Poldark and Thrones stars boost playwright Dawn King

Summary: It's rare that a new name emerges as a West End playwright - and the number of new women writers who find success in commercial theatre is tiny. Dawn King has managed it with her play Foxfinder - and has bagged young stars for the lead roles. But, as she explains, the journey from small fringe venues to London theatre's heartland has been a slog.

By Vincent DowdArts reporter, BBC News Around a decade ago King was staying in a quiet writers' retreat in rural Devon. Like all houses run by the Arvon Foundation it exists to give writers time to think and work. "It was the middle of winter," King recalls, "and I started to have some strange ideas about the nature I could see around me. So I wrote a journal and from that a monologue for the character who's now William Bloor, the Foxfinder. "William thinks nature is working against us and that foxes are trying to bring down humanity. But I realised that could make him seem mad and delusional, which didn't interest me. So organically I created a world for him in which everyone shares the same beliefs. And I just went through the first draft asking myself what happens next." Newly arrived in the West End, Foxfinder's cast is led by Iceland's Heida Reed (known for playing Elizabeth Warleggan in Poldark) and by Iwan Rheon (Ramsay Bolton in Game of Thrones). King, born in Gloucestershire, south west England, deliberately leaves unclear whether the sometimes mysterious action is taking place now or in the past. The play was first seen in 2011 at the 60-seat Finborough Theatre in west London. King's early career shows how much persistence most young writers need to make any progress. "I was delighted when I won the Papatango Prize (for new writing) that year, which meant I got the Finborough run. Before that I'd had rehearsed readings and a couple of short plays. But getting something on at a venue which people really respect was a huge step: there were theatre people who'd liked the play but didn't want to produce it. Suddenly they were more interested in what I was doing." After that King worked with the BBC Writers Room and five years ago Foxfinder won a National Theatre Foundation Playwright Award. "That was important because it's worth £10,000 - it kept me going. Another nice thing was that the producer Bill Kenwright had optioned Foxfinder soon after the original production. It wasn't a massive amount of money each year but I remember one year thinking I really needed it to come in because I was broke. I've thanked Bill for that." King also had a play about espionage at the Bush Theatre called Ciphers. But for a decade she kept herself afloat working at the Curzon Soho cinema in London. "I ripped tickets, worked behind the bar - everything." Another source of income has been productions outside the UK. Foxfinder was first staged overseas in Sweden and then in Australia, Italy, Iceland and Portland, Oregon. "I've been fascinated by a couple of productions I saw in Germany, which probably has more of a director's theatre than here in the UK. It's wonderful as a writer to feel your play work with audiences even in very different productions and in a foreign language." But King says she'd started to assume the play would never get a big production on home soil. "And then this spring Bill Kenwright decided to take up the option. But that depends on so many things aligning. For a start you need a suitable venue - and the right director in Rachel O'Riordan. "It's at least two years since Iwan Rheon said he was interested in playing William. Once you've got a big building block like that, other things start to click. "And I was very keen we should run the play in the autumn because that's when it's set and you need the sense of winter approaching. There are some factors at play which are probably less obvious to the public." Does King think being a woman has been a hindrance to making it in the tough world of commercial theatre? "There have been some recent statistics about the number of productions in Britain of new work by female playwrights. The figures are shockingly low. I know I've been quite lucky and I'm especially lucky to have worked with great female directors like Rachel. I won't pretend there isn't a more general problem for women - but it can be a hard profession for anyone." "I'd be delighted to have a commercial hit in the West End. I'd also be delighted to find it helps open doors in subsidised theatres. But if I look back at this first part of my career I'd have to say there isn't always much logic apparent. Sometimes something great happens and then it can take a really long time for the ripples to ripple out. You fear nothing is happening but you just can't give up." For now, King's career is moving closer to the big and small screens. She's busy on a screenplay of Foxfinder and on a virtual reality project. "But with TV I always seem to come nearly nearly nearly but not quite - but I hope Foxfinder might help me there. I'm also looking for my theatre project for next year. But mainly I'm just enjoying what's happening here and now." Foxfinder is playing at the Ambassadors Theatre in London. Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.

यह दुर्लभ है कि एक नया नाम वेस्ट एंड नाटककार के रूप में उभरता है-और व्यावसायिक रंगमंच में सफलता पाने वाली नई महिला लेखकों की संख्या बहुत कम है। डॉन किंग ने इसे अपने नाटक फॉक्सफाइंडर के साथ प्रबंधित किया है-और मुख्य भूमिकाओं के लिए युवा सितारों को प्राप्त किया है। लेकिन, जैसा कि वह बताती हैं, छोटे छोटे स्थानों से लंदन थिएटर के केंद्र तक की यात्रा एक स्लॉग रही है।


Coronavirus: The human cost of fake news in India

Summary: Fake or misleading news can have a real impact on those who find themselves the targets. This has been a particular problem in India during the coronavirus pandemic, where reliable sources of news are frequently drowned out by unverified information online.

By Shruti MenonBBC Reality Check False information has had serious consequences for minority communities as well as some business sectors such as the meat industry. The Reality Check team has looked at the extent of this misinformation and some of those directly affected. Religious tensions exposed India's religious fault lines are an important theme across false stories spreading online, something that has been further highlighted by the coronavirus outbreak. We've looked back at claims debunked by five Indian fact-checking websites between January and June this year. They fall under four broad headings: Of the 1,447 fact-checks on five Indian websites, claims around coronavirus dominated, making up 58% of them. This was largely related to false cures, lockdown rumours and conspiracy theories about the origins of the virus. In the period between January and early March (before the coronavirus outbreak took hold), fake news was dominated by the Citizenship Amendment Act, a new law that offers citizenship to people from three neighbouring countries, but only if they are not Muslim. The law led to protests across the country by those who said it would marginalise Muslims. Riots in mainly Muslim neighbourhoods in north-east Delhi in February also fuelled a lot of misleading claims around that time. This included doctored videos, fake images, the reusing of old videos and images in a different context, fake messages, and messages with fake attributions. What happened when coronavirus hit India? Our analysis found that misinformation targeting Muslims spiked in the first week of April. This was after several members of an Islamic group called the Tablighi Jamaat, who had attended a religious gathering in Delhi, tested positive. As more members of the group tested positive, false claims about Muslims deliberately spreading the virus became viral. In several parts of the country, there were calls for an economic boycott of Muslim businesses. Vegetable seller Imran - who didn't want to use his real name - told the BBC that when a fake video on WhatsApp said to show a Muslim man spitting on bread went viral, calls for a boycott of Muslims grew. "We were scared to enter villages where we would usually go to sell vegetables," said Imran, who lives in Uttar Pradesh state. Imran and other vegetable vendors from his community now only sell their produce at a city market. In the capital Delhi, the Minorities Commission, which works to safeguard the rights of minority communities, formally notified the police of the need to act against people stopping Muslims from entering residential areas or carrying on with their business. "Not only people who were associated with the Tablighi Jamaat [were attacked], there were attacks on Muslims in all parts of India," Zafarul Islam, the chairman of the commission, told the BBC. Meat traders targeted False claims were also widely spread in India that eating vegetarian food and eliminating meat from your diet could prevent you getting coronavirus. The government launched campaigns to stop the spread of such misinformation. These false WhatsApp messages and social media posts had an impact on both Muslim and non-Muslim groups alike who were involved in the meat industry. The Indian authorities made an assessment that by April, misinformation about meat-eating generally had contributed to losses of up to 130bn rupees (£1.43bn) in the poultry industry. Poultry is one of the main forms of meat consumed in India. "We were giving away chicken for free because we didn't know what to do with the stock," said Sujit Prabhavle, a meat trader in the western state of Maharashtra. "Our sales fell by 80%," he said. "I saw a message on WhatsApp that said eating chicken would spread coronavirus, so people stopped buying meat," said Touhid Baraskar, another meat seller from Maharashtra. Some of the most viral false information has included fake claims that former top Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar had asked for meat shops to be shut. "When misinformation comes from sources they trust, people will believe whatever comes their way without fact-checking it," said Pratik Sinha, founder of Alt-News, a fact-checking website. The meat industry was not the only victim of fake news. The fall in sales in the poultry industry had a major knock-on effect on the sale of eggs and of maize - which goes into much of the feed for chickens. The sale of eggs fell by 30% in Delhi, 21% in Mumbai and by 52% in Hyderabad in Telangana state between January and June, according to official data. Maize farmers are now selling their produce up to 35% lower than the minimum support price offered by the Indian government as a result of the fall in demand. Data analysis by Shadab Nazmi in Delhi Read more from Reality Check Send us your questions Follow us on Twitter

नकली या गुमराह करने वाली खबरों का उन लोगों पर वास्तविक प्रभाव पड़ सकता है जो खुद को लक्ष्य पाते हैं। कोरोनावायरस महामारी के दौरान भारत में यह एक विशेष समस्या रही है, जहां समाचारों के विश्वसनीय स्रोत अक्सर ऑनलाइन असत्यापित जानकारी से डूब जाते हैं।


Ferry companies warn of gridlock in no-deal Brexit

Summary: Cross-channel ferry companies have warned of gridlock around British ports, as they confirm they will not allow trucks to board ferries bound for France after a no-deal Brexit, unless they have the right paperwork.

By Ben ChuEconomics editor, Newsnight "We cannot take lorries across that cannot enter the country," one ferry company told BBC Newsnight. Many UK exporters are yet to obtain the proper documentation. The Department for Transport said plans were in place to manage disruption. Newsnight has spoken to sources at the main freight ferry companies operating in the channel. 'A bundle of trucks with nowhere to go' "If a truck doesn't have the right document we cannot board him. We cannot take lorries across that cannot enter the country," said Gert Jakobson, a spokesman for DFDS, which transports 1.2 million trucks between Dover and Calais and Dunkirk each year. That was corroborated by a source at a different ferry company, which did not want to comment publicly. "There's no point in boarding vehicles, because at the other end our French colleagues have told us we won't be allowed to proceed," the source said. Both companies said the result of this procedure, given many trucks are expected to turn up without the right documentation, was likely to be tailbacks of trucks on the UK side of the channel. "For a period of time, for a few weeks and months, we assume the problems will be bigger. There will be more who are not yet accustomed to the paperwork. There will be a learning curve and then we believe it will work much better," said Mr Jakobsen. "If you have a constant stream of lorries that don't have the right documentation and it may take anything from 24-48 hours to get that documentation, potentially you've got a whole bundle of trucks and nowhere for them to go," said the other source. Jean Marc Puissessau, the president and chief executive of Port Boulogne Calais, also told Newsnight that the French side expects ferry companies to deny boarding in the UK to trucks without the right paperwork. "If hauliers don't have documents they won't be allowed to board. This was the rule on 29 March. Those same rules will apply on 31 October," he said. A spokesperson for the Department for Transport said: "There are well-developed plans in place to manage any traffic disruption in Kent in the event of a no deal scenario, keeping the M20 open with traffic continuing to flow in both directions. "The government remains focused on ensuring the UK's smooth and orderly withdrawal from the EU." Both French and UK port officials have previously sought to downplay concerns about traffic chaos in the wake of a no-deal Brexit. In June, the Dover Harbour Board CEO Doug Bannister said "the Port of Dover, as with our sister ports in France and our ferry partners, are prepared for the 31st of October." And his Calais counterpart Mr Puissesseau, had pointed to the construction of new customs facilities and vehicle holding pens at the French port, saying "there will be no delay" on the French side. But research by Imperial College London, commissioned by the BBC, suggested just two minutes of extra check times at UK borders could result in queues extending up to 30 miles from Dover into Kent. And Newsnight revealed that as of June 2019, two thirds of the relevant UK firms had still not applied for an Economic Operator Registration and Identification (EORI) number, which they would need to trade with the EU after a no-deal Brexit. Earlier this week, Chancellor Philip Hammond raised concerns that France could effectively push problems to the UK side of the channel. "Many of the levers are held by others — the EU 27 or private business. We can seek to persuade them but we can't control it. For example, we can make sure that goods flow inwards through the port of Dover without any friction but we can't control the outward flow into the port of Calais," the chancellor told Panorama. Each day, around 10,000 lorries pass through the port of Dover, which handles 17% of the UK's goods trade, worth more than £120bn. You can watch Newsnight on BBC Two weekdays at 22:30 or on iPlayer, subscribe to the programme on YouTube and follow it on Twitter.

क्रॉस-चैनल फेरी कंपनियों ने ब्रिटिश बंदरगाहों के आसपास ग्रिडलक की चेतावनी दी है, क्योंकि वे पुष्टि करते हैं कि वे बिना किसी सौदे के ब्रेक्सिट के बाद फ्रांस जाने वाले ट्रकों को घाटों पर चढ़ने की अनुमति नहीं देंगे, जब तक कि उनके पास सही कागजी कार्रवाई न हो।


Cookstown: Two escape injury in petrol bomb attack on house

Summary: Two people have escaped injury after a petrol bomb was thrown at a house in Cookstown, County Tyrone.

A woman who was in the house in the Crossglebe area reported hearing a loud bang and saw flames at the window at about 21:55 GMT on Saturday. Police said she went to the front of the house and saw a masked man standing next to a car parked outside. The man then dropped a bottle he was holding and ran off. The woman and a second person in the house were unhurt. Police said they are "working to establish a motive" and are particularly keen to hear from witnesses who may have seen the attacker fleeing the scene.

कुकस्टाउन, काउंटी टायरोन में एक घर पर पेट्रोल बम फेंके जाने के बाद दो लोग घायल होने से बच गए हैं।


Celebrities face criticism for transgender opposition

Summary: After Caitlyn Jenner's picture appeared on the cover of Vanity Fair, social media sites exploded in an outpouring of support. But not everyone was part of the overwhelming positive reaction and even a day after the big reveal, Jenner and transgender issues were dominating the discussion on Twitter and elsewhere.

BBC TrendingWhat's popular and why Drake Bell was one of Twitter's top trending terms this week, but the former child star may have wished he wasn't. The former Nickelodeon actor tweeted "Sorry… still calling you Bruce" on Monday as a response to Jenner's cover shot by celebrity photographer Annie Leibovitz. Bell's tweet was met with a massive backlash on Twitter and other social media sites. He quickly deleted the comment and tweeted "I'm not dissing him! I just don't want to forget his legacy! He is the greatest athlete of all time! Chill out!" The tweet, which continued to address Jenner as a he, was also deleted. Bell was not the only one who publicly opposed Caitlyn Jenner's picture and change. Ben Shapiro a conservative political commentator expressed his opposition to Jenner as well as the transgender community in a series of tweets. One of his tweets read "Your biological sex is completely mutable, but your sexual orientation is completely immutable. #ThingsILearnedFromTheLeft" while the other claimed that anyone who supported Jenner was "part of the problem." Some figures did not wait for Jenner's reveal to express their stand on the transgender community. While speaking at the 2015 National Religious Broadcasters Convention in Nashville, Tennessee, last February, Mike Huckabee joked that he wished he could have pretended to be transgender in high school so he could "shower with the girls." The former Arkansas Governor and presidential candidate's remarks quickly spread after being uploaded on YouTube over the weekend and picked up by Buzzfeed on Tuesday. By Tuesday evening, Mike Huckabee was trending and Twitter was awash in people cringing at Huckabee's joke. "Mike Huckabee is one of the truly great imbeciles of our time, representing the lowest common denominator of American politics," tweeted Megan McCain, Senator John McCain's daughter and frequent critic of Republicans on social issues. Others made more jokes - but at Huckabee's expense. "Look. I think we can all agree that no one, male or female, should have to shower with Mike Huckabee," tweeted Jill Twiss, a writer for the HBO show Last Week Tonight with John Oliver. Blog by Elena Boffetta Next story: Protesters target Facebook's 'real name' policy Follow BBC Trending on Twitter @BBCtrending, and find us on Facebook.

कैटलिन जेनर की तस्वीर के वैनिटी फेयर के कवर पर दिखाई देने के बाद, सोशल मीडिया साइटों ने समर्थन के साथ विस्फोट किया। लेकिन हर कोई भारी सकारात्मक प्रतिक्रिया का हिस्सा नहीं था और बड़े खुलासे के एक दिन बाद भी, ट्विटर और अन्य जगहों पर जेनर और ट्रांसजेंडर मुद्दे चर्चा पर हावी थे।


Woman hurt in Dumfries cycle path dog attack

Summary: A woman has been attacked by a dog while out walking her border terrier on a cycle path in Dumfries.

The incident happened at about 11:45 on Sunday on the route that links the Sandside and Nunholm areas. The victim suffered leg and hand injuries and her own dog was also bitten on its face and neck. Police want to trace another woman - who they described as elderly - who was walking a brown border collie in the area. The woman they want to identify is about 5ft 6in tall, of medium build. She had grey hair and was wearing glasses and a dark raincoat.

डमफ्रीज में साइकिल पथ पर अपने बॉर्डर टेरियर पर चलते समय एक महिला पर कुत्ते ने हमला कर दिया।


'Manipulation' of vaccination fears

Summary: Most parents who opt-out of vaccinations are being guided by "irrational fears" that are a luxury of living in the developed world, a leading world health expert says. In this week's Scrubbing Up, Dr Seth Berkley, CEO of the GAVI Alliance - which provides children in developing countries with access to vaccines - says there is a real danger such fears will trickle down into the developing world where lives are even more vulnerable.

By Dr Seth BerkleyCEO of the GAVI Alliance With the measles outbreak in Swansea possibly having claimed its first life and as the number of cases continues to rise, it's easy to stand back and put it all down to the legacy of Dr Andrew Wakefield. But while the discredited paediatrician should certainly take some of the blame - for undermining public trust in the safety of the MMR vaccine 15 years ago - the truth is that the problem goes much deeper and is more dangerous. Anti-vaccine sentiment has been around almost as long as vaccines themselves. Opponents of vaccines often claim a range of different reasons or justifications for their opposition, but for the majority of people who are swayed by these minority voices - enough to choose not to vaccinate their children - it usually comes down to nothing more than fear. Ironically when vaccination rates fall, they end up facing a real but very different kind of fear. Indeed as parents in Wales take their place in line at catch-up clinics to have their children and teenagers vaccinated - the so-called "missing generation" - they are in the unenviable position of seeing first-hand what it is like for parents in developing countries. The difference is, those in Wales had a choice. 'Scientific miracle' In many parts of the world measles is still a killer, claiming the lives of 164,000 under-fives every year, or around 450 children every day. No parent would willingly choose to endanger their child, and nor would they have taken the decision not to vaccinate lightly. Wakefield's scaremongering tapped into an inherent and pre-existing fear or mistrust of vaccines that has long existed among some parents. The question is, where does this mistrust come from? As a medical doctor and scientist I personally find it very difficult to understand. To me, vaccines are quite simply amazing; the way in which one little injection can prevent so much suffering and death makes them in my mind the closest thing to a scientific miracle. In wealthy countries most of us have either forgotten or never knew the horror of these diseases. Jail term threat As an American and as CEO of the GAVI Alliance, a non-profit organisation that has purchased vaccines for more than a third of a billion of the world's poorest children over the past decade, preventing more than 5.5 million deaths, I find myself straddling two very different worlds. On the one hand I see the devastation that vaccine-preventable diseases cause, and I see parents in developing countries who have witnessed this and are prepared to walk great distances and wait in line for the chance to vaccinate their children. Yet at the same time I meet parents back home and in Europe who have genuine concerns about the safety of vaccinating their children. Some people argue that such anxiety comes from a visceral fear of having someone who is not ill deliberately injected with or ingesting a pathogen, live or otherwise. But I don't buy into this, people are smarter than that. If we could take headache pills before the pain set in we would do so, and usually without reading the small-print to see what remote risks this might entail. Others suggest that vaccines are merely a proxy for the nanny state. Yet unlike France, where parents are not allowed to enrol their children in state primary school without proof of immunisations, or Uganda, where legislation is currently being considered that would see parents jailed for six months for failing to have their children vaccinated, the people of Swansea were in no way compelled to vaccinate their children. Cynical decision In fact if it were not for the safety nets of mass vaccination and good health services provided by their governments, parents in wealthy countries wouldn't be in a position to make a choice about vaccination, or at least risk choosing not to vaccinate. Indeed, this issue of mistrust is not about whether vaccines work. On the contrary, parents who opt out are very much counting on it, relying on everyone else to provide the herd immunity they have so willingly rejected. The beauty of a free society is that people are entitled to think and act like this. The trouble is, what happens when everyone does so? It is only then that the fear of a remote possibility of your child having an adverse reaction to the vaccine is replaced by the far more immediate risk that they could become seriously ill. That is when we start to see the lines forming. There will always be some people who make the conscious and somewhat cynical decision to play the numbers game, relying on others to protect their child. But for most people the decision comes down to a "feeling" that has little to do with rationality. Like a fear of spiders or other forms of irrational fear, often all it takes is a trigger - in this case in the form of an outspoken anti-vaccine zealot, who may even wear a white coat, to bring those fears to the surface. The people in Swansea are now paying the price for this irrational fear, but hopefully no more will pay with their lives. Even more worrying is when such fears begin to trickle into countries like India, where lives are more vulnerable and the stakes are far higher, then the situation can become even more dangerous. And indeed, thanks to a small yet vocal anti-vaccine minority, this is precisely what is now happening in India. The lesson to be learned is that it is not the Wakefields in the world that we need to worry about, there will always be opponents to vaccines. Rather it is our own fears and doubts that these people are so adept at manipulating and leveraging that we need to fear the most.

एक प्रमुख विश्व स्वास्थ्य विशेषज्ञ का कहना है कि टीकाकरण से बाहर निकलने वाले अधिकांश माता-पिता को "अतार्किक आशंकाओं" द्वारा निर्देशित किया जा रहा है जो विकसित दुनिया में रहने की एक विलासिता है। इस सप्ताह के स्क्रबिंग अप में, विकासशील देशों में बच्चों को टीकों तक पहुंच प्रदान करने वाले जी. ए. वी. आई. गठबंधन के सी. ई. ओ. डॉ. सेठ बर्कले का कहना है कि एक वास्तविक खतरा है कि इस तरह के डर विकासशील दुनिया में फैल जाएंगे जहां जीवन और भी अधिक असुरक्षित हैं।


WWI underground: Unearthing the hidden tunnel war

Summary: Archaeologists are beginning the most detailed ever study of a Western Front battlefield, an untouched site where 28 British tunnellers lie entombed after dying during brutal underground warfare. For WWI historians, it's the "holy grail".

By Peter JacksonBBC News When military historian Jeremy Banning stepped on to a patch of rough scrubland in northern France four months ago, the hairs on the back of his neck stood up. The privately owned land in the sleepy rural village of La Boisselle had been practically untouched since fighting ceased in 1918, remaining one of the most poignant sites of the Battle of the Somme. In his hand was a selection of grainy photographs of some of the British tunnellers killed in bloody subterranean battles there, and who lay permanently entombed directly under his feet. When most people think of WWI, they think of trench warfare interrupted by occasional offensives, with men charging between the lines. But with the static nature of the war, military mining played a big part in the tactics on both sides. The idea of digging underneath fortifications in order to undermine them goes back to classical times at least. But the use of high explosive in WWI gave it a new dimension. One of the most notable episodes was at the Battle of Messines in 1917 where 455 tons of explosive placed in 21 tunnels that had taken more than a year to prepare created a huge explosion that killed an estimated 10,000 Germans. Tunnelling was mainly done by professional miners, sent from the collieries of Britain to the Western Front. What happened at La Boisselle in 1915-16 is a classic example of mining and counter-mining, with both sides struggling desperately to locate and destroy each other's tunnels. "When you stand on a spot and can look at a picture of a man still down there below you, it's amazing," Banning says. "It just does something very strange to you, it makes the hairs stand up on the back of your neck." After six years of painstaking paper research by fellow historian Simon Jones, the researchers had built up detailed knowledge of the individual tragedies involved. They knew the exact locations and depths at which each man was lost, the circumstances of their deaths, and almost all of their names. And yet it was only when the owner of the site chose to open it up to research that they were able to finally connect the stories to the place. The Lejeune family, who have owned the land since the 1920s, have a deep affinity with the site and have known many British veterans who served at La Boisselle. But it was only after visiting the team's excavations at nearby Mametz last May that they decided to offer their land up for historical study. Archaeologists, historians and their French and German partners now aim to preserve the area - named the Glory Hole by British troops - as a permanent memorial to the fallen. Digging does not start until next year, but the first practical steps of mapping the tunnels and trenches using ground-penetrating radar, and exploring the geophysics are under way. Some open tunnel sections have already been entered and are considered remarkably well preserved. The team intends to leave the bodies undisturbed in the collapsed tunnels, but any others found in trenches will be reburied in accordance with the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Bomb disposal experts will be on standby to negotiate the unexploded ordnance they will inevitably uncover. They also expect to find graffiti on the walls, poetry, bottles of drink, and all manner of artefacts untouched since the day fighting ceased. In short, they say, it's a time capsule. The long-term intention is to open the site to the public, and the whole project is expected to take five to 10 years. For Jones, a former curator at the Royal Engineers Museum, the dig is about completing the stories of the two Tunnelling Companies (179th and 185th) who worked at the Glory Hole. "Finding out about these men has become an obsession, and although we know a great deal about the lives of soldiers in WWI, these men have left very few clues as to their experience or feelings," he says. Mining was perilous work in a hidden war, which remained a state secret for many years, meaning the men did not get the recognition they deserved. By studying war diaries, tunnel plans, letters, maps and records, Mr Jones has identified 25 of the 28 British and all 10 French tunnellers at the Glory Hole. The number of Germans remains unclear. The British were lost between August 1915 and April 1916, sometimes individually but more often two or more at a time. "Often men from the same pits preferred to work alongside one another and hence were lost together," Mr Jones says. One such miner was Sapper John Lane, 45, from Tipton in Staffordshire, a married father-of-four who left his colliery for the Western Front with four colleagues. None returned. On 22 November 1915, he and four others were killed 80ft (24m) below when a German mine exploded, in turn detonating a British charge of 5,900lb (2,700kg). For his great-grandson Chris Lane, 45, from Redditch in Worcestershire, piecing together his relative's story has been a fascinating process. He says they knew he was killed in a mine, but prior to his research, his grandfather always thought it was in Ypres in Belgium. "It's important to know your past, one small incident for one family is history for lots of other people," he says. The new dig is only the second on the Western Front to be officially sanctioned by the French authorities. Patches of untouched virgin battlefield are rare. Most have been ploughed over, cleared or developed, and private landowners have been reluctant to hand them over for research. It's a site of huge strategic importance. When the British launched the bloody Battle of the Somme on 1 July 1916, La Boisselle stood on the main axis of the attack. Of the 1.5m total casualties in the four-month campaign, 420,000 British soldiers were killed, wounded or missing having gained just two miles - a loss of two men per centimetre. Fellow historian Peter Barton says La Boisselle is the "holy grail" for historians, containing the "complete evolution" of trench warfare. "The site has got both sides of the line and the fourth dimension of underground warfare, making it a truly holistic project," he says. "These are not just holes in the ground, they're homes - that was where you lived when you were holding the line. "You became troglodytes. They designed, evolved and engineered a way of living and surviving, and had to go deeper and deeper as the shelling became more effective." Barton's research took him to Munich and Stuttgart, where interpreters and translators have helped paint an even bigger picture. "We'll know the Germans who killed the British and French, and vice-versa - it's the most supremely researched piece of battlefield on the Western Front," he says. "Connecting those men who suffered and gave their lives there with their present day relatives is probably the most meaningful part."

पुरातत्वविद पश्चिमी मोर्चे के युद्ध के मैदान का अब तक का सबसे विस्तृत अध्ययन शुरू कर रहे हैं, एक अछूत स्थल जहां 28 ब्रिटिश सुरंग बनाने वाले क्रूर भूमिगत युद्ध के दौरान मरने के बाद दबे हुए हैं। प्रथम विश्व युद्ध के इतिहासकारों के लिए, यह "पवित्र कब्र" है।


Kate and William's 10 years of marriage in pictures

Summary: It's been 10 years since the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge got married at Westminster Abbey. When they left Buckingham Palace hand-in-hand the day after their wedding, the royal couple weren't just bound for their secret honeymoon location. They were also about to embark on a life together that has seen them travel the world, work with charities and raise a family.

The Cambridges issued two new portraits to mark the occasion. They were taken by photographer Chris Floyd earlier this week and show the couple outside Kensington Palace. The pictures were also posted on the Royal Family's social media accounts, alongside a message reading: "Wishing The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge a very happy wedding anniversary." And the official Twitter account of the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall posted a congratulatory message featuring a party popper emoji. Royal duties began right away for William, then 28, and Kate, then 29. Less than three weeks after the wedding, in May 2011, they met US President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama at Buckingham Palace. The couple cheered on athletes with former Prime Minister David Cameron when London hosted the Olympics the following year. The early years of their marriage saw William and Kate represent the Queen on trips abroad. During a tour in September 2012 to mark her Diamond Jubilee, they visited Singapore, Malaysia, the Solomon Islands and Tuvalu. They became a family of three when Kate gave birth to Prince George in July 2013. The couple posed for photographs with their first child outside St Mary's Hospital in central London. The young Prince George accompanied them on their travels. William and Kate's three-week tour of Australia and New Zealand in the spring of 2014 was their first official overseas trip with their son. Princess Charlotte was welcomed to the world the following year. The duke and duchess showed her off to other family members, including the Queen, at a christening in July 2015 on the Sandringham Estate. They continued to carry out some royal duties alone, however, including a tour of India in April 2016, when they visited the Taj Mahal. Some of their overseas trips, including one to Pakistan in October 2019, involved a lot of physical activity. Meanwhile, they were raising the newest addition to the Cambridge clan - Prince Louis, who was born in April 2018. The family of five was pictured standing next to other family members at the Trooping the Colour in 2019. And as the pandemic took hold, the duke and duchess thanked those who kept essential services running in the UK. On a three-day tour aboard the Royal train in December, they met front-line workers including transport staff at London's Euston station. The children got involved, too, accompanying their parents to a special pantomime performance at London's Palladium Theatre over Christmas to thank key workers and their families. Throughout their marriage, William and Kate have channelled their efforts into charitable causes, especially those that concern mental health. They spoke to London ambulance staff on a rainy day in March about the wellbeing support being provided for them. And as the couple approached their tenth wedding anniversary this week, they picked up golf clubs while meeting young people supported by a charity in Durham. It was smiles all around. All pictures subject to copyright.

ड्यूक और डचेस ऑफ कैम्ब्रिज की शादी को वेस्टमिंस्टर एब्बे में हुए 10 साल हो चुके हैं। जब वे अपनी शादी के अगले दिन बकिंघम पैलेस से हाथ में हाथ लेकर निकले, तो शाही जोड़े को सिर्फ अपने गुप्त हनीमून स्थान के लिए बाध्य नहीं किया गया था। वे एक साथ जीवन शुरू करने वाले थे जिसने उन्हें दुनिया की यात्रा करते, दान के साथ काम करते और एक परिवार का पालन-पोषण करते देखा है।


Clearing: What are options when grades fall short?

Summary: Thousands of teenagers across England, Wales and Northern Ireland have been receiving their A-level results. Youngsters in Scotland received the results of its equivalent qualification, Highers, on Tuesday, 8 August . While many are out celebrating their success, others have been left disappointed and facing tough decisions.

Options for students who do not get the grades they need include the university places Clearing scheme. What is clearing? Clearing is the way that universities and colleges fill any places they still have on their degree courses. If you are in a position to be flexible and have a reasonably good set of exam results, there is a good chance you will find a course. Clearing allows would-be undergraduates to see which courses still have places remaining. It runs between July and September every year. You can approach as many universities as you wish during clearing, so do not feel that you have to take the first offer. What should I do on A-level results day? Get up early! The sooner you find out your results, the sooner you can pursue alternative options if your grades have fallen short. You can log on to track - a service offered by university admissions service Ucas from 08:00 on results day. This will tell you whether your place at your chosen university has been confirmed. You could also go into your school or college on results day - that way you can get help and advice from your teachers. What happens if I do not get the grades I need for university? Don't panic, because there are plenty of options open to you. Your first-choice university might let you off if you have slipped a grade - it's worth ringing them as soon as possible to find out if they will still let you in. There's also the possibility that they may offer you a place on a similar, but slightly less popular course. If you do not have the grades for your first-choice university or course, you may be offered a place with your second choice. If you miss out on both your firm choice and your insurance choice and still want to go to university, you can try to get a place through clearing, which is offered by Ucas. However, most spare places fill up quickly, so you must act fast. How can I increase my chances of success in clearing? Preparation is key. To give yourself the best chance of securing an offer, research courses and universities that are of interest to you. Have your answers to hand for questions like: "Why do you want to study on this course?" and "Why would you like to come here?" Plan to get your results as early in the day as you can to give yourself a head start. Remember, universities and colleges will want to speak to you personally - not to your parents! How do I find out what courses are available and choose the best one for me? Official vacancy lists are published on the Ucas website from 00:01 BST on Thursday, 17 August, and in the Daily Telegraph. You do not have to stick to the subject choices that you made originally. There may be other areas that might suit you better on the basis of the grades you have. What if my results are better than I expected? Ucas operates a system called adjustment for those candidates who get better results than expected and want to try for a more competitive university. Candidates have a five-day window in which to show their application to universities. If you do not find a suitable place somewhere else through adjustment, you will remain accepted at your original choice. What about waiting until next year? You could consider taking a gap year and reapplying for degree courses this autumn to take up a place in 2017. A year out can be a chance to develop new skills which will all help when writing a personal statement or CV. Volunteer work, travelling abroad or a working for a year are all options to consider. In the longer term, it may be better to wait a year and go somewhere that is right for you, rather than make a hasty decision you might regret later. You can also ask your local further education college for information about other routes to degree-level qualifications, such as foundation degrees and diplomas. Can I challenge my results? If you think your grades are wrong, you can ask for a re-mark of your papers. But requests for re-marking can only be done through your school or college. This is another good reason to go along to your school or college on results day. Priority re-marks can be requested for those students with university places at stake. There is a fee for this service, which is reimbursed only if there is a grade change. The Joint Council for Qualifications has guidance on the post-results service. Could I break out and do something else altogether? Yes, this is always an option. University is not for everyone and many who do not get a degree go on to pursue highly successful and lucrative careers - for example, Sir Richard Branson, Lord Sugar, Kirstie Allsopp and Lady Brady. Some careers, such as accountancy, can be pursued with qualifications you study for while working. Apprenticeships are another possibility - vacancies are listed on the National Apprenticeships Service website. Sites such as Not Going to Uni might give you a few ideas. By not going to university, there is the added advantage of not accruing student debt. It is estimated the average student in England graduates with a debt of around £44,000 since tuition fees were raised to £9,000 a year in 2012. Recent research has also suggested that having to pay back student debt wipes out any graduate premium for most professions. However, many professions, such as teaching and law, do require a degree and you could find that some doors are closed to you later in life (or are much harder to open) if you do not have one. Where can I go for advice? The Ucas website has lots of advice about navigating clearing and adjustment. You can also follow Ucas on Twitter @ucas_online or on Facebook.com/ucasonline for up-to-date information. For information on your own progress you can also call the Ucas customer support centre on 0371 468 0468. Lines are open from 07:30 to 18:00 on Thursday, 17 August, 08:00 to 18:00 on Friday, 09:00 to 14:00 on Saturday 19 and 10:00 to 14:00 on Sunday 20, August. For more general careers advice you can also call the national exam results helpline on 0808 100 8000, which is run by Ucas on behalf of the Department for Education. It opens at 08:00 on Thursday 17 August and closes at 15:00 on Wednesday 30 August. It is staffed by careers advisers and offers advice on sixth form, college, university and other education choices, skills, qualifications, and subject choices, re-sits and re-marks, gap years, vocational learning routes including diplomas, apprenticeships, NVQs, careers and employment, confirmation, clearing, and adjustment and funding. If you need help with career choices, you can also call an adviser at the national careers service on 0800 100 900. I am Scottish and did not do well in my Highers. What can I do? Skills Development Scotland has a helpline offering advice, information and support for young people and their parents. The number to call is 0808 100 8000. Scottish students can still use Ucas and its services to find a university place.

इंग्लैंड, वेल्स और उत्तरी आयरलैंड में हजारों किशोर अपने ए-स्तर के परिणाम प्राप्त कर रहे हैं। स्कॉटलैंड में युवाओं ने मंगलवार, 8 अगस्त को अपनी समकक्ष योग्यता, हिगर्स के परिणाम प्राप्त किए। जबकि कई अपनी सफलता का जश्न मना रहे हैं, अन्य निराश हो गए हैं और कठिन निर्णयों का सामना कर रहे हैं।


Charleston church shooting: What victims' families said to Dylann Roof

Summary: In a remarkable moment of courtroom drama, some of the relatives of the nine people shot dead at a Charleston church spoke directly to Dylann Roof, the 21-year-old accused of murdering their loved ones. While he stared impassively ahead, one by one they told him that they forgive him.

Ethel Lance Nadine Collier, daughter of Ethel Lance, spoke on behalf of her mother in court. She also offered some remarks outside of the court, where she said she was a "Christian woman" and her faith would bring her through the tragedy. "She's in a better place now, and we're all trying to get there," she said before the hearing. "God knows the Lance family is going to be okay." Speaking to Dylann Roof in court, she said: "I just want everybody to know, to you, I forgive you. You took something very precious away from me. I will never talk to her ever again. I will never be able to hold her again but I forgive you. And have mercy on your soul. You hurt me, you hurt a lot of people, but God forgive you, and I forgive you. Myra Thompson Anthony Thompson is the husband of Myra Thompson and a reverend of the Anglican Church of North America. He spoke on behalf of his wife in court. To Mr Roof, he said: "I forgive you and my family forgives you but we would like you to take this opportunity to repent. Repent, confess, give your life to the one who matters the most, Christ, so he can change it, and change your ways no matter what happened to you and you'll be okay through that. And better off than how you are right now." Tywanza Sanders Tywanza Sanders' mother Felecia Sanders spoke directly to Mr Roof in court. Sanders was a recent college graduate who has been described as having a "warm and helpful spirit". In court she told Mr Roof: "We welcomed you Wednesday night in our bible study with open arms. You have killed some of the most beautiful-est people I have known. Every fibre in my body hurts. And I will never be the same. Tywanza Sanders is my son but Tywanza was my hero, Tywanza was my hero." Rev Daniel Simmons Sr Rev Simmons' granddaughter Alana spoke on behalf of their family. She was very composed and calm, stressing that hate would not win the day. Ms Simmons addressed Mr Roof in court: "Although my grandfather and the other victims died at the hands of hate, this is proof, everyone's plea for your soul is proof that they lived and loved and their legacies will live in love. So hate won't win and I just want to thank the courts for making sure that hate doesn't win." Rev Depayne Middleton-Doctor Bethane Middleton-Brown spoke on behalf of her sister Depayne. She admitted that she was "very angry" but also held forgiveness in her heart. Speaking to Mr Roof, she said: "Depayne Doctor was my sister. And I too thank you [the judge], on the behalf of my family, for not allowing hate to win. For me, I'm a work in progress, and I acknowledge that I am very angry but one thing Depayne ... taught me [is that] we are the family that love built. We have no room for hate so we have to forgive. I pray God on your soul and I thank God that I won't be around when your judgement day comes with him. May God bless you." Sharonda Singleton Representatives of the Singleton family chose not to speak in court but spoke to the BBC at a vigil in their mother's honour. Both said they forgive the killer and that faith was helping them cope. "We've already forgiven him for what he's done and there's nothing but love from our side of the family," Chris Singleton said. His sister Camryn said she felt filled with love from the community. The families of shooting victims Cynthia Hurd, Susie Jackson and Rev Clementa Pinckney opted not to speak in court.

अदालती नाटक के एक उल्लेखनीय क्षण में, चार्ल्सटन चर्च में गोली मारकर मारे गए नौ लोगों के कुछ रिश्तेदारों ने अपने प्रियजनों की हत्या के आरोपी 21 वर्षीय डिलन रूफ से सीधे बात की। जब वह आगे की ओर बेपरवाह नज़र से देख रहा था, तो एक-एक करके उन्होंने उससे कहा कि वे उसे माफ कर दें।


How formula milk shaped the modern workplace

Summary: It sounded like cannon fire - pirates, probably. The British East India Company's ship Benares was docked at Makassar, on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi. Its commander gave the order to set sail and hunt them down.

By Tim HarfordBBC World Service, 50 Things That Made the Modern Economy Three days later, the crew still hadn't found any pirates. What they had actually heard was the eruption of a volcano called Mount Tambora. A cocktail of toxic gas and liquefied rock roared down the volcano's slopes at the speed of a hurricane, killing thousands. Mount Tambora was left 4,000ft (1,220m) shorter. The year was 1815. Slowly, a vast cloud of volcanic ash drifted across the northern hemisphere, blocking the Sun. In Europe, 1816 became "the year without a summer". Crops failed. Desperate people ate rats, cats and grass. In the German town of Darmstadt, the suffering made a deep impression on a 13-year-old boy. Justus von Liebig loved helping out in his father's workshop, concocting pigments, paints and polishes. Rigorous study Liebig grew up to be a brilliant chemist, driven by the desire to help prevent hunger. He did some of the earliest research into fertilisers. He pioneered nutritional science and invented beef extract. He invented something else, too: infant formula. 50 Things That Made the Modern Economy highlights the inventions, ideas and innovations that helped create the economic world. It is broadcast on the BBC World Service. You can find more information about the programme's sources and listen online or subscribe to the programme podcast. Launched in 1865, Liebig's Soluble Food for Babies was a powder comprising cow's milk, wheat flour, malt flour and potassium bicarbonate. It was the first commercial substitute for breast milk to come from rigorous scientific study. As Liebig knew, not every baby has a mother who can breastfeed. Indeed, not every baby has a mother: before modern medicine, about one in 100 childbirths killed the mother. It's little better in the poorest countries today. Some mothers can't make enough milk - the figures are disputed, but could be as high as one in 20. What happened to those kids before formula? Parents who could afford it employed wet-nurses - a respectable profession for the working girl, and an early casualty of Liebig's invention. Some used a goat or donkey. Good timing Many gave their infants "pap", a bread-and-water mush, from hard-to-clean receptacles that must have teemed with bacteria. No wonder death rates were high: in the early 1800s, only two in three babies who weren't breastfed lived to see their first birthday. Liebig's formula hit the market at a propitious time. Germ theory was increasingly well understood, and the rubber teat had just been invented. The appeal of formula quickly spread beyond women who couldn't breastfeed. Liebig's Soluble Food for Babies democratised a lifestyle choice that had previously been open only to the well-to-do. It's a choice that now shapes the modern workplace. For many new mothers who want - or need - to get back to work, formula is a godsend. And women are right to worry that taking time out might damage their careers. Earnings gap Recently, economists studied the experiences of the high-powered men and women emerging from Chicago University's MBA programme and entering the worlds of consulting and high finance. At first, the women had similar experiences to the men - but over a time, a huge gap in earnings opened up. The critical moment? Motherhood. Women took time off, and employers paid them less in response. Ironically, the men were more likely than the women to have children. They just didn't change their working patterns. There are biological and cultural reasons why women are more likely than men to take time off when they start families. We can't change the fact that only women have wombs, but we can try to change workplace culture. More governments are following Scandinavia's lead by giving fathers the legal right to take time off. More leaders - such as Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg - are setting an example by taking it. And formula milk makes it a whole lot easier for Dad to take over while Mum gets back to work. There is, of course, the breast-pump option. But for some, it's more of an effort than formula. Studies show that the less time mothers have off work, the less likely they are to persevere with breastfeeding. That's hardly surprising. There's just one problem. Evolution has had thousands of generations to optimise the recipe for breast milk. And formula doesn't quite match it, especially in the developing world, where clean water and sterilised equipment is not always available. A series of articles published by the medical journal the Lancet in 2016 lists the risks. Formula-fed infants get sick more often than breastfed children, leading to costs for medical treatment, and parents taking time off work. It's thought that nearly half of all diarrhoea episodes and a third of all respiratory infections could be prevented by breastfeeding. That, combined with the risk of using formula in less than ideal circumstances, can even lead to deaths. According to the Lancet's analysis of more than 1,300 studies, breastfeeding could prevent about 800,000 child deaths a year. Justus von Liebig wanted to save lives. He would be horrified. Economic cost Of course, in rich countries, contaminated milk and water are far less of a concern. But formula has another, less obvious economic cost. Again, according to the Lancet, there is evidence that breastfed babies grow up with slightly higher IQs - about three points, when you control as best you can for other factors. What might be the benefit of making a whole generation of children just that little bit more clever? The Lancet calculated it to be about $300bn (£232bn) a year. That's several times the value of the global formula market. Consequently, many governments try to promote breastfeeding. But nobody makes a quick profit from that. Selling formula, on the other hand, can be lucrative. More from Tim Harford The tiny pill which gave birth to an economic revolution TV dinners: The hidden cost of the processed food revolution How Ikea's Billy bookcase took over the world Grace Hopper's compiler: Computing's hidden hero Which have you seen more of recently: public service announcements about breastfeeding, or formula ads? Liebig himself never claimed that his Soluble Food for Babies was better than breast milk: he simply said he'd made it as nutritionally similar as possible. Nestle controversy But he quickly inspired imitators who weren't so scrupulous. By the 1890s, adverts for formula routinely portrayed it as state-of-the-art. Meanwhile, paediatricians were starting to notice higher rates of scurvy and rickets among the offspring of mothers whom the advertising swayed. The controversy peaked in 1974, when the campaigning group War on Want published a pamphlet called The Baby Killer about how Nestle marked and sold infant formula in Africa. Nestle boycotts lasted years. By 1981, there was a World Health Organization (WHO) International Code of Marketing Breast-milk Substitutes, which Nestle says it drew on to devise its own marketing code, the first manufacturer to do so. But the WHO code is not hard law, and many campaigners argue that it is still widely flouted. Supply chain What if there was a way to get the best of all worlds: equal career breaks for mothers and fathers, and breast milk for infants, without the faff of breast pumps? Perhaps there is - if you don't mind taking market forces to their logical conclusion. In Utah, there's a company called Ambrosia Labs. Its business model? Pay mothers around the world to express breast milk, screen it for quality, and sell it on to American mothers. Milk is pricey - over $100 (£77) a litre (1.75 pints). But that could come down with scale - and maybe formula could be taxed, to fund a breast-milk market subsidy. Not everyone likes this idea. Indeed, the government in Cambodia, where Ambrosia used to operate, has banned the export of breast milk. Still, more than 150 years after Justus von Liebig sounded the death knell for wet nursing as a profession, perhaps the global supply chain could find a way to bring it back. Tim Harford writes the Financial Times's Undercover Economist column. 50 Things That Made the Modern Economy is broadcast on the BBC World Service. You can find more information about the programme's sources and listen online or subscribe to the programme podcast.

ऐसा लग रहा था जैसे तोपों से गोलीबारी हो रही हो-शायद समुद्री डाकू। ब्रिटिश ईस्ट इंडिया कंपनी का जहाज बनारस इंडोनेशिया के सुलावेसी द्वीप पर मकस्सर में खड़ा था। इसके कमांडर ने जहाज चलाने और उनका शिकार करने का आदेश दिया।


No action against MP Daniel Kawczynski for 'coffee date'

Summary: Shrewsbury MP Daniel Kawczynski has been told no action will be taken over claims he acted inappropriately towards a female researcher.

Mr Kawczynski was referred to the Conservatives' internal disciplinary committee after media reports he tried to set up a date between a visitor and the woman in 2013. He always denied the allegations. The claim was investigated and he has been told there was no justification for any further action to be taken. He was one of several Conservative MPs to be investigated over allegations about their past conduct towards women. The Shrewsbury and Atcham MP previously told BBC Radio Shropshire there was no impropriety. He asked the woman to have coffee with a friend, she said no and that was the end of it, he said. Related Internet Links Daniel Kawczynski

श्रोसबरी के सांसद डैनियल कावजिंस्की को बताया गया है कि एक महिला शोधकर्ता के प्रति अनुचित व्यवहार करने के दावों पर कोई कार्रवाई नहीं की जाएगी।


Geneva: Why the world's highest minimum wage was needed

Summary: Geneva is a very wealthy place. Home to a huge private banking sector, the United Nations, and auction houses Sotheby's and Christie's, which regularly sell enormous gemstones for eye-watering prices.

By Imogen FoulkesBBC News, Geneva And this month it is introducing the highest minimum monthly salary in the world, in response to a referendum at the end of September. The new hourly rate of 23 Swiss francs - equivalent to £19, $25 or €22 - will give a minimum monthly salary of 4,000 francs (£3,350). Why the need? This Swiss canton may be rich but it is also home to tens of thousands of hotel workers, waiters, cleaners and hairdressers who struggle to make ends meet. When Switzerland went into lockdown last March, images of lines of people at food banks in Geneva made headlines. In fact, the food banks existed before the pandemic, and they are still there months after the lockdown ended. Charly Hernandez's charity Colis du Coeur distributes thousands of bags of groceries a week at one food bank in the city centre. The lines are long, most of the people queuing are women, many of them have young children. Isn't 4,000 francs a month too much? It may sound a lot, but only if you don't live in Geneva, Charly explains. "A single room is 1,000 francs a month, if you can survive on 500 francs a month for food you're a very good manager, health insurance is 550 a month per person. If you are a family with two kids, you barely scrape by." The new minimum wage will make a difference to many people, like Ingrid, who have been going to the food bank. "At the end of the month my pockets are empty," she says. "This [food bank] has been great, because you have a week of food. A week of relief." Even some of the volunteers, like Laura, find Geneva's cost of living difficult. On her nurse's salary, she can't really afford a place of her own in the city. "I would be living in a very small place, in one room. So I still live with my family. I'm 26," she says. Who will pay? Businesses offering less than 23 francs an hour will now have to give employees a pay rise. To have to bear this new cost in the middle of the Covid pandemic and a drastic drop in profits could cause more harm than good, fears Vincent Subilia of Geneva's Chamber of Commerce. "Hotels, restaurants, these are areas which are already confronted with major challenges due to the pandemic," he says. "This could potentially jeopardise the very existence of these sectors." One restaurateur, Stefano Fanari, told Swiss television he did not think he would be able to foot the bill. As the head chef, his monthly wage averages between 5,000 and 6,000 francs a month. "How can I continue when I have to pay the dish washers that much? "Should I cut their hours? Don't get me wrong, I'm not against someone earning 4,000 a month. But there's a point where we just can't pay that. I've sacrificed, I work 12 hours a day here. What should I do?" So what happens now? Geneva's minimum wage came into law not because the government imposed it, but because Geneva citizens proposed it as a "people's initiative". They gathered enough signatures to call a referendum on the issue, and on 27 September voters said yes, by a pretty overwhelming 58% to 42%. Switzerland's system of direct democracy means the voters have the final say, so the minimum wage is now obligatory. Often, Swiss citizens tend to vote very cautiously when it comes to spending public money. But on the same day they also backed the nationwide introduction of two weeks' paid paternity leave. For Charly Hernandez these moves are positive signs that, especially in such difficult times, people in this largely wealthy country are looking out for one another. "They voted for it, and I'm elated. We do have a very direct democracy that is great, but what many people don't know is that most people's initiatives get turned down. "It's exceptional that things get approved, so I believe things are improving… OK at a slow pace, but that is the Swiss pace." The next test for voters will come later this month when the Swiss will decide on a "responsible business initiative". That would require companies based in Switzerland to take legal and financial responsibility for human rights and environmental abuses right along their supply chains, anywhere in the world. A yes to that could cost far more than Geneva's world-beating minimum wage. More stories from our Switzerland correspondent

जिनेवा एक बहुत समृद्ध स्थान है। एक विशाल निजी बैंकिंग क्षेत्र, संयुक्त राष्ट्र और नीलामी घर सोथबीज और क्रिस्टीज का घर है, जो नियमित रूप से आंखों में पानी लाने वाली कीमतों पर भारी रत्न बेचते हैं।


Pop star Lily Allen buys £3m Cotswolds home

Summary: Pop star Lily Allen has become the latest London celebrity to buy a home in Gloucestershire.

The 25-year-old singer, who was educated in Somerset at Millfield School, has paid £3m for a house in the Cotswolds. Ms Allen's move will bring her close to her actor father Keith Allen's home at Minchinhampton. She will live in a six-bedroom property in an area of outstanding natural beauty and boasting a croquet lawn.

पॉप स्टार लिली एलन ग्लूस्टरशायर में घर खरीदने वाली लंदन की नवीनतम सेलिब्रिटी बन गई हैं।


The Niger Delta Avengers: Nigeria's newest militants

Summary: With a name that sounds like it has come from the pages of a superhero comic book, the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA) is the latest militant group to emerge in Nigeria - attacking oil installations in a campaign which threatens the economy of Africa's most populous state.

By Chris EwokorBBC Africa, Nigeria "We are a group of educated and well-travelled individuals that are poised to take the Niger Delta struggle to new heights that has never been seen in this nation before," the NDA proclaimed in one of their first statement's on their website in April. "We have well-equipped human resources to meet this goal." It was not an idle threat. The NDA has carried out a barrage of attacks on oil installations in the Niger Delta region, causing a huge decline in oil production, which is the mainstay of the West African state's economy. "The renewed activities of the militants in the Niger Delta is seriously affecting our oil production," Minister of Finance Kemi Adeosun admitted on state-owned NTA television. Who is their leader? This is the first armed group to emerge in the region - where most people are poor despite the fact that it is rich in oil - since late Nigerian President Umar Musa Yar'Adua granted amnesty to militants there seven years ago. At the time, militants in the region said they wanted a better deal for their people who have suffered environmental degradation and economic dislocation because of oil production by some of the world's leading firms. Many of the militants were encouraged to drop their arms and agitation in exchange for some cash incentives and training. Former President Goodluck Jonathan, who comes from the Niger Delta, continued the scheme. The amnesty programme, which provides tens of thousands of former oil militants with a monthly stipend from the government, stemmed the level of violence. But in the latest budget, President Muhammadu Buhari reduced funding for it by 70%, and has spoken of phasing it out entirely by 2018. It is difficult to identify or determine who the members of the NDA are - their Twitter handle currently has an AFP photo of a Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (Mend) militant taken in September 2008 as its profile picture. Local people in the region believe members of the group are largely elements of previous militant groups like Mend - led by Henry Okah, who has been incarcerated in South Africa - or the Niger Delta People's Salvation Front led by the vocal Mujahideen Asari Dokubo. They were left out of the government's amnesty programme. Many say the NDA militants are followers of former Niger Delta warlords like Government Ekpemupolo, who has the alias Tompolo. He signed up to the amnesty programme but has been on the run since February, refusing to be questioned by Nigeria's anti-corruption agency in connection with $231m (£163m) in missing government funds. Mr Ekpemupolo has dissociated himself from the group - but none of the former militant leaders have commented. Others believe the new militants are criminal elements that want to draw attention to themselves now that their kinsman, ex-President Jonathan, is out of power. Currently, it is not known who officially leads the group, although a Col Mudoch Agbinibo has been signing press releases on behalf of the NDA. There are suggestions that "Mudoch" is a pseudonym, like the one-time "Jomo Gbomo" of Mend. Whatever perceptions people might have of the group, its activities in the Niger Delta appear well co-ordinated with a high level of technical expertise. Oil production down The NDA has stated unambiguously what it is setting out to achieve: "Our goal is to cripple Nigeria's economy." After declaring what it called "Operation Red Economy" in February, it blew up an underwater pipeline forcing Royal Dutch Shell to shut down a terminal which normally produces 250,000 barrels of oil a day (bpd). Last month, Shell declared a force majeure, which excuses a company from contractual agreements because events beyond its control, on exports of high grade crude oil after an attack on one of its trunk lines. A few days later, US firm Chevron shut its Valve Platform following another attack, also claimed by the Avengers. And ahead of President Buhari's first expected visit to the region on Thursday, the NDA said it had blown up two Chevron export terminals. These attacks have dealt a huge blow to the revenue of the Nigerian government, which says the renewed activities of the militants are seriously affecting oil production. In fact the country's production has dropped to 1.65 million bpd, as against the projected 2.2 million bpd. The military has issued a stern warning that it will deal decisively with any group fermenting trouble in the country, including those it has described as "criminal elements in the Niger Delta". But this appears to have emboldened the Avengers into more attacks that have had a knock-on affect on the supply of electricity that depends on gas from the oil-producing companies. For President Buhari, who just marked one year in office, the NDA presents another fresh security challenge to the government which has been grappling with Islamist insurgency in the north-east of the country.

एक नाम के साथ जो ऐसा लगता है कि यह एक सुपरहीरो कॉमिक पुस्तक के पृष्ठों से आया है, नाइजर डेल्टा एवेंजर्स (एनडीए) नाइजीरिया में उभरने वाला नवीनतम आतंकवादी समूह है-एक अभियान में तेल प्रतिष्ठानों पर हमला करना जो अफ्रीका के सबसे अधिक आबादी वाले राज्य की अर्थव्यवस्था के लिए खतरा है।


How has India changed a year after Dadri beef lynching?

Summary: It has been a year since a Muslim man in northern India was lynched over rumours that his family had slaughtered a cow and eaten beef. Hindus consider cows to be sacred, and for many, eating beef is taboo. The slaughter of cows is also banned in many Indian states.

But Mohammad Akhlaq's death sparked widespread outrage and contributed to changing the social and political discourse of the country. The BBC's Ayeshea Perera looks at some of the most significant things that happened in India following his death. The 'intolerance' furore Perhaps the largest fallout of Mohammad Akhlaq's death in Uttar Pradesh state was the accusation of "intolerance" that began to haunt Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling Hindu nationalist BJP. Critics of the BJP have often accused it of being Hindu majoritarian in its outlook and of being hostile to ethnic and religious minorities, particularly Muslims. And this incident only strengthened those voices. The fact that Mr Modi did not immediately condemn the incident, choosing to remain silent even as state party leaders jumped to the defence of the accused, caused even more anger. It prompted an unprecedented movement by writers and poets who had been celebrated by the government - they started returning their prestigious Sahitya Akademi awards to protest at intolerance in India. More than 40 writers from all across the country returned their awards and were soon joined by a group of film makers who said they would not be "guilty of flattening diversity" in the country. Leading writer Nayantara Sehgal, a niece of India's first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru, wrote that "… India's culture of diversity and debate is now under vicious assault… The prime minister remains silent about this reign of terror. We must assume he dare not alienate evil-doers who support his ideology." But "intolerance" was not limited to returning awards - it found its way into popular discourse as well. Bollywood superstar Amir Khan also created a furore when he expressed concern over the "growing intolerance" in India. He was later joined by fellow star Shah Rukh Khan who said he "respected" people returning awards to protest against intolerance. Later, the arrest of a student leader from India's prestigious Jawarhalal Nehru University on sedition charges over a rally condemning the hanging of a man convicted of attacking the Indian parliament also sparked cries of "intolerance" on a massive scale. The BJP loses Bihar A second outcome that can be linked back to the Dadri killing is that the BJP went on to lose state elections in the neighbouring northern state of Bihar - a poll it was widely expected to win. Incumbent chief minister Nitish Kumar, who was on his second term, had already suffered a crushing defeat to Mr Modi's party in the 2014 parliamentary elections, and another "Modi wave" was expected to sweep the state elections as well. But in a masterstroke, Mr Kumar and his allies positioned themselves as a "secular" alliance, in direct opposition to the "communal" BJP. The fact that Mr Modi and BJP party chief Amit Shah raised the sensitive issue of cow slaughter and consumption of beef during election rallies in the state also did not seem to help. When Mr Kumar's party won, it was called a "historic verdict" and hailed as proof that running a poll campaign along religious and ethnic lines would not bring results. The rise of cow protection vigilante groups The death of Mr Akhlaq seemed to put new focus on "cow protection" groups who took it upon themselves to ensure that cattle would not be slaughtered or consumed. Mostly members of militant Hindu groups like the Bajrang Dal, Vishwa Hindu Parishad (World Hindu Council) and Shiv Sena, these self-styled cow protectors created headlines after they lay in wait for and then beat up a number of truck drivers transporting cattle for slaughter. In another attack, two Muslim woman were beaten up after they were accused of carrying beef. And most significantly, in an incident which led to massive caste unrest, four low-caste Dalit men trying to skin a dead cow were thrashed by vigilantes in the western state of Gujarat. A video of the incident went viral and led to huge protests and an uproar in parliament. After again being accused of silence, Mr Modi used a radio address almost a full month later to criticise vigilante attacks, saying such people made him "angry", and any attacks must be investigated. Eating as an act of defiance The right to eat beef became another huge talking point in the wake of the Dadri attack. Confusion over whether the meat believed to have been in the possession of Mr Akhlaq's family was beef or mutton set off a debate over the right of people to eat what they want. A ban on beef in several Indian states has also been criticised because the meat is cheaper than chicken and fish and is a staple for the poorer Muslim, tribal and Dalit (formerly untouchable) communities. A police raid at the canteen of a Delhi guesthouse owned by southern Kerala state over its famed beef curry created an uproar, with politicians from the state protesting against what they saw as a violation of their culture. It also set off a social media campaign, with many users uploading pictures of them eating beef and daring police to arrest them. According to government data, some 80 million Indians - one in every 13 - eat beef or buffalo meat. Most of them are Muslims. But more than 12 million Hindus also eat the meat.

एक साल हो गया है जब उत्तर भारत में एक मुसलमान व्यक्ति की उस अफवाह के कारण पीट-पीटकर हत्या कर दी गई थी कि उसके परिवार ने एक गाय का वध किया था और गोमांस खाया था। हिंदू गायों को पवित्र मानते हैं, और कई लोगों के लिए गोमांस खाना वर्जित है। कई भारतीय राज्यों में गायों के वध पर भी प्रतिबंध है।


Jurors quizzed for Conrad Murray trial in Jackson death

Summary: Potential jurors in the upcoming trial of Michael Jackson's personal doctor have been asked about their attitudes to celebrity and whether they have ever bought any of the star's music. The questions are part of the process to select a fair panel ahead of the trial of Dr Conrad Murray, the BBC's Rajesh Mirchandani in Los Angeles reports.

"Have you ever considered yourself a fan of Michael Jackson?" reads question 97 on a 30-page list that potential jurors have had to complete. Question 99 asks: "Did you ever watch 'This Is It' (the documentary of Michael Jackson's concert tour prep)?" The next one seeks to examine the contents of a juror's music collection and - with poetic irony, for those familiar with George Orwell's 1984 - Question 101 goes right to the heart of the matter: "Have you already formed an opinion about the guilt or innocence of Conrad Murray?" Dr Murray has pleaded not guilty to the charge of involuntary manslaughter. It is alleged he illegally gave Jackson an overdose of the hospital drug propofol, which led to the singer's death in June 2009. Dr Murray's lawyers have argued that Jackson's poor health contributed to his death. Wisp of speculation The trial is due to start in early May, nearly two years after Jackson's sudden demise. In that time every twist and turn, every scrap of evidence or wisp of speculation, has been reported on, blogged about and retweeted. And the once-obscure specialist anaesthetic propofol has become virtually a household name. The drug is included in a list of medications that potential jurors were asked about on the questionnaire. They were also asked to state if they knew any of a long list of people who may be called as witnesses or who may be referred to during the case. Thirteen members of the Jackson family are named, including the singer's children - listed as Paris, Prince and Blanket. Question 88 asks for more than a simple yes or no. Would-be panellists are required to state to what extent they agree with certain statements such as: "Celebrities and high-profile people in Los Angeles get away with crimes because of their status." Later, they are quizzed about how closely they have followed the case and if they would be affected by the undoubtedly intense media scrutiny. Such is the high-profile nature that court officials called nearly 500 people to attend the preliminary jury selection process. Of those, nearly 200 completed the questionnaire, and may now be considered for the jury. Their answers will be scrutinised for any sign of bias, as the authorities work to ensure Dr Murray gets as fair a trial as possible.

माइकल जैक्सन के निजी डॉक्टर के आगामी मुकदमे में संभावित जूरी सदस्यों से सेलिब्रिटी के प्रति उनके दृष्टिकोण के बारे में पूछा गया है और क्या उन्होंने कभी स्टार का कोई संगीत खरीदा है। सवाल डॉ कॉनराड मरे के मुकदमे से पहले एक निष्पक्ष पैनल का चयन करने की प्रक्रिया का हिस्सा हैं, लॉस एंजिल्स में बीबीसी के राजेश मीरचंदानी ने बताया।


Conservative Party conference: Leaders' speeches past

Summary: As Theresa May gives her first speech to party conference as leader, what did her predecessors say and how were they received?

By Esther WebberPolitical reporter, BBC News Ted Heath - 1965 In 1965 Ted Heath made two speeches and stayed at the conference throughout, which represented a break with tradition. Before then, the leader descended on the conference at the end to deliver their oration. He said in his memoirs he "wanted to show that members of the shadow cabinet and I were interested in all the views expressed on different resolutions at the conferences". On the economy: "Did you notice that [secretary of state for economic affairs] George Brown in one of his happier moods said, 'This has been a great year for Britain.' A great year for Britain? Do we really read it aright? "Where has he been living all this time? Has it been a great year for industry? The longest period of 7% bank rate since 1921. The toughest credit squeeze since the twenties. Investment and modernisation programmes curtailed. Costs rising and production static." On Rhodesia: "A unilateral declaration of independence would be invalid. Its impact would have the gravest consequences." Best gag: "Poor Mr Jay [president of the Board of Trade] - reduced to carrying George Brown's bags to international conferences. When there is good news, that is; when there is bad news he has to open the bag and read it himself." How it went down: The Times reported that the party faithful saw their leader in a "new light", writing: "Gone was the dry atonic dullness of the Brussels negotiator; gone were the strident polemics of the opposition front bench. The Mr Heath who presented himself to the faithful today was calm and unemphatic, but he had also acquired a new light and shade in delivery which held his audience even through the dull patches." Margaret Thatcher - 1975 Margaret Thatcher addressed her party conference as leader for the first time in 1975, and paid tribute to her predecessor Ted Heath. She did not dwell on her own story and the only policy she outlined was scrapping hospital pay beds, but she set about her critique of Labour and her alternative vision in a way which was to make a lasting impression on her party. On the economy: "It is the Labour government that brought the level of production below that of the three-day week in 1974. We have really got a three-day week now, only it takes five days to do it. It is the Labour government that has brought us record peace-time taxation. "They have the usual socialist disease: they have run out of other people's money. It is the Labour government that has pushed public spending to record levels. How have they done it? By borrowing and borrowing. Never in the field of human credit has so much been owed." On communist regimes: "Whenever I visit communist countries their politicians never hesitate to boast about their achievements. They know them all by heart; they reel off the facts and figures, claiming this is the rich harvest of the communist system. Yet they are not prosperous as we in the West are prosperous, and they are not free as we in the West are free." Best gag: "I sometimes think the Labour Party is like a pub where the mild is running out. If someone does not do something soon all that is left will be bitter, and all that is bitter will be Left." How it went down: Mrs Thatcher was received with "rolling breakers of cheers, shouts, and foot-stamping" in a scene which was "for all the world like an American convention", according to The Times. That paper's political editor saw that those who had helped her to the leadership are "only now beginning to fully realise her formidable strength and skills". John Major - 1991 John Major took over from Margaret Thatcher in November 1990, so he did not address conference until the following year when he opened on a rather more personal note than his predecessor. He told conference it was a "long road from Coldharbour Lane (in Brixton) to Downing Street". On choice: "I want to give individuals greater control over their own lives. Every mother, every father, a say over their child's education. Every schoolchild, a choice of routes to the world of work. Every patient, the confidence that their doctors can secure the best treatment for them." On Europe: "I believe strongly in partnership in Europe. Britain, as a great European power, has gained from our membership of the (European Economic) Community. That is the verdict of those people in our country who live by business, banking and trade, the very people on whom our prosperity and jobs depend. But it must be the right Europe." Best gag: "A great deal has been written about my education. Never has so much been written about so little." How it went down: The Times observed his speech "may not have sparked the frenzied flag-waving abandon of the Thatcher years", but he was judged to have "won the affection of constituency activists with his quotes from personal experience" and by "emphasising his image as a man of the people". He found a "nice holding line" on Europe, and was described as "the party's biggest electoral asset". William Hague - 1997 William Hague made his first conference speech as leader in 1997 - but of course it was not the first time he had addressed the party faithful. That came 20 years earlier, when he made a memorable speech in Blackpool aged 16. Mr Hague's leader's speech ended a conference that was seen by many as a bloodletting process at a time of deep divisions in the party. On the party: "I have no illusion about the mammoth task ahead of us. But I pledge with every breath in my body to do everything in my power to rebuild this party." On the Amsterdam Treaty: "Amsterdam was a bad treaty. Bad for Europe and bad for Britain. And Tony Blair signed up to it lock, stock and barrel." Best gag: "Remember how Harold Wilson had his famous labrador? Now, for the second time in our lifetime, we have a Labour prime minister with a faithful pet called Paddy." How it went down: It was perhaps lacking the laugh-out-loud lines which he is known for. The Times called it "an unshowy and old-fashioned speech delivered with relaxed good humour, the new leader steadied nerves a little. He was received with something better than acquiescence and something less than rapture." Iain Duncan Smith - 2001 Iain Duncan Smith's most memorable conference moment was surely his speech in 2003 when he attempted to silence critics of his leadership style, saying: "The quiet man is turning up the volume." But his first speech as leader in 2001 came four weeks after 9/11 and had a heavy focus on terrorism and security. On 9/11: "This war against terrorism is our war. The cold, callous and merciless attacks in America were the work of terrorists who knew no moral limits. They have struck before, they will strike again - we are right to strike at them. "We cannot secure peace by standing aside from war. We cannot end danger by putting safety before our friends. We cannot conquer fear, by fearing to act ourselves." On his background: "I was brought up in a family where public service wasn't just a shorthand for the public sector: it was a way of life. Life in the Forces left an indelible imprint on my childhood, so much so that I too became a soldier. I don't want to idealise Army life. But it was a life where loyalty, duty and honour counted." He didn't go in for gags, unsurprisingly, in what was a rather sombre speech, but there was some playful understatement in his acknowledgement that life as an MP "had frankly had its ups and downs". How it went down: The Times said Mr Duncan Smith "had been suffering from a cold and occasionally appeared to struggle with his delivery" and "some senior Tories expressed surprise" he didn't mention the 2001 general election defeat, or his predecessor William Hague. Peter Riddell's verdict was that on this occasion "obscurity and harmony have gone hand in hand". Michael Howard - 2004 Michael Howard's first speech as leader focused more on policy and timetables than any attempt to revamp the party's underlying philosophy. "I'll give it to you straight," he told conference. On his message: "So when people ask you on the doorstep, 'I can't stand Tony Blair, but why should I vote for you lot?' Here are 10 words to remember. School discipline. More police. Cleaner hospitals. Lower taxes. Controlled immigration." On Europe: "Power has gone from Britain to Brussels. And that's not what the British people voted for. Let's face facts. What has happened on tax and on Europe has damaged people's faith in politics. So it's hardly surprising that people don't trust politicians today." On his background: "My grandmother was one of those killed in the concentration camps. If it hadn't been for Winston Churchill, and if it hadn't been for Britain, I would have been one of them too. That's why when I say I owe everything I am to this country, I really do mean it. I owe my life to it." Best gag: "I was born and grew up in South Wales. As you may have heard, we've just been left off the new EU map. I know people in Brussels feel strongly about Neil Kinnock, but I really do think that is going too far." How it went down: The Times found that Mr Howard "stamped his personality and authority on the Conservative Party" with a "hardline message on crime, immigration, tax and discipline". His speech was described as "softly spoken" and "there was no synchronised flag-waving - it was all very grown up." David Cameron - 2006 David Cameron gave his first speech as leader in 2006 - and it was seen as relatively restrained compared with his outing the previous year when he gave a memorable speech without notes on accepting the leadership and urging the party to embrace "modern, compassionate" Conservatism. On success: "Our party's history tells us the ground on which political success is built. It is the centre ground. Not the bog of political compromise. Not the ideological wilderness, out on the fringes of debate. But the solid ground where people are. "The centre ground is where you find the concerns, the hopes and the dreams of most people and families in this country." On Europe: "Instead of talking about the things that most people care about, we talked about what we cared about most. While parents worried about childcare, getting the kids to school, balancing work and family life - we were banging on about Europe." On the future: "Let optimism beat pessimism. Let sunshine win the day. And let everyone know that the Conservative Party is ready. Ready to serve. Ready to fight. Ready to win." Best gag: "Tony Blair says it's all style and no substance. In fact he wrote me a letter about it. Dear Kettle… You're black. Signed, Pot." How it went down: The BBC's analysis called it "a low-key performance at the end of a low-key conference" which was "designed to send out some core signals to his party and voters". He was seen to have "put the NHS and the family centre of his agenda, to go green even if it hurt and - once again stealing Tony Blair's discarded clothes - to be tough on the causes of crime". But "there were a couple of sentences which sent distinct shudders through some of the delegates" such as references to the NHS being one of the greatest achievements of the 20th century and support for same-sex marriage .

जैसा कि थेरेसा मे नेता के रूप में पार्टी सम्मेलन में अपना पहला भाषण देती हैं, उनके पूर्ववर्तियों ने क्या कहा और उन्हें कैसे प्राप्त किया गया?


The orphans of Angola's secret massacre seek the truth

Summary: A massacre in Angola that followed a split in the governing MPLA party not long after independence has been shrouded in secrecy and fear for more than four decades. But some of those affected are coming together to demand answers and have been speaking to the BBC's Mary Harper, some for the first time in public.

"My parents were last seen walking into the Ministry of Defence, hand in hand." That was more than 40 years ago, when João Ernesto Van Dunem was a three-month-old baby. He never saw his mother and father again. He does not know where or how they were killed. He does not know where they are buried. His parents - José Van Dunem, 27, and Sita Valles, 26 - together with other young Angolans, had accused the ruling elite of prioritising personal wealth and power over the good of the country. José Van Dunem, who was a senior military official, and a fellow MPLA central committee member, Nito Alves, who had been a government minister, led the criticism from within. This led to their expulsion. There are many versions of what happened next. The authorities accused what they described as the "fractionistas" or "splitters" of staging an attempted coup on 27 May 1977. Members of the group said they did no such thing; rather they had organised a mass demonstration and a takeover of the radio station to call people on to the streets of the capital, Luanda, in order to pressurise President António Agostinho Neto to clean up his government. The result was bloodshed. Mr Neto called in loyal sections of the army, supported by Cuban troops, and the massacre began. Thousands, including many of the country's young intellectuals and party activists, were imprisoned, tortured and killed. Those in authority at the time, including Defence Minister Gen Henrique Teles Carreira, known as Iko Carreira, put the number at 300. Amnesty International says 30,000 died in the purge. Some say as many as 90,000 were killed. "The 27 May decapitated progressive thinking in the country," says João Ernesto Van Dunem, now an economist at the Catholic University of Angola. "I am sceptical that Angola's authorities will tell the truth or see that justice is done." 'Witch-hunt' In May 2017, four decades after their parents disappeared, 24 of the now adult children, including Mr Van Dunem, wrote an open letter to then-President José Eduardo dos Santos, demanding answers. They received no reply. In January 2018, they set up an association of orphans, named M27. The "M" stands both for "May", the month of the incident that triggered the killings, and for "Memory". Members of M27 have a set of key demands, which they say will restore the dignity of the dead, and see them cast as victims not villains. "Imagine what 40 years of silence can do to your mind. The killing of my father created this huge gulf between my motherland and myself," says Henda Vieira Lopes, another member of M27, who works as a psychologist in Lisbon, the capital of Portugal, Angola's former colonial ruler. "For a long time I did not want to return to Angola as I feared I would feel like an orphan in a strange land." Mr Vieira Lopes' father, Elisiário dos Passos Vieira Lopes, worked in a hospital in the eastern province of Moxico. He says all of its staff were executed. "It was a witch-hunt, like a fire in the savannah, running out of control." Silence, pain and mystery Some members of M27 say one reason they have decided to break their silence after all these years is because they now have children of their own. "My seven-year-old son has started asking questions about his grandparents," says Mr Van Dunem. "Where are they? Why did they die? Our aim is to prevent this heavy burden of unsolved questions being passed on to the next generation." Many older relatives of those who were killed, and who themselves survived the purge, do not want to talk about what happened. "I was born on 15 May 1977, 12 days before the massacres began," says Vania Mendes, a project manager in Sweden. "The security forces came to our home in the eastern city of Luena and dragged my father out. He was never seen alive again. "I grew up knowing nothing about what happened. The family never spoke to me about it. It was very hard to grow up in an environment of silence, pain and mystery. "My mother still has a lot of fear and rage towards Angola. She was in mourning for years, dressing in black until I was seven or eight years old." 'It's not about revenge' In 1977, Afonso Carlos António was jailed for 16 months. He now works for the Angolan Ministry of Culture. After 43 years he has finally decided to break his silence. "I am not happy with the way opinion makers say the survivors of 27 May are traumatised and want revenge," he says. "It's not about that at all. It is about honour and truth and a better Angola. In order to have reconciliation the truth has to come out. Only then can we have healing." Mr António does not want to go into detail about what happened to him in prison. "Unlike other political prisoners, I was not tortured physically. I was psychologically and emotionally tortured." You may also be interested in: In September 2017 Angola got a new president, João Lourenço, bringing to an end Mr dos Santos' 38 years in power. With him came a degree of change. In April 2019, Mr Lourenço set up a commission to look into all acts of political violence since independence in 1975, including the 27-year civil war with the Unita rebels, which ended in 2002, and the events of 1977. "We want to believe the government is acting in good faith but we are sceptical," says Mr Antonio. "There were no discussions with survivors before the commission was set up, its time frame is too short, and the different periods of violence have been diluted by all being lumped together." The commission, which will run until the end of July 2021, insists it is giving "special attention" to the events of 27 May and that it has set up a mechanism for issuing death certificates. "What M27 is doing is crucial in terms of seeking justice for the promising young generation that was so cruelly cut down," says Ricardo Soares de Oliveira, an Angola expert at Oxford University. "I am not completely suspicious of Mr Lourenço's commission. It will not change everything but at least it opens a door to a conversation that was previously impossible." But the fear remains. "Finally, I have discovered I share a similar story to others," says Ms Mendes. 'We can't mourn without the truth' "I am no longer alone. But the 27 May remains a taboo subject. When I try to speak about it to my family in Angola they tell me to stop. They say it is too dangerous." Mr Vieira Lopes says such sentiments are shared: "My mother didn't want me to sign the open letter to Mr dos Santos. "Other orphans didn't want to sign it because they feared it might attract retaliation. Some said signing the letter was like putting a target on my back." Mr Vieira Lopes' mother had reasons to be afraid. Under Mr dos Santos, people were arrested for taking part in demonstrations commemorating those who died in 1977. A 17-year-old boy, who shares Nito Alves' name, was held in solitary confinement in 2013 after taking part in a small anti-government protest. M27's purpose is political, but also highly personal. "If you don't know where your parents are buried and you don't have their death certificates, you cannot mourn them," says Mr Vieira Lopes. "Our ancestors have not been put to rest, and if they are not allowed to rest, neither can Angola."

अंगोला में स्वतंत्रता के कुछ ही समय बाद सत्तारूढ़ एम. पी. एल. ए. पार्टी में विभाजन के बाद एक नरसंहार चार दशकों से अधिक समय से गोपनीयता और भय में डूबा हुआ है। लेकिन प्रभावित लोगों में से कुछ जवाब मांगने के लिए एक साथ आ रहे हैं और बी. बी. सी. की मैरी हार्पर से बात कर रहे हैं, जिनमें से कुछ पहली बार सार्वजनिक रूप से हैं।