Karim Hossam: The rise and fall of a match-fixing tennis prodigy

Summary: Karim Hossam was one of the best young tennis players in the world. He looked set to play at the biggest tournaments, with the top players of the game. Instead he was sucked into one of the biggest match-fixing rings yet discovered in a sport riddled with corruption. The BBC's Simon Cox and Paul Grant use confidential documents to tell the story of his downfall.

It was inside a modest hotel room in Tunisia in June 2017 that Karim Hossam's tennis career started to unravel. Across from the 24-year-old sat two former British police detectives. They were investigators for the Tennis Integrity Unit, which probes corruption within the game, and they suspected Karim had been fixing matches. In a series of interviews over six months he revealed how four years earlier he had become a part of one of the biggest match-fixing rings in tennis. The International Tennis Federation Futures tournament at Sharm el-Sheikh is a distant cousin to the glamour, money and crowds of Wimbledon or the French Open. Played at a small tennis club next to a shopping mall, there is a smattering of spectators and the prize money for the whole tournament is $15,000 (£11,500) - about a quarter of the sum made by a first-round loser at Wimbledon. Karim Hossam had already won the tournament four times when he arrived to compete there again in 2013. Still only 20, the young Egyptian player was the great hope for North African tennis. Find out more As one of the best junior players in the world, hovering on the edge of the top 10, he had started to play in the big ATP (Association of Tennis Professionals) tournaments with the stars of the sport. He'd played at the Australian Open and the French Open, but the ITF (International Tennis Federation) tournament at Sharm was one of the many around the world where thousands of lower-ranked players try to scrape a living. Karim Hossam was preparing for a match when a player he didn't know well approached him. "Do you want to lose the match and get $1,000 (£770)?" he asked. The same player had contacted Hossam months earlier, at the Qatar Open, asking if he wanted to lose the first set for $1,000. On that occasion he was facing one of the world's best players, Richard Gasquet - then ranked ninth in the world, some 300 places above Hossam - and he replied: "I'm playing Gasquet, I'm not here to sell a match." But in Sharm el-Sheikh it was different. It didn't really matter if he won or lost and after thinking it over Hossam decided to go ahead with it. He told the investigators, "I just wanted to try it because I never tried it… I thought this guy was actually like lying to me… I didn't know that betting existed." The player wasn't lying, though, and after losing the match Hossam went with him to a local branch of Western Union to get his money. The gamblers behind this would have made much more than $1,000, and would have bet on other matches too, often making multiple bets on one match. "Having that insider knowledge of people involved in match-fixing in a specific sport particularly tennis… you can really make some fairly decent money," says Fred Lord, director for anti-corruption at the International Centre of Sport Security in Qatar. "We're talking figures around about half a million euros." What Karim Hossam didn't realise was that he had sold his career for $1,000. Being found guilty of a single offence by the tennis authorities is punishable by a lifetime ban from the game. Hossam couldn't keep it to himself so he told his father, who had helped to finance his career. He told investigators his father "was really pissed and he was like, 'You're ruining your life'". After this first offence, Hossam said, he tried for a while to avoid doing it again. But he also thought that if he had more money it would be easier to advance his career. "I wanted to go play big tournaments, you know, like I was going to the US for camp or whatever and I needed money," he said. So he continued taking money to lose, and before long he was also acting as a fixer, the middleman between gamblers and players. Sometimes it involved losing a match, or on other occasions a single set. It depended what the gamblers wanted and what got them the best odds. He spent the next four years helping to fix dozens of matches in Egypt, Tunisia and Nigeria, typically earning $200 for a $1,000 fix. A cache of confidential documents seen by the BBC shows how the young player arranged the fixes through Facebook messages with dozens of North African players. In May 2016 he contacts a player with an offer: "Bro. You lose first set then win the match. You get 2,500." The figures were always in dollars. When the other player agrees to this, Hossam makes sure he understands his instructions: "So you will lose the first set then win the match. Do you surely understand?" The player responds, "Score is not important. I just need to lose first set?" He is reassured by Hossam: "Most important thing is you drop the set then win." The player tells Hossam, "Hopefully it's OK because I need the money." They carry on messaging throughout the afternoon but there's a hitch and the fix doesn't go through. On other occasions it runs more smoothly. In August 2016 he messages another player in the early hours of the morning: "One set for 3,000." Intrigued by the offer, the player replies, "How much to lose?" and he is told, "Lose for 3,000 my friend." In the event the player did lose. The documents the BBC has seen implicate more than 20 players, most of them from North Africa, in either directly fixing matches or failing to tell the authorities when they were approached. Any player who is approached and asked to fix a match has to report it and failure to do so is an offence that can lead to a lengthy ban. In June 2017 the tennis anti-corruption authorities finally caught up with him. In his first interview with investigators he told them how he was drawn into fixing. "I just couldn't afford playing any more and like my dad was paying for me, and then my dad has to pay for my brother as well, and then I wasn't getting any income," he says, the transcript shows. After the interview ends he messages his younger brother, Youssef, who is also a professional tennis player. "They caught me in my room bro," he writes. "And I was stupid I didn't delete some things." Hossam tells his brother he is hopeful of escaping any tough sanctions by co-operating with the authorities. "I am telling them I want to work with them. Would be [expletive] great if that is possible. I travel and get money to catch all the fixers." That wasn't how it turned out. Days after he was interviewed by the Tennis Integrity Unit, Karim Hossam was provisionally banned from playing tennis. That same day he messaged a fellow player telling him about the ban but vowing, "I am gonna bet even more now." By the time of his final interview, in January 2018, Karim Hossam says he has been reduced to coaching children. The investigators ask if he will give evidence against the player who first corrupted him. "We feel very strongly that if he's done that to you he's probably done it to other people and he's probably still doing it," one of the investigators tells him. "So he's somebody, I'm sure you would agree, you would want to get out of tennis, because he is a danger because he grooms young players… If it wasn't for him you may never be where you are today." Karim had hoped there would be some benefit for him in co-operating with the Tennis Integrity Unit, and seems disappointed that he has got nothing out of it. "I gave a lot of information. I didn't really lie about anything, I was open," he tells them. "But receiving a lifetime ban in tennis, I mean I've been playing tennis for 17 years, I was only forced to do this under circumstances… So pretty much like I don't see any like benefits from my side… I honestly don't have any more evidence… I don't have any more chats." In July 2018 Karim Hossam was banned for life. But the confidential files the BBC has seen show he continued to try to corrupt the sport. In August 2018 he has a long conversation with a player to whom he offers $3,500 to lose a set by a specific score. In the end, word gets out the match is fixed and the gambler backs off. Karim Hossam suspects one of the players has talked. "My friend we need men not babies," he tells him. The BBC contacted Karim Hossam to ask him about these messages and his contact with other players but he didn't respond. The documents reveal one of the largest match-fixing rings in tennis ever discovered, implicating more than 20 mostly North African players. Last month police in Spain arrested 15 people in a match-fixing ring said to involve 28 Spanish players linked to an Armenian gambling ring. Armenian gamblers were also involved in a match-fixing ring uncovered by Belgian police in June 2018. The files the BBC has seen show that one of Karim's contacts was an Armenian. Most of the players in this match-fixing ring have not been sanctioned. And the player who first corrupted Karim Hossam - the one investigators wanted him to testify against - is still playing professional tennis. The documents seen by the BBC have been sent to the Tennis Integrity Unit, and the whistleblower who contacted the BBC is critical of the unit's response. "The TIU are ineffective because their processes are inefficient and slow. They receive evidence about someone and their investigation is ended two years later," he says. "I had a player tell me he is definitely going to get a lifetime ban soon and is going to go out with a bang in the last couple of tournaments he is going to play. Why allow players this chance?" The Tennis Integrity Unit said it was at the forefront of the fight against sporting corruption, and had successfully prosecuted 44 people in the last two years - 16 of whom were given lifetime bans. It added that it couldn't comment on ongoing investigations as "public disclosure would inevitably alert suspects and allow credible evidence to be discarded or destroyed". In 2018 an independent review panel looked into the integrity of tennis after a BBC News and BuzzFeed investigation revealed suspected illegal betting. It said the Tennis Integrity Unit had a backlog of cases and that there was a "tsunami" of corruption within the sport. The sport's governing body, the International Tennis Federation, told the BBC: "We are committed to protecting the integrity of tennis and putting in place the necessary measures to do that". But it conceded, "there is a significant amount of work to do." Listen to the full BBC Arabic/Radio 4 investigation, Can We Fix It?The Inside Story of Match-Fixing in Tennis, at 20:00 GMT on File on 4 on Tuesday 5 February Join the conversation - find us on Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and Twitter.

करीम होसम दुनिया के सर्वश्रेष्ठ युवा टेनिस खिलाड़ियों में से एक थे। वह खेल के शीर्ष खिलाड़ियों के साथ सबसे बड़े टूर्नामेंट में खेलने के लिए तैयार दिखते थे। इसके बजाय उन्हें भ्रष्टाचार से भरे खेल में अब तक खोजे गए सबसे बड़े मैच फिक्सिंग रिंग में से एक में फंसाया गया था। बीबीसी के साइमन कॉक्स और पॉल ग्रांट उनके पतन की कहानी बताने के लिए गोपनीय दस्तावेजों का उपयोग करते हैं।


Cameroon election: President Paul Biya seeks seventh term

Summary: Polls have now closed in Cameroon in a presidential election that has been disrupted by a number of violent incidents in English-speaking parts of the country, leaving at least three people dead. The BBC's Ngala Killian Chimtom, in Yaoundé, reported on the run-up to the polls, as the octogenarian leader, Paul Biya, seeks a seventh term in office.

A large poster of Paul Biya hangs like a street sign in Cameroon's western city of Bafoussam. "The force of experience," reads the poster in reference to President Biya's 36 years in power, to which he now hopes to add another seven-year term. A couple of metres from the poster, members of Mr Biya's governing CPDM party are meeting to drum up support for the person they call their hero. "Young people may be eloquent. They may make big promises, but none of them can have the steady hands to run a large country like Cameroon," says party supporter Emmanuel Ndam, 58. "For over 30 years, our president has been tested by various crises, and each time, he has been able to overcome," Mr Ndam adds. "Just look at the mature way he handled the Bakassi crisis with Nigeria. Some hot-headed youth could just have messed up the situation," he adds, before making his way into the meeting hall. His comrade Alice Meye, 22, agrees. She says only President Biya has the wherewithal to resolve Cameroon's myriad crises, most urgent of which is the unrest in the country's two English-speaking regions. "We have a president who does what he promises to do. He has said he will solve the problems of our Anglophone brothers. Let's give him a chance." "Even in death, President Paul Biya will continue to reign," she said. 'The old man is tired' But not everyone believes Mr Biya, Africa's second-longest serving leader, still has the charisma and the physical stamina to stay at the helm. Picking out specks of beef from his teeth with a wooden pick, Ibrahima Sadiki, a resident of the capital Yaoundé's swampy Briqueterie slum tells the BBC "the old man is tired". "This is a man who should normally stay quietly in the village, playing with his grandchildren." Arguments about the president's age, however, pale in comparison to the numerous problems Cameroon faces today. A separatist uprising in the country's two Anglophone regions - the North-West and South-West - is stretching Cameroon's much-hyped unity to the limits. In October 2016, teachers and lawyers in Cameroon's English-speaking regions took to the streets to protest at the imposition of French in schools and courts. But those protests soon took a political dimension, with thousands of English speakers taking to the streets on 1 October last year to declare the independence of a new country they called "Ambazonia". The government cracked down in response. Hundreds of people have been killed - at least 420 civilians, 175 military and police officers, and an unknown number of separatist fighters. More than 300,000 people have also been forced to flee their homes, according to the International Crisis Group. In addition, the economy of the region has been devastated. The Cameroon Development Corporation - the second-largest employer after the state - has lost 50% of its production, according to its Director General Frankline Njie. According to the IMF, Cameroon has lost more than 24 billion CFA francs ($42m; £32m) in 2018 alone as a result of the crisis. Mr Biya's repeated absences from the country have further riled his critics - the Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) estimates that the president spent nearly 60 days out of the country last year on private visits. Colonial roots - Cameroon's ongoing divisions: The fighting has left a trail of destruction and death. In May on a visit to the country's North-West region, I came face-to-face with the stark reality. Approaching the regional capital of Bamenda, you have to go through rigorous security controls. At Santa, a locality that borders the country's French-speaking West Region, a gun-toting mix of soldiers and police officers tell every passenger to step out of their buses, ID cards in hand. The next 500 metres or so must be travelled on foot. No chances are taken, because an "Amba boy" (separatist fighter) could be hidden among the passengers. But as you get out of town and into the villages, there is a sense that the government has lost control. The armed separatists have vowed to enforce a boycott of the 7 October election, raising fears of attacks on polling stations and a low turn-out in the mainly Anglophone areas. Control posts are now manned by rag-tag Ambazonia fighters. I came across one such post at Bambalang, some 20km (12 miles) from Bamenda. "Where is your voter card?" one of them asked me, waving a machete. I didn't have one because I'd been advised not to carry it on me, lest it be destroyed. The "Amba Boys" have been confiscating voters' cards and destroying them. Voter intimidation The authorities have taken seriously the separatists' threat to disrupt the poll. According to the head of Cameroon's electoral body Elecam, Erik Essousse, the number of polling stations has been reduced in the north West and South West Regions and others moved from turbulent zones to more secure areas. But the move has been criticised by the main opposition Social Democratic Front, which says it could disenfranchise voters unable to travel longer distances to the new polling centres. Despite the uncertainties, the campaign is gaining steam and creating suspense. "It's over for Paul Biya," a supporter of the CRM party's Maurice Kamto tells the BBC, who then joins thousands of people in a chorus singing "Goodbye Paul Biya, Kamto is coming." The sense of optimism is also expressed by Seralphine Neh, 22, who supports the election's youngest candidate, Cabral Libii. She sees the 38-year-old career journalist as the embodiment of a new kind of politics - one that is shifting the focus from "a system of gerontocracy, to that of inclusion where the youth feel involved". Find out more about Cameroon: But President Biya's supporters do not see things that way. Tatiana Nzana who sells CPDM gadgets in Yaoundé tells the BBC: "We want someone with experience, with wisdom. We don't want ping-pong players. "That's why we will continue to vote for him. Better the devil you know than the angel you don't know. Even after his death, he will still be president." In total, there are nine candidates in Cameroon's presidential elections. Parliamentary and municipal elections, meanwhile, have been postponed to October 2019 after the presidency and lawmakers cited organisational difficulties. President Biya himself has organised only one rally, in the country's North Region, where he praised the people for their resilience in the face of Boko Haram attacks. Security forces have been accused of using excessive force in their attempts to deal with both the Boko Haram insurgency to the north, and the Anglophone crisis to the west. A BBC investigation into a horrifying viral video which shows Cameroonian soldiers leading away and killing two women and two young children in northern Cameroon was initially dismissed by the government as "fake news". But Cameroon's government has since admitted that it has detained seven soldiers in connection with the killings. Speaking at his campaign rally in Maroua, President Biya blamed separatists for the Anglophone crisis but seemed to acknowledge their grievances, saying: "Evidently, we still have to restore peace in our two regions of the North-West and the South-West, overburdened by secessionist exactions". Mr Biya spoke of the need to satisfy the "just demands" of the country's English-speakers in order to demonstrate to them that their future lies in an undivided Cameroon. He had planned a similar rally in the restive South-West region, but suddenly called it off without further explanation. Observers have said he was wary of the separatist threat. Joshua Osih, a first-time candidate for the main opposition SDF party, has said he could resolve the problem within 100 days in office. He has made the radical proposal of a return to a federal structure of government. But it is not only the Anglophone crisis plaguing Cameroon. The Central African nation also suffers from a crisis of governance, illustrated by its undesirable position in 1998 and 1999 as the world's most corrupt nation, in Transparency international's rankings. One of the presidential challengers, Akere Muna - himself a former executive with the anti-graft body - has pledged, if elected, to focus on the fight against the scourge. "Cameroon loses 40% of its revenue in corrupt practices. We have too many structures in the fight against corruption," Mr Muna has said. "We are going to have one department - consolidated, that will do prevention, investigation, sanctioning, and prosecution and that will also be in charge of the recovery of assets." Despite the new faces and the unprecedented challenges, few expect 85-year-old Paul Biya to be rattled in the face of a splintered opposition.

कैमरून में अब एक राष्ट्रपति चुनाव में मतदान बंद हो गया है जो देश के अंग्रेजी बोलने वाले हिस्सों में कई हिंसक घटनाओं से बाधित हो गया है, जिसमें कम से कम तीन लोगों की मौत हो गई है। याओंडे में बीबीसी के नगाला किलियन चिमटॉम ने चुनाव की दौड़ के बारे में बताया, क्योंकि ऑक्टोजेनेरियन नेता, पॉल बिया, कार्यालय में सातवें कार्यकाल की मांग कर रहे हैं।


Pedestrian dies in Abergele car crash

Summary: A woman has died after being hit by a car in Conwy county.

Emergency services were called to Dundonald Avenue in Abergele on Thursday at about 18:00 BST and the road was closed to all traffic. The woman was airlifted to hospital but did not survive the collision, North Wales Police said. Officers are appealing for witnesses to come forward "following the sad news of the death of a female pedestrian". Related Internet Links North Wales Police

कॉनवी काउंटी में एक कार की चपेट में आने से एक महिला की मौत हो गई है।


Dido interview: 'I am the sound of conflict'

Summary: Dido has taken five years off between albums, but she hasn't been wasting her time. With a new baby and a fresh batch of heartfelt ballads, she's re-energised and ready for the limelight, she tells the BBC.

By Mark SavageBBC News entertainment reporter "I am the sound of modern conflict." Not words you'd expect to hear from Dido, purveyor of wistful balladry and Queen bee of adult pop. But apparently the singer frequently gets "letters from people who are in the middle of a war" telling her they've been listening to her music. She's touched, if somewhat confused, by the response. "The whole thing sounds quite unreal to me," she laughs. "Is that going to make you fight properly? "Maybe you want something else. Like AC/DC." Dido's latest single, No Freedom, is one song that's affected people on the frontline. Although it's a painful story of heartbreak, the refrain: "No freedom without love", has been adopted by rebel groups in Syria. "There's even videos now from Syria," she marvels. "It's pretty amazing, I certainly wasn't writing about that. "But when you write an intensely personal lyric, the thing that often surprises you is that it's about most things for other people." Like the majority of Dido's forthcoming album, Girl Who Got Away, No Freedom was actually written before the Syrian uprising began in March 2011. She was pregnant at the time with her first son, Stanley, and recorded her vocals right up until the day he was born. "There's nothing nicer than singing and having a little dancing friend inside," she says. "Certain songs he really wriggled around for, and certain songs he wouldn't - it was quite a good test of what should go on the record." Once Stanley arrived, recording was put on hold. Dido spent the next 18 months going through the same things as every other parent - sleepless nights, acid reflux, and a thorough grounding in CBeebies. "My IQ definitely dropped," she says. "I know it's a cliche but your brain just goes, sort of pffftlbt. "I'm glad that I'd written the record before my brain fizzled out." Stripped back Showcasing the new songs at a low-key London gig last month, Dido apologised to her record label for "taking so long" - but the truth is that she needs time away from the limelight to develop and nurture her ideas. Instinctively cautious, she frets over lyrics and arrangements, her instinct for simplicity a counterbalance to the kitchen sink approach of her producer (and brother), Rollo. "He'll put a tonne of stuff in, and I'll get really angsty and confused because there's too much," she says. "So he'll go off and make a cup of tea, and I'll pull all the faders down and start pulling up what I actually remember wanting in there. "But having said that, I like to put enough in a song that you want to listen to it again and again. So if you're listening to it on headphones, or in your car, suddenly you'll hear something different." In other words, Dido is playing a sneaky game of deception with her listeners. When you first hear Blackbird, a standout track on the new album, its a pretty, playful song - almost a nursery rhyme. But beneath the surface, its structurally complex and lyrically dark, relaying the story of a man walking out on his family. "If I've got a really dark lyric, it's probably disguised in a chirpy song," says the singer. "There's usually a conflict somewhere. "To me, that's what makes life interesting - nothing is ever completely as it seems." She breaks her rule just once, on Loveless Hearts - which is as desolate as its chorus: "Did loveless hearts build the world, only to tear it apart?" Dido calls it "my bleakest song ever", written about "a really bad" experience that she couldn't "make sense of". Politely, she declines to explain any further. She "might tell a fan later down the road", but first wants people to relate the story to their own lives. "I don't like stifling people's imaginations," she explains. "If I explained everything from the word go, and all the songs related to me - how interesting is that?" Part of her skill is this ability to blend into the background. Critics say it robs her albums of personality - one reviewer likened the last one to "a warm cup of milk" - but fans connect to the songs precisely because they don't have to negotiate the shameless bravado of Lady Gaga or Rihanna. Trauma She is that rare thing: An unassuming megastar, selling more than 29m records, but able to walk down the high street unmolested when she's off duty. "It's weird, the public consciousness," she says, "it just snapped again." "Literally in the last week, I've had a few people coming up and say, 'I really like your new single'. Just out of the blue, and I've not had it for years. "I get that thing where people do a double-take because they think I'm an old mate, and then they're mortified." The attention is not unwelcome... unless she's in a department store. "Once, I was trying on bikinis, which is the most traumatic thing ever, but once every three years you have to go in and find a new one. "The big video screens in the shop went dead and then they started playing my video. I was on every screen on the shop. "It was like someone had come along and taken all my clothes off and run away with them." Humiliating changing room nightmares aside, is Dido ready to put family life to one side and step back into the limelight? "I love singing, and I love singing live," she says. "It's always better than rehearsing or singing at home. It's a shot of adrenalin that you just can't recreate anywhere else. "But there's nothing better for me than the life I've got now. I do music in quite a quiet way. I get to be with my family, with this thing on the side that is exceptional and is amazing." No Freedom is out this week. Girl Who Got Away follows on 4 March.

डीडो ने एल्बमों के बीच पांच साल की छुट्टी ली है, लेकिन वह अपना समय बर्बाद नहीं कर रही है। एक नए बच्चे और दिल से गाथागीत के एक नए समूह के साथ, वह फिर से सक्रिय हो गई है और सुर्खियों के लिए तैयार है, वह बीबीसी को बताती है।


Mamba drug warning over 'highly dangerous' batch

Summary: A batch of a synthetic cannabis drug being sold in north Wales may be contaminated and could be highly dangerous, according to police.

There have been reports of users suffering "serious medical episodes" after taking the drug, which is known as Mamba or Spice, police say. The psychoactive substance is known to be circulating in the Wrexham area. Users should dispose of any supplies they have and seek urgent medical help if they fall ill, officers say. Supt Nick Evans said the batch may be "highly dangerous". "We advise in the strongest terms that anyone in possession of this substance should not take it," he added.

पुलिस के अनुसार, उत्तरी वेल्स में बेची जा रही सिंथेटिक भांग की दवा का एक बैच दूषित हो सकता है और अत्यधिक खतरनाक हो सकता है।


Tech an early priority for health secretary

Summary: More GP consultations via Skype and barcode tracking of patients and their treatments in hospitals - these are two of the uses of technology the new health and social care secretary was enthusing about in his first speech since taking on the job.

Hugh PymHealth editor@BBCHughPymon Twitter Matt Hancock sees the tech agenda in the NHS as one of his early priorities. He arrived at the department after Jeremy Hunt moved to the Foreign Office. Less than a fortnight later he was setting out his stall in front of an NHS audience at the West Suffolk Hospital. Technology, as he acknowledged, is his passion and he has already launched his own app for communicating with constituents. He went out of his way to praise the online NHS service, known as GP at Hand, run by the private provider Babylon. This was launched in Greater London in 2017 and offers patients the chance to have a video consultation with a GP within two hours, or a face-to-face appointment the same day or next day, Monday to Saturday. Mr Hancock argued that this online service "works brilliantly for me" and he wants to "see more technology like this available to all, not just a select few in a few areas of the country". This appeared to be giving local NHS leaders and GPs the green light to develop partnerships with Babylon and other tech companies for online patient consultations. Advocates of GP at Hand, like the secretary of state, argue that it is convenient for a commuting population who don't want to have to stay off work to get an appointment at a local surgery. They also say that the service will help reduce pressure on GP practices by absorbing some of the patient demand. But opponents, including the British Medical Association, point out that traditional surgeries will be left to deal with the sickest patients with long-term conditions, while younger and healthier sections of the population are cherry-picked by online services. GP practices are paid a fee for every patient regardless of their state of health, and they lose this payment when a patient switches to a different provider. Diagnosis concerns Concerns about GP at Hand have been raised, including suggestions that symptoms of some conditions could be missed and that there is a tendency to over-diagnose. Jeremy Hunt wrote to the Commons Health and Social Care Committee in early July, noting that while digital services were increasingly being brought forward there was a need to safeguard patients and the wider system. To that end, Mr Hunt said there was an independent evaluation under way with an interim report in October, which would inform future policy in this field. Less controversial in the digital health arena is a scheme highlighted by Matt Hancock to allow better tracking of patient care and the use of medical devices. The Scan4Safety scheme involves barcode readers familiar in the retail world. These involve scanning of patient wristbands as they move through hospitals and use certain products as part of their care, making it easier to track and trace equipment and drugs which are faulty. Mr Hancock says this is saving NHS money and improving patient safety, though so far it has been on trial in only six trusts in England. Winter test Technology in the NHS will only go so far, and the new secretary of state is well aware of that. Looming ahead of him is his first winter in the job and the inevitable pressures which will engulf the system. He has indicated that he is open to amending key NHS targets, such as the four-hour A&E benchmark. This has been suggested by the head of NHS England, Simon Stevens. That might sound fine in theory, as they have been repeatedly missed, but changing the goalposts as winter approaches may not be good politics. We will hear a lot more of the NHS technology agenda - Mr Hancock's enthusiasm for it will be welcomed. But the test for most patients will be the length of time they have to wait for care by GPs or hospital staff. That is how he will be judged.

स्काइप के माध्यम से अधिक जी. पी. परामर्श और रोगियों की बारकोड ट्रैकिंग और अस्पतालों में उनके उपचार-ये तकनीक के दो उपयोग हैं जिनके बारे में नए स्वास्थ्य और सामाजिक देखभाल सचिव नौकरी संभालने के बाद अपने पहले भाषण में उत्साहित थे।


South Lakes Wild Animal Park owner denies birds' escape

Summary: An animal park owner in Cumbria has appeared in court accused of allowing a "threatening" bird to escape.

David Gill, 53, is alleged to have let a sacred ibis bird escape from South Lakes Wild Animal Park near Dalton-in-Furness on three occasions last year. South Lakes Wild Animal Park Ltd and Mr Gill have been charged with three offences under the Wildlife and Countryside Act. At Furness Magistrates' Court on Thursday Mr Gill denied the charges. A trial date has yet to be set.

कुम्ब्रिया में एक पशु उद्यान का मालिक एक "धमकी" देने वाले पक्षी को भागने की अनुमति देने के आरोप में अदालत में पेश हुआ है।


Oxford's Cheney School shuts after third of staff isolate

Summary: A secondary school has been forced to shut due to 41 staff members self-isolating after a coronavirus outbreak.

Cheney School, in Headington, Oxford, had planned to teach pupils virtually from Monday after 20 staff started self-isolating. But after that figure increased to "well over a third" of teachers, the school was closed early on Friday. Headteacher Rob Pavey said it had been "quite a week", but added most teachers would continue to give lessons online.

कोरोनावायरस के प्रकोप के बाद 41 कर्मचारियों के आत्म-पृथक होने के कारण एक माध्यमिक विद्यालय को बंद करने के लिए मजबूर होना पड़ा है।


Brexit: Will the borders be ready?

Summary: With a month to go until the end of the post-Brexit transition period, there's still no clarity about exactly how the UK's borders will operate when it comes to trade with the European Union (EU).

By Chris MorrisReality Check correspondent, BBC News The government says "huge advances" have been made in its preparations, but businesses that trade across the border are extremely concerned. Duncan Buchanan, the policy director of the Road Haulage Association, says he is expecting something "between shocking and a catastrophe". And the National Audit Office said recently that, despite progress by government departments, "it is still likely that widespread disruption will occur from 1 January 2021," with significant risks relating to Northern Ireland "and trader readiness more generally". So what's going on? Deal or no deal There will be big changes at UK borders, whether or not a post-Brexit trade deal is agreed with the EU in the coming days and weeks. A trade deal would remove the need for tariffs (or taxes) to be paid on goods crossing borders. But from 1 January, goods entering the EU from Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales) will face large amounts of new paperwork and checks, including: Hauliers will also need to make sure they have the right transportation paperwork before they proceed to border ports. There is particular focus on what is known as the short straits route between Dover and Calais, and the nearby Channel Tunnel, which taken together handle about four million lorries a year. "This is the biggest imposition of red tape that businesses have had to deal with in 50 years," says William Bain from the British Retail Consortium. Phasing in checks Last summer, the government decided not to seek an extension to transition - the 11-month period allowing for UK/EU negotiations on a future relationship (during which rules and trade stay the same). It finishes at the end of December but - in response to the Covid crisis - the government chose to delay by six months the imposition of full controls on goods entering Great Britain from the EU. There will be checks from 1 January on controlled substances such as alcohol and tobacco, and traders deemed to be a risk will also be asked to fill in customs declarations. But most checks on goods coming in from the EU will be delayed until 1 July, a deadline that could in theory be extended. "I think we will want to monitor it," the chief executive of HM Revenue and Customs, Jim Harra, told MPs. "Hopefully we will not still be in a situation where Covid-19 is consuming as much of people's attention." Access permits for Kent The government hopes the delay in imposing most import controls will help limit disruption. But it is still taking no chances. It has plans to divert some trade to other ports around the country, and it is building huge lorry parks in Kent to try to avoid long queues on motorways. Drivers of lorries weighing more than 7.5 tonnes will also need to acquire a Kent Access Permit before they enter the county. They will have to show that they have all the paperwork they need to ferry goods to Europe. But that doesn't deal with the challenge of the thousands of vans that cross the Channel every week. "What has been serially misunderstood by various parts of government is the scale of the complexity for people on the ground dealing with the paperwork," says Duncan Buchanan. That could mean that instead of queues on motorways, many traders won't be able to leave their depots. "Either they won't be able to get vets to sign off on their meat exports, or they won't be able to get their permit because they don't have the right bits of paper," says Shane Brennan, chief executive of the Cold Storage Federation. "We might see a quite significant holding off of trading - people just not moving stuff in the first few weeks." Eighty-five per cent of the volume of trade between the EU and Great Britain is carried by EU hauliers, who are often paid not by the hour, but by the kilometre. If they think there will be too many delays, many in the industry wonder whether they will simply not come. The government says the readiness of traders to deal with the new system remains its biggest concern. "The sheer scale of the overall operation means there are literally many millions of moving parts," permanent secretary of the cabinet office Alex Chisholm told MPs last week. "Inevitably there are going to be some difficulties for some individual people as they adjust to the new regime." The government says it is "urging business owners to make their final preparations before new rules come into force" and it has announced a new Border Operations Centre as part of plans "for the UK to have the world's most effective border by 2025". Food supply Questions have been asked about how changes at the border might affect food supply. The short answer is no-one can say for sure. About 30% of all the food consumed in the UK is imported from the EU. The challenge is exacerbated because in January and February the UK grows relatively small amounts of fruit and vegetables. The winter months are when it is most dependent on supplies from southern Europe. So, if there are delays, they could cause some shortages on the shelves. "Some gaps are possible but we're not going to run out of food - that's not going to happen" says Ian Wright, chief executive of the Food and Drink Federation, who adds that if there was no deal, and tariffs were imposed, things would become difficult for a while. When it comes to non-perishable items, there has been an element of stockpiling in preparation. "The crunch point is probably not going to be in the first few days or weeks of January," William Bain argues. "Towards the end of the month, when new orders start being placed and delivered, we will start to see the processes in Kent and the other ports really tested." But it's not only about food. Other retailers, which are used to moving their stock freely around the EU customs union are now having to create separate supply chains for the UK, which is costing them more money. Northern Ireland's border Finally, many traders and businesses are worried about what will happen in Northern Ireland. It will be treated differently under the terms of the Northern Ireland protocol in the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement. Depending on the outcome of the current trade negotiations, and separate talks in a Joint UK-EU committee, tariffs may have to be paid on certain goods moving within the UK from Great Britain to Northern Ireland, if they are deemed to be "at risk" of moving on to the Republic of Ireland in the EU. "A massive amount of food for Northern Ireland comes across from GB and right now no-one - literally no-one - knows all the rules and procedures under which that trade will be conducted," says Ian Wright. "And that makes it all but impossible to know if you can trade profitably, or even how you can trade." For many retailers, this is their biggest concern. Even if there is a trade deal and tariffs can be avoided, full checks will have to take place on goods from 1 January, and businesses say the system simply isn't ready. The EU has strict rules on products of animal origin: meat, milk, fish and eggs. These products must enter the single market through a border control post where paperwork is checked, and a proportion of goods are physically inspected. Concern about the issue even prompted a rare joint intervention from political rivals: the Northern Ireland First Minister Arlene Foster and Deputy First Minister Michelle O'Neill. "It is hard to imagine a more fundamental aspect of everyday life than the purchase of daily food supplies," they wrote to the European Commission. "Hence we would ask you to recognise how important it is that the current consideration of the detail of how the protocol will be applied takes our unique context into account." A new customs system, which none of the traders have used before, is also being introduced for Great Britain to Northern Ireland trade, and companies still don't know what they are trying to plan for. So, business groups in Northern Ireland are united in calling for an adjustment period - another transition in all but name - to give them more time to get ready. What claims do you want BBC Reality Check to investigate? Get in touch Read more from Reality Check Follow us on Twitter

ब्रेक्सिट के बाद की संक्रमण अवधि के अंत तक जाने के लिए एक महीने के साथ, अभी भी इस बारे में कोई स्पष्टता नहीं है कि जब यूरोपीय संघ (ई. यू.) के साथ व्यापार की बात आती है तो यू. के. की सीमाएँ कैसे काम करेंगी।


Nato sends 'alive and strong' message from Estonia

Summary: The Estonian town of Tapa is about an hour and half's drive eastwards from the capital Tallinn. Tapa owes its existence to the fact that it sits at an important railway junction. It bears all the hallmarks of an old Soviet garrison town - there was indeed a Russian air base here during the Cold War.

Jonathan MarcusDiplomatic correspondent@Diplo1on Twitter But today, sitting less than 150km (93 miles) from the Russian border, it is the base for a Nato battle group - here, according to the alliance, to reassure the Estonians and to demonstrate Nato's solidarity to Moscow. The decision to deploy Nato troops eastwards - the closest its bases have ever come to Russian territory - came in the wake of Russia's seizure of Crimea and its military operations in eastern Ukraine. Many of the alliance's northern and central European members were alarmed, especially the Baltic republics, whose territory, like that of Ukraine, was once part of the Soviet Union. At its Warsaw Summit in 2016, Nato agreed to establish what it called "an enhanced forward presence" with multi-national battle groups deployed in each of the three Baltic states and another in Poland. The UK commands the Nato battle group in Estonia. It is based on a single British infantry battalion - currently 5 Rifles - with Warrior armoured vehicles, and it incorporates a company of French infantry. They are supported by a small number of British Challenger and French Leclerc tanks. There is also a small complement of artillery, engineers and other supporting arms. The unit - about 1,000-strong - has only been fully operational since the middle of last month. It forms part of an Estonian brigade whose main base is also in Tapa and from here smaller units are deployed on exercises. I visited the base along with the head of the British army, Gen Sir Nick Carter. Asked about the Nato troops' mission in Estonia, he acknowledged it was a complex mix of deterrence and training. "So much of what we're doing here is messaging," he told me. "You are making a point to Nato allies - you are providing reassurance to them that alliance cohesion is there, it's alive and strong, but you are also making the point to anybody who might wish to oppose that, that this cohesion is the centre of gravity. "The act of training together, the act of being ready together, of being prepared, sends a message." For the British Army it is a question of learning new skills or rather of re-learning them after years spent on counter-insurgency operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. Gen Carter told me that he hoped the current mission would evolve and develop. "I think what we would like to do," he said, "is to connect it across borders, [to see] how it plays into the Canadian-led battle group in Latvia and how it plays perhaps into what is being done in Lithuania, how all of that is connected together, and how all the Nato command and control process works above it." "All of those things need to be developed and tested," he told me, and emphasising the point about re-learning old skills. "I think what we are learning from all this are the things that we forgot when we went campaigning in about the year 2001." These multi-national battle groups are relatively small - only about 1,000-strong. But Gen Carter told me that he hoped to move additional equipment or troops to Estonia from time to time to practise all of the procedures needed to reinforce this battle group speedily. "We would very much like to test the land line of communication from our mounting bases in Germany, forward into the Baltics, and we would absolutely like to test what it would be like bringing in reinforcing capabilities - the signature equipments that are appropriate to show how you would reinforce and to understand what would happen." "It's great training for us," he said. "We used to be extremely good at this in the Cold War. We absolutely understood how you would load rail flats and move across borders and all of those sorts of deep logistics systems and we want to be good at that again. We didn't have to do it in Iraq and Afghanistan in the same way. It's the sort of skill sets you would expect an expeditionary army to want to be able to do effectively." Prior to the battle groups deployment there were concerns that the Russians might seek to compromise some of the foreign troops arriving in Estonia. So I asked Gen Carter if there had been any discernible sign of Russian activity of this sort. "So far," he answered, "absolutely nothing. We were always conscious that if people wanted to make mischief that was always possible. What's been impressive to me has been the discipline that our battle group has shown here across all of the multi-national elements. That discipline has probably provided a good framework in which it has been difficult to discredit our activities." The thick forests of eastern Estonia - especially once winter approaches - could not be more different to the conditions British troops have been operating in over recent years. This is one of Europe's historic battlegrounds - strategic terrain sandwiched between the Gulf of Finland and the waters of Lake Peipus. There were battles here in the Great Northern War in the 1700's as Russian troops swept westwards in an effort to challenge the Swedish empire - Estonia was a Swedish possession in those days. There were brutal battles here too in 1944 as the German invaders desperately sought to stem Soviet offensives. Nobody today really expects conflict but at a time when the dividing line between war and peace is becoming ever more fuzzy, this is now Nato's new front line in a new struggle that some Russian generals believe has already begun.

एस्टोनियाई शहर तपा राजधानी ताल्लिन से पूर्व की ओर लगभग डेढ़ घंटे की ड्राइव पर है। तपा अपने अस्तित्व का श्रेय इस तथ्य को देता है कि यह एक महत्वपूर्ण रेलवे जंक्शन पर स्थित है। यह एक पुराने सोवियत गैरीसन शहर की सभी विशिष्टताओं को दर्शाता है-वास्तव में शीत युद्ध के दौरान यहाँ एक रूसी हवाई अड्डा था।


Rapper Professor Green charged with drink-driving

Summary: Rapper Professor Green has been charged with drinking and driving.

He was arrested in south-east London on 3 November last year by police investigating a suspected mugging. Officers had been called to Tyrwhitt Road in Lewisham where they discovered a Mercedes car and a van had been involved in a crash. The rapper, whose real name is Stephen Manderson, was charged while answering bail on Tuesday. He is due to appear before Bromley magistrates on 20 March. The 30-year-old was also arrested at the end of November on suspicion of perverting the course of justice, however, the Crown Prosecution Service confirmed no further action would be pursued in that matter.

रैपर प्रोफेसर ग्रीन पर शराब पीने और गाड़ी चलाने का आरोप लगाया गया है।


Why India shuts down the internet more than any other democracy

Summary: As protests over a controversial citizenship law rage across India, authorities resorted to shutting down the internet in cities where demonstrators flooded the streets. These are the latest shutdowns in a country which has seen the highest number of internet blocks in the world so far this year.

By Shadab NazmiBBC News, Delhi "I want to assure my brothers and sisters of Assam that they have nothing to worry after the passing of the Citizenship Amendment Bill. I want to assure them - no one can take away your rights, unique identity and beautiful culture. It will continue to flourish and grow," Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted on 12 December amid violent protests in the north-eastern state last week. The only problem? There was no internet there on that day so it's unclear whether any of the thousands of people protesting against a controversial citizenship law were able to read his tweet. The irony of the situation caused a lot of comment, especially as it came alongside news that India is the world leader in internet shutdowns. The internet has been shut down 95 times in India so far this year, according to the Internet Shutdown Tracker, a portal which tracks such incidents across the country. Authorities usually order internet providers to suspend services, citing public order reasons. Under Indian laws, the government can direct telecom companies to shut down services or take down sites, among other things. The protests against the citizenship law saw the internet not only blocked in Assam, but also in some districts in West Bengal state as well as in the northern city of Aligarh in the last few weeks alone. On Thursday some parts of the capital Delhi joined the list. With protests showing little signs of abating, there is every chance the number of shutdowns could increase before the end of the year. But the shutdowns of the last few weeks have at least been temporary. In Indian-administered Kashmir, broadband and mobile data services have been blocked for more than four months, with no signs of the situation changing. Officials have said that it is necessary to "keep the peace" in the region, which was recently stripped of its semi-autonomous status, divided into two federally-governed territories and saw many of its political leaders detained. Longer internet blackouts than this have occurred only in countries like China and Myanmar, not democracies like India. But it's not just this year that India has led the way in blocking off access to the net. It also saw the world's highest number of shutdowns in 2018 with 134 reported incidents. To put this in perspective, the second-highest country on the list was Pakistan - which saw 12 shutdowns last year. Many Indians - who are part of one of the fastest growing internet markets in the world - have criticised what they perceive to be a clampdown on free speech and a "regressive" leadership whose knee-jerk reaction at the first sign of unrest is to suspend the internet. Part of the criticism is sparked by the fact that Mr Modi made internet connectivity a major election plank before he won his first term as prime minister in 2014. In fact, he championed a government initiative called Digital India, aimed at strengthening the country's digital infrastructure. Mr Modi also said he wanted more than a billion Indians online and wanted to take cheap, high-speed broadband to rural areas to achieve this. But the increasing number of shutdowns since he came to power in 2014 has prompted many to question whether this is what he means when he says he is "digitising India". India's longest shutdowns:

जैसे ही भारत भर में एक विवादास्पद नागरिकता कानून पर विरोध प्रदर्शन हुआ, अधिकारियों ने उन शहरों में इंटरनेट बंद करने का सहारा लिया जहां प्रदर्शनकारियों ने सड़कों पर पानी भर दिया। ये एक ऐसे देश में नवीनतम बंद हैं जहां इस साल अब तक दुनिया में सबसे अधिक इंटरनेट ब्लॉक देखे गए हैं।


Why do so many people hate US airports?

Summary: Thanksgiving is one of the busiest travel periods in the US, with millions criss-crossing the country, often by air, to get home for their family dinner - and back again a couple of days later. But air travellers in the US often find the experience frustrating enough to voice bitter complaints. What went wrong?

By Vanessa BarfordBBC News, Washington DC The Wright Brothers may have given birth to modern aviation on a beach at Kitty Hawk, but US airports these days are far from world-beating. They are consistently outshone by their Asian rivals in world rankings. Singapore's Changi Airport, one of the world's busiest, boasts butterfly, orchid and cactus gardens where travellers can while away the time before their flight - for the past three years it has taken the top spot in a survey of 13 million passengers conducted by the Skytrax consultancy group. South Korea's Incheon, which has an ice-skating rink and a golf-driving range, Hong Kong airport and Tokyo's Haneda also feature in the top five this year. Munich is the only European entry. The highest-ranked American airport - Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky - is number 30. San Francisco and Atlanta are the only other US airports in the top 50. Exasperated Americans have dedicated entire blogs to a whole array of airport gripes, cataloguing everything from crowded terminals and immigration halls to inefficient transport links and endless security checks. Brett Snyder, author of the Cranky Flier, says the lack of space at US airports "drives [him] nuts... they were designed for a different era". Patrick Smith of Ask the Pilot blog, says that with scattered exceptions major airports in the US are "incredibly noisy, dirty, and just generally user-unfriendly". He goes on: "Our security protocols are needlessly tedious, and the connection process for passengers arriving from overseas is horrendously time-consuming. All passengers arriving from other countries are required to clear immigration, re-check their bags, and undergo the Transport Security Administration rigmarole, even if they're merely in transit to a third country." Sixty-seven percent of people who fly out of America arrive at a better airport, the Economist estimated last year, after delving into data on more than a million flights. Bloomberg meanwhile last year launched an annual Airport Frustration Index to record the "most irritating place to catch a plane" in the US and Canada. New York's frequently-lambasted LaGuardia Airport, which Vice President Joe Biden said "feels like it's in some Third World country", currently holds the top spot. It was first used as an airfield in 1929 and is to be completely overhauled by 2021. The city's other two main airports - Newark and JFK - also appear in the Frustration Index's top five. Newark gets a mention in Gizmodo's list of the worst airports in 2014 too. It's "dirty, smells bad, has the worst food options, the pay-only wi-fi is actually still horrifically slow", says a contributor called Syngine. Roughly one in four flights at a NYC airport is delayed, according to Global Gateway Alliance, which is working to improve the region's transport links. Not that other major airports get off lightly. "The worst six hours of my life was spent at LAX trying to get to a different terminal," says another Gizmodo contributor, Casoska, referring to Los Angeles International Airport. Atlanta, the busiest airport in the world, is "huge, confusing and often jam-packed with people", according to Moe Khalel who contributed to a Freakonomics article. And Miami is "complete hell", says Ken in the same report - "lines are long (and slow), it is very crowded, immigration is slow, and it has a faint smell of mold everywhere." Travel consultant Ben Schlappig, who flies about 400,000 miles a year - more than 1,000 miles per day - agrees that JFK is "horrendous" and that LaGuardia's main terminal is "a mess" but also draws attention to Washington Dulles airport, which comes third in Bloomberg's Frustration Index. It was "built as a temporary facility 40 years ago" he says. "It's essentially trailers and you get ancient moon buggies to immigration." Kevin Burke, the North American President of the Airports Council International (ACI) accepts that US airports have an image problem. "We are the leaders in aviation and have some of the safest airports in the world, but we've also got some of the oldest, which are expensive to maintain. The average US airport is 40 years old, and when our youngest hub airport, Denver, has just turned 20, you know infrastructure needs to be better," he says. But Burke says it isn't always easy to give airports a makeover. Development is predominately managed by cities, regions and local government, and there is a "whole slew of restrictions on how projects can be financed", he says. One way to improve airports, he argues, would be to raise the federally mandated Passenger Facility Charge which airlines add to fares. This has been capped at $4.50 (£3) since 2001 - but the domestic airline industry is against an increase. Aviation consultant Mike Boyd also argues some of the criticism of US airports is unfair. "Most of these Asian terminals are only 15 years old - of course ours are going to look a bit dowdy," he says. "They might not wow people with artwork, but they were built before security became a big issue, when only 40 people waited at a gate and airlines had their own terminals, and the fact is, they are still able to process people in and out very quickly and do a good job." It also irritates him that LaGuardia is frequently seen as synonymous with the entire US. "Yes LaGuardia has its problems. It would be great to build a high speed rail [into New York] but it's prohibitively expensive. But New York is not the centre of the universe. We are making investments in US airports. Airports like those in Detroit and Flint, Michigan match any in the world," he says. Ben Schlappig recognises that some steps have been taken to make the US travelling experience less painful in recent years. The Transport Security Administration's Pre-Check programme allows pre-approved passengers to pass through security without taking off their shoes and remove liquids from their bags, while the Global Entry enables pre-approved passengers to pass more quickly through immigration. He's also unmoved by the fancy architecture and glitzy shopping facilities in some European or Asian airports. "My priority is to get to my destination as quickly and painlessly as possible," he says. "With beautiful airports like Madrid - they might be impressive but it doesn't matter if you have to walk miles to get to immigration." Geography is one of the factors holding back US airports, Schlappig argues. Places like Dubai, Singapore, Hong Kong and Frankfurt were always likely to become international hubs simply because of their location, and this brings in income, and provides an incentive to invest. But traffic will rise in the US. The International Air Transport Association projects that 1.4 billion passengers will travel through US airports in 2034 - up from 850 million in 2014. So the voices of discontent may well get even louder. Subscribe to the BBC News Magazine's email newsletter to get articles sent to your inbox.

थैंक्सगिविंग अमेरिका में सबसे व्यस्त यात्रा अवधि में से एक है, जिसमें लाखों लोग अपने परिवार के रात्रिभोज के लिए घर पहुंचने के लिए अक्सर हवाई मार्ग से देश को पार करते हैं-और कुछ दिनों बाद फिर से वापस आते हैं। लेकिन अमेरिका में हवाई यात्रियों को अक्सर कड़वी शिकायतें करने के लिए यह अनुभव काफी निराशाजनक लगता है। क्या गलत हुआ?


Gorseinon teenager suffers fractures in 20ft roof fall

Summary: A boy has suffered "several fractures" after falling at least 20ft (6m) from the roof of a disused building.

The 16-year-old was injured at an industrial estate on West Street, Gorseinon, just after 18:00 BST on Thursday. He was treated at the scene by paramedics from Wales Air Ambulance and is recovering at Morriston Hospital in Swansea. Police described his injuries are described as non-life threatening.

एक अप्रयुक्त इमारत की छत से कम से कम 20 फीट (6 मीटर) गिरने के बाद एक लड़के को "कई फ्रैक्चर" का सामना करना पड़ा है।


North Korean missile and Kim Jong-un's 'Christmas gift' decision

Summary: Kim Jong-un has a big decision to make.

By Laura BickerBBC News, Seoul Talks with Donald Trump have not gone to plan. Strict economic sanctions remain in place and it appears Washington is not going to budge despite Pyongyang's insistence that they come up with another deal to resolve the nuclear issue by the end of the year. Donald Trump, too, seems to be frustrated. He has once again hinted at the possibility of military action against North Korea if necessary, despite highlighting his "good relationship" with the North Korean leader. These next few weeks may be critical for US-North Korean diplomacy. "I think we're seeing the start of what could be a return to a very familiar crisis in 2020," Ankit Panda, North Korea expert at the Federation of American Scientists, told the BBC. "We're beginning to see the scenario that many of us had warned of from the get-go of diplomacy: a capricious and irritable Trump coming to terms with the reality of his reality-TV diplomacy with North Korea." Nerves and veiled Christmas threats Despite the "reality TV" nature of Trump and Kim's summitry and their handshakes during a surprise visit to the North-South Korea border in June, South Korea once described the US president's decision to engage with Kim Jong-un as "courageous". His approach was unconventional, they said, but there was hope that just perhaps this time things would be different. Just 15 months ago, the leaders of North and South held hands on Mt Paektu, optimistic that they would be able to come to some kind of an agreement to finally end the Korean War. That hope has now gone. Pyongyang is refusing to hold talks with Seoul. Last week North Korea carried out artillery drills near the sea border with the South at Kim Jong-un's request. This breached a military agreement reached between the two countries last year. The South has every reason to be cautious when the North is near this border. In November 2010, North Korean forces fired around 170 artillery shells and rockets at Yeonpyeong Island, killing four South Koreans. There are now fears that tensions are beginning to ramp up once again. There is certainly no shortage of warning signs from North Korea about where its diplomatic relationship with Washington and Seoul is heading. The latest came earlier this week. Deputy Foreign Minister Ri Thae Song hinted that the regime could resume long-range missile tests in the next few weeks if Washington refused to change its negotiating position and said "it is entirely up to the US what Christmas gift it will select" - a phrase that was almost certainly designed to be picked up by the US press pack. Then, once again, the Supreme Leader got back on his white horse and climbed Mt Paektu, North Korea's most sacred mountain. The images and prose in state media were rich in political and ideological messaging. Dozens of photos showed him ploughing through the snow on his way to the "revolutionary" mountain top. The visit comes at a time when "the imperialists and class enemies make a more frantic attempt to undermine the ideological, revolutionary and class positions of our Party", the North Korean leader is quoted as saying. The statement added that he was getting his people ready for "the harshness and protracted character of our revolution". North Koreans are being warned that hard times lie ahead. Return of rocket man? Kim Jong-un is also convening a surprise meeting of his ruling party leaders. North Korea's most powerful political committee will meet in late December to "discuss and decide on critical issues". Put simply, this does not bode well. It is possible Mr Kim is already convinced that talks with the US will not work and is getting ready to hand out new orders. So is rocket man ready to make a return? Some would argue he never left. This year has been one of North Korea's busiest in terms of testing. Kim Jong-un's small impoverished state which is under strict international sanctions has managed to develop three new missile systems, all of which have been tested since talks between Mr Trump and the North Korean leader broke down in Hanoi in February. "All of the missiles have several things in common," Vipin Narang, a security studies professor at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, told me earlier this year. "They are solid fuel, they are mobile, they are fast, they fly low, and at least the KN-23 can manoeuvre inflight, which is very impressive. "Any one of the missiles would pose a challenge to regional and ROK missile defences given these characteristics. Together, they pose a nightmare." But all 13 launches in 2019 were brushed off by Mr Trump. After all, Mr Kim had kept his promise not to test long-range weapons or a nuclear weapon. However, the North Korean leader also hinted that this promise had an expiry date and that the moratorium on testing would end on 31 December if there was no deal with the US. Satellite launch? Kim Jong-un may think that if he wants to win back the US president's attention and pressure him for a better deal, he is going to have to go bigger and bolder. There are also various components of his new short-range missiles that he may be eager to try out on longer-range weapons. One way to do that would be to launch a satellite. It wouldn't technically break his promise, and it would be headline-grabbing both domestically and internationally. "The reasons to suspect a satellite launch may be awaiting us are complex, " said Ankit Panda, "but broadly speaking, we have several indicators, including evidence of work on new SLVs [satellite launch vehicles] from 2017 and increased references to space activities in state media this year. "We're also overdue for one, given the lack of any serious space activities despite a well-maintained space program in North Korea since 2016." Analysts are watching the satellite launch station in Sohae carefully. This site was one which North Korea had pledged to dismantle. "We haven't seen any activity which would indicate that there's an impending test," said Melissa Hanham, an expert on open-source intelligence and director of the Datayo Project at the One Earth Future Foundation. "However, it is still a fully functioning facility. They didn't dismantle the launch pad - they can still test missiles from there." Another option for Pyongyang would be to try out its new solid-fuel technology on a longer-range missile. Melissa Hanham said this fuel type has tactical advantages and would make North Korea's long-range missiles quicker and more powerful. "Solid fuel missiles are easier to hide from surveillance and spy satellites, because they can be fuelled and don't necessarily have a convoy of fuel vehicles around them for satellites to detect. They can also be stored and launch more quickly than liquid fuel missiles since they are pre-fuelled and ready to go." But surely testing a long-range missile which Washington could see as a threat to the US would risk angering an unpredictable Donald Trump? The US president declared the stand-off with North Korea as "largely solved" last year. He may find that a difficult claim to make at his re-election rallies if Pyongyang is firing off missiles capable of hitting Los Angeles. "At best, North Korea is trying to get the US to negotiate on its terms by ramping up public pressure and urgency. At worst, North Korea doesn't really intend to negotiate at all, and is just trying to lay the public groundwork for Washington to bear the blame for an escalation of tensions," said Mintaro Oba, a former Korea Desk Officer at the US Department of State. "Either way, North Korea is skilled at using public means to put the burden of action - and the burden of blame - on the United States. "It's like Santa Claus saying his gifts depend on you being naughty or nice, if he had little track record of actually giving gifts and he's probably already put you on the naughty list." Rachel Minyoung Lee, an analyst at NK News, also believes North Korea has already made up its mind that talks with the US will not work. "In fact, I have my doubts about whether Pyongyang had much faith in an outcome from its diplomacy with the US even before the Stockholm talks were held in October," she said. Washington has played down the significance of North Korea's year-end deadline. The US Special Representative for North Korea, Stephen Biegun, called it "artificial" and warned it would be a "huge mistake and a missed opportunity" for North Korea to take any provocative steps. It is true that Kim Jong-un's plans are still not clear but all the signs coming from Pyongyang would suggest they are serious about this countdown. As Prof John Delury of Seoul's Yonsei University told Reuters news agency, "The signals suggest the window for diplomacy is closing fast, if not already shut."

किम जोंग-उन को एक बड़ा फैसला लेना है।


Muslim Council of Britain elects first female leader

Summary: The Muslim Council of Britain has elected its first female leader.

Zara Mohammed said it was an "honour" to be appointed as the new secretary general after winning the most votes in a poll of affiliate groups of the UK's largest Muslim umbrella organisation. She succeeds Harun Khan, who completed a maximum of four years as the head of the MCB. The 29-year-old from Glasgow said she hoped more women and young people would be inspired to seek leadership roles. She said: "I think women sometimes hesitate to take on leadership roles even though they are more than qualified to do so. "It is really important to engage young people, engage more women and diversify the organisation and the work we are doing." Mayor of London Sadiq Khan tweeted that Ms Mohammed's appointment was "terrific". Mr Khan said: "I wish the very best of success to Zara Mohammed - may she continue to lead this organisation to greater heights for the betterment of our communities across the country." Ms Mohammed is a masters graduate in human rights law and a training and development consultant. She said that she aimed to "continue to build a truly inclusive, diverse and representative body", driven by the needs of British Muslims "for the common good". She previously served as an assistant secretary general for the MCB.

ब्रिटेन की मुस्लिम परिषद ने अपनी पहली महिला नेता का चुनाव किया है।


Silencing Sri Lanka's anti-Govt voice

Summary: In Sri Lanka this year it has well and truly been a case of the mighty falling, as the man that led the military to victory against the Tamil Tigers found himself placed in detention swiftly after losing his bid to oust Mahinda Rajapaksa in the presidential election in January.

Ten days ago it got worse for the former general Sarath Fonseka as he began a 30 month jail sentence in one of Colombo’s most notorious prisons for using nepotism in purchasing military supplies. And this week the authorities declared that he has lost his parliamentary seat. The opposition disputes the legality of that ruling and is resuming protests in his favour. Presidential pardon Prison officials say that Sarath Fonseka is afforded some extra security in the Welikada jail, which also holds suspected Tamil Tiger militants. In the past few days senior ministers have been heavily hinting that he might get a presidential pardon, but only if he himself pleads for one. His wife says he would not do that as he is not guilty of anything. Some of the opposition parties which fielded him as their candidate in January have resumed campaigns to get him freed. But the street demonstrations often have difficulty attracting large crowds, despite Mr Fonseka’s undoubted popularity among many people. He is not a figure that many human rights groups, whether local or foreign, want to espouse; his own reputation from the war years is too controversial for that. At the same time, his absence from the political scene, including, now, from parliament, has more or less silenced the most outspoken and witheringly anti-government political voice in Sri Lanka. That is in a context where the opposition is largely weak and divided, and has recently seen many of its own numbers enticed to defect to the government side for voting purposes. Should any pardon be granted, there would still be big question marks about Sarath Fonseka's future as there is still a series of charges pending against him. The government has been especially angry ever since Mr Fonseka was quoted as implying that the defence secretary might have been a party to war crimes.

श्रीलंका में इस साल यह अच्छी तरह से और सही मायने में शक्तिशाली पतन का मामला रहा है, क्योंकि जिस व्यक्ति ने तमिल टाइगर्स के खिलाफ सेना को जीत दिलाई थी, उसने जनवरी में राष्ट्रपति चुनाव में महिंदा राजपक्षे को बाहर करने की अपनी कोशिश हारने के बाद खुद को तेजी से हिरासत में पाया।


From Newport to Bollywood: Banita Sandhu's journey

Summary: Caerleon in Newport is better known for its Roman remains than its Bollywood links. But that hasn't stopped 20-year-old Banita Sandhu. Here, she talks of her Welsh roots, reconnecting with her Indian heritage and cracking the big time.

It's a cliche to say I always wanted to be an actress, but it is also true. I used to watch soaps as a child, with the goal of landing a part in Coronation Street. At the age of 10, I sat my mum down and told her my plans. Luckily, she took me seriously and found me an agent, but education still came first. I made a few short films, but it was when I turned 18 that I really got stuck in. Despite being a second-generation Indian, I had never considered working in India. But my first big job was filming a Vodafone advert which went viral in India, with one million hits. It caught the eye of renowned independent film director Shoojit Sircar. He then cast me in a four-minute Wrigley's advert, which received 40 million views. During filming, he let me know he had a film in the pipeline and that he wanted me to play a part. Six months later, when I was in my second year of an English Literature Degree at King's College London, I received a phone call with an offer. I took it, of course, quickly signing up for Hindi lessons and video calling the team in India to help me pick up the accent. We filmed for 37 days in Delhi and I learnt so much - not just about acting, but also my heritage. My grandparents came to Britain from the Punjab, northern India, shortly after World War Two. Both my parents were born here and my sister and I were raised in a middle-class existence in Caerleon. As we had no relatives in India, I had no reason to learn about it or engage with this history. So I loved learning more about the culture and my family's lives, struggles and traditions. It was also an honour to work on the film, October. Obviously, some may associate Bollywood with dramatic musical romances, but Sircar's films - such as Vicky Donor and Piku - are not like that. They are critically acclaimed, as well as being commercially successful and appealing to an international audience. They are also great human stories with beautiful cinematography. October is like this - featuring a group of young hotel management students with their trials and tribulations. Something major happens and then it follows how they change. Working with the lead actor Varun Dhawan was a steep learning curve - he is a major star out there with a huge fan base. I joke to him that he is the Justin Bieber of India. As for me, I might end up with a double life. Gradually I am more recognised in India and perhaps I will be more so after the film comes out. But back in the UK, life is completely stable and anonymous. I am currently in my last term of university and can't wait to graduate. I promised my parents I would finish my education, so I need to honour that. I have received other offers for roles but need time to think them over. Obviously, it's strange the way my life is panning out. During filming, the director teased me about how a girl from a small Welsh village could land this part. Hopefully I will end up acting here in Britain, but I'm so glad this initial role took me out to India and back to my roots. October, by Kino Works and Rising Sun Films, will be released worldwide on 13 April

न्यूपोर्ट में केरलियन अपने बॉलीवुड लिंक की तुलना में अपने रोमन अवशेषों के लिए बेहतर जाना जाता है। लेकिन इसने 20 वर्षीय बनिता संधू को नहीं रोका है। यहाँ, वह अपनी वेल्श जड़ों के बारे में बात करती है, अपनी भारतीय विरासत के साथ फिर से जुड़ती है और बड़े समय को तोड़ती है।


Repair work begins on Brent Bravo platform leg

Summary: Repair work has begun on a leg on a North Sea oil platform damaged during stormy weather.

Almost 80 workers were taken off Brent Bravo on Sunday night due to structural damage to a metal clamp located near a pipeline system. Shell had 40 of the staff moved to the Brent Charlie platform and 39 to Brent Delta as a precaution. Brent Bravo is 115 miles (185km) north east of Lerwick in Shetland.

तूफानी मौसम के दौरान क्षतिग्रस्त हुए उत्तरी सागर के तेल प्लेटफॉर्म पर एक पैर की मरम्मत का काम शुरू हो गया है।


Body Clock: What makes you tick?

Summary: As leading scientists warn that society has become "supremely arrogant" by ignoring the importance of sleep and the body clock, we examine the profound impact our internal clocks have on our body.

Explore the eight body clock phases and take the quiz to see if you are a morning-type "lark" - or an evening "owl". Explore your body clock. What is it doing now? Authors: James Gallagher, Rachael Buchanan and Victoria Gill Produced by: Andreia Carqueija, Richard Bangay, Marcelo Zanni, Helene Sears and Dominic Bailey With thanks to researchers at The University of Oxford, The University of Manchester, The University of Surrey, The University of Cambridge and Harvard Medical School.

जैसा कि प्रमुख वैज्ञानिकों ने चेतावनी दी है कि नींद और शरीर की घड़ी के महत्व को नजरअंदाज करके समाज "सर्वोच्च रूप से अभिमानी" हो गया है, हम हमारे शरीर पर हमारी आंतरिक घड़ियों के गहरे प्रभाव की जांच करते हैं।


Nuclear deal: Is Iran's economy better off now?

Summary: The 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and six world powers - the US, Russia, China, the UK, France and Germany - lifted international sanctions on Iran's economy, including those on oil, trade and banking sectors.

By Amir PaivarBBC Persian business reporter In exchange, Iran agreed to limit its nuclear activities. US President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened to abandon the agreement and will make a decision on 12 May about whether to reintroduce sanctions from his country. So, as that deadline draws nearer, Reality Check examines how Iran's economy has fared since the nuclear accord came into effect. How much have oil exports boosted Iran's economy? Iran's economy was in a deep recession in the years before the nuclear agreement. But the International Monetary Fund reported that the real GDP of Iran grew 12.5% in the first year following the implementation of the deal. Growth has fallen since then, and the IMF estimates the economy will grow at 4% this year, which is healthy but below the 8% target Iran had for the five years following the deal. That initial boost was almost all thanks to the hike in oil exports. Sanctions on Iran's energy sector halved the country's oil exports, to around 1.1 million barrels per day in 2013. Now Iran exports almost 2.5 million barrels daily. What about other famous Iranian exports, like pistachio nuts? Iran's non-oil exports in the year to March 2018 reached $47bn (£34.5bn) which is almost $5bn more than the year before the nuclear agreement. According to Iran's ministry of agriculture, the export of "signature items" such as pistachio nuts stood at $1.1bn in the same period, slightly lower than the previous year. But Iran's agricultural exports, including pistachios and saffron, are more affected by the country's drought, rather than sanctions or trade relations. Following the nuclear agreement, the US lifted a ban on Iranian luxury items such as carpets and caviar. Sanctions cut exports of Iranian carpets to the US - its biggest market - by 30% . Iran's trade with the European Union has increased significantly thanks to the lifting of sanctions but China, South Korea and Turkey remain Iran's top three trading partners. Did the nuclear deal stabilise Iran's falling currency? In 2012, the rial lost almost two-thirds of its value against the dollar because of sanctions and domestic mismanagement of the currency market. The sanctions limited Iran's oil revenues and its access to the global banking system. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani promised the nation that following the nuclear deal "you will not see the exchange rate go up every hour". Mr Rouhani managed to deliver on that promise by keeping the Iranian currency stable for almost four years. But in late 2017, when President Trump refused to certify the nuclear deal to Congress, the rial started to fall again. The rial has lost almost half of its value against the dollar since last September. Many Iranians have been buying hard foreign currency to hedge against the possible future collapse of the nuclear deal, the return of sanctions and a fresh currency crash. It was reported that some $30bn of capital left Iran in the first quarter of 2018, mostly to neighbouring countries and the Caucasus. The Iranian government has since launched a crackdown on the foreign exchange market, banning exchange offices from selling hard currency and introducing limits (at $12,000) on cash possession - all in a bid to rescue the rial. Are ordinary Iranians richer because of the nuclear deal? Analysis by BBC Persian of figures from the Central Bank of Iran shows that household budgets (the value of all the goods and services used by a household) have fallen in real terms from $14,800 in 2007-08 to $12,515 in 2016-17. Household budgets declined steadily for seven years until 2014-15 when the nuclear deal was struck and increased slightly the following year. The analysis also shows that Iran's middle class has been hit the hardest in the past decade. While the average household budget has fallen 15%, the figure is 20% for middle-class families. Experts blame a combination of domestic mismanagement of the economy and international sanctions for the fall in household budgets. Most of the post-nuclear deal boom came from increased oil revenues that go directly into the government coffers and that takes time to trickle down into people's pockets. Read more from Reality Check Send us your questions Follow us on Twitter

ईरान और छह विश्व शक्तियों-अमेरिका, रूस, चीन, ब्रिटेन, फ्रांस और जर्मनी के बीच 2015 के परमाणु समझौते ने तेल, व्यापार और बैंकिंग क्षेत्रों सहित ईरान की अर्थव्यवस्था पर अंतर्राष्ट्रीय प्रतिबंधों को हटा दिया।


Alps coach crash: Wrexham woman Catrin Pugh in UK hospital

Summary: A 19-year-old Wrexham woman who was badly injured in a coach crash in the French Alps is now back in the UK.

Catrin Pugh, from Rossett, was one of three Britons injured when the coach crashed and burst into flames near Alpe D'Huez a week ago. She was transferred to Whiston Hospital, Merseyside, at the weekend, where her condition is described as "stable". The Foreign Office said two Britons remain in hospital in France. Ms Pugh was among more than 50 people on the coach when it crashed, killing driver Maurice Wrightson, 63, from Northumberland. It is thought she was returning home after working the ski season in France. Her family said in a statement they had been "overwhelmed" by good wishes and support.

फ्रांसीसी आल्प्स में एक कोच दुर्घटना में बुरी तरह से घायल हुई एक 19 वर्षीय रेक्सम महिला अब यूके में वापस आ गई है।


Two sisters, a mountain trek and a wobbly wire bridge

Summary: Radhika and Yashoda can travel for up to six hours a day to school and back. They live high in the mountains, in a remote Himalayan village. But getting an education is really important to them. Follow them on their daily journey - or scroll down to read their story.

By Vikas Pandey & Anna BressaninBBC News, Delhi Tap here to see the 360 video. To watch 360 video, you will need the latest version of Chrome, Opera, Firefox or Internet Explorer on your computer. On mobile - you will need to open the video in the latest version of the YouTube app for Android or iOS. Radhika and Yashoda's story It's 05:00 on a sunny morning in the middle of the monsoon season, and sisters Radhika and Yashoda are leaning on the edge of the balcony washing their faces. They tease each other over who will get more roti for breakfast. Their playfulness gives little indication that in half an hour, they will set off, on foot, on a perilous journey to school. It's a trek that will take them through mountainous terrain, thick forests and over a fast-flowing river. But first, they visit the Hindu temple at the heart of Syaba, a hamlet of 500 people, in the Indian state of Uttarakhand. The ringing of the bell there invokes the protection of the deities. The sisters, aged 14 and 16, are two of the six youngsters who make the daily journey to their schools from their remote homes. Their father waves them off with a smile and a heavy heart. The trek takes two to three hours each way, depending on the weather. But it's the only way to reach the far-off towns of Maneri and Malla, where the girls' schools are located. There are no roads in or out of Syaba. Carrying their lunch of vegetable curry and chapati, and their school books, the girls set out on a narrow track covered with loose stones. One of the most difficult parts of the journey lies some two hours ahead of them - crossing the Bhagirathi River. There, they will have to pull themselves to the other side in a metal trolley suspended by a cable high over gushing water. It requires a lot of strength - more so when it rains and the rope is heavier to pull. Injuries are not uncommon. Villagers have damaged, and even lost, fingers in the overhead cables. "We have to hold on to the trolley very tight to make sure we don't fall in the gushing waters," says Yashoda. A cousin once got tangled in the ropes and fell into the water below. Luckily, he was saved. "We also have to be careful about grease on the wires - our hands get dirty anyway, but we try to protect our clothes from the grease," says Yashoda. "Our school trousers are white, so the stain shows." Once they reach the safety of the north bank of the Bhagirathi, they wait for a taxi to take them - by road - to school. Thick forests present their own dangers. Bears and leopards have been spotted by relatives and neighbours. There are about 200 villages like Syaba in the mountains of Uttarakhand - that are more than 250 miles (400km) by road from Delhi. Some are connected by road, but most are accessible only on foot. Yashoda dreams of becoming a police officer, while Radhika has her heart set on being a teacher. Neither wants to get married at a young age - as their parents did - and both want to continue studying. Apart from that, they couldn't be more different. Yashoda is serious and quiet; Radhika stops chatting for only a few seconds, when she rapidly bends down to remove leeches from her feet. There are plenty of leeches in the muddy path during the monsoon. Radhika doesn't think much of the leeches. "I am not afraid of anything," she says. Like her sister, she loves her village and the nature around it. "When it rains, we see so many tiny waterfalls in the mountains. If you come from the city, you will be mesmerised with these falls," says Yashoda. "The leaves from the trees fall during winter, and it looks as if somebody has laid out a red carpet to welcome an important person in the village." On their way to school, the sisters stop to drink from a fountain fed by crystal clear water that has travelled down the mountain, and pick wild cucumbers. When they get hold of one of their relatives' mobile phones, Yashoda and Radhika often play Bollywood song videos and watch the shapes of romantic actors dancing on the small, pixelated screen. Their family doesn't own a TV, but one of their uncles does. Sometimes the entire family gathers to watch programmes on it. On a tranquil Sunday afternoon, as the BBC crew plans the next shoot, Yashoda sits on the bed with the phone playing songs and Radhika wraps a pink scarf around her head before starting to dance. "We dream about many things," says Yashoda. "We sometimes have dreams about our ghosts, and sometimes we see our younger brother in our dreams, because he lives in the city in a hostel to study and we see him only during weekends." Most children in Syaba leave school after Year 9. If they want to pursue higher education, they have to leave their home and rent accommodation. Most families can't afford it. The BBC team is planning on taking headsets to Syaba, so the girls and their family can experience this VR documentary first-hand. This is their film. And for Yashoda and Radhika's parents, it will be a chance to take the journey to school with their daughters. All images subject to copyright. 360 Video Production: Direction, script, production - Vikas Pandey, Anna Bressanin Executive Producer - Zillah Watson Field production - Nitin Ramola (Uttarkashi), Raju Gusain (Dehradun) Memesys Culture Lab: Director of Photography - Rohan Raut Camera assistant and sound - Raj Samanta Editor - Sreya Chatterjee Special thanks to: The people of Syaba village Pramod Semwal Uttarakhand Film Development Board Junior High School, Malla Government Inter College, Maneri

राधिका और यशोदा दिन में छह घंटे तक स्कूल जा सकते हैं और वापस आ सकते हैं। वे पहाड़ों में, एक दूरदराज के हिमालयी गाँव में रहते हैं। लेकिन शिक्षा प्राप्त करना उनके लिए वास्तव में महत्वपूर्ण है। उनकी दैनिक यात्रा पर उनका अनुसरण करें-या उनकी कहानी पढ़ने के लिए नीचे स्क्रॉल करें।


Birmingham woman arrested by terrorism police

Summary: A woman has been arrested by counter terrorism police.

The 38-year-old was taken into custody from an address in Handsworth, Birmingham, on Tuesday morning, West Midlands Police said. A search is ongoing at the address and inquiries continue, it added. The arrest was made as part of an investigation by Counter Terrorism Policing West Midlands. There is not believed to be any imminent threat to the public. Follow BBC West Midlands on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: newsonline.westmidlands@bbc.co.uk

काउंटर टेररिज्म पुलिस ने एक महिला को गिरफ्तार किया है।


Zero suicide - is it achievable?

Summary: How much could the death toll from suicide be reduced?

Hugh PymHealth editor@BBCHughPymon Twitter Deaths by suicide annually in the UK are the equivalent of the likely number of fatalities if 20 long-haul flights crashed each year, according to campaigners launching the Zero Suicide Alliance. Figures from the Samaritans show 6,188 suicides were recorded in the UK in 2015, an average of 17 per day. How preventable are these losses of life with all the tragic consequences for bereaved families? And is zero suicide a realistic direction of travel? The aim of the new alliance is to get specific commitments to reduce suicide deaths, and for NHS organisations to aim for zero amongst patients in their care. At the launch there was an impassioned speech from Steve Mallen, whose 18-year-old son Edward took his own life in 2015. He acknowledged there was greater national awareness of mental health as an issue but said there had been little change in recent years on the NHS frontline. "Enough is enough", he said, "we can save more lives than at present". He called the current state of the mental health system an "indictment on society" and said frontline services were in a "terrible state". Mr Mallen's hard-hitting comments and criticism of the state of mental health care were made in the presence of Jeremy Hunt. The health secretary argued there had been an improvement in crisis care but said there was "lots more to do". Mr Hunt called on mental health trusts in England to commit to zero suicide among their patients. Detroit success There is cross-party support at Westminster for the new initiative. Labour MP Luciana Berger and Norman Lamb of the Liberal Democrats both said they would try to sign up every MP to a new online suicide prevention training programme, which takes just 20 minutes. The aim is to help identify people who may be having suicidal thoughts and talk openly to them, and then direct them to appropriate support services. The hope is that one million people nationwide will do the online training. The Zero Suicide Alliance is already backed by about half of mental health trusts in England and a quarter of clinical commissioning groups. It's an intriguing grassroots initiative which has gathered its own momentum. This is most certainly not a scheme devised in Whitehall and then sent out to the NHS as a tablet of stone. The drive and energy has come from Mersey Care, a mental health trust, Dr Geraldine Strathdee, a former clinical director for mental health at NHS England and Steve Mallen. Mersey Care derived its inspiration from pioneering work done in Detroit at the Henry Ford Hospital System, at which suicide was dramatically reduced over a decade and reached zero. Prevention is the top priority, with patients seen for a wide range of physical conditions screened for mental illness. It has been noted, though, that the hospital system's patients tended to be those with health insurance and might not include many of the poorest in the community. 'Liberated' Mersey Care launched its zero suicide plan in 2015. This has involved extensive staff training. Every patient who comes into contact with trust services is assessed for suicide risk. Trust directors carry out post-suicide reviews within 72 hours to learn what changes might be required. There is a promise of "no blame or criticism" but a requirement that staff and managers co-operate with the reviews. There is not yet enough data to review the policy but the trust says progress has been made. Mersey Care's chief executive, Joe Rafferty, told the audience at the launch event that the NHS "shouldn't be afraid of the power of zero". He said staff were liberated by the zero suicide target. The Zero Suicide Alliance's supporters say there should be a "public outcry" over suicide. They say its preventable and not inevitable. They hope that public awareness, raised by social media, will help prevention while the NHS raises its game. Above all, they say, repaying a debt to bereaved families is their primary motivation.

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