregistered in the official figures .
Secondly , it highlights the importance of taking the task of containing outbreaks of new viruses extremely seriously .
The best approach , most experts agree , is one based on transparency and trust , with good public information and proportionate , timely government action .
• @ @ @ @ @ @ @ quickly ?
• Wuhan diary : Living alone in a city gone quiet But in an authoritarian system , with strict censorship and an emphasis on political stability above all else , transparency and trust are in short supply .
China 's response may have sometimes looked like panic - with what 's been called the `` biggest quarantine in history '' and harsh enforcement against those who disobey .
But those measures have become necessary only because its initial response looked like the very definition of complacency .
There 's ample evidence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the authorities , and worse , ignored .
By late December , medical staff in Wuhan were beginning to notice unusual symptoms of viral pneumonia , with a cluster linked to the market trading in illegal wildlife .
On 30 December , Dr Li Wenliang , an ophthalmologist working in Wuhan 's Central Hospital , posted his concerns in a private medical chat group , advising colleagues to take measures to protect themselves .
He 'd seen seven patients who appeared to be suffering with an illness similar to Sars - another coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ market in 2002 and went on to kill 774 people worldwide .
A few days later , he was summoned by the police .
Dr Li was made to sign a confession , denouncing the messages he 'd posted as `` illegal behaviour '' .
The case received national media attention , with a high-profile state-run TV report announcing that in total , eight people in Wuhan were being investigated for `` spreading rumours '' .
The authorities , though , were well aware of the outbreak of illness .
The day after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ notified the World Health Organization , and the day after that , the suspected source - the market - was closed down .
But despite the multiplying cases and the concerns among medics that human-to-human transmission was taking place , the authorities did little to protect the public .
Doctors were already setting up quarantine rooms and anticipating extra admissions when Wuhan held its important annual political gathering , the city 's People 's Congress .
In their speeches , the Communist Party leaders made no mention of the virus .
China 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the number of infections was limited and that there was no clear evidence that the disease could spread between humans .
And on 18 January the Wuhan authorities allowed a massive community banquet to take place , involving more than 40,000 families .
The aim was to set a record for the most dishes served at an event .
Two days later , China finally confirmed that human-to-human transmission was indeed taking place .
Most remarkable of all perhaps , the following day , Wuhan held a Lunar New Year dance performance , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ surrounding province of Hubei .
A state media report of the event , since hurriedly deleted but captured here , says the performers , some with runny noses and feeling unwell , `` overcame the fear of pneumonia ... winning praise from the leaders '' .
By the time the national authorities had woken up to the impending disaster , and closed the city down on 23 January , it was too late - the epidemic was out of control .
Before Wuhan 's transport links were cut , an estimated five million @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lunar New Year break , travelling across China and the world .
Some have begun calling the disaster `` China 's Chernobyl '' .
The parallels in failures to pass bad news up the chain of command and the incentives to put the short-term interests of political stability ahead of public safety , seem all too apparent .
Li Wenliang , who 'd gone back to work after being warned to keep quiet , soon discovered he 'd also been infected .
He died earlier this month , leaving a five-year-old son and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who tried to warn others about coronavirus Anger was already simmering over the authorities ' failure to issue timely warnings , with the crisis now being aired in full view .
Wuhan 's politicians were blaming senior officials for failing to authorise the release of the information ; senior officials appeared to be preparing to hang Wuhan 's politicians out to dry .
But the death of a man , silenced for simply trying to protect his colleagues , burst open the dam with a wave of online fury directed not just at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
So great was the public outrage , China 's censors appeared unsure what to censor and what to let through .
The hashtag # Iwantfreedomofspeech was viewed almost two million times before it was blocked .
Aware of the tide of emotion , the Party began paying its own tributes to Dr Li .
China 's rulers , untroubled by the inconveniences of the ballot box , have far deeper and older fears of what might sweep them from office .
The wars , famines and diseases that shook the dynasties of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an acute historical sense of the danger of the unforeseen crisis .
They will also know well what Chernobyl did for the legitimacy of the ruling Communist Party in the former USSR .
`` It 's impossible to know if Li Wenliang 's death will serve as the catalyst for something bigger , '' Jude Blanchette , an expert on Chinese politics at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington , tells me .
`` But the raw emotion that surged when news of his condition broke indicates deep levels of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
Precisely because it feels the weight of history , however , the Communist Party has made holding onto power a living obsession , and it has an ever more formidable domestic security apparatus to help it to do so .
Over the past few decades it has proven nothing if not resilient , enduring through political chaos , devastating earthquakes and man-made disasters .
But one sign that might hint at an awareness of just how great the current risks are comes in the role being played by China 's President @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the first time since the crisis began - he ventured out to meet health workers involved in the fight , visiting a hospital and a virus control centre in Beijing .
In contrast , his premier , Li Keqiang , has been sent to the front lines in Wuhan and appointed head of a special working group to tackle the epidemic .
While it is common for the premier to be the face of reassurance during national disasters , some observers see another reason why Mr Xi might be wise to be seen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from this crisis is yet another demonstration that he does n't so much lead as he does command , '' Mr Blanchette says .
`` He 's clearly worried that this crisis will blow up in his face , and so he 's pushed out underlings to be the public face of the CCP 's response . ''
Already there are signs that the censorship is being ratcheted up once again , with Mr Xi ordering senior officials to `` strengthen the control over online media '' .
A few days ago , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and blogger , Chen Qiushi , who 'd travelled to Wuhan in an attempt to provide independent reporting about the situation .
Videos from Mr Chen , and a fellow activist , Fang Bin , have been widely watched , showing not the ranks of patriotic soldier-medics and the building of hospitals that fill state media coverage , but overcrowded waiting rooms and body bags .
He told me he was unsure how long he 'd be able to carry on .
`` The censorship is very strict and people 's accounts are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ content , '' he said .
Mr Chen has since gone missing .
Friends and family believe he 's been forced into Wuhan 's quarantine system , in an attempt to silence him .
China 's leaders now find their fate linked to the daily charts of infection rates , published city by city , province by province .
There are some signs that the extraordinary quarantine measures may be having an effect - outside of Hubei Province , the worst affected area , the number of new daily infections is falling .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ restart the economy - all but frozen now for over a week - the country has begun a slow return to work .
Strict quarantine measures will remain in force in the worst affected areas , but workers from other parts of the country are trickling back to the cities , with the task of monitoring and managing their movements being handed to local neighbourhood committees .
It will be a difficult balancing act .
Too tough an approach risks further choking off business activity , commerce and travel in a consumer environment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of contagion .
Too lax , and any one of the many potential reservoirs of infection , now scattered across the country , could explode into another , separate epidemic .
That would require further harsh action , knocking domestic confidence and prolonging the international border closures and flight restrictions put in place at such enormous economic cost .
China is insisting that it is a fight well on the way to being won with `` unconquerable will '' and that lessons have been learned and `` shortcomings in preparedness '' identified .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ disaster are dismissed as foreign `` prejudice '' , as the propaganda machine cranks into overdrive , channelling the narrative and muting the criticisms .
But the devastating scale and scope of China 's world-threatening catastrophe have already revealed something important .
The thousands who have lost family members , the millions living under the quarantine measures and the workers and businesses bearing the financial costs have been asking those difficult questions too .
On the snowy banks of the Tonghui river , the giant tribute to Li Wenliang remains intact .
When @ @ @ @ @ @ @ taking photos and talking quietly to each other .
Soon , with the warming weather , the characters will be gone .

Very early estimates suggested the new virus may be at least as deadly as flu - precisely why so much effort is now going into stopping it becoming another global pandemic. But one new estimate suggests it could prove even deadlier yet, killing as many as 1% of those who contract it. For any individual, that risk is still relatively small, although it's worth noting such estimates are averages - just like flu, the risks fall more heavily on the elderly and already infirm.