Kenya's black market baby trade: A mother's choice

Summary: Last month, BBC Africa Eye exposed a thriving black-market trade in babies in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi. Police arrested seven people on trafficking charges in response to the story, but what about the women on the other side of these illegal deals? What drives a mother to sell her child?

By Joel GunterBBC Africa Eye Adama's life was easy when she had her parents, she said. Money was tight, and her options were already narrow, but there was an order to things that made sense. She attended school and cherished it. She had few worries. Then her father died when she was 12, and her mother died a few years later. "Life became so hard then," she said, in a conversation from her village in rural western Kenya. "I had to drop out of school and fend for myself." At 22, Adama met a man and got pregnant, but he died three days after their baby daughter was born. Her loneliness deepened. She nursed her baby through an infant sickness until the girl improved, at about 18 months, then a steady income was needed to keep them both alive. So Adama left the baby with her elderly grandmother and headed to Nairobi to find work. "Bear in mind you are going to get a living for your child," her grandmother said. Adama arrived in Nairobi and began by selling watermelon on the street, but it didn't pay enough and her housemate stole any money she left at home. Life in the city was hard too: she has a scar at the top of her forehead, just under her cropped hair, from defending herself. "Some men were playing with me and it reached a point I had to fight back," she said. She moved on to work on a construction site, where she wasn't paid at all, and from there to a nightclub, where she instructed her boss to send her pay directly back to her grandma in the village. After a while, Adama took a little more of her pay in Nairobi so she could rent a place to live. She found a new job with slightly better wages at another construction site, and met a man there. The two dated for a while and he told her he wanted to have a child. Adama offered him a deal — if she could bring her baby girl to live with them, they could have a child together. He agreed, and for five months of Adama's pregnancy he paid the rent and bills and bought food for their home, and Adama waited for the right time to bring her baby girl into the city. Then he left one day and never came back. Many women will know the anxiety of preparing to bring a child into the world without enough money to feed one person, let alone two. Most will never contemplate selling a child to a stranger. But for some expectant mothers in poverty in Kenya, selling a baby to traffickers has become the last in a limited number of options for survival. The traffickers pay shockingly low sums. Sarah was 17 when she fell pregnant with her second child, with no means to support the baby, she said. She sold him to a woman who offered her 3,000 Kenyan shillings - about £20. "At that point I was young, I never thought what I was doing was wrong," she said. "After five years it hit me, and I wanted to refund her the money." She said she knew other women who had sold babies for similar sums. "Many girls sell their babies due to challenges. Maybe she has been chased from home by her mum and she has nothing, or she was still in school when she got pregnant. That is too many problems for a girl who is 15 or 16. "You will find girls losing their baby and everything they own because there is no one to hold their hand." Kenya has one of the highest rates of teenage pregnancy in Africa, and health experts say the problem has worsened during the coronavirus pandemic, with some women pushed into sex work to survive and girls losing the structure of the school system. "I've heard so many stories of women and girls in this situation. Young women are coming into cities looking for jobs, getting into relationships, conceiving, and being abandoned by the father of their child," said Prudence Mutiso, a Kenyan human rights lawyer who specialises in child protection and reproductive rights. "If the father will not pay, then these women and girls have to find other ways to substitute for that income. And that is what drives them to these baby sellers, so that they can get some form of income to support themselves and perhaps children they already have back home. People don't speak about this in the open, but it is there." Adama hid her pregnancy for as long as she could at the construction site, until she could no longer carry heavy bags of cement or disguise her bump. Then she had no income to cover her rent. For three months, her landlord gave her grace, then he kicked her out and boarded the place up. At eight months pregnant, Adama began breaking back into the house late at night just to sleep and leaving first thing in the morning. "On a good day I would be lucky to get food," she said. "Sometimes I would just drink water, pray, and sleep." When a woman finds herself in Adama's position in Kenya, several factors can converge to push them into the hands of traffickers. Abortion is illegal unless the life of the mother or the child is at risk, leaving only dangerous unlicensed alternatives on the table. There is also a significant lack of sex and reproductive health education for adolescents, particularly in rural areas, as well as a lack of awareness around legal adoption processes. "Women and girls with unwanted pregnancies do not have support from the government," said Ibrahim Ali, Kenya programme manager for the charity Health Poverty Action. "These women have often been victimised and stigmatised, especially in rural areas, and they tend to run away, and that puts them in vulnerable situations in cities." Adama had no idea what legal options would be open to her to give up her child safely, and no understanding of the adoption process. "I was not aware of it at all," she said. "I had never heard of it." She contemplated a backstreet abortion, she said, but could not reconcile the idea with her faith. Then she contemplated taking her own life. "I was so stressed, I started thinking how I would commit suicide by drowning myself, so people could just forget about me." But a few weeks before her due date, someone introduced Adama to a well-dressed woman named Mary Auma, who told her not to have an abortion or end her life. Mary Auma runs an illegal street clinic in the Nairobi slum Kayole. She gave Adama 100 shillings and told her to come to the clinic the following day. Mary Auma's makeshift clinic is not really a clinic, it's two rooms hidden behind an inconspicuous shopfront on a Kayole street. Inside there are a few mostly empty shelves scattered with old medicinal products, behind which are the rooms for women to give birth. Auma sits inside with her assistant, buying and selling babies for a profit, without the inconvenience of having to check who is buying them or what for. She told Adama that her buyers were loving parents unable to conceive, who would provide for a much-wanted child. But in reality Auma will sell a baby to someone who walks in off the street with the right amount of cash. Auma also tells expectant mothers that she is a former nurse, but she does not have the medical equipment, skills, or sanitation to deal with a serious problem during childbirth. "Her place was dirty, she would use a small container for blood, she had no basin, and the bed was not clean," Adama recalled. "But I was desperate, I didn't have a choice." When Adama arrived at the clinic, Mary Auma gave her two tablets without warning, to induce labour, Adama said. Auma had a buyer lined up and she was anxious to make a sale. But when Adama gave birth, the baby boy developed chest problems and needed urgent care, and Auma told Adama to take him to hospital. After a week in hospital, Adama was discharged with a healthy boy. The landlord that had kicked her out when she was pregnant allowed her to return and she nursed the baby. Shortly after she ran into Mary Auma again at the market, she said, and Auma gave her another 100 shillings and told her to come to the clinic the next day. "New package has been born," Auma texted her buyer. "45,000k." Mary Auma wasn't offering Adama the 45,000 shillings — £300 — she was quoting the buyer. She offered Adama 10,000 — about £70. But Mary Auma didn't know the buyer she had lined up was an undercover reporter working for the the BBC, as part of a year-long investigation into child trafficking. When Adama went to the makeshift clinic the next day, she sat in the backroom, cradling her baby son in her arms. In a whispered discussion, the supposed buyer told her she had other options, and Adama had a change of heart. She left the clinic that day holding her son, and took him to a government-run children's home, where he will be cared for until a legitimate adoption can be arranged. The BBC asked Mary Auma to respond to the allegations in this story, but she declined. Adama is 29 now, and living again in the village where she was raised. She still goes to bed hungry sometimes. Life is still hard. She gets occasional work at a small hotel nearby but not enough. She struggles not to drink. She dreams of opening her own shoe shop in the village and bringing in shoes from Nairobi, but it is a distant dream. She has no contact with her son, but she has no regrets. "I was not happy selling my child, I did not even want to touch that money," she said. "When there was no money involved in giving him up, then I was OK." She knows the neighbourhood around the children's home where she left her son. It is near the house she was kicked out of when she was almost ready to give birth to him. "I know the area is safe," she said, "and the people looking after him are good." Additional reporting by Njeri Mwangi. Photographs by Tonny Omondi for the BBC.

पिछले महीने, बीबीसी अफ्रीका आई ने केन्या की राजधानी, नैरोबी में बच्चों के काले बाजार में बढ़ते व्यापार का पर्दाफाश किया। पुलिस ने कहानी के जवाब में तस्करी के आरोप में सात लोगों को गिरफ्तार किया, लेकिन इन अवैध सौदों के दूसरी तरफ की महिलाओं के बारे में क्या? एक माँ को अपने बच्चे को बेचने के लिए क्या प्रेरित करता है?


QUIZ: How rubbish are you at recycling?

Summary: Young people need to sharpen up their act at recycling, according to the latest figures.

Recycling habits must improve to avoid contaminated waste and those aged 18 to 34 are the worst offenders, Recycle for Wales said. So how rubbish are YOU at recycling? Take our quiz to find out.

नवीनतम आंकड़ों के अनुसार, युवाओं को पुनर्चक्रण में अपने कार्य को तेज करने की आवश्यकता है।


Colin Jackson to get honorary university fellowship

Summary: Colin Jackson is to be awarded an honorary fellowship at Wrexham Glyndwr University.

The former 110m hurdles world record holder was nominated for services to sport. An Olympic silver medallist in 1988, Mr Jackson was also a two-time world and Commonwealth champion and four-time European champion. Cardiff-born Mr Jackson, who now works as a BBC athletics pundit, will receive his fellowship in October.

कॉलिन जैक्सन को रेक्सम ग्लिंडवर विश्वविद्यालय में मानद फेलोशिप से सम्मानित किया जाना है।


Cyclist dies in Hartlepool hit-and-run van crash

Summary: A cyclist has died in a crash with a van in a suspected hit-and-run.

Michael Waistell, 58, was cycling on Mowbray Road, Hartlepool, at about 06:45 BST when the collision happened. He died at the scene. Police are trying to trace a white Transit van with a blue logo which failed to stop at the scene. Cleveland Police has appealed to anyone who saw the vehicle in the Catcote Road, Fens or Owton Manor areas between 06:00 and 07:30 BST to contact them. Related Internet Links Cleveland Police

एक संदिग्ध हिट-एंड-रन में एक वैन के साथ दुर्घटना में एक साइकिल चालक की मौत हो गई है।


What the Conservative government has pledged to do

Summary: The Conservative Party has a majority in the new Parliament and, in theory, the ability to pass whatever laws it wants. Here are some of the things the party has promised to do.

Key policies Many of the party's main pledges were in its manifesto, but some were also made later in the election campaign. The party said it would: Below are some of the other key pledges made in the party's manifesto Economy Jobs and investment Taxation and welfare Immigration Education and the NHS Heritage, sports and government Justice Pensions and inheritance Foreign affairs and defence Others

कंजर्वेटिव पार्टी के पास नई संसद में बहुमत है और सिद्धांत रूप में, वह जो भी कानून चाहती है उसे पारित करने की क्षमता रखती है। यहाँ कुछ चीजें हैं जो पार्टी ने करने का वादा किया है।


Should there be a word for an 'almost alcoholic'?

Summary: Everybody thinks they know what an "alcoholic" is, but what about those who drink too much but fall short of the common definitions of alcoholism? Should there be a word that bridges the gap between alcoholic and non-alcoholic?

By Olivia Sorrel-DejerineBBC News Magazine The term alcoholic - on its own to denote someone addicted to alcohol - was first used in 1852 in the Scottish Temperance Review. Since then, millions of heavy drinkers have been confronted by friends and families with the stark question: "Are you an alcoholic?" And millions have denied it. Rejected the label. Confessed only to maybe, possibly drinking too much. But utterly denied the A-word. Alcoholics are people who fall asleep in skips. Alcoholics get into fights. Alcoholics start the day with a shot of whisky. Alcoholics are drunk all the time. Alcoholics can't hold down jobs. None of the above is necessarily true, but the intensely negative nature of the word alcoholic leaves some people scrabbling for an alternative. "There is so much stigma," says Kate, author of the blog The Sober Journalist. People are so frightened of it - their head fills with images of men drinking under bridges. "There is this huge number of people out there who don't fit that stereotype but perhaps their drinking isn't quite normal." Kate went to Alcoholics Anonymous meetings when she started to think she was drinking too much, about four or five years ago. "I felt I was out of place, I wasn't alcoholic enough. I felt that everyone else had worse problems with drinking than I did," she says. There are other words for people who drink a lot. There is everything from the lightly derogatory "lush" to the more flowery "bibulous" to the prosaic "heavy drinker". But there is nothing as succinct as alcoholic. And some believe that this gap has an effect. Professionals have started using other terms that would not be as negative as alcoholic because "many doctors feel that it is quite difficult to engage a patient if you talk to them about alcoholism", says Dr Sarah Jarvis, a consultant for Patient.co.uk. People have such vivid mental images of what it means to be an alcoholic that they measure themselves against that standard and do not seek help. "They all have an idea of what an alcohol or problem drinker is but there is a different pattern for every drinker," Jarvis says. Not all experts share this view, however. There's a danger that avoiding the term "alcoholism" will only serve "to reassure people their drinking is OK when it isn't", says Moira Plant, emeritus professor of alcohol studies at the University of the West of England. She agrees the widespread impression of the alcoholic as a vagrant or street-drinker prevents higher-functioning people with drink problems from seeking help. But she says the best way to tackle this is to correct false stereotypes, not downplay the situation faced by such individuals - many of whom are already in denial. "People normalise heavy drinking," she says. "They tend to overestimate what everyone else drinks. They say, 'I don't drink as much as my friends so it's OK.'" There have been other words to describe someone drinking too much. In the 19th Century "inebriate" was a popular term and the word "drunkard" goes all the way back to the 15th Century. England's Department of Health recommends that men should not regularly drink more than three to four units of alcohol a day and women should not regularly drink more than two to three units a day. But drinking above these recommendations does not necessarily mean that the person is an alcoholic. It just means increased risk of health damage. "An alcoholic is anyone who is dependent on alcohol and who is drinking to a level that will endanger their health," Dr Jarvis says. The term alcoholic is very much alive in the vocabulary of ordinary people, says Tim Leighton, director of professional education and research at Action on Addiction. "In Europe and in the UK, there was a move away from the term in the 1960s; it was seen as derogatory. We now talk about 'alcohol dependence', but you don't hear people in the street saying he is an 'alcohol dependent,' they say he is an 'alcoholic,'" he says. Dr Jarvis says it is a shame the words "hazardous" or "harmful" drinker aren't used more widely. The issue with the use of the word "alcoholic" is that it is narrow. "You are either one or you are not," Leighton says. "This is why some people prefer the term 'alcohol dependence'. You can be an alcoholic without drinking too much - it is all about dependence, about losing control." For a long time, it was a strict category, there were specific criteria and if you fulfilled these criteria, you were an alcoholic, says Joseph Nowinski, one of the authors of the book Almost Alcoholic. This is a stage for a lot of controversy - as long as you didn't meet the alcoholic criteria, you would say, "I am not an alcoholic so I don't have a drinking problem", he says. "There has never been a word for people who come to the point of asking themselves the question, 'Do I have a problem or not?'" Based on this, Nowinski and Robert Doyle came up with the concept of being an "almost alcoholic" to describe people who are not alcoholics but who "fall into a grey area of problem drinking". "The almost alcoholic zone is actually quite large. The people who occupy it are not alcoholics. Rather, they are men and women whose drinking habits range from barely qualifying as almost alcoholics to those whose drinking borders on abuse," they wrote in the Atlantic. "An expanded view of drinking behaviour in terms of a spectrum as opposed to discrete categories might be viewed by some as opening the door to over-diagnosing the associated problems. We believe the opposite will prove to be the case: that this paradigm shift will allow people to recognise problems earlier and to seek solutions without having to be labelled as alcoholics." "There is a huge range of alcohol problems," Leighton says. "A lot of people with alcohol problems are not alcoholics." Until a new label is popularised there will be people who struggle to admit they have a problem, he says. But for Kate, the existing term has come to make sense as her recovery has progressed. "I feel that eight months ago I wouldn't have said that I was an alcoholic and now I could say I am because I know what it means," she says. Follow @BBCNewsMagazine on Twitter and on Facebook On a tablet? Read 10 of the best Magazine stories from 2013 here

हर कोई सोचता है कि वे जानते हैं कि "शराबी" क्या है, लेकिन उन लोगों के बारे में क्या जो बहुत अधिक पीते हैं लेकिन शराब की सामान्य परिभाषाओं से चूक जाते हैं? क्या कोई ऐसा शब्द होना चाहिए जो शराबी और गैर-शराबी के बीच की खाई को पाट सके?


Australian mining towns reel from iron ore price dive

Summary: Australia's treasurer has revealed that a plunge in the price of the country's biggest export, iron ore, has blown a huge hole in the national budget. With coal mining communities already struggling, iron ore towns are now feeling the first wave of shocks that will ripple through Australia's economy.

By Julian LorkinSydney One such town, Port Hedland in Western Australia's remote Pilbara district, has seen hardship before but this time round it will be tough, according to Port Hedland Chamber of Commerce managing secretary Arnold Carter. "Everyone is worried," the 87-year-old former deputy mayor told the BBC. "Fear of the unknown is the biggest handicap. Miners won't spend when they can't see past the end of next week," he said. On Friday, mid-tier iron ore miner Atlas Iron announced it would mothball its operations in the remote town, 1,660 km (1,030 miles) north of Perth. Atlas employs about 500 people across its production assets and another 75 people in its Perth office. Contractors hurting But it is more than direct jobs that are at stake, Mr Carter said. "It goes all the way down the line to the subcontractors and where they spend their money, such as the shops in the town," he said. "Those hurting the most are the small suppliers. Atlas has an army of subcontractors that supply fuel, trucks, tools, and even accommodation for the fly-in, fly-out workers. "Thankfully, Atlas is only one of a number of projects in Port Hedland. We're hoping it doesn't get any worse." But by Monday, trucking group McAleese had asked the Australian Stock Exchange to suspend trading in its shares, while it considered the implications of losing its biggest customer, Atlas, and half its earnings. It had employed 400 workers and provided 100 trucks to Atlas. "Drivers are just one set of workers who will see their cash dry up within weeks," said Mr Carter. "Even people who make the meals and beds [in town] will now be sitting around without an income." At US$47 a tonne the price of iron ore is less than half its level year ago. It is a long way from the days when you had to pay A$2,500 (US$1,894) a week to rent a house in Port Hedland - more than some Australians earn in a month. Shareholders and owners are seeing value evaporate, too. One of the most high profile is Australian businessman and politician Clive Palmer. His prized asset, the Sino Iron project in the Pilbara, has been written down by A$2.3bn (£1.9bn; $1.7bn). Citigroup is forecasting iron ore to slide to below US$40 a tonne during the year and remain below that level for the next three years, potentially wiping out the profitability of almost every Australian iron ore miner other than the big two, Rio Tinto and BHP Billiton. Australian Federal Treasurer Joe Hockey has gone further, factoring in a fall to US$35 a tonne. That price would reduce budget revenue forecasts by A$25bn (£13bn; $19bn) over the next four years. It is not just Western Australia and iron ore that is feeling the downturn. The price of coal has fallen to just above US$60 per metric ton, down from US$140 four years ago and leading to the closure of mines on Australia's east coast. 'This one is different' The fall in the price of iron and coal are linked, according to Janu Chan, Senior Economist at St George Bank. "A downturn in the Chinese property sector means less coal for energy and iron for building are needed, adding to a glut of commodities." China's coal imports fell by nearly half in the first quarter of the year. ANZ Bank has forecast growth in China to fall to 7%, its slowest since 2009. "Last year, Australia exported over A$40bn of coal, much of it to China," said Ms Chan. "This year, there isn't nearly as much." Mr Carter has lived in Port Hedland for over half a century. He has seen some rough times in what can be a tough environment but this commodity downturn is shaking the mining industry. "Previously, we had short-term slowdowns, and even in 2008 it was just a question of suspending construction for a while but mines carried on operating," he said. "We quickly bounced back, and the boom times rolled again. "This is the fourth downturn I've suffered but this one is different. This is the sharpest decline in ore prices I've ever seen. It's nasty and no-one is immune."

ऑस्ट्रेलिया के खजांची ने खुलासा किया है कि देश के सबसे बड़े निर्यात, लौह अयस्क की कीमत में गिरावट ने राष्ट्रीय बजट में एक बड़ा छेद कर दिया है। कोयला खनन समुदाय पहले से ही संघर्ष कर रहे हैं, लौह अयस्क शहर अब झटकों की पहली लहर महसूस कर रहे हैं जो ऑस्ट्रेलिया की अर्थव्यवस्था में लहर लाएगा।


Q&A: Cosmetic review

Summary: Cosmetic procedures from injections that plump up the skin to breast enlargement have come under intense scrutiny.

By James GallagherHealth and science reporter, BBC News A report for the Department of Health in England warns a lack of regulation has led to a "crisis waiting to happen". It has also attacked companies for putting profits before patients.

त्वचा को मोटा करने वाले इंजेक्शन से लेकर स्तन बढ़ाने तक की सौंदर्य प्रसाधन प्रक्रियाएँ गहन जांच के दायरे में आई हैं।


Bangladesh cafe siege: Chef's family waits for answers

Summary: The deadly attack on Bangladesh's Holey Artisan Bakery cafe, which killed 20 people, sent shockwaves through the country. But, two months on, many questions remain - and there is still disagreement over who carried out the attack. The BBC's Anbarasan Ethirajan speaks to one woman looking for answers, and still awaiting the body of her husband.

Sonia Akther usually received a telephone call from her husband, Saiful Islam Chowkidar, every night. He was anxious to know about the health of his seven-month pregnant wife. But on the night of 1 July he didn't call. Ms Akther felt a bit strange but she went to bed. The shock came at midnight when someone told her that the restaurant where her husband worked in the capital Dhaka was under attack. Ms Akther desperately called her husband's mobile, but there was no response. With no other option, she spent the night nervously watching news on television. She feared the worst. A group of Islamist gunmen had stormed the Holey Artisan Bakery where her husband was working as a pizza chef and killed more than 20 people, most of them foreigners. She had a ray of hope when news came in the morning that most staff members were safe. But then devastating news reached her. Mr Chowkidar was the only cafe employee who died on the night of the siege. Another staff member, Zakir Hossain Shawon, died a week after the siege at a hospital while under police custody. Police said he was injured in the attack - but his family told AFP news agency he had been tortured. Ms Akther wept inconsolably when she spoke to me on the phone from their village in Shariatpur district, central Bangladesh. Mr Chowkidar had planned to visit their home soon, to buy gifts for their two daughters, aged nine and seven, for the Muslim religious festival of Eid. "How can this happen? He was the only earning member of the family. What will I do with my two daughters?" Ms Akther lamented. But their suffering did not end there. The family wanted to give him a dignified burial, as per Muslim tradition. But the Bangladeshi police have refused to hand over the body of Mr Chowkidar, saying he's a suspect and they need time to investigate. "My world turned upside down when I heard the news. He's innocent. There's no evidence against him. We have only one request, please hand over his body. We want to bury him," Ms Akther said. The death of Mr Chowkidar is one of the unsolved mysteries in the Dhaka cafe attack. It is unclear how he died and who killed him. And it is unclear whether he could be a suspected militant, as police say, or whether he is simply an innocent victim, as his family claim. Mr Chowkidar's colleagues say he was making pizza near the main entrance of the cafe when gunmen ran into the building firing guns and detonating home-made bombs. After the siege ended, Mr Chowkidar's body was found ridden with gunshot wounds. What exactly happened was a mystery - and even the authorities seemed unsure. In the days after the attack, some officials suggested that Mr Chowkidar might have been shot dead by security forces who mistook him for a gunman. In another report, police said they had mistaken Mr Chowkidar, a hostage, for one of the militants - but would not confirm whether he had been killed by security forces during the siege. These reports were later denied by the authorities, who said Mr Chowkidar was "a suspect[ed] member" of the militants. And which group was behind the attack? That is also disputed. The Islamic State group said it carried out the attack, and a website linked to the group posted pictures of five men it said were involved in the assault. The five men featured in the photographs were eventually named by police - and Mr Chowkidar was not among the five. But the authorities denied IS was involved, and said the attack was the work of domestic militants from the banned Jamayetul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) group. Mr Chowkidar was popular with colleagues at Holey Artisan Bakery, who do not believe he was involved. MD Delwar Hossain, an assistant chef in the restaurant who survived the attack, said claims that Mr Chowkidar was a militant were "not true, totally incorrect". "Saiful was a very good person. We didn't notice any bad behaviour or bad attitude from him. He was just a chef over there, a normal staff member like us," he said. "He was a very good person and a chef - nothing more than that." 'A happy man' One of the owners of the restaurant, Ali Arsalan, remembers his last moments with Mr Chowkidar with fondness. "A couple of hours before the attack started, I collected some pizzas from him to give to a friend. He said the orders were picking up and he might need an additional hand." The pizza chef was quite "a happy man, and hard working," Mr Arsalan said. The Bangladeshi police say Mr Chowkidar is still a suspect and investigations are going on to find out whether there was any link between him and the militants. "After finishing our investigation, we can tell you about his role in that incident," Masudur Rahman, a spokesperson for Dhaka Metropolitan Police told the BBC. Mr Rahman said they were withholding his body for further forensic examination and awaiting a report. "After we complete our DNA test report then we will decide, and if the family members apply to get the dead body then we will consider it," Mr Rahman said. In the meantime, Mr Chowkidar's family say they have not received any financial help from anyone and are not sure how will they survive in the future without any income. They fervently hope that his name is cleared and that they will not have to live under a shadow of suspicion. Mr Chowkidar's body may be handed over to the family eventually but Ms Akther says a part of her also dreads the day. "My two daughters are too young to understand what has happened to their father. They keep calling his mobile every day but it's switched off. "My youngest one still thinks that he is in Dhaka and will be coming home soon with gifts."

बांग्लादेश के होली आर्टिसन बेकरी कैफे पर घातक हमले, जिसमें 20 लोग मारे गए थे, ने पूरे देश को झकझोर कर रख दिया। लेकिन, दो महीने बाद भी, कई सवाल बने हुए हैं-और अभी भी इस बात पर असहमति है कि हमले को किसने अंजाम दिया। बीबीसी के अनबरसन एथिराजन जवाब की तलाश में एक महिला से बात करते हैं, और अभी भी अपने पति के शव का इंतजार कर रहे हैं।


JS Ondara: The Kenyan rising star singing about life in Trump's America

Summary: Modest and quietly spoken but with a penchant for the nattiest threads this side of the Tana River, JS Ondara has, in the space of several years, moved to America, taught himself how to play guitar, released an album with Decca Records and supported rock royalty on a US tour.

By Kev GeogheganArts and entertainment reporter "It's a little overwhelming in some ways, so I try not to think about it so much," he explains backstage at The Great Escape Festival in Brighton. "Because when I think about it, I get really emotional. It's just like, 'Whoa, this is not real life'." There he is mistaken. His fairytale rise is very real as are his affecting vignettes of life as an immigrant in the United States, laid bare on his debut album Tales of America - which was released in February. Weaved in among his tales of love and yearning are songs like the provocatively-titled God Bless America, which reveals Ondara arguably at his most personal as he pleads: "Will you let me in, or are you at capacity?/Will you set me free, are you holding on to history?" The album opener American Dream pits sparse, chilled double bass-driven instrumentation against violently vivid lyrical imagery: "Lover don't you come down/Without a sword or a gun." The black-and-white video features a young black teenager apparently arresting a uniformed police officer. "I think, being a folk singer travelling around singing songs, I get to experience all parts of America and the experience is usually positive," he says. "Maybe that's just because I'm playing songs that people like and maybe that's not a very objective perspective." He adds: "But there's definitely a growing intolerance towards immigrants at the moment and immigration, and as an immigrant myself, I get caught up in that emotionally. And I'm hoping that, you know, by sort of talking about it, we'll sort out if we can, you know..." The intolerance Ondara speaks of finds itself squarely back in the news after the US President Donald Trump was criticised for his recent attacks on non-white US congresswomen - all US citizens and, bar one, all born in the US. "Maybe it's a backlash from the presidency and all the toxicity that has brought, has sort of inspired a group of people to speak up," says Ondara of his songwriting. "In some ways, maybe this good thing that does come out of these troubling times is people are rising up, more people are being more audible. They want to be heard, and protect the rights of minorities and people who, historically, may not have equal rights." The singer was born and raised in Nairobi. He got into the music of artists like Jeff Buckley as a teenager and enjoyed singing, but his family could not afford instruments. Ondara moved to the US as a student just six years ago after winning a green card lottery, settling in his idol Bob Dylan's home state of Minnesota and teaching himself to play as he pursued a career in music. His dream was not something he shared with his family. "I never told them, you know, I lied. I told them I was gonna go to school. Because if I told them what my true intentions were, they wouldn't let me leave. They would have thought I absolutely was just insane." From there, Ondara began singing and playing regularly at open mic nights and started uploading covers of favourites like Dylan, Nirvana and Neil Young to YouTube. He says he was drawn to the quiet honesty of folk music and its ability to connect to real social issues. His songwriting recalls the work of other stars too like Paul Simon, Cat Stevens and of course his idol, who recently performed in London's Hyde Park. "I think one of the reasons I found a kinship with his [Dylan's] music is because it was already something I felt passionate about. "I suppose my songs at the moment are more influenced by social events, and things are happening around the world. And, you know, sort of becoming some kind of adult and facing responsibilities and finding what my place is in the world and how I can contribute positively in the world." There are a few oddities in there as well, like on his track Days of Insanity, which features an almost inaudible Sgt Pepper-era Beatles-esque Ondara sing: "There is a bear at the airport, waiting on a plane/There is a cow at the funeral, bidding farewell/There is a goat at the terminal, boarding the C train/There is a horse at the hospital, dancing with the hare." That ability to find poeticism in the surreal may help explain Ondara's incredible sartorial style, which is as much a part of his identity as his music, matching vintage tailoring with bright colours and vibrant patterns and an ever-present wide-brimmed hat - another tribute to Dylan. "I'm drawn to bizarre things. And I think my idea of fashion is not too different from my idea of music is trying to find when I'm making my records. "It's borrowed from old music, you know, it's carrying on the tradition of old music, but it's interpreted in a way that it can exist in the current zeitgeist. And the same thing with fashion is, I try to wear things that are old fashion, but I'm sort of integrating them in a way that they can exist now." Ondara is currently on a tour of Europe, Canada and the US, and actually supported Neil Young at a handful of dates earlier in the year. But one place he is yet to play is his home town of Nairobi, something which will be "a moment" for him, and would at least convince his family that his path less travelled was the right one. "I think they're definitely happy for me now, though they were puzzled in the beginnings of my career. Like, 'What are you doing? Stop it, go to school'. I think they sort of gave up and they're like, 'OK, I get it, he'll do what he wants to do, he's an adult. "They don't really understand that what it is that I do, but they're happy that I'm happy." Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.

विनम्र और चुपचाप बोले जाने वाले लेकिन ताना नदी के इस तरफ के सबसे जटिल धागे के लिए एक प्रवृत्ति के साथ, जे. एस. ओंदारा, कई वर्षों के अंतराल में, अमेरिका चले गए, खुद को गिटार बजाना सिखाया, डेक्का रिकॉर्ड्स के साथ एक एल्बम जारी किया और अमेरिकी दौरे पर रॉक रॉयल्टी का समर्थन किया।


Toronto's Rob Ford to face John Tory and Olivia Chow

Summary: After a year of drunken antics, admissions of drug use, and crippling disputes with the city council, polls suggest Toronto Mayor Rob Ford could still win re-election in October. How do his challengers make their pitch to the city's typically staid voters?

By Daniel NasawBBC News, Toronto As regular as the frigid spring rain falling on Canada's largest city earlier this month, Mr Ford stood before a pack of baying reporters and waved off the latest allegations of public misbehaviour. The mayor had been denied entry to a luxury box at a Toronto Maple Leafs hockey game at the weekend, and the reporters pressed him whether he was intoxicated. "No, I wasn't. Not at all," the mayor said, declining to answer whether he was still using drugs at all. It was the latest episode in what his detractors describe as the circus sideshow at city hall in this sprawling, diverse city of 2.6 million people. Over the past year, Toronto and the world have seen Mr Ford turn the air blue in drunken rants, admit to using crack cocaine and to buying illegal drugs while mayor, and fend off allegations he associates with criminals. The city council has stripped him of most of his power and most of his staff have quit, rendering him effectively mayor in name only. In October, the voters will have their say. The race has just started but despite it all, early polling shows Mr Ford in strong contention against Olivia Chow, a left-wing member of the New Democratic Party (NDP) and John Tory, a centre-right Conservative, with about 30% of the vote. Analysts say Mr Ford has a loyal base of support in the inner suburbs, which were absorbed into the municipality of Toronto in 1998. Younger, less-educated, and poorer Torontonians in particular back him, according to a recent survey of 634 voters by Forum Research. "They're people who feel that they're talked down to by politicians," said Nelson Wiseman, a political scientist at the University of Toronto. "They can identify with Ford because there's little pretence about the guy." Forum Research president Lorne Bozinoff said Mr Ford stacked up accomplishments before he became bogged down in disputes with the city council and later the drugs and alcohol woes. In particular, he privatised rubbish collection in a large swathe of the city and repealed a despised vehicle tax. "If the issue's about his accomplishments, he does well," Mr Bozinoff said. "That's what's been keeping him afloat." Neither of Mr Ford's two major challengers are shy about alluding to his behaviour. Mr Tory is a broadcaster and former CEO of Rogers Media who has also served as commissioner of the Canadian Football League, member of the provincial parliament, and leader of the Ontario Progressive Conservatives. He has released a "Code of Conduct", in which he vows to "respect and defend our laws, not break them", and to "show up for work each day". "We need change in the city," he told the BBC in an interview over a half-pint of beer in a crowded bar before the start of a Toronto Blue Jays baseball game. "If we want to have a liveable, affordable, functional city, then we need a change in leadership, because we're just not getting things done under the present leadership." He said the "sideshow" made it difficult for the municipal government to focus on easing congestion on the city's notoriously jammed roads, to keep taxes low, and to slash spending. "The city needs to have somebody who will mind the pennies but at the same time will be able to work with others, because our system requires you to do that to get results," he said. Ms Chow, a long-time Toronto councillor and NDP MP, immigrated to Canada from Hong Kong at age 13. Her late husband, Jack Layton, led the NDP from 2003 until his death in 2011. She says her story will appeal to Toronto's extraordinarily diverse population - 46% of Toronto metropolitan area residents were foreign-born in 2011, according to Statistics Canada. "I want to bring pride back to the city, respect and a sense of hope, because we have a great city," Ms Chow told the BBC in an interview in her campaign office in Toronto's Deer Park neighbourhood. "Toronto is really diverse, we are strong. We have people coming from all over the world enjoying the city and living here quite harmoniously. "Under Mr Ford, our city hasn't really moved forward. We're stuck. We're mired in scandal. I've seen other mayors - Vancouver, Calgary - out there selling their cities, talking about economic development, encouraging investment. We're not doing that, not only because of the scandals, but because Mr Ford's performance as a mayor is a failure." Mr Ford's campaign declined repeated requests for an interview with the mayor, with his brother and campaign manager Councillor Doug Ford, or any representative of the campaign. Meanwhile, on the streets of Toronto, the incumbent seemed to offer something for everyone to fault, even among people who said they supported his politics. "I don't think he's doing a very good job," said a woman who gave her name as Maureen. "As for his personal record, that's despicable, but if he was a good mayor, it shouldn't have any bearing on who we elect." Christina McLain, an actress and former teacher who described her politics as centrist, said Mr Ford was "very likeable in a sort of roguish way". "But I don't think he's going to be able to guide the city in the next few years. He's an addict. He's obviously mixed up with criminals." At the University of Toronto, Prof Wiseman said he believed the polls overstated Mr Ford's support. "Although he looks like he's running strong now, as more time goes by in this race I can't really see him picking up support," he said. So who, after the past year, will vote for him? "He got elected on what Bob Dylan called an idiot wind. In every culture you're going to have an element of the idiot vote, and he's the candidate of the idiot party." Follow Daniel Nasaw on Twitter at @danielnasaw

एक साल की शराबी हरकतों, नशीली दवाओं के उपयोग को स्वीकार करने और नगर परिषद के साथ गंभीर विवादों के बाद, सर्वेक्षणों से पता चलता है कि टोरंटो के मेयर रॉब फोर्ड अभी भी अक्टूबर में फिर से चुनाव जीत सकते हैं। उनके प्रतिद्वंद्वी शहर के आम तौर पर स्थिर मतदाताओं के सामने अपनी बात कैसे रखते हैं?


Race report: What are the key points?

Summary: When the death of George Floyd in the US inspired protests about racial injustice across the UK, Prime Minister Boris Johnson set up the Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities to examine inequality in the UK.

Now its 258-page report covering health, education, criminal justice and employment has been published. But what does it say? 'Strident form of anti-racism' criticised The commission acknowledges that it was established as a response to the Black Lives Matter movement and the upsurge of concern about race issues it inspired. It says it owes the mainly young people behind the movement a "debt of gratitude". But it sets out a generational divide between younger activists and the commissioners who grew up in the 1970s and 1980s, saying: "Our experience has taught us that you do not pass on the baton of progress by cleaving to a fatalistic account that insists nothing has changed". It also criticises "bleak new theories about race that insist on accentuating our differences" and an "increasingly strident form of anti-racism thinking that seeks to explain all minority disadvantage through the prism of white discrimination". That diverts attention from other reasons for the success or failure of minority groups, including those relating to the "culture and attitudes" of those communities, the report says. It rejects terms such as "white privilege". Old class divisions have lost traction and identity politics is on the rise, fuelling "pessimistic narratives" about race, the commissioners say. While single-issue identity groups can do good work in protecting the vulnerable, they also "raise the volume" on these pessimistic viewpoints. Racism the direct cause of 'very few' ethnic disparities "Put simply we no longer see a Britain where the system is deliberately rigged against ethnic minorities," the commission says. It says racism is too often used as a "catch-all explanation" for disparities and impediments for people from minority groups. Examples where ethnic minority communities "rightly felt let down", such as the Grenfell fire or the Windrush scandal, sparked "genuine national grief". The commissioners suggest that inequalities such as the higher death rates from Covid-19 among some ethnic groups are explained by factors such as their occupation or housing rather than direct discrimination. "Outcomes such as these do not come about by design, and are certainly not deliberately targeted," they say. It urges a detailed examination of the cases of racial and ethnic disparities and criticises the use of the term BAME (Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic) as "no longer helpful" because it "disguises huge differences" between minority groups. Too much data in the UK only breaks down ethnic groups according to the "big five" of white, black, Asian, mixed and other, making it harder to see differences within ethnic minorities such as black African and black Caribbean communities, the report says. Many of the poor outcomes were due to family breakdown, the report suggests. It also says huge geographical inequalities can be the underlying causes of racial disparities. The commissioners say it was "a revelation how stuck some groups from the white majority are" and it decided its recommendations should be "designed to remove obstacles for everyone". Social media 'amplifies racist views' Although the commissioners cite opinion polls showing there is wide acceptance among the population of the UK as a multi-ethnic society, they suggest social media "enormously amplifies racist views". It says the "dominant narrative" tends to draw attention to issues such as this abuse rather than progress in society, such as that 40% of NHS consultants are from ethnic minorities. Social media abuse, where people can find themselves targeted in their own homes, is a "unique torment", the report says. It says platforms such as Facebook and YouTube with a huge user base have provided racists with a new, more public way to inflict pain on their victims. It suggests social media companies too often fail to even enforce their own terms and conditions, and they should face "substantial penalties - and public naming and shaming". Contrary to public perception of rising hate crimes, the report says they may be declining, according to the Crime Survey of England and Wales. But it still equates to 142 racially-motivated hate crimes a day. Praise for 'immigrant optimism' The report looks for explanations as to why some ethnic minority groups do better than others, and it finds one in some educational research which suggests an important factor is "immigrant optimism". In the education system, black African, Indian and Bangladeshi pupils perform better than white British ones, taking into account socio-economic status. Ethnic minority pupils also have higher aspirations at 14 than white students - with the exception of boys from black Caribbean backgrounds . The research suggests that recent immigrants devote themselves more to education because they see education as a way out of poverty. The commissioners say it may explain why pupils from black African backgrounds have better attainment in education than students with black Caribbean heritage, despite similar levels of neighbourhood deprivation, prejudice, and poverty. Minorities who have been long-established in the UK, particularly if they have faced racial, social and economic disadvantage, may be the least optimistic about social mobility, the report says. Education the "success story" for UK ethnic minorities New arrivals to the UK have seized on educational opportunities and achieved "remarkable social mobility", making education the "single most emphatic success story of the British ethnic minority experience". A bigger proportion of ethnic minority students attend university than white British ones, the report says. People from white British backgrounds have the best outcomes at top universities, but the commissioners suggest this is a "selection effect", due to a smaller, better qualified cross-section of the white British population going to university. It says from early years onwards, family, geography and poverty are the main reasons for poorer outcomes in education. The report says some groups need extra support, including black Caribbean, mixed white and black Caribbean, traveller of Irish heritage, gypsy and Roma groups, as well as Pakistani boys from low socio-economic backgrounds, and lower socio-economic status white British pupils. But it compares racial attainment gaps to the US and finds they are about eight times smaller in the UK. It acknowledges that teaching is "overwhelmingly white" but says the causes for differences in the rates of exclusions and suspensions "cannot be reduced to structural racism and individual teacher bias". 'Shame and pride' in British history Teachers from ethnic minorities have faced "pushback" from senior staff when they push for a broader curriculum, the commissioners say. It suggests opportunities for a more inclusive portrayal of British culture are being missed, even when colleagues from ethnic minority backgrounds are proposing them. But it says British history is not just one of "imperial imposition", with a more "complex picture" of ideas travelling back and forth, cultures mixing and "positive relations". "All this makes up the British story, our story, which has episodes of both shame and pride," the report says. It says to develop a sense of citizenship and to support integration, pupils should be exposed to the "rich variety of British culture" and the influences on it, from classical civilisation to modern immigration. The commissioners note there have been calls to include topics such as the Commonwealth contribution to the World Wars, major race relations events such as the Bristol Bus Boycott in 1968 and Commonwealth writers such as Derek Walcott and Andrea Levy. Family is the 'foundation stone of success' Family breakdown is one of the main reasons for educational failure and crime, the report says. "Family is also the foundation stone of success for many ethnic minorities," it adds. The commission said it had "great concern" about high rates of family breakdown in some communities, with 63% of children from black Caribbean backgrounds growing up in lone parent families compared to a UK average of 14.7%. Lone parenthood is much lower than average in south Asian and Chinese families. The report says it is not "passing judgement", "allocating blame" or saying "two parents are always better than one", but stressing they may need extra support from extended families or community groups. It also says "governments cannot remain neutral here" and minsters should look at initiatives to prevent family breakdown. Stop-and-search a 'critical tool' The commissioners criticise widely-cited figures that black people are nine times more likely to be stopped and searched than white people, saying the nationwide figures do not take into account the different sizes and characteristics of local populations. They produce figures for London alone, where the bulk of searches are carried out, which show black people are nearly four times more likely to be searched. Stop-and-search is a "critical tool for policing when used appropriately, and lawfully", the report says. But it says there needs to be more transparency and accountability about why it is deployed. It quotes a suggestion by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services that the fact that most searches are for drugs does not suggest it is targeted on the most high-priority crimes. "Is stop and search tackling the war on drugs? Or is it removing knives from our streets?" the commissioners ask, calling for greater clarity from police and government. The report also suggests that more Class B drug possession offences where it is for personal use only should be dealt with outside of the criminal justice system. 'Better outcomes' in health for ethnic minorities Amid concern about the disproportionate numbers of people from ethnic minorities dying in the pandemic, the report says this is mainly due to increased risk of exposure through their occupation, as well as living in urban areas and multi-generational households. It says that overall ethnic minority groups have better outcomes than the white population in terms of life expectancy, overall mortality and for many of the leading causes of mortality. "This evidence clearly suggests that ethnicity is not the major driver of health inequalities in the UK," the commissioners say, pointing to deprivation, geography and different levels of exposure to key risk factors as the main issues. They also suggest that the lack of evidence of an impact on health outcomes casts doubt on whether black and South Asian communities are "suffering from systemic racism throughout their lives" that negatively affects their health, education, income, housing and employment. There was "no overwhelming evidence" of racism in the diagnosis and treatment of mental health conditions. But the report says there needs to be more research into disparities in maternal mortality. It stresses that the number of deaths overall is low, but between 2016 and 2018, among every 100,000 giving birth, 34 black women died. Among Asian women the rate was 15, and for white women it was eight. 'Diversity training does not work' Research for the commission suggests that over the last 50 years, many first generation immigrants experienced downward social mobility, but the second generation have "caught up, and in some cases, surpassed, white people". But it says this progress has mostly taken place in the last two or three decades and it has been "imperfect and mixed". People from ethnic minorities are more likely to have persistent low incomes and among young people unemployment rates are high even for Indian and Chinese people who "comfortably outperform the white average in education and incomes overall and generally benefit from positive stereotypes". It says discrimination is "likely to be a part of the story", with experiments showing ethnic minority candidates have to apply for about 1.6 times the number of jobs to get the same number of responses as a white person. But the report says: "Diversity training and policies that treat people differently according to ethnicity does not work." And it recommends policies such as name-blind applications and mentoring rather than quotas.

जब अमेरिका में जॉर्ज फ्लॉयड की मृत्यु ने पूरे ब्रिटेन में नस्लीय अन्याय के बारे में विरोध को प्रेरित किया, तो प्रधान मंत्री बोरिस जॉनसन ने ब्रिटेन में असमानता की जांच के लिए नस्ल और जातीय असमानता आयोग की स्थापना की।


Teen cyclist killed in Falkirk road crash named as Harley Smith

Summary: A teenage cyclist who was killed in a road accident in Falkirk has been named as Harley Smith.

The 16-year-old boy, from Grangemouth, died at the scene of the collision, which involved a silver Mercedes Benz, on Friday night. It happened on the A803 Polmont Road, at its junction with Dundas Road, at about 20:55. Police said the 28-year-old driver of the Mercedes and their two passengers were not hurt. His family have requested privacy while they try to come to terms with his death, Police Scotland said.

फाल्किर्क में एक सड़क दुर्घटना में मारे गए एक किशोर साइकिल चालक का नाम हार्ले स्मिथ है।


Princess Royal set for Isle of Man return

Summary: The Princess Royal is set to return to the Isle of Man on 21 July, the Manx government has confirmed.

Princess Anne last came to the island in January 2014 when she visited Jurby prison and spent time at the Department of Environment. A government spokesman said she will attend a Service of Thanksgiving at Peel Cathedral in the west of the Isle of Man. The Princess Royal is patron of the cathedral development appeal.

राजकुमारी शाही 21 जुलाई को आइल ऑफ मैन लौटने के लिए तैयार है, मैनक्स सरकार ने पुष्टि की है।


Tata Steel Port Talbot: Man injured in 'serious incident'

Summary: Police are investigating what they call a "serious incident" at the Tata steelworks in Port Talbot, which left a worker badly injured.

The ambulance service said it was called to the plant at 16:50 BST on Wednesday where a man had been trapped. The injured worker was airlifted to the University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff, for treatment. South Wales Police said a joint investigation had been launched with the Health and Safety Executive. Officers would not confirm the nature of the incident.

पुलिस पोर्ट टैलबोट में टाटा स्टीलवर्क्स में एक "गंभीर घटना" की जांच कर रही है, जिसमें एक कर्मचारी बुरी तरह से घायल हो गया था।


Greece: What are the options for its future?

Summary: On Wednesday the future of Greece was laid out in Brussels.

By Jamie RobertsonBBC World News On one side of the negotiating table stood Greek Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis determined to ease the burden of his country's debts. On the other its main creditors - the International Monetary Fund, the European Union and the European Central Bank - determined there would be no change to the terms of its €240bn (£178bn) bailout. Neither side have used the word compromise. But IMF chief Christine Lagarde, has already admitted: "We have to listen to them, we are starting to work together and it is a process that is starting and is going to last a certain time," What is decided in the coming days and weeks will determine Greece's economic future. It may even decide the future of Europe. These are the possible options. Scenario 1: Greece gets what it wants This scenario is highly unlikely because the eurozone, and Germany in particular, are so opposed to it. It sees two bailout packages being approved. The first is a bridge loan to keep Greece going for six months and help it repay €7bn (£5.2bn; $7.9bn) of maturing bonds. The second would be a refinancing of debt to last it four years. Part of this might be through "GDP bonds" - bonds carrying an interest rate linked to economic growth. There would also be a reduction in the primary surplus target - that is the surplus the government must generate(excluding interest payments on debt) - from 3% to 1.49% of GDP. There would be a renegotiation of reforms, and increased spending to meet the "humanitarian crisis" - a higher minimum wage, better pensions and the rehiring of civil servants. Such a deal would certainly ease the pain of austerity. By increasing government spending, Greece stands less chance of reducing its debts, but perhaps more chance of kick-starting some growth. GDP-linked bonds may be attractive to borrowers in a stagnant economy, but they mean lower returns, especially in the short term, for lenders. Not only that: it also spreads fear that countries like Spain and Italy might follow Greece's example. That would increase their borrowing costs - the "contagion" economists dread - and encourage them to negotiate for similar deals. Scenario 2: A fudge ("a negotiated settlement") Any negotiated deal depends on the language it is couched in, so that it can be sold to the respective electorates. For instance, Greece has insisted it will on no account have an "extension" of the bailout. Any compromise is unlikely to include the word "extension". German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble has taken an equally tough stance. He has said that Europe won't negotiate a bridge loan. So don't expect the word "bridge" to appear anywhere. But Greece may well have to concede and accept in principle all its commitments to pay, one way or another, all its debts. That's a long way from the promises of "writing off" its debt that it made in the lead-up to the Greek elections. In return, though, Europe may well allow flexibility in repayments. This may include a moratorium allowing the country to skip interest payments during a given period (five to 10 years) or until economic growth gathers pace. In fact, easier terms for debt repayments could free up cash, which, ironically, makes the country a better bet for new lenders. On reforms the two sides are likely to get some agreement, with Syriza already demanding aggressive reforms on tax collecting and corruption. But Germany will be tough on the question of austerity. Failing to balance the books can be more damaging to the country's creditworthiness than letting it off its debts. Austerity is meant to sort out government finances. Without a balanced budget, Greece will find it hard to find investors willing to lend. Scenario 3: Greece finds cash elsewhere If the money from the ECB stops, Greece can still get funds from its own national central bank in the form of emergency liquidity assistance (ELA). But this will be of limited effect: the ECB can veto the ELA and has threatened to do so in the past, ahead of bailout agreements for Ireland and Cyprus. But there could be other sources. Greek Defence Minister Panos Kammenos told Greek television: "It could be the United States at best, it could be Russia, it could be China or other countries." Kammenos is the leader of Independent Greeks, a nationalist party that is the junior coalition partner of the Syriza party. Greece's Deputy Foreign Minister Nikos Chountis told Greek radio that Russia and China had offered Greece economic support - though Athens had not requested it. This is not the first time the idea has been floated, and talks between China and Greece took place in 2011. But so far China's financial commitment to Greece has largely been in privatisations, such as the selling off of the Greek port of Piraeus. As for Russia, faced with heavy demands on its own reserves, it hardly seems an appropriate time to be handing out cash to impoverished Europeans. On the other hand a few billion might buy it some political support from Syriza, which has already shown itself sympathetic towards ending Western sanctions on Russia. As for the US, it seems unlikely that Mr Obama will go over the Europeans' heads to lend to Greece. Scenario 4: Greece defaults If Greece defaults on its debt and leaves the eurozone it makes investors increasingly nervous about the likelihood of other highly indebted nations, such as Italy, or those with weak economies, such as Spain, repaying their debts or even staying inside the euro. A lot will depend on how Greece fares outside the euro. There are two schools of thought here. One believes the country will enter the economic equivalent of a nuclear winter. There would be a chaotic race to create the new drachma - distributing the new currency and even finding printing presses could prove next to impossible. Repayment of any euro foreign currency debt using the devalued drachma would become a massive burden which the government might just give up on altogether, making it impossible to borrow on the international markets. Imports would dry up - some of them, such as medical supplies, oil, raw materials and a range of food and everyday items, would create huge hardships. Inflation would spike dramatically and raw material shortages would cripple industry, creating unemployment. Savers and investors would withdraw euros, causing massive capital flight. However, the alternative view is that after an initial collapse, a wave of investment would come back into the country, tourism would boom and exports surge, creating jobs and slowly restoring the currency to some kind of strength. As for damage to the rest of the world, the effects would certainly be less than say three years ago. Banks are hardly ignorant of Greece's risks and are better prepared to take losses on their Greek debt. But if life starts to look substantially better for a drachma-based Greek economy, other countries may also start considering printing lira, pesetas and escudos, and the future, and creditworthiness of a slew of eurozone economies would be thrown into doubt.

बुधवार को ब्रुसेल्स में यूनान का भविष्य निर्धारित किया गया था।


Seven teenagers charged over Tottenham disorder

Summary: Seven teenagers have been charged in relation to disorder that broke out in the Tottenham, last August.

Six of the teenagers have been charged in relation to burglary or violent disorder offences on Tottenham High Road on 6 or 7 August 2011. They will appear at Highbury Corner Magistrates' Court on Friday. Leanne Mills, 19, from Lansdowne Road, Tottenham, north London, who is charged with burglary, will appear at the same court on 13 June. The six teenagers to appear on Friday are:

पिछले अगस्त में टोटेनहम में हुई गड़बड़ी के संबंध में सात किशोरों पर आरोप लगाया गया है।


Tom Alexander of The Alexander Brothers dies aged 85

Summary: The death of veteran Scottish entertainer Tom Alexander has been announced.

The 85-year-old was one half of the enduring act The Alexander Brothers who toured the world in a career spanning more than 50 years. Tom and his 79-year-old brother Jack, who died in 2013, started their professional career in 1958. The pair, from Cambusnethan in North Lanarkshire, were awarded MBEs for services to entertainment. After Jack died, Tom occasionally performed as a solo act. Country dance band leader John Carmichael, said the pair had a very distinctive sound and took songs like These are my Mountains and Nobody's Child to an international audience. The brothers were both classically trained and played from a young age, with Jack on the piano and Tom on the accordion. They developed their Scottish style after comedian Roland Smith suggested they follow the style of popular acts like Andy Stewart and the Joe Gordon Folk Four. Among the career highlights was a show at the Sydney Opera House in the mid-1980s and co-starring with Shirley Bassey at the London Palladium in 1967.

अनुभवी स्कॉटिश मनोरंजनकर्ता टॉम अलेक्जेंडर के निधन की घोषणा की गई है।


John Wood Group shares fall sharply after profits warning

Summary: Shares in Aberdeen-based oil and gas firm John Wood Group fell sharply after it warned that profits from its engineering division would be down significantly next year.

The company blamed weakness in Canada, and said profits from the division - which carries out offshore oil rig designs - would be down about 15%. However, it said the weaker performance should be offset by strong results from its services division. Pre-tax profits had risen 43% in 2012. In March, the company announced it had made $363m (£239m) with revenues up 20% to $6.8bn (£4.5bn). Wood Group employs about 43,000 people in more than 50 countries.

एबरडीन स्थित तेल और गैस कंपनी जॉन वुड ग्रुप के शेयरों में तेजी से गिरावट आई क्योंकि उसने चेतावनी दी थी कि अगले साल उसके इंजीनियरिंग विभाग से होने वाले मुनाफे में काफी कमी आएगी।


Officials back Aberdeen City Council's future vision

Summary: Aberdeen City Council's blueprint for development over the next 20 years has been largely backed by government officials.

The local plan designates sites for up to 36,000 homes and nearly 200 hectares of business land. It also safeguards land for transport infrastructure including the Aberdeen bypass and third River Don crossing. An A96 park and ride, and improvements to the South College Street and Berryden corridors are also included.

अगले 20 वर्षों में विकास के लिए एबरडीन सिटी काउंसिल के खाके को काफी हद तक सरकारी अधिकारियों का समर्थन प्राप्त है।


Lancashire County Council confirms cuts to job and services

Summary: Plans to cut hundreds of jobs and close museums and libraries have been confirmed by Lancashire County Council's cabinet as it looks to save £65m over the next two years.

Councillors agreed to cut 367 full-time jobs and reduce the number of libraries from 74 to 34. The moves are part of the council's bid to save £262m by April 2020 following government cuts. Since January 2014, 1100 people have taken voluntary redundancy. Among the measures approved are removing funding for subsidised bus services, ending free transport for faith schools and ending the funding of five museums - Queen Street Mill, Helmshore, Museum of Lancashire, Judges' Lodgings and Fleetwood Museum. Jennifer Mein, the Labour leader of Lancashire County Council, said: "The decisions we have taken today are heartbreaking but reflect the unprecedented financial situation we face."

लंकाशायर काउंटी काउंसिल के मंत्रिमंडल ने सैकड़ों नौकरियों में कटौती करने और संग्रहालयों और पुस्तकालयों को बंद करने की योजना की पुष्टि की है क्योंकि यह अगले दो वर्षों में 65 मिलियन पाउंड की बचत करना चाहता है।


Murder arrests over Bradford teenager's stab death

Summary: Two men have been arrested on suspicion of murder over the death of a teenager who was stabbed during a street fight.

Police were called to Duckworth Lane in Bradford at midnight on Thursday where large groups of men were fighting and damage had been caused to cars. Muhammed Mujahid Hussain, 19, from the city, was taken to Bradford Royal Infirmary with a single stab wound but later died. The men, aged 18 and 20, are being questioned, West Yorkshire Police said. Two other men, aged 17 and 20, who were previously arrested for violent disorder remain in custody. Follow BBC Yorkshire on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to yorkslincs.news@bbc.co.uk or send video here. Related Internet Links West Yorkshire Police

सड़क पर लड़ाई के दौरान चाकू से एक किशोर की मौत के मामले में हत्या के संदेह में दो लोगों को गिरफ्तार किया गया है।


Crash Landing on You: The defector who brought North-South Korean romance to life

Summary: An implausible love story in which a (literally) high-flying South Korean heiress accidentally paraglides into North Korea, lands on a soldier and falls in love with him has become the latest Korean drama smash hit. Crash Landing on You is in many ways a typical K-drama romance, but has been widely praised for its well-researched and nuanced portrayal of North Korea, something it achieved by having a real-life North Korean defector on its writing team, as BBC Korean's Subin Kim explains.

With his broad shoulders and thick torso, Kwak Moon-wan has all the appearance of a bodyguard. That's probably because until 2004, he served with the Supreme Guard Command, the elite security force which protects North Korea's ruling Kim family. He was so trusted that he was assigned to work overseas too, for a North Korean trade company in Moscow which was bringing in much needed foreign currency. Only a select few North Koreans are permitted to work outside the country, and to ensure their continued loyalty the leaders have measures in place - Kwak had to leave his wife and son behind in North Korea. In 2004, he was ordered to return to Pyongyang. During a stopover in Beijing, he found out one of his friends in Moscow had reported to their bosses in Pyongyang what he had said in private conversation. He knew immediately that what he'd said would cause huge trouble when he got home. During our conversation in a coffee shop in Seoul, Kwak kept glancing around to check who might be nearby. He speech is straightforward, if not blunt, but Kwak wouldn't repeat to me what he said. He'd only say he had talked about what he saw while escorting members of the Kim family back then. So he decided to defect. Alone. And he has lived in South Korea without his family ever since. "I only have one shadow when the sun comes up," Kwak said. "That's my life in South Korea." After arriving in South Korea, Kwak, like thousands of North Korean defectors, began the process of building a new life. And it took a remarkable twist of fate for Kwak to find his way into the booming world of Korean entertainment. From defector to film adviser Before entering the military, Kwak had spent time learning about film. Back in the 1980s, the North Korean film industry was booming, because of then leader Kim Jong Il's well-known love of the art. At that time, Kwak was about to embark on further education, and he ended up being accepted to study film directing in Pyongyang University of Dramatic and Cinematic Arts. Shortly after Kwak arrived in South Korea, a famous filmmaker who was working on a North Korea-themed film project approached South Korea's spy agency asking for some advice. Kwak had just finished his interrogations, part of the resettlement process new defectors go through, in which he'd talked about his film skills. The agency put him in touch with the filmmaker, who offered him a job at his film company. Kwak accepted it right away. He went on to work as an adviser and a screenwriter on a number of films and dramas, and in 2018 a former colleague introduced Kwak to Park Ji-eun, the head writer of the drama. She had come up with an idea of a romantic comedy featuring a North Korean officer and a South Korean heiress, but her lack of intimate knowledge of Northern life was a pressing concern. Kwak joining the team kick-started the Crash Landing on You project. Undercover spies and homeless children The series has become one of the most successful Korean dramas of all time. It tells the story of heiress and businesswoman Yoon Se-ri and North Korean army captain Ri Jeong-hyuk. While out paragliding one day, Se-ri gets caught up by freak winds, and pushed over the border into North Korea. She is found by the dashing Jeong-hyuk, who instead of turning her in agrees to keep her safe and help her return home. Inevitably, they fall in love. Kwak's intimate knowledge of how North Korean officials operate meant he was able to contribute ingenious plot devices. For example, at one point, secret police come across Se-ri hiding in a village. Jeong-hyuk quickly comes up with the line that she is a spy with Division 11, the military unit which works undercover in the South. That helps explain her Southern accent, her lack of paperwork and her appearance, and gave the character the freedom to explore the village and interact with others, while refusing to answer their questions about her life on security grounds. Throughout the show, there are depictions of life which could be made credible through the insights of someone like Kwak. Trains are shown abruptly stopping because of power cuts, homeless children on the streets, and fridges used to store books and clothes instead of food. Kwak also helped create a subplot in the drama, of another pair of star-crossed lovers from the North and South, Gu Seung-joon and Seo. After embezzling a huge amount of money from Se-ri's brother, Seung-joon goes on the run, and decides to seek refuge in North Korea. "North Korea is the only place the Interpol can't reach," Kwak says. Is it true that North Korea offers protection for wanted criminals in exchange for a hefty amount of money? "It is indeed plausible," Kwak says. "That's all I'd like to say." Praise from other defectors Some have accused Crash Landing on You of glamorising North Korea. For example, villagers seem to have plenty of food - but in reality food shortages are a recurring problem. But these nuanced details are rarely seen by South Koreans, and the drama has even got other defectors excited. Chun Hyo-jin, who defected when she was 19, said the drama does deviate from reality but that does not dent her enthusiasm for it. Most of her family are now living in the South, and the drama has become a weekly topic. "Every time it's on air, we call each other on the phone and talk about the drama," Chun says. "It has made the people interested in North Korea. It gets my friends to ask me about North Korea and I'm really grateful for it." It's also won praise from people like Sokeel Park, who works with defectors through Liberty in North Korea. "Its portrayal of various aspects of North Korean society have clearly been thoroughly researched, resulting in the most three-dimensional portrayal of North Korean society of any film or drama to date," he told the BBC. "It is refreshing how it portrays various aspects of North Korean society without unnecessarily passing judgement, and shows North Koreans as complex people who are ultimately relatable and even lovable, even if they are culturally different." It's well known that North Koreans, especially the young ones, are fans of K-drama too - and as Crash Landing on You accurately depicts, a lot of South Korean films and dramas are smuggled into North Korea. Kwak says he hasn't heard of any North Korean who has watched the drama. "I'm sure they will be very interested. It's their story. It's about them. "And I guess that especially North Korean men would feel very grateful to have a handsome guy like Hyun Bin to play one of them," he chuckled.

एक अविश्वसनीय प्रेम कहानी जिसमें एक (शाब्दिक रूप से) ऊँची उड़ान वाली दक्षिण कोरियाई उत्तराधिकारी गलती से उत्तर कोरिया में पैराग्लाइड करती है, एक सैनिक पर उतर जाती है और उससे प्यार हो जाता है, यह नवीनतम कोरियाई नाटक स्मैश हिट बन गया है। क्रैश लैंडिंग ऑन यू कई मायनों में एक विशिष्ट के-ड्रामा रोमांस है, लेकिन उत्तर कोरिया के अपने अच्छी तरह से शोध और बारीक चित्रण के लिए व्यापक रूप से प्रशंसित है, जैसा कि उसने अपनी लेखन टीम में एक वास्तविक जीवन के उत्तर कोरियाई दलबदलू को शामिल करके हासिल किया है, जैसा कि बीबीसी कोरियाई सुबिन किम बताते हैं।


Nuneaton: Wall collapses at former Co-op

Summary: Part of a former Co-op building has collapsed.

The building on Abbey Street in Nuneaton was bought by the borough council earlier this year and was in the process of being demolished. Some debris from the building fell on to the scaffolding, causing it to collapse against the building, within the safety exclusion zone, the authority said. Nobody was injured when the brickwork came down at about 10:55 BST. Witness Paul Hancock, who was in a nearby coffee shop at the time, said part of the roof at the rear of the building was being removed by workers when a section at the front collapsed on to the scaffolding at the front. He said he watched as the front of the building came "tumbling down". The company that was demolishing the building said it appeared there was a failure in the roof, which caused brickwork to fall on to scaffolding. Cawarden managing director William Crooks said the firm would be investigating the cause, but explained the roof was "not in that good condition". The company was five weeks into a 10-week demolition of the building and had been hoping to pull down more of it on Wednesday, but had stopped to make it safe, Mr Crooks said. He added there had been safety barriers around the site at the time, to prevent anyone getting too close. Residents in Nuneaton told the BBC children's rides had been set up close to the former Co-op store for an event a day earlier. They had been cleared away by Wednesday morning and Cawarden said safety barriers surrounded the building before work started on Wednesday. An area has been cordoned off and Warwickshire Police has asked people to avoid Abbey Street. Follow BBC West Midlands on Facebook, on Twitter, and sign up for local news updates direct to your phone. Related Internet Links Nuneaton & Bedworth Borough Council Warwickshire Police West Midlands Ambulance Service Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service

एक पूर्व सहकारी इमारत का हिस्सा ढह गया है।


The Syrian town with more cats than people

Summary: After months of intensive bombing by Syrian and Russian forces, the town of Kafr Nabl in Syria's last rebel-held province is now home to more cats than people. Humans and felines now provide comfort to one another in hard times, writes the BBC's Mike Thomson.

Crouched beneath a table in the corner of his rubble strewn basement, a man shelters from the barrage of bombs above. But 32-year-old Salah Jaar (pictured above) is not alone. Huddled beside him are half a dozen assorted cats, all as petrified as he is. "It's comforting when the cats are close," he tells me. "'It makes the bombardment, the demolition, the suffering, seem much less frightening." Salah's home town, Kafr Nabl, was once home to more than 40,000 people, but fewer than 100 remain. It's hard to guess how many cats there are - certainly hundreds, possibly thousands. "So many people have left Kafr Nabl that the population has become very small. The cats need somebody to care for them and give them food and water, so they've taken refuge in the homes of those who've stayed. Each house now has about 15 cats, sometimes even more," Salah says. Salah still works as a news reporter for the local radio station, Fresh FM, even though its original studios were reduced to rubble in a recent air strike. Fortunately the station's operations had been moved, just before that, to a safer town nearby. The radio station, which broadcast warning of bombing raids as well as news, comedy and phone-in programmes, was popular with cats as well as people. Dozens made their home there. Its founder, the remarkable activist, Raed Fares, killed by Islamist gunmen in November 2018, even allocated a special allowance for them, to buy them milk and cheese. "Many cats were born in the building. One of them, who was white with brown spots, developed a special affinity with Raed. She would go everywhere with him and even sleep by his side," Salah says. As he leaves what remains of his shattered house, he is greeted by a near-deafening cacophony of mews coming from every direction, some light and melodious, others screeching and desperate. This happens to everyone, he says. "Sometimes when we're walking in the street there are about 20 and maybe even 30 cats walking with us the whole way. Some of them even come home with us." When darkness falls the barks and whines of numerous stray dogs add to the nocturnal soundscape. They too are hungry and homeless. Their nightly scavenging for food and a place to sleep brings them into competition with Kafr Nabl's cats. Outmuscled though they may be, Salah insists that there's usually only one winner in these regular confrontations. "It's the cats of course! There are so many more of them." Most of them were until recently much loved pets of families who fled the town soon after pro-regime forces launched efforts to retake Idlib last April. Now, deprived of TLC and regular meals, they have had to find new homes among the rubble. And even though people like Salah can no longer be sure of staying alive, never mind where their next meal is coming from, it seems there is always a place at the table for his four-legged friends. "Whenever I eat, they eat, whether it's vegetables, noodles or just dried bread. In this situation I feel that we're both weak creatures and need to help each other," he says. It is not surprising, given the constant bombing, that cats often get injured, along with everyone else. Again, despite the shortages of medicines and just about everything else, Salah says every effort is made to care for them. "I have a friend who has cats in his house. One of them was hit by a rocket which almost blew his front paw off. But we managed to get it to Idlib city for treatment and it's now walking around as well as before," he says. With President Bashar al-Assad's forces now not far from Kafr Nabl, the town looks likely to be overrun before soon. Salah admits to being worried, not just for himself and his friends, but for the town's feline population. "We've shared the good times and the bad, the joy and the pain and the many, many fears. They have become our partners in life," he says. And he insists that if the worst happens and he and others are forced to flee Kafr Nabl, they'll take many of the cats with them. Amid all the horrors of war, it seems a close bond has been formed between people and pets that will not be easily broken. You can hear Mike Thomson's radio report on PM at 17:00 on BBC Radio 4 You may also be interested in: The cat man of Aleppo, Mohammad Aljaleel, touched the hearts of millions when his sanctuary featured in a BBC video in 2016. He had to leave the city when it fell to Syrian government forces, but he's now back - in an area nearby - and helping children as well as animals, reports Diana Darke. The return of the cat man of Aleppo (March 2019)

सीरियाई और रूसी बलों द्वारा महीनों की गहन बमबारी के बाद, सीरिया के अंतिम विद्रोहियों के कब्जे वाले प्रांत काफ्र नबल शहर अब लोगों की तुलना में अधिक बिल्लियों का घर है। बीबीसी के माइक थॉमसन लिखते हैं कि मनुष्य और बिल्लियाँ अब कठिन समय में एक दूसरे को आराम प्रदान करते हैं।


The making of the London 2012 Olympics opening ceremony

Summary: Four years ago, Danny Boyle unveiled his opening ceremony for the London 2012 Olympic Games.

Isles of Wonder was based on the transformation of Britain, from a "green and pleasant land" to the internet era, via the industrial age. A cast of 10,000 volunteers were involved in the memorable £27m show, which featured farmyard animals, several Voldemorts and even James Bond. Its creation was captured by Ben Delfont, a stage manager for the event. The opening ceremony in numbers

चार साल पहले, डैनी बॉयल ने लंदन 2012 ओलंपिक खेलों के लिए अपने उद्घाटन समारोह का अनावरण किया था।


The litter-picking 'Wombles' and others cleaning up West Midlands

Summary: People sick of seeing more and more rubbish lying around are picking up their bags and grabbers and going litter picking. After BBC News featured Jac Danielle, who spends her spare time tidying up Coventry , many others got in contact to share stories of how volunteers are clearing up the West Midlands.

'It is satisfying to look back over an area you have cleaned' Johnny Sanders said he had noticed a number of pickers working separately around his town of Shifnal in Shropshire. He decided to set up the TF11 Wombles group to bring them together and it now has more than 330 members online. He first began picking litter about 18 months ago when, as a runner and dog walker, he started noticing more and more litter around the town. "It started off as a way to curb my anger," he said. "People have a horrible habit of bagging their dog poo and hanging it in a tree, and that really did wind me up, but there was nothing I could do to fix it except collect it myself. "Now when I go out walking I take a little bag and everything I see, I pick up and drop in a bag. He said he had set up the group in part to connect local litter pickers and also to try to encourage people not to drop litter. He chose to name it after The Wombles, the children's characters who helped tidy Wimbledon Common, he said. "It has taken off absolutely wonderfully, young families are going out picking as a hobby at the weekend and in the evenings," he said. Malcolm Rolling is a member of the group and said on Saturday they had collected about 30 bags of rubbish. A keen walker, he said: "It is an excuse to go out in countryside and to pick up litter. "I've found a 2005 crisp packet, 2009 crisp packet, last week I found one from 2011 blowing across the middle of a field along a public right of way, where it has been for the last 10 years, I don't know." Mr Rolling said it was "satisfying" to see an area having been cleaned. "On the day you arrive you can see the litter on the surface and you know there is more in [the] grass. "When you have finished it you look back and see a nice green verge with nothing sparkling out at you." 'We have an army of volunteers' Lichfield Litter Legends started off as a group of only half a dozen people picking litter in the north of the Staffordshire city. But after Sharon Coleman and Bob Harrison turned it into its own charitable organisation last year, membership has spiralled. Ms Coleman said it had grown "massively" over the past six months, with 180 active members picking all over the city. Since January, Ms Coleman said, its members had collected 1,562 bags of litter from across Lichfield. During the lockdown, she said, people had been going out on their own, or as family units, to pick. "We do it [to] try to help wildlife and nature and for community pride," she said. "We are all over Lichfield, like an army of volunteers." She said they were "incredibly proud" of everyone helping out. "You do get a lot of satisfaction, but the only upsetting thing is it is like gardening, you can weed one patch and within couple of weeks they are back again," she said. They hope to continue to educate people about the issue of littering in the hope to reduce the amount people drop. Last year, volunteers helped clear rubbish left at the site of an illegal rave in Brookhay Woods, attended by more than 500 people. Ms Coleman said they had retrieved "absolutely thousands" of nitrous oxide canisters. Group chairman Mr Harrison said he believed the Covid-19 pandemic had seen numbers of litter pickers increase, as more people took walks around their local area. "The sort of things we pick up, you would not believe it, Sharon found a bag of lobster claws, we picked up a kitchen sink, barbecues, you would be amazed at the sort of things we pick up," he said. "But it is there so we pick it up." 'Rather than moaning about it, why not do something about it?' Stephen Farrow, from Northfield, and his step-daughter 12-year-old Annabelle began noticing the litter and abandoned shopping trolleys near where they live in Birmingham. They decided to take matters into their own hands and began collecting litter along the Rea Valley river walk, which they use every day. "We kept walking past and moaning about people dropping litter," he said. "Then, we thought, rather than moaning about it, why not do something about it? "It blights a really nice space that people use a lot." They have gone out picking at weekends for the past three weeks. Mr Farrow believes the increase in people using their local outside spaces due to the lockdown has caused the rise of rubbish. "It is just about improving [the] area we live in," he said. "[Annabelle] really loves it actually. "She carries the litter picker, I watch her and hold the bag... I have to bring her in because I start to get cold but I think she would be out there all day. "People say the council should do it, but we live in these areas. "It looks clean and tidy; I think there will be more reluctance to damage it more." 'A sense of achievement' Erdington Litter Busters in Birmingham started in June 2018 and meet twice a month to pick litter and "have a friendly coffee afterwards". They encourage members to adopt a street they would like to look after. Dawn Edwards from the group described the work as "a combination of exercise and also a sense of achievement". She said it also provided "a sense of mental wellbeing because you go out, you litter pick, you tidy up your street, you feel really good about it". Rob Gunnell from the group said that while the main aim was to pick up litter, it had also raised the spirits of people in the area. He said: "People want to get outdoors and it's a really lifting people's mental health as well." Follow BBC West Midlands on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: newsonline.westmidlands@bbc.co.uk Related Internet Links TF11 Wombles - Facebook Lichfield Litter Legends

आसपास अधिक से अधिक कचरा पड़ा हुआ देखकर बीमार लोग अपने थैले और हड़पने वाले उठा रहे हैं और कचरा उठाने जा रहे हैं। बीबीसी न्यूज़ ने जैक डेनियल को दिखाया, जो अपना खाली समय कोवेंट्री को साफ करने में बिताती है, कई अन्य लोगों ने कहानियों को साझा करने के लिए संपर्क किया कि कैसे स्वयंसेवक वेस्ट मिडलैंड्स को साफ कर रहे हैं।


Will ICC bring justice or violence to Kenya?

Summary: The International Criminal Court's chief prosecutor, Luis Moreno Ocampo, has named six people suspected of bearing the greatest responsibility for Kenya's post-election violence in 2007. The BBC's Josphat Makori reports from Nairobi on what this means for Kenya.

The ICC's move is being viewed by optimists as the end of the country's culture of impunity, but pessimists fear it could spark a new round of ethnic blood-letting. Proponents of the Hague process see it as the only way of achieving justice in a country where those in high office have never been brought to account for their actions. "As Kenyans we are very excited that the culture of impunity, especially at the highest levels, is finally being brought a close," Florence Jaoko, chair of the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights, told the BBC. But there are fears that the naming of the suspects may trigger violence, especially because of the political influence wielded by some of them. Key among the suspects is William Ruto, arguably the most influential politician in the populous Rift Valley, the area worst affected by the post-election violence. 'Clear conscience' Mr Ruto is accused of having been a key planner of the violence but he and his allies have recently been holding public meetings in the region, dismissing the ICC process as a sham, even discrediting any evidence the court may be relying on. There are fears the former minister for higher education could mobilise the community to cause violence, should any action be taken against him. He has hinted that the charges are politically motivated but said he would be ready to face justice. The ICC move is expected to have far-reaching ramifications in the politics of Kenya, as it touches deep into the inner circles of both President Mwai Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga - the two rivals whose dispute over the election triggered the violence and whose agreement to share power ended it. The six names are split evenly between the two sides, so it is seen as balanced - even too much so. One of the close allies of Mr Kibaki mentioned is Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta. The 49-year-old politician, who is also minister for finance, is viewed as one of the front-runners to succeed the president and wields considerable influence in central Kenya. Mr Kenyatta is accused of having coordinated revenge attacks carried out by the outlawed Mungiki gang, after members of his Kikuyu community were attacked in the Rift Valley. He insists he is innocent and ready to go to The Hague. "My conscience is clear, has been and will always be clear, that I have committed no crime," he told journalists in Nairobi after the Hague announcement. A number of politicians from his region have dismissed the Hague process and have urged the government to pull out of the ICC. Political observers in Kenya have seen the naming of Mr Kenyatta and Mr Ruto as giving Mr Odinga a huge advantage in the 2012 presidential elections, as they were seen as his main rivals. Should the ICC judges rule that the two have cases to answer, their participation in the presidential race would be severely curtailed. But perhaps the deepest Mr Ocampo has gone into Mr Kibaki's inner circle is in the naming of Head of Civil Service and Secretary to the Cabinet, Francis Muthaura. Mr Muthaura is a long-term ally and key lieutenant of the president. He is accused by the ICC chief prosecutor of having presided over a security meeting at state house that issued shoot-to-kill orders to the police. Soon after he was mentioned, Mr Muthaura dismissed the allegations and accused the ICC prosecutor of treating him unfairly. "The prosecutor has not contacted me at any time or sought an account from me, he has not even tried. Yet he has thought it appropriate to name me," he said. Uncomfortable questions In naming the former police commissioner Major Gen Hussein Ali, Mr Ocampo may also have touched a sensitive nerve in government. Mr Ali was named for his role as head of the police force that is accused of having carried out the post-election violence. As commander-in-chief of the armed forces, the president may find this coming uncomfortably close to questioning his own responsibility. These accusations against key allies appear to have prompted the president himself to release a statement in reaction to Mr Ocampo's announcement. He said that in signing international treaties, the overriding desire of the country is to advance its own interests both locally and internationally. In the ongoing debate about the ICC process, some have called on the president to remove from office anyone adversely mentioned, but he has indicated that he will not be doing so. He said calls for action against them were "prejudicial, preemptive and against the rules of natural justice". Mr Ocampo's list also touches one of Mr Odinga's key allies, Henry Kosgey, who is the chairman of Mr Odinga's Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party. He is accused of planning the post-election violence. Mr Kosgey, who is now the industrialisation minister, has remained close to the prime minister, even when most politicians from his Rift Valley region have broken ranks with him. The prime minister, who initially had expressed his support for the ICC process, is yet to react to Mr Ocampo's announcement. The heat generated by the ICC announcement was immediately felt in the country's parliament, where members interrupted its business to debate a motion urging the government to pull out of the ICC process. On the streets of Nairobi, opinion is divided over Mr Ocampo's move. While some have welcomed it, others fear that he might not get the necessary co-operation from the government. "The president's close allies have been named, I don't think he'll allow anything to be done against them," said Rashid Abdi, a street vendor. The government has said it is beefing up security countrywide to forestall any violent reactions that may follow the announcement.

अंतर्राष्ट्रीय आपराधिक न्यायालय के मुख्य अभियोजक, लुइस मोरेनो ओकाम्पो ने 2007 में केन्या की चुनाव के बाद की हिंसा के लिए सबसे बड़ी जिम्मेदारी लेने के संदेह में छह लोगों का नाम लिया है। नैरोबी से बीबीसी के जोसफत मकोरी ने बताया कि केन्या के लिए इसका क्या मतलब है।


Farmers warned over slurry and fuel pollution

Summary: Farmers have been urged to store their silage, slurry and diesel appropriately following three major pollution incidents in Wales.

Officers from Natural Resources Wales (NRW) have recently dealt with two major slurry pollution incidents in Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire. They also dealt with a serious diesel spill on a Carmarthenshire farm. NRW has warned that these pollutants can kill fish and harm birds. Phil Morgan, catchment coordinator at NRW, said that reporting incidents quickly will help to "reduce the environmental impact". Guidance has been issued on legally storing silage, slurry and fuel.

वेल्स में प्रदूषण की तीन बड़ी घटनाओं के बाद किसानों से आग्रह किया गया है कि वे अपने सिलेज, घोल और डीजल को उचित रूप से संग्रहीत करें।