Alcohol abuse in Northern Ireland 'costs £900m a year'

Summary: The cost of alcohol abuse to taxpayers could be reduced if investment was made in early intervention services, two addiction charities have claimed.

Addiction NI and FASA said alcohol abuse cost £900m a year. In a report, they claim the cost of alcohol-related harm equates to about one tenth of Northern Ireland's block grant from Westminster. Addiction NI director Thelma Abernethy said this figure did not take into account the human cost to individuals. "We need to educate society about alcohol and its impact," she said. "It is important that everyone is working together to help bring about a real change within society. "Ultimately alcohol is everyone's business."

दो व्यसन दान संस्थाओं ने दावा किया है कि यदि प्रारंभिक हस्तक्षेप सेवाओं में निवेश किया जाता है तो करदाताओं के लिए शराब के दुरुपयोग की लागत को कम किया जा सकता है।


Why a problem of plenty is hurting India's farmers

Summary: Farmers are on the boil again in India.

Soutik BiswasIndia correspondent In western Maharashtra state, they have been on strike for a week in some seven districts now, spilling milk on the streets, shutting down markets, protesting on the roads and attacking vegetable trucks. In neighbouring Madhya Pradesh, curfew has been imposed after five farmers were killed in clashes with police on Tuesday. Last month, farmers in southern Telangana and Andhra Pradesh staged protests and burnt their red chilli crop. The farmers are demanding waivers on farm loans and higher prices for their crops. For decades now, farming in India has been blighted by drought, small plot sizes, a depleting water table, declining productivity and lack of modernisation. Half of its people work in farms, but farming contributes only 15% to India's GDP. Put simply, farms employ a lot of people but produce too little. Crop failures trigger farm suicides with alarming frequency. The present unrest is, however, rooted in a problem of plenty. In Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh, the farmers are on the streets because a bumper harvest fuelled by a robust monsoon has led to a crop glut. Prices of onions, grapes, soya-bean, fenugreek and red chilli, for example, have nosedived. In most places, the governments have been less than swift in paying the farmer more for the crops - the government sets prices for farming in India and procures crops from farmers to incentivise production and ensure income support. So why has a bumper crop led to a crisis in farming? Some believe that the price crash is the result of India's controversial withdrawal of high value banknotes - popularly called demonetisation - late last year. The ban, surprisingly, did not hurt planting as farmers "begged and borrowed" from their kin and social networks to pay for fertilisers, pesticides and labour, Harish Damodaran, rural affairs and agriculture editor at The Indian Express newspaper told me. So more land was actually cropped, and bountiful rains led to a bumper crop. But traders, Mr Damodaran believes, possibly did not have enough cash to pick up the surplus crop. "Although the chronic cash shortage has passed, there is still a liquidity problem. I have been talking to traders who say there's not enough cash, which remains the main medium of credit in villages. I suspect the price crash has been caused by a lack of cash." 'Exaggerated fears' A prominent trader in Lasangaon, Asia's biggest onion market in Maharashtra, a state which accounts for a third of India's annual production, told me that concerns over shortage of cash leading to crop price crashes were "exaggerated". "There has been a good crop for sure, but a lot of traders have picked up crop, paying cash, issuing cheques and using net banking. Some of the glut and wastage has been due to the ongoing strike, when trucks of vegetables have been attacked on the highways," Manoj Kumar Jain said. Still others believe the main reason for the ongoing crises actually rooted in India's chronic failure of coping with surplus harvests because of lack of adequate food storage and processing capacity. "If the rains are good, you end up with a glut of crops and prices crash. The glut only highlights the inefficiencies of the farming value chain and hits farmers," Ashok Gulati, an agriculture specialist at the Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations, told me. Take onions, for example. The vegetable is 85% water and loses weight quickly. In Lasangaon, traders buy the crop from farmers and store the onions on concrete in tarpaulin-covered sheds. If the weather stays right, 3-5% of the stored crop is wasted in storage. But if the mercury soars, more onions dry up, lose weight and 25-30% of the stored crop could be wasted. In a modern cold storage, however, onions can be stored in wooden boxes at 4C. Crop wastage is less than 5%. Storage costs about a rupee (less than a US cent) for every kilogram of onion a month. So the government needs to make sure - or even subsidise - to keep the vegetable affordable to consumers once it reaches the retail market. "We need to make the supply storage chain so efficient that the customer, farmer and the storage owner are happy. Unfortunately India hasn't been able to make that happen," Dr Gulati said. Poor storage For one, India just doesn't have enough cold storages. There are some 7,000 of them, mostly stocking potatoes in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh. Resultantly, fruits and vegetables perish very quickly. Unless India hoards food effectively, a bumper crop can easily spell doom for farmers. Secondly, there's not enough processing of food happening to ensure that crops don't perish or go waste. Take onions, again. One way to dampen volatility in onion prices is to dehydrate the bulb and make these processed onions more widely available. Currently, less than 5% of India's fruit and vegetables is processed. Thirdly, farmers in India plant for new harvest looking back at crop prices in the previous year. If the crop prices were healthy, they sow more of the same, hoping for still better prices. If the rains are good, a crop glut can happen easily, and lead to extraordinary fall in prices. Farmers hold on to the crops for a while, and then begin distress sales. "You need to allow future prices through contract farming, not cropping based on last year's prices," says Dr Gulati. Radical measures Clearly, farming policies in India need a radical overhaul. Punjab, India's "granary", is a perfect example. At a time when India does not suffer food shortages, water-guzzling wheat and rice comprise 80% of its cropped area and deplete groundwater. Rising production of cereals has meant that government has been giving paltry rises to the farmers while buying paddy and wheat, eroding their profitability. "They [the policies] are distorting the choices that farmers make - those who should be finding ways to grow vegetables, which grow more expensive every year, are instead growing wheat we no longer need," says Mihir Sharma, author of Restart: The Last Chance for the Indian Economy. But the best that the governments here do is to quickly raise crop buying prices and alleviate the farmers' suffering. Faced with a crop glut at home, the newly appointed BJP government in Uttar Pradesh was smart enough to promptly raise the procurement price of potatoes - and announce a controversial farm loan waiver - and quell a simmering farmers' revolt . The government in Madhya Pradesh, ruled by the same party, failed to act in time. Now it says it will pay more to buy off the surplus onions. The more things change, the more they remain the same.

भारत में किसान फिर से उबलने लगे हैं।


Carola Rackete: How a ship captain took on Italy's Salvini

Summary: The cramped rubber dinghy was drifting, directionless, with 53 migrants on board. The coast of Libya, from which the boat had set out, was 47 miles to the south and the nearest part of Europe was out of reach, about 140 miles north.

By Roland HughesBBC News The boat was spotted shortly before 10:00 on 12 June by a French plane. The plane's crew of volunteers had been scouring the Mediterranean for people in distress, and they alerted another rescue team on board a nearby charity ship, the Sea-Watch 3. The crew of the Sea-Watch 3 made their way towards the distressed dinghy and rescued those on board. At that point, the crew could have handed the migrants over to Libyan coastguards, but the Sea-Watch 3's captain, a 31-year-old German named Carola Rackete, did not consider that an option. Libya has in recent years descended into a lawless, chaotic state policed by armed militias, and Sea-Watch, a German charity, had already vowed never to return migrants to its shores. "Forcibly taking rescued people back to a war-torn country, having them imprisoned and tortured, is a crime that we will never commit," the charity said in a statement last month. The next closest port to the Sea-Watch 3 was on the Italian island of Lampedusa, but the Italian government had banned rescue ships bearing migrants from docking at its ports. Rackete spent two weeks in international waters, before deciding on 29 June that the health of those on board was at risk. Italy, where her human cargo was not welcome, was the only option. The Italy Rackete headed towards aboard Sea-Watch 3 was not the Italy of mid-2015, when Europe's migrant crisis was at its height. Of the more than a million migrants who fled into Europe that year, 154,000 arrived into Italy and the then-prime minister Matteo Renzi pleaded with other EU nations for support. The number of migrants reaching Italy's shores has drastically diminished - just 2,800 so far this year - and the country is now led by a right-wing populist coalition elected partly on an anti-migrant platform. Italy's Interior Minister Matteo Salvini, the man nicknamed Il Capitano (The Captain) by his supporters, delivers live broadcasts on Facebook in which he thumbs his nose at the EU. Germany's Angela Merkel and France's Emmanuel Macron, the leaders he blames for ruining the union, are regular targets. "Italy has stopped bowing its head to obey," he wrote on Twitter in August 2018, two months after taking office, and after ordering Italian ports to prevent rescue ships carrying migrants from docking. "This time there are those who say NO," he wrote. The Italian government's position is that Libya's coastguard should take migrants back, and that rescue ships are acting as a taxi service that facilitate traffickers' work. Many Italians seem to agree. One study by the Pew Research Center in March found that 52% of Italians thought migrants were a burden on their country, and that the number of Italians who believed immigrants helped make their country stronger had dropped significantly in the past four years. The number of migrants reaching Italy is now "minute", Christian Dustmann, director of the London-based Centre for Research and Analysis of Migration, told the BBC. "But the way the Italian government has reacted is very much to make migration the joker in the pack, with Salvini trying to cultivate this image of a guy sorting out a problem which he makes out to be much bigger than it is." One well-known humanitarian ship, the Aquarius, was forced to end all its rescue operations last year, after it was stranded with more than 600 migrants on board and no port in which to dock, its licence withdrawn. On 11 June, Italy's cabinet passed an emergency decree ruling that any vessel that sailed into Italian waters without permission would face a fine of up to €50,000 (£45,000; $56,000). It was the following day that Rackete received the distress call about the drifting migrant boat. Thirteen migrants would be taken off Sea-Watch 3 for medical treatment over the following two weeks. But another 40 would remain on board until the end, along with the ship's 22 crew members, in worsening conditions in a heatwave. "Matteo Salvini has made you his main enemy at the moment, how do you respond?" Rackete was asked in a video interview on board the ship on 28 June. Rackete, who has long dreadlocks, squinted in the Mediterranean sun. "To be honest, I haven't read the comments, I haven't had time," she said. "With more than 60 people to take care of, Mr Salvini needs to get in line." If anyone was to ever defy Salvini, Carola Rackete was a good fit. Born in the German town of Preetz, near the Danish border, Rackete travelled the world as a child with her parents before settling in Hambühren, northern Germany. From there, she went to study at a polar research institute where she picked up the navigation skills she would later put to use in the Mediterranean. Former colleagues speaking to the BBC described an earnest person with a keen sense of her role in a global society. One, Greenpeace operations campaign adviser Grant Oakes, said: "She is very globally aware and committed to her principles and her responsibilities in the global community. Very humble. Fun, hard-working." In a varied career, Rackete has taken part in rescues off the Greek coast at the height of the migrant crisis, studied albatross nesting sites in the southern Atlantic, worked with Greenpeace clearing plastic from Scotland's west coast, and led expeditions to the Svalbard archipelago in the Arctic to educate visitors on how climate change was affecting the region's ecology. In her first operation for Sea-Watch, she helped recover the bodies of 45 migrants who had drowned in a shipwreck in the Mediterranean, German broadcaster Deutsche-Welle reported. "In this case, you had a symbolic figure in Carola," Christopher Hein, a professor of law and immigration policies at Rome's Luiss University, told the BBC. "She's young, brave, a woman - and German. "Everybody in Italy is now speaking about her, either as a good friend or a bad friend of the people. On one hand, you have a man representing the vast majority of the Italian parliament. And on the other hand, you have a young woman who is dedicated to humanitarian activities." Nando Sigona, an Italian professor specialising in migration and refugee issues at the University of Birmingham says Salvini "has been searching for a big moment to grab attention, to get to this point of attacking NGOs and humanitarian organisations". The Sea-Watch 3 presented jus such an opportunity, he said. Those who know Rackete and followed the events on the Sea-Watch 3 told the BBC they were in no doubt how she would act under such a spotlight. She would respond according to her convictions, they said, having carefully considered what she thought was correct, legal and fair. After more than two weeks in limbo, Rackete said conditions on board the Sea-Watch 3 were beginning to deteriorate and that some migrants had started to self-harm. Rackete decided to guide the ship into port in the middle of the night on 29 June. In doing so, her ship trapped an Italian police patrol boat against the quay. Salvini called the move "an act of war", and accused Rackete of being a pirate, outlaw, and a "rich, white, German woman". "She tried to sink a police launch with officers on board at night," he said. "They say 'we're saving lives', but they risked killing these human beings who were doing their job, it's clear from the videos." Soon after Sea-Watch 3 arrived in Lampedusa, the migrants were taken off the ship, and Rackete was arrested and warned she could face 10 years in jail. She apologised and denied she had tried to ram the boat, blaming a positioning error while docking. In the end, the judge sided with Rackete on Tuesday, and with her interpretation of maritime law: as the ship's captain, she had a duty to protect the lives of those on board. She was carrying out that duty, judge Alessandra Vella said, and had not endangered life in doing so. As she left house arrest, opponents gathered outside. One held a placard that read: "Salvini, our only captain." Rackete is believed to have received threats and has been moved to a safe location. While Salvini has insisted she must leave Italy, she is not thought to have done so. The case, thanks to the two people at its core, has highlighted a rising polarisation of opinion, Prof Hein of Rome's Luiss University, says. "There are splits in Italian society," he said. "It did not start with Sea-Watch 3. But it has become much more evident and harsh." According to Nando Sigona, "the middle ground has been almost completely lost in this conversation". The Italian government insists that what happened was an attack on the country's sovereignty. And in recent days, Salvini has fought back against the captain, judge Alessandra Vella and the critics of his handling of the situation within the French and German governments. Sea-Watch has benefited from a build-up of support in Italy and outside. Two online campaigns have raised close to €1.4 million (£1.3m, $1.6m) between them over the past week. The court ruling, a Sea-Watch spokesman said, "re-establishes the dignity" of Italy. With ships still rescuing migrants in distress in the Mediterranean, the test of whether that court ruling acts as a legal precedent may come sooner rather than later.

तंग रबर डिंघी बिना किसी दिशा के बह रही थी, जिसमें 53 प्रवासी सवार थे। लीबिया का तट, जहाँ से नाव निकली थी, दक्षिण में 47 मील की दूरी पर था और यूरोप का निकटतम हिस्सा लगभग 140 मील उत्तर में पहुंच से बाहर था।


Norfolk and Suffolk health trusts look at merger plan

Summary: Two health trusts in Norfolk and Suffolk could be merged in a bid to make efficiency savings.

The Suffolk Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust (SMHP) is looking at merging with the Norfolk and Waveney Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust. The SMHP's board, meeting on Wednesday, will decide whether to halt its existing application for NHS Foundation Trust status, to merge trusts instead. The board will look at the potential benefits to the services. It will look at "opportunities for staff and economies of scale which might be achieved through a merger", an SMHP spokeswoman said.

दक्षता बचत करने के लिए नॉरफ़ॉक और सफ़ोक में दो स्वास्थ्य न्यासों का विलय किया जा सकता है।


Temple gets stunning paint job (shame it might be illegal)

Summary: A Hindu temple complex in Malaysia has been given a stunning makeover, with the 272 steps leading up to the Batu Caves painted in a dazzling array of colours.

The complex on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur is both a pilgrimage site and popular with tourists. Its hugely instagrammable new look has been a hit with visitors. However, local media report the temple's management committee could be in trouble with the government for allegedly failing to get permission for the paint job - the site is protected under heritage laws. Enjoy these images, then, in case the decorators have to return. .

मलेशिया में एक हिंदू मंदिर परिसर को एक आश्चर्यजनक बदलाव दिया गया है, जिसमें बतू गुफाओं तक जाने वाली 272 सीढ़ियों को रंगों की एक चमकदार श्रृंखला में चित्रित किया गया है।


Inside the bridal store for refugees

Summary: Even in refugee camps life must go on, and when a man and a woman decide to marry the rare chance for a big celebration may be seized with both hands. In one camp in northern Iraq, beautician Rozhin Ahmed-Hussein - herself a Syrian Kurdish refugee - finds that she is rarely short of work.

By Helen NianiasNorthern Iraq "Most of the people in the camp are poor, and Syrian refugees like me, so when I do a beautiful bride, usually I'll dance out of the door with her because I feel so happy," says Rozhin Ahmed-Hussein. A dusty refugee camp north of Mosul may not be the first place you'd expect to find a beauty salon and gown-hire shop, with frothy white frocks and diamante winking through the windows in the fierce sunlight - and slinky party dresses in vivid fuchsia and turquoise hanging from the rails. In this camp, makeshift homes are separated by vast stretches of light brown gravel paths, which kick up dust in the wind and feel hot even through shoes in the 47C (117F) heat. There are 41,000 Syrian refugees living in two neighbouring camps here. The situations they've fled from are often desperate but that doesn't stop people falling in love. And when that happens, they do what people everywhere do, they get married. Rozhin's salon isn't the only one in the camp, but it may be the most stylish. Small details, such as a coral sink placed next to a coral chair and proper reclining seats, let you know that Rozhin is not new to the business. She herself is immaculate, with no make-up. "I do make-up all day, it's like work for me," she says. Her five daughters aged from one to seven often wear matching outfits. "I like to look glamorous, I'm always like this," she says. Rozhin and her family fled Qamishli, a Kurdish town in Syria in 2012, as the civil war picked up pace. "In Syria I had a normal life, a normal job as a beautician, and then when we came here it was too hard, too tough to adjust to the environment," she says. She cried a lot, she says, because her daughter fell ill and she was homesick. "I kept begging my husband to go back, even though it was dangerous, but he refused. In time, I adapted to the situation and my daughter got better." It helped that she was able to open her business. The shop was initially a grocery run by her husband, but after it failed to make enough money, Rozhin saw her opportunity. She borrowed some money from her uncle and turned it into a salon. After spotting the demand for wedding gowns and party dresses, she started stocking those too. Now the shop has been going for five years. It's named Tulin, after her daughter. Aside from regulars coming in wanting a haircut, an eyebrow shape or a catch-up, Rozhin does up to 30 weddings a year. Many of her customers are Kurdish, and it cannot be overstated how lavish these weddings are. The two suitable halls in the camp host 300-400 guests, which is - everyone in the room jumps in to explain - extremely small by Kurdish standards. One thousand guests would be more typical, they say. At Kurdish weddings, even the guests are made up exquisitely with flicked eyeliner, I'm told, thickly applied pale foundation, bum-length hair extensions or hijabs patterned with designer logos. Because of the heat and sheer quantity of make-up needed, usually Rozhin does the bride's hair first and the make-up is done last to reduce the risk of it melting on the bride's face. Weddings usually take place at 7pm or 8pm when the air has cooled, but in the summer the temperature will still be in the 30s - which you have to factor in when the wedding make-up is as thick as face paint. Each bride takes around two-and-a-half hours to get ready, but it's not just the brides. The whole wedding party may want their hair and makeup done, and sometimes Rozhin has two weddings to do in one day. Fortunately she has friends on hand to help. The International Medical Corps runs a programme training survivors of gender-based violence to do hair and make-up, so she brings them in to lend a hand. "There's a lot of work to do with the bridal party," says Rozhin. "When I call them to come and help they're so happy - we are all sisters and we have confidence in each other. After the job is done we drink tea and coffee together." The majority of Rozhin's brides are very young. "Usually I don't ask how old they are, but from their faces they are 18 or 19 on average. "I don't know why they get married in every case, but when you're 18 years old and you're living here with your family - what else is there to do?" It also means having a big party. This is important for people coming to terms with a difficult past, and everyday refugee camp life - which means 20 people to one latrine, makeshift housing and constant vigilance against disease. "For every single woman this is one special day to have a big glamorous dress and make-up," says Rozhin. "Just one day to feel special. No-one will be hurt by this." While some brides might relish the experience of being made to feel glamorous, a mural showing a bride holding a teddy bear is painted outside the shop. It's a sobering reminder of the problem of young girls being married off to much older men - something which is particularly rampant in refugee camps. But the shop is a place for escapism, even if the women can't forget their problems altogether. "In the salon we try out new techniques with make-up, but we are always thinking about our friends and relatives." Thinking about them, and often worrying about them. Rozhin is the main breadwinner of the family. Her husband, Ahmed, finds work some days, but the next day there be no work to be had, and he stays at home. "I am the one who brings money to the family and my husband does not have any problem with this. Usually the men here don't like that, for a woman to be in charge. But he says, 'If we're getting money that's OK.'" Business has been up and down. Having her twin girls recently meant she had to close up for a few months, allowing her rivals in the camp to pick up some of her regular customers, but now things are getting better. "There are another three that have a lot of customers," Rozhin says. Many of the families in the camp have been living here for at least as long as Rozhin has. Communities build up, neighbours get to know each other, people fall in love. Getting married means having a stake in the future, even when that future is uncertain. If you look carefully at the wedding dresses in Rozhin's shop, you can see the hems are lightly stained the same colour as the gravelly paths of the camp. How many women have worn these dresses, and made the same journey to the same hall, careful not to mess up their hair and make-up, and wondering what comes next? Join the conversation - find us on Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and Twitter.

यहाँ तक कि शरणार्थी शिविरों में भी जीवन जारी रहना चाहिए, और जब एक पुरुष और एक महिला शादी करने का फैसला करते हैं तो एक बड़े उत्सव के लिए दुर्लभ अवसर दोनों हाथों से जब्त किया जा सकता है। उत्तरी इराक में एक शिविर में, ब्यूटीशियन रोज़िन अहमद-हुसैन-जो खुद एक सीरियाई कुर्द शरणार्थी हैं-पाते हैं कि उनके पास शायद ही कभी काम की कमी होती है।


Worcestershire Wildlife Trust buys unprotected meadows

Summary: A nature charity has bought three wildflower meadows in a bid to preserve them.

Worcestershire Wildlife Trust used a £50,000 grant to purchase the Boynes Meadows site, opposite its nature reserve near Upton-upon-Severn. The areas, although "important wildlife habitats", are not legally protected, they said. Helen Woodman, from the trust, said it would enable it to "protect and sustain these...fast-disappearing habitats".

एक प्रकृति दान ने उन्हें संरक्षित करने के लिए तीन जंगली फूलों के घास के मैदान खरीदे हैं।


Drowning migrants force the EU to act, but will it be enough?

Summary: This was a "something must be done" moment.

By Chris MorrisBBC News, Brussels Europe's leaders could not accept that so many people have been dying, trying to reach their shores. And even the United Nations had urged the EU to "go beyond its present minimalist approach." So EU leaders have tripled funding for rescue operations in the Mediterranean. Which takes it back to the level it was at a year ago but will it be enough? Human rights groups are already criticising the summit for failing to expand the operational area of EU-led naval patrols, which could have taken them closer to the Libyan coast. Unless the ships are in the right place, they argue, migrants will continue to drown. Angela Merkel has said that if more is needed, more will be provided - money should not be an issue, she said. That may well be put to the test in the coming weeks. 'Historic proportions' Europe's long term problem is that it is struggling to cope with the scale of what is happening on its southern shores. It is facing a mass movement of people which is of historic proportions. And even if naval operations manage to rescue the vast majority, there are bitter disputes about how to deal with the tens of thousands who make it to safety. Britain, for example, has said it will provide significant naval support, but it won't accept more asylum seekers. Some people in southern Europe say that's not enough. The burden has to be more equitably shared. But there is no common asylum and immigration policy within the EU. Different countries have very different priorities. It will take years to get the balance right. This summit is only the start.

यह एक "कुछ किया जाना चाहिए" क्षण था।


Cows put down after trailer overturns on A46 in Leicestershire

Summary: Fours cows have had to be euthanised after a 4x4 car towing a trailer with the animals inside overturned in Leicestershire, police have said.

The incident happened at about 10:45 BST on the A46 northbound between Anstey and Wanlip causing traffic disruption for several hours. Highways England said it blocked the dual carriageway southbound to allow northbound traffic to be released. Leicestershire Police confirmed no people were injured. Recovery work was carried out between A5630 and A6 Loughborough Road and diversions were in place during the "severe accident". Follow BBC East Midlands on Facebook, on Twitter, or on Instagram. Send your story ideas to eastmidsnews@bbc.co.uk.

पुलिस ने कहा है कि लीसेस्टरशायर में जानवरों के साथ एक ट्रेलर को अंदर खींच रही 4x4 कार के पलट जाने के बाद चार गायों को इच्छामृत्यु देना पड़ा है।


Asa Butterfield: The unconventional child star

Summary: At 19 years old, Asa Butterfield already has a box-office record any actor twice his age would be proud of. But he's achieved it by choosing unusual and unexpected roles. What attracted him to taking such a unconventional route to fame?

By Steven McIntoshEntertainment reporter Asa Butterfield must surely have one of the most varied filmographies of any actor. The movie that put him on the map, The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, dealt with the holocaust. X+Y saw him play a socially awkward maths genius. His latest film, Ten Thousand Saints, covers a wide spectrum of serious themes for a teen film - adoption, drug abuse, death and teenage pregnancy. "I've played a worrying number of orphans, children who have been abandoned or had something terrible happen to them," says Butterfield, half-jokingly. "I think I'm good at playing dramatic and serious roles, but it's not necessarily what I want to keep doing. "I'd also like to do some comedy. "It's just the way things have worked out." His latest film, Ten Thousand Saints, released in the UK this week, is based on the novel of the same name by Eleanor Henderson. Co-starring Ethan Hawke, Hailee Steinfeld and Emile Hirsch, it sees the Islington-born actor appearing alongside some of Hollywood's big hitters. Set in the 1980s, Butterfield plays 16-year-old Jude, who leaves his adoptive mother to go and live with his father, played by Hawke, who sells drugs in New York City. Ten Thousand Saints doesn't have the usual, predictable, boy-meets-girl structure. True, there's a girl. True, Jude has to make some tough decisions. True, it's been widely described as a coming-of-age tale. But there are some surprising plot twists along the way, to say the least. "I guess I was at a similar time in my life, being 17 when I filmed it," Butterfield says of the role. "That transition of boy to man, being in that situation myself, is something that we all go through, and that made it easier and more relatable. "I loved the script because it was one of the first I was sent that felt like a departure from the younger roles which I'd been used to playing. Early fame "It was a chance for me to take those first steps to being a more adult actor and dealing with some more serious issues." Butterfield is now 19, but, despite his youth, he's just bought a house in London and even recently wrote a will - perhaps not what most people his age spend their time doing. But then again, most people didn't start their career at the age of 11 by appearing in a critically acclaimed box-office hit. Released in 2008, The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas is set during World War Two and tells the story of Bruno, a young boy - played by Butterfield - who befriends a Jewish boy named Shmuel in a concentration camp. Bruno regularly goes to visit him, and, over the course of the film, the pair have conversations, separated by the fence of the camp. The story is told through the eyes of Butterfield's eight-year-old character. The actor convincingly portrays the young boy's innocence and lack of awareness about the horrific events taking place - something Butterfield says is down to his own youthful naivety at the time. "I think I was aware of World War Two and some of what had happened, but at that age you never have a full understanding of the events that took place and what they meant," he says. "So I was in the dark but in the best way possible. My character in the movie is supposed to be this innocent, naive chid. So it helped that I was also somewhat naive in understanding what was going on, and I think that translated well." A successful film can be both a blessing and a curse for a child actor. 'Chance to show off' Young stars who become well-known for a single role may enjoy short-term success, but then face the added pressure of proving their credentials as an actor in later years. Abigail Breslin, Daniel Radcliffe and Haley Joel Osment were all keen to try something different for the films following their initial success to avoid becoming synonymous with the role that made them famous. Nicholas Hoult, known for About A Boy, recently shook off the youthful innocence of some of his previous roles by taking the lead part in the 18-rated Kill Your Friends. In Ten Thousand Saints, Butterfield appears alongside another former child star, Hailee Steinfeld - who has followed a notably similar path to him. The actress rose to prominence at the age of 13, receiving an Oscar nomination for her role in True Grit, and has since appeared in Begin Again and Pitch Perfect 2. "This is the second film we've done together, before this we were quite good friends," Butterfield says of his co-star. "But for both of us it was a chance to show off very different characters to the ones we've played before. "We both had the opportunity to explore some darker elements to these characters." Despite Ten Thousand Saints only just being released in the UK this week, Butterfield has already shot two new films since he completed filming. "I've shot two movies since then, The Space Between Us and Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, directed by Tim Burton," he says. "I love the way [Burton] works. It's very chaotic, but at the same time everyone involved is in the same kind of chaos, so it ends up working." If Butterfield continues his string of box-office hits with these, and other, future projects - we could certainly be seeing him on the silver screen for many years to come. But, he says: "I don't see myself acting for the rest of my life. "I'd really likely to shoot wildlife documentaries, I watched so many of those as a child, and I'm quite into wildlife and love photography as well, so that's something I'd like to do." He jokes: "I'll hopefully be able to make something of it and get out of the UK because in London there's not all that much to film in terms of wildlife - maybe some foxes and pigeons, but that doesn't make a very exciting documentary, so I'd like to go somewhere more interesting." Wherever Asa Butterfield is headed next, few will have any doubt it will, indeed, be interesting.

19 साल की उम्र में, आसा बटरफील्ड के पास पहले से ही एक बॉक्स-ऑफिस रिकॉर्ड है जिस पर किसी भी अभिनेता को अपनी उम्र से दोगुना गर्व होगा। लेकिन उन्होंने असामान्य और अप्रत्याशित भूमिकाओं को चुनकर इसे हासिल किया है। किस बात ने उन्हें प्रसिद्धि के लिए इस तरह के अपरंपरागत मार्ग को अपनाने के लिए आकर्षित किया?


Charges for Cornwall's concessionary bus pass holders

Summary: People with concessionary bus passes in Cornwall will have to pay to travel at certain times from January to help save the council money.

Pass holders will be charged the standard fare for journeys before 0930 or after 2300 from Monday to Friday. Free travel will continue for holders at all other times, including weekends and Bank Holidays. Cornwall Council said the money generated would help protect evening and weekend bus services. In November the council set its emergency budget in a bid to save £170m over the next four years. The council said introducing peak-time charges would bring it into line with local authorities in other parts of the country. "We understand how important the evening and weekend services are to people in Cornwall and have had to take this necessary measure to protect them," spokesman Graeme Hicks said.

कॉर्नवॉल में रियायती बस पास वाले लोगों को परिषद के पैसे बचाने में मदद करने के लिए जनवरी से निश्चित समय पर यात्रा करने के लिए भुगतान करना होगा।


Stroud canal bridge due to open in June

Summary: A £1.8m canal bridge in Stroud is expected to open by mid-June, engineers have said.

The new A46 Merrywalks Bridge, which will allow boats to pass underneath, was due to be finished by November. But problems caused by heavy rain and an unexpected excavation at the base of the bridge caused delays. The bridge is being built by Gloucestershire County Council as part of the Cotswold Canals Restoration Project.

इंजीनियरों ने कहा है कि जून के मध्य तक स्ट्राउड में 18 लाख पाउंड का एक नहर पुल खुलने की उम्मीद है।


Iran's battle for TV influence takes shape on Press TV

Summary: The attack on the British embassy in Tehran and the expulsion of Iranian diplomats from London propelled UK-Iranian engagement into the deep freeze. But in the world of television, relations have been frosty for some time.

By Linda PresslyBBC Radio 4, The Report Press TV is a glossy, English-medium channel that comes under the umbrella of Iran's state broadcaster, the IRIB. In the UK it is available on the Sky satellite service. The station's high-profile presenters include the former MP George Galloway and, until earlier this year, it counted on the services of the former London Mayor, Ken Livingstone. Press TV Ltd in London sells programmes to Iran, mainly talk shows, and Press TV International in Tehran produces most of the news and documentaries. When Press TV launched in 2007, its stated aim was to give Western audiences what it called "a second eye". It is pro-Palestinian, anti-sanctions against Iran, and critical of Western - especially US and UK - foreign policy. Arrested for 'spying' But in the UK, the channel has come under scrutiny. Earlier this month Press TV was fined £100,000 by the broadcasting regulator Ofcom, who upheld a complaint by Maziar Bahari. A journalist and film-maker of Iranian origin, Bahari was in Iran in 2009 covering the presidential election for Channel 4 News and Newsweek magazine. He filmed the demonstrations that followed the contested election. Then he was arrested, accused of being a spy, held in solitary confinement and interrogated. Bahari was told that if he did a television interview according to a pre-agreed script, he would be released. He says one of the crews who came to film the "interview" was from Press TV. "My interrogator's boss wrote the scenario and it was divided into questions and answers. The reporters asked the questions and I gave the answers, so we were basically reading from the same sheet," he told Radio 4's The Report. When Press TV aired a report claiming the Western media's coverage of the demonstrations was biased, they included a clip from Bahari's prison interview. Once he was released after 180 days in jail, he returned to the UK and made a complaint to Ofcom. He claimed the airing of part of the interview by Press TV had breached broadcast rules on fairness and privacy. Ofcom agreed. Farooq Bajwa, a solicitor who acts for Press TV, says the channel realises interviewing prisoners under arrest is not ideal. "The fine is something Press TV can live with," he says. "But I think it may help reinforce the image amongst Press TV supporters that in fact Ofcom is treating Press TV more harshly than it might have treated other news channels." He points to one of the US embassy cables from February 2010 that was released by Wikileaks. "Her Majesty's government is exploring ways to limit the operations of the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting's Press TV service, which operates a large bureau - over 80 staff - in London," it read. 'Being watched' Mr Bajwa believes this is evidence that Press TV in the UK is under suspicion. "We know from Wikileaks that in fact the British government has discussed Press TV at the highest level with their American counterparts. "So to pretend that it is just another channel in the same way that you might look at a French or German channel just isn't credible. "Press TV is obviously viewed differently. That means it is watched like a hawk." Inside Iran there is no doubt that the authorities are watching the BBC's Persian television, according to its head, Sadeq Saba. "The Iranians have been jamming BBC Persian television on and off for the last three years. "Now Iran targets certain programmes. A couple of months ago we made a documentary about Ayatollah Khamenei, Iran's supreme leader, and they started jamming it on all satellites. "So it's become 'intelligent' jamming - they jam programmes they think are most harmful to them," he said. Bahari thinks the jamming of BBC Persian in Iran is a good argument for taking Press TV off the air in the UK. "I think it should be banned at least because of reciprocity. People who are working for BBC Persian in Iran can be charged with espionage, they can be incarcerated, they can even be executed." Sadeq Saba understands why some people feel strongly. "I sympathise with people who say something must be done because the BBC is not allowed to operate in Iran and Press TV is operating in London," he says. "In Iran the BBC has no bureau, this is an anomaly. We could easily jam Iran, but we never do that because we believe in freedom of expression." But Abbas Edalat, from the Campaign Against Sanctions and Military Intervention in Iran, says it is unfair to compare the jamming of the BBC in Iran with any proposal to take Press TV off the air in the UK. "The Iranian authorities see themselves in a state of siege," he says. "They are surrounded by US military bases, they are threatened with military attack, and there are covert military operations in Iran. "None of these things exist for the UK. So it is not an equal situation." With diplomatic relations between the UK and Iran on ice, and tensions high across the Middle East, all television will inevitably find its output subject to scrutiny and debate. The Report is on BBC Radio 4 on Thursday 29 December at 20:00 GMT. Listen to the full programme via the Radio 4 website or download the programme podcast.

तेहरान में ब्रिटिश दूतावास पर हमले और लंदन से ईरानी राजनयिकों के निष्कासन ने ब्रिटेन-ईरानी संबंधों को गहरे ठहराव में डाल दिया। लेकिन टेलीविजन की दुनिया में, कुछ समय के लिए संबंध ठंडे पड़ गए हैं।


David and Victoria Beckham: Was America won over?

Summary: David Beckham's move to Los Angeles was supposed to transform the status of American soccer. He and his wife Victoria arrived as the UK's biggest celebrities. Now he has played his last US game, did Americans really fall for the allure of Brand Beckham?

By Jon KellyBBC News Magazine, Washington DC As he sat on the tarmac at Los Angeles International Airport one evening in July 2007, David Beckham knew what was expected of him. His new employers, the LA Galaxy, had committed a huge sum - reportedly $32.5m (£20m) over the next five years - for the benefits of his footballing services. But it wasn't just his playing skills that made him such a valuable commodity. The then-32-year-old and his erstwhile pop-star wife Victoria were among the world's most recognisable faces. Back home in the UK, they were by far the country's biggest celebrities. The expectation was clear - as the Beckham glitter entranced the US, Major League Soccer (MLS) would be elevated from minority sport status to become a national game on a par with American football, baseball and basketball. Beckham had said as much himself at a press conference during his unveiling as a Galaxy player-to-be six months previously. "Soccer is huge all around the world apart from America, so that's where I want to make a difference with the kids," he told reporters. Back in the UK, the Daily Mirror proclaimed that he was on a "one-man mission" to be a "success in a country where even Pele had failed". The Brazilian legend had proved unable to win the US over to the Association code despite his signing by the New York Cosmos in 1975. So expectations were high. And, as the couple emerged from the plane at Los Angeles airport nine days before David's first game, the Beckhams were swamped by photographers and news crews in a scene more in keeping with red-carpet showbusiness than the arrival of a sportsman. Nancy Armour of Associated Press began her report of the occasion: "It's safe to say no athlete, no matter how famous, has ever gotten a welcome quite like David Beckham." And so it continued for Beckham's first Galaxy game - a friendly against Chelsea, which the home side lost 1-0 - watched by such luminaries as Tom Cruise, Katie Holmes, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Eva Longoria and California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. Unfortunately for all concerned, what followed did not quite live up to the billing. Due to injury, Beckham played only five league games for Galaxy in his first season. "It was a bit of a mess for the first couple of years," says Kyle McCarthy, who writes about MLS for FOX Soccer, the Boston Herald and Goal.com. "Galaxy couldn't really get itself sorted out on the field. "Plus, it was always going to be difficult because David Beckham made so much more money than anyone else." In his first two seasons with the club, the LA Galaxy failed to make the end-of-season play-offs. Beckham was booed by Galaxy fans after he missed the start of the MLS season to extend a loan spell with AC Milan in 2009. Team-mate Landon Donovan, from whom Beckham had taken the captain's armband, publicly questioned the Englishman's commitment. Off the pitch, by contrast, the Beckhams' celebrity status was in the ascendant. Though David may have played in a league most Americans did not follow, and Victoria's chart peak with the Spice Girls was a decade old, the US paparazzi regularly followed them from their $18.2m (£11.3m) Beverley Hills mansion and their faces became ubiquitous in gossip magazines. Tim Teeman, US correspondent of The Times, says their status was elevated by two principal factors, neither of them football-related. One was the couple's high-profile friendships with Hollywood aristocracy like Tom Cruise and his then-wife Katie Holmes. The other was a series of adverts, prominently displayed in American cities, of David modelling underpants. While the pair may never quite have entered the US A-list, Teeman believes their brand was perfectly pitched for American consumption. "I don't think they've changed the image of Britain abroad in the way that someone like Kate Middleton has," he says. "I don't think many people would say Britain is the Beckhams. "But they've carved out their own niche. They appear a happy family and they are pretty. These are things Americans like." While David's performance with Galaxy may have been less than all-conquering, his wife was re-inventing herself as a fashion designer. When she moved to the US, Victoria was "regarded not just with suspicion but with ridicule", according to the couple's biographer, Ellis Cashmore. Her Spice Girls days were behind her and David was seen as the driving force. But through sheer industriousness and canny recruitment of underlings, Cashmore adds, she began to be taken seriously as a player in the fashion world. By 2011, sales of Victoria's clothing were worth around $12m (£7.5m). She has become a regular fixture at top fashion weeks around the world. In the Middle East and Asia she is now much better known as a style mogul than as a pop star. "The single biggest beneficiary of the move by some way has been Victoria," says Cashmore. "She's now a legitimate, credible designer. She's emerged from it quite triumphant." And, for David, things began to fall into place on the pitch, too. The arrival of coach Bruce Arena settled the Galaxy squad. Beckham's final game saw the team win its second consecutive MLS Cup. The MLS has become a healthier league since his arrival. Average attendances across the division have risen from 15,500 per match in 2006 to 18,800 in the current season. The number of clubs has expanded from 13 to 19. Big-name players from the English Premier League such as Thierry Henry and Robbie Keane followed Beckham to US clubs. Television viewing figures for MLS games remain modest, however. And, Kyle McCarthy argues, the league had been on an upward trajectory even before Beckham. His arrival, the writer argues, was verification of soccer's rising status, not a catalyst in itself. "Signing David Beckham was a huge landmark for MLS - to be able to bring in Beckham to a league that was already developing," McCarthy adds. "It was a confirmation of growth." In retrospect, it appears it was too much to hope that the glamour surrounding the Beckhams could single-handedly transform Americans into a nation of soccer fanatics. As the couple plot their next move, however, their brand has been burnished by the Galaxy episode - and in times as celebrity-obsessed as these, perhaps that will be seen as the more significant achievement.

डेविड बेकहम के लॉस एंजिल्स जाने से अमेरिकी फुटबॉल की स्थिति बदलनी थी। वह और उनकी पत्नी विक्टोरिया ब्रिटेन के सबसे बड़े सेलिब्रिटी के रूप में पहुंचे। अब उन्होंने अपना आखिरी अमेरिकी खेल खेला है, क्या अमेरिकी वास्तव में ब्रांड बेकहम के आकर्षण में पड़ गए?


Bloodlands: 'A foot in both the present and the past'

Summary: A mysterious assassin in the police force, a detective haunted by decades-old crimes and the austere beauty of Strangford Lough - it could be yet another drama rooted in Northern Ireland's troubled past.

By Luke SprouleBBC News NI But Bloodlands is a different kind of thriller, according to star James Nesbitt. "It's a thriller that could be set anywhere, it just happens to be set here," he says. "It's not really about the Troubles. Certainly they're in the backdrop but it's really about a father and daughter. "It's about him trying to uncover unanswered questions from the past, but also build a safe future for his daughter going forward." Nesbitt plays DCI Tom Brannick, who is sucked into a dangerous game of cat-and-mouse after a car containing a possible suicide note is pulled out of Strangford Lough. He quickly links it to an infamous cold case - the hunt for Goliath, a legendary assassin possibly operating within the police force. For Brannick, it's personal. His wife Emma was possibly one of the killer's victims. The four-part drama also gives Coleraine native Nesbitt the chance to work with Line of Duty writer Jed Mercurio, who is the series' executive producer, for the first time. "I've wanted to work with him for a long time and we finally found this," Nesbitt says. "The writer Chris Brandon is from County Down, he's a new writer and it's a sensational character he's created." For Brandon, the character of Brannick personifies the struggles of how Northern Ireland deals with its history, but also how times have changed. "As a veteran detective Brannick has a foot in both the past and the present," he says. "He has hope for the future in the potential of his daughter, but he is stopped from moving forward by the resurrection of an assassin myth; a symbol of police collusion in past violence that holds deeply personal significance. "Tom must cut out the root of this myth in order to have any hope of a peaceful tomorrow. "He must confront his past to protect the future he prizes above all." The series also stars Charlene McKenna as DS Niamh McGovern, Lorcan Cranitch as veteran police officer Jackie Twomey and Lisa Dwan as Tori Matthews, a doctor teaching at Queen's University in Belfast, where she runs into Brannick's daughter. Dwan says part of the joy of working on Bloodlands was collaborating with a film industry in Northern Ireland that has been involved with some of the biggest hits of recent years, from Mercurio's Line of Duty to the global sensation Game of Thrones. "I think there's a confidence in the Northern Ireland film industry all over, there's production companies setting up left, right and centre," she says. "There's a plethora of talent here and its' a very young, creative spirit that hasn't been overmined. There's no cynicism, everyone is just so delighted to be working and creating." The series was filmed last year before lockdown took hold. Both Nesbitt and Dwan both say they relished working in the settings of Strangford Lough and the Mourne Mountains, a landscape that Brandon says has an "austere beauty" that "holds memories of stories past". But the location and the Northern Ireland weather also brought its challenges. "It was incredibly cold, particularly when we had to go down to the islands of Strangford Lough," Nesbitt says. "At times it was hard to speak, my mouth would be paralysed and I just couldn't get my jaw moving. "The privilege of the job is the hardness of it sometimes, because that's what you want to do, that's why you go into acting. It was challenging but fabulous." Bloodlands starts on BBC One at 21:00 GMT on Sunday, 21 February.

पुलिस बल में एक रहस्यमय हत्यारा, दशकों पुराने अपराधों से प्रेतवाधित एक जासूस और स्ट्रैंगफोर्ड लॉफ की कठोर सुंदरता-यह उत्तरी आयरलैंड के परेशान अतीत में निहित एक और नाटक हो सकता है।


Abortion rules: Could tragic case like Savita Halappanavar's happen in NI?

Summary: A tragic case in the Republic of Ireland involving a woman who died after reportedly being refused an abortion has brought into sharp focus the fact that doctors in Northern Ireland are also operating without clear guidelines.

By Tara MillsBBC News The case in Galway involved 31-year-old Savita Halappanavar, who was miscarrying and later died from a blood infection. Her husband said she had repeatedly asked for a medical termination but he claimed that her request was refused. The hospital authorities said the "facts of this tragic case have yet to be established" and Mrs Halappanavar's death is now the subject of two investigations. But could a similar situation arise in Northern Ireland? In most pregnancies the scan pictures bring excitement and anticipation, but for some it can bring bad news. Leanne Murphy from Belfast was 12 weeks pregnant when she was told there was something wrong. Option She said: "They offered me further tests, a CVS (chorionic villus sampling test) and an amnio (amniocentesis) and they also said that if anything came back on those tests, a termination would be made available to us. "At the time I was in shock really that there could possibly be something wrong with my baby. It was only after, when I thought about it, I was taken aback the fact that this was an option for somebody whose baby possibly had a disability." She chose not to have further tests or a termination: "Personally no, a termination was not an option for us - we just continued on with the pregnancy regardless of the testing." For Leanne it was a happy ending - she gave birth to a healthy baby boy who is now four years old. For other women it is not so straightforward. The BBC has been told of other cases where women, particularly in rural areas, have been told late into their pregnancies that something is wrong. Legal position If they want to have a termination they have to travel outside of Northern Ireland and go into labour as part of the procedure. So what is the legal position? In a recent statement NI Attorney General, John Larkin, said: "It must be stressed that termination of a pregnancy based solely on the abnormality of an unborn child is always unlawful." But in a recent interview with the Sunday Politics programme Health Minister, Edwin Poots, was asked how he viewed the legislation. "Having had a brother who was severely learning disabled, I was brought up in a home to love and appreciate people who have disabilities. "I was brought up in a home where you got a special amount of love from someone who had a learning disability. I actually detest (the idea) that if someone has Down's Syndrome or some other sort of abnormality detected in the womb that that life is of no value. "I think that it is wholly wrong and I think that sort of selection of mankind, of human beings, is something we would do well to avoid Dilemma But he added: "There may be circumstances where a child cannot live outside of the womb where those discussions take place and we have to leave those things to the clinicians who are well placed to act within the legislation." Women face the dilemma but medical staff also operate in uncertain circumstances. There is no legislative law regarding abortion in Northern Ireland, only case law. Doctors, nurses and midwives can opt out on the grounds of conscience. But medical staff who are willing to carry out abortions are often fearful of legal action. Dr Noel Scott is a retired pyschiatrist with more than 30 years experience working in Belfast City Hospital. He believes the law should change in Northern Ireland. "My understanding is that 70 abortions were carried out in the last year (for which) figures are available. But in that same time 1,100 women went to England. That's a human rights issue. They should not have the trauma and expense of having to travel to England." Professor Bill Rolston from the Universtiy of Ulster has written extensively on the subject of abortion. He believes the law is failing women in Northern Ireland. Guidelines "I think that this lack of clarity and lack of legal guidance for doctors is not helping at all - for every woman who has a legal abortion here there are the same number who are having to take themselves to England and that should not be. "This is a standard view across the world in United Nations countries - they should have a service available locally," Prof Rolston added. All hospitals in Northern Ireland have to keep a tally of the number of terminations - but they do not record the reason they were carried out. Some Stormont MLAs, including the SDLP's Pat Ramsey, have been trying to get a breakdown. "There clearly (are) terminations taking place - it's simply a case of trying to find out the reason or the rationale that a consultant has used. And that's important. "We must ensure that it's consistent and make sure that there is no wholesale abortion happening in Northern Ireland," Mr Ramsey said. Difficult decisions The question many are asking now is - could the tragic situation that arose in Galway happen in one of Northern Ireland's hospitals? The Family Planning Association (FPA) has been campaigning for ten years to force the Department of Health to publish guidelines for doctors - to protect them in the eyes of the law. So far, they have not succeeded and the FPA's Audrey Simpson said there is every chance a doctor in Northern Ireland, faced with similar circumstances, would decide not to carry out a termination. She said doctors faced with such difficult decisions will always be worried that a pro-life group would be ready to take legal action against them.

आयरलैंड गणराज्य में एक दुखद मामले में एक महिला की मौत हो गई, जिसकी कथित तौर पर गर्भपात से इनकार करने के बाद मृत्यु हो गई थी, इस तथ्य पर ध्यान केंद्रित किया गया है कि उत्तरी आयरलैंड में डॉक्टर भी स्पष्ट दिशानिर्देशों के बिना काम कर रहे हैं।


Who was the world's first trainspotter?

Summary: Was this image drawn by the first member of an exclusive and much misunderstood club? Back in September 1825, Jonathan Backhouse watched the inaugural journey of the Stockton to Darlington railway.

The resulting letter he wrote to his sisters was filled with such enthusiasm, that it could be said to be the earliest documented evidence of trainspotting. The letter is on show, along with dozens of other photos, in a new trainspotting season at the National Railway Museum, York. Take a look with exhibitions manager Amy Banks. Trainspotting can be seen at the National Railway Museum York until 1 March 2015. All images subject to copyright. Images courtesy National Railway Museum, York. Additional 1825 artwork from Getty Images. Music by KPM Music, The Kinks, New Muzik, Gallagher and Lyle. Photofilm production by Paul Kerley. Related: Trainspotting - National Railway Museum, York You might also like: Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2014 The street photos of a 1950s nanny Kew's green medicine

क्या यह छवि एक विशेष और बहुत गलत समझे जाने वाले क्लब के पहले सदस्य द्वारा खींची गई थी? सितंबर 1825 में, जोनाथन बैकहाउस ने स्टॉकटन से डार्लिंगटन रेलवे की उद्घाटन यात्रा देखी।


Ex-ambulance crash driver appears at Skipton court

Summary: The driver of a decommissioned ambulance that crashed into a railway barrier has pleaded guilty to dangerous driving and other charges.

Shane Hughes, from Halifax, appeared at Skipton Magistrates' Court. He denied a number of offences. Two charges were withdrawn. The ambulance hit a barrier near Kildwick, North Yorkshire, in July. Mr Hughes was given unconditional bail and is to appear at Bradford Crown Court on 14 September. More stories from Yorkshire He pleaded guilty to driving while disqualified, driving without insurance and endangering the safety of persons on the railway. But he denied failing to provide a specimen for analysis, trespass and possession with intent to supply. Charges of failure to stop for police and obstructing a railway were withdrawn.

रेलवे बैरियर से टकराने वाली सेवामुक्त एम्बुलेंस के चालक ने खतरनाक ड्राइविंग और अन्य आरोपों को स्वीकार किया है।


Women deny running illegal pyramid scheme

Summary: Eleven women have denied running an illegal pyramid scheme.

The defendants, from Bristol, South Gloucestershire and Somerset, are accused of taking part in schemes known as Key to a Fortune and Give and Take. They are the first in Britain to be prosecuted under new consumer protection regulations. The offences are alleged to have happened between 26 May 2008 and 29 April 2009, a hearing at Bristol Crown Court was told. The women are: They each pleaded not guilty to two charges of operating a promotional pyramid scheme contrary to the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008. The court heard there will be two trials, with the first likely to take place next year. Judge Mark Horton released the women on unconditional bail.

ग्यारह महिलाओं ने अवैध पिरामिड योजना चलाने से इनकार किया है।


Palestinian election: Leaders face reckoning as rare vote looms

Summary: Palestinians are preparing for their first general election in a decade and a half. Many hope for a democratic revival after years of stagnation and splits. The pot of Palestinian politics is being stirred. But that's also awakening anxieties.

By Tom BatemanBBC News, Jerusalem It was the clumsiness of childhood that saved Najwa Odeh's life. The nine-year-old Palestinian knocked her spoon off the dinner table and reached to pick it up when a bullet whistled over her head. It was the Middle East war of June 1967 and Israeli troops were about to capture East Jerusalem from Arab armies. Fighting had erupted outside her family home in the neighbourhood of Silwan. Israel later annexed the eastern half of the city, whose population is overwhelmingly Palestinian, in a move not recognised internationally. It remains in control to this day across what it sees as its undivided capital. Palestinians want East Jerusalem as the capital of their future state comprising the West Bank and Gaza Strip - territories also occupied by Israel in 1967. Ms Odeh has a wry smile as she recalls her luck in that childhood near miss. "After that I decided I don't want to go anywhere. I have to be in Jerusalem all my life… I cannot be quiet," she says. Now she is running to be an MP for the party of President Mahmoud Abbas in the first Palestinian general election in 15 years. "This is my right - it's democracy," she says. "The Israeli people went to the election four times in two years. Why it's not allowed for me?" Jerusalem is always at the heart of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. So too now. Agreements with Israel give Palestinians in East Jerusalem the right to vote for their West Bank-based parliament, but their political institutions can't operate in the city. "We need new blood, a new generation to come and solve the problems. We need… to renew our legitimacy", says Ms Odeh. Devastating splits The parliamentary and presidential polls were announced last year by the ageing Palestinian leader after days of talks with other parties in Cairo. Few thought the elections would really happen given similar past promises and the unresolved, bitter rivalry between the two main factions - his secular Fatah movement, and their Islamist opponents Hamas. A bloody conflict broke out between them in 2007 after Hamas unexpectedly won the last national vote. The fighting saw the armed movement take full control in the Gaza Strip. It was isolated by much of the international community which, like Israel, views it as a terrorist group. President Abbas was effectively left in charge only in parts of the occupied West Bank. The parliament - the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) - was mothballed. Mr Abbas issued laws by decree and his four-year term should have ended over a decade ago. "It was devastating," says political scientist Dr Ghassan Khatib of Birzeit University, when asked about the fallout from 2006. "The absence of any election or political checks and balances is the reason for… the growing gap between the Palestinian public and the Palestinian leadership." This vacuum has added to a popular sense of fatigue. Asked which of their parties they trust the most, nearly 40% of Palestinians said "none", according to a poll released this week by the Palestinian media research group JMCC. The factions' deal to hold new elections shows their "need for legitimacy", says Dr Khatib. 'Don't give up on us' But there are more reasons. Many in the international community - especially European countries - have for years pushed Mr Abbas to get fresh democratic backing for the Palestinian institutions some of these countries help fund. And Palestinians are eager to vote, according to the early indications. More than 93% of an eligible 4.5 million voters have registered, according to the Central Elections Commission. There are 36 political parties and lists slated to run. "This is overwhelming in a way that reflects the interest in the Palestinian [political] scene", says Sabri Saidam, a senior official in Fatah, which dominates the internationally-backed Palestinian Authority (PA). He believes his movement, founded by former leader Yasser Arafat, still reflects the best hope for Palestinian nationalism, based on the Western-backed formula of a "two-state solution" of an independent and sovereign Palestine alongside Israel. But he admits that the high numbers registering to vote includes "people who have given up on us". 'Even our dreams are under control' For some in the West Bank, the poll amounts to a first flourish of democracy amid what they see as dual obstacles - living in areas of limited self-governance under an ossified Palestinian leadership within Israel's military occupation. In the city of Hebron, 29-year-old Doa Jabari will be voting for the first time. She explains the problem for her. She came top in her university law exams but says she has been unable to get a decent job. This is because the PA controls who gets hired into public legal positions and she doesn't have the right connections - or wasta, as it's known in Arabic. "I don't have relatives in the Authority, then I don't have a chance", she says. "That's why I want the election - to stop this." Many Palestinians feel the generation of Fatah leaders still in power - those behind hard-won international recognition in the 1990s - have failed to deliver. The breakthrough Oslo peace accords with Israel created the PA, but hopes it would lead to an independent state haven't materialised. Ms Jabari describes layers of power in a military occupation she cannot hold to account. Israel controls much Palestinian movement in the West Bank - it says for its security. Ms Jabari says it leaves her feeling "shackled". "Even our dreams are under control. I dream every day to go to the beach. You cannot see it, not even feel it or touch it," she says. A one-man show? Despite complaints about tough rules to run in the election, new political groups have been emerging - particularly younger activists, who reject the political dominance of Fatah and Hamas. Of around 1,400 candidates, nearly a third are women and 39% are aged under 40, according to officials. But for many, the biggest surprise of the election is that President Abbas still hasn't cancelled it - with the legislative vote due in less than a month, on 22 May. "This is a one-man show," says the Palestinian pollster Dr Khalil Shikaki. "The Palestinians at this time have no institutions that make decisions," he adds, predicting that Mr Abbas can call off the vote if he thinks it's not in his interest. And he may well be feeling the pressure. Fatah's decades-old family feud has spilled back into the open. In the run-up to the poll, Mr Abbas' officials have lobbied hard to stop a split, but failed. The movement is effectively running as three different factions - or candidate "lists". One rival is the breakaway Future list backed by Mohammed Dahlan, a former Fatah security chief living in exile in the UAE. Mr Abbas expelled him in 2011, accusing him of a coup attempt and raising unsubstantiated claims he had a hand in Yasser Arafat's death. But the major challenge to Mr Abbas' authority comes from the jailed Palestinian leader Marwan Barghouti, a popular Fatah reformist who was convicted by Israel on five counts of murder in 2004 during the second Palestinian Intifada, or uprising. Polls suggest Mr Barghouti would comfortably beat Mr Abbas in a head-to-head race, and he is expected to run from his prison cell in the presidential poll slated for 31 July. He is backing a new list - Al-Hurriya, or Freedom - for the parliamentary vote. His wife, lawyer Fadwa Barghouti, is a candidate along with Nasser al-Qudwa, a veteran diplomat and the nephew of Yasser Arafat who calls for an end to corruption in the PA. "Nobody can deny that a huge number of people are disgruntled, are angry. They hate what they see and they will not elect Hamas nor Fatah," says Mr al-Qudwa, arguing his group offers a "chance to deliver". He says his split from the official Fatah list was "not planned", but followed rows over how to handle Hamas. He thinks Fatah's rivals gained too much from the deal to hold elections without a clear pledge to return control of Gaza to the "political and administrative Palestinian system" - ie, to the PA. 'Big zero' for the West The enmity between Fatah and Hamas is the recurrent issue that has paralysed Palestinian politics. Mr Abbas says there can be only "one authority, one law, one gun" - a rejection of separate militant factions. But Hamas holds onto its weapons, promoting itself to its followers as the effective "armed resistance" to Israeli occupation. Much of the global community conditions dealing with Hamas on it recognising Israel, renouncing violence and signing up to previous Palestinian agreements made internationally. That's unlikely to happen any time soon - meaning, like in 2006, any newly elected Palestinian government including Hamas could be abandoned by its Western donors. The group itself accuses countries of abandoning Palestinians' democratic choices. "After 15 years it is clear [the West] has failed, an absolute failure, to kick Hamas out of the political theatre. Hamas is still there representing a good majority of the Palestinian people," says senior Hamas official Basem Naim. "On the other hand [those countries] have failed to achieve anything politically with the Israelis… [towards a] two state solution. "The outcome was a big zero," he says. But analysts believe Hamas may fare worse than before, plagued by discontent over its running of Gaza. The dire humanitarian situation stems largely from Israel's land, sea and air blockade - coupled with border closures also imposed by neighbouring Egypt. Israel says it is to stop weapons reaching the group, which has fought repeated rounds of conflict with it. The recent JMCC poll puts overall support for Hamas in the West Bank and Gaza at just 8%. However, polling before the last election significantly underplayed its support. Frying the omelette Some fear by announcing elections Mr Abbas has unleashed more uncertainty on an unstable region. He is bypassing failed reconciliation talks between the factions by asking the people to decide instead. That formula backfired with bitter recriminations and violence last time around. In effect, Mr Abbas hopes to keep his slice of the political cake before it's been fully baked. Many analysts suspect he could be looking for a way to backtrack. His officials have been getting more vocal calling on Israel to let Palestinians vote in East Jerusalem. Israel is obliged to do so under the Oslo accords, and in 2006 it allowed voting in a limited number of post offices. But so far this year Israel has remained officially silent about it. Mr Abbas says failure to let people vote there would provide just grounds - his critics would call it a pretext - to postpone the poll. For Najwa Odeh, the Fatah candidate who dodged a bullet 54 years ago, she's not surprised her home of East Jerusalem is back at the centre of things. "Like Abu Mazen [President Abbas] has said, there will not be an election without Jerusalem," she says. "I don't care what people are saying. We are preparing everything - it's not a show. We are going for the elections."

फिलिस्तीनी डेढ़ दशक में अपने पहले आम चुनाव की तैयारी कर रहे हैं। कई लोग वर्षों के ठहराव और विभाजन के बाद लोकतांत्रिक पुनरुद्धार की उम्मीद करते हैं। फिलिस्तीनी राजनीति के बर्तन को हिलाया जा रहा है। लेकिन यह भी चिंताओं को जगाता है।


Grimsby Town-Sheffield United disorder: Grimsby fans in court

Summary: Fifteen men and two youths have appeared before magistrates in Grimsby charged with violent disorder after trouble at a football match.

Glasses, bottles and other items were thrown at a pre-season friendly between Grimsby Town and Sheffield United. A total of 29 people were charged after rival fans clashed outside Blundell Park, Cleethorpes, in July. Those appearing on Wednesday have had their cases moved to Grimsby Crown Court to be heard in January. Of those charged, 17 are from the Grimsby area with 12 from Sheffield. Those from Sheffield are due before magistrates in Grimsby on 14 December.

पंद्रह पुरुष और दो युवा ग्रिम्सबी में मजिस्ट्रेट के सामने पेश हुए हैं, जिन पर एक फुटबॉल मैच में परेशानी के बाद हिंसक अव्यवस्था का आरोप लगाया गया है।


Can UK be China's best partner in the West?

Summary: Many governments hedge on China. Who, after all, can predict what is going to happen in such a vast and complicated country as it endures the birth pains of modernity and attempts to marry markets with one-party rule and find a fitting place in the international order?

Carrie GracieChina editor@BBCCarrieon Twitter So from Washington to Tokyo, Berlin to Singapore, governments hedge, hoping for the best in China but preparing for outcomes less than the best. Not the British government. Not any more. Chancellor George Osborne said he rejects such thinking. Britain wants to be China's "best partner in the west". "We want a golden relationship with China that will help foster a golden decade for this country." The tone is particularly striking when set against the blunt language coming from Washington in the lead-up to President Xi Jinping's US state visit this week. Of China's record on cyber hacking, US President Barack Obama said: "There comes a point at which we consider this a core national security threat. We can choose to make this an area of competition, which I guarantee you we'll win if we have to." The strategy of engagement with China has lasted through eight presidents since Richard Nixon in 1971. But it is now under intense scrutiny across the board, with companies complaining that they are being squeezed out of Chinese markets and Republican presidential candidates railing against China for trying to "steal American jobs" and "undermine US interests". 'Constant accommodation' of Beijing? Washington has noticed the difference in tone. When Mr Osborne rushed to sign the UK up as a founder member of the China-led Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, unnamed American officials complained of London's "constant accommodation" of Beijing. This month, the Chinese Communist Party Propaganda Department directed all media outlets to "promote the discourse on China's bright economic future and the superiority of China's system". Mr Osborne has helped by giving Beijing face, at least on the first part. "The growth in the Chinese economy will be more than the entire British economy at least in the coming five years. "Even as China's growth slows, it will continue to be a powerhouse for the global economy. There will be many new opportunities for the UK." All of this is true of course. But it is not a complete picture. For all its great strengths and magnificent achievements, China's economy remains very complicated with contradictory government impulses to liberate and to control. As for the spin on the superiority of the Chinese system, until recently, Mr Osborne's hosts needed no reassurance from foreigners on that score. Having weathered the Asian Financial Crisis of 1997 and the global financial crisis a decade later, they prided themselves on a reputation for unshakable confidence and competence. China, it seemed, had miraculously avoided the cyclical economic and electoral shocks to which more earthbound economies were vulnerable. The fading Chinese dream? But after this summer's carnage on the stock market and mishandled currency devaluation, that particular China dream is fading. The painful growth slowdown Beijing has long warned of, is upon it and in some ways worse than it feared. So China's leaders look mortal and their system less superior. While the Chinese economy is still upbeat about all the positive things Mr Osborne has talked about on his trip, it is still a middle income country with fragile economic institutions, unaccountable politics and protected markets. Even some of the long-promised reform agenda is looking vulnerable. But Mr Osborne's determination not to hedge on any of this has produced some striking outcomes which set the UK apart from its European and American allies. It is unimaginable, for example, that the United States would consider letting China design, build and operate a nuclear power station on US soil. The UK will be the first Western government to do so. Quite apart from the safety questions, Washington would have national security objections about involving China in its critical national infrastructure. Of course, the United States and China are strategic rivals in Asia in a way which Britain and China are not. 'Security concerns' But until recently, Britain's intelligence agency MI5 was complaining loudly of Chinese attempts "to steal our sensitive technology on civilian and military projects". Of course, China has its own security concerns. In the wake of the Snowden revelations of massive American surveillance programmes, China began work to remove its dependence on foreign telecoms technology and new national security legislation is likely to make it even harder for outsiders in sectors with a security dimension. And on China's definition of national security, that means many of the most profitable and fast growing parts of the economy. What's more, Beijing would not consider allowing another country to build a nuclear power station or any other key infrastructure on Chinese territory. And Britain is currently barred from sectors where it is strong, like financial services, IT, media and healthcare. All of which will make it hard for Mr Osborne to reach his goal is to make China Britain's second largest trading partner by the end of the decade. And meanwhile the process of trying will close down other aspects of UK China policy. Put simply, there can be no stellar exports and no "golden era" if senior members of the British government do things which irritate Beijing. So do not expect to see the Dalai Lama in Downing St between now and 2020. And do not expect to hear a robust defence of the political rights of Hong Kong's citizens from London.

कई सरकारें चीन से बचाव करती हैं। आखिरकार, कौन भविष्यवाणी कर सकता है कि इतने विशाल और जटिल देश में क्या होने वाला है क्योंकि यह आधुनिकता के जन्म दर्द को सहन करता है और बाजारों को एक-पक्षीय शासन के साथ जोड़ने का प्रयास करता है और अंतर्राष्ट्रीय व्यवस्था में एक उपयुक्त स्थान पाता है?


Coronavirus in Africa: Contained or unrecorded?

Summary: The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that nearly a quarter of a billion Africans could contract coronavirus in the first year of the pandemic, with between 150,000 and 190,000 of them dying.

Africa has had less than 100,000 cases so far, but WHO experts believe the continent will have a prolonged outbreak over a few years - and, aid workers say, the huge focus on containing the virus has led to other health issues being neglected. Here, five BBC reporters give a snapshot of what is happening in their countries: Congolese 'probably had virus without knowing it' By Emery Makumeno, Kinshasa The Democratic Republic of Congo confirmed its first case of Covid-19 in early March, but a doctor in the capital, Kinshasa, believes the disease arrived earlier. "During December and January, I can't remember how many patients came for medical treatment, coughing and with fever and headaches," he said, referring to Covid-19 symptoms listed by the WHO. "I am convinced that we, the medical staff, have been exposed to coronavirus already, without knowing it, and we have built a sort of immunity," he added. But DR Congo has carried out few tests to check the Covid-19 status of people, because of a lack of medical equipment. Countries with successful testing strategies, such as South Korea and Germany, have rapidly reached at least 1% of their population, UK medical journal The Lancet points out. If equipment is available, many African states could ramp up tests - some, though not DR Congo, did more HIV tests between 1 October and 31 December than the 1% target for Covid-19 testing, The Lancet says. Sources: Africa CDC; The Lancet So far, DR Congo has recorded more than 1,600 cases of the virus - the ninth-highest number in Africa, according to WHO. The first Covid-19 case was detected in La Gombe, the main business district in Kinshasa. The government moved swiftly to introduce a lockdown, but the virus has since spread to seven of the country's 26 provinces - including the mining hub of Lubumbashi. The outbreak comes at a time when DR Congo - which has poor health services, and has been hit by decades of conflict in the east - is also grappling with an Ebola outbreak. It has killed more than 2,000 people since 2018. Covid-19 has so far claimed the lives of more than 60 people. The UN children's agency, Unicef, has also raised concern about a reduction in vaccination rates, saying gains made from immunisation over the past two years could be erased. Unicef said vaccinations were already declining at the beginning of this year, and that the effects of coronavirus will make it worse. Hundreds of thousands of children had not received polio, measles, yellow fever and other vaccines. DR Congo might lose its polio-free status and there could be a resurgence of other deadly diseases. Health workers lacked equipment to protect themselves or the children from Covid-19, and parents were afraid to bring them to vaccination centres. Kenya hospital has 'fewer patients but more corpses' By Mercy Juma, Nairobi A major public hospital in Kenya's capital, Nairobi, saw an almost 40% increase in respiratory illnesses such as tuberculosis, pneumonia and asthma between December and early March, a doctor who works there told the BBC. However, the hospital had a sharp decline in such cases since mid-March, said the doctor, who spoke to the BBC on condition of anonymity as he was not authorised to speak to the media. One reason was that the government had imposed a nationwide dusk-to-dawn curfew to contain the spread of coronavirus. This has resulted in a drop in night-time admissions, but an increase in the number of dead people being brought to the hospital's mortuary, the doctor said. People also seemed to be avoiding hospital for fear of being diagnosed with Covid-19 and being sent to quarantine centres, he said. This is because quarantining has been controversial in Kenya, with the government forcing suspected Covid-19 patients to pay for their own confinement. The price ranges from $20 (£16) to $100 a night, depending on the centre, though the government has now promised to cover costs at public quarantine centres. Sources: Africa CDC; The Lancet Hostels at schools and universities as well as private hotels have been used as quarantine centres. A video clip went viral last month, showing several people scaling a wall to flee a centre in Nairobi. Those quarantined have complained that some centres are not much better than prisons, with poor hygiene and overcrowding making it impossible to practise social distancing. 'More patients and more corpses' in northern Nigeria By Ishaq Khalid, Abuja There have been reports of more people falling ill and dying in Nigeria's most populous state, Kano, since the outbreak of coronavirus nearly three months ago. So, it is not surprising that President Muhammadu Buhari has extended the lockdown in the northern state to the end of the month. A grave digger at the Abattoir Graveyard in the main city, also known as Kano, told the BBC: "We have never seen this, since the major cholera outbreak that our parents tell us about. That was about 60 years ago." Prof Musa Baba-Shani - the head of the department of medicines at Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, the main hospital in the state - told the BBC that they have been treating more patients with illnesses such as asthma, pneumonia, and tuberculosis, as well as chest pains and sore throats. The professor, who works with the respiratory diseases unit of the hospital, said there had been an increase of between 40% and 45% in the number of respiratory cases in about the last three months. He attributed the rise to the closure of many hospitals in the state, especially private clinics, because of a lack of protective gear for medics. This has forced more patients to seek treatment at the Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital. Prof Baba-Shani said some of those with respiratory illnesses were diagnosed with coronavirus, and referred to the treatment centres set up for Covid-19 patients. He decried the slow testing for coronavirus in Africa's most-populous country, which has a population of around 200 million. It would be better for both patients and hospitals if testing was speeded up, he said. Sources: Africa CDC; The Lancet Another doctor at the hospital, who asked not to be named because he was not authorised to speak to the media, said some people were avoiding seeking treatment because they feared contracting Covid-19 in hospitals. In north-eastern Yobe state, an unusually high number of people - 471 - have died in the past five weeks. It is unclear whether the deaths are linked to coronavirus, but the state's health commissioner, Dr Muhammad Lawan Gana, told the BBC that a preliminary investigation had found that most of the dead were elderly people with pre-existing health conditions such as hypertension and diabetes. Nigeria has more than 6,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus, the third-highest in Africa. The commercial capital, Lagos, is at the epicentre of the outbreak, but a lockdown imposed at the end of March has been partially eased, raising fears that the virus could spread. "It's tough decision, but I think it was the wrong call," said Dr Andrew Iroemeh, who works at a Covid-19 isolation centre in the city, "It's recommended [that] for a lockdown to be relaxed we should have a consistent reduction in the rate of infection for at least 14 days. We haven't seen that," he added. 'Few signs of virus' in Ethiopia By Kalkidan Yibelta, Addis Ababa Respiratory infections are common in Ethiopia, Africa's second most-populous state, with a population of more than 100 million. Research shows they are the third major cause of death each year, after neonatal disorders and diarrheal diseases. The coronavirus outbreak does not seem to have led to more patients with respiratory infections being admitted to hospitals over the past few weeks. A doctor in the capital, Addis Ababa, told the BBC that he was looking for signs of unreported Covid-19 cases but he did not detect anything unusual. Sources: Africa CDC; The Lancet There was no increase, for example, in the number of patients with pneumonia, a severe complication caused by the virus. Similar reports were given by a doctor and a nurse the BBC spoke to in eastern and southern Ethiopia respectively. In recent days, the number of cases detected daily has risen from single to double digits. This has raised some concern, but the overall number is still low - less than 400. This is despite the fact that Ethiopia, unlike many other states, has not introduced a lockdown, taking limited measures, such as a ban on sporting events and gatherings of more than four people, to curb the spread of the virus. The doctor in Addis Ababa said Ethiopians might have been spared the worst of the virus because of less foreign travel, or there may be other unknown factors at play. He said people should take precautions to prevent the spread of the virus as the possibility of a surge could not be ruled out. Uganda to focus on 'verbal autopsies' By Catherine Byaruhanga, Kampala Uganda has imposed one of the strictest lockdowns in East Africa and so far it has one of the lowest number of Covid-19 cases in the region - around 260 - and no deaths. Most of the testing in Uganda has been on truck drivers who arrive from neighbouring states. Last week, Health Minister Ruth Aceng said that of the 139 confirmed cases at the time, 79 were truck drivers. The President of the Uganda Medical Association, Dr Richard Idro, said that doctors around the country had not reported seeing more patients with respiratory illnesses, though the lockdown - which includes a ban on travel - could have prevented them from going to hospital. People with mild symptoms of coronavirus might have also stayed at home, resulting in some cases going unrecorded. Sources: Ugandan government; The Lancet In a recent address, Uganda's President Museveni said the government planned to carry out "verbal autopsies" in communities to find out whether people might have died from Covid-19. The government has promised to distribute free masks to all citizens above six years old over the next two weeks before easing lockdown measures. Ugandans on social media have generally been sceptical about the plan, pointing to the delays in giving food to 1.5 million people in and around the capital, Kampala, after they lost their income because of Covid-19 restrictions. If the mask distribution is successful, Mr Museveni has promised that shops will be allowed to open, public transport will be back on the road but carrying half the number of passengers and food market vendors - who have been sleeping at their stalls under the president's orders - will be allowed to go home at the end of each day.

विश्व स्वास्थ्य संगठन (डब्ल्यू. एच. ओ.) ने चेतावनी दी है कि महामारी के पहले वर्ष में लगभग एक अरब अफ्रीकियों में से एक चौथाई लोग कोरोनावायरस से संक्रमित हो सकते हैं, जिनमें से 150,000 से 190,000 के बीच लोगों की मौत हो सकती है।


Would China fight for disputed islands?

Summary: US President Barack Obama touched down in Japan on Wednesday to hold talks with America's key Asian ally. China's leaders will be watching the visit from afar. Ahead of his arrival, Mr Obama told a Japanese newspaper that a cluster of islands in the East China Sea that both Tokyo and Beijing claim fell under the scope of a decades-old bilateral security alliance.

By Celia HattonBBC News, Beijing Known as the Diaoyu Islands in China, and the Senkaku Islands in Japan, the territory is easy to miss on a regional map. This tiny string of five uninhabited islets and three barren rocks lies almost exactly between mainland China and southern Japan. For decades, Japanese authorities have controlled the islands, prized for their strategic location in the East China Sea and possible oil and gas deposits below. But in the past few years, Beijing has reinvigorated its campaign to assert its historical ownership over a minute piece of territory that's causing huge regional arguments. China's Communist leaders first disputed Japan's ownership of the islands in the 1970s, but both countries agreed to leave the problem to future generations. The issue heated up again in 2012, when the Japanese government purchased the islands from a private landowner. Japanese nationalists wanted to develop the islands, Tokyo said. It wanted to halt that plan, partly to placate China. Few in Beijing believed that explanation. Instead, the change to the status quo gave China an opportunity to exercise its growing political appetites. "When Xi Jinping came to power, he changed the basic approach of Chinese foreign policy," explains Renmin University Professor Cheng Xiaohe. "From maintaining the status quo to maintaining a low profile to a new approach of doing something." To the frustration of China's leaders, Japan has not publicly acknowledged Beijing's claim. So, to pressure Tokyo, Beijing stepped up patrols of the area. Chinese fighter jets regularly fly above the islands, while naval ships sail below. "If Japan refuses to talk about this problem, China has to cruise around the Diaoyu Islands to assert China's sovereign rights," explains Liu Jiangyong, a professor at Tsinghua University. Last November, Beijing made a surprise move, declaring new air traffic restrictions in a zone covering the disputed area. Some countries, including the United States, ignored China's rules, but it is all part of the country's long-term strategy, says Dr Cheng. "China's design [is] to reserve some kind of rights and freedoms for China to take military action if something happens in Diaoyu Islands or some other disputed area," he explains. 'One inch of territory' Inside China, the government is using another tool - anti-Japanese propaganda - to keep the island issue at the forefront of foreign policy. Even young Chinese audiences are regularly reminded of unresolved tensions dating back to World War Two. "Shoot Japanese Demons", an online videogame, was released in February by People.com, a government website. Players choose a so-called Japanese warlord from a gallery of real historical figures and then score points by shooting the chosen person with a gun. The game is cartoonish, but it's important to ask: is Beijing's campaign all just a game? Would Xi Jinping really go to war for a speck of uninhabited territory? Well, yes. "Yes, the islands are small, but from Chinese perspective, one inch of territory is big enough for China to fight for," says Dr Cheng. Ultimately, it's a circular problem. The symbolic value of these islands will continue to rise as long as both countries push to control them. "If China and Japan had a friendly relationship, military interest in the islands would drop," Dr Liu adds. Outside the Japanese embassy, security remains tight. Forbidding 4m-high (13ft) walls prevent anyone from looking in, and grim-faced soldiers circle the exterior. There are many reasons why China and Japan would avoid a territorial war, including rising trade links and the threat of Washington's involvement. But the presence of these guards reminds those both inside the embassy and out that the threat of a serious military confrontation is never far away.

अमेरिकी राष्ट्रपति बराक ओबामा अमेरिका के प्रमुख एशियाई सहयोगी के साथ बातचीत करने के लिए बुधवार को जापान पहुंचे। चीन के नेता दूर से यात्रा देख रहे होंगे। उनके आगमन से पहले, श्री ओबामा ने एक जापानी समाचार पत्र को बताया कि पूर्वी चीन सागर में द्वीपों का एक समूह, जिसके बारे में टोक्यो और बीजिंग दोनों दावा करते हैं, दशकों पुराने द्विपक्षीय सुरक्षा गठबंधन के दायरे में आता है।


Man, 72, dies in Ringwood bungalow fire

Summary: A 72-year-old man has died in a bungalow fire.

Crews from Hampshire, Dorset and Wiltshire attended the property in Kingsfield, Ringwood after the blaze broke out at about 17:30 BST on Wednesday. The man was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics from the South Central Ambulance Service. Firefighters are investigating how the blaze, in the bungalow's lounge, started.

एक बंगले में आग लगने से 72 वर्षीय एक व्यक्ति की मौत हो गई है।