Can F-rated films help overcome sexism in Hollywood?

Summary: The inequality between men and women in the film industry has been brought into sharp focus by stars like Jennifer Lawrence, Geena Davis and Cate Blanchett. Could a new F rating - for films made by or with major roles for women - help close the gender gap?

By Ian YoungsArts reporter Here are some facts about the film industry: Everybody knows the film business has a problem. A-list stars like Cate Blanchett, who used her 2014 Oscars acceptance speech to point out films about women are not "niche", Geena Davis, who set up her Institute on Gender in Media, and Jennifer Lawrence, who penned an essay about unequal pay, have made sure of that. But it is perhaps only when those facts are spelled out that it becomes clear quite how far the scales are tipped. Thanks to those actresses, among others, it also feels like there might finally be sufficient pressure for things to change. But it is not just big names who are pushing for progress. Last year, the Bath Film Festival wanted a way to highlight the gender gap and give film fans a way of choosing films that represented some kind of equality. So festival director Holly Tarquini came up with the F rating to sit alongside a movie's usual age classification. It is given to any film that meets one of three criteria: It must be written by a woman, directed by a woman or feature "significant women on screen in their own right". Statistics about the female representation in the film industry "felt so far away from any kind of equality", Tarquini says. "We wanted to highlight what women were doing because there are fantastic female writers and directors and there are amazing stories about women on screen. "But they tend to have lower budgets and be given less for promotion. So we developed the rating as a way of trying, in our own small way, to redress the balance." The F rating is a fairly blunt instrument and is not meant to guarantee whether the film is any good, or whether it might appeal to female audiences. Instead, Tarquini compares it to the Fairtrade stamp on groceries. "The F rating gives audiences a way to vote with their feet," she says. "Much as the Fairtrade rating allows you to look at two different coffees and think, I'll buy the one that supports farmers, the F rating gives people the ability to look at two films and say: 'Let's go and see the F-rated one because that supports women in film'." At the latest Bath Film Festival, which began on Thursday, 40% of the line-up carries the F rating, up from 33% last year. Qualifying films include Room, adapted by Emma Donoghue from her own Booker Prize-nominated novel; The Assassin, about a young Taiwanese female killer, which was recently voted the best film of 2015 by film critics; and Grandma, about a young woman who asks her grandmother for money for an abortion. In Sweden, instead of an F rating, between 20 and 30 cinemas now use an A rating, which is given to films that pass the Bechdel Test. The test is named after US cartoonist Alison Bechdel, who had a character who only went to see a film if it contained two women who talked to each other about something other than a man. The A rating was introduced two years ago by Ellen Tejle from Stockholm's Bio Rio cinema, who spoke about the issue at the This Way Up cinema conference in Manchester this week. Tejle says producers and distributors were not interested in using the A logo - until research suggested films that passed the test earned more at box offices than those that did not. "Then after one month they emailed me and said: 'Is it OK if we put [the logo] on?'." Tejle says. "And scriptwriters have sometimes emailed me two pages from their script and said 'Is it OK? Can we use it?'" Money clearly talks. The A rating is just a "first step" toward making people aware of the problem, Tejle explains. "I hope that after two years more people are aware of this gap and know to change their way of seeing films, or change their way of doing films. And we can see that people are doing that." Back in the UK, since last year's Bath Film Festival, more than 20 independent cinemas and festivals have adopted the F rating. 'Makes people think' They include Queens Film Theatre in Belfast, whose programmer Michael Staley hopes using the F stamp will cause fans to ask questions about the issue. "If they get used to seeing that F-rated symbol beside films, it might make people think more about that inequality," he says. "I imagine it will be refined in some way in terms of the criteria, but at the minute I see no reason not to do it." Other cinemas are waiting for that refining to take place. Madeleine Probst from Bristol's Watershed suggests a rating or seal of approval could be given to each cinema rather than each film. "I'm really interested in the Bechdel Test because it's a great way of creating a conversation," she says. "Rating all our films with an F or another letter is something I'm still to be convinced is the way forward." Independent cinemas may be open to the idea, but big chains, which run the vast majority of screens, are not likely to be displaying the F symbol soon. Phil Clapp, chief executive of the UK Cinema Association, says: "The vast majority of our members would find such a blunt 'quality stamp' unattractive, not least in that the suggested approach would exclude a large number of films which are about women and/or which promote gender equality, while including others which are unarguably less sympathetic to that agenda. "As a result, this is something few cinema operators would wish to involve themselves in, the general sense being that it's not the way forward on these issues."

फिल्म उद्योग में पुरुषों और महिलाओं के बीच असमानता को जेनिफर लॉरेंस, जीना डेविस और केट ब्लैंचेट जैसे सितारों द्वारा ध्यान में लाया गया है। क्या एक नई एफ रेटिंग-महिलाओं द्वारा बनाई गई या प्रमुख भूमिकाओं वाली फिल्मों के लिए-लिंग अंतर को कम करने में मदद कर सकती है?


Borders Book Festival ticket sales surge

Summary: Ticket sales for the first week of the Borders Book Festival have been the strongest in its history.

The programme for the event, which takes place in Melrose from 16 to 19 June, was launched last week. More than 5,000 tickets have been sold already with a number of high profile events sold out. Director Alistair Moffat said the "record breaking" start showed that book festivals were "bucking the trend" of the economic downturn. The figures are the best ever for the event which started eight years ago.

बॉर्डर्स बुक फेस्टिवल के पहले सप्ताह की टिकट बिक्री इसके इतिहास में सबसे मजबूत रही है।


Teen in court over Wolverhampton 'claw-hammer attack'

Summary: A 17-year-old boy has appeared in court charged with attempted murder after a teenager was hit with a claw-hammer.

The victim, 17, had emergency surgery for a head injury following the attack in Bilston Street, Wolverhampton, on 12 July, police said. At Walsall Magistrates Court on Monday, the accused, who cannot be named, was remanded at a youth detention facility. He is set to appear at Wolverhampton Magistrates Court on 18 July. Midlands Live: Road closed after grenade find; Funeral for boy who died at lake Another youth has been released on bail as police investigations continue.

एक किशोर को पंजे के हथौड़े से मारने के बाद हत्या के प्रयास के आरोप में एक 17 वर्षीय लड़का अदालत में पेश हुआ है।


Manchester Airports Group dividend windfall for councils

Summary: Greater Manchester's 10 councils are to share a £48m windfall after the Manchester Airports Group announced increased profits for the past year.

The group, which runs Manchester, Bournemouth, East Midlands and Stansted airports, is two-thirds owned by the local authorities. The money will be paid after the group announced its full year results, which also saw operating profit up by 12.4%. Passenger numbers across the four airports also increased by 1.9%. Chief financial officer Neil Thompson said it had bucked the national trend. The results for the year ending March 2013 saw the group produce a £72m dividend in total - a £20m increase on the previous year. Manchester City Council owns 35.5% of the airport, nine Greater Manchester councils own 29%. and the other 35.5% is owned by the Australian infrastructure company Industry Funds Management.

मैनचेस्टर एयरपोर्ट्स ग्रुप द्वारा पिछले वर्ष के लिए बढ़े हुए मुनाफे की घोषणा के बाद ग्रेटर मैनचेस्टर की 10 परिषदों को 48 मिलियन पाउंड का अप्रत्याशित लाभ साझा करना है।


New Hampshire: Why young ex-mayor Buttigieg is surging

Summary: Pete Buttigieg has surged towards the top of the pack ahead of New Hampshire's Democratic primary on Tuesday. He's drawing more attention from voters - and more attacks from presidential rivals who view this newcomer to national politics as a serious threat.

Anthony ZurcherNorth America reporter@awzurcheron Twitter There's an old saying about the way the two parties pick their presidential nominees - Democrats fall in love; Republicans fall in line. After a 2016 election that turned conventional wisdom on its head by producing iconoclastic Donald Trump and establishment-favourite Hillary Clinton as the nominees, that nostrum could be reasserting itself. While the Republican Party is closing ranks behind the president, there's nothing logical or expected about the early success Pete Buttigieg is having in the Democratic fight to take on Trump in November. He's the former mayor of a modest-sized Indiana city, the 306th-largest in the US - a college town like Oxford in the UK, only smaller. He's 38 years old, which would make him the youngest president in US history. He's also the first openly gay major-party presidential candidate, a historic candidacy that would have seemed inconceivable just a few decades ago, when Republicans were campaigning - and winning - on opposition to gay marriage and mainstream Democrats, by and large, avoided the issue. Yet here he is, the narrow victor of the Iowa caucuses and near the top of the top of the polls in New Hampshire, which holds its primary on Tuesday. In 2019, Buttigieg raised more than $76m in donations for his presidential campaign - an astronomical number for a man who was a political unknown at the start of the year and who still struggles to get his name pronounced correctly (it's boot-edge-edge). At a campaign rally in Keene, New Hampshire, on Saturday, actor Michael J Fox riffed on the candidate's unorthodox political background, describing him as a "left-handed, Maltese-American, Episcopalian, millennial, gay war veteran". The crowd in a packed college auditorium erupted in laughter. They roared for Buttigieg, as he strode out onto the stage in his now-trademark jacket-less dress shirt and tie, abandoning the lectern to pace the stage with a wireless microphone. "I absolutely love his energy," said Susan Szyldo, a registered nurse from nearby Dublin. "I love his youthfulness. I just think it would be a whole new fresh perspective in Washington, which we need desperately." Husbands Scott Hadland and Jason Bassi from Massachusetts stood near the front of the crowd with their son, Jeremy. "We're really excited to see the first presidential candidate who identifies as gay," Hadland said. "It really means a lot to us to be able to see him in person." Who is Pete Buttigieg? Shane O'Keefe, a town administrator from Walpole attending his third Buttigieg rally, was equally effusive. "He's tells it like it is," he said. "He's a very thoughtful person. He's a very knowledgeable and knows the issues that affect people like myself and others." Listen to Buttigieg supporters, and this is kind of praise that regularly comes up. He's smart. He talks in full paragraphs, not soundbites. He is calm and composed. They say he's a refreshing change from the current occupant of the White House - and even his competitors for the Democratic nomination. "I watched the debate the other night, and I respect the other candidates, but they're all yelling at me," Fox said of Friday's Democratic face-off in Manchester. "But Pete isn't screaming. He's talking to me. He's the one guy who's quiet and making his point." A hunted man If it seemed to Fox like the candidates were yelling during that debate, it could be because they were turning their fire on his guy. Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar - competing with Buttigieg for the pragmatic, moderate vote - suggested Buttigieg was insincere and that he had abandoned a pledge to support more sweeping health insurance reform in a calculated attempt to move to the middle. She also pushed back at his criticism of veteran Washington politicians as establishment insiders. "It is easy to go after Washington, because that's a popular thing to do," she said. "It is much harder to lead." Joe Biden, the former front-runner who appears to have suffered the most from Buttigieg's surge, called him a small-town mayor who didn't have the experience to be president. His campaign followed that attack with an online video derisively comparing Biden's achievements as vice-president with Buttigieg's mayoral record of "decorative brick" replacement, bridge lighting and pet chip licensing in South Bend. "I do believe we are a party at risk if we nominate someone who's never held a higher office than the mayor of South Bend, Indiana," Biden told reporters on Saturday. The other frontrunners What are the key issues for all the candidates? Meanwhile, the Sanders campaign was firing off fund-raising emails to supporters noting that Buttigieg has a "national investors circle" of donors giving tens of thousands of dollars to support his campaign. "Needless to say, Bernie doesn't have bundlers or an 'investors circle'," it read. "But he does have YOU." Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren, scrambling for support in New Hampshire, took her own thinly veiled shot. "I'm not running a race that's been shaped by consultants," she said on Saturday night. "I'm not offering proposals that are carefully designed not to offend big donors. I passed that stop sign a long time ago." Buttigieg has done his best to parry the attacks, painting the criticisms as the response of an out-of-touch elite fixed on the past and dismissive of middle America. "While Washington politics trivializes what goes on in communities like South Bend, South Bend residents who now have better jobs, rising income, and new life in their city don't think their lives are a Washington politician's punchline," the campaign said in a statement responding to the Biden video. If Buttigieg is taking fire from all sides, it's because multiple campaigns view his rise as a mortal danger - and they're treating him accordingly. In the last half-century, since the modern presidential nomination process first began, there have only been two non-incumbent Democrats who have won Iowa and New Hampshire - Al Gore in 2000 and John Kerry in 2004. Both went on to win the party's nomination. While Buttigieg's ultimate fate in New Hampshire is still up in the air - polls suggest almost half the state's voters haven't made up their mind - his surge into a statistical dead heat with Bernie Sanders, the state's 2016 primary winner, suggests such a feat is in reach. And while the Vermont senator could claim similar momentum with a win in New Hampshire, his backers are loyal and unlikely to waiver. Buttigieg's, on the other hand, are new converts and, in the view of his opponents at least, more easy to sway. A tough road ahead Still, flush with money, the Buttigieg operation in New Hampshire has all the trappings of a slickly produced campaign that's built to win. Eye-popping blue and yellow yard signs touting "Mayor Pete" dot the landscape throughout this snow-covered state. His adverts, heavy on positivity and inspirational messaging, blanket the local television stations. At a multi-candidate dinner/rally held by the state's Democratic Party on Saturday night, Buttigieg supporters - vocal and organised - appeared to be the largest contingent in attendance. In this New England state - like Iowa before it, predominantly white and largely rural - it feels like Buttigieg is approaching breakaway speed. A look at national polls and those of the states holding primaries in the weeks to come, however, paint a decidedly different picture. The modern Democratic Party electorate does not look like New Hampshire or Iowa. It's much more diverse and much more urban. Surveys of Nevada and South Carolina show Buttigieg languishing a distant fifth. Nationally, he's in the high single digits, as billionaire Michael Bloomberg, pouring money into television advertising, pulls past him. Multiple polls show that Buttigieg has next to no support from black voters - occasionally registering at an astounding zero per cent. He's an unknown to this key Democratic demographic, and the impression he's made so far - including coverate of the his clashes with the black community when he was mayor of South Bend - hasn't helped. In Friday night's debate, Buttigieg struggled to explain why blacks in his town had a higher arrest rate for drug offences than whites - offering an answer Elizabeth Warren said was not sufficient. Who will take on Trump in 2020? Afterward, two Buttigieg backers - Congressman Anthony Brown and New Hampshire legislator Maura Feldman - were pressed by reporters to how Buttigieg would expand his appeal among black voters and get more traciton in the states to come. Their answers didn't give much clarity. "This is not about carving up the electorate and looking at African-American voters as some commodity," said Congressman Anthony Brown of Maryland, the most prominent black politician supporting Buttigieg. He said black voters, like the voters in New Hampshire and Iowa, will care about Buttigieg's message on healthcare, jobs and the environment. Maura Sullivan, the campaign's New Hampshire co-chair, offered generic optimism. "Passion wins elections, not polls," she said. "And it's undeniable coming out of Iowa and what we're seeing on the ground here that this is a movement, and it's building and it's just going to continue to grow." In an interview on Sunday, Buttigieg himself said he simply hopes his success in Iowa and New Hampshire prompts Democrats across the US to give him a first - or second - look. At the Buttigieg rally in Keene, however, even his loyal supporters had some concerns. Joshua Goldstein, who drove with his friends from New York to see the candidate, says he is 100% concerned about the mayor's ability to attract support in his home state and other more diverse locations. "I think that that will definitely be his biggest challenge in persuading voters across the country that he's electable," Goldstein says. So what can Buttigieg do about it? "I have no idea," he says. "I wish him the best of luck with that." Follow Anthony on Twitter

पीट बटिगीग मंगलवार को न्यू हैम्पशायर के डेमोक्रेटिक प्राइमरी से पहले समूह के शीर्ष की ओर बढ़ गए हैं। वह मतदाताओं से अधिक ध्यान आकर्षित कर रहे हैं-और राष्ट्रपति प्रतिद्वंद्वियों से अधिक हमले जो राष्ट्रीय राजनीति में इस नवागंतुक को एक गंभीर खतरे के रूप में देखते हैं।


Vote opens on flag for Sutherland

Summary: Voting for a flag to represent Sutherland has opened.

The four designs in the poll were from more than 350 entries and feature range of colours and emblems, including stars, an eagle, a wildcat and a Nordic cross. A design was chosen by a judging panel earlier this year, but the choice was strongly criticised on social media. This flag, which features a swooping eagle, is among the four designs now being put to a public vote. People can vote online, or by sending a letter or postcard with their choice, name and postcode to Sutherland Flag, c/o Highland Council, Drummuie, Golspie, Sutherland KW10 6TA. The vote, which is open to people living or working in Sutherland, will be open until 26 November. 'Superb, bold flags' The Flag Institute has been commissioned by the Sutherland Flag Committee to help support the vote and ensure the process, as well as the designs, meet "best practice standards" and are equivalent to those run elsewhere in Scotland, including the Isle of Tiree and Sutherland's northerly neighbour Caithness. Philip Tibbetts, honorary vexillologist to the Court of the Lord Lyon, the body which will formally recognise the winning flag, said: "I look forward to seeing which design the public choose and fully commend the competition organisers for setting this vote up so rigorously. "This vote follows the highest standards used elsewhere and brings the whole competition in line with the others in Scotland to date. "All the finalists will make superb, bold flags and they showcase the rich range of heritage that the county enjoys." The flag designs and what they symbolise: In the centre of this design is an eagle in a forward swooping position. Eagles, both white-tailed sea eagles and golden eagles, are re-establishing themselves in the west and east of Sutherland, symbolising the unity of the county. Along the red hoist are three golden stars to emphasise, along with the red and gold colours, the traditional symbols of Sutherland as drawn from the ancient Scottish Earldom. The three golden stars of the ancient Scottish Earldom of Sutherland are placed on a thin red vertical stripe. This stripe recalls the "thin red line"' of the famous defence of the Sutherland Highlanders at the Battle of Balaclava and the enduring brave spirit of the people of the county. Either side of the red stripe is blue, separated by gold, which recalls the position of the county having both Atlantic and North Sea coasts. The vertical division of the flag recalls the distinctive east and west sides to the county, according to the Flag Institute. Over the top is placed a wildcat counter-changed in the yellow and maroon colours. The colours represent both the county's flora and "blood of its soldiers and civilians". The wildcat is symbol that originated from the crest of the Earls of Sutherland and subsequently used by the successors of the Sutherland Highlanders, as well as the 5th Battalion Seaforth Highlanders. It is also used by the Clynelish Distillery and Ross and Sutherland Rugby. The over-layed Saltire and Nordic crosses denote Sutherland's unique history on the mainland where the extent of Viking control met Scotland. The golden sun that is formed where the arms of the crosses meet symbolise the sun raised high in the south for the origin of the county name South Land as well as the sunrises seen on the east coast and sunsets on Sutherland's west coast. The black recalls the peat of the Flow Country and dark skies and together with the white recall the central colours of the former Sutherland Council arms. Related Internet Links Court of the Lord Lyon Flag Institute

सदरलैंड का प्रतिनिधित्व करने के लिए एक झंडे के लिए मतदान शुरू हो गया है।


Dumfries and Galloway Council bin storage costs exceed £300,000

Summary: A council has spent more than £300,000 renting storage space for thousands of unused waste bins and other recycling equipment, it has been revealed.

The items were bought in 2012 for a new multi-bin collection system due to roll out across Dumfries and Galloway. However, the new kerbside service has been hit by a series of problems and only operates in Wigtownshire so far. As a result, thousands of new waste bins have had to be held in storage for the local authority. A report to the council's economy, environment and infrastructure committee said there were no suitable council facilities available to house the containers and the authority has had to rent a hangar from a local firm. Councillors are being asked to agree an additional 12-month lease of the premises at a fixed-price of £50,000.

यह पता चला है कि एक परिषद ने हजारों अप्रयुक्त अपशिष्ट डिब्बे और अन्य पुनर्चक्रण उपकरणों के लिए भंडारण स्थान किराए पर लेने के लिए £3,00,000 से अधिक खर्च किए हैं।


Jersey Airport is to increase parking charges

Summary: The cost of parking at Jersey Airport is set to increase by 10p, to 70p-per half-hour, from September.

Terminal and security manager, Steve Read, said it was the first time the cost of parking had gone up since May 2009. He said the airport "needed to maintain a fair balance between aviation and non-aviation income". The area alongside the access road leading to the departures terminal will remain a designated free pick-up zone. Mr Read said this allows drivers up to 10 minutes free waiting time. Under the changes, which will come into force on 1 September, it will cost 70p-per-half-hour in the short stay car park and 70p-per-hour in long stay.

जर्सी हवाई अड्डे पर पार्किंग की लागत सितंबर से 10 पैसे बढ़कर 70 पैसे प्रति आधे घंटे हो जाएगी।


Former priest Jonathan Graves charged with sex attack on boy

Summary: A former Church of England priest has been charged with abusing a boy more than 25 years ago.

Jonathan Graves, 57, of Jervis Avenue, Eastbourne, is accused of indecent assault against a boy aged 11 to 13 between 1987 and 1990. He was also charged with child cruelty against the same boy and indecent assault against two women, one between 1994 and 1995 and the other in 2002. He has been bailed to appear before Hastings Magistrates' Court on 13 May. Sussex Police said there was nothing to suggest that any young people were currently at risk.

चर्च ऑफ इंग्लैंड के एक पूर्व पादरी पर 25 साल से अधिक समय पहले एक लड़के के साथ दुर्व्यवहार करने का आरोप लगाया गया है।


Digging into 2012's archaeology

Summary: As much as science looked to the future this year in fields ranging from particle physics to planetary exploration, 2012 also gave us a rich view into the past. Here's a month-by-month view of what excited archaeologists through the year.

By Louise IlesUniversity of Cambridge January 2012 started off with some archaeological reminders of the excesses of New Year. Following the news that Peruvians were snacking on popcorn as early as 4700 BC was evidence for early Maya tobacco use, with nicotine residues found in ceramic vessels from Mexico dating to between AD600 and AD900. Next came the news that the notoriously beer-loving Vikings who settled in Greenland around 1,000 years ago were growing barley there - despite the cold climate - and thus were presumably able to brew their own. February In February, the cold weather kicked in, accompanied by a chilly archaeology story about the whole-genome sequencing of "Oetzi the Iceman" - the mummified corpse of a man who was killed over 5,000 years ago in the Italian Alps. Analysis of his DNA provided not only a unique window into Oetzi's personal life, but also a glimpse into ancient migration patterns in Europe. Previous analysis of his mitochondrial DNA had placed his maternal lineage a group from north-central Europe, while the new research found that his paternal ancestry belonged to a group found predominantly in Corsica and Sardinia. His connection with modern Sardinians shows not that Oetzi was a Sardinian immigrant to the Alps - isotopic evidence from his teeth and bones prove that he grew up and lived close to where his body was found - but instead suggests a deeper shared ancestry between these Mediterranean islands and the Alpine region. March March brought the discovery of an unusual and elaborate burial from the 7th century AD that highlighted the dynamic changes in society that characterised late Anglo-Saxon England. Unearthed in a village just outside Cambridge was the grave of a teenage girl, buried on an ornamental bed and wearing a beautiful gold and garnet cross. The burial merged pagan grave goods with Christian symbolism - a tangible manifestation of the transition from paganism to Christianity at a pivotal moment in the development of modern Britain. April According to the Met Office, this April was the wettest in over a century. It was in this wet weather that archaeologists, engineers and boatbuilders joined forces to discover how people built boats in the Bronze Age. Work began on a full-sized replica of a Bronze Age stitched boat at the National Maritime Museum Cornwall. Its design was based on a vessel discovered at North Ferriby on the Humber foreshore. Such boats were apparently used to trade metals such as tin, copper and gold with the European mainland. May May brought news of the oldest Maya astronomical calendar discovered so far, from the 9th Century. The calendar was depicted in murals painted on the inner walls of an abandoned building at Xultún, possibly the workroom of a scribe. Hieroglyphics written on some of the walls gave calendrical and astronomical tables for lunar and planetary cycles up to 7000 years into the future, debunking the theory that the Maya believed the world would end in 2012. June June saw the publication of a book challenging the theory that Easter Islanders destroyed their forested environment and wasted natural resources in the course of transporting almost 1,000 of the famous Moai statues into position. Instead, the authors emphasise the success of the islanders' survival in such a marginal ecological environment. The widespread deforestation, they argue, was not due to human overexploitation of wood, but due to the arrival of rats along with the earliest settlers. These rats, with no natural predators, soon overran the island, eating the seeds of the trees and interrupting the natural cycle of forest regrowth. Indeed, perhaps the statues were not transported using wooden rollers, as previously thought. Footage of a team of archaeologists walking the statues into position provides an alternative hypothesis to rolling them along on tree trunks. However, the jury is still out. July Lingerie from the Middle Ages was among almost 3,000 beautifully preserved fabric items that were found during reconstruction works at Lengberg Castle in Austria. Among the extremely rare fabric pieces were a 15th-Century bra and knickers similar to those worn today, providing a glimpse into the very private matter of underwear in medieval Europe. August Two years after the disruption caused by Icelandic volcano Eyjafjallajökull came news of a somewhat more powerful and deadly volcano that erupted around 750 years ago. Ejecting eight times the volume of debris than the 1883 eruption of Krakatoa, this was the largest known eruption of the last millennium. The location of the volcano itself is still a matter of debate, but the effect it had around the globe remains visible in ice cores, lake sediments, and now mass graves excavated in London. Historical documents record the devastation reaped by the eruption in AD1258 as the plume of aerosols ejected from the volcano shielded the earth from sunlight and warmth. Thousands of miles away in St Albans, a monk penned his observations of the deteriorating weather, unaware of its volcanic cause. Crops failed and thousands starved; as epidemiologist William Farr put it in 1846, "in London alone 15,000 of the poor perished". During excavations at Spitalfields cemetery by Museum of London Archaeology (pictured), several burial pits were discovered. Although these graves bore similarities to the "plague pits" of the 14th Century, radiocarbon dating placed them in the mid-13th Century, thus potentially providing the first archaeological evidence for the 1258 volcano. September One of the earliest examples of prehistoric dentistry came to light this month with the chance discovery of a beeswax filling in a cracked Neolithic tooth. The tooth belonged to a 24- to 30-year-old man who lived approximately 6,500 years ago in what is now Slovenia. High-resolution 3D imaging of the tooth revealed an area of exposed dentine as well as a vertical crack extending down to the pulp chamber. The beeswax seal may well have been an attempt to soothe his inevitable toothache. October New research by University College London and the Museum of Emperor Qin Shi Huang's Mausoleum shed light on the sophisticated production model used to create the 7,000 warriors, chariots and horses of the Terracotta Army just over 2,000 years ago - following the exciting find in June of 100 more warriors. Co-ordinating a workforce of over 700,000 men to create finely crafted items to a high level of standardisation was a massive organisational feat that demanded the most innovative of production systems. Analysis of the bronze arrowheads carried by the warriors led researchers to suggest that the Army was built using a production process now referred to as "Toyotism", named after the Japanese car firm. Unlike an assembly-line model, where specialised production units make individual components, this process utilises cellular workshops with highly skilled and versatile craftspeople that make complete end products: a flexible production system that maximises labour and minimises waste. November Heading into winter saw a burst of new evidence to overturn the view that people in Mesolithic Britain were constantly on the move, living in temporary shelters that left little trace in the landscape. Mesolithic structures were excavated at Echline in Scotland and Lunt Meadows in Merseyside, dating to 8300BC and 5800BC, respectively. The Scottish "house" was a timber and turf structure, occupied seasonally during the winter months. In Merseyside, three structures were found, leading archaeologists to suggest that several families lived in the area for at least part of the year. New research at Star Carr, one of Britain's most famous Mesolithic sites (pictured), corroborates these findings. Around 11,000 years ago, Star Carr extended over 2 hectares, with a 30m-long wooden lakeside platform and at least one post-built house - not the signature of a small hunter-gatherer camp. December December saw the discovery of a very rare cremation burial in an equally rare Iron-Age helmet. The bronze helmet, dating to the 1st Century BC, once contained a bag of cremated bone held together with a brooch - the first example of a bag burial in a helmet. Continuing analysis of the helmet, brooch and bone will hopefully shed light on how this helmet - originally from outside Britain - made its way to a field near Canterbury at a time of war and Roman invasion. Yet to come... Early in 2013 we can expect to finally hear the DNA results on the human remains found in a car park in Leicester. The results will be released at a press conference in January, though early reports suggest that the remains will be confirmed as those of King Richard III.

विज्ञान ने इस वर्ष कण भौतिकी से लेकर ग्रहों की खोज तक के क्षेत्रों में जितना भविष्य की ओर देखा, 2012 ने भी हमें अतीत के बारे में एक समृद्ध दृष्टिकोण दिया। यहाँ महीने-दर-महीने का एक दृश्य है जो पूरे वर्ष पुरातत्वविदों को उत्साहित करता है।


Recycling: Why is it so confusing?

Summary: Working out how to deal with the waste produced by everyday life has become increasingly important, but with different rules in different areas it can be hard to know what you can recycle - and how. Here we answer some of the questions you have asked about recycling in Scotland.

By Louise Wilson & Stuart NicolsonBBC Scotland News This article was inspired by questions sent in by readers of the BBC website. Why are there so many different recycling rules? Each of the 32 councils in Scotland has their own rules around what can and cannot be recycled, what bins different types of waste should be put in - and even the number and colour of bins that are provided. This is because of differences in what each council's Material Recovery Facility (MRF) is able to sort through, and it can make things a bit confusing if you're visiting another part of the country. We looked at the five councils that recycled the highest percentage of household waste last year - East Renfrewshire, West Lothian, Clackmannanshire, Moray and Inverclyde - and found big differences between what could and couldn't be recycled at the kerbside. In some areas, for example, you can leave glass at the side of the road - but you can't in West Lothian or Inverclyde which instead ask residents to take their empty bottles to a glass recycling point. However, West Lothian is one of the few councils that accepts plastic carrier bags, so long as they are clean. Clackmannanshire allows people to recycle batteries and textiles at the kerbside, while in Moray residents are able to recycle aerosol cans. To make things even more confusing, some local authorities have different rules depending on which part of the council area you live in. Argyll and Bute Council has the most complex system, with five different sets of rules - largely because of the geography of the region, which has 23 inhabited islands and covers the second-largest area of any Scottish council Residents of mainland areas such as Helensburgh have the simplest system, with paper, cardboard, cans and plastic all going into the same blue bin - but on Bute people put paper and cardboard in a blue bin but plastics and cans in separate recycling bags. Meanwhile, islanders on Coll separate their recycling into three different bags: paper, tins and cans, and plastic. The local authority says these different local arrangements are needed to ensure a consistent level of service across the council area. You can find out about your local recycling services here. What happens if I put something in the wrong bin? Your recycling will be checked for contamination before it's taken away. Contamination includes stuff that has been put in the wrong bin or which cannot be recycled, as well as items that have been put in plastic bags or which could be dangerous to staff who sort the recycling by hand. Heavy amounts of contamination can cause the entire vehicle load to be rejected for recycling and sent to landfill instead. Contaminated items will often be left behind in the recycling bin - or, in cases where there is a lot of contamination, the bin could be left unemptied. Sometimes it can be difficult to spot contamination by eye, meaning a certain amount of contaminated waste will be collected from the kerbside - although this can often be removed during the sorting process at the MRF. The good news is that the vast majority of stuff you leave on your kerbside, put into a communal recycling bin or take to your local civic amenity site is actually turned into something else. According to environment agency Sepa, only 57,452 of the 706,613 tonnes of waste that was sent to MRFs or reprocessing facilities in 2017 was rejected - meaning about 92% could be recycled. Do I really need to wash out my tins? Yes, because food tins and packaging that are heavily contaminated with food make the recycling process much less efficient - so it really is important to ensure everything that goes into your bins is as clean as possible. Cardboard pizza boxes should never go into your recycling because the grease has spoiled the fibres too much. Plastic windows on paper envelopes are not usually a problem because paper mills can often remove them during the manufacturing process. But padded envelopes are often not accepted for recycling because they are made of a mixture of paper, plastic and other filler materials. Why is it so important to recycle food waste? Food that is taken to landfill sites isn't exposed to enough oxygen to allow it to biodegrade naturally, so instead it rots and decays - which releases methane into the air. Methane is said to be much more harmful to the planet than carbon dioxide, and food waste is one of the main factors behind rising greenhouse gas levels. Ensuring your unused food is recycled allows the gases to be captured and converted into green energy and natural fertilisers. What does Not Currently Recycled mean? This symbol often appears on packaging - but confusingly, it does not necessarily mean it cannot be recycled. Instead, it means that fewer than 20% of local authorities cannot recycle that particular packaging, so it is worth checking whether your council can, or if there are any alternatives. Technological advances are being made in the waste business, so some items that were not previously recyclable now are. Crisp packets are often not accepted by councils because they are made from metallised plastic film. But recycling firm Terracycle, for example, is able to recycle crisp and confectionary packets and wrapping if they are dropped off at a participating location. These are usually in schools but also at leisure centres, shops and even some home addresses. What about coffee cups? The reason so many coffee cups are single-use is because they are made from mixing together paper and plastic. The materials are difficult to separate after they have been combined - there are currently only a small number of specialist plants in the UK able to process them. Some coffee chains are recycling cups in store so it might be worth checking whether you should return it to them - and others are already starting to use fully-compostable takeaway cups. What is my recycling turned into anyway? Everyday items such as glass bottles and jars are often back on the shelves just weeks after being recycled. This closed-loop recycling - where an object is recycled into the same thing over and over again - is the most efficient form of recycling. But much of the stuff you throw into your recycling bin ends up being transformed into something completely different. Plastic bottles can be used to make anything from bin liners to fleece jackets and home insulation. Food tins can become car or bridge parts, cardboard juice cartons can become plasterboard - and old trainers have been used to make new running tracks. What about stuff that can't be recycled? Non-recyclable waste will, for the most part, end up at a landfill site but there are sometimes other options. This includes incineration, which can be used to create energy from waste - or mechanical biological and heat treatment, which break down waste using microbes or heat. Some of Scotland's waste is exported, with the majority of this (about 865,000 tonnes in 2017) going to other parts of the UK and the remainder being shipped to Europe or even further afield. Other countries buy our waste either to use it to generate energy or to recycle, while China uses our plastic to create fuel oil. And before you throw out non-recyclable items, it's worth considering whether they could be sold for someone else to use, or donated to charity. Do you have any other questions around recycling - or any other topic - in Scotland that you'd like us to investigate? Use the tool below and we could be in touch. Your contact info Please don't publish my name I am over 16 years old I accept the Terms of Service If you are reading this page on the BBC News app, you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question on this topic.

रोजमर्रा की जिंदगी में पैदा होने वाले कचरे से निपटने के तरीके पर काम करना तेजी से महत्वपूर्ण हो गया है, लेकिन अलग-अलग क्षेत्रों में अलग-अलग नियमों के साथ यह जानना मुश्किल हो सकता है कि आप क्या रीसायकल कर सकते हैं-और कैसे। यहाँ हम स्कॉटलैंड में रीसाइक्लिंग के बारे में पूछे गए कुछ प्रश्नों के उत्तर देते हैं।


Coming home after 130 years

Summary: When a Syrian stonemason and his family were granted asylum in Greece last year they immediately made their way to the island of Crete - completing a journey begun by their great-grandparents 130 years ago.

By Jessica BatemanChania, Greece Entering a small shop in Chania, on Crete's north-west coast, Ahmed began to introduce himself. The owner looked at him open-mouthed. He understood what Ahmed was saying, but some of the words he was using were unfamiliar and old-fashioned, and others he didn't understand at all. It was as though Ahmed had arrived not just from Syria, but from another age. "He could not believe that someone was still speaking the old language today," says Ahmed. Ahmed, 42, was speaking in a version of the Cretan dialect he had learned from his parents, growing up in a village in northern Syria in the 1970s and 80s. His parents had spent all their lives in Syria - but some members of the previous generation had been born in Crete and, living together as exiles, they had kept Cretan culture alive. "We learned Arabic at school but always spoke Greek at home," says Ahmed. Children learned Greek dances and recited short Cretan poems known as mantiades. The parents passed on traditional Cretan recipes, such as fried snails, and intermarriage with the Syrian population was rare. Ahmed's wife, Yasmine, is also from a Cretan family. Ahmed's father's parents were forced to leave Crete in the 1890s as the Ottoman Empire weakened. The island had been part of the empire for two centuries and roughly a quarter of the population, including Ahmed's ancestors, had converted to Islam. But uprisings in the late 19th Century resulted in the expulsion of the Muslim population. Some went to Turkey, Libya, Lebanon or Palestine, but Ahmed's family travelled to al-Hamidiyah, a village in Syria established for the refugees by Ottoman Sultan Abdul Hamid II. In later years its 10,000 inhabitants would keep in contact with modern Crete by watching Greek television via satellite and occasionally villagers would travel back to the island to work. "There was always a fragment of Crete in our hearts," says Ahmed. "Everyone knew exactly which village everyone else's family came from. Our grandparents would say how beautiful Crete was and how they had everything they needed there. "We always wanted to visit, but never had the chance." Then Syria's civil war came, and left them little choice. Ahmed's sisters, Amina, Faten and Latifa, and their families were the first to leave. Ahmed himself struggled to find work after suffering from a slipped disk and had difficulty scraping together the money to pay a people smuggler. But finally he, Yasmine and their four children - Bilal, 14, Reem, 12, Mustafa, nine, and four-year-old Fatima - set off for Greece in the spring of 2017. The journey took three months and included a perilous boat trip from Turkey to the Greek island of Lesbos, on a dinghy that almost sank. When the family attended their first asylum application interview, Ahmed purposely placed his finger next to his distinctively Cretan surname - Tarzalakis - when asked to show his passport. "He started shouting to his colleagues, 'Look, look, there's a Cretan here! Come and see!'" Ahmed says. "Everyone started crowding round out of curiosity." Although many Greeks were aware that Cretan enclaves existed overseas, they were still intrigued by the Tarzalakis family dialect. Their accents are typically Cretan, but a lot of the vocabulary they learned in Syria is no longer used either in Crete or mainland Greece. "But with a bit of patience, we can understand each other," says Ahmed. And although they speak the language they have never learned to read or write it, so they still needed assistance to fill out forms. After a month on Lesbos, Ahmed and his family were granted asylum in August 2017. They immediately caught a boat to Crete, where Ahmed's sisters, two cousins and their families, already living in the town of Chania, were waiting for them. On arrival, Ahmed was immediately hospitalised, because of problems stemming from chronic epilepsy. Medical staff, amazed to hear the old dialect being spoken, called a reporter from the local paper. "When I left hospital everyone in the town already knew me," says Ahmed, whose family was settled in an apartment near Chania's historic Venetian port. "People would stop me in the street to ask questions about Syria and the war. "They view us as Cretans that have returned." Ahmed then made a pilgrimage to his grandparents' native village, Skalani, just outside the capital, Heraklion. Walking down its streets, gazing at the shady tavernas and small stone houses, he felt goosebumps all over his body. Although it was his first time visiting the village, he'd been hearing about it all his life. "I couldn't find their exact houses, but the locals showed me the fields that the Muslim community would have worked on," he says. Ahmed and his siblings have to tread carefully when looking into their family history. "I don't want the people living there to think I'm trying to claim the land back," says Ahmed's brother-in-law, Mustafa. The family is learning to read and write modern Greek and the children are enrolled in school. "We're learning new phrases but we'll still hold our own language close, because it's part of who we are," says Ahmed. Although Chania had no Muslim community for more than a century, things are now changing. As well as the 25 members of Ahmed's family, several hundred refugees from the Middle East have settled in the town over the past few years. The long-closed Ottoman mosque on the seafront is now used as an art gallery, so Muslims pray in rented rooms. A recently-opened Arab supermarket sells imported goods, and Ahmed and his family enjoy eating a fusion of local and Syrian food, such as Greek salad, pitta bread, and hummus. So far, Crete is not quite the land of milk and honey described by Ahmed's grandparents. He's grateful for financial assistance from the EU-funded Estia (Home) programme, run by the UNHCR, but says it's not enough to bring up four children. The men in the family would like to set up a stonemasonry business and the women talk about doing bridal hairdressing, but that remains a goal for the future. And although Ahmed appreciates the chance to experience life in his ancestors' homeland, the circumstances that led him here make the experience bittersweet. "When you are forced to leave the place you were born, you lose a part of yourself," he says. "If it was safe for us to return to al-Hamidiyah, then I would. But I would like to keep ties with Crete and visit regularly." Photographs by Louiza Vradi More on this subject Alberto Camastra had never lived anywhere but Damascus. But as Syria's war closed in around his family, Alberto's long-dead grandfather - a man he had never met - offered a way out. READ: Full circle - Syria to Sicily Join the conversation - find us on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Twitter.

जब पिछले साल एक सीरियाई पत्थर मिस्त्री और उसके परिवार को ग्रीस में शरण दी गई थी, तो वे तुरंत क्रेते द्वीप पर चले गए-130 साल पहले अपने परदादा-परदादा द्वारा शुरू की गई यात्रा को पूरा करते हुए।


Christy Walshe death: Michael Strudwick charged with murder

Summary: A man has been charged with murder following the fatal shooting of a woman.

Christy Walshe, 40, of Southend, was shot in the face at an address in Sutton Road, Southend, on Sunday night. She was taken to hospital but died on Tuesday afternoon. Michael Strudwick, 33, also of Sutton Road, has been charged with murder and possession of a firearm. He is due to appear before Southend magistrates on Wednesday.

एक महिला की घातक गोलीबारी के बाद एक व्यक्ति पर हत्या का आरोप लगाया गया है।


Witness appeal as tributes paid to Great Barr crash victim

Summary: A man who died on New Year's Day when his car crashed into a tree has been described in a family tribute as "hugely popular".

The 37-year-old from Walsall, named by police on Friday as Jon Paul Breakwell, died at the scene on Pinfold Lane, Great Barr, shortly after midnight. His family said they were "devastated". Police are seeking witnesses or anyone driving near the area at about 00:20 GMT who might have dash-cam footage of Mr Breakwell's silver 3-Series BMW. A family tribute said: "We are all devastated and shocked by this tragic incident. "Jon Paul was fun-loving, hugely popular and larger than life. He will be sadly missed." Follow BBC West Midlands on Facebook, on Twitter, and sign up for local news updates direct to your phone.

एक व्यक्ति जिसकी नए साल के दिन मृत्यु हो गई जब उसकी कार एक पेड़ से टकरा गई, उसे एक पारिवारिक श्रद्धांजलि में "बेहद लोकप्रिय" के रूप में वर्णित किया गया है।


Is Russian crime arriving on UK shores?

Summary: Russian money has poured into London, but it is feared organised crime is accompanying it. Panorama investigates a death in a Russian prison that has brought the threat of violence to the UK. Could a whistleblower found dead on the streets of Surrey be the latest victim of the Russian crime wars?

By Darragh MacIntyreBBC Panorama When you investigate organised crime in Russia, strange things happen. We had almost finished filming when one of our team received an email in Russian from a man calling himself "H". He said he was a hacker and had been approached by an agent of the Russian state to hack into BBC emails. He had apparently decided to warn us instead. We had been looking into one of the most notorious organised crime cases in Russia - the theft of $220m from the Russian Treasury in 2007. The case has become an international scandal and London is at its centre because the man who blew the lid on it is a UK citizen living in the capital. Bill Browder used to manage billions of dollars of investments in Russia through his company Hermitage Capital. But in 2007, the offices of Hermitage and its lawyers were raided by the Russian Interior Ministry. A few months later, Hermitage discovered that three of its companies had been stolen. The three companies were then used to commit a massive tax fraud in Russia totalling $220m. Silenced In Moscow, a legal adviser called Sergei Magnitsky had begun to investigate for Browder, but within months Magnitsky was arrested on suspicion of tax offences. For nearly a year, Magnitsky was held in pre-trial confinement. During that time he developed pancreatitis, and on 16 November 2009, he died. The Russian authorities said he died of heart failure, but a report by the Kremlin's own Human Rights Council concluded he had been denied medical treatment and his right to life had been violated. Browder is convinced Magnitsky was silenced and is now lobbying governments to impose legal sanctions against the people he says were involved. Browder's activities have brought threats of violence to his staff in the UK, but he has refused to back down, releasing online videos naming Russian officials linked to the Magnitsky case. Weeks after the first video was released, Hermitage lawyers were contacted by a man claiming to have inside information about the fraud. Murder fears Alexander Perepilichny handed over confidential bank documents, showing money transfers into Swiss bank accounts linked to some of the Russian officials who had helped approve the fraudulent tax refund. Hermitage submitted a criminal complaint to the Swiss authorities who launched a major investigation. They had meetings with Perepilichny and froze bank accounts. Nineteen months later, Perepilichny was found dead on an exclusive street in Surrey. Now, more than five months since Perepilichny's death and after two post mortems, Surrey Police says it still does not know how he died. Many people are wondering if he was murdered. We wanted to find out more about Perepilichny. While in Moscow, we tracked down several of his former business associates. Some agreed to speak to us, but not on camera. They were too nervous. More than once, we heard that Perepilichny's name was on a hit list and that he was living in the UK because of fears for his safety. If Perepilichny was killed - and it is a big 'if' - our snooping around in Moscow will certainly have caused alarm in some quarters - perhaps enough to set a hacker on our case. But Perepilichny's enemies were not the only target we were chasing in Moscow. Money laundering Roman Anin is a journalist with the Russian newspaper Novaya Gazeta and the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP). He showed us documents which suggest that millions of dollars of the Russian fraud money were moved into UK-registered companies. All of the UK companies that we looked at had bank accounts in Eastern Europe and have now been dissolved. But what is striking is that the millions of dollars that they were receiving, according to the documents, do not show up in their accounts. We showed our evidence to Andrew Mitchell QC, one of the UK's leading experts on money laundering. He told Panorama: "They indicate that somebody has used UK corporate entities to launder the proceeds of crime in Eastern Europe." Not surprisingly, the Hermitage case has heightened fears about Russian criminality in the UK. Some are calling for the UK government to introduce a "Magnitsky Act," which would make it harder for corrupt foreign officials and human rights abusers to come to the UK. Dominic Raab MP is leading the campaign. "We don't want Britain to become a playground for these gangsters, let alone a battleground for the violence that tends to follow," he said. The UK government says it is seriously concerned about the death of Sergei Magnitsky and has asked Russia to investigate his death properly. However, it has so far resisted calls for a Magnitsky Act, saying it already has the power to keep human rights abusers out of the UK. Critics say it is simply unwilling to upset Putin's Russia, no matter what happens on the streets of Britain. Panorama: The Russians Are Coming, BBC One, Monday 29 April at 20:30 BST and then available in the UK on the BBC iPlayer.

लंदन में रूसी धन बह गया है, लेकिन यह आशंका है कि इसके साथ संगठित अपराध भी हो रहा है। पैनोरमा एक रूसी जेल में हुई मौत की जांच करता है जिसने ब्रिटेन में हिंसा का खतरा पैदा कर दिया है। क्या सरे की सड़कों पर मृत पाया गया एक व्हिसलब्लोअर रूसी अपराध युद्धों का नवीनतम शिकार हो सकता है?


Man, 23, stabbed to death at Sheffield address

Summary: A man has been stabbed to death at an address in Sheffield, sparking a murder inquiry.

Emergency services were called to Woodthorpe Road shortly after 20:00 GMT on Friday. The 23-year-old was found with stab wounds and died at the scene a short time later, South Yorkshire Police said. An investigation is under way, and officers have appealed for anyone with information to contact the force.

शेफ़ील्ड में एक पते पर एक व्यक्ति की चाकू मारकर हत्या कर दी गई है, जिससे हत्या की जांच शुरू हो गई है।


Channel Islands ferries cancelled by 'extreme weather'

Summary: Saturday's sailings between the Channel Islands and the UK have been cancelled due to "extreme weather conditions in the English Channel".

Condor Ferries has advised passengers to contact the company or their travel agent to arrange alternative travel arrangements. The sailing between the islands and St Malo on Saturday has not been affected. Sunday's sailings to the UK and France have been rescheduled based on the current weather forecast.

"इंग्लिश चैनल में चरम मौसम की स्थिति" के कारण चैनल द्वीप समूह और यूके के बीच शनिवार की नौकायन रद्द कर दी गई है।


Edinburgh Legionnaires' outbreak: Two more cases confirmed

Summary: Two more people have been confirmed as suffering from Legionnaires' disease in cases connected to the Edinburgh outbreak.

Government figures released on Monday afternoon showed the total of confirmed cases standing at 44. A further 47 people are suspected of having the disease. The official update showed that seven patients remain in intensive care, with a further 18 in general wards in hospital. Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon said: "I am pleased to see that the number being treated in intensive care has not increased. "However, these people remain critically ill and NHS Lothian are continuing to provide expert, round the clock care."

एडिनबर्ग के प्रकोप से जुड़े मामलों में दो और लोगों को लीजननेयर्स रोग से पीड़ित होने की पुष्टि हुई है।


Police investigate Habbo Hotel virtual furniture theft

Summary: Thieves have struck again in the virtual world Habbo Hotel.

Finnish police are investigating up to 400 cases of theft, with some members reporting the loss of up to €1000 (£840) worth of virtual furniture and other items, according to Detective Sergeant Marko Levonen. "We have done five home searches in five cities in Finland," he said. This is not the first time Habbo Hotel, which allows users to meet friends and buy virtual goods, has been targeted. In 2007, a Dutch teenager was arrested for allegedly stealing virtual furniture worth thousands of euros on the site, which is believed to have more than 100 million registered "avatars". Phishing attack DS Levonen explained that several Habbo Hotel members contacted the police earlier this year, saying their virtual belongings had been stolen, and seeking help from the police. The Finnish company Sulake, which owns Habbo Hotel subsequently identified several hundred more users who appeared to have been targeted, according to DS Levonen. The online thieves allegedly targeted users with fake web pages to capture usernames and passwords, in what is commonly known as an online "phishing" scam. "Habbo as a virtual world is targeted by thieves from all over the world," said Mikko Hypponen, chief research officer at Finnish internet security firm F-Secure. "We've seen Dutch hackers, Italians, Russians and others, and have investigated some of these cases previously with the company that runs Habbo." Common problem Mr Hypponen pointed out that Habbo is just one of many online games and virtual worlds being targeted by cyber-criminals: "We see malicious attacks and trojans stealing accounts for all the games you can imagine, including World of Warcraft, Farmville and so on. "Poker games for example are susceptible to trojans which share your cards with other players around the table. "When the TV stars play poker online, we're talking potential losses of hundreds of thousands of euros," he said. In the past, the theft of virtual goods has even given rise to serious physical harm in the real world. In 2005 a Chinese gamer was stabbed to death in a row over a sword in a game. Shanghai gamer Qiu Chengwei killed player Zhu Caoyuan when he discovered he had sold a "dragon sabre" he had been loaned. According to Finnish police, the Habbo Hotel investigation continues. A representative from Sulake was not immediately available for comment.

आभासी दुनिया हैबो होटल में चोरों ने फिर से हमला किया है।


In quotes: Reaction to government's housing strategy

Summary: The government have unveiled its strategy for boosting housebuilding and home ownership in England, including a mortgage indemnity scheme and a fund to kick-start schemes. Here is a summary of reaction to the proposals.

DAVID CAMERON, PRIME MINISTER When first-time buyers on a good salary cannot get a reasonable mortgage, the whole market grinds to a halt. And that ricochets around the economy, affecting builders, retailers, plumbers - all the people that depend on a housing market that is moving. If we don't do something like this we are not going to get this vital market moving. We will restart the housing market and get Britain building again NICK CLEGG, DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER, LIB DEM LEADER This announcement will create more jobs, build more homes and help people to buy a home they can afford. Simple as that. It is incredibly important at this time. Whether you live in a council house, or social housing, whether you live in rural areas or the city centre, whether you want to rent or whether you want to buy, we will provide hundreds of thousands of homes for families to live in. ED MILIBAND, LABOUR LEADER These measures are too little, too late from the man who was responsible for choking off growth in the British economy when he came to power. Putting back just 10% of the £4 billion he cut from housing investment last year will convince no-one he is serious about getting growth back into the economy. STEWART BASELEY, HOME BUILDERS FEDERATION This (the indemnity scheme) is a great deal for people wanting to buy a new home, whether first-time buyers or existing home owners who are unable to trade up. In recent years many people have been unable to realise their dreams of buying a home because of the huge deposits required by lenders. This scheme will allow people to buy their new home on realistic terms and help in particular hard pressed first time buyers. It will also be a huge boost to house building. This scheme will see more desperately needed homes being built, create jobs and give the economy the boost it needs. LEANNE WOOD, PLAID CYMRU There are serious questions about how David Cameron's scheme is going to work in England. With the taxpayer underwriting the cost, will this mean that Welsh taxpayers are going to be paying to help people afford much higher mortgages in London and the south-east of England? If government is going to spend money on housing then it makes sense for them to own the assets so that there is a long term social investment and benefit, both for the government and community. This is why Plaid Cymru are calling for a new social housing building programme in Wales. DAVID PARSONS, LOCAL GOVERNMENT ASSOCIATION It is disappointing that the government has increased councils' housing debt by over £2bn in line with September's inflation level of 5.6% (RPI). Being saddled with billions of pounds worth of debt is going to severely restrict councils' ability to improve quality housing and invest in new homes to meet future needs. This is vital to help grow the economy. When this is combined with the government's plans to keep the vast majority of right-to-buy receipts and the restrictions on councils' borrowing ability, the higher debt levels could seriously undermine the future of council housing. ANDREW CHARALAMBOUS, UK INDEPENDENCE PARTY UKIP acknowledges this as a viable and necessary strategy to propel new jobs and growth. However, our concerns are in the detail of precisely how this scheme and its parallel infrastructure projects are to be funded. Even more importantly, the manner in which the taxpayers investment will be protected. As the government appear not to have outlined the detail of these parameters it's hard not to be suspicious about the diversionary nature of this tactic. CAMPBELL ROBB, SHELTER We are concerned that schemes to help first-time buyers and council tenants will simply encourage people to overextend themselves, while doing nothing to address the sky-high cost of housing. This strategy also does almost nothing to help the growing number of families living in insecure private rented housing with hardly any protection from rogue landlords or unexpected rises in rent. Unfortunately these aren't the bold and radical solutions we need to solve a housing crisis that's been decades in the making. DAVID ORR, NATIONAL HOUSING FEDERATION The government deserves credit for recognising the huge economic and social value of investing in house-building, but the announcement today is a real missed opportunity. Today's announcement of an additional 3,250 affordable homes is a drop in the ocean. Ministers need to be bolder and go much further to fix the broken housing market and they can do it in a way that is effectively cost neutral. ALEX MORTON, POLICY EXCHANGE The real problem today is not the high mortgage required but the high cost of housing in the first place. You cannot solve the problem of expensive housing just by encouraging greater lending. The key isn't demand but supply. We've built fewer and fewer homes despite higher immigration and, much more importantly, older people are living for decades in large family homes. No-one wants to push out people who worked hard for their home, so we need to build more quality family homes where people want to live - in attractive new city suburbs across the UK.

सरकार ने इंग्लैंड में घर निर्माण और घर के स्वामित्व को बढ़ावा देने के लिए अपनी रणनीति का अनावरण किया है, जिसमें एक बंधक क्षतिपूर्ति योजना और योजनाओं को शुरू करने के लिए एक निधि शामिल है। यहाँ प्रस्तावों पर प्रतिक्रिया का सारांश है।


The Indian miracle-buster stuck in Finland

Summary: An Indian man who made his name exposing the "miraculous" feats of holy men as tricks has fled the country after being accused of blasphemy. Now in self-imposed exile in Finland, he fears jail - or even assassination - if he returns.

By Samanthi DissanayakeBBC News, Helsinki When a Hindu fakir declared on live television that he could kill anybody with tantric chanting, Sanal Edamaruku simply had to take him up on the challenge. As both were guests in the studio, the fakir was put to the test immediately. The channel cancelled all subsequent programming and he began chanting on the spot. But as the hours passed a note of desperation crept into his raspy mantras. For his part, Edamaruku, president of the Indian Rationalist Association, showed no sign of discomfort, let alone death. He merely chortled his way through this unconventional (and unsuccessful) attempt on his life. He has spent his life as a prominent member of India's small band of miracle-busters, men who dedicate their life to traversing the country demystifying certain beliefs. It's a nation often associated with profound spirituality, but rationalists see their country as a breeding ground for superstition. In the 1990s Edamaruku visited hundreds of villages replicating the apparently fabulous feats some self-proclaimed holy men became renowned for - the materialisations of watches or "holy" ash - exposing them as mere sleight of hand. As a campaigner determined to drill home his point, sometimes with an air of goading bemusement, he has attracted critics. He readily admits he took advantage of the explosion in Indian television channels which discovered an audience fascinated with tales of the extraordinary. "I was campaigning in villages for so long before the television came," he says. "But some people do not like me to be going on television and reaching out to millions of people." But in 2012, four years after his televised encounter with the fakir, a steady drip of water from the toe of a statue of Christ genuinely did, he believes, put his life in danger. Immediately hailed as a miracle, hundreds of Catholic devotees and other curious residents flocked to the shrine in a nondescript Mumbai suburb to watch the hypnotic drip. Some even drank the droplets. Edamaruku was challenged to investigate and so he went to the site with an engineer friend and traced the source of the drip backwards. Moisture on the wall the statue was mounted on seemed to come from an overflowing drain, which was in turn fed by a pipe that issued from a nearby toilet. The "miracle" was simply bad plumbing, he said. It was then that the situation turned ugly. He presented his case in a febrile live television debate with representatives of Catholic lobby groups, while outside the studio a threatening crowd bearing sticks had gathered. He claims they were hired thugs. For some Catholics the veracity of the miracle is no longer the point. Edamaruku, they say, insulted the Catholic church, by alleging the church manufactured the miracle to make money, by claiming the church was anti-science and even casting doubt over the miracle that ensured Mother Theresa's sainthood. In the following weeks, three police stations in Mumbai took up blasphemy cases filed against him by Catholic groups under the notorious Section 295a of India's colonial-era penal code. Section 295a was enacted in 1927 to curb hate speech in a restless colony bristling with religious and communal tensions. It makes "deliberate and malicious" speech insulting to religion punishable with up to three years in prison and a fine. However, some say it is frequently abused to suppress free speech. "Under this law a policeman can simply arrest me even though there has been no investigation... they can just arrest me without a warrant and keep me in prison for a long time… That risk I do not want to take," says Edamaruku. He applied for anticipatory bail, which would prevent police taking him into custody before any investigation - but this was rejected. At the same time, he says, he was getting threatening phone calls from policemen proclaiming their intention to arrest him and telling him that unless he apologised the complaint would never be withdrawn. Threatening comments were posted on an online forum, he says, and contacts in Mumbai told him they had heard talk of somebody being hired to beat him in jail. Catholic groups say they aren't behind any threats Mr Edamaruku may have received. He decided to leave early for a European lecture tour. Finland was the first country to give him a visa and he had friends on the Finnish humanist scene willing to help. He arrived in Helsinki on a summer afternoon two years ago, the endless hours of sunlight saturating both day and night. He thought he would only stay for a couple of weeks until the furore he left behind in India had died down. But the furore has not died down - the Catholic Secular Forum (CSF), one of the groups that made the initial complaint, still insists it will press for prosecution should he ever return. Two years on, he is angry, bitter and defiant. Living in a small flat on the eastern edge of Helsinki, he has forced himself to adjust to an alien landscape. After the crowded hustle of Delhi, more than 3,000 miles away, he can now walk mile upon lonely mile without seeing a single person. His closest friend here - the founder of the Finnish humanist society Pekka Elo - died late last year. "I miss a lot of people… That I cannot meet them is something that saddens me," he says. Since he left India, his daughter has had a child, and his mother has died. He conducts board meetings of the Indian Rationalist Association by Skype and every morning colleagues update him on the latest tales of the supernatural and fraudulent holy men. He plots their downfall. This routine is crucial to him. Cardinal Oswald Gracias of Mumbai tried to broker a solution by calling upon Edamaruku to apologise and on Catholic groups to drop their case in return. But Edamaruku staunchly refuses to compromise on what he sees as his freedom of expression. "I don't regret anything I said," he says. "I feel that I have full right to express my views... I am open for discussion and correction but I am not willing to accept anybody's bullying, change my views or submit to their pressure to apologise." Some legal analysts think he could risk returning. The courts recognise that Section 295a is regularly misused, they point out. Writers, activists and others have been arrested and imprisoned even before charge - but most were released on bail. But Edamaruku fears for his safety, pointing to the fate of his friend, anti-black-magic campaigner Narendra Dabholkar. "Narendra Dabholkar… suggested that if I come to Mumbai he and his friends would be able to protect me. I was considering his proposal," Edamaruku recalls, referring to a conversation last summer. But four days later he was murdered, a crime which many believe was linked to his campaign against magic. So Edamaruku spends his time trudging the arresting, bleak forests of Helsinki, sometimes remembering his unconventional childhood in Kerala. His father, born a Christian, grew up to become a rebel who was excommunicated. His mother gave birth to him in the pouring rain having fled her in-laws' Christian home because they pressured her to convert. But the family always managed to reconcile its differences. The bishops and Hindu priests among his relatives could be found sitting around one dinner table laughing at their own beliefs. He insists he has no regrets. "I would do it again. Because any miracle which has enormous clout at one moment, is simply gone once explained. It's like a bubble. You prick it and it is finished." The statue still stands in that sleepy suburb of Mumbai, but it no longer drips. Subscribe to the BBC News Magazine's email newsletter to get articles sent to your inbox.

एक भारतीय व्यक्ति जिसने पवित्र पुरुषों के "चमत्कारी" कारनामों को चाल के रूप में उजागर करते हुए अपना नाम बनाया है, ईशनिंदा के आरोप में देश से भाग गया है। अब फिनलैंड में स्व-निर्वासन में, उसे जेल जाने का डर है-या यहाँ तक कि हत्या भी-अगर वह लौटता है।


Jersey could share health officer with Guernsey

Summary: The retirement of Jersey's Medical Officer of Health could mean the job will be shared with Guernsey.

Jersey health minister, Deputy Anne Pryke, told the States she was sad to lose Dr Rosemary Geller. Dr Geller, who has held the position since 2005, has been suffering from a chronic back condition. Deputy Pryke said it was an ideal opportunity to consider sharing the post, something which has been discussed before. During her illness Dr Geller's role has been filled by her deputy, Dr Susan Turnbull, who will continue while the future of the department is decided.

जर्सी के स्वास्थ्य चिकित्सा अधिकारी की सेवानिवृत्ति का मतलब यह हो सकता है कि यह नौकरी ग्वेर्नसे के साथ साझा की जाएगी।


Fleishman Is In Trouble: Will Gompertz reviews Taffy Brodesser-Akner's debut novel ★★☆☆☆

Summary: My mother grew up during World War Two in circumstances that were not ideal. In the 1950s she trained to be a nurse and subsequently took a job in a bomb-damaged East End hospital in London. Both experiences were formative, helping to make her the wise old lady she is today.

Will GompertzArts editor@WillGompertzBBCon Twitter She has always been very generous with her unsolicited advice. At times it would be specific, such as, "why don't you take your socks off and let the air get to your feet, dear." On other occasions it would be more general; a bon mot like: "You can have too much of a good thing." The saying probably made sense to her. She is from the "making do" generation. I am not. When I was a teenager having too much of a good thing was the single biggest reason for getting out of bed. But now I am older, and fractionally wiser, I am beginning to come around to her way of thinking. Specifically, when it comes to sex. Everybody seems obsessed with it. Presidents, prime ministers, TV producers, and the press. But what about our intellectual side? The bit that differentiates us from other animals: our imagination, our creativity. That can be stimulating too, can't it? Exciting even. Like sitting down with this summer's hit novel, Fleishman Is In Trouble. It's got a great cover, with the hipster title printed in white type over an image of an upside-down New York City, an inversion reflecting the up-ended lives of its two main protagonists - Toby and Rachel Fleishman, and also, to a lesser extent, Libby the narrator. It is a hot book for a hot summer about a hot city by a hot new novelist, Taffy Brodesser-Akner, who counts Nigella Lawson and Dolly Alderton among her fans. Admittedly, it is about love, lust and a marriage breakdown and is therefore bound to have sex hardwired into its DNA - wanting it, getting it, wanting it but not getting it, getting it but not wanting it, not getting it and not wanting it and so on. But that needn't dominate the narrative; great reads are about characters and plot not slap-and-tickle. Rachel Fleishman was orphaned as a child and neglected by her grandmother but is now a dynamic, intelligent, highly successful founder and owner of a leading creative agency. Toby Fleishman, her husband, is a 5ft 5in (1.65m), 41-year-old doctor with a barely concealed eating disorder and a promotion in the offing. They have two children: a stroppy 11-year-old daughter called Hannah, and her sweet and vulnerable younger brother Solly. Rachel and Toby once truly loved each other, now they truly loathe each other. They are living separate lives, in separate apartments a few blocks apart in New York. Hannah and Solly and the divorce settlement are the only reasons they continue to communicate. Without warning, Rachel leaves the kids with Toby at 04:00 one morning and disappears. That makes him cross. The trials and tribulations of matrimony are a familiar subject for a novel: Madame Bovary, Tender is the Night, Revolutionary Road, My Brilliant Friend, and Anna Karenina immediately spring to mind. But Taffy Brodesser-Akner brings something fresh to the subject: a sharp insight into the gender disparities and unspoken value judgements that are the framework within which modern urban elites operate. Stereotypes are challenged with a man taking the role of under-appreciated carer and the woman the cold-hearted careerist. Rachel is criticised for wanting all the trappings of wealth: the beach house, the all-mod cons apartment; the convertible car. She certainly couldn't have too much of a good thing. But she can have too much of Toby. And who can blame her. The man is a self-satisfied narcissist. He is a bore, a big head, and a braggart. He is her immediate problem, and also the most obvious fault with the novel. Its dramatic structure relies on caring about what happens to him and being sympathetic to his situation. I wasn't. Rachel is the more interesting protagonist, but she gets a lot less of the edit. Likewise Libby, from whom we hear a lot but know very little (she was a magazine features writer before quitting and moving with her loyal husband to New Jersey). And then there are the plot holes, which are deep enough to twist an ankle. Surely Toby would have taken his wife's prolonged disappearance more seriously? And Libby wouldn't have waited an eternity to call him out for being a self-interested whinger, nor let it slide when she eventually did. The net result is a novel which is lively and modern in tone (there are apps and smartphones) with an enjoyable satirical touch, but I found it laborious to read and ultimately not very interesting. Many of its 373-pages seemed like padding, much of which consists of… sex. Or sexting. Or thinking about sex. Or thinking about sexting. Page after page after page after page after page after page (to use a Brodesser-Akner stylistic trope) of cartoon cut-out, middle-aged characters with one-track minds. Maybe that's how folk are in uptown New York nowadays. Fine, but I don't want to hang out with them. I know a lot of people love this novel. Bookshops have sold out, the publishers are reprinting - it has that magic buzz about it. Maybe I'm missing something. I'll give it to my wife and see what she thinks. She's right about most things. Recent reviews by Will Gompertz Follow Will Gompertz on Twitter

मेरी माँ द्वितीय विश्व युद्ध के दौरान ऐसी परिस्थितियों में पली-बढ़ी जो आदर्श नहीं थीं। 1950 के दशक में उन्होंने एक नर्स बनने का प्रशिक्षण लिया और बाद में लंदन के एक बम से क्षतिग्रस्त ईस्ट एंड अस्पताल में नौकरी कर ली। दोनों अनुभव रचनात्मक थे, जिससे उन्हें आज की बुद्धिमान बूढ़ी औरत बनने में मदद मिली।


The airborne commute - a flight of fancy?

Summary: There is something about the idea of a flying car that sparks the imagination - maybe it is the association with futuristic sci-fi movies or just the idea of finally finding a way to beat the traffic that appeals.

By Jane WakefieldTechnology reporter And there are hundreds of firms competing to come up with the perfect airborne vehicle, with around 175 new designs currently vying to get made. But can a sky-high commute ever be achieved and, if it can, will it be affordable for the average harassed commuter? The BBC met two German firms working to make electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft a reality, at a recent tech summit in Lisbon. Volocopter and Lilium are friendly rivals in the flying taxi space and their crafts look very different. Lilium's is a slick white machine more like a plane, while Volocopter's futuristic design combines the looks of a drone and a helicopter. Lilium's electric-powered vehicle is capable of flying for one hour on a single charge, but the challenges for the firm are moving from a two-seater model to one that can carry more passengers and to switch from vertical to horizontal flight. Volocopter is planning shorter journeys from bespoke Voloports and by 2035 aims to have dozens of these across Singapore, able to handle 10,000 passengers a day. Eventually it wants its craft to be able to land anywhere. In October, Volocopter flew its taxi across Singapore's Marina Bay - a short journey, nearly abandoned because of a heavy downpour. Test flights are incredibly important if firms like Lilium and Volocopter want to gain regulatory favour, but they are a long way from a regular commute. However, both firms claim that once their machines take off, they will be affordable for the masses. "If the journey is short then the cost will be similar to that of a normal taxi, and if it is a longer trip it will be equivalent to a high-speed rail ticket or an economy flight," said Lilium founder Daniel Wiegand. Volocopter's founder Alexander Zosel agrees, saying his company was founded on three principles. "To be the quietest possible aircraft, the safest possible, and not to do toys for boys but to democratise air travel." Both want to become airborne for real in two to five years, initially with a human pilot. To become fully autonomous will take a few more years beyond this time frame. Mr Zosel thinks flying taxis may even beat normal ones in the race to become autonomous. "On the ground I think it will be difficult to mix between human drivers and autonomous cars, but in the air there is so much space and we don't have pedestrians to worry about." But experts remain sceptical about how soon these plans can be realised. "Powering a helicopter requires a completely different level of battery power, endurance, and reliability than powering a car. We're a long way from there; it may take many decades," said aerospace expert Richard Aboulafia. "And if it happens it will be a luxury for wealthy people. I'd be happy if in 20 years we had driverless cars, let alone something that travels in three dimensions." The issue with drones, whether they carry parcels or people, is whether there will be public acceptance, not least because of fears they could quite literally fall out of the air. Mr Wiegand admits an air full of drones sounds "scary". "But they will be at two or three kilometres altitude so you can't hear them or see them." It is not just start-ups planning airborne taxis. Uber has plans to pilot its flying taxis in Dallas, Los Angeles and Melbourne, with operations due to launch in a similar time frame, around 2023. But the time and expense of designing such vehicles mean that sometimes even the big players drop out. Airbus had been working with car maker Audi on a drone but that work was recently put on hold. Audi said it was looking to work with other VW brands, such as Porsche, which is investigating flying taxis with rival Boeing. Announcing the change of heart, Audi said it thought it would take "a very long time" before flying taxis were ready for mass production. It looks like the commute by rail and car could be with us for some time to come. Listen to Business Daily's episode Will Taxis Ever Take Off?

उड़ने वाली कार के विचार के बारे में कुछ ऐसा है जो कल्पना को जगाता है-शायद यह भविष्य की विज्ञान-कथा फिल्मों के साथ जुड़ाव है या बस अंत में अपील करने वाले यातायात को मात देने का एक तरीका खोजने का विचार है।


Emmy Awards 2018 red carpet fashion - in pictures

Summary: The 70th Primetime Emmy Awards took place in Los Angeles on Monday.

Here are some pictures from the red carpet (which is actually not red this year, but gold). Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.

70वां प्राइमटाइम एमी अवार्ड्स सोमवार को लॉस एंजिल्स में आयोजित किया गया।


Erdogan faces future of power sharing

Summary: With just under a week to go until Turkey's second elections - and with polls predicting no clear majority - the likelihood of a coalition government is increasing. Selin Girit looks at President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, former leader of the ruling AKP party and Turkey's most powerful man.

"Unfortunately some of Turkey's citizens are wary of you. They claim you are trying to turn the country into a dictatorship. How would you comment?" asked a Finnish journalist. Three days had passed since the Ankara bombings - the deadliest ever attacks on Turkish soil that killed 102 people. It was President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's first public appearance after the attacks. He was holding a joint press conference with his Finnish counterpart. Taken slightly aback by the question, Mr Erdogan said: "You probably could not have asked that question if this country was a dictatorship." After having spent 13 years at the helm of Turkey, today Mr Erdogan is undoubtedly the most powerful man in the country. A colossal figure in Turkish politics, he is either loved or loathed and it is rather difficult to remain indifferent to him. As Turkey gears up for a re-run of the inconclusive parliamentary elections of five months ago, it's all about Mr Erdogan again - although he is the president and his name is not actually on the polling cards. "If the president had confined to his constitutionally defined role, this election would not be about him but about who the next government would be," says Suat Kiniklioglu, an ex-MP of the governing AKP. "He acts as if he is not only the president, but also the prime minister and the leader of the governing party," he adds. 'Great reformer' For almost a decade after coming to power, Mr Erdogan was applauded for being a "reformist" by many circles, including the EU and the international community. He was highly praised for steps such as containing the role of the military, for gaining Turkey the "EU candidate country" status or for transforming the economy - the GDP per capita has more than tripled since he came to power and is now over 10,000 US dollars. Mr Erdogan has also been lauded for passing laws allowing the setting up of a state-run Kurdish television channel and the opening of Kurdish language schools, or for initiating a peace process with the Kurdish militants - which is now in tatters. "The analysis of Erdogan as the great reformer would actually mean your vision is distorted," argues Soner Cagaptay of the Washington Institute for Near East Policies. "He politically brutalised activists, secularists, liberals, leftists, social democrats, socialists, Alevis and now Kurds... He brutalised so many groups that when you add them up together, they become the majority," he says. Nebi Mis from the pro-government think tank Seta does not agree. "If there is a polarisation in Turkey, it would not be fair to solely blame Mr Erdogan," he says. "We cannot claim that he is the only person with harsh rhetoric and all others are soft and conciliatory." During Mr Erdogan's presidency since August 2014, more than 100 people - including journalists, academics and students - have been tried for allegedly "insulting the president". Last month, a pro-AKP mob raided the offices of the flagship daily Hurriyet to protest against what they claimed was an unjust portrayal of Mr Erdogan. Coalition government "The anti-government Gezi protests, the corruption allegations, the Syria policy… When we add all these together, we can see why Mr Erdogan has become increasingly authoritarian," argues ex-AKP MP Kiniklioglu. "If he had left the government four years ago to say he is going to run for presidency, today people would be building statues of him. But the terrible political legacy of the last four years will stick with him forever," he says. As Turkey goes through arguably one of the most significant phases in its history, the latest polls suggest that the outcome of the snap elections will again fail to give any party an absolute majority. Although some critics of Mr Erdogan claim that he will try to prevent the formation of a coalition government, many believe that another round of elections looks highly unlikely and that Mr Erdogan will need to adapt to the concept of power sharing. Whether he is ready to do that will determine the future direction of this country.

तुर्की के दूसरे चुनाव में अभी एक सप्ताह से भी कम समय बचा है-और चुनाव में स्पष्ट बहुमत की भविष्यवाणी नहीं की गई है-गठबंधन सरकार की संभावना बढ़ रही है। सेलिन गिरित सत्तारूढ़ एकेपी पार्टी के पूर्व नेता और तुर्की के सबसे शक्तिशाली व्यक्ति राष्ट्रपति रेसेप तैयप एर्दोगन को देखते हैं।


Southampton's Watermark WestQuay development plans submitted

Summary: A new cinema, restaurants and shops are part of proposals submitted for a new Southampton city centre development.

Developer Hammerson has submitted plans to Southampton City Council for a four hectare (nine acre) site, next to WestQuay shopping centre. The Watermark WestQuay development could also include a residential tower block and a hotel. Concerns raised by some members of the public include the height of the proposed 95m (310ft) tower. The council will consider the plans pending the results of a public consultation.

एक नया सिनेमा, रेस्तरां और दुकानें एक नए साउथेम्प्टन शहर केंद्र के विकास के लिए प्रस्तुत प्रस्तावों का हिस्सा हैं।


Why is the government cooling on nuclear?

Summary: There was a time - not so long ago - that government ministers talked enthusiastically about a new nuclear age. A fleet of brand new reactors producing reliable, low carbon electricity for decades to come. Not only that, but the government wouldn't be taking any of the risks associated with financing and building them.

Simon JackBusiness editor@BBCSimonJackon Twitter Hinkley, Moorside, Wylfa, Oldbury, Bradwell and Sizewell were identified as the sites for the most significant national wave of new nuclear power construction anywhere in the world. Of those six, only one is under construction, three have been abandoned, and two face an uphill battle to get the green light. Under those circumstances, you might think the government would be embarrassed that its energy policy was in disarray. But it's not. The collapse of the Wylfa and Oldbury projects today (following the abandonment of Moorside) is evidence of some new economic realities that have seen government enthusiasm for new nuclear fade. High price The first and most obvious is the cost of building the darn things. At £20bn Hinkley Point is the most expensive UK construction project to date - HS2 will beat it. The good news is that the UK government isn't paying a penny of it. The bad news is that the electricity it will one day produce will be expensive. EDF, the French contractor that's paying for its construction, could only raise the money to do it by extracting a guarantee from the UK government that it would receive more than double the current going rate - for 35 years. That's one way to finance it. Let EDF raise the money and take the risk but ultimately foist the cost onto future generations of energy customers. Who pays? One of the reasons Hinkley is so expensive is that EDF needed to go out and borrow huge sums for a risky project at interest rates of over 9%. In fact, of the total £20bn bill for Hinkley, well over half of it was the cost of raising the money over the lifetime of the project. There are cheaper ways to finance a project like this. The government can borrow money much more cheaply than anyone else. Right now it could get a £20bn 10-year loan at 1.3% and use that money to build the thing itself. There are financial and political problems with that. First, it adds to the public debt - which successive recent governments have been keen to reduce. Second, if there are massive cost overruns (and that is almost a rule with nuclear projects), the government foots the spiralling bill, taking commensurate political flak. Third, if the government is suddenly in the business of building nuclear power stations, why not other things - in fact why not nationalise the infrastructure we have already got? That is not comfortable territory for a Conservative government. Doing the sums There is a another way. Pay-as-you-go. Rather than lumber future generations with more expensive energy, get current consumers to pay a little extra on their bills (amount decided by the regulator) during the construction. This removes the need for massive borrowing and means you don't have to offer a juicy price guarantee to the contractor at the end as a reward for taking the operational and financial risk. This is the model the government now prefers and is testing on the Thames Tideway project. If Sizewell and Bradwell are ever built - this is how they will be financed. I say "if" because the truth is, the sums for new nuclear have been made very tough by the sharp falls in the cost of renewables. In 2015, the cost of offshore wind was over £140 per megawatt hour. That makes Hinkley Point look cheap at £92.50. The price of offshore wind is now £57.50. But hang on, says the nuclear industry. The wind doesn't always blow. When it doesn't, you will have to fire up gas or even coal stations to fill the gaps in the depths of winter. You are jeopardising our chances of meeting CO2 emissions targets and threatening security of energy supply. The government accepts some of this, and that is why Business Secretary Greg Clark said today that he is still open to new nuclear projects. But the government's preferred direction is towards smaller reactors of the type being developed by Rolls Royce, in which the government will contribute research backing, in the hope it becomes a major new export industry. Future calculations The UK government is not alone in cooling on big nuclear. One of the reasons that Wylfa, Oldbury and Moorside collapsed was because the Japanese government could not get sufficiently behind the Hitachi and Toshiba projects. After the Fukushima disaster, backing nuclear power - particularly foreign nuclear power - is a pretty tough sell back home. Whatever it does, the government doesn't feel the need to do anything very quickly. The National Infrastructure Commission has said it doesn't need to make a decision for several years yet, and the National Grid says spare energy capacity is increasing rather than decreasing. Government sources say the resilience of the system to last year's "Beast from the East" also reassured officials. All this makes life difficult for EDF, which wants to build the follow-up to Hinkley Point at Sizewell. They will argue strenuously that only by adding a second, do you realise the economies of scale. Same design + same process + same skilled workforce + different funding model = quicker and cheaper project. Also, the more you rely on wind, the more exposed you are to its intermittence. The only way to make sure you have a secure, low carbon, reliable "base load" is to double-down on nuclear. That argument may yet still work but it is now much, much harder to win.

एक समय था-बहुत पहले नहीं-जब सरकारी मंत्री एक नए परमाणु युग के बारे में उत्साहपूर्वक बात करते थे। आने वाले दशकों के लिए विश्वसनीय, कम कार्बन बिजली का उत्पादन करने वाले नए रिएक्टरों का एक बेड़ा। इतना ही नहीं, सरकार वित्तपोषण और उनके निर्माण से जुड़े किसी भी जोखिम को नहीं ले रही होगी।