bbc--2020-09-10--Wildlife in catastrophic decline, report warns

Wildlife populations have fallen by more than two-thirds in less than 50 years , according to a major report by the conservation group WWF .
The report says this `` catastrophic decline '' shows no sign of slowing .
And it warns that nature is being destroyed by humans at a rate never seen before .
Wildlife is `` in freefall '' as we burn forests , over-fish our seas and destroy wild areas , says Tanya Steele , chief executive at WWF .
`` We are wrecking our world - the one place we call home - risking our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Earth .
Now nature is sending us a desperate SOS and time is running out . ''
What do the numbers mean ?
The report looked at thousands of different wildlife species monitored by conservation scientists in habitats across the world .
They recorded an average 68 % fall in more than 20,000 populations of mammals , birds , amphibians , reptiles and fish since 1970 .
The decline was clear evidence of the damage human activity is doing to the natural world , said Dr Andrew Terry , director of conservation at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) , which provides the data .
`` If nothing changes , populations will undoubtedly continue to fall , driving wildlife to extinction and threatening the integrity of the ecosystems on which we depend , '' he added .
The report says the Covid-19 pandemic is a stark reminder of how nature and humans are intertwined .
Factors believed to lead to the emergence of pandemics - including habitat loss and the use and trade of wildlife - are also some of the drivers behind the decline in wildlife .
New modelling evidence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ habitat loss and deforestation if we take urgent conservation action and change the way we produce and consume food .
The British TV presenter and naturalist Sir David Attenborough said the Anthropocene , the geological age during which human activity has come to the fore , could be the moment we achieve a balance with the natural world and become stewards of our planet .
`` Doing so will require systemic shifts in how we produce food , create energy , manage our oceans and use materials , '' he said .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ change in perspective .
A change from viewing nature as something that 's optional or 'nice to have ' to the single greatest ally we have in restoring balance to our world . ''
Sir David presents a new documentary on extinction to be aired on BBC One in the UK on Sunday 13 September at 20:00 BST .
How do we measure the loss of nature ?
Measuring the variety of all life on Earth is complex , with a number of different measures .
Taken together , they provide evidence that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unprecedented in human history .
This particular report uses an index of whether populations of wildlife are going up or down .
It does not tell us the number of species lost , or extinctions .
The largest declines are in tropical areas .
The drop of 94 % for Latin America and the Caribbean is the largest anywhere in the world , driven by a cocktail of threats to reptiles , amphibians and birds .
`` This report is looking at the global picture and the need to act soon in order @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said Louise McRae of ZSL .
The data has been used for modelling work to look at what might be needed to reverse the decline .
Research published in the journal Naturesuggests that to turn the tide we must transform the way we produce and consume food , including reducing food waste and eating food with a lower environmental impact .
Prof Dame Georgina Mace of UCL said conservation actions alone would n't be sufficient to `` bend the curve on biodiversity loss '' .
`` It will require actions from other sectors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ food system will be particularly important , both from the agricultural sector on the supply side , and consumers on the demand side , '' she said .
What do other measures tell us about the loss of nature ?
Extinction data is compiled by the International Union for Conservation of Nature ( IUCN ) , which has evaluated more than 100,000 species of plants and animals , with more than 32,000 species threatened with extinction .
In 2019 , an intergovernmental panel of scientists concluded that one million species ( 500,000 animals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are threatened with extinction , some within decades .
The WWF report is one of many assessments of the state of nature being published in the coming weeks and months in the build-up to a major summit next year .
The UN will reveal next Tuesday its latest assessment of the state of nature worldwide .

"It will require actions from other sectors, and here we show that the food system will be particularly important, both from the agricultural sector on the supply side, and consumers on the demand side," she said.


bbc--2020-09-10--WestJet cancels flight because of mask dispute with child

A Canadian flight was cancelled and police were called because a child was not wearing a mask .
Safwan Choudhry says WestJet wanted his 19-month-old to wear a mask , but the baby girl would not stop crying .
The airline says the issue was not with the infant , who is below the age required to wear a mask , but with Mr Choudhry 's three-year-old .
Tuesday morning 's Flight 652 from Calgary to Toronto was stopped , and all passengers were ordered to disembark .
`` It 's unlike anything I have ever witnessed , let alone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ BBC .
Mr Choudhry told the BBC his oldest daughter , who is three , was eating a snack before take-off when flight attendants approached them asking that both their children wear a mask .
He said he and his wife were masked .
He said he asked if his daughter could finish her snack , but that they said they had a `` zero tolerance policy '' and would not close the plane door without her wearing a mask .
Mr Choudhry said he agreed to put one on immediately .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ease them into it , which is a code word for let me get the iPad out , '' he told the BBC .
He says the three-year-old did put on a mask , after some fussing .
`` But my younger one had a very difficult time , she was basically hysterical . ''
Mr Choudhry says she was so upset she vomited .
He says WestJet was aggressive , and told them that because his youngest daughter was not wearing a mask , and was too upset to wear a mask @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leave .
He says they told them that if they did not leave , they could be arrested , charged and receive prison time .
Mr Choudhry says he and his wife were respectful .
They ultimately agreed to leave .
He later learned that according to Canadian transportation policy , only children over two are required to wear a mask , and thus his 19-month-old did not have to put one on .
What does WestJet say ?
WestJet disputes that the three-year-old put a mask on .
The airline said in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the parents to place a mask on their older child who is over the age of two , our crew informed the adults of the regulations we are required to follow .
`` Our crew requested the presence of the authorities after the guests refused to comply with Transport Canada 's interim order and subsequently refused to deplane the aircraft . ''
A video taken with Mr Choudhry 's phone shows his older daughter wearing a mask on the plane , after police arrived on board .
He says while some passengers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` overwhelmingly '' people on the plane supported them .
Many spoke up in defence of the family , as their youngest cried , he says .
That was when flight staff called police , he says .
They got off the plane , and the flight was eventually cancelled and rebooked for the next day .
`` Due to the rapid escalation of the situation on board , our crew felt uncomfortable to operate and the flight was subsequently cancelled , '' WestJet said .
In a video , a police officer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ issue with the eldest was `` resolved '' , `` the behaviour of the other passengers left the rest of the crew feeling unsafe '' .
Some passengers can be heard in video of the incident heckling the police and air crew .
The officer later confirms that when he arrived , the oldest child was wearing a mask .
Police did not file any charges .
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A fellow passenger , Marian Nur , also recorded some of the interactions with flight staff , because she was worried the family was being targeted because of their race and religion - Mr Choudhry 's wife wears a hijab .
`` I was so shocked , the parents never raised their voices , they never got angry with the attendants , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them , '' she told CBC .
Mr Choudhry says he and his family are still in Calgary , and have not been offered another flight to Toronto .
He says he hopes this does not happen to anyone else .
`` So many people were put through so much grief because of a lack-of-understanding on part of the policy , '' he says .

He said he asked if his daughter could finish her snack, but that they said they had a "zero tolerance policy" and would not close the plane door without her wearing a mask. Mr Choudhry said he agreed to put one on immediately.


bbc--2020-09-10--Belarus opposition politician told she would be deported 'alive or in bits'

A jailed Belarusian opposition leader says she feared for her life when security officers threw a bag over her head during an attempt to deport her .
Maria Kolesnikova says she was forced into a van and told that if she did not leave willingly she would be removed anyway `` alive or in bits '' .
She is seeking a criminal case against Belarusian security forces including the KGB , her lawyer said .
Ms Kolesnikova is one of three women who joined forces to challenge President Alexander Lukashenko in August 's election .
She is the last of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The main opposition leader , Svetlana Tikhanovskaya , says she won 60-70 % of the election in places where votes were properly counted .
She fled to Lithuania after she was detained in August .
What has Kolesnikova said ?
In a statement filed by her lawyer , she said she had been forced into the van by masked men on Monday in the capital , Minsk .
`` It was stated that if I did not voluntarily leave the Republic of Belarus , I would be taken out anyway , alive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ threats to imprison me for up to 25 years . ''
Ms Kolesnikova was driven to the Ukrainian border with two other people but she prevented officials forcibly expelling her by tearing up her passport and throwing it out of a car window , those who travelled with her said .
During the inauguration of a new chief prosecutor on Thursday , the president maintained his legitimacy as leader .
`` People often reproach me : 'He wo n't give up power . '
They 're right to reproach me .
The people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' he said .
`` Power is not given to be taken , thrown and given away . ''
The president , in power since 1994 , said that Belarus could not return to the instability of the years following the break-up of the Soviet Union in 1991 .

"It was stated that if I did not voluntarily leave the Republic of Belarus, I would be taken out anyway, alive or in bits. There were also threats to imprison me for up to 25 years."


bbc--2020-09-10--Oregon wildfires: State hit by unprecedented fires

The US state of Oregon is battling record-breaking wildfires , which have destroyed at least five towns .
Three deaths in Oregon have been blamed on the wildfires , with another in neighbouring Washington state , where blazes are also burning .
In California , three people died in a wildfire that has forced thousands from their homes , authorities say .
Fires are raging in nine other western states , according to the National Fire Information Center .
Oregon Governor Kate Brown told a news conference on Wednesday : `` This could be the greatest loss of human life @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state 's history . ''
The fires are blazing across the state 's valleys and along the coast , causing mass evacuations .
One Oregon evacuee , Jody Evans , told NewsChannel 21 about her ordeal .
`` Fire on both sides , winds blowing , ash flying - it was like driving through hell , '' she said .
Washington Governor Jay Inslee said on Tuesday that more than double the acreage had been torched in the previous 24 hours than had been burned during all of last year in his state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a 20-year mega-drought - is experiencing more than two dozen wildfires , including three of its five largest ever .
The sheriff of Butte County , north-east of San Francisco , said two people had been found dead at one location and a third elsewhere .
One of the three was a motorist who was apparently trying to escape the Bear Fire , police told local media .
The Bear Fire has scorched more than 200,000 acres since it began in mid-August .
The latest deaths mean that fires in the state have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ last month .
More than 2.3m acres have been burned this year in the state .
California Highway Patrol Officer Ben Draper told the East Bay Times that one of the fatalities discovered on Wednesday was someone who seemed to have been trying to flee the wildfire .
He said investigators believe the unidentified driver had fled his or her car after driving towards a ditch before being overcome by the smoke and flames .
`` Somebody was just attempting to flee and it just did n't work out , '' he said @

"She slams her hand on the wall - because we've never signed our own wall, because it was our house we lived in - she traced her hand, she slammed my hand on the wall, she traced my hand, she kissed me and said: 'Don't forget this was our first home. And we left."


bbc--2020-09-10--US revokes visas for 1,000 Chinese students deemed security risk

The US says it has revoked the visas of more than 1,000 Chinese students and researchers who have been deemed to be a security risk .
The move follows a proclamation by President Donald Trump in May aimed at Chinese nationals suspected of having ties to the military .
He said some had stolen data and intellectual property .
China has accused the US of racial discrimination .
Nearly 370,000 students from China enrolled at US universities in 2018-19 .
A state department spokeswoman described those whose visas were revoked as `` high-risk graduate students and research scholars '' .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ subset '' of the total number of Chinese students .
• ‘ Neither the US nor China wants us ’ '' We continue to welcome legitimate students and scholars from China who do not further the Chinese Communist Party 's goals of military dominance , '' the spokeswoman said .
The Chinese foreign ministry denounced the move at a daily media briefing in Beijing .
`` This is outright political persecution and racial discrimination .
It seriously violates the human rights of these Chinese students , '' spokesman Zhao Lijian said , adding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ further respond '' .
The proclamation of 29 May accused China of engaging in a `` wide-ranging and heavily resourced campaign to acquire sensitive United States technologies and intellectual property '' and said it was using some students `` to operate as non-traditional collectors of intellectual property '' .
Some Chinese students in the US say they are facing increased hostility and suspicion on university campuses , and their reasons for studying being questioned .

US Assistant Secretary of State David Stilwell told me last month that, against Chinese nationals who concealed military ties and came to the US "masquerading" as students, "we have to defend ourselves". The US authorities have indicted several Chinese nationals for visa fraud and theft of trade secrets.


bbc--2020-09-10--Ronald Bell: Kool & The Gang founder dies aged 68

Ronald Bell , one of the founder members of 1970s and 1980s pop group Kool & the Gang , has died at the age of 68 .
He started the band with his brother Robert `` Kool '' Bell in 1964 .
They became one of the era 's most popular and influential soul and funk bands , with hits including Celebration , Ladies ' Night and Get Down On It .
Their music also featured in several films including Saturday Night Fever , for which they received a Grammy in 1978 , and Pulp Fiction .
Bell died at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with his wife by his side , his publicist said .
The cause of death was not given .
A self-taught saxophonist and singer , he founded the group in New Jersey with Robert and five schoolfriends - Dennis Thomas , Robert Mickens , Charles Smith , George Brown and Ricky West .
Their career was split into two distinct halves .
In the early 70s , they scored US hits with the foot-stomping funk of songs like Jungle Boogie and Hollywood Swinging .
Then , with the addition of vocalist James `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ morphed into a hit-making R & B band , scoring the biggest commercial success of their career as they reached their 20th anniversary .
As musical director , Bell co-wrote all of their biggest hits , including the wedding disco classic Celebration .
It was his `` favourite song '' from the band 's extensive back catalogue , he told the Reuters news agency in 2008 .
`` I had no clue , you know , '' he said .
`` I was clueless , thinking that that was going to be a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` But after all these years , there are times at the end of the show when I see all of these people singing a song , and after all of an hour and a half , you ask them to jump up and down and they still jump up and down .
That 's kind of overwhelming for me . ''
The group received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2015 for their contribution to the world of entertainment , and were inducted into the Songwriters ' Hall Of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and raised in Ohio , and picked up the music bug from his father , a professional boxer who was a close friend of jazz musicians Thelonious Monk and Miles Davis .
Unable to afford drums , he and his brother taught themselves to play on makeshift instruments .
`` I used to beat paint cans like bongos , and depending on how much paint was inside , this would determine the tone of the sounds we made , '' he later recalled .
After the family moved to New Jersey in his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a real set of bongos and he began to teach himself bass guitar , borrowing an instrument from the brother of his future bandmate Robert `` Spike '' Mickens .
The first incarnation of Kool & The Gang formed in 1964 , but they cycled through several names - including Jazziacs , The New Dimensions , The Soul Town Band , the Jazz Birds and Kool & the Flames before settling on their final moniker in 1969 .
Along the way , they combined their love of jazz with the gritty rhythms of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would lead to their success in the 1970s .
`` We used to play a lot of percussion in the streets in the 60s , go to the park and start beating on drums and stuff in the street , '' Bell told Rolling Stone .
`` You had a hard time trying to get us to play R & B , '' he added .
`` We were die-hard jazz musicians .
We 're not stooping to that . ''
As the Jazz Birds , they won the Apollo Theater 's famed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with a small label called De-Lite Records .
Three singles from their self-titled debut album hit the pop charts , with the instrumental track Kool & The Gang showcasing their raucous , horn-driven sound .
Their mainstream breakthrough came with 1973 's Wild and Peaceful album .
Lead single Funky Stuff became their first top 40 hit in the US , followed by Jungle Boogie and Hollywood Swinging , which both reached the top 10 .
Jungle Boogie went on to become one of their signature songs - used in Quentin Tarantino 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Erotica .
It was only written after the band 's record label , in search of a top 10 single , pressured Kool & The Gang to record a cover of Soul Makossa by Manu Dibango .
`` It would have been a hit , '' Bell later recalled .
`` But we decided we were not going to record Soul Makossa - we 'll come up with our own 'jungle music ' , not to be derogatory .
`` We made the song up in the rehearsal , went in and recorded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one take . ''
As disco rose to prominence , the band struggled to replicate their early success - although they did win a Grammy for Open Sesame , their contribution to the multi-million-selling Saturday Night Fever soundtrack .
Things changed with the addition of Taylor , a former nightclub singer , and producer Eumir Deodato , which led to a cleaner , pop-driven sound and the crossover single Ladies ' Night .
The decision was prompted when the band found themselves on tour with the Jacksons and were told by the promoter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , chosen for his deep baritone `` like Nat King Cole '' , was the only singer they auditioned .
Unlike many of the funk bands of the 70s , Kool & The Gang thrived in the 1980s , scoring huge hits with sentimental ballads like Joanna and Cherish , as well as the party anthems Steppin ' Out and Get Down On It , which is now their most-streamed song on Spotify .
Possibly their most enduring hit is Celebration , which was written after Bell picked up a hotel room Bible @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about where God called the angels together , and made an announcement that he was going to create this being , '' he told Songwriter Universe .
`` He gathered the angels together and they said , 'We do n't know nothin ' , but we just celebrate you , God - we celebrate and praise you . '
'' `` And I thought , I 'm going to write a song about that , [ with the line ] 'Everyone around the world…Come on ! '
`` That 's the intent ... @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' The group found a new generation of fans in the 80s and 90s as their music was sampled in a raft of pop and hip-hop songs .
Jungle Boogie 's horn riff appears in Luniz 's I Got 5 On It ; Summer Madness formed the basis of Summertime by DJ Jazzy Jeff and The Fresh Prince ; and the syncopated rhythms of Jungle Jazz appear on dozens of tracks , from MARRS 's Pump Up The Volume to Jade 's Do n't Walk Away .
When Public Enemy sampled three separate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of a Black Planet , Bell voiced his approval .
`` After Public Enemy , I was all in [ with hip-hop ] , '' he told Rolling Stone in 2015 .
`` The music was all new to me .
I sat and listened to Fear of a Black Planet and was thrilled .
I thought that was amazing .
`` You can practically hear [ drummer ] George [ Brown ] playing that break beat .
You can hear our music in the background .
You know it was compound and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ & the Gang music in all that hip-hop . ''
The rise of hip-hop and the departure of Taylor in 1989 effectively ended Kool & The Gang 's presence on the charts , but Bell continued to record and tour with the group as a legacy act in the 1990s and 2000s .
At the time of his death , he was working on a solo album called Kool Baby Brotha Band , as well as a series of animations about the band 's childhood and career .
In an interview with Billboard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ grateful to have had a career in music .
`` And for it to be this long , '' he added .
`` For me , I 'm most grateful for that , to still be relevant since [ we were ] 19 . ''
The musician is survived by his wife Tia Sinclair Bell and 10 children ; as well as his brother Robert and three other siblings .
The family will hold a private funeral service , and have asked that fans donate to the children 's charity the Boys and @ @ @ @ @

"But after all these years, there are times at the end of the show when I see all of these people singing a song, and after all of an hour and a half, you ask them to jump up and down and they still jump up and down. That's kind of overwhelming for me."


bbc--2020-09-10--California wildfires: Smoke turns skies orange

A plume of smoke from wildfires in the US state of California has descended on the San Francisco area , causing the sky over the region to turn orange .
Some 14,000 firefighters are battling 28 major blazes across California , amid a historic heatwave .
Wildfires have burned more than 2.5 million acres in the state this year , killing at least eight people .
On Wednesday , strong winds blew smoke and ash from some of those blazes in northern parts of the state .
Residents of San Francisco and the surrounding areas woke up to darkened skies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was still night time .
`` It feels like the end of the world , '' Catherine Geeslin , who lives in the West Portal area of the city , told the San Francisco Chronicle .
`` It was alarming to see it 's still dark .
And it will be strange to have lunch in the dark .
But you still have to get on with your day . ''
Local media reported that it still appeared to be dawn at 10:45 ( 18:45 BST ) , as the sun 's rays @ @ @ @ @ @ @ On Wednesday , officials said three people had died in northern California .
In a tweet , Daniel Swain , a climate scientist at the University of California , Los Angeles ( UCLA ) , said `` extremely dense '' and `` tall smoke plumes '' were `` almost completely blocking out the sun '' .
That smoke , experts said , was also behind the sky 's orange glow .
Smoke particles from the wildfires `` only allow yellow-orange-red light to reach the surface , causing skies to look orange '' , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ explained on Twitter .
`` This is not a common sight because this takes very specific conditions in order for this to happen , '' National Weather Service ( NWS ) forecaster Brian Garcia told SFGate .
`` Obviously , you need fires that have ample smoke production . ''
As wildfires continue to burn , forecasters expect similar conditions in the coming days .
Meanwhile in Oregon , Governor Kate Brown said this was a `` once-in-a-generation event '' that could bring about `` the greatest loss in human lives and property @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Officials said at least two people had been killed .
In Washington state , a one-year-old boy died after his family was apparently overrun by flames while they attempted to flee their property .
More on the California wildfires

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bbc--2020-09-10--The Walking Dead to end in 2022 - but will live on through spin-offs

Zombie TV drama The Walking Dead is to finish in 2022 with an extended 24-episode season , US TV network AMC has said .
The series , which started in 2010 and will have run for 11 seasons , is not disappearing entirely , though .
Two of the show 's stars , Norman Reedus and Melissa McBride , who play Daryl Dixon and Carol Peletier , will get a spin-off series , which is already in development .
That is expected to premiere in 2023 .
Writer and producer Scott M Gimple said : `` What 's clear is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ living , made by a passionate cast , team of writer/producers , producers , and crew , bringing to life the vision put forth by Robert Kirkman in his brilliant comic - and supported by the best fans in the world .
`` This will be a grand finale that will lead to new premieres .
Evolution is upon us .
The Walking Dead lives . ''
The post-apocalyptic horror series has already spawned various spin-offs , including Fear The Walking Dead and Chris Hardwick 's Talking Dead , which screens after the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a studio audience .
Another offshoot following the first generation to come of age in the apocalypse , The Walking Dead : World Beyond , will make its debut next month ; while an anthology series titled Tales of the Walking Dead is also in the works .
• The Walking Dead to pause on penultimate episode • The Walking Dead is a 'special baby I 've been handed' The Walking Dead starred British actor Andrew Lincoln as ex-police officer Rick Grimes , and repeatedly broke US cable TV ratings records in its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ninth season .
Samantha Morton played the show 's latest villain Alpha , the leader of The Whisperers - a new group of survivors .
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If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news @ bbc.co.uk .


bbc--2020-09-10--US Open 2020: Serena Williams & Naomi Osaka target 2018 rematch

Last updated on .From the section Tennis Serena Williams and Naomi Osaka will be hoping to secure a rematch of the 2018 US Open final when both semi-finals take centre stage on Thursday .
`` I think she 's a really amazing player , she has the variety that I wish I had so I 'm a bit jealous , '' said 22-year-old Osaka .
• None Williams comes from behind to reach semi-finals • None Azarenka into first Slam semi since 2013 • None 'Without your gutsy actions , we would n't be here today ' - Andreescu 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the first female college player since Lori McNeil in 1987 to reach this stage , only won her first title last month .
She also comes into this match having won 11 of her past 13 matches , never dropping a set in those victories Osaka added : `` She 's super nice and I think it 's going to be a really tough match and I think we 're both going to try our best . ''
The Japanese player has improved as the tournament has progressed , with impressive victories over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ American Shelby Rogers in the quarter-finals .
Williams , similarly , has improved match by match and has noticeably grown stronger in the longer contests .
Her victory over Bulgarian Tsvetana Pironkova on Wednesday was her third successive three-set win at this tournament , and her second where she came from a set down .
`` In the beginning I was a little bit fatigued for whatever reason so obviously I ca n't do that if I want to keep winning so I am going to try to figure that out , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ equal Margaret Court 's record of 24 Grand Slam singles titles .
She has faced her opponent Azarenka on 22 occasions , and won 18 of their meetings .
However , the Belarusian seems to be in peak condition .
On Wednesday she showed glimpses of the form that led her to two Australian Open titles and the world number spot in the early 2010s during her 6-1 6-0 win over Elise Mertens .
`` I 'm so excited about this amazing opportunity to play a champion , someone I respect a lot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she said of her forthcoming semi-final .
`` I hope it will be fun - it 'll be fun for me . ''
Osaka 's match against Brady opens up the double bill at the Arthur Ashe Stadium at 00:00 BST before third seed Williams plays Azarenka .
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Last updated on .From the section Tennis
Jennifer Brady had previously failed to get past the fourth round of a singles competition at a major in 18 attempts
2020 US Open Venue: Flushing Meadows, New York Dates: 31 Aug-13 Sept Coverage: Selected live radio and text commentaries on BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra, BBC Sounds, the BBC Sport website and app.
Serena Williams and Naomi Osaka will be hoping to secure a rematch of the 2018 US Open final when both semi-finals take centre stage on Thursday.
Six-time champion Williams, 38, who lost that infamous match, faces former world number one Victoria Azarenka.
Japan's Osaka faces 25-year-old American 28th seed Jennifer Brady.
"I think she's a really amazing player, she has the variety that I wish I had so I'm a bit jealous," said 22-year-old Osaka.
Brady, the first female college player since Lori McNeil in 1987 to reach this stage, only won her first title last month. She also comes into this match having won 11 of her past 13 matches, never dropping a set in those victories
Osaka added: "She's super nice and I think it's going to be a really tough match and I think we're both going to try our best."
The Japanese player has improved as the tournament has progressed, with impressive victories over Estonian 14th seed Anett Kontaveit and then American Shelby Rogers in the quarter-finals.
Williams, similarly, has improved match by match and has noticeably grown stronger in the longer contests.
Her victory over Bulgarian Tsvetana Pironkova on Wednesday was her third successive three-set win at this tournament, and her second where she came from a set down.
Serena Williams last won the US Open title in 2014
"In the beginning I was a little bit fatigued for whatever reason so obviously I can't do that if I want to keep winning so I am going to try to figure that out," said Williams, who is seeking to equal Margaret Court's record of 24 Grand Slam singles titles.
She has faced her opponent Azarenka on 22 occasions, and won 18 of their meetings.
However, the Belarusian seems to be in peak condition. On Wednesday she showed glimpses of the form that led her to two Australian Open titles and the world number spot in the early 2010s during her 6-1 6-0 win over Elise Mertens.
"I'm so excited about this amazing opportunity to play a champion, someone I respect a lot and who's my friend," she said of her forthcoming semi-final. "I hope it will be fun - it'll be fun for me."
Osaka's match against Brady opens up the double bill at the Arthur Ashe Stadium at 00:00 BST before third seed Williams plays Azarenka.


bbc--2020-09-10--Four-time champion Vettel to join renamed Aston Martin F1 team

Last updated on .From the section Formula 1 Four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel is to join the renamed Aston Martin team in Formula 1 next year .
Aston Martin said signing Vettel was `` a clear statement of the team 's ambition '' to establish themselves at the front .
`` It 's a new adventure for me with a truly legendary car company , '' said Vettel , who replaces Sergio Perez .
• None Tuscan GP : Ferrari to race in one-off livery at Mugello A statement from Aston Martin said Vettel had signed for `` 2021 and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ length of the contract .
Typically , it would be expected the German has signed a three-year deal .
Vettel said : `` I 'm extremely proud to say I will become an Aston Martin driver in 2021 .
`` I have been impressed with the results the team has achieved this year and I believe the future looks even brighter .
`` The energy and commitment of Lawrence [ Stroll , the owner ] to the sport is inspiring and I believe we can build something very special together .
`` I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1 and my only motivation is to race at the front of the grid .
To do so with Aston Martin will be a huge privilege . ''
Team principal Otmar Szafnauer said the team were `` hugely excited '' by the news .
`` Sebastian is a proven champion and brings a winning mentality that matches our own ambitions for the future as Aston Martin F1 Team , '' he said .
`` On a Saturday or Sunday afternoon , Sebastian is one of the best in the world , and I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to help take us into this new era .
He will play a significant role in taking this team to the next level . ''
Racing Point have made a huge leap forward in 2020 , emerging with the third-fastest car on the grid - although they have been surrounded by controversy for copying the 2019 Mercedes .
Last month they were docked 15 points and fined 400,000 euros for illegally copying Mercedes ' 2019 brake ducts and using them on their 2020 car .
The case has led to rule clarifications for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ such wholesale copying of one team 's car by another ever happening again .
Vettel is one of the most successful drivers in the history of F1 .
His 53 race victories is a tally surpassed only by Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton , and only Schumacher , Hamilton and Argentine Juan Manuel Fangio have more titles than him .
The Aston Martin name is entering F1 next year after both Racing Point and the famous sports car company were taken over by Stroll , a Canadian billionaire businessman .
The 61-year-old rescued @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and earlier this year took over Aston Martin , which had been lurching from one financial crisis to the next for some time .
Stroll made his fortune in fashion but has had a lifelong fascination with F1 and has a large collection of classic cars .
Signing Vettel required the severing of Perez 's contract .
The Mexican , who brought money to the team from his financial backers , last autumn signed a contract with Racing Point until the end of 2022 .
But Ferrari 's decision to dispense with Vettel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ started , changed the landscape of the driver market and Stroll viewed signing him as too good an opportunity to miss .
However , Vettel 's reputation is not what it was , after three difficult years at Ferrari .
Vettel won four consecutive titles with Red Bull from 2010-13 and joined Ferrari in 2015 after a year in which his new team-mate , Daniel Ricciardo , had beaten him .
Vettel helped build Ferrari until they were title contenders against Hamilton and Mercedes in both 2017 and 2018 , but each year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a string of errors by the driver .
These continued into 2019 , when he was joined in the team by the highly rated Charles Leclerc .
Like Ricciardo , Leclerc beat Vettel in his first season with the team , even though the senior man started the year as the team 's official number one .
Leclerc scored more pole positions , out-qualified Vettel more often than the other way around , won more races and scored more points .
In addition , there were a series of flashpoints between the two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ culminating in them crashing out of the Brazilian Grand Prix together .
Ferrari decided to commit to Leclerc as their team leader and viewed Vettel , as a proud and successful champion , as too big a distraction .
So they decided not even to enter into negotiations with him and signed Spaniard Carlos Sainz instead .
As such , while Vettel joining what will become Aston Martin is a huge coup for a team that was originally established as Jordan in 1991 , it is also a chance for Vettel to rebuild @ @ @ @ @ @ @ • None Listen to unique tracks from Stormzy , Miley and Biffy Clyro

Last updated on .From the section Formula 1
Sebastian Vettel has been at Ferrari since 2015
Four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel is to join the renamed Aston Martin team in Formula 1 next year.
Vettel, 33, is moving to the team currently known as Racing Point from Ferrari, who earlier this year decided not to offer the German a new contract.
Aston Martin said signing Vettel was "a clear statement of the team's ambition" to establish themselves at the front.
"It's a new adventure for me with a truly legendary car company," said Vettel, who replaces Sergio Perez.
A statement from Aston Martin said Vettel had signed for "2021 and beyond" but did not confirm the length of the contract.
Typically, it would be expected the German has signed a three-year deal.
Vettel said: "I'm extremely proud to say I will become an Aston Martin driver in 2021.
"I have been impressed with the results the team has achieved this year and I believe the future looks even brighter.
"The energy and commitment of Lawrence [Stroll, the owner] to the sport is inspiring and I believe we can build something very special together.
"I still have so much love for Formula 1 and my only motivation is to race at the front of the grid. To do so with Aston Martin will be a huge privilege."
Team principal Otmar Szafnauer said the team were "hugely excited" by the news.
"Sebastian is a proven champion and brings a winning mentality that matches our own ambitions for the future as Aston Martin F1 Team," he said.
"On a Saturday or Sunday afternoon, Sebastian is one of the best in the world, and I can't think of a better driver to help take us into this new era. He will play a significant role in taking this team to the next level."
Reputations to establish and revive
Racing Point have made a huge leap forward in 2020, emerging with the third-fastest car on the grid - although they have been surrounded by controversy for copying the 2019 Mercedes.
Last month they were docked 15 points and fined 400,000 euros for illegally copying Mercedes' 2019 brake ducts and using them on their 2020 car. The case has led to rule clarifications for next season that are aimed at preventing such wholesale copying of one team's car by another ever happening again.
Vettel is one of the most successful drivers in the history of F1.
His 53 race victories is a tally surpassed only by Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton, and only Schumacher, Hamilton and Argentine Juan Manuel Fangio have more titles than him.
The Aston Martin name is entering F1 next year after both Racing Point and the famous sports car company were taken over by Stroll, a Canadian billionaire businessman.
The 61-year-old rescued the F1 team from administration in 2018 and earlier this year took over Aston Martin, which had been lurching from one financial crisis to the next for some time.
Stroll made his fortune in fashion but has had a lifelong fascination with F1 and has a large collection of classic cars.
Signing Vettel required the severing of Perez's contract. The Mexican, who brought money to the team from his financial backers, last autumn signed a contract with Racing Point until the end of 2022.
But Ferrari's decision to dispense with Vettel, made before this season had even started, changed the landscape of the driver market and Stroll viewed signing him as too good an opportunity to miss.
However, Vettel's reputation is not what it was, after three difficult years at Ferrari.
Vettel won four consecutive titles with Red Bull from 2010-13 and joined Ferrari in 2015 after a year in which his new team-mate, Daniel Ricciardo, had beaten him.
Vettel helped build Ferrari until they were title contenders against Hamilton and Mercedes in both 2017 and 2018, but each year they fell short, partly because of a string of errors by the driver.
These continued into 2019, when he was joined in the team by the highly rated Charles Leclerc.
Like Ricciardo, Leclerc beat Vettel in his first season with the team, even though the senior man started the year as the team's official number one.
Leclerc scored more pole positions, out-qualified Vettel more often than the other way around, won more races and scored more points.
In addition, there were a series of flashpoints between the two drivers as they battled for supremacy, culminating in them crashing out of the Brazilian Grand Prix together.
Ferrari decided to commit to Leclerc as their team leader and viewed Vettel, as a proud and successful champion, as too big a distraction. So they decided not even to enter into negotiations with him and signed Spaniard Carlos Sainz instead.
As such, while Vettel joining what will become Aston Martin is a huge coup for a team that was originally established as Jordan in 1991, it is also a chance for Vettel to rebuild his reputation in a new environment.


bbc--2020-09-10--Liverpool 'cannot behave like Chelsea' in transfer market - Klopp

Last updated on .From the section Liverpool Manager Jurgen Klopp says Liverpool are a `` different club '' to some rivals in the transfer window as they are `` not owned by countries or oligarchs '' .
Klopp says `` uncertainty '' created by Covid-19 is `` less important '' for some .
He said the Reds have had success `` by being the club we are '' , adding : `` We can not change that overnight and say 'now we want to behave like Chelsea ' . ''
Klopp told BBC Radio 5 Live : `` Clubs are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in uncertainty in the world .
`` For some clubs it seems to be less important how uncertain the future is because they are owned by countries , owned by oligarchs , and that is the truth .
`` We are a different kind of club .
We reached the Champions League final two years ago , won it the following year and won the Premier League by being the club we are . ''
Liverpool spent £1.3m on young Dutch defender Sepp van den Berg from PEC Zwolle last summer , as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lonergan on free transfers , before adding Red Bull Salzburg 's Japan forward Takumi Minamino for £7.25m in January .
Klopp 's side finished 18 points clear of Manchester City as they won their first league title in 30 years , with Chelsea 33 points behind in fourth .
Chelsea were unable to make any signings last summer because of a Fifa transfer ban , but it was halved on appeal in December 2019 to allow them to bring in players from January this year .
Frank Lampard 's side have signed Ajax @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Leipzig forward Timo Werner for about £48m , Bayer Leverkusen attacking midfielder Kai Havertz for £71m , Leicester City left-back Ben Chilwell for £45m and also brought in Paris St-Germain centre-back Thiago Silva on a free transfer .
Last season 's runners-up Manchester City have signed Bournemouth centre-back Nathan Ake for £40m and Valencia winger Fernan Torres for £21m - but have sold Germany winger Leroy Sane to Bayern Munich for about £45m .
Klopp pointed to the post-lockdown form of midfielders Naby Keita and Curtis Jones and the fact Minamino `` looks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ January as reasons Liverpool do not need to make numerous signings this summer .
The German also says he is focused on improving the players in his squad rather than bringing new ones in .
He added : `` We always want to improve the squad but there are different ways - one way is to sign new players and the other way is to work together , improve the things you were good in and try to nullify the things you are not good in .
`` That is football .
No-one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about signings . ''
• None Listen to unique tracks from Stormzy , Miley and Biffy Clyro

Klopp defends Liverpool's lack of transfer activity
Manager Jurgen Klopp says Liverpool are a "different club" to some rivals in the transfer window as they are "not owned by countries or oligarchs".
The Premier League champions have only signed Kostas Tsimikas for £11.7m, while Chelsea have spent about £200m.
Klopp says "uncertainty" created by Covid-19 is "less important" for some.
He said the Reds have had success "by being the club we are", adding: "We cannot change that overnight and say 'now we want to behave like Chelsea'."
Klopp told BBC Radio 5 Live: "Clubs are in different situations and we are living in uncertainty in the world.
"For some clubs it seems to be less important how uncertain the future is because they are owned by countries, owned by oligarchs, and that is the truth.
"We are a different kind of club. We reached the Champions League final two years ago, won it the following year and won the Premier League by being the club we are."
Liverpool spent £1.3m on young Dutch defender Sepp van den Berg from PEC Zwolle last summer, as well as signing goalkeepers Adrian and Andy Lonergan on free transfers, before adding Red Bull Salzburg's Japan forward Takumi Minamino for £7.25m in January.
Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool side sealed the Premier League title with seven games to spare
Klopp's side finished 18 points clear of Manchester City as they won their first league title in 30 years, with Chelsea 33 points behind in fourth.
Chelsea were unable to make any signings last summer because of a Fifa transfer ban, but it was halved on appeal in December 2019 to allow them to bring in players from January this year.
Frank Lampard's side have signed Ajax winger Hakim Ziyech for £33.3m, RB Leipzig forward Timo Werner for about £48m, Bayer Leverkusen attacking midfielder Kai Havertz for £71m, Leicester City left-back Ben Chilwell for £45m and also brought in Paris St-Germain centre-back Thiago Silva on a free transfer.
Last season's runners-up Manchester City have signed Bournemouth centre-back Nathan Ake for £40m and Valencia winger Fernan Torres for £21m - but have sold Germany winger Leroy Sane to Bayern Munich for about £45m.
Klopp pointed to the post-lockdown form of midfielders Naby Keita and Curtis Jones and the fact Minamino "looks completely different" after settling in since January as reasons Liverpool do not need to make numerous signings this summer.
The German also says he is focused on improving the players in his squad rather than bringing new ones in.
He added: "We always want to improve the squad but there are different ways - one way is to sign new players and the other way is to work together, improve the things you were good in and try to nullify the things you are not good in.
"That is football. No-one wants to talk about training and only about signings."


bbc--2020-09-08--Traveller families: 'We just want to live on the land we legally own'

`` If there was a certain part of the town where you had Asian people and I was Asian and @ @ @ @ @ want to live this side of the town ' and they said , 'No you @ @ @ @ @ that side of town because that 's where all the ones that are your colour @ @ @ @ @ not fair is it ? ''
Gemma says .
`` It 's racism at the @ @ @ @ @ '' She studied journalism in Sheffield and was the first in her family to go @ @ @ @ @ is telling the stories of the people and communities behind the headlines , exploring issues @ @ @ @ @ She has a great love for cups of tea , jerk chicken , chips and @ @ @ @ @

"If there was a certain part of the town where you had Asian people and I was Asian and I said, 'Well I want to live this side of the town' and they said, 'No you've got to go on that side of town because that's where all the ones that are your colour are' - that's not fair is it?" Gemma says. "It's racism at the end of the day."


bbc--2020-09-10--Russia, China and Iran hackers target Trump and Biden, Microsoft says

Hackers with ties to Russia , China and Iran are attempting to snoop on people and groups involved with the US 2020 presidential election , Microsoft says .
The Russian hackers who breached the 2016 Democratic campaign are again involved , said the tech firm .
Microsoft said it was `` clear that foreign activity groups have stepped up their efforts '' targeting the election .
Both President Donald Trump and Democrat Joe Biden 's campaigns are in the cyber-raiders ' sights .
Russian hackers from the Strontium group have targeted more than 200 organisations , many of which are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Republicans and Democrats , Microsoft said in a statement .
The same cyber-attackers also targeted British political parties , said Microsoft , without specifying which ones .
Strontium is also known as Fancy Bear , a cyber-attack unit allegedly affiliated with Russian military intelligence , the GRU .
What else did Microsoft say ?
`` Similar to what we observed in 2016 , Strontium is launching campaigns to harvest people 's log-in credentials or compromise their accounts , presumably to aid in intelligence gathering or disruption operations , '' said Tom Burt , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ security and trust .
The firm said Chinese hackers had launched attacks targeting individuals connected to Mr Biden 's campaign , while Iranian hackers had continued efforts targeting people associated with the Trump campaign .
• Hacking the US mid-terms ?
It 's child 's play Most of the cyber-attacks had not been successful , according to Microsoft .
The attacks have also not been launched on groups that handle the voting systems themselves .
`` What we 've seen is consistent with previous attack patterns that not only target candidates and campaign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ key issues , '' Mr Burt said .
`` These activities highlight the need for people and organisations involved in the political process to take advantage of free and low-cost security tools to protect themselves as we get closer to election day . ''
Microsoft reported that Chinese groups had launched attacks on the personal email accounts of people affiliated with the Biden campaign , as well as `` at least one prominent individual formerly associated with the Trump Administration '' .
`` Prominent individuals '' in the international affairs community , academic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to have been targeted by the Chinese hacking group , known as Zirconium .
The Iranian group known as Phosphorus has unsuccessfully sought to access accounts of White House officials and Mr Trump 's campaign staff between May and June of this year .
Microsoft was unable to determine the aims of the Russian , Chinese and Iranian hackers .
Google said back in June that it had detected similar cyber-hack attempts by China and Iran .
Trump campaign deputy national press secretary Thea McDonald said : `` We are a large target @ @ @ @ @ @ @ see malicious activity directed at the campaign or our staff . ''
A Biden campaign official said : `` We have known from the beginning of our campaign that we would be subject to such attacks and we are prepared for them . ''
The report comes a day after a whistleblower at the US Department of Homeland Security alleged he was put under pressure to downplay the threat of Russian interference in the US as it `` made the president look bad '' .
In 2016 , Russia 's attempts to influence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a hoax by some of the president 's supporters .
Microsoft 's findings highlight the fact that election interference is a bipartisan issue , with both Republicans and Democrats at risk .
Going into 2020 's consequential vote , it is not just intelligence agencies , but also the private sector that is concerned and taking action to prevent threats to the democratic process .
But they can only do so much without government action .
Tom Burt made a point in his post to encourage Congress to pass additional state funding to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ further , encouraging countries to ensure peace and security in cyberspace through global initiatives , including one underway at the United Nations .
How did the Trump administration respond ?
The Department of Homeland Security 's top cyber-official , Christopher Krebs , said Microsoft 's warning confirmed what the US intelligence community had already stated .
`` It is important to highlight that none [ of the targets ] are involved in maintaining or operating voting infrastructure and there was no identified impact on election systems , '' Mr Krebs said .
Earlier @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a Russian national with plotting to interfere in the US political process .
The US Department of Treasury also imposed sanctions against a Moscow-linked Ukrainian lawmaker , Andrii Derkach , who is accused of similar meddling .
Mr Derkach allegedly released edited audio that was intended to smear Democrat Joe Biden .
The recordings have been touted by President Donald Trump .
The Ukrainian met the US president 's personal lawyer , Rudy Giuliani , last December .
What has US intelligence said ?
The US intelligence community said in August that China @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to meddle in the forthcoming presidential election .
The assessment found that Russia was seeking to `` denigrate '' Mr Biden .
It also found that China and Iran wanted Mr Trump to lose the vote .
Iran , US intelligence warned , could try to `` undermine '' US democratic institutions and the president through online content .
US intelligence agencies concluded in 2016 that Russia was behind an effort to undermine Hillary Clinton 's presidential run , with a state-authorised campaign of cyber attacks and fake news stories planted on social @ @ @ @ @ @ @ know about Trump Russia story Special Counsel Robert Mueller 's investigation found Russian hackers gained access to Democratic National Committee systems as well as Clinton campaign chair John Podesta 's personal email .
They leaked tens of thousands of emails from the campaign .
Facebook later testified that Russian-backed content sent out around the election reached up to 126 million Americans on the platform .
Mr Mueller did not determine that the Trump campaign had colluded with the alleged Russian election meddling .

A Biden campaign official said: "We have known from the beginning of our campaign that we would be subject to such attacks and we are prepared for them."


bbc--2020-09-10--Brexit: EU ultimatum to UK over withdrawal deal changes

The EU is demanding the UK ditches plans to change Boris Johnson 's Brexit deal `` by the end of the month '' or risk jeopardising trade talks .
The UK has published a bill to rewrite parts of the withdrawal agreement it signed in January .
The EU said this had `` seriously damaged trust '' and it would not be `` shy '' of taking legal action against the UK .
But cabinet minister Michael Gove said the UK had made it `` perfectly clear '' it would not withdraw the bill .
The government says Parliament is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the UK 's international treaty obligations .
EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier said `` trust and confidence are and will be key '' , after the latest round of UK-EU trade talks wrapped up in London on Thursday .
His UK counterpart David Frost said `` significant '' differences remained over a free trade deal , but added discussions would continue in Brussels next week .
• How could the Northern Ireland Brexit deal change ?
The source of the EU 's concern is Mr Johnson 's proposed Internal Market Bill , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Northern Ireland Protocol - an element of the withdrawal agreement designed to prevent a hard border returning to the island of Ireland .
The bill proposes no new checks on goods moving from Northern Ireland to Great Britain .
It gives UK ministers powers to modify or `` disapply '' rules relating to the movement of goods that will come into force from 1 January , if the UK and EU are unable to strike a trade deal .
The publication of the bill prompted emergency talks between Cabinet Office minister Michael @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Commission Vice-President .
After two sets of meetings today - one on the trade talks and the other on the government 's plans to rewrite part of the agreed treaty from last year - there has been nothing less than a diplomatic explosion .
The EU issued a statement that was about as furious as any I 've ever seen in this kind of context - demanding that the UK government withdraw the controversial plans to override the deal done with the EU last year by the end of the month , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ does n't happen .
Essentially saying that there 's no chance of trade talks , and hence no chance of a deal , unless the UK backs down .
At this stage , however , anyone with more than a passing acquaintance with this government would know that 's inconceivable .
It is not , of course , impossible that further down the track the government may give way , or concede in quite a big way .
But right now , the chances of a move are slim to none .
Read @ @ @ @ @ @ @ discussions , the EU issued a strongly-worded statement warning that the withdrawal agreement was a legal obligation , adding that `` neither the EU nor the UK can unilaterally change , clarify , amend , interpret , disregard or disapply the agreement '' .
The EU rejected the UK 's arguments that the bill is designed to protect peace in Northern Ireland arguing that `` it does the opposite '' .
Mr Šefčovič said that if the bill were to be adopted , it would constitute an `` extremely serious violation '' of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He urged the government to withdraw the bill `` by the end of the month '' , adding that the withdrawal agreement `` contains a number of mechanisms and legal remedies to address violations of the legal obligations contained in the text - which the European Union will not be shy in using '' .
Germany 's UK ambassador said he had not experienced `` such a fast , intentional and profound deterioration of a negotiation '' in his diplomatic career .
`` If you believe in partnership between the UK and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ n't accept it , '' he tweeted .
In its response , the UK government said it would `` discharge its treaty obligations in good faith '' , but added that `` in the difficult and highly exceptional circumstances in which we find ourselves , it is important to remember the fundamental principle of parliamentary sovereignty '' .
`` Parliament is sovereign as a matter of domestic law and can pass legislation which is in breach of the UK 's treaty obligations .
Parliament would not be acting unconstitutionally in enacting such legislation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the extent that they are enshrined in domestic legislation .
Whether to enact or repeal legislation , and the content of that legislation , is for Parliament and Parliament alone . ''
Mr Gove `` said that , during the talks , he had `` made it perfectly clear that we would not be withdrawing this legislation '' , adding that the government was `` absolutely serious '' .
The Internal Market Bill will be formally debated by MPs in Parliament for the first time on Monday , 14 September .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ parliamentarians .
Former party leader Lord Howard said it would damage the UK 's `` reputation for probity and respect for the rule of law '' , while former Chancellor Lord Lamont asked ministers to `` think again '' .
But Mr Gove said : `` I 'm looking forward to the second reading of the bill next week .
It 's an opportunity for the government to set out in detail why we have this legislation . ''
He promised to fight for `` unfettered access for goods from Northern Ireland to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Mr Johnson has defended the bill , saying it would `` ensure the integrity of the UK internal market '' and hand power to Scotland and Wales , while protecting the Northern Ireland peace process .
But critics say the move will damage the UK 's international reputation after a minister admitted the plans break international law .
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer urged the government to consider `` the reputational risk that it 's taking in the proposed way forward '' .
Meanwhile , the latest round of formal talks over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Thursday .
Speaking afterwards , Mr Barnier said the EU had `` shown flexibility '' in an effort to `` find solutions '' , but the UK had not `` not engaged '' on some `` major issues '' .
For the UK side , Lord Frost said `` challenging areas remain and the divergences on some are still significant '' .
He said the UK negotiators `` remain committed '' to reaching a deal by the middle of October and officials would `` continue discussions '' next week .

The EU issued a statement that was about as furious as any I've ever seen in this kind of context - demanding that the UK government withdraw the controversial plans to override the deal done with the EU last year by the end of the month, and threatening to take legal action if it doesn't happen.


bbc--2020-09-10--Amazon: Brazilian official killed by arrow near indigenous tribe

A top Brazilian expert on isolated Amazon tribes has been killed by an arrow that struck him in the chest as he approached an indigenous site .
He was in the area to monitor a tribe as part of his work for the government 's indigenous agency , Funai .
Witnesses said Mr Franciscato and his party came under fire as they approached an indigenous group .
Mr Franciscato , who was accompanied by police , attempted to take shelter behind a vehicle , but was struck in the chest by an arrow , witnesses said .
A policeman who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to remove the arrow , which hit him above the heart .
`` He cried out , pulled the arrow from his chest , ran 50m ( 164ft ) and collapsed , lifeless , '' the officer said in an audio recording posted to social media .
A photojournalist in the region , Gabriel Uchida , told AFP news agency that Mr Franciscato had been trying to observe a tribe known as the `` Cautario River isolated group '' .
Mr Uchida , who also witnessed the incident , said the tribe was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but `` this time , there were just five armed men - a war party '' .
Indigenous groups in the Amazon and elsewhere in the world have been known to react violently to outsiders on their lands .
The Kaninde Ethno-Environmental Defense Association , an NGO Mr Franciscato helped found in the 1980s , said the indigenous group had no ability to distinguish between a friend or a foe from the outside world .
Indigenous leaders say incidents with illegal miners , farmers and loggers on their ancestral lands have become much @ @ @ @ @ @ @ took office in 2019 , promising to develop the Amazon region .
Conservationists blame Mr Bolsonaro and his government for defunding agencies including Funai and the environmental enforcement agency Ibama and turning a blind eye to farmers and loggers clearing land in the Amazon , hastening deforestation .
But Mr Bolsonaro has long questioned the need for large indigenous reservations in the rainforest , and has defended developing the Amazon by opening up protected areas for farming and mining .
`` Rieli dedicated his life to the indigenous cause .
He had more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leaves an immense legacy for the protection of these peoples , '' Funai official Ricardo Lopes Dias said .
More on indigenous groups in the Amazon :

Ranchers and loggers have destroyed much of the nearby forest in recent years and have threatened to destroy more of the region. The group said in a release that his death was "almost certainly a response to the immense pressure" the forest and its peoples are under.


bbc--2020-09-10--US wildfires: San Francisco residents react to orange skies

Smoke from wildfires in the US state of California has descended on San Francisco , causing the sky over the @ @ @ @ @ orange colour .

Smoke from wildfires in the US state of California has descended on San Francisco, causing the sky over the region to turn an eerie orange colour.
Read more: Smoke from California wildfires turns skies orange


bbc--2020-09-10--Dame Diana Rigg: Avengers, Bond and Game of Thrones actress dies at 82

Actress Dame Diana Rigg , famous for roles including Emma Peel in TV series The Avengers and Olenna Tyrell in Game of Thrones , has died at the age of 82 .
Her daughter , actress Rachael Stirling , said she died of cancer , after being diagnosed in March .
`` She spent her last months joyfully reflecting on her extraordinary life , full of love , laughter and a deep pride in her profession , '' she added .
Dame Diana also played the only woman who became Mrs James Bond .
She played Tracy , who married @ @ @ @ @ @ @ film On Her Majesty 's Secret Service .
Lazenby said he was `` so sad '' to hear of her death , while Bond producers Michael G Wilson and Barbara Broccoli also paid tribute .
The Game of Thrones official account also honoured her .
Dame Diana 's other recent roles included the Duchess of Buccleuch in ITV 's Victoria and Mrs Pumphrey in Channel 5 's new adaptation of All Creatures Great and Small .
Samuel West , who plays Siegfried in the show , said : `` Does n't really make @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
She generally lived the hell out of everyone . ''
Stirling earlier announced the news by writing : `` My Beloved Ma died peacefully in her sleep early this morning , at home , surrounded by family .
I will miss her beyond words . ''
Others paying tribute included Sir Tom Stoppard , who remembered her `` luminous '' talent , while fellow playwright Sir David Hare said the actress had a `` dazzling change of direction in middle age as a great classical actor '' .
'She swept all before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Peel played Euripides ' Medea , Albee 's Martha and Brecht 's Mother Courage she swept all before her . ''
Her four Tony Awards nominations resulted in a win for her searing portrayal in the leading role in the stage play Medea in 1994 .
Game of Thrones star Nikolaj Coster Waldau , who played Jaime Lannister , said the actress `` always raised the bar with her incredible talent , intelligence and wit .
An absolute joy and honour to work with '' .
Sherlock writer and actor Mark Gatiss fondly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Merchant remembered her in a scene from his show Extras .
Actor David Suchet , who starred with Dame Diana in the 1996 West End production of Who 's Afraid of Virginia Woolf , told BBC Radio 4 's PM programme she was `` very generous and warm '' .
He said : `` I met her for the first time in the rehearsal room and I remember being intimidated and nervous .
She started as she continued , with 100 guns blazing , and was extremely powerful .
I remember her having @ @ @ @ @ @ @ passion as well . ''
Vanessa Redgrave said she was a `` wonderful , wonderful actress '' , while Mia Farrow tweeted : `` She was magnificent !
!
Gratitude to the great Diana Rigg for so many fearless , fascinating performances .
But we wanted more . ''
Baby Driver director Edgar Wright said it was `` beyond a thrill to work with her on her final film '' - the forthcoming Last Night in Soho .
`` She exceeded all my highest expectations , so blazingly talented , fiery and funny @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Director Jonathan Kent added that her `` combination of force of personality , beauty , courage and sheer emotional power , made her a great classical actress - one of an astonishing generation of British stage performers '' .
He said : `` Her dazzling wit and that inimitable voice made her an unforgettable leading figure in British theatre . ''
Her agent Simon Beresford said she `` died at home with her family who have asked for privacy at this difficult time '' .
He added : `` Dame Diana was force @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her fellow actors . ''
Last year , Dame Diana spoke of her delight at her role in Game of Thrones , telling the BBC : `` I love playing bad [ characters ] .
They are so much more interesting than good .
`` There are some actors who do n't like to play bad ; they like to be liked .
I love to be disliked .
Olenna had the best lines . ''
In 1990 , Dame Diana won a best actress Bafta TV award for playing a difficult mother-in-law @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a Bafta special award in 2000 for The Avengers , shared with the series ' other stars Honor Blackman , Joanna Lumley and Linda Thorson .
Dame Diana was also nominated for nine primetime Emmy awards , winning for her role as Mrs Danvers in Rebecca in 1997 .
Do you have a story to tell us about Dame Diana Rigg ?
Share your memories by emailing haveyoursay @ bbc.co.uk .
Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist .
You can also get in touch @ @ @ @ @ @ @ read our terms & conditions and privacy policy


bbc--2020-09-10--Woodward book: Trump denies lying about risks of coronavirus

US President Donald Trump has defended his decision to downplay the risks of Covid-19 , saying his answers to journalist Bob Woodward were `` proper '' .
Woodward , known for his reporting on the Watergate scandal , interviewed Mr Trump 18 times from December to July .
Mr Trump said in February he minimised the virus 's severity to avoid panic .
He tweeted on Thursday that Woodward did not report his quotes for months .
`` He knew they were good and proper answers .
Calm , no panic ! ''
Later he told reporters he never lied @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the American public on how dangerous the virus was .
In a White House news conference on Thursday afternoon , he said in response to a reporter 's question : `` I did n't lie , what I said is we have to be calm , we ca n't be panicked . ''
He added : `` I do n't want to jump up and down and start screaming , 'death , death ' , because that 's not what it 's about . ''
Some 190,000 Americans have been recorded as dying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pandemic .
What did Trump say ?
`` Bob Woodward had my quotes for many months .
If he thought they were so bad or dangerous , why did n't he immediately report them in an effort to save lives ? ''
Mr Trump said .
`` Did n't he have an obligation to do so ?
No , because he knew they were good and proper answers .
Calm , no panic ! ''
The president - who is running for re-election in November - on Wednesday told reporters the Woodward book @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
What has Woodward said ?
Woodward has been criticised for withholding the president 's remarks on the pandemic , with some saying it was an unethical decision .
The journalist offered a defence in the Washington Post and Associated Press on Wednesday , saying he needed to check whether what Mr Trump told him was accurate .
`` The biggest problem I had , which is always a problem with Trump , is I did n't know if it was true , '' Woodward told The Post .
He also said that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the story by the election , telling the Associated Press : `` Had I decided that my book was coming out on Christmas , the end of this year , that would have been unthinkable . ''
The book , Rage , will be released on 15 September .
What does the book say about Mr Trump and the virus ?
Mr Trump indicated that he knew more about the severity of the illness than he had said publicly .
According to a tape of the call , Mr Trump told Woodward in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the flu .
`` It goes through the air , '' Mr Trump told the author on 7 February .
`` That 's always tougher than the touch .
You do n't have to touch things .
Right ?
But the air , you just breathe the air and that 's how it 's passed .
`` And so that 's a very tricky one .
That 's a very delicate one .
It 's also more deadly than even your strenuous flus . ''
Later that month , Mr Trump promised the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' , and that the case count would soon be close to zero .
He also publicly implied the flu was more dangerous than Covid-19 .
Speaking on Capitol Hill on 10 March , Mr Trump said : `` Just stay calm .
It will go away . ''
• From 2018 : Woodward on Trump - the explosive quotes • How Trump 's attitude toward coronavirus has shifted Nine days later , after the White House declared the pandemic a national emergency , the president told Woodward : `` I wanted to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like playing it down , because I do n't want to create a panic . ''
What Trump was telling Woodward v saying publicly 28 Jan : National security adviser Robert O'Brien tells the president : `` This is the biggest national security threat you will face . ''
7 Feb : `` This is deadly stuff , '' he tells Woodward , far more serious than the flu .
23 Feb : `` We have it very much under control , '' President Trump tells reporters .
26 Feb : On the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he tells a briefing : `` within a couple of days is going to be down to close to zero , that 's a pretty good job we 've done '' , implying that flu is far more dangerous .
27 Feb : The virus is going to `` disappear '' , he says .
10 March : `` We 're doing a great job with it .
And it will go away .
Just stay calm .
It will go away , '' the president says on Capitol Hill .
19 March @ @ @ @ @ @ @ play it down to avoid a panic .
What else did the book reveal ?
Woodward writes that he brought up the Black Lives Matter protests in a conversation with the president on 19 June , suggesting that `` white , privileged '' people like themselves ought to work to understand how black Americans feel .
`` You really drank the Kool-Aid , did n't you ? ''
Mr Trump said .
`` Just listen to you . ''
The nationwide protests against police brutality and racism were sparked by George Floyd 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump also repeated the suggestion that he had done more for African Americans than any president aside from Abraham Lincoln , who abolished slavery .
Later , on 8 July , Mr Trump again reiterated that he had `` done a tremendous amount for the black community '' but was `` not feeling any love '' .
The Washington Post also cited an interview where Woodward asked the president about whether America has systemic racism .
Mr Trump said while these problems exist everywhere , `` I think probably less here than most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ places '' .
The president also acknowledged racism affected the lives of people in the US , saying it was `` unfortunate '' .
Woodward 's book also cites dozens of letters between Mr Trump and North Korea 's Kim Jong-un .
In the letters , filled with flowery language , Mr Kim reportedly referred to Mr Trump as `` Your Excellency '' and noted their `` deep and special friendship will work as a magical force '' .
According to US media , Mr Trump told Woodward of his connection with Mr @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In one second , you know whether or not it 's going to happen .
It does n't take you 10 minutes and it does n't take you six weeks .
It 's like , whoa .
OK. You know ?
It takes somewhat less than a second . ''
In a tweet on Thursday , Mr Trump wrote : `` Kim Jong Un is in good health .
Never underestimate him ! ''
There have been sporadic reports about Mr Kim 's health , including one in April that he was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ president also reportedly told Woodward about nuclear weapons systems in his conversations about North Korea .
Other sources also confirmed the existence of a new weapons system , Woodward reported .
`` I have built a nuclear - a weapons system that nobody 's ever had in this country before .
We have stuff that you have n't even seen or heard about , '' he said , according to the Post .
`` We have stuff that [ Russian President ] Putin and [ Chinese President ] Xi have never heard about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump also reportedly told Woodward that he felt his predecessor , Barack Obama , was `` highly overrated '' .
`` I do n't think Obama 's smart , '' Mr Trump reportedly said .
`` And I do n't think he 's a great speaker . ''
According to CNN , Mr Trump told Woodward he made President George W Bush `` look like a stupid moron , which he was '' .
The US election is in November , and the BBC wants to answer your questions about everything from candidate @ @ @ @ @

Bob Woodward book Rage: Trump denies lying about risks of coronavirus Published 10 September 2020
Image source, EPA
US President Donald Trump has defended his decision to downplay the risks of Covid-19, saying his answers to journalist Bob Woodward were "proper".
Mr Woodward, known for his reporting on the Watergate scandal, interviewed Mr Trump 18 times from December to July.
Mr Trump said in February he minimised the virus's severity to avoid panic.
He tweeted on Thursday that Mr Woodward did not report his quotes for months. "He knew they were good and proper answers. Calm, no panic!"
Later he told reporters he never lied, when they suggested he deliberately misled the American public on how dangerous the virus was.
In a White House news conference on Thursday afternoon, he said in response to a reporter's question: "I didn't lie, what I said is we have to be calm, we can't be panicked."
He added: "I don't want to jump up and down and start screaming, 'death, death', because that's not what it's about."
Some 190,000 Americans have been recorded as dying with Covid-19 since the beginning of the pandemic.
What did Trump say?
"Bob Woodward had my quotes for many months. If he thought they were so bad or dangerous, why didn't he immediately report them in an effort to save lives?" Mr Trump said.
"Didn't he have an obligation to do so? No, because he knew they were good and proper answers. Calm, no panic!"
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Media caption, How Trump's attitude toward coronavirus shifted between March and April
The president - who is running for re-election in November - on Wednesday told reporters the Woodward book was "a political hit job".
What has Woodward said?
Mr Woodward has been criticised for withholding the president's remarks on the pandemic, with some saying it was an unethical decision.
The journalist offered a defence in the Washington Post and Associated Press on Wednesday, saying he needed to check whether what Mr Trump told him was accurate.
"The biggest problem I had, which is always a problem with Trump, is I didn't know if it was true," Mr Woodward told the Post.
He also said that it was important for him to tell the story by the election, telling the Associated Press: "Had I decided that my book was coming out on Christmas, the end of this year, that would have been unthinkable."
The book, Rage, will be released on 15 September.
What does the book say about Mr Trump and the virus?
Mr Trump indicated that he knew more about the severity of the illness than he had said publicly.
According to a tape of the call, Mr Trump told Mr Woodward in February that the coronavirus was deadlier than the flu.
"It goes through the air," Mr Trump told the author on 7 February.
"That's always tougher than the touch. You don't have to touch things. Right? But the air, you just breathe the air and that's how it's passed.
"And so that's a very tricky one. That's a very delicate one. It's also more deadly than even your strenuous flus."
Later that month, Mr Trump promised the virus was "very much under control", and that the case count would soon be close to zero. He also publicly implied the flu was more dangerous than Covid-19.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Media caption, The lost six weeks when the US failed to control the virus
Speaking on Capitol Hill on 10 March, Mr Trump said: "Just stay calm. It will go away."
Nine days later, after the White House declared the pandemic a national emergency, the president told Woodward: "I wanted to always play it down. I still like playing it down, because I don't want to create a panic."
What Trump was telling Woodward v saying publicly
28 Jan: National security adviser Robert O'Brien tells the president: "This is the biggest national security threat you will face."
7 Feb: "This is deadly stuff," he tells Woodward, far more serious than the flu.
23 Feb: "We have it very much under control," President Trump tells reporters.
26 Feb: On the 15 confirmed cases at the time, he tells a briefing: "within a couple of days is going to be down to close to zero, that's a pretty good job we've done", implying that flu is far more dangerous.
27 Feb: The virus is going to "disappear", he says.
10 March: "We're doing a great job with it. And it will go away. Just stay calm. It will go away," the president says on Capitol Hill.
19 March: He tells Woodward he wanted to play it down to avoid a panic.
What else did the book reveal?
On race
Mr Woodward writes that he brought up the Black Lives Matter protests in a conversation with the president on 19 June, suggesting that "white, privileged" people like themselves ought to work to understand how black Americans feel.
"You really drank the Kool-Aid, didn't you?" Mr Trump said. "Just listen to you."
The nationwide protests against police brutality and racism were sparked by George Floyd's death in Minnesota in May.
Mr Trump also repeated the suggestion that he had done more for African Americans than any president aside from Abraham Lincoln, who abolished slavery.
Later, on 8 July, Mr Trump again reiterated that he had "done a tremendous amount for the black community" but was "not feeling any love".
The Washington Post also cited an interview where Woodward asked the president about whether America has systemic racism.
Mr Trump said while these problems exist everywhere, "I think probably less here than most places, or less here than many places".
The president also acknowledged racism affected the lives of people in the US, saying it was "unfortunate".
On North Korea
Mr Woodward's book also cites dozens of letters between Mr Trump and North Korea's Kim Jong-un. In the letters, filled with flowery language, Mr Kim reportedly referred to Mr Trump as "Your Excellency" and noted their "deep and special friendship will work as a magical force".
According to US media, Mr Trump told Mr Woodward of his connection with Mr Kim: "You meet a woman. In one second, you know whether or not it's going to happen. It doesn't take you 10 minutes and it doesn't take you six weeks. It's like, whoa. OK. You know? It takes somewhat less than a second."
In a tweet on Thursday, Mr Trump wrote: "Kim Jong Un is in good health. Never underestimate him!" There have been sporadic reports about Mr Kim's health, including one in April that he was seriously ill or even dead.
On new weapons
The president also reportedly told Mr Woodward about nuclear weapons systems in his conversations about North Korea. Other sources also confirmed the existence of a new weapons system, Mr Woodward reported.
"I have built a nuclear - a weapons system that nobody's ever had in this country before. We have stuff that you haven't even seen or heard about," he said, according to the Post.
"We have stuff that [Russian President] Putin and [Chinese President] Xi have never heard about before," Trump added.
On his predecessors
Mr Trump also reportedly told Woodward that he felt his predecessor, Barack Obama, was "highly overrated".
"I don't think Obama's smart," Mr Trump reportedly said. "And I don't think he's a great speaker."
According to CNN, Mr Trump told Mr Woodward he made President George W Bush "look like a stupid moron, which he was".
The US election is in November, and the BBC wants to answer your questions about everything from candidate policies to election process.


bbc--2020-09-10--US West Coast wildfires: Nearly 100 fires run rampant

Western US states are battling nearly 100 wildfires that have caused at least seven deaths , displaced thousands and destroyed whole towns .
California , Washington state and Oregon have been the hardest hit by the blazes , fuelled by heat waves and windy conditions .
Oregon 's governor said this `` could be the greatest loss of human life and property '' to fires in state history .
Nine other states in the region are also seeing wildfires raging .
Three deaths have been blamed on the wildfires in Oregon , with another three in California and one in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Fire Center , there are 96 large fires in the western US .
More than 3.4m acres have burned so far , with tens of thousands of acres burned in the last day in California , Oregon and Washington .
Oregon officials said several towns have burned down in the fires , as winds gusted to 45mph ( 72km/h ) .
The fires are blazing across Oregon 's valleys and along the coast , causing mass evacuations .
One Oregon evacuee , Jody Evans , told NewsChannel 21 about her ordeal .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ash flying - it was like driving through hell , '' she said .
In neighbouring Washington , Governor Jay Inslee said on Tuesday that more than double the acreage had been torched in the previous 24 hours than had been burned during all of last year in his state .
Saying goodbye to our first home Sam Elm and her partner , Micah , lived in Phoenix , Oregon .
Sam shared her experience fleeing from the wildfire - and saying goodbye to their home - with BBC OS .
A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ began encroaching .
`` It took our home , '' she says .
`` It was an intense experience . ''
`` We were listening to the scanners ... we were hearing it get closer and closer .
`` At a certain point we got a call saying 'you need to leave right now . '
It was raining ash on - everything . ''
As they were about to leave , Sam says her wife called her upstairs to a wall in their home decorated with the signatures of friends , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ says was a `` point of pride '' for them .
`` She slams her hand on the wall - because we 've never signed our own wall , because it was our house we lived in - she traced her hand , she slammed my hand on the wall , she traced my hand , she kissed me and said : 'Do n't forget this was our first home .
And we left . ''
Sam adds that she and her wife were the lucky ones .
`` Not everybody got to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ did .
Our pets are with us .
We know people whose pets got stuck in their houses ... we know people that are missing . ''
Sam and Micah are currently staying with a friend , hoping to get a hotel room through insurance .
But she does n't know what six months down the line looks like now that they 've lost their home .
She says she has no clue `` how to traverse any of this '' .
California - in the middle of a 20-year mega-drought - is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ including three of its five largest ever .
The sheriff of Butte County , north-east of San Francisco , said two people had been found dead at one location and a third elsewhere .
One of the three was a motorist who was apparently trying to escape the Bear Fire , police told local media .
The Bear Fire has scorched more than 200,000 acres since it began in mid-August .
The latest deaths mean that fires in the state have now killed at least 11 people since last month .
More than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the state .
California Highway Patrol Officer Ben Draper told the East Bay Times that one of the fatalities discovered on Wednesday was someone who seemed to have been trying to flee the wildfire .
He said investigators believe the unidentified driver had fled his or her car after driving towards a ditch before being overcome by the smoke and flames .
`` Somebody was just attempting to flee and it just did n't work out , '' he said .
Why are the fires so severe ?
The slew of blazes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ number of causes , from downed power lines to a gender reveal party gone wrong .
But why have the wildfires become so bad ?
There has been a rise in the number of extreme weather events , which experts say is part of a trend caused by bigger climate changes .
While climate change itself is not the cause of the blazes , it helps set the conditions for massive wildfires .
The Western US has recently seen serious heat waves , including a day which led to what may be the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ planet - 130F ( 54.4C ) - in California .
The last week brought another heat wave , and southern California saw record-high temperatures .
These hot , dry conditions have made the region ideal for large wildfires .
Record cold temperatures and even snow in neighbouring states , like Colorado , this month have also brought damaging winds .
In addition to climate change , other factors like more people living in wildfire-prone areas and brush overgrowth have also contributed .


bbc--2020-09-10--Citi names Jane Fraser new chief in Wall Street first

Citigroup has named a woman to be its new chief executive in a first for a Wall Street bank .
Briton Jane Fraser , its current president and head of global consumer division , is to become its new boss when current chief Michael Corbat retires in February .
He is stepping down after 37 years at the bank , including eight as leader .
It comes as the male-dominated world of US finance faces pressure to diversify its ranks .
Scotland-born Ms Fraser has worked at Citi for 16 years , serving in her current role since 2019 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ previously led its Latin America division .
Seen as a rising star , she was recently considered for the role of chief executive at Wells Fargo , another top US bank .
The chair of Citi 's board of directors , John Dugan , said Ms Fraser would take the bank `` to the next level '' .
`` She has deep experience across our lines of business and regions and we are highly confident in her , '' he said .
• Firms with more female executives 'perform better' Last year , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as its first female chief executive , making her the first woman to run any of the big four banks in the UK .
But just 31 women held the top spots at major American companies listed on the S & P 500 index at the end of 2019 , none of which were banks .
At a congressional hearing last year , the heads of seven of America 's biggest banks , including current Citi boss Mr Corbat , were questioned about the lack of diversity and asked if they believed they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ person of colour .
None said yes .
At Citi , Ms Fraser has frequently been charged with turning around troubled parts of the bank , the fourth largest in the US .
She worked in its mortgage division following the financial crisis and was put in charge in Latin America after a scandal in its bank in Mexico .
She is poised to take charge as the bank grapples with the economic fallout of the pandemic .
In the most recent quarter , Citi 's profits plunged 73 % as it set @ @ @ @ @ @ @ potential losses .
Ms Fraser , whose compensation was $ 12.5m ( £9.7m ) last year , has said being a good leader means setting a vision , having the courage to make `` tough calls '' , and asking questions .
'You can not have it all' Born in St Andrews , Scotland , she has degrees from Harvard Business School and Cambridge University .
The 53-year-old started her career at Goldman Sachs in London , joining Citi after rising to be a partner at consulting giant McKinsey .
She has said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the opportunities she saw for women there and spoken about confronting machismo as a female executive in Latin America A married mum of two , she has also addressed work-life balance , telling broadcaster CNN in 2014 : `` You can not have it all at the same time .
You can have it all , spread over decades .
I think of my life in different chunks .
When the kids were little , I needed to be around more , but it 's different now . ''
However , in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ top spot .
`` I look forward to seeing a woman being the first CEO of a Wall Street firm whoever that may be , '' she said .
`` I 've never had the ambition to be the CEO of Citi or any other organization . ''
But she added : `` Things can change over time . ''

A married mum of two, she has also addressed work-life balance, telling broadcaster CNN in 2014: "You cannot have it all at the same time. You can have it all, spread over decades. I think of my life in different chunks. When the kids were little, I needed to be around more, but it's different now."


bbc--2020-09-10--Coronavirus: France sets daily record with almost 10,000 new cases

France has recorded almost 10,000 new coronavirus cases in 24 hours , marking its highest single-day count since the start of the outbreak .
The figures were released on the eve of a key meeting of ministers and health experts about toughening measures .
The number of patients in intensive care units in the country has also been rising in recent days .
While hospital figures are still far from the peaks reached in April , there are concerns over the strain that rising infection rates could put on the health system .
In the meeting on Friday , officials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the spread of the virus .
The head of the scientific council advising the government on the pandemic , Jean-Francois Delfraissy , has warned that `` tough '' decisions may be required .
President Emmanuel Macron said the meeting would give the public a clear idea of what can be expected in the coming weeks .
`` We need to be as transparent and clear as possible , '' he said on Thursday , according to AFP news agency .
`` We need to be demanding and realistic without giving in to any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ happening elsewhere in Europe ?
The UK 's confirmed coronavirus cases rose by more than 2,000 for the fifth consecutive day on Thursday , as England put mainland Portugal back on its quarantine list .
England is also preparing to implement new restrictions , banning social gatherings of more than six people .
Spain this week became the first country in the European Union to record more than half a million Covid-19 cases , after adding some 100,000 new cases in the past month .
The World Health Organization has warned of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in October and November .
A number of countries have re-imposed local lockdowns in their worst-affected regions , and there have been renewed appeals for people to wear face masks and follow social distancing rules .
Students in many countries have been returning to school in recent days , after months out of the classroom because of the pandemic .

The number of patients in intensive care units in the country has also been rising in recent days. While hospital figures are still far from the peaks reached in April, there are concerns over the strain that rising infection rates could put on the health system.


bbc--2020-09-10--Harry Dunn death: Anne Sacoolas lawyers say she 'drove on wrong side of road'

Harry Dunn 's alleged killer Anne Sacoolas drove on the `` wrong side of the road for 20 seconds '' before the fatal crash , her lawyers said .
But she was `` otherwise driving cautiously and below the speed limit '' , her legal representatives added .
The American was charged with causing death by dangerous driving after a crash in August 2019 which resulted in 19-year-old Mr Dunn 's death .
According to her lawyers , Ms Sacoolas `` instinctively '' began driving on the right-hand side , and could not see Mr Dunn due to `` the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In a public statement , they said : `` Anne did everything she could to assist Harry .
After the accident , she ran from her car and tried to help him .
`` Anne then saw another motorist approach and flagged her down for more support .
`` The other motorist immediately called for the emergency services and Anne made calls to alert the police from the nearby air force base .
`` Tragically , it took over 40 minutes for the ambulance to arrive and nearly two hours passed before Harry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Anne did not leave the scene until she was instructed to do so by the UK authorities . ''
Sacoolas 's legal representatives also made an on-the-record statement regarding her position on the prospect of a virtual trial .
They said : `` We have been and remain willing to discuss a resolution , including the possibility of virtual proceedings , with the UK authorities .
Reacting to the suspect 's statement and speaking on behalf of Mr Dunn 's family , their spokesman Radd Seiger said : `` The parents have noted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Mrs Sacoolas .
`` Their position is that these issues should not be aired in any form other than a court of law .
`` Once again , they invite her to do the right thing and return to the UK to answer to the charges laid against her . ''
Mr Dunn 's alleged killer returned to the US on a commercial flight after the US Embassy `` informed the Foreign Office of this decision and instructed Anne to return home '' .

In a public statement, they said: "Anne did everything she could to assist Harry. After the accident, she ran from her car and tried to help him.


bbc--2020-09-10--Coronavirus: Australian family hit with huge quarantine bill to visit dying father

Four Australian children desperate to travel to see their dying father have been told the family must pay A $ 16,000 ( £9,000 ) in hotel quarantine fees to see him .
Mark Keans , 39 , has terminal cancer and is at home in Brisbane , Queensland , while his four children are in Sydney .
More than A $ 200,000 has now been raised after the case caused outrage .
Australia has implemented extremely tough travel restrictions to control Covid-19 , including on movement between the country 's states and territories .
Mr Keans was initially told he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would be permitted to see him .
The state government eventually backed down and agreed to allow all of the children to travel to see their father .
But this was only permitted on the grounds that they spend two weeks in hotel quarantine at their own expense .
They would also only be able to visit their father in full personal protective equipment ( PPE ) .
A GoFundMe page was then set up with the aim of raising A $ 30,000 , but it soon smashed that target and has hit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Morrison donated A $ 1,000 .
Comments on the GoFundMe page have offered support to the family , while many have been offering up harsh criticism to the Queensland state government .
`` I donated because we , unlike the Queensland Premier , are compassionate people who do not want to see Mark 's children suffer for the rest of their days by being unable to visit their dying father , '' wrote one , calling the state government 's actions `` shameful '' .
`` We are in the midst of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our communities , especially the most vulnerable members , '' it said in a statement .
`` We understand the health directions in place are strict , but they are designed to protect Queenslanders . ''

But this was only permitted on the grounds that they spend two weeks in hotel quarantine at their own expense. They would also only be able to visit their father in full personal protective equipment (PPE).