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BBC reporter Anrew Hosken reports on the origins of Islamic State (ISIS).

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Take a a look at the moving BBC chart  "How the coronavirus spread" to see the dizzying speed at which the virus spread in America. In the beginning of March there are only about 200 confirmed infection cases in the U.S., by April 7 the number skyrocketed to 379,000. The public health experts were right including Dr. Fauci and Dr Birx. Even these experts may have been astounded at the speed with which it has spread, and going through a very difficult time convincing others including the skeptical public about the great danger to America. China's quarantine of the entire country of about 1 billion people, Italy's experience and data freely available from Italian doctors to American doctors, were warnings of what lay ahead for America. 

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Buffeted by the North Sea and winds in the Scottish isles of the Outer Hebrides, one finds what BBC Newsnight's Stephen Smith calls "a formidable Calvinism" that is the maternal roots of what looks like a bit wild Donald J Trump. DJT's mother Mary Ann MacLeod visited the Hebrides isle of Lewis, was well respected in the community and spoke Gaelic. Even though DJT did not visit frequently he encouraged Stephen Smith to look at his maternal roots. DJT's grandfather was a fisherman and his great grandfather lost his life fishing in the North Sea. One can imagine something of Hemingway's Old Man and the Sea in this story from the 1800's, and trace the resilience of DJT back to that period.

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This BBC video shows the actual moments as the glacier melted in Swiss mountains and crashed into a small village that had been carefully evacuated earlier.

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This BBC report looks at how a 1156 bed hospital, the Sri Aurobindo Institute of Medical Sciences, in Indore, India is tackling the coronavirus pandemic. Indore has emerged as a hotspot for coronavirus in India. This hospital is treating 144 coronavirus patients with 100 doctors and over 100 nursing staff working in 3 shifts. The hospital has set aside 525 beds in three isolation wards over two floors. A team of doctors looks after the patients- chest specialists, anaesthetists, microbiologists, and dermatologists.

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This BBC video on work-life balance and burnout shows the positive effects of walking to reduce stress and burnout. A South Korean businessman affected by burnout and chronic stress runs 10,000 kilometres a year. This has helped him improve health and train his body. It also helps him think clearly. He started doing this after several startups led to chronic stress and walking seemed a natural way out. It started with a4 hour run from Busan to the ocean in South Korea which he told friends he could do. This turned into walking tens of kilometres every day. He developed his own style and now shows people in South Korea how this is done.

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Zimbabwe is facing a huge crisis from drought conditions in the country. About 2 million people in Harare lack running water as the dams are drying up to a trickle. Waters from the Zambezi river that go down to Victoria Falls are a third less than in normal conditions. The Falls separate Zimbabwe from Zambia. 
BBC's Hard Talk program shows a parched desert looking region with elephants struggling to survive in the national park near Victoria Falls. 

This report in The Times says that 815,000 acres of forest are being chopped down each year in Zimbabwe as desperate residents cut down remaining trees to fight lack of fuel, blackouts and poverty. One has simply to see this devastated region to grasp the effect of drought and effects of climate change combined with effects of poverty and lack of governance.

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During this pandemic people are rethinking their choices in work and career. Many are saying that what is important is finding purpose and joy in work. The working from home has exposed the barebones of work, eight hours alone without the meetings and the offices. Finding joy and a sense of satisfaction that comes from doing something useful have become more important than ever. One finds gratitude in having work that gives purpose and joy. BBC looks at the issues surrounding worklife choices today. More people in IT and in the finance industry are choosing to opt out for other careers. 

One of the persons interviewed in this report says it is important to consider whether the work brings new energy, new enthusiasm or is it drawing energy and leaving one feeling drained at the end of the day.

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This BBC report looks at the hundreds of thousands of jobs being created by Biden through clean energy investments and manufacturing across the US,  including in Republican held states. This is changing the economy in places like Dalton, Georgia offering new hope for the future after decades of neglect under Republican and Democratic administrations of Bush, Obama and Trump. It is only president Biden who has turned things around on infrastructure and manufacturing in America, and done something about it. With trillions of dollars in investment in infrastructure, clean energy and manufacturing this will change the face of America. Biden said this in the debate, yet most media people don't get it, and have their heads stuck in the past unable to see the great changes that are happening in America for the first time, changes that will shape the decades ahead.

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Jake Tapper and Dana Bash of CNN will host the first debate between Biden and Trump on June 27. The second television debate on September 7 will be done by ABC. 

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American Enterprise Institute, conservative think tank, supports Kiel Institute of the World Economy figures that say European Union aid is about double that of the US to Ukraine. Quite the reverse was stated in casual seemingly reckless fashion to 67 million viewers by former president Trump. Moderator David Muir should have had the facts right before him to correct this as this was a much anticipated topic and perennial Trump gripe. The US is not getting creamed- no way, the Europeans are paying up and keen on doing so $187 billion to the US $98 billion. Even with the best of intentions on fact checking this is not good enough from ABC News, or for that matter the rest of the television media - the CBS's, Fox's, NBC's, CNN's, not to mention the internet media, a disservice to democratic process that is built on facts not delusion.  To someone working 2 or 3 part time jobs, or the less literate who can't do quick fact checks that can be time consuming, or educated viewers who hav little inclination to check so much that is being thrown at them- what does it mean to have grievance and grudge thrown at them leaving the impression that the US is incapable when it is in fact greatly strengthening NATO alliance including Sweden and Finland and ties with Western Europe that were damaged over time since the Reagan period in the 1980's.   ...

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BBC News looks at the situation in Bordeaux, France, after the Front Populaire wins the election. The NFP has a seasoned candidate in this parliamentary seat who can greet people by name. The RN candidate is 18 years old and is new to campaigning, showing that the RN of Le Pen had to field candidates with very little time for preparation in a snap election. People in Bordeaux and NFP supporters say 2025 and 2026 are years in which the Front Populaire has to deliver on cost of living actions to improve the lives of people struggling to make a living. For this to happen Macron has to give the NFP the chance to govern in the interests of the people of France and not obstruct actions needed to tackle cost of living. The Socialist parties have the experience to govern and obstruction would only further reduce the popularity of the Les Republicains and Macron's party.

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Wall Street Journal NBC polls taken in January that show only 34% of Americans think the country is headed in the right direction compared with 54% who think its on the wrong track. A similiar survey taken by WSJ/NBC in December showed two thirds of Americans say the don't feel confident about the prospects for their children's generation.

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Andy Burnham of Greater Manchester on what Labour party needs right now in September 2025. Here is what he told Laura Kuenssberg of the BBC-  “I am concerned about the balance, and I think you know, we need to use the deputy leadership contest to discuss some of these things. In a time where the scale and the nature of the challenge we face is such as it is, you need everybody pulling together, all parts of the party pulling together. And that points to a party management style that is less factional and more pluralistic." “Labour MPs need to be, they need to listen to them more and respect them more. You know, they were the ones who, if you like, caused the change in terms of winter fuel and disability benefits. But you know, they shouldn’t be punished for that." “I think that’s what it needs, you know, we need to hear the voice of the party, the voice of the members, and then the voice of our communities behind that, particularly in the north of England, to counter that London centricity.” ...

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Lula and Milei clash at Mercosur. Lula of Brazil talks about a humanitarian crisis in US policy to pressure Venezuela's military installed government but fails to say that a third of Venezuela's population, about 10 million people have left the country as refugees to neighboring countries including Colombia and the US. Inflation at over 100% and mismanagement of the economy have destroyed a once relatively affluent oil producing country in Latin America. Hyperinflation in 2018, and 270% inflation in 2025, and lack of open free elections, lack of food and medicine. A story of socialist ideas that have led to military involvement in politics followed by economic disaster in the western hemisphere, in a country that had a educated middle class and a thriving oil industry. Not since the Spanish opening up Latin America to immigration from Europe by 1600 has the continent of Latin America seen such a mass migration which is not reflected in many media outlets including the NYT, Washington Post and BBC, Guardian. The blockade by the US of oil into and out of Venezuela is affecting Cuba and other countries which depend on this oil. ...

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Karishma Vaswani of the BBC provides this report showing sexual harassment in the workplace is increasing in Asian countries. A recent ILO report shows over 50% of women participation in the workforce. With more women in the workplace the threat is growing for women. As many offences are unreported-and more so with women who have never been in the workplace before- the 30 to 40% incidents reported to the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) for women workers in Asia-Pacific may be understated.

The culture in many Asian companies is also not friendly to women. A lot needs to be done to change this considering the slow progress to ensure a safe environment for women at work, and governments need to make this a priority.

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The BBC analysis says Yoon is in much controversy with the opposition gaining in recent elections. He is seen as a lame duck president. The governing party and the opposition are locked in debate over the next budget bill. The declaration of martial law is opposed by the governing party and the opposition parties.

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A humble diligent focused Diogo Jota who never went to Benefica or Sporting or the big clubs but worked his way step by step and into the hearts of the Portuguese people and soccer fans everywhere. A tribute in the BBC Sports to Portugal's famous soccer player who died in a car accident.

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In September 2015 Jeb Bush's support in a WSJ/NBC poll drops to 7%. Walker drops out of the race. Trump and Carson are tied, and Rubio is the only elected official in double digits for the Republicans. Hillary Clinton's popularity declines following the email controversy.

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What happens if Theresa May's deal with the European Union is rejected by parliament. This report in the BBC News says May has several options, including going with no deal Brexit, or shifting her stand for having a customs union with the EU under another name. The second option would tear the Conservative Party apart. Or Delay which this report says is a tactic favored by Theresa May.

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The Royal Mail is the oldest mail institution in the world. After a series of strikes a share of ownership is given to Czech billionaire Kretinsky 49 years, who built his company in European energy markets and pipleines to Russia. BBC Reports on this unusual step and what it means for one of Britain's oldest and sacred institutions.

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As Eliud Kipchoge sets a record with running the marathon under 2 hours in October 2019, The Times looks at another time and another record- Roger Bannister of Britain running the mile in under 4 minutes in 1954.

The contrast- the BBC showed the Bannister run only afterwards, Kipchoge was shown on 25 television networks. Both had pacemakers, runners who set the pace for them and fell back. Weather was carefully planned for Kipchoge, Bannister took a chance on May 6, 1954 at Paddington grounds. Bannister was a medical student, Kipchoge was working at running going to sleep and back to running. Bannister had a ham salad, Kipchoge had oatmeal before the run. Both tried to break records at the Olympics and decided on this as an alternative for a personal best and setting a time record.

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The BBC shows pictures of King Charles visit to Germany. King Charles's speech to the German parliament, the Bundestag, was the first for a British monarch. He received a standing ovation. He made the speech mostly in German, and spoke about the close cultural connections between the two nations- the first Shakespeare association was was formed not in England but in Weimar and Handel will be played at his coronation. He touched on the war in Ukraine and said- "Since I last spoke in this building the scourge of war is back in Europe." It has left freedom and human dignity "trampled in the most brutal way." He praised "the vital leadership" shown by UK and Germany.

About the future he said- "In the long and remarkable story of our countries there are many chapters yet to be written. Let us fill these with the relentless pursuit of a better tomorrow."