bbc--2020-08-13--Coronavirus: Florida sheriff bans deputies from wearing masks

A Florida sheriff has banned staff from wearing face masks at work .
Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods 's order also includes visitors to the office .
It is thought to be the first such mask ban for US law enforcement .
Sheriff Woods said it was vital that officers ' orders were clearly understood and that anyone coming to the station be identifiable .
Florida is one of the states hardest hit by the coronavirus pandemic , with over 550,000 cases and 8,700 deaths .
Sherriff Woods ' order , issued on Tuesday , has some exemptions , including @ @ @ @ @ @ @ infection risk is higher , or at the county courthouse , hospitals or schools .
More than 200 inmates at the county 's jail have tested positive , according to the Ocala-Star Banner , which first reported on the mask ban .
At least 36 jail employees have also tested positive , and an infected nurse who worked there has died , the newspaper reported .
Sheriff Woods , whose jurisdiction is about 80 miles north of Orlando ( 130km ) , also said visitors must remove their masks before entering the lobby @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to recent protests against police brutality and racism .
`` In light of the current events when it comes to the sentiment and/or hatred toward law enforcement in our country today , this is being done to ensure there is clear communication and for identification purposes of any individual walking into a lobby , '' he wrote in an email to employees .
In his email , Mr Woods says he has carefully studied the issue and has found the evidence for wearing a mask to be inconclusive .
Global health experts universally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ face and nose is necessary to prevent the spread of moisture droplets that can carry the virus .
Infected individuals may not experience symptoms of illness , making it necessary for everyone to wear a mask - in addition to social distancing and hand washing .
• ' I 'm all for masks , ' says Trump in change of tone The US currently has 5.2m infections - far more than any other country - and over 166,000 deaths , according to Johns Hopkins University .
The wearing of masks has been fiercely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , with President Donald Trump refusing to wear one in public for months .
`` I 'm getting used to wearing a mask , '' he told reporters in July .
He had previously mocked political opponents and journalists for wearing them .
• A SIMPLE GUIDE : How do I protect myself ?
• IMPACT : What the virus does to the body • ENDGAME : How do we get out of this mess ?
• WITHOUT SYMPTOMS : The mystery of 'silent spreaders' Wearing a mask in the US has often @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mr Trump are less likely to don masks than Democrats .
According to a New York Times analysis of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data , there have been around 200,000 so-called `` excess deaths '' in the US during the pandemic - meaning some 60,000 more deaths have to be added to the existing toll .

"In light of the current events when it comes to the sentiment and/or hatred toward law enforcement in our country today, this is being done to ensure there is clear communication and for identification purposes of any individual walking into a lobby," he wrote in his email.


bbc--2020-08-13--US jobless claims below 1m for first time since March

The number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment has dipped below 1 million for the first time since March .
About 963,000 people sought the benefits last week , down from nearly 1.2 million the week before , the Labor Department said .
The figures have been subsiding since peaking at 6.9 million in late March .
But they remain extremely high , driving debate in Washington over the need for further stimulus .
More than 28 million people - nearly one in five American workers - were still collecting benefits in the week ended 25 July , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pandemic , the highest number of new jobless claims recorded in a week was 695,000 , set in 1982 .
`` Another larger-than-expected decline in jobless claims suggests that the jobs recovery is regaining some momentum but with a staggering 28 million workers still claiming some form of jobless benefits , much labour market progress remains to be done , '' said Lydia Boussour , senior US economist at Oxford Economics .
Hiring in the US slowed last month as the country struggled to contain the coronavirus , with employers adding 1.8 million @ @ @ @ @ @ @ June .
The unemployment rate was 10.2 % , down from April 's 14.7 % but still higher the 10 % peak during the 2007-2009 financial crisis .
Economists say the path of the economic recovery remains uncertain , and likely to worsen after an emergency $ 600 increase to unemployment benefits , intended to top off payments during the pandemic , expired last month .
Talks in Washington about additional stimulus collapsed last week without a deal .

"Another larger-than-expected decline in jobless claims suggests that the jobs recovery is regaining some momentum but with a staggering 28 million workers still claiming some form of jobless benefits, much labour market progress remains to be done," said Lydia Boussour, senior US economist at Oxford Economics.


bbc--2020-08-13--US labels Confucius Institute a Chinese 'foreign mission'

The US has designated the Confucius Institute ( CI ) , the Chinese government-run global education programme , as a foreign propaganda mission .
The order says CI , which offers language and cultural programmes overseas , is `` owned or effectively controlled '' by a foreign government .
Staff will be required to register and adhere to restrictions similar to those placed on diplomatic embassies .
It comes amid worsening relations between China and the US .
In a statement announcing the move , US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called the Confucius Institute `` an entity advancing Beijing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' on American classrooms and campuses .
`` The United States wants to ensure that students on US campuses have access to Chinese language and cultural offerings free from the manipulation of the Chinese Communist Party and its proxies , '' Mr Pompeo continued , adding that the move was made to better inform educators .
China 's Confucius Institute defines itself as a non-profit organisation aiming to promote Chinese language and culture .
For many American students , CI has been a useful platform to study Chinese language , but critics say @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The institutes have been accused of pressuring host universities to censor speeches considered politically sensitive to Beijing .
One American university cancelled its plan to invite Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama for a talk .
Another removed a reference to Taiwan from a university speaker 's biography .
Beijing is likely to retaliate , as it did when the US labelled nine major Chinese state media as `` foreign missions '' .
But it 's hard to speculate on China 's targets , as educational exchanges have already withered significantly amid rising tensions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ long-running Peace Corps programme in China was terminated months ago by Washington itself .
Education , traditionally considered as a low-hanging fruit for international collaboration , is now tangled in politics and not being spared in the US-China decoupling .
Tensions between the US and China have risen at an accelerated pace in recent months .
The White House has accused Beijing of lying about the origins of the coronavirus , which emerged in China late last year , of using social media apps to spy on Americans , of stealing intellectual property @ @ @ @ @ @ @ within a Chinese embassy in the US - to name but a few of the allegations .
Both countries ordered each other 's consulates in major cities to close last month .
Open to the general public , Confucius Institutes promote Chinese language but also run classes in culture , from calligraphy and cooking to tai chi .
They sponsor educational exchanges and hold public events and lectures .
The first CI opened in 2004 in South Korea .
According to official data , there were 548 Confucius Institutes around the world by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as 1,193 Confucius classrooms based in primary and secondary schools .
There are about 75 Confucius Institutes currently active around the US , according to the South China Morning Post .
The CIs are joint ventures between the host university or school , a partner university in China , and Hanban , a controversial agency under China 's education ministry .
It oversees CI operations and provides partial funding , staff and other support .
Backed by significant government funding , China 's aim was to have 1,000 such institutes by 2020 in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' to tap into the growing overseas demand to learn Chinese .
Some Western academics believe the project presents a serious threat to freedom of thought and speech in education .
Others defend them , highlighting the benefit of offering access to Chinese language learning that cash-strapped universities simply can not afford on their own .

The first CI opened in 2004 in South Korea. According to official data, there were 548 Confucius Institutes around the world by the end of 2018, as well as 1,193 Confucius classrooms based in primary and secondary schools. There are about 75 Confucius Institutes currently active around the US, according to the South China Morning Post.


bbc--2020-08-13--Belarus election: Claims of 'widespread torture' against jailed protesters

Human rights activists and monitors say there is growing evidence of police brutality against people who have been detained in Belarus as protests over the disputed election continue .
Some of the 6,700 people detained since Sunday have been released and allege mistreatment , including beatings .
Thursday marked the fifth day of protests amid widespread allegations of vote rigging .
Sunday 's vote saw long-term President Alexander Lukashenko elected for another term .
In a statement on state television , Senate Speaker Natalya Kochanova said the president had ordered an investigation into the mass detention of protesters , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Some of the released prisoners shared pictures on messaging app Nexta show their bruised and swollen bodies , including injuries to backs and buttocks , that were allegedly caused by police .
Amnesty International said people who had been arrested described being stripped naked , beaten and threatened with rape .
`` Former detainees told us that detention centres have become torture chambers , where protesters are forced to lie in the dirt while police kick and beat them with truncheons , '' said Marie Struthers , Amnesty International 's Director for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ audio shared by a BBC journalist , screams could be heard from inside Okrestina detention centre in the capital Minsk .
Separately , a group of five UN human rights experts said the response of the security forces to peaceful protests had been harsh , with frequent use of excessive , unnecessary and indiscriminate force , AFP news agency reports .
`` Authorities only seem interested in quickly dispersing the protests and arresting as many people as possible , '' they said in a joint statement .
Interior Minister Yuri Karayev said he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the protests , and that he would like to apologise to those who got caught up in the violence .
Observers say the official statements and the release of the prisoners suggested a more conciliatory approach following public outrage and international condemnation at the police response .
EU foreign ministers were due to consider imposing sanctions on Belarus .
Officials have confirmed two deaths during the unrest .
One demonstrator died during a protest in Minsk on Monday while a man died after being arrested in the south-eastern city of Gomel on Wednesday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ brutality , both in the streets and inside remand prisons , is mounting .
Detainees include not only opposition activists , but also many journalists and passers-by .
One of the released journalists , Nikita Telizhenko of the Russian Znak.com news website , published a harrowing account of three days inside prison .
Now back in Russia , he describes people lying on the floor of a detention centre , piled on top of each other , in a pool of blood and excrement .
They were not allowed to use the toilet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ position .
He says he saw seriously injured people , with broken limbs and severe bruising , not only left without medical help , but kicked and beaten more by the guards .
Telizhenko 's testimony is confirmed by countless posts on social media - photos , videos , stories .
I spoke to an American woman who was visiting her Belarusian boyfriend in Minsk - he got detained for no apparent reason .
Not only had he not been protesting , but he was asleep in bed when the police came to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and took him away .
More about the protests in Belarus • LETTER FROM MINSK : Shocked by violence , people lose their fear • THE CONTEXT : Five things you may not know about Belarus What else happened on Thursday ?
Footage broadcast by messaging app Nexta on Thursday night appeared to show protests continuing in the streets with demonstrators chanting `` get out '' .
Tearful relatives gathered outside a jail north of the capital Minsk , hoping to be reunited with their loved ones or obtain information on their whereabouts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state-owned factories , where workers object to the violent treatment of protesters .
Hundreds of employees were seen walking out at truck-maker Belaz in Zhodino to the north-east of the capital .
Workers Minsk and Grodno in the west also organised strikes and walkouts .
Women in their thousands carrying flowers formed `` solidarity chains '' in Minsk and other cities to protest police brutality .
Video footage shared on social media showed opposition figure Maria Kolesnikova joining the female protesters in Minsk , holding a bunch of flowers .
She was one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to spearhead the opposition .
The other two have left the country .
Veronika Tsepkalo fled Belarus on the day of the vote while the main opposition candidate in the election , Svetlana Tikhanovskaya , was briefly detained on Monday before being forced to leave for Lithuania .
Ms Tikhanovskaya , 37 , released a video saying she made the `` very difficult decision '' to leave because of her children .
The opposition candidate was a stay-at-home mother until she entered the race after her husband was arrested and blocked from registering @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lukashenko 's toughest opposition challenge in years , leading large rallies in the lead up to the vote .
But Mr Lukashenko dismissed her bid , saying a woman could not lead Belarus .
Aged 65 , he has ruled the former Soviet country since 1994 and has described opposition supporters as `` sheep '' controlled from abroad .
Medics walked out of hospitals for a second day to join the demonstrations and performers from the Belarusian State Philharmonic held up a message saying `` Philharmonia prays for the people '' .
Russian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ entered two of its offices in Minsk and barred employees inside from going out .
The intruders left some hours later .

Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis said sanctions should be imposed "until free and transparent elections are held in Belarus with the participation of international observers". He said he had the support of Poland's Mateusz Morawiecki, who said he would put forward a "solidarity with Belarus" plan on Friday in the Polish parliament.


bbc--2020-08-13--US military helicopter struck by bullet over Virginia

The FBI has launched an investigation after a US military helicopter was struck by a bullet while conducting a routine training exercise over the state of Virginia .
One crew member was injured in the shooting on Monday and the helicopter was forced to make an emergency landing .
Officials said the aircraft was flying about 1,000ft ( 300m ) above the ground when it was hit .
They are appealing for witnesses .
The incident took place early Monday afternoon , some 16km ( 10 miles ) from Manassas Regional Airport , in north Virginia .
The helicopter made @ @ @ @ @ @ @ being hit .
• Eight presumed dead after US military sea accident • US soldier accused of planning attack on own unit The injured crew member was taken to hospital following the incident but has since been discharged .
The Air Force said the UH-1N Huey helicopter had sustained some damage .
The squadron the helicopter was assigned to is responsible for transporting senior military and civilian leaders and dignitaries , as well as performing medical evacuations .
The FBI said it was working alongside other agencies , including the Air Force Office @ @ @ @ @ @ @ happened .
Officials said the bullet was fired by someone on the ground , but it is not yet clear if the aircraft was deliberately shot at or if it was an accident caused by someone randomly shooting into the air .
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Officials said the bullet was fired by someone on the ground, but it is not yet clear if the aircraft was deliberately shot at or if it was an accident caused by someone randomly shooting into the air.


bbc--2020-08-14--France to be added to UK quarantine countries

People coming to the UK from France and the Netherlands will be forced to quarantine for 14 days from Saturday .
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said the measure - which also applies to people travelling from Monaco , Malta , Turks and Caicos , and Aruba - would kick in from 04:00 BST .
He added that this was necessary to keep coronavirus infections down .
France warned the UK decision would lead to `` reciprocal measures '' across the Channel .
Clement Beaune , France 's secretary of state for European affairs , tweeted that the UK 's decision @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the French .
The UK government 's decision follows a surge in cases in the countries affected in recent days .
Airlines UK described it as `` another devastating blow to the travel industry already reeling from the worst crisis in its history '' .
With up to half a million UK tourists thought to be in France at present , the deadline is expected to induce a rush to ports and airports , with thousands of tourists desperate to avoid quarantine .
The Eurotunnel website is reportedly struggling to deal with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , director of public affairs at Getlink , which operates the Channel Tunnel , told BBC 's Newsnight programme that the trains were `` already pretty much fully booked '' on Friday .
He said : `` We just have n't got the space to take everybody who might suddenly want to come up to the coast . ''
Urging travellers to check online if there is space for them before heading to the terminal , he said people should understand `` that it 's not going to be easy to get back @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to ease further in England from Saturday • Where are the world 's coronavirus hotspots ?
Shadow home secretary Nick Thomas-Symonds said while the Labour party supports `` evidence based measures '' at the border , it was `` vital '' that No 10 had a `` joined-up strategy '' and `` urgently '' puts in place a specific deal to support the heavily impacted travel sector .
The MP added : `` That the government has still not put in place an effective track , trace and isolate system has made matters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that we are reliant on the blunt tool of 14-day quarantine . ''
He called on Downing Street to publish science behind its decisions , `` and details of any work being done to reduce the time needed to isolate through increased testing and other measures '' .
According to the data company Statista , people from the UK paid 10.35 million visits to France last year , putting it second behind Spain - with 18.12 million - in terms of popularity .
The Foreign Office is now warning against `` all but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ quarantine measure was imposed for Spain on 25 July .
The ending of more so-called `` travel corridors '' - allowing movement between the UK and the other countries with the need to self-isolate on return to the UK - follows a `` significant change '' in the risk of contracting Covid-19 , the Department for Transport said .
It added that there had been a 66 % increase in newly reported cases per 100,000 people in France since last Friday .
For the Netherlands , it was up 52 % .
And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , while it was 273 % for Turks and Caicos and 1,106 % for Aruba .
Mr Shapps said quarantine was needed because `` we 've absolutely work so hard to keep our numbers down here '' , adding : `` We ca n't afford to re-import those cases from elsewhere . ''
Ahead of a government meeting on the new measures , UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson promised to be `` absolutely ruthless '' in deciding on rules for holidaymakers from abroad .
`` We ca n't be remotely complacent about our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a pandemic you do n't allow our population to be re-infected or the disease to come back in , '' he added .
On Thursday , France reported 2,524 new coronavirus cases in 24 hours , the highest daily increase since its lockdown was lifted in May .
The country 's Prime Minister , Jean Castex , said on Tuesday that coronavirus numbers had been going `` the wrong way '' for a fortnight .
• What are the rules in France and other parts of Europe ?
• How will the world @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the government has announced that maximum fines for people in England who repeatedly refuse to wear a face covering could double to £3,200 , while organisers of illegal raves could face a £10,000 penalty .
But from Sunday indoor theatre , music and performance venues will be able to reopen with socially distanced audiences .
Casinos , bowling alleys , skating rinks and soft play centres will also be allowed to resume , as will `` close-contact '' beauty services such as facials , eyebrow threading and eyelash treatments .
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"We have done everything the government has asked of us for months but I really think they need to treat us all with a little respect and give us time to organise ourselves so that we can continue with our jobs, and our children with their lives," she said.


bbc--2020-08-13--Fortnite: Apple ban sparks court action from Epic Games

Apple has removed Fortnite from its App Store , preventing players from installing one of the world 's most popular games on iPhones .
It came after a Fortnite update that let players buy in-game currency at a lower rate if they bought direct from maker Epic Games - bypassing Apple .
Epic appeared to know the ban would come , announcing it had filed a legal complaint minutes after the removal .
Apple takes a standard 30 % cut of sales from its compulsory payment system .
Hours later , Google also appeared to remove the app from its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ available on Android phones through other means , such as Epic Games ' own launcher .
On iOS , the App Store is the only way to legitimately load apps .
But Apple said Epic had taken the `` unfortunate step of violating the App Store guidelines '' .
Those guidelines ban any payment system apart from Apple 's own , and has been the subject of several high-profile rows between developers and Apple .
Epic said any iPhone players who already have the app installed should be able to continue playing until @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
After that , they will lose some features .
Those on an Apple Mac computer will not be affected , since that version does not use the iOS App Store .
In addition to tweeting the legal complaint it filed in a California court , Epic also announced the imminent in-game screening of a short film titled Nineteen Eighty-Fortnite - a play on George Orwell 's novel Nineteen Eighty-Four .
The novel is about a dystopian society that controls its citizens and tolerates no dissent - and was itself referenced by Apple @ @ @ @ @ @ @ year 1984 , when the young company styled itself as taking on then-dominant IBM .
Epic Games directly referenced that advertisement in its legal complaint , writing : `` Apple has become what it once railed against : the behemoth seeking to control markets , block competition , and stifle innovation . ''
The court documents allege that Apple effectively runs a monopoly in both deciding what apps can appear on iPhones and demanding its own payment system - with the relatively high 30 % cut - is used .
Piers Harding-Rolls , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said Epic 's update breaking the rules `` was done to make Apple remove the app '' .
`` Removing Fortnite from the App Store helps to deliver a groundswell of support for Epic , something it is trying to achieve . ''
And he added that iPhones are not the biggest platform for Fortnite , but Epic will still notice its ban - the iOS version `` generates tens of millions of dollars in revenue every month on Apple platforms '' , he said .
Developers really , really do n't like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 30 % cut of profits is akin to a shakedown .
Last month , one app developer likened Apple to the mafia .
The criticism is essentially an anti-competition one .
Apple and Google run the operating systems of pretty much all of the phones in the world .
That means they get to choose who can run apps on their stores , and who ca n't .
They also get to set the charges .
This is duopoly , say some developers .
• Apple digs in over its App Store fees @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an unwanted foe .
Fortnite is ludicrously profitable , Epic Games has the money to take Apple on .
And the way this has been done - passing the savings on the consumer - is clearly tactical .
Epic Games wants to take this fight out into the open .
And with the EU and US Congress looking closely at Apple 's business practices , this is attention the company could do without .
In its court filing , Epic said it was not seeking financial compensation .
`` Epic is seeking injunctive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two key markets that directly affect hundreds of millions of consumers and tens of thousands , if not more , of third-party app developers , '' it said .
The documents also hint at a possible larger goal .
`` But for Apple 's illegal restraints , Epic would provide a competing app store on iOS devices , '' it says .
Epic Games has already attempted to disrupt the PC gaming market with the launch of its Epic Games Store , taking on the dominant player , Steam , in an attempt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which have often been popular , top-rated titles .
Piers Harding-Rolls said the row is reminiscent of that challenge - Epic 's store charges game developers 12 % on PC games , compared to Steam 's 30 % .
`` Apple and Google have been a long term target of Epic CEO Tim Sweeney 's ire , as he believes the 30 % revenue share they charge for app sales and in-game monetisation is too high , '' he said .
`` However , taking on Apple is a different challenge than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ impossible to build a third-party storefront on iOS , or monetise apps outside of the App Store . ''
Google 's Android system also uses Google 's payment system for app store purchases , from which Google takes a cut - but Android allows developers to point users to other payment options .
In a statement , Apple said the rules were applied equally to every developer , and that Epic had updated their game `` with the express intent of violating the App Store guidelines '' .
`` Epic has had apps @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and have benefited from the App Store ecosystem , '' it said .
`` The fact that their business interests now lead them to push for a special arrangement does not change the fact that these guidelines create a level playing field for all developers and make the store safe for all users . ''
It added that it would try to work with Epic to bring Fortnite back .

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bbc--2020-08-14--Department of Justice says Yale discriminates against whites and Asians

The US government says Yale University is illegally discriminating against white and Asian-American applicants .
The results of a two-year investigation by the Department of Justice found the Ivy League university had breached civil rights law in its undergraduate admissions process .
The department threatened to file a lawsuit against the university if it failed to take `` remedial '' measures .
A Yale spokeswoman said the university `` categorically '' denied the accusations .
President Donald Trump 's administration has been a strong opponent of so-called affirmative action .
The programmes , which were supported by former President Barack @ @ @ @ @ @ @ under-represented minorities , particularly Hispanics and African-Americans.. • Do white US students really get a bad deal ?
The Department of Justice 's report , published on Thursday , said that while the Supreme Court allows universities that receive taxpayer funding to use race as `` one of a number of factors '' during admissions , `` Yale 's use of race is anything but limited '' .
`` Yale uses race at multiple steps of its admissions process resulting in a multiplied effect of race on an applicant 's likelihood of admission @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rejected the report 's conclusions , which it said had been made before the university was able to provide all of the information requested by the Department of Justice .
`` Had the Department fully received and fairly weighed this information , it would have concluded that Yale 's practices absolutely comply with decades of Supreme Court precedent , '' Yale said in a statement .
The university said it considers a many factors during the admissions process and said it would not change its process `` on the basis of such a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ year , Harvard University was cleared of discrimination against Asian-American applicants by a federal judge following a lawsuit , although the ruling is now being appealed .

The Department of Justice's report, published on Thursday, said that while the Supreme Court allows universities that receive taxpayer funding to use race as "one of a number of factors" during admissions, "Yale's use of race is anything but limited".


bbc--2020-08-13--Coronavirus: Australia encouraged by drop in new Covid-19 cases

Australia has recorded its lowest one-day rise in coronavirus infections in more than three weeks , as Melbourne remains under strict lockdown .
Official data on Thursday showed there were 292 new infections in the past 24 hours , down from 428 on Wednesday .
It is the lowest daily total since 20 July .
Victoria had by far the most infections - 278 .
Its capital Melbourne began its shutdown on 3 August .
Health Minister Greg Hunt voiced cautious optimism about the new data .
`` We now believe , cautiously , that we have early signs of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he said .
In Melbourne , workers must carry a permit to leave home , and all non-essential businesses have been shut .
Mask-wearing in public is also compulsory .
For more than a month the city 's residents - nearly five million people - have been required to stay at home except for essential shopping trips , medical care or exercise .
The authorities have warned that Melbourne 's Stage Four lockdown could be extended to other parts of Victoria if outbreaks in Geelong , Ballarat and Bendigo - towns just west @ @ @ @ @ @ @ under control .
`` It 's not time to be complacent , it 's 'yes , this worked , we 're on the downhill slope , pedal harder ' , '' said Prof Catherine Bennett , an epidemiologist at Deakin University .
According to the global tally kept by Johns Hopkins University , the number of Covid-19 deaths in Australia has reached 361 and the total number of officially confirmed cases is 22,358 .
• A SIMPLE GUIDE : How do I protect myself ?
• IMPACT : What the virus does to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it is not straightforward

The authorities have warned that Melbourne's Stage Four lockdown could be extended to other parts of Victoria if outbreaks in Geelong, Ballarat and Bendigo - towns just west of the city - are not brought under control.


bbc--2020-08-13--Frankfurt sniffer dog catches whiff of hidden cash stash

A sharp-nosed sniffer dog has helped German authorities to seize €247,280 ( £223,673 ) worth of undeclared money from travellers at Frankfurt airport .
The Malinois pooch , named Aki , found 12 people 's secret stashes in a matter of a few days in late June and early July .
In one instance , almost €52,000 was hidden in a man 's pocket .
Officials said all the passengers were travelling to destinations outside the EU , and there are strict rules on registering cash .
Under EU rules , anyone flying to third countries is required to declare @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in cash when entering or leaving the EU .
But Aki 's dogged determination helped customs officers discover wads of euro bills and dollar bills in a variety of shoulder bags , handbags and jacket pockets , officials said in a statement .
`` The saying 'money does n't stink ' does n't seem to apply to Aki , '' said Isabell Gillmann , a customs spokesperson at Frankfurt am Main airport .
She added that cash controls were important for `` combating tax evasion , money laundering and international terrorism . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Aki has made headlines .
In January last year , the intrepid pooch gained media attention after helping customs to seize €10,775 from a man leaving for China .

Under EU rules, anyone flying to third countries is required to declare if they're carrying more than €10,000 in cash when entering or leaving the EU.


bbc--2020-08-13--Bangladesh: Losing my job as a garment factory worker

Sonia , 18 , is one of thousands of garment workers who have lost their jobs in Bangladesh due to @ @ @ @ @ caused shops to close , brands cancelled billions of dollars in orders .
Clothing sales @ @ @ @ @ and workers were left without jobs .
Sonia told BBC Minute that she now struggles @ @ @ @ @ rent .

Sonia, 18, is one of thousands of garment workers who have lost their jobs in Bangladesh due to Covid-19.
When global lockdowns caused shops to close, brands cancelled billions of dollars in orders. Clothing sales fell, factories closed down and workers were left without jobs.
Sonia told BBC Minute that she now struggles to pay for food or rent.
Video journalist, Nabihah Parkar


bbc--2020-08-13--Africa's week in pictures: 7- 13 August 2020

`` We want to go back home , '' chant Kenyan workers outside their country 's consulate in Beirut on @ @ @ @ @ often report abuse by their employers .
Days before , the Lebanese capital was hit @ @ @ @ @ killed dozens of people and made thousands homeless .

Image caption,
"We want to go back home," chant Kenyan workers outside their country's consulate in Beirut on Monday. Migrant workers there often report abuse by their employers. Days before, the Lebanese capital was hit by an explosion that has killed dozens of people and made thousands homeless.


bbc--2020-08-13--Beirut explosion: Children dealing with the trauma of the explosion

Thousands of injured , displaced and traumatised children are dealing with the aftermath of Beirut 's port explosion .
On @ @ @ @ @ people were killed and injured thousands when 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate stored unsafely in @ @ @ @ @

Thousands of injured, displaced and traumatised children are dealing with the aftermath of Beirut's port explosion.
On 4 August at least 200 people were killed and injured thousands when 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate stored unsafely in a port warehouse detonated.


bbc--2020-08-13--Quiz of the week: Who was named the world's highest-paid male actor?

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

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


bbc--2020-08-13--Douglas Emhoff: Kamala Harris's husband and potential 'second gentleman'

Kamala Harris made her first appearance as a vice presidential candidate on Wednesday , alongside presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden .
Speaking at the event in Wilmington , Delaware , Ms Harris told the crowd that family means a lot to her .
`` Family is everything to me too and I can not wait for America to get to know my husband Doug and our amazing kids Cole and Ella , '' she said .
`` I 've had a lot of titles over my career and certainly vice president will be great , but 'Momala ' will always @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
• Biden and Harris say Trump has left US 'in tatters' Her husband , Douglas Emhoff , joined her on stage and they shared a kiss .
Many of Ms Harris 's supporters will be familiar with Mr Emhoff - he was one of his wife 's most enthusiastic cheerleaders during her run for the presidency .
After Joe Biden announced she was his running mate , Mr Emhoff tweeted his excitement .
Mr Emhoff is a partner at global law firm DLA Piper , specialising in entertainment litigation and intellectual @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Los Angeles and Washington DC .
He graduated from the University of Southern California Gould School of Law , and worked in local law firms until the late 1990s , when he established his own practice .
For one of his first cases he represented former video rental chain Hollywood Video in an accounting dispute with Fox , which helped him make a name for himself in entertainment law and led to him later representing dozens of production companies in a class action a few years later .
He opened his own firm @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by Venable in 2006 .
In 2017 , he left Venable to join DLA Piper as a partner .
He and Kamala Harris first met in 2013 , on a blind date set up by PR consultant Chrisette Hudlin , according to The Hollywood Reporter .
Just one year later , the couple got married at a small and intimate ceremony .
According to news site SF Gate , they each chose to honour the other 's cultures - Mr Emhoff wore a garland as a nod to Ms Harris 's Hindu roots @ @ @ @ @ @ @ honour his Jewish heritage .
Mr Emhoff has two children from his first marriage - Cole and Ella - who Ms Harris says affectionately refer to her as `` Momala '' , because they do n't like the term `` stepmom '' .
`` Cole and Ella could not have been more welcoming , '' she wrote in an essay for Elle magazine last year .
`` They are brilliant , talented , funny kids who have grown to be remarkable adults .
I was already hooked on Doug , but I believe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ me in . ''
Meanwhile , Mr Emhoff told The Hollywood Reporter last year that his wife 's political career was `` endlessly fascinating '' , adding that he would get stopped and asked for selfies when she was running for president .

"Cole and Ella could not have been more welcoming," she wrote in an essay for Elle magazine last year. "They are brilliant, talented, funny kids who have grown to be remarkable adults. I was already hooked on Doug, but I believe it was Cole and Ella who reeled me in."


bbc--2020-08-13--The girl who picked up an AK47 to defend her family

When her home was attacked last month , 15-year-old Nooria picked up an AK-47 , killing two men and wounding a third .
She was hailed as a hero .
But the story behind what happened that night was more complicated .
Did Nooria shoot Taliban attackers , or her husband ?
Or both ?
All names have been changed for safety reasons .
The men came to the village at night , under the cover of darkness .
According to Nooria , it was about 1am when they burst through the front door of her parents ' home .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ who was woken by the noise , stayed still and quiet .
She thought about her 12-year-old brother in his bedroom .
Then she heard the men take her parents outside the small , hillside home .
She described the events of that night in an interview with the BBC .
The next thing she heard were gunshots , she said .
Nooria had grown up in the small rural village , in a volatile part of Afghanistan .
She was an outwardly shy and quietly spoken teenager , but capable of handling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ product of self-defence training by her father from a young age .
That night , instead of hiding , Nooria grabbed her father 's gun - an AK-47 rifle - and opened fire at the men outside .
She fired until she was nearly out of bullets , she said .
Eventually , about an hour after they arrived , the men retreated into the night , she said .
Outside the house lay five dead bodies : those of her mother and father , an elderly neighbour who was also her relative @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` It was horrific , '' she said .
`` They were so cruel .
My father was disabled .
My mother was innocent .
And they just killed them . ''
Growing up in Afghanistan , teenagers like Nooria have known nothing but war .
The ongoing conflict between pro-government forces and the Taliban , the country 's hard-line insurgent force , has waged for more than 25 years .
Pro-government forces control cities and bigger towns , while the Taliban has seized vast remote areas .
Villages like Nooria 's are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rural province of Ghor , raids by small groups of Taliban fighters targeting pro-government outposts are not uncommon .
Nooria and her older step-brother , a military police officer , say their father was targeted by insurgents because he was a tribal elder and pro-government community leader .
• Why is there a war in Afghanistan ?
But three weeks weeks on , multiple accounts of the attack and the circumstances around it - from Nooria , her older brother , family members of the dead attackers , local police , local elders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government - paint starkly differing versions of events .
According to several of the accounts given to the BBC , one of the gunmen that night was Nooria 's husband , and the heroic story of a young girl fending off Taliban militants was in fact mired in a family dispute .
The conflicting accounts threaten to bury the truth of what happened to Nooria , and they reveal something of the tragic reality of life in rural Afghanistan - where young women are often caught up in a culture of tribalism , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lives .
Like Nooria , they have little power , little access to education , and little say in how or when they are dragged into violence .
The most disputed element of what happened that night concerns the men who came to the house and why they were there .
All sides agreed on one thing : that there was an attack in the village in the early hours of that morning .
According to Nooria , the strangers identified themselves as `` mujahideen '' fighters - a term often used by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her father .
The Taliban denied any involvement in a clash with a teenage girl , but they did confirm there was a raid in the same village that night , saying a local police checkpoint was targeted resulting in two Taliban casualties , but no loss of life .
Local and national Afghan government officials meanwhile declared victory over a `` massive '' Taliban attack and proclaimed Nooria `` a true hero '' .
As Nooria and her younger brother were airlifted out of their district by military helicopter and swept to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the story of the young girl who had taken up arms in self-defence .
It is not uncommon in Afghanistan for civilians to be praised by the president for defeating Taliban attacks .
But when President Ashraf Ghani invited Nooria to the capital Kabul , reactions were mixed .
Some said she was a hero .
Others said she was an innocent child caught between two warring sides - attacked by one , used as a PR stunt by the other .
`` Ca n't understand how in a country whose people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ know the value of life and peace , can such glorify violence and praise take up arms , '' wrote one Twitter user .
`` Violence is not a response to violence ! ''
Another called Nooria a `` symbol of Afghan women who succeeded to defend her life '' .
`` There are many Afghan victims who could n't do anything .
They are suffering the pain of wounds they have because of holy war by Taliban . ''
At the scene of the attack the following day , local police discovered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two dead men .
They were both known Taliban supporters , officers told the BBC .
A third man who was injured but escaped was a high-ranking Taliban commander called Sayed Massoum Kamran , police said .
The BBC was able to independently confirm the identity of the two dead men , who were in their late 20s and dressed in traditional Afghan attire , loose-fitting trousers and colourful waistcoats , their shirts now soaked through with blood .
And sources close to the Taliban said the commander named by police and alleged @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but the sources would not confirm when or where he was hurt .
The local Taliban sources also confirmed that one of the men at the scene was previously affiliated with their network in Helmand , in southern Afghanistan , several years ago .
As Nooria and her 12-year-old brother arrived in the capital at the president 's behest , the case of their parents ' murder looked tragic but straightforward .
Then a week after the attack , reports began to circulate that one of the dead attackers was not simply @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but was in fact Nooria 's husband .
Family members and local sources told the BBC that Nooria 's husband , Rahim , came to the village intent on reclaiming his bride after a family dispute had led her father to take her home .
The sources said the husband had become affiliated with the Taliban and came to the house with Taliban militants .
The man they identified as Nooria 's husband was one of the men found dead that night .
Nooria denies they were ever married .
According to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` mokhi '' deal - an exchange of two female relatives for marriage between two families .
Rahim would take Nooria as his second wife while Nooria 's father would marry Rahim 's teenage niece as his second wife .
However , since both the girls were still so young , it was agreed they would wait several years before making the marriage official .
Verifying the truth behind a story like this in rural Afghanistan is not easy .
Nooria 's village sits in a wide expanse of farmland , surrounded by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ phone signal , villagers must trek to the top of a nearby hillside .
In order to establish whether Rahim was indeed Nooria 's husband , the BBC tracked down his mother , Shafiqa , who lives in Nimruz province , south-west Afghanistan , with her son 's first wife and their two children .
Speaking down the phone from Nimruz , Shafiqa confirmed that her son married Nooria three years ago as part of an exchange , and that her other granddaughter , Rahim 's niece , had also wed Nooria 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than two years ago , while Rahim was working in Helmand , Nooria 's father unexpectedly arrived at her house and took back his daughter , leaving his new wife , Rahim 's niece , behind .
Effectively nullifying the exchange , she said .
Shafiqa said they asked the elders to help heal the rift .
But as the financially poorer family , they were powerless to stop Nooria 's father .
She confirmed that Rahim went to Nooria 's house on the night of the attack , but she denied it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` They were strongmen .
We were poor people .
He did n't go there after midnight , he went there in the evening , invited by Nooria 's father , to solve their problems , even to discuss a divorce , '' she said .
She denied that her son was a Taliban fighter , but her account of him travelling to Helmand for work does match the timing provided by Taliban sources - that he was a member of their network in Helmand almost two years ago before he went on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was not a Taliban member , he was in construction , '' she said .
`` He never touched a gun in his entire life .
We are poor people , nobody listens to us , nobody . ''
Shafiqa described losing her son , Rahim 's brother , a police officer , 12 years ago in a suicide attack in Nimruz .
Now there are no male earners left in her family .
She is another woman in Afghanistan caught up in a cycle of violence outside of her control .
Local @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with several village elders and the central Afghan authorities , insist Rahim and Nooria were not married and the raid on her home was a routine Taliban raid , with her father the clear target .
Very few people truly know what happened that night .
Nooria and her younger brother ; a surviving attacker , perhaps .
None may know the entire set of facts .
The morning after the violence , Nooria and her neighbours buried her parents in makeshift graves near to the house .
As they put the dead @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the first direct peace talks between the government and the Taliban .
The talks carry the burden of hope for a different way of life in Afghanistan , but hundreds of Afghans are still being killed every month .
Many are innocent women and children .
Like Nooria , they have limited power and limited voice , and no choice but to continue to defend themselves , physically and emotionally , in whatever ways they can .

The conflicting accounts threaten to bury the truth of what happened to Nooria, and they reveal something of the tragic reality of life in rural Afghanistan - where young women are often caught up in a culture of tribalism, traditional custom and patriarchy that controls their lives. Like Nooria, they have little power, little access to education, and little say in how or when they are dragged into violence.


bbc--2020-08-13--Turkey-Greece tensions escalate over Turkish Med drilling plans

Greece has called on Turkey to pull back a Turkish ship that has left port to carry out a drilling survey in the Eastern Mediterranean .
The two neighbours have seen frequent flare-ups , but this latest spat over gas reserves and maritime rights has prompted fears that tensions could escalate further .
When Turkey announced in July it was planning to send its survey ship to waters off the Greek island of Kastellorizo , the initial row was brought to an end by Germany , which currently holds the presidency of the European Union .
But now that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it five Turkish naval vessels - the dispute has come to a head again and the two Nato allies are engaged in a war of words .
Greece has vowed to defend its sovereignty , and the EU , of which Greece is a member , has appealed for dialogue .
France has joined Greece in a naval exercise in the area .
Turkey and Greece have competing ambitions over gas reserves and they disagree profoundly over who has rights to key areas of the Eastern Mediterranean .
They have laid claim to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their respective continental shelves .
In July , Turkey put out a naval alert - known as a Navtex - that it was sending its Oruc Reis research ship to carry out a drilling survey in waters close to the Greek island of Kastellorizo , a short distance from the coast of south-west Turkey .
The survey alert covered an area between Cyprus and Crete .
At the time the ship did not weigh anchor in the Turkish port of Antalya .
But the alert prompted alarm in the Greek military , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Relations between Greece and Turkey have been icy for months .
The two countries have quarrelled over migrants crossing into Greece ; then Greece was appalled when Turkey decided the Hagia Sophia museum in Istanbul , for centuries an Orthodox Christian cathedral , would be turned back into a mosque .
After German intervention , there was a commitment to dialogue and calm was apparently restored .
But then in early August Greece signed a deal with Egypt to set up a maritime zone that infuriated Turkey .
The talks were called off @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 10 August .
By late the next day the Oruc Reis was reported to be sailing in waters between Crete and Cyprus .
Turkey and Greece are on separate sides in a race to develop energy resources in the Eastern Mediterranean .
In recent years , huge gas reserves have been found in the waters off Cyprus , prompting the Cypriot government , Greece , Israel and Egypt to work together to make the most of the resources .
As part of that agreement , energy supplies would go to Europe via a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Med .
Last year Turkey stepped up drilling to the west of Cyprus , which has been divided since 1974 , with Turkish-controlled northern Cyprus only recognised as a republic by Ankara .
Turkey has always argued that the island 's natural resources should be shared .
Then , in November 2019 , Ankara signed a deal with Libya that Turkey said created an exclusive economic zone ( EEZ ) from the Turkish southern coast to Libya 's north-east coast .
Egypt said it was illegal , and Greece said it was absurd @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Greek island of Crete , midway between the two countries .
At the end of May , Turkey said it planned to start drilling in the coming months in several other areas further west , alarming EU members Greece and Cyprus .
• Turkey ramps up its drilling operations off Cyprus Several licences have already been issued to Turkish Petroleum to drill in the Eastern Med , including off the Greek islands of Rhodes and Crete .
`` Everyone should accept that Turkey and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus can not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the region , '' said Turkish Vice-President Fuat Oktay in July .
On 6 August , Greece and Egypt hit back with a deal of their own , forming an exclusive economic zone that Greece said would cancel out the Turkish agreement with Libya .
As well as despatching its survey ship , Turkey has said licences for exploring new areas will be issued in the `` western part of our continental shelf '' from the end of the month .
What are the legal issues ?
Many Greek islands in the Aegean @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the Turkish coast , so issues of territorial waters are complex and the two countries have come to the brink of war in the past .
If Greece were to extend its territorial waters from six miles to the maximum of 12 allowed internationally , Turkey argues its sea routes would be severely affected .
`` No way Turkey will consent to any initiative trying to lock the country to its shores , '' Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has complained .
But apart from territorial waters , there are exclusive economic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like that agreed between Turkey and Libya , but also like the Cypriot EEZ accords with Lebanon , Egypt and Israel .
And this latest row also involves continental shelves , which can stretch up to 200 miles from the shore .
Greece argues that the Turkish survey ship that set sail from Antalya is encroaching on its continental shelf , pointing to a large area off the Greek island of Kastellorizo , 2km from the Turkish mainland .
While Athens has called on Turkey to leave its continental shelf immediately , Turkey @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are far from the mainland and closer to Turkey can not have a continental shelf '' .
Turkey 's vice-president said last month that Ankara was tearing up maps `` drawn to imprison us on the mainland '' , and Ankara insists it is acting within the UN 's Law of the Sea .
What reaction has there been ?
Greece 's European allies have largely backed its position , although the EU and Germany are pushing for dialogue .
French President Emmanuel Macron has given Cyprus and Greece his full backing , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sovereignty '' .
French relations with Turkey have been strained in recent months , particularly over Libya .
As tensions escalated , France said it was temporarily deploying a frigate and two Rafale fighter jets in the area for joint naval manoeuvres with Greece .
The US has called for the two sides to talk and Nato Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has called for the situation to be `` resolved in a spirit of Allied solidarity and in accordance with international law '' .
Germany 's Angela Merkel is seen as key to taking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has talked to the leaders of both Turkey and Greece .

After German intervention, there was a commitment to dialogue and calm was apparently restored. But then in early August Greece signed a deal with Egypt to set up a maritime zone that infuriated Turkey. The talks were called off and the Oruc Reis left port on 10 August. By late the next day the Oruc Reis was reported to be sailing in waters between Crete and Cyprus.


bbc--2020-08-13--Beirut blast: Picking up the pieces of a shattered city

Beirut is still shedding glass and tears .
Eddie Bitar takes me into his apartment .
Without windows .
Strewn with the shattered debris .
Deep cracks zigzag along every wall .
He steps over rubble and wrestles the front door aside .
It is smeared red and he points it out : `` This is the blood of my brother . ''
We walk in .
His wife Yara recounts the day she can never forget , and weeps .
This country was already wracked with crisis ; people 's savings and hopes were evaporating .
Now grief and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` We will stay here , we will raise our kids here , stronger than ever .
Nothing like this will ever [ be allowed to ] happen again , '' Yara cries .
The explosion was like 15 years of war in 15 seconds , says Lebanon 's team at the United Nations , comparing its impact to the devastation from the country 's civil war that lasted from 1975 to 1990 .
Now , amid financial meltdown and political turmoil , Lebanon has to undertake a single recovery effort of unprecedented @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hard to believe and it is everywhere .
At the port , the grain silo that stored much of the country 's wheat supplies is a tomb-like wreck rising from vaporised remains of the docks .
Where people worked unloading ships there is now a flooded crater more than 40m ( 130ft ) deep .
Among the dead there were at least 43 Syrian workers , according to embassy officials .
The homes and savings of many refugee families who lived in nearby industrial neighbourhoods have been destroyed .
Further back in Gemmayzeh @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I walk through streets carpeted with broken glass ; where beautiful old stone buildings are now rubble heaps that crushed cars when they toppled .
The destruction goes on and on ; miles from the blast site apartments are wrecked and families left homeless .
It 's estimated 300,000 people do not have homes fit to live in .
Many families need sanitation and hygiene supplies until basic services can be restored , according to the UN 's humanitarian agency .
Three major hospitals are out of action and less than half of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ full services .
`` The blast took everything , '' says Marc , who ran a shop near the port .
`` The metal was torn like paper , it was crazy .
Two people died in front of our store . ''
But the new symbols of Lebanon 's famed resilience are everywhere .
Squads of people with brooms and shovels are trying to sweep up a broken city .
Near the port I bump into Fadi , a construction engineer who is rallying friends to try to make safe the scores @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a high-rise block .
`` If you take a look , see that balcony over there , that 's almost another projectile [ that could ] fall from 30 floors . ''
He is working with other engineer friends to photograph danger points , geo-tagging and sending them around so people can try to remove them safely .
But these people will not be enough to restore a country brought even closer to collapse .
Fortitude has its limits after the multiple shocks Lebanon has already endured ; a currency collapse , mass @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of thousands of tonnes of unsafely stored ammonium nitrate has come to symbolise the perceived mismanagement of an entire country .
The political system was established after the civil war in an effort to enable power-sharing in a country of sectarian divides .
But instead many see it as a front for patronage , cronyism and endemic corruption .
When it comes to Beirut 's residents the blast did not discriminate .
More on the explosion in Beirut • The inferno and the mystery ship • 'We do n't have dreams any more' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gemmayzeh was hard hit .
It is a wealthy area where there is strong support for the Lebanese Forces , one of the main Christian factions .
The Sunni Muslim areas of the Corniche and Ain al-Mraysseh were damaged .
Others have been searching for loved ones lost in the port - many Shia Muslim labourers whose families form a base of support for Hezbollah , the armed movement which dominates Lebanese politics .
Amid growing anger at what many see as a corrupt political elite sharing out jobs and favours based on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ explosion 's aftershocks also risk aggravating divisions .
Lebanese political analyst Sami Nader describes the system as a `` cartel of political parties '' which take advantage of sectarian division to establish their rule .
In the wake of the blast he believes this establishment `` will try their old tricks '' to hold onto power .
Anti-government protests are growing .
In Martyrs ' Square , groups of demonstrators gather each afternoon .
They have been surging towards the parliament complex , trying to breach the barricades and met by riot police @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The mass resignation of the cabinet on Tuesday marked the second fall of a government in a year .
But it has done little to quell the fury - MPs must choose a new prime minister ; involving the same sectarian politics as before .
Another mass protest is planned for Saturday ; the authorities have sent workers to weld giant metal plates to already blast-hit buildings close to the parliament .
Back at Eddie Bitar 's damaged apartment I hear how his wounded brother is recovering .
`` They took our money @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to come .
They killed our forest , they burned them .
They are killing our soul .
But we are resilient people , '' he says .
Amid the wreckage , he vows that Lebanon `` will be ruled by the youth who did everything ... to reconstruct our country '' .

Now grief and rage are Lebanon's new currency. "We will stay here, we will raise our kids here, stronger than ever. Nothing like this will ever [be allowed to] happen again," Yara cries.


bbc--2020-08-12--Viewpoint: Harris 'brings marginalised groups to the table'

Kamala Harris ' selection as Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden 's running mate could mean substantive change that Americans need right now , writes Dr Nadia E Brown .
It is necessary to take a look the political moment in which California Senator Kamala Harris becomes Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden 's running mate .
The political times have changed .
Average Americans are having conversations about systemic racism and gender-based violence .
The Black Lives Matter movement , most notably the sustained protests around George Floyd 's killing and calls for justice for Breonna Taylor , have left many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ justice and racial equity .
The MeToo Movement - started by Tarana Burke , a black American activist , over a decade ago to call attention to sexual harm done to women and girls on the margins of our society - has found a national spotlight as white women embrace the phrase to address their own experiences with sexual misconduct , harassment , and violence .
Furthermore , the global pandemic and the federal government 's failure to provide national leadership on curtailing the spread of the coronavirus has highlighted persistent racial disparities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
• Why are African Americans hit so hard by virus ?
In particular , the coronavirus has hurt black women at disproportionate rates .
The pandemic-induced recession has placed black women in precarious employment positions and have exasperated economic inequalities .
Then there has been the rash of anti-Asian and xenophobic attacks linked to the pandemic .
• ' I 'm Asian , so I can never be American' Enter Senator Kamala Harris to the bottom of the ticket .
Society has long seen women as moral crusaders who can best clean @ @ @ @ @ @ @ male ) politicians .
Indeed , as we celebrate the 100th anniversary of women 's suffrage in the United States , historic tropes of why women should be given the vote are eerily familiar .
Gendered stereotypes mean women are ( incorrectly ) seen as less corrupt .
Thus , selecting a woman to be his pick for vice-president was a logical choice for Biden given the some of the country 's views on the Trump administration .
Kamala Harris as a vice-presidential pick also mirrors an optimism for a woman president - @ @ @ @ @ @ @ during the primary ( including Ms Harris ) .
While there is much to note about her , much more attention is needed on the factors that got us to this point .
Placing her historic candidacy in context allows us to see why this pick is just as substantive as it is symbolic .
Symbolically , women , communities of colour , immigrants , and women of colour are all seeing themselves reflected for the first time on a major presidential ticket .
Senator Harris ' origin story is inclusive , diverse @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In a growing multi-racial America , she represents the future of the Democratic Party .
Asian-American communities have been discussing seeing themselves in their political representation .
She also represents black women , a group who have long been the backbone of the Democratic party and have been calling on the party to be more responsive to their policy needs .
Groups such as Higher Heights for America and the Black Women 's PAC - organisations that both seek to increase the number of black women in politics - have called on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a vice-presidential candidate as an acknowledgment of black women voters ' steadfast support and work for the party .
The hashtag # BlackWomenLead was a viral reminder of the power of black women voters and political elites .
This groundswell of support for a potential black woman VP nominee demonstrates years of that group 's organising and advocacy .
So Harris was the right choice for today 's political moment .
As a member of black networks like the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority , the first black sorority - and The Links , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on strengthening African-American communities - she has chosen to identify herself with institutional legacies of black political empowerment .
My forthcoming research on black women 's politics demonstrates the importance of these organisations in shaping both the national black political agenda and the civic skills of their members .
Harris will potentially bring this lineage with her to the White House .
She also brings black women staffers - a long underrepresented population on Capitol Hill - who have a considerable amount of influence on shaping policy .
This is more than symbols @ @ @ @ @ @ @ need right now .
She will bring groups to the table who were previously marginalised and unheard .
As a senator , Kamala Harris championed a ban on evictions during the pandemic , universal healthcare , black maternal health , creating a path for citizenship for Dreamers , and using anti-trust measures to regulate big tech .
These are in step with the type of policies that black women political elites have long supported .
My research into black women and gender in politics demonstrates that black women bring their whole identity to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that in Kamala Harris .
Dr Nadia E Brown is an associate professor of political science and African-American studies at Purdue University , in West Lafayette , Indiana .

While there is much to note about her, much more attention is needed on the factors that got us to this point. Placing her historic candidacy in context allows us to see why this pick is just as substantive as it is symbolic.


bbc--2020-08-13--Babyteeth: The teen film tackling cancer with humour

Are teen films getting more realistic when showing an experience of serious illness ?
The makers of Australian teen drama Babyteeth certainly hope so .
Recent teen films such as The Fault in our Stars , Now is Good and Five Feet Apart focus on a romance a couple enjoys when at least one of them is chronically ill ; but Babyteeth , starring Little Women 's Eliza Scanlen , has a far more rebellious tone .
• The teenagers growing up with cancer • Fault in Our Stars is a 'real story' Sixteen-year-old Milla may be undergoing cancer treatment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ feature by Australian director Shannon Murphy , shows the teen sneaking out to all-night parties , shoplifting and falling for an older boy , Moses , who has a drug habit .
Her affluent parents , played by Rogue One 's Ben Mendelsohn and Essie Davis from Game of Thrones , are distraught .
The story was originally a play written by Australian scriptwriter Rita Kalnejais , and Shannon Murphy believes Milla 's intense journey to adulthood can be humorous , as well as poignant .
`` There was more life in Babyteeth @ @ @ @ @ @ @ read in ages , even if it seems to be a story about death , '' she says .
`` It 's such modern , contemporary storytelling .
It 's a very physical film - I think it 's significant in context that every character seems to be very alive in their own bodies . ''
Eliza Scanlen , 21 , has also played a terminally ill 19th-century heroine , Beth , in Greta Gerwig 's Little Women , and agrees that writing about serious illness is changing .
`` When I read @ @ @ @ @ @ @ quite funny , '' she says . ''
It 's very much Australian humour - it 's not the classic formulation of a joke .
This is the story of a girl coming into her own body through sex and love , despite it essentially withering away .
So much of her love story with Moses is physical . ''
The actress says she researched the role by working with the organisation CanTeen , which works with young Australians with cancer who are under the age of 25 .
`` Speaking to those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she says , `` and they spoke a bit about the relationship with their parents and how complicated that can be .
`` The young teen with cancer can become the parent or the adult in the family , and that was really essential information for me .
`` Milla has got a lot of resilience and that 's something I gathered from speaking to them , that was way more important than playing a victim .
`` No one just 'surrenders ' to illness , it 's always a fight .
Her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that life has to offer , while learning to accept the dysfunction that 's in her life and in her family life . ''
Toby Wallace , who plays Moses , was awarded the best young actor award at the 2019 Venice Film Festival , where Babyteeth was premiered .
The Guardian also praises the film , saying : `` In a subgenre that often mawkishly preaches one should live a short life to its fullest , Babyteeth shows the fullest can be an ordinary day at the beach , when Milla turns @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her parents , the sea , the sky . ''
Deborah James , also known as @ bowelbabe , was diagnosed with Stage 4 bowel cancer in 2016 , and presents BBC Radio 5 Live 's You , Me and the Big C podcast .
Currently , she has no active cancer .
She welcomes the idea of content that resonates with teenagers living with the disease .
`` Some young followers I have can feel almost guilty in aspects of life where they know they should be worried about their cancer , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the boy they like and who might not like them back , '' she explains .
`` Teenagers ca n't help it , and they do n't want to be defined by their illness .
So many of them have the attitude of ' I 'm going to look fantastic and I 'm going out to party . '
Social media has been showcasing that for a while , and now if films are doing it to , it gives people permission to do that .
There 's this misconception that you should @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you come back with a 'why ? '
if there 's no medical reason .
`` Cancer 's also something you 're dealing with in your mind , and if you can be , you should be as normal as possible .
You 've got to have fun in the darkness , in some of the darkest times you can have some of the funniest times .
I know I have . ''
Babyteeth director Shannon Murphy agrees with James that `` teenagers get frustrated by being defined as 'the sick girl ' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it 's accurate that those teenagers are pushing back harder against their parents , as we see in Babyteeth , because they told us they know their time may be more limited .
That 's why Milla is accelerating through her time at such a race and at such a higher frequency . ''
Other teen films dealing with cancer , such as Me , Earl and the Dying Girl , an adaptation of the 2012 Jesse Andrews novel , tread the fine line between humour and tragedy .
But Murphy says she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ film to be about `` that unique feverish energy teenagers have , that you never get back as an adult .
They 're so alive , so full of strong opinions , we wanted to nail that feeling '' .
`` I hope we 're getting a lot better about portraying that age group , '' she says .
`` I want the film to exist on its own , whereas other teenage films can be drenched in this quirky , off-kilter comedy , and while that 's fun , I do n't @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and does n't quite take their feelings seriously .
`` Whereas with this film , there 's a reverence for Milla 's story and the decisions she makes in the film .
I think that 's makes it very much one of a kind , in a way . ''
Babyteeth is released in UK cinemas on 14 August 2020 .
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If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news @ bbc.co.uk .

Other teen films dealing with cancer, such as Me, Earl and the Dying Girl, an adaptation of the 2012 Jesse Andrews novel, tread the fine line between humour and tragedy. But Murphy says she was searching for the heart of her film to be about "that unique feverish energy teenagers have, that you never get back as an adult. They're so alive, so full of strong opinions, we wanted to nail that feeling".


bbc--2020-08-13--Mauritius oil spill: Are major incidents less frequent?

The recent oil spill off the island of Mauritius has brought the dangers of moving large quantities of oil by sea back under the spotlight .
The Japanese-operated MV Wakashio ran aground off the Indian Ocean island , and is thought to have leaked more than 1,000 tonnes of oil in an environmentally sensitive area .
How many oil spills are there ?
The number of accidents involving spillages has fallen in recent years according to the International Tanker Owners Pollution Federation ( ITOPF ) .
In the 1970s , there were about 80 spills a year of more than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an average of just six per year over the past decade despite a large increase in the number of tankers now transporting oil .
This improvement , according to Naa Sackeyfio of the ITOPF , is down to tighter regulation and improvements in safety standards .
Some of the largest spills were between 1978 and 1991 , and of all the large oil spills reported since 1970 , only about 4 % occurred after 2010 .
There is , however , a big problem with the available data .
It does not include @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than seven tonnes ) , which the ITOPF says account for more than 80 % of all oil spills at sea .
The organisation says information on these small spills is difficult to gather and often incomplete .
The environmental campaign group Greenpeace says any oil spill should be a source of concern because of the damage caused .
`` Even a single spill is one too many .
Currently , there are many devastating ongoing spills in the world , '' Tal Harris of Greenpeace told the BBC .
Greenpeace says it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ does not include every single type of vessel which could be transporting oil , so could be missing some accidents .
How much oil has been lost ?
It 's worth noting that some of the biggest maritime oil spills have not involved ships at all .
In 1991 , Iraqi forces invading Kuwait deliberately released eight million barrels of oil into the Gulf in a bid to foil a US-led attack .
And in 2010 , there was a major accident on the Deepwater Horizon oil rig in the US , leading @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Gulf of Mexico .
`` It is interesting to observe that the amount of oil spilt in just a few years in earlier decades was greater than the total of all the oil spilt this decade , '' says the ITOPF .
From 2010 to 2020 , there were more than 60 accidents resulting in 164,000 tonnes of oil being lost .
But of those 60 , just 10 incidents accounted for more than 90 % of the oil spilt .
What causes these oil spills ?
From 1970 to 2019 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seas , and more than half of these were when a ship hit another vessel or ran aground or was damaged by hitting something under water .
These types of collision incidents were even more likely when vessels were navigating inland waterways or in ports and harbours .
Only a small proportion happened during loading and discharging or were due to hull failure , equipment failure , fire or explosions , or weather-related damage .
In fact , while the overall number of spills has been dropping , the number caused by collisions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the increase in vessel traffic ) .
Since 2010 , 44 % of spills greater than seven tonnes were due to collisions of various sorts - higher than the proportions for previous decades .
What about the damage from oil spills ?
Any oil spill is potentially a disaster for the environment , and even a smaller spill may cause significant damage .
As oil is less dense than salt water , it floats and forms a thin film on the surface .
The floating oil sticks to the fur and feathers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their insulating and water-repelling properties and exposing them to the cold .
Furthermore , the creatures can be poisoned by swallowing the oil residue .
And the volume of oil spilt does n't always have to be huge to cause a problem .
It depends where it occurs , what the prevailing weather conditions are at the time , and on other factors like how quickly a clean-up operation can begin .
• Why the Mauritius oil spill is so serious Some of the largest oil spills did not have a major impact @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which were not quite as large - such as the Exxon Valdez spill in Alaska - caused huge damage because of where they occurred .
The recent MV Wakashio spill off Mauritius - although it did n't leak a huge amount of oil - is near two protected marine ecosystems and a wetland of international importance .
`` Even relatively small volumes of oil can spread widely and cause a major impact , especially if they occur close to shore in calm weather and in sensitive marine habitats , '' says David Santillo @ @ @ @ @ @

In the 1970s, there were about 80 spills a year of more than seven tonnes. This has fallen to an average of just six per year over the past decade despite a large increase in the number of tankers now transporting oil.


bbc--2020-08-13--Robots go their own way deep in the ocean

`` It 's very common , '' says Jess Hanham casually , when asked how often he finds suspected unexploded bombs .
Mr Hanham is a co-founder of Spectrum Offshore , a marine survey firm that does a lot of work in the Thames Estuary .
His firm undertakes all sorts of marine surveying , but working on sites for new offshore wind farms has become a big business for him .
Work in the Thames Estuary , and other areas that were the targets of bombing in World War 2 , are likely to involve picking up signals of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a significant amount of contacts that need further investigation and for a wind farm that will be established in the initial pre-engineering survey , '' he says .
With that information project managers can decide whether to place turbines and other equipment a safe distance from the suspected bombs , or have them blown up by a specialist firm .
At the moment marine surveying is done by teams who go out on boats , collect the data and bring it back for analysis .
Sometimes that will involve a relatively small vessel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and his kit .
But bigger inspection projects further out to sea can involve much larger boats , with dozens of crew members , costing in the region of £100,000 per day .
The sensor equipment varies according to the job .
Sometimes it might be a sonar array towed behind the boat , for other jobs it might be an underwater unmanned vehicle , which can be controlled by surveyors on the surface .
Bad weather can disrupt the work and make life uncomfortable .
`` I 've been at sea in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they 're not nice places to work , '' says Brian Allen , chief executive of Rovco .
• The headphones even a DJ ca n't break • The coldest computers in the world • What you need to become an internet streaming star • Training your brain to relax on a virtual island His company is one of several looking to disrupt that market using artificial intelligence ( AI ) systems .
They see a future where underwater robots , known as autonomous underwater vehicles ( AUVs ) , will be able @ @ @ @ @ @ @ human oversight , and send the data back to surveyors in the office .
Bristol-based Rovco is working on key pieces of the technology .
It has trained an AI system to recognise objects on the seabed from data collected at sea , a process which took four years .
Adding AI means the data does not have to be analysed by a human on the ship , or taken back to shore for assessment .
That work is actually being done there and then by the AI , which can operate on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ underwater robot itself .
`` Without AI autonomous underwater robots are pretty dumb - only being able to follow pipelines and cables in pre-programmed lines , '' says Mr Allen .
`` Enabling the AUV to analyse data in real time means you can actually instruct the robot to do other things .
If you come across a problem , the survey can be stopped , and more data collected , with the robot making decisions for itself , '' he says .
So , for example , if the AI flagged up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it could stop , go back , and do further analysis .
For some jobs , like dismantling underwater oil and gas infrastructure , engineers need to know the exact dimensions and locations of the equipment .
To help with this Rovco has also developed a vision system that produces accurate maps of underwater infrastructure .
The system generates a 3D cloud of individual data points , a format used in modelling software like CAD .
It combines those points with camera images to generate a realistic 3D reconstruction .
Rovco is currently @ @ @ @ @ @ @ AI and the underwater vehicle into one package .
Other companies are also racing to introduce AI into the industry .
Jake Tompkins is the chief executive of UK-based Modus , which owns a fleet of 12 unmanned underwater vehicles .
It is about to start a two-year programme with Durham University to develop an artificial intelligence control system that would allow some of its underwater vehicles to recognise their location , objects and anomalies during a survey .
He says that combining with Durham is a very efficient way to develop the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ AI systems for the car and aerospace industries .
Using autonomous subsea robots to survey the seabed and inspect underwater structures would be a `` game changer '' , according to Mr Tompkins and should `` significantly '' cut costs .
He thinks it wo n't be long before underwater robots will be stationed out at sea , perhaps at an offshore wind farm , or at an oil or gas facility .
When needed , they will be woken up and sent to harvest data , which will be sent back to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` I think we 're probably two or so years away from the first commercial deployment of field-resident autonomous vehicles , but that is certainly where we are heading , '' says Mr Tompkins .
His company is currently working on ways to keep the AUVs charged while they are out at sea and on technology that allows them to send back data .
There is a juicy prize for the firms that can make such intelligent underwater robots work .
Over the next decade the offshore wind market is expected to see @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Søren Lassen , head of offshore wind research at the consultancy Wood Mackenzie .
At the moment only six countries have a commercial-scale offshore wind power industry .
In 10 years ' time , he forecasts that 20 countries will have joined that club .
Last year 29 gigawatts of offshore wind capacity was connected to electricity grids around the world .
In 2029 Wood Mackenzie forecasts that number will hit 180 gigawatts .
That will involve building thousands of wind turbines and laying thousands of kilometres of cable to connect up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will need the services of underwater surveyors .
By 2029 , much of that work at sea might be done by autonomous systems , with humans back at the office .
Jess Hanham will keep his business up to date with the latest technology , but fears the work will become less rewarding .
`` I love the variety .
For me being stuck in the office - I 'd hate that .
Going out and doing survey work , coming back and seeing the whole thing from start to finish - it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I thoroughly enjoy that .
If we were to lose part of that , I think that would be a real shame . ''

Adding AI means the data does not have to be analysed by a human on the ship, or taken back to shore for assessment. That work is actually being done there and then by the AI, which can operate on the ship, or soon on the underwater robot itself.


bbc--2020-08-13--Madagascar president's herbal tonic fails to halt Covid-19 spike

Hospitals in Madagascar have been struggling to cope with a surge of Covid-19 cases , while the president has been promoting an unproven product he says can cure the disease despite the World Health Organization ( WHO ) warning against using untested remedies .
Cases have quadrupled in the past month in the Indian Ocean island , with more than 13,000 infections and 162 deaths from coronavirus , which has spread to all but one of its 22 regions .
Despite the spike , President Andry Rajoelina stands by the herbal concoction called Covid-Organics , which was launched to great @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the Malagasy Institute of Applied Research from the artemisia plant - the source of an ingredient used in a malaria treatment - and other Malagasy plants .
The drink has been marketed as a prevention and remedy - and for the last four months been offered to children at school .
Earlier in the month the president was out again distributing the tonic , along with essentials such as rice , oil , sugar , to poor communities in the capital , Antananarivo .
He faced criticism for drawing crowds during a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : `` The epidemic wo n't last , it 's only passing through and we will defeat it . ''
He also suggested that the number of infected people was not high in suburbs of the capital where the free distribution of the drink had started a few months ago .
The WHO says it welcomes innovations based on traditional remedies but it wants scientific evidence before backing their use .
So far no results of clinical trials have been made public - though that has not stopped stop the tonic from becoming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Free shipments have been sent to dozens of African countries .
You may also be interested in : • How close are we to finding a treatment ?
The government has sought to counter growing scepticism about it at home and abroad .
`` Just because we have condoms , does that mean we should n't be careful about Aids or that Aids is over ?
It 's the same thing , '' says the president 's communications director Rinah Rakotomanga .
`` The majority of people who used the product and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ completely , we are proud to have this remedy against the disease .
It 's in our culture as Malagasy people to use decoctions like this… as long as it 's working , we do n't need clinical trials . ''
However , most people with coronavirus will start to recover quickly after a few days ' rest - it is only those with underlying health conditions that are at risk of developing severe symptoms .
But the health ministry has been much more cautious in its approach - advising hospitals that Covid-Organics @ @ @ @ @ @ @ symptoms who do not have other illnesses such as diabetes .
Consent from those being treated is also needed , its advice protocol says .
Despite the president 's optimism , coronavirus deaths are reported daily .
Last month , Health Minister Ahmad Ahmad appealed for international help to get equipment as he expressed his concern about the rapidly filling hospitals - for which he was rebuked by the presidency .
The defence ministry then issued a call to find volunteer doctors and nurses to support the staff at a treatment centre set @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It was opened at the beginning of August and dozens of patients have already been received .
One of the hospitals struggling to cope with the influx of patients is Antananarivo 's University Health Centre of Andohatapenaka - it only takes serious coronavirus cases , especially those patients who are also suffering from other conditions .
According to hospital director Raveloson Nasolotsiry , there are between 50 and 56 beds constantly occupied .
As soon as patients start getting better , they are transferred to other treatment centres to make space for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to keeping arriving as it is winter in the central highlands .
`` Patients with a serious form of the disease are already vulnerable and sensitive to seasonal variations , '' he said .
They might also mistake their symptoms for flu and not see a doctor right away to check if they are infected with Covid-19 , he warns .
Heath workers on the frontline also feel vulnerable , including those at the country 's main hospital .
`` We have been completely exposed , '' Sitraka Randrianasolo , a 27-year-old intern @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the capital , where several medics have tested positive for Covid-19 in recent weeks .
`` There was a patient who came to the emergency service and died 24 hours later .
Turns out he had Covid-19 .
`` I treated him without proper protective gear .
I only had a cloth mask that I brought from home .
I took the test later , and thankfully I was n't infected . ''
He says the issue has since improved after a private company donated protective masks and gloves to the facility .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ equipment to hospitals in different regions .
But for Jerisoa Ralibera , president of the paramedics ' union SISFM , the government 's efforts are too little , too late .
`` The state is doing better now regarding protective equipment but it 's not enough to stem the epidemic , health workers keep using the same protective gear meant for single use only , especially gowns and suits , and there are n't enough drugs , '' he said .
According to SISFM , dozens of health staff have been infected with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ eased by the government 's lifting of a five-week lockdown in the region of Analamanga , where the capital is located .
President Rajoelina said in a televised speech that it was economically unbearable for the Malagasy people to continue with the restrictions .
He said a `` stabilisation phase '' had been reached and in the last two days new cases have been lower in the capital .
But the Analamanga region remains the epicentre of the epidemic - and the disease is continuing to spread in other regions of the island @

"The majority of people who used the product and don't have a chronic illness recovered completely, we are proud to have this remedy against the disease. It's in our culture as Malagasy people to use decoctions like this… as long as it's working, we don't need clinical trials."


bbc--2020-08-13--USA's Adams scores winner as Leipzig shock Atletico in Champions League

RB Leipzig overcame a typically cautious Atletico Madrid to reach their first Champions League semi-final just 11 years after their formation .
After a poor first half , Dani Olmo headed the German side ahead but Atleti substitute Joao Felix levelled the tie from the penalty spot after he had been fouled in the box .
Madrid , chasing a third final in the last six years , seemed content to take the one-legged tie in Lisbon to extra time and sat back for much of the game .
They were punished for their characteristically defensive approach as Tyler Adams @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sent Julian Nagelsmann 's exciting side through to face Paris St-Germain .
• A superstar young coach & a keeper from Hereford - the men behind Leipzig 's dream Leipzig came into the tie without the focal point of their attack after Timo Werner 's £54m transfer to Chelsea earlier in the summer .
Werner scored 34 goals for the club this season while the starting XI in their first quarter-final at this level had mustered just 44 between them .
A lack of cutting edge was as evident as was expected , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leading to nothing .
The German side were the only team playing progressive football in a dull first period - and that sense of adventure included centre-back Dayot Upamecano frequently carrying the ball out from a back three and suggesting he is a defensive prospect out of the very top drawer .
Their deserved lead arrived early in the second half when Marcel Sabitzer 's fine cross was met by Olmo 's late surge from midfield and he flicked a header beyond the dive of Atleti 's renowned keeper Jan Oblak .
If @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the absence of an individual , their opponents ' issues were more systemic .
Former Chelsea striker Diego Costa was marooned up front and was bullied by young Frenchman Upamecano at times .
Just as in PSG 's fightback on Wednesday night , though , the introduction of a £100m+ substitute made the difference .
Portugal playmaker Felix was excellent as soon as he entered the match and won a penalty with a driving run into the area then confidently converted the penalty .
However any sense of a change in momentum @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who appeared content to play for extra time as he instructed his side - unbeaten in 18 games - to sit in .
But a brilliant pass from Sabitzer freed Angelino into space and after he found Adams , the United States midfielder 's powerful shot flew in off the heels of Stefan Savic past a stranded Oblak .
• RB Leipzig are the first German side outside of Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund to reach the semi-finals of the Champions League since Schalke in 2010-11 .
• Atlético Madrid have failed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Champions League knockout stages for the first time , getting through on all three previous occasions ( v Bayer Leverkusen twice and Bayern Munich once ) .
• Atlético Madrid have scored in each of their last 19 games in all competitions , last enjoying a longer scoring run in 2012 ( 24 games ) .
• RB Leipzig 's Dani Olmo is the first Spaniard to score against Atlético Madrid in the Champions League since Míchel netted for FK Qarabag in October 2017 .
• Marcel Sabitzer registered his 26th goal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this season ( 16 goals , 10 assists ) , eight more than any other player currently with the German club .
• Tyler Adams ' strike was his first goal for RB Leipzig in what was his 28th appearance in all competitions for the club .
• Atlético Madrid 's Kieran Trippier became the fourth different English player to start a Champions League quarter-final with a non-English club ( after David Beckham with Real Madrid and PSG , Owen Hargreaves with Bayern Munich and Steven McManaman with Real Madrid ) .
• @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their history • Food and lockdown : Has it changed the way we eat ?

Last updated on .From the section European Football
RB Leipzig are in the Champions League knockout stages for the first time
RB Leipzig overcame a typically cautious Atletico Madrid to reach their first Champions League semi-final just 11 years after their formation.
After a poor first half, Dani Olmo headed the German side ahead but Atleti substitute Joao Felix levelled the tie from the penalty spot after he had been fouled in the box.
Madrid, chasing a third final in the last six years, seemed content to take the one-legged tie in Lisbon to extra time and sat back for much of the game.
They were punished for their characteristically defensive approach as Tyler Adams' deflected strike two minutes from time sent Julian Nagelsmann's exciting side through to face Paris St-Germain.
No Werner, no problem
Leipzig came into the tie without the focal point of their attack after Timo Werner's £54m transfer to Chelsea earlier in the summer.
Werner scored 34 goals for the club this season while the starting XI in their first quarter-final at this level had mustered just 44 between them.
A lack of cutting edge was as evident as was expected, with Leipzig's enterprising approach play all-too-often leading to nothing.
The German side were the only team playing progressive football in a dull first period - and that sense of adventure included centre-back Dayot Upamecano frequently carrying the ball out from a back three and suggesting he is a defensive prospect out of the very top drawer.
Their deserved lead arrived early in the second half when Marcel Sabitzer's fine cross was met by Olmo's late surge from midfield and he flicked a header beyond the dive of Atleti's renowned keeper Jan Oblak.
If Leipzig's lack of threat was down to the absence of an individual, their opponents' issues were more systemic.
Former Chelsea striker Diego Costa was marooned up front and was bullied by young Frenchman Upamecano at times.
Just as in PSG's fightback on Wednesday night, though, the introduction of a £100m+ substitute made the difference.
Portugal playmaker Felix was excellent as soon as he entered the match and won a penalty with a driving run into the area then confidently converted the penalty.
However any sense of a change in momentum was stymied by Atleti boss Diego Simeone, who appeared content to play for extra time as he instructed his side - unbeaten in 18 games - to sit in.
But a brilliant pass from Sabitzer freed Angelino into space and after he found Adams, the United States midfielder's powerful shot flew in off the heels of Stefan Savic past a stranded Oblak.
Man of the match - Dayot Upamecano (RB Leipzig)
A supreme evening from the 21-year-old French centre-back. Immense in defence but also happy to dribble into midfield and spray passes about with 91.5% accuracy, he is a frighteningly good prospect.
The stats
RB Leipzig are the first German side outside of Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund to reach the semi-finals of the Champions League since Schalke in 2010-11.
Atlético Madrid have failed to progress against a German side in the Champions League knockout stages for the first time, getting through on all three previous occasions (v Bayer Leverkusen twice and Bayern Munich once).
Atlético Madrid have scored in each of their last 19 games in all competitions, last enjoying a longer scoring run in 2012 (24 games).
RB Leipzig's Dani Olmo is the first Spaniard to score against Atlético Madrid in the Champions League since Míchel netted for FK Qarabag in October 2017.
Marcel Sabitzer registered his 26th goal involvement in all competitions for RB Leipzig this season (16 goals, 10 assists), eight more than any other player currently with the German club.
Tyler Adams' strike was his first goal for RB Leipzig in what was his 28th appearance in all competitions for the club.
Atlético Madrid's Kieran Trippier became the fourth different English player to start a Champions League quarter-final with a non-English club (after David Beckham with Real Madrid and PSG, Owen Hargreaves with Bayern Munich and Steven McManaman with Real Madrid).