Can chocolate tasting unite Trump’s America?

Summary: The rancorous confirmation of the new US Supreme Court justice, Brett Kavanaugh, has revealed how deeply divided the country is. The distance between the left and right feels cavernous. Can Americans from different political backgrounds bond over sport and chocolate-tasting?

By Rajini VaidyanathanBBC News It's just gone 9am on a Saturday morning and a group of more than 30 people have gathered at a sports field in the centre of Waynesboro, Pennsylvania. A two hour ride from Washington DC, it's a rural township where the urban sprawl of the nation's capital has been traded for green fields and woodland, set against mountain views and a powder-blue sky. As the group assemble around picnic tables they make their introductions as they munch on bagels and drink coffee. Half of the people here have travelled from Washington DC, while the other half are locals from Franklin County, where Waynesboro, a town with a predominantly white population of ten thousand people sits. They're here to take part in what organisers call the "Super Decathlon" a day-long event which brings together teams of four - two urban, two rural - to compete in a range of events. "There are lots of divides in our country right now, one of which is the divide between people who live in urban and rural areas," says Joe Bubman, who has organised the day's activities. Bubman points to data from the Pew research centre which suggests that the majority of rural dwellers (58%) believe those in urban America have different values to them, with a similar percentage of urban dwellers (53%) feeling the same about those in rural areas. The same survey shows that 70% of those in rural areas and 65% in urban areas, feel people who live in a different type of community to them don't understand their concerns. "Our hypothesis is that one of the reasons for these divisions is that there's not much interaction between rural and urban communities." "We believe that people are more likely to engage in discussions on substantive issues if you are first able are interact with someone else as a fellow human, as a fellow American," adds Bubman who is in his second year of such an event. Joe and his co-organiser David Michaels, hope that through 10 different activities - everything from kickball to dodgeball, rock paper scissors to trivia quiz, relay race, blindfold dessert tasting, and Sudoku - they can do their bit to break down some of the divisions in the country. There's not much time to make small talk before teams are thrust into their first activity, a game of kickball. On the pitch I meet Golzar Meamar from Washington DC, who was encouraged to attend by her housemate. By her own admission, she wouldn't otherwise visit a place like Waynesboro but she's pleased to attend, not least to break down some of the misconceptions rural and urban Americans have about each other. "Something I've heard a lot is this idea that those in urban communities live frivolously, live differently and are mean and unkind to neighbours," she tells me, "and that we don't care about community." For Golzar this is the biggest myth she hopes to dispel through the day, "There's a community bonding experience that we all share, we all just want to love… regardless of where we live." It's heartening to see how Golzar and her team, who are wearing pink, gel so quickly over their shared experiences on the sports field. Shortly after the game of kickball end, the teams line up facing each other to play a mammoth game of rock, paper, scissors. A refrain of "rock, paper, scissors…shoot", ripples along the line as the teams engage in a slightly unconventional bonding experience. As Golzar competes with a player from the red team, her allies in pink - John, Josh and Corie - watch on, throwing their hands in the air enthusiastically when she wins a round. John and Josh, who are from Franklin county, tell me what they think are the biggest misconceptions people have about those who live in the countryside. "I feel that everyone thinks that we're farmers. That we all work with cows and plant crops and harvest corn," says John, who works at an after-school club in the area. "I don't even live near a farm," he adds incredulously. John doesn't believe America is as divided as many would think it is. "I don't really feel that anything is really going to divide us like in the Civil War. I think it's more of the media twisting on both sides, about how it really is." More than 70% of residents in Franklin County voted for Donald Trump, including Josh, who says he never has a problem talking about the issues of the day with friends across the political spectrum. His rural teammate Josh, who leans "more negative" towards Mr Trump has a slightly different take. "I think tensions are very high and opinions are very heated, so there aren't a whole lot of proper discussions being had about certain topics." And that's definitely the case during the Super Decathlon. Most teams are divided along political lines, but team talk is firmly focused on winning the day's events, rather than who won the 2016 election. As I approach the orange team, who are preparing for their chocolate tasting round, I ask them if they've discussed politics in any way. "I think it feels uncomfortable quite frankly talking about politics these days," Allison Shean, who works in international development in Washington DC tells me. Allison was one of the 90% of DC residents who cast a ballot for Hillary Clinton. She might have voted for a different candidate to her team mate Stuart Ocker, who works in manufacturing in Greencastle, Pennsylvania, but on this matter they agree. "I usually shy away from talking politics just because I don't follow it all that closely. "It is just easier to stay on common ground to unite with somebody, than rip each other apart for no reason." Both believe there are opportunities to come together in America, despite their political differences. "We're on the same team today," they tell me in unison. "When you have days like today, where you're coming together and playing dodgeball or kickball, you really recognise that we're all kind of just out here to have fun," adds Allison. As the day winds up, the teams are blindfolded to guess the flavour of different chocolates. It is striking to see how a focus on whether the dark chocolate is honey roasted or sprinkled with cinnamon can unite people. "What better way to bring America together than by tasting chocolate," quips Jay Lurie, a member of the red team who works in international development in Washington DC. "I can definitely see people breaking down barriers and bonding. Today has pulled me out of my comfort zone so I forget the daily news feed for a moment and focus on connecting with people." As the day wraps up, the humid summer heat is swapped for torrential rain as the winners are announced. The group then poses for a photo before saying their goodbyes - and in some cases exchange contacts - as those from the city prepare for their drive back to Washington DC. Organisers hope that the lasting legacy of this sort of event are new friendships. "Even if it's things like becoming friends on Facebook that makes a difference because it may change what shows up in your news feed because you are then seeing perspectives of people who are living in different communities," says Bubman. He plans to bring some of the participants together again in October to work together on a clean-up of the Appalachian nature trail in the area, one way Bubman says to come together on local projects, even if their national views are different. Bubman hopes to expand his project more broadly but warns that the mid term elections provide a challenge. "I think they are not putting the country over their political party. "We need to channel activism to not just getting your preferred political candidate elected, but to collaborate across the partisan divide." Follow Rajini on Twitter @BBCRajiniv

अमेरिकी सुप्रीम कोर्ट के नए न्यायाधीश ब्रेट कैवनॉग की तीखी पुष्टि से पता चला है कि देश कितना गहराई से विभाजित है। बाएं और दाएं के बीच की दूरी गहरी लगती है। क्या विभिन्न राजनीतिक पृष्ठभूमि के अमेरिकी खेल और चॉकलेट-स्वाद पर बंधन बना सकते हैं?


Suharto casts shadow over Indonesia's election

Summary: For more than a decade Indonesia has enjoyed a lively democracy. But as millions prepare to vote in the third direct presidential election, memories of former dictator Suharto linger on, as the BBC's Karishma Vaswani reports.

Hundreds of Indonesians arrive daily at the Suharto museum in Central Java to pay their respects to a man who was as close to a king as you can get in this country. General Suharto ruled Indonesia for 32 years. His brutal New Order regime shot down dissenters and his soldiers silenced the opposition. But he's still revered as a demi-god in his hometown of Kemusuk. "This is the same water that Suharto drank as a child," says museum keeper Gatot Nugroho, showing me a stone well. "We believe that if you wash your hands in this water, and then do your prayers, Allah will grant you whatever you desire. "That's how powerful our belief in Suharto is." Suparni and Tugiyat sell T-shirts emblazoned with Suharto's face and slogans in Javanese, saying: "It was better in my time, wasn't it?" Was it really better, I asked, having grown up in those days myself? I remembered the days of the New Order well. Time magazine and the Far Eastern Economic Review would often be delivered to our house with pages covered in thick black ink. Paragraphs that were deemed offensive to Suharto were removed from view. But for Suparni and Tugiyat those days marked a simpler, less chaotic time. "We had food on our table, and we could get jobs," says Suparni. "Pak Harto [a nickname for the former dictator] looked after us... he was a firm leader." 'Unthinkable' presidency After 16 years of an often messy and complicated democracy, some Indonesians are looking for a way out. Enter Prabowo Subianto, Suharto's ex son-in-law and former commander of Indonesia's special forces. Mr Subianto has exploited his relationship with the strongman, and sports his signature safari suit and black fez hat. Many Indonesians are attracted to his bold, nationalistic speeches, in which he regularly berates foreigners for stealing Indonesia's natural resources. But Mr Subianto's path to the presidency has been marred by controversy. He has a tainted record on human rights, having been dismissed from the army for his role in the abduction of student activists in 1998. Raharja Jati was one of dozens of anti-Suharto activists kidnapped and tortured by Indonesia's special forces when Mr Subianto led them. For him, it would be unthinkable to have Mr Subianto as president. "They didn't let me sleep, they electrocuted me, and hit me many many times," he says. "They made me lie down on an ice block for hours on end. But what I will never forget is how they would step on my face with their military boots. I can never forget that." Mr Jati is convinced Mr Subianto cannot change. "He was never held accountable, no-one ever punished him for what he did," he says. "I worry he will take democratic Indonesia back to the days of dictatorship." Mr Subianto has insisted he has no plans to roll back Indonesia's democracy, and in fact wants to eliminate corruption and strengthen law and order. A political rookie? Standing against Mr Subianto is Joko Widodo, known popularly as Jokowi, a furniture exporter with humble beginnings. He enjoys rock-star status among many poor Indonesians and until recently was the frontrunner. But his critics say he is a political rookie, and does not know how to run a country. "Jokowi is an asset to Jakarta, but he should stick to running this city," says Sandiaga Uno, Mr Subianto's campaign spokesman. He was referring to Mr Widodo's former job as governor of Indonesia's capital city. "Prabowo Subianto is a firm leader, and his vision for Indonesia is the one that will grow our economy and our position internationally." A third of Indonesia's voters are heading to the polls for the first time this Wednesday. They are children of Indonesia's modern era - they don't remember the days of the dictatorship, having grown up in a democracy. This is the demographic who are among Mr Subianto's strongest supporters - an Indonesian youth hungry for decisive leadership and a president who can better represent Indonesia on the international stage. But others have voiced their concerns that he would spell the end of Indonesia's hard-won democracy. 'Father of our nation' For the first time in its 31-year history, the main English language daily in the country, the Jakarta Post, endorsed a candidate in the Indonesian election - Joko Widodo - and delivered a scathing rebuke to his opponent Mr Subianto. "In an election like no other, we cannot sit on the fence when the alternative is too ominous to consider," the editorial read. Indonesia elections 190million eligible voters 30% will be first-time voters at 479,183 polling stations on 8,000 inhabited islands across Indonesia and overseas "A man who has admitted to abducting rights activists has no place at the helm of the world's third largest democracy." Back at Suharto's museum, a group of young children are led through the museum by their dad, who points out pictures of the former dictator on the walls. "This is President Suharto," he tells them, making them recite the general's name over and over. "He was the father of our nation. We can never forget him."

एक दशक से अधिक समय से इंडोनेशिया में जीवंत लोकतंत्र है। लेकिन जैसे-जैसे लाखों लोग तीसरे प्रत्यक्ष राष्ट्रपति चुनाव में मतदान करने की तैयारी कर रहे हैं, पूर्व तानाशाह सुहार्तो की यादें बनी हुई हैं, जैसा कि बीबीसी की करिश्मा वासवानी रिपोर्ट करती हैं।


Valencia RiFF restaurant: Woman dies after Michelin-starred meal

Summary: Update 24 January 2020: In December 2019, a judge at the Superior Court of Justice of the Valencian Community (TSJCV) ruled that the death of the female diner was due to natural causes and the investigation into RiFF restaurant was closed.

A woman has died and 28 more diners fell ill after eating at a Michelin-starred restaurant in Spain. The diner went to RiFF in Valencia with her husband and son, 12, both of whom also had diarrhoea and vomiting. The restaurant is now closed while public health officials investigate the exact cause of the outbreak. RiFF, which has one Michelin star and is described by the guide as serving "innovative cuisine", has issued an apology to its customers. Officials tracked down 75 people who ate at the restaurant between 13 and 16 February, and learned that a total of 29 had suffered food poisoning, including three families. This included a 46-year-old woman who ate out with her family on Saturday night and died at home in the early hours of Sunday morning. A spokesperson from Valencia's regional ministry of health told BBC News that food safety officers inspected RiFF on Monday but were unable to find an obvious cause. Samples of some of the dishes that were served as part of a tasting menu have now been sent to the National Toxicology Institute for analysis, they added. Some reports have suggested that morel mushrooms may have been to blame, but officials told local media they were waiting for the test results to come back before singling out any particular ingredient. RiFF's owner and head chef Bernd Knöller said in a statement that he was working with health officials to establish the facts. "Regardless of the reason that may have caused this situation, I want to convey my deep regret for what happened, hoping that soon all these facts can be clarified," he added. "I have made the decision that the restaurant remains closed until the causes of what happened are established."

अद्यतन 24 जनवरी 2020: दिसंबर 2019 में, वेलेंसियन समुदाय (टी. एस. जे. सी. वी.) के सुपीरियर कोर्ट ऑफ जस्टिस के एक न्यायाधीश ने फैसला सुनाया कि महिला भोजनालय की मृत्यु प्राकृतिक कारणों से हुई थी और आर. आई. एफ. एफ. रेस्तरां की जांच बंद कर दी गई थी।


Why African millennials can't get enough of Bitcoin

Summary: Bitcoin's eye-watering price surge over the past year is proving too tempting to resist despite fears that cryptocurrencies are a bubble floating towards an inevitable burst. One group for whom it holds particular appeal is African millennials, writes the BBC's Catherine Byaruhanga from Uganda.

Thirty year-old Peace Akware in Kampala is a convert to the cryptocurrency craze. Like any self-respecting middle class millennial here her smartphone is always within reach and with it her digital wallet. "I check my Bitcoin every day and any chance I can get. Any minute, any hour, anytime, as often as I can," she tells me from the small bungalow she rents on the outskirts of Kampala. Finding a job here is almost like a lottery for graduates so Ugandans often have so-called side hustles. Peace has sold clothes and even got into money lending. Both failed. But buying cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin appeals to her because it requires less of her time and there are no upfront costs. She's bought more than a thousand dollars worth of Bitcoin. So far the gamble is paying off and overall she is seeing her digital value rise. "You know there's potential for it growing even further. I would like to buy a car. I would like to buy land. I would like to build with it." Disrupting remittances It's not just those hoping to get rich quick who are getting in on the action. In parts of the continent - especially commercial hubs like Lagos, Nairobi and Johannesburg - a small but growing number of people are finding that cryptocurrencies offer a cheaper solution to an expensive problem - transferring funds across borders. The technology platform Bitpesa uses Bitcoin as a medium to transfer cash across borders. It is like a remittance company. With traditional remittance companies like Western Union, when you transfer money initially it goes from your local currency into dollars then on the other side they receive dollars which are then converted into the local currency. You lose a lot of money in that conversion. What Bitpesa does is substitute the dollars with Bitcoin. It is cheaper, especially when there is a shortage of dollars in the country or restrictions on accessing dollars. It is also quicker because you don't have to go through long complicated bank approvals. Read more about technology in Africa: Five African tech trends to look out for in 2018 The computer that can smell explosives Africa needs more engineers and makers How African governments block social media Elizabeth Rossiello is the CEO of Bitpesa. Even as someone who knows how the finance world works, she gets frustrated with traditional banking. "I've been in Nairobi for the past month and I had three big banking things to do. "All three of these operations with three different Kenyan banks were cancelled for different reasons, or had delays or needed additional information so it took almost two-and-a-half weeks per transaction to get them finalised and I'm an expert." Bitpesa has been operating for four years now and has over 6,000 customers across the continent. It focuses on big-ticket transfers - for example, paying suppliers in China or employees in another country. In Nigeria, when the government placed controls on access to the US dollar during a financial crunch, Bitcoin made it much easier for businesses to transfer cash abroad, something that has increased interest in cryptocurrencies in the country. In places like Zimbabwe, where there has been political and economic instability, Bitcoin has become a place to store value, buy goods and services from abroad and crucially a vehicle for remittances from the diaspora. Many central banks are sceptical. The Nigerian, Kenyan and Ugandan central banks have issued warnings about getting involved in the new and unregulated market. The governor of the Central Bank of Kenya went as far as saying digital currencies are a type of Ponzi scheme because of the way their value often fluctuates. Bitcoin classes Martin Serugga, a sharply dressed currency trader in Kampala warns people to be cautious too. He says unfamiliarity about the new financial instruments could lead to criminals duping customers out of their money. Nevertheless, he has started weekly classes with over 50 people attending to learn about cryptocurrencies and how to trade them against traditional currencies like the US dollar or British pound. He says high youth unemployment in Uganda is driving interest in Bitcoin and other products. "If you don't have factory jobs and you don't have corporate jobs to serve the thousands of young people coming out of the universities this is an alternative," he says. Mr Serugga's class is made up of equal numbers of men and women, who are mostly young. They come to an upmarket coffee shop for their dose of the financial markets. The bright projector on the screen flashes numbers, graphs and bright colours. Joachim Ndhokero, a recent economics graduate, is still unemployed. His father encouraged him to attend the classes to make some money but it has not been easy. He lost over $900 (£664) in a trade gone wrong. Before he lost all his money, he had just made a $200 profit. Then he went to the cinema and lost everything. "I think it was within like two hours. "That day I learnt that for cryptocurrencies, since they have a bigger spread, they can easily bring in losses. If it's a loss, it's really a loss." The expert advice here is "use what you can afford to lose". Blockchain magic But it's not just the currency aspect of this technology that people think will transform the continent. Digital security expert Neil Blazevic sees the blockchain technology which underpins cryptocurrencies as the more important innovation. Blockchain is a form of recording data that cannot be tampered with or hacked. It can be used for documents from contracts drawn up by lawyers to land registries. He lists many more applications. "If African developers, entrepreneurs, and governments can leverage blockchain technologies, they may have a shot at tackling some of the continent's most intractable problems of the unbanked masses, digital identities, untrusted voting systems, to name only a few applications," Mr Blazevic explains. "With the right support for innovation, and collaboration Africa could once again leapfrog over the digital divide and become a market leader just like it did in the move from landline communications infrastructure to the mobile phone ecosystem." One person who has fully embraced the African mobile phone revolution is Ms Akware. She continues to watch over her digital wallet. She knows that the value of Bitcoin could fall at any moment. If all fails she will probably start again from scratch with a new venture. For the moment she is holding on, hoping to buy her first car in two months.

युगांडा से बीबीसी की कैथरीन ब्यारुहंगा लिखती हैं कि पिछले एक साल में बिटक्वाइन की कीमतों में आई उछाल इस डर के बावजूद प्रतिरोध करने के लिए बहुत आकर्षक साबित हो रही है कि क्रिप्टोकरेंसी एक अपरिहार्य विस्फोट की ओर तैरता हुआ बुलबुला है। एक समूह जिसके लिए यह विशेष रूप से अपील करता है वह अफ्रीकी सहस्राब्दी है।


Social-media images shown as evidence of 'Russian trolls'

Summary: US senators have put on show several examples of what they believe to be Russia's attempt to influence US citizens via social media.

Facebook, Twitter and Google had previously shared with congressional investigators some examples of what they suspected to be adverts and messages posted by Russia-based "troll" operatives, but the material had not previously been made public - although some instances had already been identified by the press. Below are the cases displayed during the Senate Subcommittee on the Judiciary's hearing on Tuesday and a follow-up event held by the Senate Subcommittee on Intelligence, which is ongoing.

अमेरिकी सीनेटरों ने सोशल मीडिया के माध्यम से अमेरिकी नागरिकों को प्रभावित करने के रूस के प्रयास के कई उदाहरण दिए हैं।


Indian skyscrapers to be brought down in controlled implosions

Summary: For more than a decade, thousands of people have made their homes in four skyscrapers that sit along an idyllic lakefront in southern India. But now they are set to watch their homes - and their investments - implode before their eyes, following a battle over the environment which went all the way to the Supreme Court.

By Ashraf PadannaBBC News In 2006, PP Joseph, a bank executive, spent what would now amount to $70,000 (£55,000) to purchase a 2,140 sq ft (198 sq m) flat in Alfa Serene. The 16-storey private apartment building overlooked the backwaters of the Vembanad lake, the largest in the state of Kerala, in the city of Cochin. Thirteen years later, Mr Joseph finds himself out of a home and unsure of whether he can recoup his investment. Alfa Serene and three other buildings - which together house 343 flats and some 2,000 people - will be brought down in implosions later this month. The luxury apartments once housed bankers, executives, film actors and directors, affluent retirees, expatriates and even a media advisor to a senior politician. Now, they stand empty. "When I bought my flat, the builders said there was no pending litigation, and this was included in my sale deed," Mr Joseph says. "They were cheating us." 'Where can we go?' India's Supreme Court ordered the demolition last May, after an official committee found that the buildings were constructed in breach of environmental rules protecting coastal areas. Faced with the prospect of homelessness, some residents initially refused to leave. "Whatever happens, we are not going to move out. They will have to tread over our bodies," one resident, named only as Joyson, told Gulf News. But officials cut water and electricity supply to the buildings - then still home to dozens of children and almost 150 pensioners. The residents had no choice but to go. The residents had also fought through the courts - but their pleas went unheeded: the Kerala state government told the court last month that it would carry out the implosion in 90 days, leaving home owners disappointed, frustrated and scared for their futures. "I bought this flat to stay with my elderly mother," widow Maya Prem Mohan, 60, told NDTV. "We have not much savings left. We have medical needs. "Where can we go at this age? Can we afford another house?" The court has said the owners should be compensated to the tune of $35,000 (£28,000). However, the money is supposed to be recouped from the company which built the four tower blocks - and they are nowhere to be found. The BBC has tried contacting the builders - Paul Raj and Sini Joseph - but they have been unreachable. Police told the BBC that they had registered a case of cheating against them and have searched their offices. The court has frozen their bank accounts and attached properties. But for homeowners, the missing builders are just one of a list of problems. The compensation itself is too little, they say, and there are others at fault. "Just days before the demolition order was issued, my neighbour sold his apartment for $176,000," Mr Joseph says. "Sale of flats continued as buyers were not expecting the Supreme Court to leave us homeless overnight." Karunagappally, a lawyer and homeowner, said that because many of the owners live and work in the Middle East, the situation is even more unfair. It is difficult for them to pursue any legal action in India. "The [officials] that issued permits to the builders are primarily responsible for our plight," he added. The problem appears to come down to two different planning authorities, with different ideas about the land. The Maradu village council granted building permits between 1995 and 2006. However, the Kerala Coastal Zone Management Authority (KCZMA) opposed the permits. KCZMA, created in 1991 to prevent degradation of the coastal and marine areas, alleges permission was given without its mandatory approval. Construction is regulated according to the classification of the zone and Maradu, according to KCZMA, is classed as a critically vulnerable area where no new construction is allowed. But local officials allowed construction, defining Maradu as an urban area in a coastal belt where residential buildings are allowed. Following the KCZMA's protest, the village council tried to stop construction. But the builders petitioned the Kerala high court, which, in 2007, allowed construction to continue. In a 2016 ruling, it blamed the officials for granting building permits. The KCZMA then appealed to the Supreme Court. The top court not only ruled in favour of KCZMA, but also ordered the demolition, although officials had never sought it. In its ruling, the court referred to the devastating floods in Kerala in 2018 and said they were the result of "the entire environment being degraded and coastal zones being illegally occupied". Environmental groups welcomed the judgement, hoping it would serve as a deterrent. The court will hear the case again on 23 October to monitor the progress of the demolition. However, now authorities in Maradu are on the hunt for demolition experts who can bring down the four apartment blocks swiftly and safely. It's expected to cost the municipality around $140,000. "We have received 15 proposals [from demolition experts] and are in talks with one of them," says Nadeera Mahboob, chairperson of the municipal council. "They promise to safely pull down these structures without any damage. We are seeking the best method to implode them." The demolition could affect some 100 households in the neighbourhood, as well as water bodies, bridges and gas pipelines - a fact that concerns local officials. The buildings will be handed over to a demolition contractor who specialises in swift controlled implosions. Residents living nearby will be alerted before the blast. Ms Mahboob says removal of debris will be a long process, and the structures will be covered before the implosion to prevent the dust from spreading far. "Our sympathy lies with the home owners. But you need to stop illegal construction on encroached land as a warning for others," she adds.

एक दशक से अधिक समय से, हजारों लोगों ने चार गगनचुंबी इमारतों में अपना घर बनाया है जो दक्षिण भारत में एक रमणीय झील के किनारे स्थित हैं। लेकिन अब वे अपने घरों और अपने निवेश को अपनी आंखों के सामने प्रस्फुटित होते देखने के लिए तैयार हैं, पर्यावरण पर एक लड़ाई के बाद जो सुप्रीम कोर्ट तक गई।


Convict back in jail after Ipswich murder arrest

Summary: A convict who was released from jail on licence has been put back behind bars after being arrested in connection with a murder.

The unnamed 39-year-old from Ipswich was detained on suspicion of the murder of Dean Stansby, who died after being attacked in Ipswich on Wednesday. Mr Stansby, 41, was stabbed in the abdomen in Ancaster Road. Suffolk Police said the man was arrested on Wednesday and bailed until May before being sent back to jail. Detectives have also been granted extra time to question a 16-year-old boy arrested on suspicion of murder. He remains in police custody.

एक दोषी जिसे लाइसेंस पर जेल से रिहा किया गया था, उसे एक हत्या के मामले में गिरफ्तार किए जाने के बाद वापस सलाखों के पीछे डाल दिया गया है।


Daniel Fitzjohn: Murder arrest in Northampton newsagent stabbing

Summary: A man has been arrested on suspicion of murder after a fatal stabbing following an "altercation" in a newsagents.

Daniel Fitzjohn, 34, died in hospital after being attacked in Brookfield Road and Randall Road, Northampton, at about 21:45 BST on Thursday. A 27-year-old man from Wolverhampton has been arrested and is in custody. Two women arrested on Monday on suspicion of assisting an offender have been released under investigation. Police have continued to appeal for witnesses, including those who saw a silver or grey soft-top mini in the area around the time of the stabbing.

एक समाचार एजेंट में "विवाद" के बाद एक घातक छुरा घोंपने के बाद हत्या के संदेह में एक व्यक्ति को गिरफ्तार किया गया है।


North Korean tourism: Holidays in a secretive republic

Summary: The British Foreign Office has said it is considering changing its advice for tourists travelling to North Korea as international tension grows. But what exactly is it like to go on holiday to North Korea - and do people really do it?

By Alex CampbellBBC News With constant surveillance from trained minders, suspicions of bugged hotel rooms and a repeatedly failing power supply, North Korea is unlikely to feature prominently on most tourist wish lists. But more than 3,500 Westerners visit the enigmatic state every year - and the numbers are said to be increasing. At more than £1,000 for a typical five-night visit it is not a cheap option. So what exactly is the attraction? Specialist tour guide Carl Meadows has visited North Korea 15 times in the past eight years. "The groups are usually well-travelled, open-minded people who have heard a lot about it and just want to see it for themselves," he said. "Pyongyang is a showcase city. Most people find it fascinating to spend their time in what is one of the most bizarre capitals in the world." What most foreign visitors encounter is a carefully-arranged snapshot of a secretive republic. There is little or no hint of the poverty, food shortages and human rights abuses which blight its people. In fact, tourists in Pyongyang can expect to be well-fed and treated as "guests of the state" - housed in their own hotels and, if needed, treated in their own foreigners' hospitals. 'Like Marbella' Visits to museums, monuments and beyond are planned with military precision. Guides and a driver accompany foreigners whenever they leave designated hotels. But most travel operators say visas are granted freely to any Westerner who is not a journalist. Father-of-four Andrew Drury, from Surrey, a self-styled "adventure tourist", has travelled with his cousin Nigel Green to dozens of world danger zones, ranging from Mogadishu in Somalia to Iraq. The 47-year-old, who runs a construction business, spent a week in North Korea last year. "Compared with Mogadishu, which really was dangerous, Pyongyang was like going to Marbella," he said. "The country is so run down and so poor that it seems a laugh we're worrying about them starting a war. They couldn't keep the power running for more than half an hour. "I think the hotel rooms are heavily bugged. "Our security got off the lift on one floor and we carried on up to our rooms. We talked about trying to get out without them, but on our way down the lift stopped at an unmarked floor and they got on - we could never beat them. "They took away our phones and computers at the border but they didn't understand what an iPad was, so I was allowed to keep it. "There's no internet, so I couldn't email out, but I showed some of my videos to a woman who was with our security - she didn't even know who the Beatles were." All tours are likely to include the world's tallest triumphal arch, giant statues of "eternal president" Kim Il-sung and his son Kim Jong-il, and the palace-turned-mausoleum where both of their bodies are on display. "You see people drawn to tears when they are talking about Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il, it's incredibly sincere and 100 per cent genuine," said Mr Meadows, whose employer Regent Holidays takes 300 people a year to North Korea. "We warn people that they shouldn't say anything negative about the leaders or former leaders because they are treated with real reverence." Day trips to the demilitarised zone, a heavily-guarded buffer between north and south, are also said to be popular. Most Westerners tour North Korea in small groups. Specialist tour operators book itineraries and arrange visas with a state tourism body. Exact numbers are not released, but the number of visiting Westerners has grown steadily ever since North Korea opened its borders to Western tourists in 1987. Unspoiled countryside The tourists usually reach Pyongyang by train or plane from Beijing, using state-owned Air Koryo or Air China. Freedom to roam is surrendered at the border - often along with technology such as phones and laptops. Mr Drury's tour included a visit, at his request, to a rusting old roller coaster, and a rare couple of hours spent away from the minders. "We eventually managed to escape them for a while but there really isn't a lot to see," he said. "Most of the big hotels and buildings over there are empty inside, they're just shells. "It isn't dangerous. They don't want to be seen as the aggressors. You are given the impression that everybody in the country is happy. "South Korea is known as an imperialistic American regime where the people will one day be liberated - they really believe that." Pyongyang has a growing number of restaurants, but the few shops do not welcome tourists. There is a large central park, where visitors are taken to see residents enjoying picnics. Trips can also be arranged to see unspoiled countryside and the picturesque peaks, lagoons and ravines of the Mount Kumgang region. Some groups visit universities and schools - pending prior approval - and others time their trips to coincide with national holidays and mass dances or military parades. "There is a lot to see and a bit of flexibility over where you go but you can't just do your own thing. Everything has to be pre-arranged," Mr Meadows said. "But you are very well looked after and there is plenty of food. "The guides are trying to promote the image of a bountiful state and so people are usually quite surprised at the quality." Danger Lancashire-based Lupine Travel organises trips to North Korea for between 300 and 400 tourists a year. About a quarter of them are British. Director Dylan Harris, 34, started the business after finding his own trips to unique tourist spots were impractically expensive and difficult to co-ordinate. He said: "When I started doing the tours I was aiming at the backpacker market but I didn't really get that audience - it's actually a really wide range of people. "I've had 18-year-olds through to 85-year-olds. It's curiosity, a lot of people have read about it and they want to see it for themselves." Mr Harris received an email last week from the KFA (Korean Friendship Association), a North Korean government-affiliated organisation, warning about the possibility of imminent war. But he has stopped short of cancelling trips. "I've got a group booked to go in five days' time so I have got to make a decision about that," he said. "I would never let anybody travel if they were going to be in danger, but at the moment I don't think there is any." And what of the morality in visiting a state which has been repeatedly censured for the way it treats its people? Nicholas Bonner founded Koryo Tours, the longest-running North Korean tour operator, in 1993. "I understand the moral question but you have to take a stand and decide if you're going in or not," he said. "I think it's one of the most rewarding places you can go. It's the fact that you're going into a very different kind of society and seeing one of the least-visited countries in the world."

ब्रिटिश विदेश कार्यालय ने कहा है कि वह उत्तर कोरिया की यात्रा करने वाले पर्यटकों के लिए अपनी सलाह को बदलने पर विचार कर रहा है क्योंकि अंतर्राष्ट्रीय तनाव बढ़ता है। लेकिन उत्तर कोरिया में छुट्टी पर जाना वास्तव में कैसा लगता है-और क्या लोग वास्तव में ऐसा करते हैं?


Swastikas daubed on Jersey slave worker memorial site

Summary: Vandals have daubed 68 swastikas across a memorial to Russian slave workers who suffered during the German occupation of Jersey in World War Two.

Shane Boschat, of History Hunters Jersey, said he found the swastikas, along with a number of others, at former German bunkers at Noirmont. "The slave worker memorial is the most upsetting of them all. It shows a massive lack of respect," he said. Jersey Police are investigating the vandalism. Thousands of slave workers who built the bunkers suffered at the hands of the German forces during World War Two. Gary Font, the son of a Spanish slave worker on Jersey, said: "It shows a lack of understanding of what happened in the island. "It's horrifying and I hope police find the perpetrator."

वंडलों ने द्वितीय विश्व युद्ध में जर्सी पर जर्मन कब्जे के दौरान पीड़ित रूसी दास श्रमिकों के स्मारक पर 68 स्वस्तिकों को दफनाया है।


Rhys Ifans in Dylan Thomas tribute at Festival No6 in Portmeirion

Summary: Welsh actor Rhys Ifans will pay tribute to Dylan Thomas at this year's Festival No6 in Gwynedd to mark the centenary of the Swansea-born poet's birth.

The Italianate village of Portmeirion will host the festival from 5-7 September. The arts and culture line-up, announced on Tuesday, also includes comedian Charlie Higson and musicians Julian Cope and Kevin Rowlands. The festival's name was inspired by the 1960s cult TV series The Prisoner. Festival organisers said the Dylan Thomas tribute would feature Ifans, director Kevin Allen and BBC 6 Music poet-in-residence Murray Lachlan Young, who are currently filming a big screen adaption of Thomas's Under Milk Wood. The latest festival acts join a music line-up that already includes Beck, London Grammar, Martha and the Vandellas and Neneh Cherry.

वेल्श अभिनेता राइस इफान्स स्वानसी में जन्मे कवि के जन्म की शताब्दी को चिह्नित करने के लिए ग्वेनेड में इस साल के महोत्सव संख्या 6 में डायलन थॉमस को श्रद्धांजलि देंगे।


'Cyber-archaeology' salvages lost Iraqi art

Summary: Priceless historical artefacts have been lost recently, to violence in Iraq and earthquakes in Nepal. But "cyber-archaeologists" are working with volunteers to put you just a few clicks away from seeing these treasures - in colourful, three-dimensional detail.

By Jonathan WebbScience reporter, BBC News The effort began with a conversation between two young researchers in late February, days after shocking footage emerged of Islamic State militants tearing down and smashing artworks in the Mosul Museum in northern Iraq. Chance Coughenour and Matthew Vincent are PhD students working for the Initial Training Network for Digital Cultural Heritage (ITN-DCH), an EU-funded project set up to apply new technology to cultural heritage issues. "We were talking about the destruction and [Chance] suggested that we crowd-source the reconstruction of these images, using photogrammetry and images from the public," Mr Vincent told the BBC's Science in Action programme. Photogrammetry is a popular technique in modern cultural heritage projects. It uses software to turn multiple 2D photographs of a single object into 3D images. "It's an incredibly useful technology that can create 3D models just using photos from a normal digital camera," explained Mr Vincent. He and his colleague realised that if they could find enough photos of the destroyed artworks, they could salvage them in cyberspace. So they set up Project Mosul. People who have visited now-destroyed sites - beginning with the Mosul Museum - can submit their photographs. Then volunteers log on to help sort the images, and those with the know-how get stuck into the job of rebuilding the artefacts. The project has received more than 700 photos so far, including 543 showing artefacts from Mosul. A gallery on the homepage displays 15 3D reconstructions, completed by nine volunteers. "We have others who are anxious to learn how to do photogrammetry and to help out," said Mr Vincent, adding that his main hold-up at the moment is finding the time to manage and develop the platform. The nine volunteers have used their choice of software to construct the replicas, and then uploaded them via the 3D sharing platform Sketchfab. The obvious favourite in the gallery so far is a lion from the Mosul Museum. When the statue itself was still standing, it was clearly also a popular subject for visitors to photograph. Some 16 photos of the lion were received, which allows for quite a detailed reconstruction. "The more photographs you have, the more potential you have to create more 3D points and have a denser cloud," said Mr Vincent. Because more images make for better models, the project has even made available some pictures from the original ransacking footage, because they may help with the reconstruction process. Unknown losses The final results don't quite match what scientists could achieve if they had scanned the artefacts with specialist equipment, but they are an impressive piece of crowd-sourced digital rescue work. "These models don't have the same scientific value as if we were able to do this with calibrated cameras, laser scans, etc. But the 3D models still have the value of the visualisation - being able to see what the artefact was like. "We can recreate the experience of being in the museum, in cyberspace." And that experience brings unique insights. Mr Vincent gives the example of the imposing lion statue, which has a design that can only be fully appreciated in three dimensions. "If you look at that lion's relief, you'll notice that it has five legs. From the side, it has four legs in motion; if you look at it from the front, it's as if the lion is standing still. "That's part of the art history of Assyrian art. Likewise, if you look closely at the side of the lion's relief you can still see the cuneiform script." Sadly, we will never know exactly how precise these digital copies are - because the originals are gone. "We don't have all the parameters that we need... to be able to tell you how accurate those models are," Mr Vincent said. Prof Roger Matthews of Reading University, UK, described the work as "a terrific project", noting that a similar effort was made after the National Museum of Iraq was looted during the 2003 invasion. "Obviously it would be much better not to have to do this, but it's great that this sort of thing is being done - that people are finding the funding, and the public participation to make it possible," Prof Matthews told BBC News. He added that it was important to see the Mosul artefacts as part of a larger picture of precious - and threatened - heritage in the region. "Obviously they ransacked Mosul Museum, destroying many statues and other objects. But they've also blown up the Palace of Ashurnasipal II at Nimrud, which was the source of many of the objects in that museum." The destruction and looting of active archaeological sites like Nimrud was particularly sad, Prof Matthews, said. "A site like Nimrud has upstanding buildings that were excavated, but there were also large areas never excavated and which are being illegally looted and interfered with. We just don't know what is being taken from these sites." Printing the past? Last week, there were fears that IS would destroy the ancient city of Palmyra. For the moment, this threat appears to have receded, but Mr Vincent and his colleagues in many academic disciplines are fearful of further losses from the physical record of human history. Looking beyond Project Mosul, Mr Vincent is anxious that other digital preservation efforts should be undertaken more deliberately and proactively. Once a digital record has been created, it would even be possible to physically re-create precious items using 3D printing, he suggested. This could prove useful in building replicas not only of destroyed or lost artefacts, but also things that are too fragile to be put on public display - as was the case for the remarkable Chauvet cave paintings, now rebuilt above ground in France. "3D printing is really proving to be one of the most valuable assets for heritage that we have today. It's a way to bring them back to life and have a tactile experience with them, even if we can't guarantee that they're exactly as the original would have been," Mr Vincent said. "Whether it is because of conflict or natural disaster, our heritage is such a delicate and valuable resource, the only way that we can really preserve it is to take the steps to make those digital surrogates, so that we can protect the physical reality of that heritage as well." Follow Jonathan on Twitter

बेशकीमती ऐतिहासिक कलाकृतियाँ हाल ही में इराक में हिंसा और नेपाल में भूकंप के कारण खो गई हैं। लेकिन "साइबर-पुरातत्वविद" स्वयंसेवकों के साथ काम कर रहे हैं ताकि आप इन खजाने को देखने से कुछ ही क्लिक दूर रह सकें-रंगीन, त्रि-आयामी विवरण में।


Total and Maersk agree £5.8bn deal

Summary: Energy company Total has agreed to buy Maersk's oil business in a $7.45bn (£5.8bn) deal.

It will see French firm Total take control Denmark's Maersk's assets in the UK sector of the North Sea, including the Culzean gas field. Total said an "exceptional overlap" of businesses would increase its competitiveness through growing assets and annual cost-savings. The deal will require the approval of regulators. Total chairman and chief executive Patrick Pouyanne said: "The combination of Maersk Oil's North Western Europe businesses with our existing portfolio will position Total as the second operator in the North Sea with strong production profiles in UK, Norway and Denmark."

ऊर्जा कंपनी टोटल $7.45bn (£ 5.8bn) सौदे में मार्स्क के तेल व्यवसाय को खरीदने के लिए सहमत हो गई है।


Blackbird Leys swimming pool: High Court reviews Town Green status

Summary: The High Court has granted a judicial review of a decision to refuse an Oxford park Town Green status.

Campaigners took Oxfordshire County Council to court over its refusal to protect land next to Blackbird Leys Leisure Centre on Tuesday. Oxford City Council wants to build an £8.5m, eight-lane, 25m pool and a teaching pool at the site. It submitted the plans to replace pools at Temple Cowley and the existing pool at Blackbird Leys, in 2011. A hearing is due to take place by the end of May.

उच्च न्यायालय ने ऑक्सफोर्ड पार्क टाउन ग्रीन का दर्जा देने से इनकार करने के फैसले की न्यायिक समीक्षा की अनुमति दे दी है।


Six steps to survival for Chile miners

Summary: The first supplies have reached the 33 miners trapped 2,300ft (700m) underground in a collapsed mine in Chile. With an estimated four months before they are rescued, what are the key challenges they face?

After the elation of learning they are alive comes the agony of waiting. Seventeen days after the San Jose copper and gold mine collapsed, the news that all 33 men trapped inside are still alive was greeted with celebrations more than 2,000ft above them. But their loved ones will probably have to wait until Christmas to see them again, because it will take that long to bore a new hole wide enough to pull them through. Glucose, rehydration tablets, oxygen and medicine have made their way down from the surface through an 8cm lifeline and into the miners' refuge, which is thought to be about 50 square metres, although some reports say it could be larger. Trapped miners elsewhere in the world have had to wait to be rescued but very rarely, if ever, for this long. So what are some of the key challenges facing the men in the long months ahead? Having contact with loved ones These men have spent 17 days thinking perpetually of those whom they love and fearing they will never see them again, says Dr James Thompson, a senior psychology lecturer at University College London and an expert in trauma. This forms a tremendous emotional burden for people to carry, so finally being able to say to loved ones "I'm alive" will be a great release, he says. "I understand they're going to put a telephone line down there so people can have private communication with their families. This is mostly to the good but also to the bad, because it will be intensely emotional and may sometimes make things very hard to bear." It's important those above ground advise loved ones about what they should say, says Dr Thompson. It should all be resolutely focused on their release and the positive - so talk about the kids doing their homework, for example - and news about family bereavements or illnesses might be better undisclosed. Rescue updates should be managed in the same way, so if there is a setback and a drill breaks, then only tell the miners about it after it has been fixed. Dave Feickert, a New Zealand mining expert who is advising the Chinese government on improving health and safety, believes the physical challenges that would prove daunting to most people - the cramped conditions, the lack of daylight, the discomfort - will be taken in the stride of miners used to such harsh conditions. However, one aspect of their confinement he expects to trouble them is the sheer heat they will endure while trapped so far below ground. Estimates suggest the men will face temperatures of 32 to 34 degrees Celsius (90 to 93 degrees Fahrenheit), causing great discomfort, sapping their energy and potentially raising tensions among the group. He suggests it will be important for the crew at ground level to assess whether the heat is dry or humid and try to arrange suitable ventilation. "The deeper you get, the hotter it becomes," Mr Feickert says. "They'll be used to working in hot conditions, but not for that period of time. It's not going to be very comfortable." Normally, in such temperatures, an adult would have to drink around four litres of water a day, says Dr Alan Richardson, a lecturer in exercise physiology at Brighton University. It may be difficult to keep them supplied with such a volume. "If they don't get enough hydration they're going to lose weight through fluid loss," he says. "The low level of oxygen is going to have the same effect." Although their physical fitness will initially be a physical and psychological advantage, it will not take long for this to deteriorate, says Dr Richardson. "The main issue they are going to have is muscle wastage by not being able to move as much as they can in everyday life. When they come out, it's going to be like coming off a space flight." Dr Richardson suggests they should try to do simple isometric exercises - static resistance movements against the wall to work the muscles. However, it is virtually inevitable they will lose tone, sapping them of energy and making them more lethargic. In one sense, he says, this could have a positive side-effect, helping them sleep. But Mr Feickert says it will be psychologically very important for them to stay active. "These are very fit guys who are used to a lot of physical activity, if they're suddenly not doing anything they're going to get depressed," he says. To counteract this boredom, Mr Feickert believes the miners need to organise themselves rotas for performing tasks and chores - everything from clearing rubble that comes through the shaft to cleaning. "Even if it's work that isn't particularly useful, it's important to morale that they're doing something, plus it takes their mind off being trapped underground." The ethos of mining and the risks that accompany the profession makes them a self-selecting group better equipped to endure this, says Dr Thompson. And there will probably be natural leaders among the group who can provide "good, optimism-based leadership". Tasks are important to break up the boredom and create routines, but should also have a practical use where possible. These could include making latrines, requesting items from above such as antiseptic for their hands, washing and disinfecting, and organising a rota for contact with families. Turning lights on during the day and off at night can help reinforce this cycle. "They need to have a focus which is practical and somewhat future-orientated." The miners have not been told how long they are going to have to wait and Dr Thompson says this is wise in these early stages. Stress can become intolerable when it appears to be endless, he says, and for the miners there is no safety signal to give, no ending in sight. "They're going to ask 'how long?' and one way I would go about it is to say 'we don't know that yet but we're going to tell you where we are, this is what we are trying to do. This is the drill that is being brought in.'" One reason why so many people recover mentally from a car crash is that it is over so quickly, says Dr Thompson. Sending the miners photos of the machine the rescuers are using to get them out would be one way of lifting their spirits as the wait goes on and on. With so many miners in such a confined space, guarding against injury and ill-health will be paramount. But according to Mike Tipton, professor of applied and human physiology at the University of Portsmouth, maintaining sanitary conditions will be a difficult task. As well as setting up and maintaining a sanitary system, there are other considerations, like having enough light to prevent knocking over a latrine and increasing health risks. "Long-term survival will depend on the avoidance of infection and injury, sanitation will be an important factor in this regard and require some organisation," he says. "If you've got 33 miners down there for 120 days, that's a lot of human waste you've got to manage and deal with." What is more, there is little way of predicting whether further movements of rock pose a risk to the men. "You also have the risk of further collapses and one of the miners getting hurt," says Prof Tipton. "If someone is injured or gets sick they can send down medication, but what if it doesn't work? There aren't likely to be many paramedics among 33 miners."

चिली में ढह गई खदान में 2,300 फीट (700 मीटर) जमीन के नीचे फंसे 33 खनिकों तक पहली आपूर्ति पहुंच गई है। उन्हें बचाने से पहले अनुमानित चार महीने के साथ, वे किन प्रमुख चुनौतियों का सामना कर रहे हैं?


Woman, 82, dies in Dundee house fire

Summary: An 82-year-old woman has been found dead following a house fire in Dundee.

Emergency services were called to the property in Stewart Street, Lochee, at about 03:30 on Thursday. The street was closed and nearby properties evacuated as firefighters tackled the blaze in the semi-detached house. Police Scotland said an inquiry into the cause of the fatal fire was under way.

डंडी में एक घर में आग लगने के बाद एक 82 वर्षीय महिला मृत पाई गई है।


Mum's Twin-To-Twin Transfusion Syndrome action call

Summary: Twin-To-Twin Transfusion Syndrome is a rare condition affecting up to 15% of identical twins in pregnancy. Here, mother Rhiannon Jenkins, 35, a health visitor from Pontypridd, tells of the devastation of losing one baby in the womb while the other survived.

By Gwyneth ReesBBC Wales News It was December 2016 when I first found out I was expecting identical twins. My husband Gareth, a firefighter, and I already had three children, and at first the news was slightly overwhelming. But once the shock had sunk in, we were over the moon. During the early weeks, I felt worse than in my other pregnancies, with more fatigue and nausea. But there was nothing to indicate there was anything wrong. It was at my 16-week scan that I was told my girls had Twin to Twin Transfusion Syndrome or TTTS, a rare and life-threatening condition. As is the case with most identical twins, mine shared a placenta, which brings blood and nutrients to the babies' umbilical cords. But with TTTS, blood vessels within the placenta are shared, allowing blood from one twin to be passed to another. It meant one baby, Isla, the recipient twin, was given too much blood, putting intense pressure on her heart. Meanwhile, Isabelle, the donor twin, was left with not enough blood and at risk of dying from severe anaemia. Despite being a health visitor and having a background in children's nursing, I had never heard of TTTS. But doctors told me 10-15% of identical twins who shared a placenta suffered from it. Without surgery, we were told the chance of both our girls dying was near 100%. Surgery But with surgery, they had a 60% chance of reaching a viable gestation. We were warned it was complicated, however. The surgery - called laser ablation surgery - would seal off or cauterise the blood vessels, stopping the blood being passed from one twin to another. Despite being pioneered in the USA more than a decade ago, it is relatively new here, with just four hospitals offering it around the UK, and none in Wales. In the February, when I was 18 weeks pregnant, I underwent the surgery in St Michael's Hospital in Bristol. It was quite unobtrusive - I was awake the whole time, and surgeons just made a tiny incision in Isla's side of the womb and fed the camera and laser through. Still, I knew there was a high chance of them both dying within 24 hours, so waiting to hear their heartbeats and find out if my babies had survived was horrendous. Amazingly, they both had, and my relief was huge. Scans seemed to show a positive prognosis and we were cautiously optimistic. But 11 days later, on Valentine's Day 2017, I wasn't feeling well, and a scan revealed Isabelle had suffered a placental bleed and died. Devastation doesn't describe what I felt. The loss and grief was just overwhelming. But as horrific as it was, I couldn't really grieve properly or get stressed as I had to stay in the best shape to keep Isla alive. 'Bittersweet' Thankfully, because the twins' blood supplies had been separated, Isla had been protected. But it was still touch and go for her and so stressful to see if she would make it. By 24 weeks, though, the doctors were more positive about her. And on May 31 last year, I had a planned caesarean, giving birth to both my girls. Describing the moment as bittersweet is an understatement. I know I should feel grateful to have Isla, and I am, but the pain of losing Isabelle was indescribable. Still today, eight months on, I find it awfully hard to accept. I struggle to move on, and miss and ache for her constantly. Everywhere I look I see twins, and I can't help but wonder why it had to be us. Because they were identical, as we watch Isla grow, we are constantly reminded that she should have a mini replica beside her. And it is her that I mostly feel for. At some stage, she will find out she had a twin sister - it is her loss as much as ours. Despite the darkness, however, we could have easily lost Isla too, and we are mindful of this. She is the youngest of four and so precious. But I want to raises awareness of this condition. TTTS kills more babies a year than Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)- yet it doesn't receive nearly as much publicity or funding for research. That's why on Sunday, I'll be doing 'Zumbathon' with family and friends to raise money for the Capella Foundation, a charity that supports research into TTTS and other medical complications in pregnancy. I'll also be running the St David's Day 10K on March 4 in Cardiff. Ultimately, there needs to be more research into all serious conditions affecting pregnancies, as this is the only way we will stop future deaths. WHAT IS Twin-to-Twin Transfusion Syndrome (TTTS) Twin-to-Twin Transfusion Syndrome is a rare but life-threatening condition that affects 10 to 15% of identical twins who share a placenta. If untreated, upwards of 90% of babies are likely to die. Of those who do survive, there is a chance they will suffer from a disability or health condition. It is not known why TTTS occurs and there is a lack or research into the condition. According to Tamba, the Twins and Multiple Births Association, around 300 babies die of TTTS in the UK each year.

ट्विन-टू-ट्विन ट्रांसफ्यूजन सिंड्रोम एक दुर्लभ स्थिति है जो गर्भावस्था में समान जुड़वा बच्चों के 15 प्रतिशत तक को प्रभावित करती है। यहाँ, पोंटीप्रिड की 35 वर्षीय माँ रियानन जेनकिंस, एक स्वास्थ्य आगंतुक, गर्भ में एक बच्चे को खोने की तबाही के बारे में बताती है जबकि दूसरा बच गया।


The Christmas 2016 advertising battle begins

Summary: The battle of the Christmas adverts has begun, with retailers hoping shoppers will jingle all the way to the tills. But how will they capture our hearts and open our wallets this year and which will become our favourite?

In the run up to Christmas, UK retailers are expected to spend £5.6bn on advertising, according to Advertising Association and WarcData. John Lewis, which launched its advert on Thursday, said it had spent a "broadly similar" amount to the £7m it spent on last year's somewhat melancholy "Man on the Moon" advert. This year, the retail giant said it thought the public needed something more upbeat. Animal magic John Lewis's customer director Craig Inglis said: "2016 has certainly been quite a year, so we hope our advert will make people smile. It really embraces a sense of fun and magic, reminding everyone what it feels to give the perfect gift at Christmas". The two-minute advert tells the story of Bridget, a little girl who loves to jump, and her dog, Buster the boxer. After her parents hide a trampoline for her in their garden on Christmas Eve, a magical night time world comes to life with a cast of CGI wildlife animals - including Hallie the hedgehog, Sid the squirrel, Betsey the badger and foxes Olivia and Otto. Gathering thousands of views on YouTube, the advert was met with mixed reactions. Linda Holden commented: "Anyone lucky enough to have had a Boxer in their lives will just love this", while the more wary PersianPkmn said: "I would not want to be on a trampoline with a hedgehog just saying :/". On Twitter, Barry O'Reilly's photo of his "Welsh version" of the advert - showing a cow on a trampoline - certainly did make people smile. But not everyone is happy, with some asking why Bridget's parents - and not Father Christmas - are seen putting up the trampoline. A spokesman for John Lewis said that Bridget's parents wanted to give her something special, that they knew she'd like, adding: "We're sure Santa visited Bridget earlier in the night." John Lewis, a computer science teacher from Virginia, US, whose Twitter handle @johnlewis is often understandably confused with the retail store's, suggested Santa may have been running late, dropped off the trampoline and asked Dad for a little help. Meanwhile, bookmakers Coral are already tipping the ad's theme song, a cover version of Randy Crawford's One Day I'll Fly Away performed by British band Vaults, for the Christmas number one. Lead singer Blythe Pepino said it was a "truly incredible experience" recording the song with a 70 piece choir and 66 piece orchestra. The advert is not to be confused with a video which went viral last week featuring an A-Level student's homage to the John Lewis Christmas advert. Smooth talkers For a third year, Debenhams is sticking with its Found It campaign - relying on the voices of a slew of celebrities, including Ewan McGregor, Billie Piper and Jennifer Saunders, to help people find the perfect present for their loved ones. McGregor, the voice of an overnight bag, waxes lyrical about his "strong, masculine physique", while Piper poses as a bra who has "got it all". Feel good Real people take the centre stage for Boots. The chemist filmed the makeover of 45 women, whom it picked to pamper because they usually work over Christmas. About half a million women sacrifice their Christmas Day to support their communities, whether as paramedics, firefighters or nurses, according to the TUC union. Boots says "as a big thank you", it wanted to give some of them an early Christmas present. Though the ad is set to Kylie Minogue's version of Rozalla's Everybody's Free (To Feel Good), not everybody is thrilled the advert focuses on women workers only. TUC figures show that more than 900,000 people overall worked on Christmas Day last year. Christmas chuckles Asda's line of attack is on all fronts - with not one advert, but a series of short adverts by advertising giants Saatchi and Saatchi showcasing its food, wine and clothing lines. Showing a series of Christmas dilemmas with gentle humour, the supermarket chain says it can offer "Christmas made better". In one, a young girl dressed in white tights and sparkly shoes hovers over a tempting puddle but dodges it after a "don't you dare" look from her mother. "Toys worth behaving for," says the voiceover. Twitter user Chantelle says it's her favourite so far, but it hasn't resonated with everyone. Tina tweets: "Not splashing in a puddle to be rewarded by a toy. Implying puddles are naughty. That's sad." In another tweet, Claire Underwood points out: "Why do you think Santa wears boots!?!" Another spotted an omission in the ad series. "Only 1 person says #Please. Come on asda please set an example #Manners," pleads Ruth Parrot. Racing heartbeats In a bid to set heartbeats racing, rather than to tug at heartstrings, Argos's upbeat advert features 8ft-tall, furry, colourful, ice skating yetis who race to deliver presents. The advert stars five semi-professional ice skaters, including Peter Hallam (in orange), twice British figure skating champion and holder of five international gold medals. It was shot on a purpose-built skating track in the centre of Warsaw in Poland. Special effects experts from Animated Extras, who have previously worked on James Bond films, developed the state-of-the-art costumes which each cost £30,000 to create. Showcasing its fast-track, same-day delivery, Argos is catering for those who "just can't wait" for Christmas. They were certainly first off the blocks for Twitter user Adam Raymont who said on Sunday: "I've just watched my first Christmas advert of 2016 .. well done @argos you are the winner".

क्रिसमस के विज्ञापनों की लड़ाई शुरू हो गई है, खुदरा विक्रेताओं को उम्मीद है कि खरीदार हर तरह से परेशान होंगे। लेकिन वे हमारे दिलों को कैसे पकड़ेंगे और इस साल हमारे बटुए कैसे खोलेंगे और कौन सा हमारा पसंदीदा बन जाएगा?


Extinction Rebellion: The Cardiff protestors who blocked the roads

Summary: Environmental campaign group Extinction Rebellion has staged a three-day protest intended to cause "major disruption" to Cardiff - one of five UK cities it has targeted. As it draws to a close, we look at who its supporters were and what they hoped to achieve.

Gosia Buzzanca, 30, a part-time librarian in Barry, Vale of Glamorgan, said: "I came along on my day off to support the protest. "I feel there is no choice but to care about the issue. "As I understand it, it only takes a relatively small percentage of the wider population to bring an issue into the wider conscience and make change happen. "We have seen this from the Suffragettes and Black Lives Matter. "I understand such a protest causes inconvenience for some, but people need to see the bigger picture. "Personally, even I feel like I am still in denial about the scale of the problem. We all need to educate ourselves more." Sadie Maund, 30, of Machynlleth, Powys, said: "I have been volunteering as a steward for Extinction Rebellion and am very passionate about the cause. "For me, climate change is the main issue we need to be focusing on. If we don't sort that, all other issues are moot. "The government claims they are treating climate change as an emergency but they are actually kicking the can down the road. "We really need to reduce carbon emissions now or it is going to be too late." Sylvain Lefebvre, 37, a freelance charity worker, said: "I feel it is so important to take non-violent action and to try and mobilise more people. "After the London demonstrations, I thought more people might be here, but I do feel that we have the wider support of the public. "People, I feel, are becoming better informed, but I think it will take time for us to achieve what we want." Laura Moore, 50, from Cheshire, said: "I don't have a history of protest, but I attended the protests in London in April and I don't think I've ever felt so happy in my life. "I find the leaders of Extinction Rebellion so inspiring and the facts around climate breakdown appalling. "We are one of the few countries in the world that has the right to protest so I feel we have to do non-violent action. "Mainly, I want to see this action driven from the people. If 100 people get together, they can form a plan of what they can do - fly less, eat local. Change can be made this way."

पर्यावरण अभियान समूह एक्सटिंक्शन रिबेलियन ने कार्डिफ में "बड़ा व्यवधान" पैदा करने के उद्देश्य से तीन दिवसीय विरोध प्रदर्शन किया है-ब्रिटेन के पांच शहरों में से एक जिसे उसने लक्षित किया है। जैसे-जैसे यह समाप्त हो रहा है, हम देखते हैं कि इसके समर्थक कौन थे और उन्हें क्या हासिल करने की उम्मीद थी।


Is the art of shorthand dying?

Summary: For more than 2,000 years people have used shorthand to make note-taking quicker and more reliable. It's a skill that has weathered being banned by a Roman emperor and associations with witchcraft, but could technology finally kill it?

By Justin ParkinsonBBC News Magazine To the uninitiated it looks like gobbledegook, an alien language with an indecipherable alphabet. But the squiggles and lines on the page are actually a version of English. Shorthand is a method of quickly writing down information. It has roots in the Senate of ancient Rome and allows the annotation of more than 200 words a minute by top exponents. It enables secretaries to transcribe meetings and dictated letters. Newspaper reporters can get down details of court case proceedings or interviews. But, in an age of electronic voice recording and instant tweeting of events, is shorthand becoming obsolete? The UK vocational education group City and Guilds says there's been "a steady decrease in the number of people taking shorthand courses over the past 10 years". Although it's reluctant to release what it says is commercially sensitive information, it adds that "technical solutions", such as voice recording, are the "main cause for the decline". "Honestly, shorthand? Who still writes that stuff?" one blogger has written. "Who even reads it? The art of shorthand doesn't just have one foot in the grave, it has the other planted firmly on a banana peel." But shorthand is still mandatory in some professions. The National Council for the Training of Journalists insists trainees achieve a written speed of 100 words per minute to pass its diploma. It remains "indispensable for any court reporter, and a vital skill for journalists in all sectors who need an easily accessible and permanent note of every conversation in their working day", the organisation insists. It's three times quicker to type out shorthand notes than to listen back to audio recordings, says Mary Sorene, secretary of the British Institute of Verbatim Reporters. It's also illegal to make audio or video recordings of most proceedings in UK courts, although this type of coverage has been allowed in English councils since last year. "Shorthand will be included in NCTJ qualifications as long as there remains a demand for it," says the organisation's chairman, Kim Fletcher. But there are several types. The NCTJ uses the Teeline system. It's based on a combination of outlines representing individual letters. Some sounds, usually vowels, are removed to aid speed. For example, the word "father" will involve writing simply a letter "f" and an elongated "t" representing the "ther" sound. Teeline is now the most popular system in the UK. Formerly, the most heavily used form of shorthand was Pitman, which dates back to the 19th Century. In business, shorthand has traditionally been seen as a secretarial skill, but, according to Sarah Austin, operating director at Page Personnel Secretarial and Business Support, it's becoming more important "at the senior end of the jobs market". "The role of the personal assistant and executive assistant has evolved and there are more business assistants, which means the need to record detailed accurate minutes from board meetings, client pitches or confidential meetings is more important than ever," she says. Shorthand can be a tedious skill to learn. It requires practising until a decent word speed and level of accuracy is achieved, which usually takes several months. TV presenter Piers Morgan, a former Daily Mirror editor, has urged trainee journalists: "Work hard, play hard & do your Teeline!" The initial stage of Teeline training is relatively simple, involving learning the basic letters, with users moving on to extra abbreviations. For instance, the letter "x" on its own can denote the word "emergency" and an "s" on its own can denote the suffix "-shall" or "-cial". Students learning Teeline often experience the same pattern, improving rapidly before struggling to get past 80 words a minute. This is often referred to as the "80 plateau" and some have suggested it's a barrier because that's about the fastest speed that longhand can be written. Pitman is said to involve more initial learning, as it includes special "logograms" - short forms - for common words. Alison Berglas, who runs the teaching website Teeline Online, thinks it's "rubbish" to say shorthand is dying. "It's useful in business for the large number of meetings executives have to attend," she adds. "It's also incredibly useful for students, who can use it for note-taking during lectures. You don't need to record the whole thing before transcribing it, which is very time-consuming. Shorthand notes can't go wrong, unlike recordings, either." But attitudes to study have altered, Berglas says. Pitman takes about a year to learn, but as it's quicker to grasp the basics of Teeline there are even one-day "masterclasses" offered. "One businessman was surprised that it was so simple," says Berglas. "He didn't realise it wasn't tech-speak or a completely different language." Berglas's clients include companies and councils. "When I watch The Apprentice, I see Karren Brady taking notes about the group she's observing," says Berglas. "I just want to get beside her and tell her that shorthand would make her job much easier." The first fully formulated shorthand system, it's widely agreed, started in 63BC when the philosopher and orator Marcus Tullius Cicero wanted a reliable way to cover debates in Rome's Senate. Marcus Tullius Tiro, a learned freeman living in Cicero's house, obliged, inventing what became known as Tironian Notes. This method was officially adopted, but shorthand had a difficult time. The Byzantine Emperor Justinian forbade its use after 534 AD, as it had come to be seen as a secretive code, encouraging subversion. It became associated with witchcraft and magic during the early medieval period and largely disappeared. In 1180 the monk John of Tilbury published an abbreviated word system, prompted by the late Archbishop of Canterbury Thomas Becket's interest in preserving sermons. In the 15th Century, the discovery of a book of psalms written in Tironian Notes in a Benedictine monastery led to a renewal of interest in shorthand. By 1588 physician Timothy Bright had devised an English system consisting of lines, circles and half-circles. The 17th Century diarist Samuel Pepys used a form of shorthand. Several other variations developed until Isaac Pitman, from Trowbridge, Wiltshire, came up with a phonetic system, Stenographic Sound-Hand, in the 1830s. It was exported to the US, becoming the dominant system there. Irish-born Robert Gregg was 18 when he invented his own phonetic system, Light-Line Phonography, in the 1880s, which gradually supplanted Pitman in the US. In the 1920s Emma Dearborn, an instructor at Colombia University, started Speedwriting, allowing more than 20,000 different words to be written once the user has learned 60 rules and a list of about 100 brief forms. Lots of other systems have come along, but the most popular in the UK today, Teeline, was first published in 1968 by shorthand teacher James Hill, who wanted a system that was easier for beginners to grasp than Pitman. Some users of Pitman argue that Teeline is inferior, limiting exponents to lower word speeds. Mary Sorene worked as a shorthand writer at the Old Bailey for 11 years from the early 1970s. At one point she could write 210 words per minute using Pitman. "People, even when I was training, were saying there's no use learning it, as they thought it wouldn't be long before words could be turned into text automatically," she says. "Well, we're here 54 years later and we're still waiting for that to appear. I don't think shorthand has died at all. I think it will be going on long after I'm carted off." Subscribe to the BBC News Magazine's email newsletter to get articles sent to your inbox.

2, 000 से अधिक वर्षों से लोगों ने नोट लेने को तेज़ और अधिक विश्वसनीय बनाने के लिए आशुलिपि का उपयोग किया है। यह एक ऐसा कौशल है जिसने एक रोमन सम्राट द्वारा प्रतिबंधित होने और जादू-टोना के साथ जुड़ाव का सामना किया है, लेकिन क्या प्रौद्योगिकी अंततः इसे मार सकती है?


More than 120 hurt during Aberdeen bypass work

Summary: More than 120 workers have been injured since the start of construction on the Aberdeen bypass, it has been revealed.

Figures released under Freedom of Information legislation show that there were 125 injuries between January 2015 and last month, and 96 near misses. The incidents are contained in data on reportable incidents submitted to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). Transport Scotland said the health and safety of workers was of the utmost importance. It said it was working with contractors on the project to maintain standards.

पता चला है कि एबरडीन बाईपास पर निर्माण शुरू होने के बाद से 120 से अधिक श्रमिक घायल हुए हैं।


Detained offshore vessel released after 'crew welfare' probe

Summary: An offshore supply vessel detained at Aberdeen harbour amid crew welfare concerns has now been released.

Ben Nevis, which was detained earlier this month, was not being allowed to leave the port until an inspection was completed. Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) surveyors boarded the vessel again on Friday morning. The MCA said the owners had now paid their crew and repatriated those who needed to go home. The MCA had taken action, as the Port State Control Authority for the UK, relating to the Maritime Labour Convention. The vessel is operated by Global Offshore Services BV

चालक दल कल्याण चिंताओं के बीच एबरडीन बंदरगाह पर हिरासत में लिए गए एक अपतटीय आपूर्ति जहाज को अब रिहा कर दिया गया है।


Man charged in Glenrothes after rape of 83-year-old woman

Summary: A man has been arrested and charged in connection with the rape of an elderly woman in Fife.

The 83-year-old was seriously sexually assaulted at a property in Meldrum Court in the Collydean area of Glenrothes. The attack took place at about 05:00 on Thursday 25 June. Police Scotland confirmed a 21-year-old man had been arrested and charged and was due to appear at Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court on Wednesday. A report will be sent to the procurator fiscal.

फाइफ में एक बुजुर्ग महिला के बलात्कार के मामले में एक व्यक्ति को गिरफ्तार किया गया है और उस पर आरोप लगाया गया है।


Drones: Six positive ways they can be used

Summary: An extended 5km (3.1 miles) no-fly zone for drones has come into force around airports in the UK after reported sightings at Gatwick, Heathrow and Dublin airports in recent months grounded hundreds of flights and left thousands stranded.

By Harriet AgerholmBBC News Previously, only a 1km (0.6 mile) exclusion zone was in place. But despite the negative reputation they have received, the use of drones isn't all bad. From finding missing people to delivering takeaways, here are some of the ways the unmanned aircraft can be beneficial. 1. Rescues A Norfolk man who went missing in June last year was only found when a police drone spotted him stuck on a marsh. Peter Pugh, 75, was walking home through Titchwell Marshes when the tide came in. He said he attempted to swim to the next field, but was blocked by dense reed beds. Twenty-two hours after he went missing, a police drone recorded footage of Mr Pugh. He was up to his armpits in water. Police said they would have not been able to find him so quickly without the drone, as a helicopter would not have been able to fly so low to the ground. Drones equipped with thermal imaging cameras have also been used by police to find missing people in the US. And in Australia, lifeguards carried out the first at-sea rescue by drone in January last year. The aircraft took just 70 seconds to reach two stranded swimmers, before dropping floats for them to hold onto. It was estimated lifeguards would have taken around six minutes to travel to the pair. 2. Tracking sharks Australia has pioneered the use of drone technology to track great white sharks and monitor the threat they pose to beachgoers. The aircraft provides a live video-feed to an operator, who then uses special software, with more accuracy than the human eye, to identify sharks. 3. Mapping A lack of precise maps in Tanzania presents a significant problem for both the local population and disaster agencies. Satellite imagery is often not good enough to map areas accurately, Edward Anderson, who looks after urban planning and disaster reduction in Tanzania for the World Bank, told the BBC. Meanwhile, aeroplanes are expensive, and impractical in areas that are rapidly changing. "Just mobilising the plane can be hundreds of thousands of dollars," Mr Anderson said. It is hoped that using relatively inexpensive drones will help local authorities plan vital infrastructure, including roads, pavements, hospitals and schools. 4. Deliveries In 2016 the government said it was working with retail giant Amazon to bring delivery drones to British skies. The scheme is still in development. Andy Sage, who leads on drones for the UK's air traffic controller Nats, told the BBC he expected parcel delivery trials to continue this year "But they will be on a very limited basis as the industry begins to build up the evidence," he said. "And then I think we could expect to see some of these operations more widespread within the UK within a couple of years or so," he continued. Drones are already being used to transport takeaways in Shanghai, where food delivery service Ele.me uses the technology to reduce its operating costs. In Rwanda, unmanned aircraft are being used to transport more important cargo: blood and medical supplies. Doctors in rural areas make an order by text message, then drones carrying the supplies are catapulted into the air. They travel at 80mph, releasing their delivery when they reach their destination. 5. Reducing pesticides Farmers who use drones to spray their crops with pesticide claim they are significantly reducing their use of the chemicals, which can threaten biodiversity. In theory, using drones to spray crops improves the precision with which pesticides are applied because they are able to distribute them in specific volumes on GPS-defined routes through a field. A French farming co-operative called Ocealia has said it saw an average 10% increase in crop yields after it started using the technology. 6. Conservation In Indonesia, drones are being used as a cost-effective way of monitoring the dwindling orangutan population. Previously, the great apes' nests had to be tracked by teams using binoculars. Drones have also have been used in the country to map the health of forests, showing where illegal logging is taking place.

हाल के महीनों में गैटविक, हीथ्रो और डबलिन हवाई अड्डों पर सैकड़ों उड़ानें बंद होने और हजारों लोगों के फंसे होने की सूचना के बाद ब्रिटेन में हवाई अड्डों के आसपास ड्रोन के लिए एक विस्तारित 5 किमी (3.1 मील) नो-फ्लाई ज़ोन लागू हो गया है।


Guernsey sick seagulls: Tests find E. coli

Summary: Traces of E. coli have been found in seagulls found ill in Guernsey but the source of the outbreak is still unclear, the GSPCA said.

The charity said it had taken in 50 birds with a mystery illness over the past two weeks, many of which had died. The GSPCA said some of the birds had since recovered and were ready to be released. Steve Byrne, GSPCA manager, said E. coli bacteria had been found during testing. He added: "It's one of the biggest epidemics of ill gulls that we've had in a long, long time." Related Internet Links GSPCA

जी. एस. पी. सी. ए. ने कहा कि ग्वेर्नसे में बीमार पाए गए सीगल में ई. कोलाई के निशान पाए गए हैं, लेकिन प्रकोप का स्रोत अभी भी स्पष्ट नहीं है।


Surviving the worst winter in the world

Summary: Much of Antarctica has endured more than three months of complete darkness - but today, the Sun rose again for the first time over the horizon at French-Italian Concordia Station, an extreme and isolated outpost located in Antarctica.Antarctic-based doctor Alexander Kumar, originally from Derbyshire, UK, and now based at the station, describes living through "the worst winter in the world".

Having spent months dreaming about this moment, this morning I woke up early and climbed outside onto the roof, alone. Remnants of the flags placed on the roof last summer fluttered back and forth, having been chewed away by the biting Antarctic winds. Over the Great White Silence, the most magnificent sunrise unfolded before me over the cold, white and desolate alien landscape. My eyes ached in response to readjusting to the natural bright light - we have just spent over three months living in the long dark eternal polar night. My iPod died within minutes, part way through The Beatles' song Here Comes the Sun, which I had chosen to mark this new chapter in my life. During the long dark cold and lonely winter, I have read my way through the last hundred years of polar history. One story resonated throughout these long months, especially when I am traversing outside at this extreme. British polar explorer and survivor of Scott's 1910 expedition Apsley Cherry-Garrard introduces his own experiences in his account The Worst Journey in the World with the words: "Polar exploration is at once the cleanest and most isolated way of having a bad time which has been devised." In his book, Cherry-Gerrard discusses the meaning of physical human suffering and resilience whilst enduring extreme conditions. Certainly, there have been few worse journeys documented in polar history than can be found in his account. In July 1911, Doctor Edward Wilson led the expedition's zoological assistant, Cherry-Garrard and stout "Birdie" Bowers outside on a winter's journey. Setting out on foot, they headed for an Emperor Penguin's rookery located at Cape Crozier, crossing the Ross Ice Shelf in complete darkness in temperatures below -40C, to collect penguin eggs to test embryological theory. Having had their tent blown away in a blizzard, they were without food for two days and two nights, sucking ice for rehydration. The three returned to Cape Evans base, barely alive but carrying three penguin eggs, having endured man's longest exposure to Antarctica's brutal nature. "Overwintering" in Antarctica is a journey in itself, but nowadays challenges us in very different ways bringing a new type of psychological suffering than what is found in Cherry-Garrard's 1911 excursion. Nowadays, overwintering has become more of a personal journey, and aside from the physical difficulties it remains the world's greatest psychological challenge - a mental marathon of sorts where there is no stopping or turning back. I am the only British member of a European crew totalling 13 persons spending nine months in isolation at Concordia Station, a French-Italian research station in Antarctica and one of the world's most remote manned outposts. We have been alone living in complete isolation since February and had watched our last sunset at the very beginning of May. High up on the Antarctic Plateau - the world's largest desert - we have endured hypoxia that comes from being located at 3800m equivalent altitude, the coldest temperatures on Earth falling below -80C (-100C with the wind-chill), and each other. Nothing survives outside in such harsh conditions - no fauna and no flora. Whilst working as the station's only doctor I am also employed as the European Space Agency Research MD and I have been curiously studying myself alongside my fellow crew members as part of a scientific protocol looking at the effects of isolation and living at this extreme. Alongside sleep difficulties and cognitive disturbances, the mental strain of overwintering in Antarctica is well-documented and has been a larger burden than any physical factor. During the winter months in the darkness, after your head-torch's batteries have succumbed and failed in the cold, you are left to feel your way around your environment blindly, whilst being a prisoner of your own mind. Due to the darkness, isolation and sensory deprivation, life becomes black and white in all senses. With the sunrise comes new colour, partly relieving the stress associated with our confinement. As with any Antarctic winter crew, we have had our fair share of challenges - language difficulties, cultural misunderstandings, problems from home and accidents on the ice. Together we have made it through this far, by working as a team. In such extreme conditions, there is no other way - we share a feeling that we are battling in a war for survival against nature's extreme everyday. Even with the insurgence of new hope from our first sunrise this morning, our journey and struggle is not over. A new chapter has begun. The Sun set just a few hours later, leaving us once again in the darkness. Running on our last reserves in fuel, food and in our mind and bodies, we will have to wait three more months before the first plane will arrive. Our minds fixed with anxiety figuring out how each of us will re-adapt to using money and standing in a comparatively crowded civilisation again. But having seen the Sun again with my own eyes, it seems there is light at the end of the tunnel. This must be the worst winter in the world and when it comes to Antarctica, I agree with Cherry-Garrard's introduction to his own journey: "Take it all in all, I do not believe anybody on Earth has a worse time than an Emperor penguin." Dr Alexander Kumar FRGS is the Concordia Station doctor (Institut Polaire Français) and European Space Agency-sponsored research MD, and a frequent blogger

अंटार्कटिका के अधिकांश हिस्सों में तीन महीने से अधिक समय तक पूरी तरह से अंधेरा रहा है-लेकिन आज, सूरज पहली बार फ्रांसीसी-इतालवी कॉनकॉर्डिया स्टेशन पर क्षितिज के ऊपर फिर से उग आया, जो मूल रूप से डर्बीशायर, यूके के डॉक्टर अलेक्जेंडर कुमार में स्थित एक चरम और अलग-थलग चौकी है, और अब स्टेशन पर स्थित है, जो "दुनिया की सबसे खराब सर्दियों" में रहने का वर्णन करता है।


Guernsey Airport landing system to return to aid pilots

Summary: A system that helps pilots land in low visibility should be back in place by the end of the month, Guernsey Airport's director has said.

The instrument landing system tells planes their distance from the ground. It was removed in July during work to move the runway 120m west as part of an £80m refurbishment project. Colin Le Ray said the system for eastern approaches was successfully tested in December, but the western system was still out of commission. He said some work needed to be completed by the project contractor before the system could be tested by a specially-equipped plane, which he hoped would happen before the end of January. At the moment, without the system, planes are unable to land in the west when there is low visibility, which has led to flight disruptions.

ग्वेर्नसे हवाई अड्डे के निदेशक ने कहा है कि एक ऐसी प्रणाली जो पायलटों को कम दृश्यता में उतरने में मदद करती है, महीने के अंत तक वापस आ जानी चाहिए।