What if a robot drove your car?

Summary: In the 1980s the global TV hit Knight Rider not only made a star of David Hasselhoff, it also made the idea of a car driven and controlled by a robot part of popular culture. Now the concept is moving from the TV screen onto the roads of Silicon Valley.

By Theo LeggettBusiness reporter, BBC News "The steering is entirely drive-by-wire, it's computer controlled," says Holly as we hurtle around the campus of Stanford University in a weird and wonderful contraption which would not seem out of place in a Mad Max movie. "It's all electronic - there's no mechanical connection so we can programme it to do pretty much what we want." Holly works at Stanford's Center for Automotive Research, based in Palo Alto, in the heart of California's Silicon Valley. The machine she's driving is known as the X1. It looks like a cross between a car and a beach buggy, with half an electronics laboratory thrown in. There's no bodywork, just a frame made out of metal tubes. We sit in bucket seats, held in by race harnesses. In front, you can see every twitch of the chunky red suspension springs as the large alloy wheels bounce over Stanford's many potholes. The whole thing is festooned with wiring, switches and important-looking electronic gadgets. Driverless cars The X1 is a test-bed for the kind of technology which might seem exotic today, but which may eventually be commonplace. It's one of a number of vehicles created by the organisation which is on the front line of research into electronic systems that are designed initially to help human drivers, but may ultimately replace them altogether. Many of our cars are increasingly driven by artificial intelligence - they have engine management systems, computers which are designed to make sure the engine runs as efficiently as possible. ABS detects when a driver has used the brakes too violently and prevents the wheels from locking up, and traction control can stop the wheels from spinning uselessly when the driver accelerates in slippery conditions. For the moment, the driver remains in charge, but research into driverless cars or "vehicle autonomy" as it's known in the industry, is already well advanced. Internet giant Google has actually been operating a fleet of self-driving cars on the streets of California for some time, but other multinationals such as Volkswagen, Bosch, General Motors and Mercedes are also working on autonomous systems. As a result, Silicon Valley is increasingly becoming a new hub for automotive engineering. Safety first In February, Japanese carmaker Nissan became the latest manufacturer to set up a research office in the region, specifically to focus on developing self-driving technologies. But why do we actually need driverless cars? According to the executive director of the Center for Automotive Research at Stanford, Sven Beiker, a key aspect is safety. "We're very interested in what the driver is good at, and what the computer is better at doing, and we're working on the handover between the driver and the vehicle," he says. "So what we're looking at is when the driver gets him or herself into trouble, as often happens when driving too fast, the vehicle could take over." But safety is just one aspect. Driverless vehicles could also become a vital tool for cutting congestion. "If you look at a highway, even at rush hour times, only about 20-25% of the surface area is actually occupied by vehicles," says Mr Beiker. "We need a lot of space around the car in order to manoeuvre but if you have a lot of top-notch sensors and control systems, you can probably get those vehicles much closer together." If those cars could communicate with one another as well they would also be able to identify traffic hotspots and avoid them. But there is another way in which self-driving vehicles could cut congestion. That would be to make it easier for people to rent vehicles when they really need them - rather than owning a car they seldom use. 'Waste of space' "Privately owned cars are a big problem," says Prof Kent Larson, head of the Future Cities programme at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Boston. "Most cars in cities aren't being used 90% of the time," he says. "The rest of the time, they're parked up and wasting valuable space. But if we can move to a shared model, we can increase the use of a single vehicle by at least five times." That's where driverless cars come in. "The Holy Grail is a vehicle that can drive itself and park itself and charge itself autonomously," says Prof Larson. "At that point, wherever you are in the city, you can call for a vehicle. It can come to where you are and you drive off. "When you reach your destination, you get out of the car, put it into autonomy mode and the car goes back to wherever it needs to be, ready for the next trip." The idea is that such a system would make borrowing a car as convenient as owning one, but without any of the drawbacks, such as needing to find somewhere to park it. New solutions, new problems But the existence of driverless cars creates new problems. Who would be legally responsible in the event of an accident, for example? Even if the evidence suggests computers drive better, would people actually accept being at the mercy of a box of electronics? And if cars are designed to communicate with one another, what is there to stop the system being targeted by cybercriminals? Some answers are already being found. In the Media Lab at MIT sits a model car known as Aevita. She has striking blue eyes - or rather, her headlights are surrounded by flashing blue optical fibres and they follow you as you move around the room. She can also speak to you in a rather pleasant English accent. The idea is simple. If future cars do not have drivers they are likely to make pedestrians nervous. After all, how will you know whether it's safe to cross the road, if you can't look the driver in the eye? Well, with Aevita, you can. Prof Larson thinks MIT's Media Lab has solved a problem that does not even exist yet.

1980 के दशक में वैश्विक टीवी हिट नाइट राइडर ने न केवल डेविड हैसलहॉफ को स्टार बनाया, बल्कि एक रोबोट द्वारा संचालित और नियंत्रित कार के विचार को भी लोकप्रिय संस्कृति का हिस्सा बना दिया। अब यह अवधारणा टीवी स्क्रीन से सिलिकॉन वैली की सड़कों पर आगे बढ़ रही है।


Borders to Edinburgh railway timetable published

Summary: The return of rail services to the Scottish Borders has come a step closer with the publication of the timetable for services between Tweedbank and Edinburgh.

ScotRail has published the document which allows passengers to plan journeys from 6 September. The timetable offers half-hourly services and a 55-minute journey time between the capital and the Borders. Tickets for the new railway can be purchased up to 12 weeks in advance. The full timetable can be viewed online.

ट्वीडबैंक और एडिनबर्ग के बीच सेवाओं के लिए समय सारिणी के प्रकाशन के साथ स्कॉटिश सीमाओं पर रेल सेवाओं की वापसी एक कदम और करीब आ गई है।


South Sudan war: The handshake that may end a recurring nightmare

Summary: Ululations, song and dance erupted in a packed hall in Ethiopia's capital, Addis Ababa, as South Sudan's President Salva Kirr and rebel leader Riek Machar signed what they called the "final final" peace deal.

By Emmanuel IgunzaBBC Africa, Addis Ababa The two hugged and smiled as they exchanged the signed documents at an extraordinary summit of regional leaders, who have been pushing for the former enemies to end a brutal five-year civil war that has killed tens of thousands of people and forced four million people from their homes. It has taken 15 long months of shuttling between the region's capitals to negotiate this latest attempt to bring peace to the world's youngest nation. "As we witness this historic milestone, we remember and grieve for the victims of the violence and hope this agreement closes that dark chapter in South Sudan," Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said after the signing. And it has been a dark and shameful period for the country - with both sides accused of horrendous atrocities. The UN has documented horrific accounts of gang rape, throats being slit and mass shootings. Amid hyperinflation, aid agencies have warned again that the humanitarian situation in the oil-rich country continues to worsen, with millions facing starvation. Will the killing stop? Speaking to the BBC after the ceremony, negotiators from both sides said they realised the task ahead in bring lasting peace for their people. "Our people are right to doubt us, because we have let them down so many times," opposition negotiator Stephen Par Kuol said. "But this time around, we are telling the people of South Sudan to count on us to implement this agreement fully." Martin Lomuro, South Sudan's cabinet affairs minister, agreed that the "severity of the war" had dented confidence. "But this is much more of an agreement that is designed to lay a foundation for a new country and this is why I feel so good about it because before we haven't had a chance to build a proper nation," he said. Realistically both sides have reached a stalemate - and run out of money. Plus pressure from South Sudan's neighbours, who are hosting many of those who have fled, has led to a more sober reconciliation. What are the stumbling blocks? Despite the optimism, diplomats at the ceremony - many of whom witnessed a similar scene three years ago - expressed concerns about the ability of each side to honour their commitments. After all, the 2015 power-sharing deal collapsed spectacularly in July 2016, forcing Mr Machar, the rebel leader who had recently been re-appointed vice-president, to flee for his life on foot to the Democratic Republic of Congo. He has not been back to the capital, Juba, since then. South Sudan crisis in numbers: Sources: Igad, UN, Sudan Tribune, Economist, Reuters "The greatest challenges are yet to come - and the key ingredient still lacking is trust," said David Shearer, head of the UN Mission in South Sudan. "The personalities signing the agreement have in the past been former friends and foes and from my discussions with all parties, suspicions still remains widespread," he said. Similar concerns were made by the UK, US and Norway, which have all been instrumental in funding the peace process and the failed transitional government. UK envoy Chris Trott said a significant change in approach was needed. "This must include, but not be limited to, an end to violence and full humanitarian access and a real commitment to effective and accountable implementation, demonstrated by robust and enforcement mechanisms." Is the deal different from the one signed in 2015? Not really. It is all about power sharing between the two main rivals in a transitional government to be established in the next eight months. It will then last for three years, after which general elections will be held. The expanded government will have Mr Kiir remaining as president while Mr Machar will take up one of the five new posts of vice-president. Other armed groups, political parties and interested entities like civil society groups and religious leaders will also have a place in the expanded government and the reconstituted parliament. Unlike the previous deal, the country will have a unified army with the president as the commander-in-chief. The last one fell apart when the two rival armies fought in Juba. This agreement sets out a timeframe for demobilisation and eventual reintegration. Will this new agreement hold? The next few days and weeks will be crucial for the warring parties as they need to cease all fighting in line with the preliminary agreements reached over the last few months. Reports of fighting came within hours of Mr Kiir and Mr Machar signing one such deal in August. How fast Mr Machar returns to Juba will also be key - he has been in exile for two years. His team says he will go back as soon as he is assured of his safety on the ground - and that is not at all clear. A 4,000-strong Regional Protection Force (RPF) was promised two years ago - with a boosted mandate to guarantee security in the capital. According to the UN, 60% of these troops have been deployed to help the nearly 8,000 UN soldiers already in South Sudan. However, Mr Shearer warns that there's no further funding for the remaining troops and so it is highly unlikely that there will be more boots on the ground in coming weeks and months. But the negotiators say the leaders will be able to overcome their mistrust of each other once they actually start the task of rebuilding the crippled nation together. "Confidence comes with working together and interacting together and reconciling - and even giving up something," says Mr Lomuro. "So whatever grievances you have if we discuss things in an honest manner, we will develop that confidence."

जब दक्षिण सूडान के राष्ट्रपति साल्वा किर और विद्रोही नेता रीक माचर ने "अंतिम" शांति समझौते पर हस्ताक्षर किए, तो इथियोपिया की राजधानी अदीस अबाबा में एक खचाखच भरे हॉल में हर्षोल्लास, गीत और नृत्य शुरू हो गए।


What is life like on Penzance's Treneere estate?

Summary: The Treneere estate in Penzance is one of the most deprived areas of England. It has suffered a slow decline since it was built in the 1930s to provide social housing and a better life for many. Four members of the same family describe what life is like on an estate where such labels are rejected by many who live there.

By Johanna CarrBBC News Amanda Amanda Coram has lived on the Treneere estate for 32 years. When she arrived, she was 18 and pregnant. "I've been accepted the whole way through," she says. "[One of my previous relationships] was quite violent and people on the estate would come through my door if they heard any noises and come and save me. "Your family is what makes your life down here." The 49-year-old has four children and 12 grandchildren, all living on the estate. She and husband Mike, two of her daughters and one of her granddaughters live in a housing association property, which she says they are lucky to have. Amanda previously worked as a chef but is now unemployed. Mike works, but their low incomes means they rarely go out. "We're a middle-aged couple, we should be out having a meal. We can't do that, we can't afford to do that." Amanda has PTSD as a result of the domestic violence. She believes a lot of the problems in the area are down to poor mental health and there should be better care. "I was offered two different types of therapy at least two years ago, I have never seen anyone," she says. "Some people are just really vulnerable and even if they are taking drugs, why? Why are they drinking, why are they taking drugs? When is the mental health system going to stand up and take responsibility for people?" Amanda says the majority of children on the estate will work jobs in the town but they lack confidence and "don't dream as big" as they could. "The parents get stuck - you just have to go to work and survive, so [you're] not pushing the children. I would absolutely love to be able to hand my children the money and say 'there you go' but you can't do that, you're not going to earn the wages down here. "So they have to have a work ethic, but the work ethic is being smashed because they just aren't getting the wages. So they feel, I don't know, just let down I suppose." The mother of four worries about the opportunities available to her children. "My kids - I think - are quite happy. Two of them will stay here until Doomsday and two of them want to go. [One] could really do well for herself. She's a really good chef and she's been offered some work in Australia and if she's got any sense she will take it and go." Lucy Lucy Coram is Amanda's youngest child. She's described as "different" from the rest of her family. "I'm the only one out of all of us that's not had children," says the 19-year-old. "I want to experience my life because I want to get up and I want to go out, I want to say I did something with my life." Lucy struggled in school and dropped out of college but then took an apprenticeship working as a chef in a local restaurant. She sees it as her way out. "Some people just didn't choose to work and chose to do other things, whereas some of us actually wanted to get up and do something, go to work and do something with our lives instead of just sitting around taking drugs and drinking." Lucy says Penzance is a "very beautiful place, but Treneere has a reputation". "You go anywhere and mention Treneere and no-one quite likes it - everybody has heard about Treneere. I'm a bit different. I keep myself to myself. I go to work, I come home, stay in my bedroom, don't do anything." Lucy wants to travel and one of her tutors has offered to put her in touch with job opportunities in Australia. But she has concerns about leaving her close-knit family. "I love my mum, I love my dad and I love my whole family but if I want to do something, they will always be supportive of me. If there is ever a down day where I say 'no, I don't want to do it, no I don't want to leave' they are always like, 'you have got to do it'." Lucy wants to make sure she is ready "in herself" before taking the Australia opportunity or travelling elsewhere. "I'm going to take what I can right now in Penzance and then go." Treneere Nicholas Amanda's son Nicholas Metcalfe went to the local secondary school then a pupil referral unit in Year 8. He moved out of the family home at 16 and left college with qualifications in hairdressing, construction, gardening and media studies but struggled to find a job. Nicholas worked at KFC before working at a nearby hotel but left when his premature son died. "That was pretty destroying, so I lost myself for a bit in that," he said. "I ended up quitting my job, throwing it all in and ended up going to the drug side of things. I was hanging around with the wrong people. Lost really." Nicholas started smoking cannabis when he was 11, before progressing to taking cocaine, then smoking crack after the loss of his son. He says the drug problem in Penzance is "huge". "I ended up falling into a bit of a hole, it's been quite hard to pull myself out of all of it. I'm not going to say that I've passed it yet because there are relapses, but these are rhythms I need to get out of." Nicholas is working with drug charity Addaction, going in for drug tests every three days, and also with the employment charity, Who Dares Works. He is hoping to be able to take up an opportunity to work at Jamie Oliver's Fifteen restaurant. "I've got friends who aren't even looking to work that still live with their old dears but most of that is because their opportunities for work are very, very slim. Every time they have tried they have had no success and that obviously [dents] their confidence. "The only thing that is helping now is Who Dares Works. They are doing really well at the minute, they are pulling in people from all over, building up confidence and stuff like that to help prepare them for when they get back into work." You might also be interested in: Mike Amanda's husband Mike Coram works nights as a security dog handler. At 56, he has been doing the job, which pays minimum wage, for 20 years. "It is what it is," he says. "There are no jobs down here that are perfect with the perfect wage. It's hard because I'd rather be at home getting into bed with the wife." He says he gets stuck in a cycle of rarely making ends meet. "If it's Monday and I'm already £92 overdrawn in the bank with a £100 overdraft and I have got the rest of the week to go, you scrimp and you borrow and you take a bit from here, borrow from a friend or borrow from a daughter. "[Then you] pay it back on Friday and then start the next week back where you started." Mike says they managed a holiday to Greece this year because he took some of his pension, not realising it would impact his tax credits. "We might, if we are really lucky, be able to get three cappuccinos during the week from McDonald's. We don't go out. We don't go anywhere." Mike, who met Amanda 13 years ago on a blind date, is proud of providing for his family and says despite their low income, he is happy. "You have a family and that is your job in life. That was my dad's job in life and his dad's before that. It is our job to supply for our family. As long as there's food in the cupboard, there's a roof over their heads, then I have done my job. "It's not going to make it any different by me moping around, if I wanted to better myself then yeah, I could pack my stuff I could leave the family. I could go up the country, live by myself and I could probably better myself, but I have got everything I want. "I've got my family, I've got my kids, I've got my grandchildren just down the road. I'm still breathing, I'm still walking, just. What more do you want? I don't need anymore." This article is part of a special series from Penzance, Cornwall. BBC News is exploring the challenges and the opportunities for communities in Coastal Britain.

पेन्ज़ेंस में ट्रेनेयर एस्टेट इंग्लैंड के सबसे वंचित क्षेत्रों में से एक है। 1930 के दशक में सामाजिक आवास और कई लोगों के लिए बेहतर जीवन प्रदान करने के लिए इसे बनाए जाने के बाद से इसमें धीमी गिरावट आई है। एक ही परिवार के चार सदस्य बताते हैं कि एक संपत्ति पर जीवन कैसा होता है जहां ऐसे लेबल को कई लोग अस्वीकार कर देते हैं जो वहां रहते हैं।


What goes on in the mind of a sniper?

Summary: A young cowboy from Texas who joined the elite US Navy Seals became the most deadly sniper in American history. In a book published this month he provides an unusual insight into the psychology of a soldier who waits, watches and kills.

By Stephanie HegartyBBC World Service As US forces surged into Iraq in 2003, Chris Kyle was handed a sniper rifle and told to watch as a marine battalion entered an Iraqi town. A crowd had come out to greet them. Through the scope he saw a woman, with a child close by, approaching his troops. She had a grenade ready to detonate in her hand. "This was the first time I was going to have to kill someone. I didn't know whether I was going to be able to do it, man, woman or whatever," he says. "You're running everything through your mind. This is a woman, first of all. Second of all, am I clear to do this, is this right, is it justified? And after I do this, am I going to be fried back home? Are the lawyers going to come after me saying, 'You killed a woman, you're going to prison'?" But he didn't have much time to debate these questions. "She made the decision for me, it was either my fellow Americans die or I take her out." He pulled the trigger. Kyle remained in Iraq until 2009. According to official Pentagon figures, he killed 160 people, the most career sniper kills in the history of the US military. His own estimate is much higher, at 255 kills. According to army intelligence, he was christened "The Devil" by Iraqi insurgents, who put a $20,000 (£13,000) bounty on his head. Married with two children, he has now retired from the military and has published a book in which he claims to have no regrets, referring to the people he killed as "savages". Job satisfaction But a study into snipers in Israel has shown that snipers are much less likely than other soldiers to dehumanise their enemy in this way. Part of the reason for this may be that snipers can see their targets with great clarity and sometimes must observe them for hours or even days. "It's killing that is very distant but also very personal," says anthropologist Neta Bar. "I would even say intimate." She studied attitudes to killing among 30 Israeli snipers who served in the Palestinian territories from 2000 to 2003, to examine whether killing is unnatural or traumatic for human beings. She chose snipers in particular because, unlike pilots or tank drivers who shoot at big targets like buildings, the sniper picks off individual people. What she found was that while many Israeli soldiers would refer to Palestinian militants as "terrorists", snipers generally referred to them as human beings. "The Hebrew word for human being is Son of Adam and this was the word they used by far more than any other when they talked about the people that they killed," she says. Snipers almost never referred to the men they killed as targets, or used animal or machine metaphors. Some interviewees even said that their victims were legitimate warriors. "Here is someone whose friends love him and I am sure he is a good person because he does this out of ideology," said one sniper who watched through his scope as a family mourned the man he had just shot. "But we from our side have prevented the killing of innocents, so we are not sorry about it." This justification - which was supported by friends, family and wider Israeli society - could be one reason why the snipers didn't report any trauma after killing, she suggests. "Being prepared for all those things that might crack their conviction, actually enabled them to kill without suffering too much." She also noted that the snipers she studied were rational and intelligent young men. In most military forces, snipers are subject to rigorous testing and training and are chosen for aptitude. In the UK, they complete a three-month training course, with a pass rate of only one in four. The US marine sniper course is one of the hardest training courses in the military, with a failure rate of more than 60% and a long list of prerequisites for recruits, including "a high degree of maturity, equanimity and common sense". Research in Canada has also found that snipers tend to score lower on tests for post-traumatic stress and higher on tests for job satisfaction than the average soldier. "By and large, they are very healthy, well-adjusted young men," says Peter Bradley at the Royal Military College of Canada, who is studying 150 snipers in Afghanistan. "When you meet them you're taken by how sensible and level-headed they are." Don't tell your wife But both the Israeli and the Canadian studies only spoke to snipers who were still on active duty. Neta Bar suspects many of them could experience problems in years to come, after they return to normal society. When former Soviet sniper Ilya Abishev fought in Afghanistan in 1988 he was immersed in Soviet propaganda and was convinced what he was doing was right. Regret came much later. "We believed we were defending the Afghan people," he says. "Now I am not proud, I am ashamed of my behaviour." For police snipers, who operate within normal society rather than a war zone, doubts, or even trauma, can arise much sooner. Brian Sain, a sniper and deputy at the sheriff's department in Texas, says many police and army snipers struggle with having killed in such an intimate way. "It's not something you can tell your wife, it's not something you can tell your pastor," says Mr Sain, a member of Spotter, an American association that supports traumatised snipers. "Only another sniper understands how that feels." But for the US's deadliest sniper, remorse does not seem to be an issue. "It is a weird feeling," he admits. "Seeing an actual dead body... knowing that you're the one that caused it now to no longer move." But that is as far as he goes. "Every person I killed I strongly believe that they were bad," he says. "When I do go face God there is going to be lots of things I will have to account for but killing any of those people is not one of them." Chris Kyle was interviewed by Outlook for the BBC World Service. Listen to the interview here. Chris Kyle's book is called American Sniper.

टेक्सास का एक युवा काउबॉय, जो विशिष्ट अमेरिकी नौसेना सील में शामिल हुआ, अमेरिकी इतिहास में सबसे घातक स्नाइपर बन गया। इस महीने प्रकाशित एक पुस्तक में वह एक सैनिक के मनोविज्ञान में एक असामान्य अंतर्दृष्टि प्रदान करता है जो प्रतीक्षा करता है, देखता है और मारता है।


What was lurking in Sweden's waters?

Summary: Sweden's armed forces say they have abandoned their search for what they believed was a submarine, spotted not far from Stockholm more than a week ago. The hunt was described as Sweden's biggest mobilisation since the Cold War. Speculation had centred on Russia, but the Russians scoffed at the claims. Was there a sub after all?

By Paul KirbyBBC News We may never know for sure. Initially, the Swedish military was careful not to state for certain what it was looking for, preferring to describe the mysterious submerged object as belonging to a "foreign power". But as the search went on, the Swedes were explicit: they were hunting a submarine. Despite Russia's protestations, its navy was singled out as most likely. It has large submarines - 60m (197ft) or 70m class - as well as small. And the feeling was this one was probably small. There are two Russian mini-submarines that could fit the bill: the Piranha - seen as a diving submarine - and the Triton, used for research purposes. Where was it spotted? That is the great mystery. There were reported sightings in the southern Stockholm archipelago. But there are so many islands that defence officials said searching the area successfully was almost impossible. The first photo appearing to show the submarine went viral and the armed forces asked for further help in finding it. But they did not help matters when they deliberately gave out false information so as not to help a "foreign power". When did it first show up? Much of the detail is unconfirmed, but Swedish media say the first emergency signal was heard on 16 October, leading to reports of a damaged submarine Was the search that big ? Apparently it was Sweden's largest mobilisation since the Cold War. So many naval vessels were used that the scale of the night-and-day search had to be reduced because of exhaustion. All manner of boats were used, including an M74 minesweeper, HMS Kullen, a stealth corvette, HMS Visby, and fast-assault craft. The Visby is equipped with sonar, a 57mm gun, and two ROVs (remotely operated vehicles) - one for underwater mine-hunting and the other for mine-disposal. On Tuesday, Dagens Nyheter newspaper reported that an underwater ROV was being used in the search in Ingaro Bay. Is any of this Cold War stuff plausible? Russians have treated the allegations with disdain, even suggesting it might be a Dutch submarine. But the Ukraine crisis has revived many of the trappings of the Cold War. In the space of a couple of months Sweden, like Finland, is not part of Nato but both have tightened their ties with the alliance. So the submarine hunt was seen in the context of a pact signed by Sweden and Finland on 5 September which enables joint training exercises and assistance from Nato troops in emergencies. Many Swedes remember when a Russian sub loaded with nuclear torpedoes ran aground near a Swedish naval base in 1981. What are the Russians doing about it? Their initial response was a flat denial. "There have been no extraordinary, let alone emergency situations, involving Russian military vessels," the defence ministry in Moscow said on Sunday. Some analysts in Moscow have queried whether the hunt is more about Swedish politics than Russian, and the Swedish military's need to justify higher military funding with the arrival of Prime Minister Stefan Lofven's centre-left government. And it will not have gone unnoticed in Moscow that the day before the search was cancelled, the new government announced a larger than expected increase in Sweden's defence budget, focusing in particular on developing a new Gripen fighter plane. But the 3.1% increase for 2015 was less than the 4.3% rise given by the previous government for this year. However, the Russian response could just have as well have been a bluff. Why, for example, was a Russian-owned oil ship, NS Concord, circling just outside Swedish waters for hours on end? It is unclear, although the Swedish coastguard said its movements were not inconsistent with an oil tanker. Then there was the involvement of another Russian ship, Professor Logachev, described as a research vessel specialising in studies on the ocean floor. Swedish media said it was seen heading towards the Swedish Baltic island of Gotland late on Tuesday night. The reality is this mystery may never be solved.

स्वीडन के सशस्त्र बलों का कहना है कि उन्होंने एक पनडुब्बी के लिए अपनी खोज को छोड़ दिया है, जो उन्हें लगता है कि एक सप्ताह से अधिक समय पहले स्टॉकहोम से बहुत दूर नहीं मिली थी। शिकार को शीत युद्ध के बाद स्वीडन की सबसे बड़ी लामबंदी के रूप में वर्णित किया गया था। अटकलें रूस पर केंद्रित थीं, लेकिन रूसियों ने दावों का मजाक उड़ाया। आखिरकार क्या कोई पनडुब्बी थी?


Two arrested in Bath after death on riverside footpath

Summary: Two arrests have been made after a man's death on a footpath along the River Avon in Bath.

A spokesman for Avon and Somerset Police said "the incident happened" off Brassmill Lane at about 15:15 BST. The two arrested men are in police custody. "We've launched an investigation following the sudden death of a man in Bath," said the spokesman, who added a cordon remained in place at the scene. No details have been released about how the man died. Related Internet Links Avon and Somerset Police

बाथ में एवन नदी के किनारे एक फुटपाथ पर एक व्यक्ति की मौत के बाद दो गिरफ्तारियां की गई हैं।


£2.6m hydro-electric River Taff scheme work to start

Summary: Work on a £2.6m hydro-electric scheme to harness the power of the River Taff in Cardiff and generate renewable energy will start next month.

The Radyr Weir scheme will channel water through two turbines and use it to generate energy that can be fed into the electricity grid. It should be able to provide enough energy to power 550 homes and raise £140,000 a year for Cardiff council. Construction work on the project is scheduled be completed by March 2016.

कार्डिफ में टैफ नदी की बिजली का उपयोग करने और अक्षय ऊर्जा उत्पन्न करने के लिए 26 लाख पाउंड की पनबिजली योजना पर काम अगले महीने से शुरू होगा।


The challenges facing universities in 2018

Summary: It's been a bad year for universities.

Sean CoughlanEducation correspondent The row over vice-chancellors' pay has been a long, drawn-out box set of disasters for universities, with the highest-paid leader, the head of the University of Bath, stepping down, in a moment that was both unprecedented and deeply symbolic. Tuition fees have been frozen and an imminent major review of student funding has cast a cloud of financial uncertainty. From Monday, a new higher education regulator comes into force, with the Office for Students charged with ensuring value for money. Instead of being seen as undisputed forces for public good, universities have faced accusations of looking out of touch and self-serving. It's a very unfamiliar and uncomfortable position for universities. And one that they will want to escape in 2018. So how will universities reverse out of the swamp? Tuition fee review An early crunch point will be the forthcoming review of university funding. This was promised after Jeremy Corbyn's Labour Party revived the student vote with a promise to scrap tuition fees, with swings to Labour of over 20% in some university seats. It's a political response from the government but it will be universities that will be watching nervously. There might be a strong push for the prime minister to make a popular appeal to young voters rather than listen to universities defending the intricacies of their funding mechanisms. And after the board of the Social Mobility Commission walked out in protest over a lack of progress, the government will want to show it's serious about removing barriers. The level of fees, interest rates, the sale of student debt, the return of maintenance grants, the length of repayments could all be under scrutiny. There will be warnings that changes to fees could mean reintroducing limits on student numbers and questions about attracting more mature and part-time students. There will also be calls for more substantial changes, such as switching from fees and loans entirely to a graduate tax or some kind of graduate contribution scheme. But universities have made something of a Faustian pact with tuition fees. They craved the reliable income. But they thought that they could completely change their funding but not really change much else. They didn't really see themselves having to become consumer-friendly businesses with millions of young customers who are keenly aware of how their money is being spent. At the beginning of the year, universities were pushing for fees to increase every year with inflation, which would soon have seen annual fees passing £10,000. They thought they were getting on to a financial launchpad. But it turned out that they were crowding on to a trapdoor. Instead of getting financial independence, the next fee increase was cancelled and their future funding was seen to be entirely dependent on the shifting political sands. The head of Oxford University attacked "tawdry politicians" for linking vice-chancellors' pay with increases in tuition fees. But the Universities Minister, Jo Johnson, now seems to be the universities' best hope for protecting their fees. This political slow-burner, an increasingly confident figure, seems committed to defending the core architecture of the tuition fees system. But the future of tuition fees is now as unpredictable as the politics of a minority government. Pay scandals The dispute over vice-chancellors' pay was toxic for universities. And with stories about big bonuses, housekeepers, chauffeurs and grace-and-favour residences, it was difficult for universities to be taken seriously over other concerns, whether it was research funding or worries about losing European staff and students after Brexit. But a deal on senior pay seems to have been reached, with a new fair pay code to be introduced in the new year. University heads have moved to put their own house in order before a new regulator, the Office for Students, could apply more direct pressure. There could be further difficult stories about pay and perks - but assuming there is some rigour to the new rules, at least university leaders can claim to have listened. Financial independence Many of the biggest pitfalls for universities are around the lack of reliable, long-term funding - and one of the most quietly significant moves in 2017 was Oxford University's raising of £750m from a bond issue. This was about major UK universities' desire to have financial security of the kind taken for granted by their big US counterparts. While Oxford haggles over fees set by the government, Harvard University can rely on an income from an endowment standing at $37bn (£28bn). Expect to see more UK universities trying to find ways to get money that is not reliant on fees or politicians. Value for money This year's survey of student attitudes, carried out by the Higher Education Policy Institute, showed only 32% of students in England thought their courses were good value for money. This is something that universities will really need to address - including questions about how many hours students are taught, the quality of teaching and whether there are facilities that were promised. For the first time this year, a number of universities were warned by the advertising watchdog that they had made claims that could be misleading. And Central St Martins refunded students their fees after complaints about how their course was delivered. Offering customer service, while maintaining academic rigour, will be a tricky balancing act. And a first-class education can't just mean everyone getting a first-class degree. Or will other universities follow Surrey, which was revealed this year to have given first-class degrees to more than 40% of students? Free speech Universities can get irritated by claims they're not doing enough to protect free speech, a theme picked up recently by the universities minister. They say that legal requirements are already in place and until recently they were being accused of allowing too much free speech, in the form of campus extremism. But there are really thorny issues around how controversial ideas and beliefs are debated at universities and how some student politics seems to be about shutting down some opposing voices in favour of "safe spaces" and "no-platforming" policies. Much of this is about the rise of the identity politics of race, gender and sexuality, as much as university governance. It's about who controls the conversation. Expect more shadow boxing over symbols, statues and language. But universities are going to have to find a middle way through such headline-grabbing, polarising disputes. Finding an identity Universities remain an aspiration for families, a priority for a modern economy and a major export business. But somewhere along the way they seem to have suffered some kind of identity crisis. What are they for? Who are they meant to serve? And who should pay for them? Maybe their biggest challenge is to find a renewed sense of purpose and to make a new contract with the public about how they can support one another.

विश्वविद्यालयों के लिए यह एक बुरा वर्ष रहा है।


North Korea enslaved South Korean prisoners of war in coal mines

Summary: Generations of South Korean prisoners of war are being used as slave labour in North Korean coal mines to generate money for the regime and its weapons programme, according to a report released by a human rights organisation. The BBC has taken a closer look at the allegations.

By Laura BickerBBC News, Seoul "When I see slaves shackled and dragged on TV, I see myself," Choi Ki-sun told me. He was one of an estimated 50,000 prisoners seized by North Korea at the end of the Korean War in 1953. "When we were dragged to labour camps, we were at gun point, lined up with armed guards around. What else could this be if not slave labour?" Mr Choi (not his real name) said he continued to work in a mine in North Hamgyeong province alongside around 670 other prisoners of war (POWs) until his escape, 40 years later. It is not easy to get stories out of the mines. Those who survive, like Mr Choi, tell stories of fatal explosions and mass executions. They reveal how they existed on minimal rations while being encouraged to get married and have children who - like Mr Choi's - would later have no choice but to follow them into the mines. "Generations of people are born, live and die in the mining zones and experience the worst type of persecution and discrimination throughout their lifetime," explains Joanna Hosaniak, one of the authors of a new report, Blood Coal Export from North Korea, from the Citizens' Alliance for North Korea Human Rights (NKHR). The report outlines the inner workings of the state's coal mines and alleges that criminal gangs, including the Japanese Yakuza, have helped Pyongyang smuggle goods out of the country earning untold sums of money - one report estimates the figure at hundreds of millions of dollars - which is thought to be used to prop up the secretive state's weapons programme. The report is based on the accounts of 15 people who have first-hand knowledge of North Korea's coal mines. The BBC interviewed one of the contributors and we have independently heard from four others who claim to have suffered and escaped from North Korea's coal mines. All but one person asked us to protect their identity to keep their remaining families in North Korea safe. Pyongyang consistently denies allegations of human rights abuses and refuses to comment on them. It insists all POW's were returned according to the armistice terms, with a government official previously saying that any who remained wished "to remain in the bosom of the republic". But Mr Choi says this is not true. He told us that he lived inside a fenced-off camp guarded by armed troops. At first he was told that if he worked hard enough he would be allowed to go home. But eventually all hope of returning to the South faded. Workers as young as seven The current system of forced labour in North Korean coal mines appears to have been set up after the Korean War. The report by the NKHR described it as "inherited slavery". South Koreans were taken to major coal, magnesite, zinc and lead mines mostly in North and South Hamgyeong Provinces, according to the human rights group investigation. But not everyone who ends up in the mines is a prisoner of war. Kim Hye-sook was told by guards that her grandfather went South during the war and that is why she was sent to work in the coal mine with her family as a teenager. Her fate was determined by her "songbun" - or class, a judgement made on how loyal a family has been to the regime and how many are members of the Worker's Party of Korea. Connections to South Korea automatically puts a person in the lowest class. Ms Kim was just 16 when she started work in the mine. The NKHR report has accounts from survivors who said they started part-time work in the mine from age seven. "When I first got assigned there were 23 people in my unit," she recalled. "But the mines would collapse and the wires that pulled the mine trolley would snap and kill the people behind it. "People would die from explosions while digging the mines. There are different layers, in the mines, but sometimes a layer of water would burst and people could drown. So in the end only six remained alive of the initial 23." 'Death is a good ending' But your "songbun" doesn't just determine your fate in the mines - it can also determine whether you live or die, according to a former member of the Ministry of State Security (MSS) quoted in the NKHR investigation. "You try to let loyal class people live. You try to kill off people from a lower class." But he said any executions - mainly of "South Korean spies" - were done according to "North Korean laws". "You need the data analysis to show it's very justifiable to kill this person. Even if they've committed the same crime, if your class is good they will let you live. They don't send you to the political prison camp. You go to an ordinary prison or a correctional labour camp. "You don't kill them because death is a good ending. You can't die, you have to work under orders until you die." The interviewee described a "shooting gallery" at the back of the MSS interrogation room where some prisoners were killed. He said some were publicly executed while others were killed quietly. The BBC has been unable to independently corroborate this account. But we did hear from Ms Lee who remembers the moment her father and brother were executed. "They tied them to stakes, calling them traitors of the nation, spies and reactionaries," she told my colleagues from BBC Korean in an interview. Her father was a former South Korean prisoner of war and that meant she too was forced to work in the mines. Ms Lee's father had praised his South Korean hometown, Pohang and her brother had repeated that claim to his workmates. Ms Lee said that for that, teams of three executioners shot both of them dead. 'We were always hungry' North Korean officials appear to have allowed the prisoners of war some aspects of normal life within the mining camps. They gave the miners citizenship in 1956. For most, that was the moment they knew they were not going home. All of our interviewees were allowed and even encouraged to get married and have children. But Ms Kim believes this too had a purpose. "They would tell us to have a lot of children. They needed to maintain the mines but people died every day. There are accidents every day. So they would tell us to have a lot of children. But there's not enough food and no diapers etc - so even if you do give birth to a child it was hard to raise them successfully." Ms Kim was released from the prison camp in 2001 as part of a country-wide amnesty, and eventually escaped from North Korea by crossing a river near the border with China. She decided to sketch illustrations of her 28 years in the mine, saying it helped her deal with some of her nightmares, and show others what she'd been through. Hunger was a constant problem for all our interviewees and is documented in the NKHR report. "A day didn't pass without going hungry. We were always hungry. One meal a day, we didn't know other people ate three times a day. We were given long grain rice, which continues swelling soaked in water," Ms Kim told us. One former prisoner of war told us that even if they were sick they needed to go to work. "If you missed a working day, then your meal ticket could be taken away," he said. Miners were given quotas to fulfil, he told me, estimated at around three tonnes of anthracite (a form of hard coal) a day by the NKHR report. Not meeting it could mean no meal ticket which meant going hungry. 'Slavery' funding weapons programme The United Nations Security Council banned North Korean coal exports in a bid to choke off funding for its nuclear and ballistic missile programmes. But two years later, a report by independent sanctions monitors said that Pyongyang had earned hundreds of millions of dollars "through illicit maritime exports of commodities, notably coal and sand". In December, the United States said North Korea continued "to circumvent the UN prohibition on the exportation of coal, a key revenue generator that helps fund its weapons of mass destruction programs". The NKHR report also claims that the mines are continuing to expand. Deputy Director Joanna Hosaniak called on the UN to fully investigate North Korea's dependence on slavery and forced labour including "the full extent of the extraction and illegal export of coal and other products, and the international supply chain linked to these exports". "This should also be enforced through a clear warning system for the businesses and consumers." In the South, the administration has focused on engagement with Pyongyang and even discussed the possibility of a peace economy with the North. Seoul has argued that taking a more aggressive approach on human rights would see Pyongyang storming away from the negotiating table and could also lead to an increase in hostilities. But a report by the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Seoul said it was time to "integrate human rights into the peace and denuclearisation talks" which should also involve input from North Korean defectors. Many still suffering For two former prisoners of war who were forced to work in the mines there has been some hope, however. They won a landmark legal victory after Seoul Central District Court ordered North Korea and its leader, Kim Jong-un, to pay them $17,600 (£12,400) in damages for holding them against their will and forcing them to work in the mines. This was the first time a court in the South recognised the suffering of prisoners of war held in the North. Mr Choi was one of them. "I am not sure I will see the money before I die but winning is more important than money," he told me at his apartment south of Seoul. But his mind always returns to those left toiling in the mines as he serves me a plate of fruit which would once have been an unthinkable luxury. He tells me he's trying to send his family in the North some money. "I think of how much they must be suffering while now I am happy," he sighed. Illustration by Kim Hye-sook. You may also be interested in:

एक मानवाधिकार संगठन द्वारा जारी एक रिपोर्ट के अनुसार, दक्षिण कोरियाई युद्ध कैदियों की पीढ़ियों का उपयोग उत्तर कोरियाई कोयला खदानों में दास श्रम के रूप में किया जा रहा है ताकि शासन और उसके हथियार कार्यक्रम के लिए धन उत्पन्न किया जा सके। बीबीसी ने आरोपों पर करीब से नज़र डाली है।


McCartney reveals how happiness inspired his new album

Summary: As Sir Paul McCartney prepares to release his first solo album in six years he tells of how his happiness with his wife Nancy Shevell has inspired his writing, how he struggles not to repeat the past and how his wedding DJ ended up as a producer on the album New. Is New a joyful album?

By Frances CroninBBC News entertainment reporter This is a happy period in my life, having a new woman - so you get new songs when you get a new woman. But in actual fact there is a lot of sadness mixed in on the record - the more you listen to it you'll find pain getting changed to laughter - there is quite an undercurrent of that. But generally I'm having a good time so I hope that's made it onto the record. Why did you chose the four producers for this album? Mark Ronson DJ'd at our wedding. He's a really good DJ and we like to dance and a lot of our friends do - so we had a little dance floor and there was kind of disco situation at the reception. He was DJing and putting on great music and it just kept us all going and I knew I liked him. I'd also met him on and off because he's friends with Sean Lennon. I've known Giles Martin (son of Beatles producer George Martin) since he was a little kid. Ethan Johns (Ryan Adams and Kings of Leon) was the son of Glyn Johns one of my Beatles and Wing's producers. Paul Epworth (Adele, Florence and the Machine) I didn't really know but I knew his work. But I was mainly really looking at their work and if you look at any of those producers they've all done great work recently. It's not just something they did in the past and that's what I was looking for. I just really enjoyed working with each one of them, but in a different way every time. Could they say no to you? I always make it one of the first things we talk about when we're sitting down and just settling in and I say OK lets get this straight everyone in this room has got an opinion and don't be frightened to tell me, particularly the producer because that's his job. I say 'tell me if you don't like it or I'm doing it lousy' and I will refer to them and say 'was that any good?' So they do have a voice and I encourage the voice. I say 'please don't be frightened just because I've done that or I've done that, don't worry about it let's just start fresh and you tell me'. But can they challenge you as much as John Lennon did? No. We were just kids that had grown up together, so any of the guys in the Beatles just could tell each other 'I don't like that' and then it meant it had to go. Do you wish you could release this album without people knowing your past work? In an impossible world it would be nice if no-one knew what I had done - and there are a lot of young people who don't know what I've done. But mainly people are looking at what I'm doing now as a continuation of all the other stuff. But I don't really worry about it. The main thing I try and do is not copy what I've done in the past. I've found myself once or twice, picking up a guitar and thinking I'm going to write a new Eleanor Rigby - I have to stop myself trying to do that. There is the past but I don't see it as a burden, I see it as something I'm very lucky to have. But when you do a show - you can't just do new songs, if I don't do Hey Jude I've missed an opportunity. In Las Vegas (performing at the iHeartRadio music festival) we were mainly doing our new songs and it was going down well, but man when we got to Live and Let Die the audience responded - we basically blew them up and they loved that. Are you trying to make a statement with the track Early Days? When I write songs I don't always think I'm going to make a statement. On the day (I wrote the track Early Days) I was thinking about the past, particularly me and John in Liverpool in the early days so I just ran with that. I started to get images of us in the record shop listening to early rock and roll and looking at the posters and the joy that that gave me remembering all those moments. So that song just evolved around that and then I found that one of the things that came was - you can't take it away from me, even though you can say 'hey this is what happened in Liverpool in the late 1950s but I'm going to say 'were you there or did you just read about it?' Because I was there and I was walking down that street - so it's that kind of song. It gets a bit of a dig at people who say they know what it was all about but they weren't there - but mainly it's just fond memories for me. Are you going to open the World Cup in Brazil, as has been rumoured? That's just a rumour - there's no truth to it. I know somebody asked me to be involved in the (Rio) Olympics. Every time these great occasions come up it's great that they think about me, I love it and I'm very flattered, but you can't just be the guy on all of them. It's going to get boring for the audience 'oh no not him again here we go again na na na na, nananana'. Are you cool? I never feel cool. I'm just me. I recently went to Las Vegas to do iHeartRadio (music festival) and there's a lot of cool people on that and so because they're in Las Vegas they all walk around with their entourage and their security and everyone's very serious about how cool they are. And course there's me and I'm going 'Hi Miley' and I think 'oh god what am I doing I sound like a fan, I should try to be cool'. But they didn't even notice me. Actually, the security noticed me and they doubled back and she came and said hello. New is released on 14 October (15 in US)

जैसे ही सर पॉल मैककार्टनी छह वर्षों में अपना पहला एकल एल्बम जारी करने की तैयारी कर रहे हैं, वे बताते हैं कि कैसे अपनी पत्नी नैन्सी शेवेल के साथ उनकी खुशी ने उनके लेखन को प्रेरित किया है, कैसे वे अतीत को न दोहराने के लिए संघर्ष करते हैं और कैसे उनकी शादी के डीजे एल्बम न्यू पर एक निर्माता के रूप में समाप्त हुए। क्या नया एक आनंदमय एल्बम है?


'I'll be last Muslim in CAR'

Summary: A government minister in the Central African Republic, Gaston Makouzemba, has warned there is a risk of a genocide as communities fight each other on religious and ethnic lines. All communities have been affected by the violence and now many Muslims are fleeing the country, afraid for their lives. One imam in the capital Bangui shared his fears with the BBC's Newsday programme:

This spate of violence against Muslims started in December - they have been killing us with machetes and firearms. All the Muslims have taken refuge in one neighbourhood, known as Kilometre 5. Muslims from other countries have already fled - take a look at my list: The Chadians have gone; the Cameroonians have gone; the Senegalese; the Nigeriens from Niger have gone; the Nigerians; the Malians have gone. Those that have been left behind are us, the Central Africans. I was born and bred in Bangui - my father was a Central African, my mother was a Central African. My family came to the capital in 1946, it was my parents' generation that cleared the bush in Kilometre 5 and turned it into an urban dwelling area. The anti-balaka vigilantes have been targeting us. They've burned most of the mosques in the capital, only a handful of mosques remain untouched in our neighbourhood. I don't want to leave Bangui, I want to be the last Central African Muslim to leave the country or at least the last Muslim to be buried here. This country is the last resting place of both my father and mother. 'Too dangerous' It's fine if you are called John, Peter, Mary or Martin but things get ugly when you first name is Mohammed, Ousmane or Ibrahim - chances are you will end up in a hit list. This violence is waged by thugs calling themselves anti-balaka. Bangui is losing its business community which is made up largely of Muslims - they've been ransacking Muslim shops. Commodity prices have gone up, a bunch of salad will cost you 200 CFA Francs (40 cents; 25p) - twice as much as a little while ago. A bar of soap is worth 100 CFA Francs (20 cents; 13p), again twice as much as before. Buying meat? Don't even think about it, there is none. The Fulani and nomadic Chadians that used to drive their cattle to Bangui have decided to head for Cameroon because there's too much violence here. My wife and my children have left the country, it's too dangerous for them to stay with me. Only the male members of the Muslim communities have decided to stay and protect their possessions. We Muslims of the Central African Republic cannot leave our country. If they want to kill us in Kilometre 5, our neighbourhood, so be it - we have no weapons but are ready to accept our fate because we believe in God and we are confident that God will protect us. We watch [the French troops] patrolling along the main streets of the city but they will not come into our neighbourhood to protect us. We are alive only by the grace of God. The imam has not been named in order to protect his personal security.

मध्य अफ्रीकी गणराज्य में एक सरकारी मंत्री, गैस्टन मकाउजेम्बा ने चेतावनी दी है कि नरसंहार का खतरा है क्योंकि समुदाय धार्मिक और जातीय आधार पर एक-दूसरे से लड़ते हैं। सभी समुदाय हिंसा से प्रभावित हुए हैं और अब कई मुसलमान अपनी जान के डर से देश से भाग रहे हैं। राजधानी बांगुई में एक इमाम ने बीबीसी के न्यूजडे कार्यक्रम के साथ अपने डर को साझा कियाः


Patient power and technology 'changing medicine'

Summary: The internet and high speed broadband have transformed a wide range of consumer led businesses in the last two decades. Think banking, travel agencies, film distribution, book-selling and food retailing. Could healthcare be on the verge of a similar revolution over the next 20 years or so?

Hugh PymHealth editor@bbcHughPymon Twitter It's a question being asked frequently in Silicon Valley. American health technology entrepreneurs are looking at the potential for centralised health systems like the NHS to lead the way on behalf of all patients in society rather than just those who can afford it. Ensuring that people currently without smartphones or laptops can benefit from developments in personalised medicine will be the major challenge. Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt touched on this issue in delivering the annual Health Service Journal lecture. He pointed to an "inescapable, irreversible shift to patient power that is about to change the face of modern medicine beyond recognition". Technology and the use of data, he argued, were driving changes which would benefit both patients and clinicians. 'The patient will see you now' The internet has empowered patients and allowed them to carry out exhaustive research about their symptoms and conditions. Traditional assumptions about the doctor knowing best are outdated. Mr Hunt quoted the thoughts of the US cardiologist, and expert in digital health, Prof Eric Topol. He has written a book called 'The Patient Will See You Now', and talks of the death of medical paternalism and big changes in the relationship between doctor and patient. The most radical thinkers in this field argue there could come a time when people will never need to go to a doctor for diagnosis. If a single drop of blood contains 300,000 biomarkers which can be analysed by a computer, they argue, a patient's chances of developing medical conditions can be assessed before they happen. Throw in personalised genetic sequencing and an individual's health prospects can be mapped as never before. Technology, so the argument goes, will deliver both predictive power and detailed monitoring of an individual's state of health. Smartphone apps covering fitness are commonplace and new innovation with diagnostics is seen to have immense potential. Those familiar with this field, including David Wood whose career included stints at Psion and Symbian, believe that mobile telephony will help patients manage their own health. Smartphone apps under development or already available outside the UK include a low-cost blood testing system, a microscope attachment for mobile phones, a breath test facility which can help detect diseases and an add-on facility to monitor heart rhythm disturbances. These allow patients to gather their own data and images remotely which can then be assessed by a doctor. A straightforward condition might be diagnosed and dealt with using an e-prescription without the patient ever needing to go to a surgery. Pie in the sky? This blue skies thinking excites leading figures in the NHS. But they are aware of the potential pitfalls. The Talk Talk saga has highlighted the dangers of data being stolen online by hackers. The theft of sensitive patient data could destroy public confidence overnight in the health technology agenda. The Department of Health has asked the American health IT expert Prof Bob Wachter to report on the digital security issues which need to be addressed. Some might argue this is all pie in the sky. At a time when the NHS is facing unprecedented patient demand for day to day healthcare, the idea that smartphones can take the strain might seem fanciful. What counts for patients now is seeing their GP or getting a hospital appointment and ensuring they get the best possible care. The internet entrepreneur Baroness Martha Lane Fox is carrying out a review on digital health innovation for the government. Her report is due out by the end of this year. It will address the challenge of ensuring that the most vulnerable patients, many unable to afford sophisticated mobile phones, can benefit from the march of technology. Tim Kelsey, Patients and Information Director at NHS England, believes the Lane Fox review will kick-start the wider debate about digital healthcare. There is a widespread acknowledgement that if people are better enabled to manage their own health and conditions at home rather in a clinic or hospital the NHS will be more sustainable in the long term. At a time of intense pressure on the health service, technology could offer some answers.

इंटरनेट और हाई स्पीड ब्रॉडबैंड ने पिछले दो दशकों में उपभोक्ता के नेतृत्व वाले व्यवसायों की एक विस्तृत श्रृंखला को बदल दिया है। सोचिए बैंकिंग, ट्रैवल एजेंसियां, फिल्म वितरण, किताबों की बिक्री और खाद्य खुदरा बिक्री। क्या अगले 20 वर्षों में स्वास्थ्य सेवा इसी तरह की क्रांति के कगार पर हो सकती है?


Hair: The musical that 'changed theatre for ever'

Summary: On 27 September 1968 the curtain fell on centuries of theatre censorship. Hours later, a cast of long-haired young actors took to the stage in a show depicting drug-taking, anti-war protests and shocking nudity. London's West End was never the same again.

By Sarah LeeBBC News Hair was a musical that placed the 1960s counterculture on stage. It thrust bisexuality, interracial relationships and the rejection of monogamy in front of audiences who had previously been "protected" from such taboo subjects. In a theatre first, one scene featured the cast appearing from behind a sheet, fully naked and chanting the words "beads, flowers, freedom, and happiness". Despite lasting just seconds, it was considered scandalous and resulted in many audience members walking out of the Shaftesbury Theatre, dinner jackets in hand. Prior to the autumn of 1968, any reference to homosexuality, bisexuality and nude performances would have been considered too outrageous to be shown on a British stage. Even something as seemingly harmless as a reference to Walt Whitman's poetry collection, Leaves of Grass, in John Osborne's play Personal Enemy, was banned because it was seen as a codified reference to homosexuality. But as the Lord Chamberlain's powers of censorship - which dated back to 1737 - came to an end, the cast of Hair began preparing for its opening night. The risqué show, written by out-of-work actors Gerome Ragni and James Rado, had already proven a hit in New York the year before. A young David Bowie auditioned for a part - four times in total - but was never invited to join the London cast (he later attended a performance but reportedly came away "unimpressed"). The musical told the story of the "tribe", a group of politically active hippies living a bohemian existence in New York City. Its main protagonist Claude, played by 23-year-old Paul Nicholas, lived a life characterised by the pursuit of love, peace and sexual revolution - but faced a battle with his family who wanted him to fight in Vietnam. The hippies' long hair - and the title of the show - was a symbol of their defiance. "You would have had to have your hair cut when going into the military and therefore the name Hair is highly symbolic," says Geoffrey Marsh, director of the V&A's Department of Theatre and Performance. Nicholas, who along with Elaine Page and Oliver Tobias subsequently became a household name, still remembers the outrage the nude scene provoked. "Fifty years ago there was no nudity in commercial theatre - so it was a big change," he said. "But looking back, the 'shocking' nude scene which was widely spoke about wasn't even that bad - it was nicely done. It wasn't salacious or anything like that. "But some people walked out of the theatre, you know, in disgust." Annabel Leventon played Sheila in the original cast on the London stage. "On the first night, and it never happened anywhere else in the world - as far as I know - the cast of Hair went out into the auditorium," she told BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour. "We danced in the aisles, sat on the audiences' laps, frightened them, and at the very end of the show we all ran out singing Let the Sun Shine In and went back on stage and the whole audience followed us [back on stage]. "That's when we realised the show made a greater change in Britain than anywhere else. "Hair really shocked and changed the world of theatre forever." Hair continued to strike a chord with audiences for the next five years. This was despite opening to decidedly mixed reviews. WA Darlington, of the Daily Telegraph, had insisted he "tried hard" but found the evening "a complete bore". However, the predominantly middle-aged white male critics were not the show's intended audience and it went on to run for 1,997 performances until 1973. Simon Sladen, of the V&A Museum, said the show soon had an impact on the rest of the West End. Once censorship was revoked, some playwrights and producers would "binge" on things that had previously been forbidden. "The youth movement could finally come alive in the theatre - full of energy and vitality," he said. "Hair was like a festival on the stage - an anarchic explosion of all things anti-establishment." Nicholas, who met his future wife Linzi while working on the show, agrees. "Everyone wanted to do a nude scene, or have the cast swear on stage," he said. "It's as if they were getting it out of their system because we'd been suppressed for so long."

27 सितंबर 1968 को सदियों के थिएटर सेंसरशिप पर पर्दा गिर गया। घंटों बाद, लंबे बालों वाले युवा अभिनेताओं की एक कास्ट ने ड्रग लेने, युद्ध विरोधी विरोध और चौंकाने वाली नग्नता को दर्शाने वाले एक शो में मंच पर कदम रखा। लंदन का वेस्ट एंड फिर कभी वैसा नहीं रहा।


Cornwall roads ice warning as temperatures drop

Summary: Gritting crews in Cornwall have been out across the county to reduce the risk of ice.

Temperatures dropped to -3C (27F) in east Cornwall on Sunday night, BBC Weather said. On Monday morning, snow was settling in some areas west of Truro, but was likely to clear later, it added. The Met Office has issued a yellow warning of ice for South West England which it said is in place until 23:55 GMT on Tuesday. On Friday, snow was reported on Bodmin Moor and in Liskeard.

कॉर्नवॉल में बर्फ के जोखिम को कम करने के लिए दल पूरे काउंटी में बाहर निकल गए हैं।


Quebec mosque shooting: 'We are from this country'

Summary: It was a tragedy that reached across oceans.

By Jessica Murphy & Robin Levinson-KingBBC News, Toronto In southern Tunisia, Aboubaker Thabti's parents could not understand how their son was taken from them in a shooting in a Quebec City mosque. When he left his home country for Canada with his wife and two children some six years ago, he saw it as a new beginning, not an end. Instead, he became one of six men who died on Sunday night in Quebec while they were saying prayers. Sabeur Thabti, a family member who called Aboubaker "uncle", said when he first heard of the shooting from his home in the UK, he had not dwelt much on it. "You hear these things in Syria and Paris and all around the world and… you kind of forget how real it is, until it impacts you in such a close way." Then the personal connection became clear. "These are real people, these are not just numbers," he said. "Six people died, but thousands of people are emotionally destroyed by what happened." Now he is "senseless" with grief. On Monday, Canadian police charged student Alexandre Bissonnette with six counts of first-degree murder and five counts of attempted murder in connection with the attack. Another 19 people were injured. Thousands of people, including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Quebec Premier Philippe Couillard, braved the cold at a vigil near the mosque to lay flowers and candles in the snow. Quebec City residents called for unity among Quebecers. It was a balm for the community, which has sometimes felt it bears the brunt of political rhetoric in the province. Quebec has welcomed thousands of immigrants from Arab countries and other nations but has also struggled with how to accommodate those newcomers into the broader culture. The predominantly French-speaking province fiercely protects its linguistic identity and state secularism, and there has been a longstanding debate over "reasonable accommodation" of immigrants and religious minorities. The six victims came to build a better life in Canada, hailing from Guinea, Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia. At the suburban home of victim Khaled Belkacemi, a professor at Laval University, family and friends gathered to offer comfort after learning of his death. His friend Arab Boussaid described the professor as "humble" and "wise" and said he hoped that "his sacrifice was not in vain" and helped bring Quebecers together. "We are from this country," he said. "We adopted them and they adopted us." He said it also served as warning to never "banalise" minor acts of intolerance. "There are early warning signs, a certain xenophobia, intolerance," he said, that can lead to "irreparable" acts. Khalil Belabbas was sitting in his car outside the Assalam halal butcher shop owned by one of the victims, Azzedine Soufiane. Someone had left a lone bouquet of flowers at the door of the shop, which was closed, the lights out on a Monday mid-afternoon. Mr Belabbas had come to confirm the news that his friend, a man he prayed with, had been killed in the attack. Soufiane and his wife were well known and liked in the community, he said, a fact confirmed by a small but steady stream of people coming to the store to confirm the terrible news they had heard was true. The meat shop owner was also known as an ambassador for the mosque. Mr Belabbas said that there was "a certain distance" between Quebec Muslims and the broader community. "Islam has become a mark of terrorism," he said. "We understand, but we try to be open, to have community days at the mosque, to be open with people." He touched on an incident last June, when someone left a severed pig's head outside the mosque's entrance during the month of Ramadan. Though police did not link it with the shooting, Mr Belabbas said the community felt that message. But still - "we never, ever thought that there would be an [attack] like this".

यह एक त्रासदी थी जो महासागरों के पार पहुंच गई थी।


Muhammad Ali: The man who changed his sport and his country

Summary: During an era when African-Americans continued to be treated as second-class citizens, and those living in southern states were subject to an ugly and often brutal system of racial apartheid, few did more to nurture black pride than Muhammad Ali.

By Nick BryantBBC News, New York The Reverend Dr Martin Luther King Jr may have been the untitled leader of the civil rights movement, winning the Nobel Peace Prize and delivering the finest oration that Americans had heard since the Gettysburg Address, but many young blacks especially did not consider him anywhere near radical enough. In 1963, Sidney Poitier had become the first black actor to win an Oscar, an important racial first, but that meant little if you were unemployed in Detroit or summoning up the bravery to register to vote in Mississippi. Ali, after knocking out Charles "Sonny" Liston in February 1964, to become the heavyweight champion of the world, arguably commanded the respect and awe of a larger black constituency. "I am the greatest," Clay had declared. From a black man, in the midst of one of America's most tumultuous decades, it was not just a boast, but also a statement of immense authority. Ali exuded power at a time when many black Americans looked upon themselves as being powerless. "To my generation he made it real," said the civil rights leader Al Sharpton, who became a close friend of Ali. "Here was a guy that we all wanted to be like that was standing for something. I remember as a kid I didn't want be like an old preacher in a suit and tie going to jail. "You wanted to be Muhammad Ali. You wanted to float like a butterfly sting like a bee. You wanted to be the one that all the girls wanted. You wanted to be the one that could pack arenas. He made it exciting to be part of the movement." Ali was by no means the first black athlete to hammer at the walls of prejudice. Jesse Owens had dealt a mighty blow to the idea of white supremacy at the Berlin Olympics - a timely one, too, given that Hitler had intended the games to showcase Aryan pre-eminence. And in the 1950s, Jackie Robinson, the Brooklyn Dodgers star who became the first African-American to play major league baseball in the modern era, had broken the sport's colour bar. But what set the boxer apart was the way he fused his distinctive voice and outsized personality to the protest movement. That voice was never anything other than loud, eloquent, highly entertaining and controversial. For much of the 1960s, it was also outside the mainstream civil rights movement. By changing his name from Cassius Clay to Muhammad Ali just two days after claiming the world heavyweight crown, and by embracing the separatist teachings of the Nation of Islam, the boxer placed himself on the radical fringe of the struggle for black equality. The Nation of Islam, under its leader Elijah Muhammad and Malcolm X, viewed white men as devils. But even mainstream civil rights figures came to believe that his religious conversion and outspoken advocacy had an energising effect on the freedom movement as a whole. "The act of joining was not something many of us particularly liked," recalled Julian Bond, who was then a student activist. "But the notion he'd do it, that he'd jump out there, join this group that was so despised by mainstream America, and be proud of it, sent a little thrill through you." Al Sharpton believes that that Ali was a unifying figure, in spite of his separatist ideology. "Malcolm X would openly attack Dr King, Ali would openly embrace physically Dr King," he said. "He became a unifying force - that is why I think we made a lot of progress." Everything on the line It was not just the struggle for black equality that made Ali such a prominent political figure outside of the ring. His decision in 1967 to refuse to serve in Vietnam made him the country's most high profile anti-war protester. "I ain't got no quarrel with them Vietcong," he said, citing his religious beliefs. After all, the Vietcong had never racially vilified him. Rejecting his claim to be a conscientious objector, a court sentenced Ali to five years in prison. He was stripped of his boxing titles. Though he did not end up going to jail, he did not fight for three and a half years. In 1971, the US Supreme Court unanimously overturned his conviction. At a time when there was still widespread support for the Vietnam War, it was a bold stand to make. It was particularly brave, said Al Sharpton, because Ali risked losing everything. "For the heavyweight champion of the world, who had achieved the highest level of athletic celebrity, to put all of that on the line - the money, the ability to get endorsements - to sacrifice all of that for a cause, gave a whole sense of legitimacy to the movement and the causes with young people that nothing else could have done," he said. "Even those who were assassinated, certainly lost their lives, but they didn't voluntarily do that," Rev Sharpton added. "He knew he was going to jail and did it anyway. "That's another level of leadership and sacrifice." Tony Gittens, a student leader at the time at the mainly African-American Howard University, where Ali once came to speak, said: "It was amazing to see someone of his stature being ready and willing to give up everything on principle. "A lot of people decided that they were going to be with him. They burned their drafts cards and they took a stand." In his later years, Ali's views softened. He rejected the racial separatism promoted by the Nation of Islam. The American establishment, rather than fearing him, came to love him. But, by then, he had already made a matchless contribution to American history as an athlete who changed his sport, and as an activist who changed his country.

एक ऐसे युग के दौरान जब अफ्रीकी-अमेरिकियों के साथ दूसरे दर्जे के नागरिकों के रूप में व्यवहार किया जाता रहा, और दक्षिणी राज्यों में रहने वाले लोग नस्लीय रंगभेद की एक बदसूरत और अक्सर क्रूर प्रणाली के अधीन थे, मुहम्मद अली की तुलना में कुछ लोगों ने काले गौरव को पोषित करने के लिए अधिक काम किया।


Saleh departure in Yemen: A matter of 'when', not 'if'

Summary: A day after another mass rally in Yemen calling for President Ali Abdullah Saleh to quit, a senior minister and ally says agreement is close in negotiations for him to leave power - an outcome many now see as inevitable. This report is by a BBC correspondent in Yemen who is not named because of security concerns.

The Yemeni opposition dubbed it the Friday of Departure. President Saleh called it the Friday of Forgiveness. But it was a student activist in Sanaa who came up with what proved to be the most accurate description: the Friday of Uncertainty. The day started early with thousands of Yemenis marching in two different directions. By noon, the crowd by the Sanaa University stretched to the horizon. It was by far the biggest demonstration against President Saleh. It was hard to imagine that this massive rally was born out of a tiny sit-in organised by a handful of young students inspired by the Egyptian and Tunisian uprisings. Five weeks on, their protest has spilled out from the square and into the surrounding streets. Tents stretch for miles as thousands spend their nights in the streets, waiting for Mr Saleh to resign. On Friday some wept as they remembered those who died only a week earlier when snipers fired from the roofs, killing more than 50 people. "I came because I want to show Ali Abdullah Saleh that he will not scare me away," said one woman who brought her three-year-old son to the rally. "He can shoot as much as he wants, but we will keep coming." Concessions, defiance But Mr Saleh did not have to shoot to remind his opponents that he is a formidable opponent. Instead he stole their show by staging a massive rival rally. Throughout this crisis Mr Saleh has remained calm, looking relaxed and confident as ground shifted from beneath his feet as some of his closest allies - high ranking military and tribal leaders, including the powerful General Ali Mohsen - turned against him after last week's shooting. But just as it looked like he was about to fall - Mr Saleh brought thousands out into the street in a powerful show of force. "The best thing is that nobody asked you to come here," he told the cheering crowds in a nod to widespread rumours that Mr Saleh supporters are paid to attend demonstrations. The rest of the speech was a clever combination of concessions and defiance. He told supporters that he would go, but only on his own terms. He said he had to leave power in safe hands, and not in the hands of the opposition coalition which included, he said, Al Qaeda, rebels and arm dealers. He dismissed the opposition but was much kinder to the youth saying that he would listen to their demands, an attempt perhaps to exploit a reportedly growing rift between student and opposition party activists. Resignation talks But while some elements within the opposition may be willing to negotiate with Mr Saleh, there is only one thing that students want - his resignation. "Liar, liar!" young people shouted as Mr Saleh came up on TV in their tent city in the square. Its not clear whether Mr Saleh's demonstration was his attempt to hang onto power or to strengthen his position in negotiating his exit. Many in Sanaa think it's the latter. The view that Mr Saleh's resignation is a matter of "when" rather then "if", was confirmed on Saturday when Foreign Minister Abubakr al-Qirbi said that Mr Saleh was negotiating actual terms of his resignation with the opposition. It was the first confirmation of the resignation talks by a government official, who is a close ally of the president. But it's not clear whether the sides will agree on the actual structure of the power takeover. Another big issue is the future of Mr Saleh's relatives, many of whom hold powerful government posts. Two particularly unpopular among the opposition are Mr Saleh's son Ahmed, who is in charge of the powerful Republican Guard, and his nephew Yahia Saleh, who heads the security forces. Finding a compromise on their future in the post-Saleh Yemen will be difficult. And there are threats of instability too - President Saleh has repeatedly warned that his resignation could lead to a civil war, and throw Yemen into the hands of al-Qaeda. These comments resonate strongly in the West. The US has given Mr Saleh millions of dollars in counter-terrorism assistance and helped him to train the army. While some other military units have joined the opposition, the elite US- and British-trained troops, headed by Mr Saleh's son and nephew, remain loyal to the president. The end of President Saleh's 32 year-long rule may seem imminent, but it's the way he goes that could make all the difference.

यमन में राष्ट्रपति अली अब्दुल्ला सालेह को पद छोड़ने के लिए एक और सामूहिक रैली के एक दिन बाद, एक वरिष्ठ मंत्री और सहयोगी का कहना है कि उनके लिए सत्ता छोड़ने के लिए बातचीत में समझौता करीब है-एक परिणाम जिसे कई लोग अब अपरिहार्य मानते हैं। यह रिपोर्ट यमन में एक बीबीसी संवाददाता द्वारा दी गई है जिसका नाम सुरक्षा चिंताओं के कारण नहीं लिया गया है।


RNLI rescues four from stricken yacht off Douglas coast

Summary: Four sailors have been rescued from their stricken yacht after its sail became unusable and its engine failed.

They were rescued from the 11ft (3.4m) vessel after getting into difficulty a mile from Douglas at about 20:35 BST on Monday. Without power, the yacht had drifted three miles away from the island. The Douglas volunteer RNLI crew towed the yacht back to the Battery Pier where the coastguards were waiting to assist. No-one was injured.

चार नाविकों को उनकी दुर्घटनाग्रस्त नौका से बचाया गया है क्योंकि इसका पाल अनुपयोगी हो गया था और इसका इंजन विफल हो गया था।


Library closure threats spark campaigns across England

Summary: Wigan's Labour MP Lisa Nandy has told the Commons that some libraries in the town would be forced to close because of a £1.1m reduction in funding. With hundreds of libraries across England earmarked for closure, campaigners fear the humble service may become a soft target for multi-million pound council budget cuts.

By Clare LissamanBBC News Joseph Reynolds and his 13-year-old daughter Eve love to read. The marine engineer pops over the road to his library in the small town of Wiveliscombe, Somerset, about three times a week. "I can dip into a book and if it isn't really my cup of tea, I can return it and haven't wasted eight or nine quid," he said. He said his teenage daughter "gets through books faster than me". "She learnt to read from books at the library. The librarian knows her name and has seen her grow up," he said. So the Reynolds family were shocked when Somerset County Council begun a consultation over withdrawing funding from Wiveliscombe and 19 other libraries. The Conservative-controlled council needs to save £75m over three years and has proposed funding only 14 of its most used libraries. More than 360 libraries and nearly 30 mobile services in England are under threat of closure this year as councils respond to the recession and government funding cuts, according to a collating group, Public Libraries News. 'Jewel in crown' In Wiveliscombe, support is strong and more than 200 people crammed a hall for a meeting about the plans. Mr Reynolds said: "Our library is a jewel in the crown of our rural community. We love it. "We have a lot of young people and children here and to take away our library is like saying 'you're not good enough'." Joanna Anderson said her nine-year-old daughter became "very dependent" on Wiveliscombe Library when she took more than a year off school through illness. "It has been a life-saver for us," she said. She said it would be very difficult for Isabel, who has Chronic Fatigue Syndrome after contracting a virus, to travel to libraries in the larger towns of Taunton or Wellington. Isabel said she would be "very sad" if her library closed. She said she had particularly enjoyed borrowing audio tapes and DVDs as well as reading Horrible Histories books and all of Jeremy Strong's children's books. 'Disproportionate' cuts Despite passionate campaigns in support of libraries around the country, a government report in August suggested the number of adults visiting libraries had fallen steadily over the past five years. The report, commissioned by the Department for Culture, Media and Sports (DCMS), found 12.8% of adults used their local library once a month. However, figures remained static for children aged 11 to 15, with about 70% being regular users. Lauren Smith, a qualified librarian from Doncaster, said many libraries - diminished by a lack of funding - were not treated or regarded as valuable resources. Ms Smith, of Save Doncaster Libraries, is fighting proposals to close 12 of the metropolitan borough's 26 libraries and cut posts. 'Absolutely crucial' "The unfortunate thing is a lot of local authorities are cutting library services disproportionately," Ms Smith said. "For example in Doncaster, the council has been asked to make 8.9% savings but we are looking at over 50% cuts to the library budget." Ms Smith, who works at Leeds University library, said: "Libraries are not just a luxury, they are absolutely crucial for community cohesion and they are vital for life-long learning." Doncaster Council said it had to make £73m savings over four years. A spokesman for the Labour-run council added no decisions had been made over its library review which would go before its cabinet "in the near future". Ms Smith said with high levels of unemployment in Doncaster, libraries were a valuable resource for people to use a computer to apply for jobs. She added: "In isolated places where elderly people have lost partners the librarian may be the only person they speak to that day and they really enjoy that dialogue and conversation." Councils have a statutory duty to provide library services under the 1964 Public Libraries and Museums Act. But Ms Smith wants the government to give more and clearer national guidance and take greater responsibility in overseeing this provision. Last year, Culture Minister Ed Vaizey announced the Future Libraries Programme - an initiative aimed at modernising the service. He has also said any consultations should take place at "local level first" so councils could make the best choices on behalf of residents. "I am monitoring very closely what's happening across England," he said. "I will consider the use of statutory powers on a case-by-case basis. Local authorities have clear legal obligations, but library services must be looked at as a whole, including provision beyond the walls of library buildings."

विगन की लेबर सांसद लिसा नंदी ने कॉमन्स को बताया कि शहर में कुछ पुस्तकालयों को धन में 11 लाख पाउंड की कमी के कारण बंद करने के लिए मजबूर होना पड़ेगा। पूरे इंग्लैंड में सैकड़ों पुस्तकालयों को बंद करने के लिए निर्धारित किया गया है, प्रचारकों को डर है कि विनम्र सेवा बहु-मिलियन पाउंड परिषद के बजट में कटौती के लिए एक नरम लक्ष्य बन सकती है।


The night out which ended unexpectedly

Summary: Life with a disability can sometimes give rise to unspoken questions and sensitivities, but amid the awkwardness there can be humour. The following is an edited version of a sketch by Fran Aitken who has ADHD, delivered for the BBC at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

I have always been a space cadet. Someone whose head is in the clouds, constantly late and covered in bruises from bumping into stuff. Knowing a space cadet has its advantages. I'm fantastic at picking birthday presents and giving them to you two months late, so it's a nice surprise for both of us. And I'll never be mad if you're running late, because chances are, I'm late too. It doesn't sound like a disability, but there can be problems. Secondary school was easy, it's structured, with teachers and family pushing you. But I struggled at university where you have to be self-motivated and disciplined, read what you're given and hand things in on time. Storytelling Live: Going Out Fran was one of six people with a disability or mental health problem to perform a story about going out as part of BBC Ouch's storytelling event at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe - hosted by Lost Voice Guy. You can watch the show on iPlayer now. Here are other stories from the event that you might like: I'm not disciplined at all. I have no control and I couldn't understand how other students managed it. I missed all my lectures because I'd stay up watching YouTube. I couldn't hand in essays, because I always forgot my password to upload them. I constantly forgot to wash my clothes, and when I did remember, I forgot to dry them. The university placed me on academic probation and told me to get my act together. How could I do that? The other students had gravity to anchor them, but gravity didn't work for me - I just floated away from Earth. My best friend from school, Anna, came to visit. I hadn't seen her in a while and she looked bright and shiny and clever. I looked terrible. Anna didn't mention my appearance, bless her. She carefully dodged the dirty clothes on the floor and the pile of pizza boxes. She sat on my bed and we got absolutely trashed. Did I mention I had an essay due the next morning? Halfway through our third cider, Anna rummaged in her bag and retrieved some white pills. "They make you crazy," she said. "You feel like you're flying. You want one?" Let's make this clear - it is illegal to do this and also very dangerous. But I was in a terrible place - what did I have to lose? I just wanted to forget everything. So, I took one. We walked down to Boogie Nights, a popular disco nightclub in Wellington, New Zealand. Space cadets do not generally have good memories, so it's testament to the power of this moment that I remember it. We danced and had fun and then, suddenly, I landed on Earth. My mind had been lovingly gathered, alphabetised, and given back to me, and I didn't know what to do with it. I started to notice so many details. The man wearing running shoes, his tie with little kiwi birds on it. The pores of his nose - it really needed a deep clean. I looked around. I mean, really looked, and saw this place clearly for the first time. Anna and I had been coming here for years, but now I saw the beer on the floor, the broken lights, the fact everyone was at least 20 years older than me. The disco ball had three tiles missing. The bartender had a silver tooth. The mural on the ceiling had started to peel. The floor was covered in condom wrappers, the light bulbs had black spray-paint on them, Anna had highlights, there was a hole on the knee of my leggings, a TV played an old Western film reflected in the mirror behind the bar. I had never noticed so much in my life. I turned to Anna. "I don't think it's working for me," I said. "What?" "I don't think it's working for me," I shouted. It sucked. There I was, surrounded by drunk people trying to moonwalk, and all I could think about was how the man across from me had a bit of lamb kebab on the collar of his striped shirt. Who the hell notices something like that in a club? Time had started to go much slower than usual too. My mind wasn't skipping over minutes like it normally did. I did the unthinkable and broke the space cadet code. I made a sensible decision - I put Anna in a taxi, then I went home. With my new eyes, I saw the mess of my room in high definition. I put on a load of washing, I threw away the pizza boxes. Then, as the sun rose in the sky, I started, wrote, and completed my essay. Now that I was down on Earth, it was easy. I went back to bed and slept. When I woke up, I Googled the name of the drug Anna had given me. Ritalin - a prescription drug for ADHD. What I had experienced in Boogie Nights, for the first time ever, was focus. I went to the doctor, who diagnosed me with type 2 ADHD - that means I'm predominantly inattentive, not hyperactive. Women are, apparently, under-diagnosed with ADHD, because they appear quiet - often in their own world. If I'd been diagnosed as a child, university would have been much easier. It's frustrating, but I'm trying to move on from the past. I'm still a space cadet. I take a pill wrapped in foil once a day - the food of the future - but this time, it's prescription. For more Disability News, follow BBC Ouch on Twitter and Facebook, and subscribe to the weekly podcast.

विकलांग जीवन कभी-कभी अनकहे प्रश्नों और संवेदनशीलताओं को जन्म दे सकता है, लेकिन अजीबता के बीच हास्य हो सकता है। निम्नलिखित फ्रैन एटकेन द्वारा एक स्केच का संपादित संस्करण है, जिसे एडीएचडी है, जिसे एडिनबर्ग फेस्टिवल फ्रिंज में बीबीसी के लिए दिया गया है।