Sir Henry Segrave: The legacy of the 200 mph record breaker

Summary: With his racing goggles and determined expression, Sir Henry Segrave epitomised a derring-do British hero from another age. But although he was the first racing driver to break the 200 mph barrier, he is not a household name. Why?

By Helen CarterBBC News Online In the aftermath of World War One in the 1920s, when vehicles were becoming more reliable and crucially, faster, Sir Henry Segrave was at the top of his game. A star British driver. Motor racing was in its infancy and many British roads were little more than dirt tracks littered with debris that threatened to scupper any record attempt, with disastrous consequences for both driver and car. So on 16 March 1926, Sir Henry pulled on a pair of white overalls and took his four-litre British-made Sunbeam on to the sands of Ainsdale Beach in Southport. Watched by a large group of spectators, his car roared along the smooth, flat surface and reached a speed of more than 152 mph, seizing the world land speed record from his great rival, Malcolm Campbell (father of Donald Campbell). His star was rising. Henry O'Neil de Hane Segrave was born in Baltimore in 1896 to an Irish father and American mother. A British national, he spent his childhood in Ireland and went to Eton. He served as a fighter pilot in the Royal Flying Corps in World War One and became fascinated by racing cars once he left the forces through injury in 1919. But although every flight during the war was potentially fatal, Sir Henry took a more measured approach to risk in his racing exploits. The beach had been selected as the perfect venue for the record attempt as it was free of obstacles that could have lethal consequences - the slightest camber could have upended his car. According to motor racing expert Ben Cussons, this was because at the time roads were in poor condition and there were "still horse-drawn vehicles being used". Many carriageways were "little more than dirt tracks with nails and other debris", he adds. Sir Henry was unique in that he held both the land and water speed records at the same time, and tragically it was his pursuit of the latter that led to his death. He sustained fatal injuries on Windermere at the age of 33, when he struck a log shortly after breaking the water speed record in 1930. His wife, Lady Doris, was determined to carry on his legacy and established an honour called The Segrave Trophy, awarded by the Royal Automobile Club (RAC) in his name to motor racing champions from 1930 onwards. Previous recipients include Stirling Moss, Amy Johnson, Barry Sheene and Damon Hill. Ben Cussons, who is on the trophy's committee, says Segrave was "multi-talented and very good at what he did", as well as being a self-made man. Sir Henry was motivated by a desire "to be the best" at what he did, he says. "He earned his peers' respect because he funded his endeavours and found the funds and did not rely on family money." "Segrave was not too bad an aviator, then he went into motor racing before land speed records, then water. He was always looking for the next new technology, which is what inspired him," he adds. The fact a wider legacy eludes his name is more down to timing than talent, Mr Cussons believes. He was simply not as well known as Malcolm Campbell because Campbell was Britain's first professional sportsman, backed by sponsorship (luxury watch brand Rolex) and with a strong identifiable brand in the Bluebird, says Mr Cussons. Nevertheless, Sir Henry - who was wounded twice in the war - was a "truly remarkable man" who achieved "an incredible amount in a relatively short life", according to historian and racing enthusiast Peter Cowley. "He was a gifted racing driver and won many races, including five Grand Prix. Prior to Segrave's victory in the 1923 French Grand Prix, no British [team] had won a Grand Prix." Sir Henry roared to success in a British car - Sunbeam. The next Briton to win in a British car was many years later, in 1955, when Tony Brooks raced to success. More than 80 years have passed since his untimely death and now an independent documentary, called One Five Two at Ninety, is being made to bring his achievements to a wider audience. What is known is that he had a fierce yet "gentleman-like" rivalry with Malcolm Campbell. Sir Henry liked to tell people he was the first man to travel more than 200 mph (320km/h) and he was clearly fascinated by speed. Sir Henry's record was surpassed just over a month later by JC Parry-Thomas, in a car called Babs. Undeterred, Sir Henry snatched the record back in March 1927 in Daytona, taking the Sunbeam to 203mph - sealing his crown as the first man to exceed 200 mph. Mr Cowley says that when Sir Henry died he was mourned by King George and Queen Mary, who described him as "one whose intrepid adventures on land and water were the admiration of the entire world". Not only was he a speed king, he was a "highly accomplished" engineer who designed the Hillman Straight 8 Segrave Coupe and the Blackburn Segrave Meteor aircraft, Mr Cowley says. Carol Spragg, editor of Historic Motor Racing News, says: "Sir Henry was a great pioneer of motoring and was a vast contributor to the progress of the motor car and the prestige of the British motoring heritage." She believes the fact he died "so young" contributed to the fact he was not as well known as the Campbells, who had a very high profile and "playboy lifestyle". "Segrave came from more of an engineering background and seemed to be more cerebral in his achievements," she adds. The Segrave Trophy is awarded on merit and the next ceremony takes place in London later in March. It is a fitting tribute on the 90th anniversary of his land speed record achievement. The Sunbeam was being driven down Ainsdale beach again on 16 March as part of a commemorative event to mark the anniversary of Sir Henry's record.

अपने रेसिंग चश्मे और दृढ़ अभिव्यक्ति के साथ, सर हेनरी सेग्रेव ने दूसरे युग के एक अपमानजनक ब्रिटिश नायक का प्रतीक बना दिया। लेकिन हालाँकि वे 200 मील प्रति घंटे की बाधा को तोड़ने वाले पहले रेसिंग ड्राइवर थे, लेकिन वे एक घरेलू नाम नहीं हैं। क्यों?


Bournemouth A338 roadworks night closures start

Summary: A stretch of Bournemouth's Spur Road will shut later for the first of five night closures as part of ongoing roadworks.

The A338 will close each night between the A31 Ashley Heath Roundabout and the A3060, Cooper Dean Roundabout from 20:00 to 06:00 GMT. A 5.5-mile (8km) stretch of the 40-year-old road is being rebuilt as its foundations are crumbling. The £22m project, which started in September, is due to finish in May. The works are due to be suspended over the Christmas period. The second phase, which will see the southbound carriageway rebuilt, will start on 4 January with drivers being advised to allow extra time for their journeys.

बोर्नेमाउथ के स्पर रोड का एक हिस्सा चल रहे सड़क कार्यों के हिस्से के रूप में पांच रात के बंद होने में से पहले के लिए बाद में बंद हो जाएगा।


Admiral reports 4% pre-tax profits rise but shares fall

Summary: Wales' only FTSE 100 company has announced a 4% rise in pre-tax profits - despite a drop in its shares.

Admiral Insurance - which has offices in Cardiff, Newport and Swansea - said profits rose to £193m for the six months to June 30 - its highest ever interim results. But its shares fell 7.4%, after it said the UK referendum vote had affected the business. It also warned of extra Brexit risks, including exchange-rate volatility.

वेल्स की एकमात्र एफ. टी. एस. ई. 100 कंपनी ने अपने शेयरों में गिरावट के बावजूद कर-पूर्व लाभ में 4 प्रतिशत की वृद्धि की घोषणा की है।


G4S driver admits stealing £970k in cash from van

Summary: A G4S driver has admitted stealing almost £1m in cash from one of the firm's vans.

Joel March, 36, fled with deposit boxes from the vehicle after parking it in Larkhall Rise in Clapham, south-west London on Tuesday. The charge states he stole £970,000 from G4S. March, of Rectory Grove, Clapham, admitted theft by employee at Camberwell Green Magistrates' Court. He will be sentenced at a later date. The Met said a quantity of cash has been recovered. A spokeswoman for G4S, a major government contractor, said such incidents were "extremely rare".

एक जी4एस चालक ने स्वीकार किया है कि उसने फर्म की एक वैन से लगभग 1 मिलियन पाउंड नकद की चोरी की है।


Sondheim's Company is a gender-swap hit

Summary: When Stephen Sondheim's musical Company opened on Broadway in 1970 it was a departure from tradition - there was no real plot and little sentiment. Forty-eight years on, director Marianne Elliott wanted to revive it in London - but knew parts of the show needed an update.

By Vincent DowdArts reporter, BBC News Elliott had the right credentials to steer a hit show. In quick succession she had created three stunning successes at the National Theatre in London: Angels in America, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time and (directed jointly with Tom Morris) War Horse. She'd shown she could handle both the epic and the intimate. Last year she opened a production company with business partner Chris Harper. One aim was to find plays with a female slant and identify female protagonists in new plays and revivals. So it might appear odd to bring back an old show by 88 year-old Sondheim about a commitment-shy man in New York. But Harper had an idea: why not gender-swap the lead male character Robert into female Bobbie and see where it gets us? It's made Company one of the most talked-about theatre events of the year. Elliott thinks the story feels more convincing now it has a female lead character. "That character was always attractive, sexually active, had a great career and a great apartment in Manhattan. We met Robert on his 35th birthday and he was still unmarried. But I think audiences now would think what does it matter if Robert doesn't settle down with someone else - what's the big deal? "But if that character becomes a woman there are different issues. If a woman hasn't settled into some sort of relationship by the age of 35 she may be thinking the clock is ticking if she wants children. Clearly that's not for all women but Chris and I thought in 2018 it's a more dramatic situation. Audiences will care more because there's more at stake." In 2013 in New York, Sondheim allowed the Roundabout Theatre Company to workshop a version in which the characters and relationships were gay. Ultimately he decided it didn't work and the concept went no further. So had Sondheim needed much persuasion to accept Elliott's new vision? "A couple of years ago we videotaped a simple version of it in London. We already had Rosalie Craig as Bobbie but other things hadn't yet all fallen into place. But Stephen watched it in New York and I was thrilled when he said go ahead," says Elliott. The changes aren't limited to making Bobbie female. Elliott says the original script, by George Furth, cleverly used short scenes to introduce us to an array of characters in Manhattan. "But some of the social attitudes definitely felt old-fashioned: the women stayed at home and the men were the breadwinners. In two of the relationships we've swapped lines and the women now feel less subordinate." Five years ago Craig appeared in a production of Company in Sheffield. She played Marta, who has now re-emerged as male character PJ. "I was one of the three girlfriends who of course now are my character's boyfriends. Robert had a one-night stand with a very attractive but dim flight attendant called April; she's now the very attractive but dim Andy (played by Richard Fleeshman). As soon as you make that male-female switch the whole dynamic alters. "But overall we were amazed how easily the switch worked. In the lyrics there was the need to change a few pronouns of course. But Stephen Sondheim had to rewrite fewer lines than I think we expected." What did the critics say? Critics published their reviews of Company after the press night on Wednesday evening. "A gender change can work wonders," wrote Michael Billington in The Guardian. "While a male Robert can sometimes seem a cold fish, Craig invests Bobbie with a palpable warmth, curiosity and hunger for life." Writing in The Stage, Tim Bano said: "Every modification makes sense. "Pronouns are changed, as are a few lyrics, but these are small shifts. They have profound results, though: the show has become fundamentally different. "It feels like it could have been written yesterday, rather than 48 years ago, and is contemporary right down to the Starbucks keep-cups that characters drink from." The Evening Standard described it as "glorious" in its five-star review, while The Independent singled out Patti LuPone for her "stand-out performance". But, Quentin Letts said in The Daily Mail, some moments were "perilously slow", adding it was "a show to admire rather than love". Two years ago Broadchurch actor Jonathan Bailey also appeared in Elliott's workshop. But more recently Elliott began to question why Bobbie, living in New York, seemed to have no gay friends. So Bailey was offered a different role: diffident bride Amy became gay Jamie, freaking out just before his wedding to Paul. It's a highlight of the show. With Alex Gaumond as his fiancé, Bailey squeezes every bit of show-stopping potential from his big song Not Getting Married. "It would be ludicrous if in 2018 there was no gay couple in Company. "It's only three years since same-sex marriage was legalised everywhere in America so Jamie and Paul are struggling with identity just like everyone else in the show. These are two men who know they're meant for one another but they can't quite say it. "And obviously with Company now set in 2018, not back in 1970, you're going to explore the wealth of identity in today's queer culture, which is still developing. It's a really exciting time for me and Alex to perform this." Gaumond thinks almost any of the couples in the play could have been made gay. "But the arrival of same-sex marriage means Jonny and I can play a real situation from contemporary life. So the change of sexuality isn't just a stunt - it really means something dramatically." Bailey thinks the show works brilliantly as entertainment. But in its re-worked form he says it's become more meaningful. Number of men increased "Obviously what I want is that in 50 years' time people will still talk about our production and say, 'Oh my God why was it so significant?' And people will say it's from when gay marriage had just been legalised. And kids will say, 'You're kidding dad, you mean men couldn't marry men? That's ludicrous and I can't imagine that world.' That's what I hope." It's a paradox that Elliott's careful changes have actually increased the number of men in the play. Of the cast of 14 there used to be eight women - now there are only five. "But that's not the important thing," she says. "It's a female story with a female protagonist and it's absolutely totally through a female lens." Company is on at London's Gielgud Theatre. Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.

जब 1970 में ब्रॉडवे पर स्टीफन सोंधाइम की संगीत कंपनी खोली गई तो यह परंपरा से एक प्रस्थान था-कोई वास्तविक कथानक और कम भावना थी। अड़तालीस साल बाद, निर्देशक मैरिएन इलियट इसे लंदन में पुनर्जीवित करना चाहते थे-लेकिन जानते थे कि शो के कुछ हिस्सों को एक अद्यतन की आवश्यकता है।


Northern Ireland councils prepare for the biggest change in over 40 years

Summary: Some council functions don't ever change.

By Chris PageBBC News NI Political Correspondent In 1955, British Pathé cameras captured one particularly impressive ceremony at which the cities of Belfast and Londonderry jointly awarded freedoms to Winston Churchill. The proceedings were in some ways very similar to the way the honour would be awarded today - a gala dinner, speeches, and lord mayors in all their regalia. But otherwise, the local authorities of years gone by worked very differently to those we have known recently. For most of the last century, councils in Northern Ireland ran most local services. They had education powers and even ran parts of the NHS. There were 73 local authorities, which tended to be dominated by unionists. Consensus grew in the late 1970s that the system was too complicated The BBC interviewed the then Stormont Prime Minister Brian Faulkner. In remarks that mirror those of our present politicians, he proclaimed his local government reforms were the most significant in decades. The number of councils was cut to 26. Many of their powers were transferred to Stormont. Councils were left cleaning the streets, emptying the bins, and looking after cemeteries. But of course politics was going through a much bigger change. 'Dust-ups' When Stormont was suspended in 1972, the newly redesigned councils became the only forum in Northern Ireland in which politicians debated with each other. Those debates often turned to dust-ups. On a search through the archives, I found a report from Magherafelt council in 1985. Police reinforcements had to be called in after a fight broke out in the chamber, after the SDLP and Sinn Féin voted in an SDLP chair and a republican vice-chair. One councillor explained it really didn't bother him, as he had been "hospitalised out of the chamber" before, and spent two nights in hospital recovering from the political punch-up. Unionists were angry that the Sinn Féin vice-chair had raised his fist and said "victory to the IRA". The DUP said they "wouldn't take any threats from skunks like that". The vice-chair told the BBC reporter he had no apology to make: "I have been elected to represent the republican people." Back in the capital, journalists nicknamed Belfast City Hall "the dome of delight" - where discussions were rarely dull. Sit-ins, walk-outs and fisticuffs were far from unusual. Ulster Unionist Chris McGimpsey was elected in 1993. "It was very fraught," he says. "There was a joke which did the rounds: 'I went to a fight last night, and halfway through a council meeting broke out.'" 'Escape valve' But politicians and reporters agree that in spite of all the strains, councils did play a valuable role. Sunday World northern editor Jim McDowell covered City Hall for many years. "Beneath all the bluster, there was a sense of civic responsibility here," he says. "Murders could be condemned, bombings could be condemned. City Hall was an escape valve - and I think that was a good thing." While high-profile disputes still happen, council politics these days is a comparatively benign affair. And with the onset of a new type of politics has come new ideas about how councils should be run. This week, local government is getting some of its powers back. On Wednesday, 11 new "super-councils" are taking over. The 26 local authorities will be no more. They were brought into being at the height of the Troubles, and their politics reflected the fraught times. But over the course of the councils' existence, Northern Ireland changed profoundly. Many of the retiring councillors played a role in bringing society into a more peaceful era. Now it will be down to a new generation of local politicians to take on extra powers - and make the most of the biggest change in local democracy in more than 40 years.

परिषद के कुछ कार्य कभी नहीं बदलते हैं।


Raul Castro's Cuban reform 'without haste'

Summary: Cuba's President, Raul Castro, has said that a series of unprecedented economic reforms on the Communist-run island are being implemented "as they should be", and would be completed "without haste" in an effort to avoid mistakes.

By Sarah RainsfordBBC News, Havana He was speaking during a brief - and rare - encounter with journalists at the end of a visit by Iran's President, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. But Mr Castro also cautioned against expecting too much more from the first-ever Communist Party conference in Cuba, to be held at the end of this month. "This is an internal matter of the party, to improve it," he said. "It needs a lot of improving in many senses, to adapt to the times we live in." Raul Castro is also first secretary of the Communist Party, the only political party on the island. Over the past year Cuba has opened up more of its largely state-controlled economy, expanding self-employment in sectors such as hairdressing and watch repairs. More than 357,000 people now have licences to trade, helping boost their income considerably beyond the average state salary of just $20 (£13) a month. Larger, privately run restaurants have also been permitted as Cuba attempts to slim-down the state payroll, and cut costs. The goal is to transfer up to 40% of the workforce into the private sector by 2015, where they'll pay taxes for the first time. Many moves - such as a decision to allow Cubans to buy and sell property - were approved during a rare Communist Party congress last April. That congress, Raul Castro said, was the "defining event". It endorsed what's referred to here as the "updating" or "modernisation" of Cuba's economy, described as critical to securing the long-term future of the socialist revolution. "It is proceeding without haste, so that we don't make new mistakes," the president said of that process, pointing out that each legal change required "hundreds of hours of study". "How long it takes will depend on many factors… but little by little, it's being implemented." Raul Castro formally took over as president in 2008 from his elder brother, Fidel. Now 85, the iconic leader of Cuba's revolution appears in public very rarely - though Fidel Castro continues to write regular "reflections", most recently on the environment and American politics. On Wednesday he met Iran's president, in a show of support for an old ally at a time when America and Europe are tightening sanctions on Tehran over its controversial nuclear programme. The encounter was held away from the cameras but Mahmoud Ahmadinejad later described Fidel Castro as "fit and well", and still an avid follower of current affairs. "They spent two hours talking," Raul Castro confirmed, just a couple of weeks after the latest internet rumour that Fidel had died. "I asked who spoke most and [Mr Ahmadinejad] told me Fidel," he laughed. "It's a sign that he's well. Really very well."

क्यूबा के राष्ट्रपति, राउल कास्त्रो ने कहा है कि कम्युनिस्ट द्वारा संचालित द्वीप पर अभूतपूर्व आर्थिक सुधारों की एक श्रृंखला को "जैसा होना चाहिए" लागू किया जा रहा है, और गलतियों से बचने के प्रयास में "बिना जल्दबाजी के" पूरा किया जाएगा।


UAE strives to engage the young, gifted but bored

Summary: Young people in the United Arab Emirates are among the most privileged in the world. Pampered from cradle to grave, they have good schools, excellent healthcare and access to well-paid jobs. But, as Bill Law reports, not everyone feels they lead a meaningful life.

Souad al-Hosani, a restless 26-year-old businesswoman, is a bundle of hyperactive energy, one of a new breed who are coming into their own in the oil-rich Gulf state. "We do everything from A to Z for expat firms. I'm 24/7, I never stop," she says, adding that, with the exception of one brief holiday, she has not taken a break since setting up shop five years ago. Her firm, Nexus Business Services, provides financial advice, contacts in the private and public sectors, and guidance on the cultural and social mores of doing business in the UAE. She stands out against the stereotype of the region's rich, bored and work-shy, and she is not alone. Life is good Mohammed Baharoon, a Dubai-based analyst and policy consultant, tells me that the young people he is now hiring are more dynamic than ever. "They are more active, more engaged. They don't want to sit at a desk. They want to jump right into projects," he says. Mr Baharoon credits an improving education system that places greater emphasis on presentation and writing skills, and demands more from its students. That, he says, has made young Emiratis capable of taking on big challenges. But it is the young women who stand out. Of all the women who graduate from high school, 95% go on to university - compared with just three-quarters of men. Mr Baharoon, who hires young graduates as researchers, says that women are "hard workers and graduate with higher grades than the boys". When asked why the men do not share that reputation, he replies with a laugh: "They don't go hunting, camping and fishing as much as the boys do." Nor do the women spend their weekends racing souped-up cars in the desert or the weekdays hanging out at coffee shops, feeling more than a little bored and unmotivated. Wages are high but so is unemployment Boredom aside, though, life is good for young Emiratis. They trust their government to look after them and seem untroubled by the well-documented and frequent allegations of human rights abuses by the authorities against dissidents that make their way into Western media but go virtually unmentioned in the Emirati press. "They take these stories with a grain of salt or they are indifferent," says Mr Baharoon. "They don't see them as real allegations." I ask Ms al-Hosani if anything troubles her. She pauses ever so slightly and then replies: "Nothing is perfect in life, nothing is ever completed, but we have amazing resources and amazing leadership. We have a happy life." Journalist Abbas al-Lawati, himself an expatriate from Oman, observes that young Emiratis have a sense of entitlement that comes from being an affluent minority in a comfortable and heavily state-subsidised society. Many find work in the bloated public sector where even a lowly secretarial job pays 15,000 dirhams (US$4,100; £2,800) a month and wages are routinely, and very generously, boosted. The last big increase came in 2013 when government salaries were raised between 30% and 100%. "There is that sense that citizens can't be fired from a job, either in the state or private sector. It is a taboo. You cannot fire an Emirati," Mr al-Lawati says. Mr al-Lawati notes that government quotas to get more UAE citizens into the private sector have led to companies hiring young Emiratis for "fluff jobs to follow government regulations". A do-little-or-nothing job in government, or a private sector job where the employer says, "Here's a desk, do what you want", frustrates and demotivates those who really do want to work - and enables and rewards those who do not. Yet despite this generous arrangement, youth unemployment is high. Lost in their own country Over several decades, the UAE, like the other Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) countries, has encouraged a tidal wave of expat workers - mostly poorly paid migrants but also professionals - to transform what were once Bedouin tribal communities into modern countries punctuated by futuristic megacities. As a result, in a country with a population of 9.3 million, only about a sixth are Emirati citizens. Some feel alienated from a society that has changed so quickly, and among the young many are out of work. Young Emiratis risk "feeling lost in their own country", says Hassan Hakimian, director of the London Middle East Institute at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) of the University of London. The GCC has the highest youth unemployment rate in the world. In the UAE, Mr Hakimian says, one in five men between 15 and 24, and more than half of young women, are unemployed. The overall unemployment figure for young Emiratis is 28%. But that is just for those looking for work. There are no figures for those who have given up or never bothered. Government programmes and policies to encourage the young into work and reduce the reliance on migrant workers are "of limited value", says Mr Hakimian. "In reality, the government is continuing down the same road," he says. This is having a profound effect on the character of the country and its native population. Everything - from tradition to dress sense and the use of English in business and in government circles - is linked to the expat influx. "Emiratis are a shrinking minority," says Mr al-Lawati. National identity is being diluted and the young are reasserting their nationality. "They wear it on their sleeves, with their clothing," he adds. 'Know your barriers' While young Emiratis are among the most avid users of social media in the world and they devour Western music, movies and other cultural influences, men continue to wear the traditional thobe, a long robe, and women the abaya, a flowing cloak. As Ms al-Hosani puts it: "You need to know your barriers. I started in suits and went back to the abaya." The government, hoping to reinforce a sense of national identity and address perceptions of feckless and spoilt youth, has introduced compulsory military service for men. Those who have finished secondary school will serve nine months, while those who have not will be in the forces for two years. "It is a way of making people do menial jobs like cleaning toilets, cooking meals, making beds - all the things that maids do in the family homes. It is a way of bringing discipline into the lap of luxury," Mr Baharoon says. And while you might be excused for thinking young Emiratis would recoil in horror, the opposite is the case. "It is an amazing idea," says Ms al-Hosani, who is exempted from military service. "Everyone is doing it. It's a way of giving something back to the country."

संयुक्त अरब अमीरात में युवा लोग दुनिया में सबसे अधिक विशेषाधिकार प्राप्त लोगों में से हैं। पालने से लेकर कब्र तक लाड़-प्यार करने वाले, उनके पास अच्छे स्कूल, उत्कृष्ट स्वास्थ्य सेवा और अच्छी तनख्वाह वाली नौकरियों तक पहुंच है। लेकिन, जैसा कि बिल लॉ रिपोर्ट करता है, हर किसी को नहीं लगता कि वे एक सार्थक जीवन जीते हैं।


In pictures: Muslims around the world celebrate Eid

Summary: People around the world have been celebrating Eid al-Fitr, one of Islam's two major holidays.

The "festival of the breaking of the fast" begins when the moon rises on the final day of Ramadan, a holy month of fasting. The timing varies from country to country, with some following the moonrise in Mecca and others using local sightings. After a sighting of the first crescent of the new moon, a three-day festival is held in celebration. All images copyright.

दुनिया भर के लोग ईद-उल-फितर मना रहे हैं, जो इस्लाम की दो प्रमुख छुट्टियों में से एक है।


Myanmar coup: The young rebels risking their lives for the future

Summary: Myanmar has been gripped by mass protests demanding an end to military rule, and at least 55 protesters - many of them young activists - have been killed. BBC Burmese's Nyein Chan Aye has been reporting from the frontlines in Yangon - and this is what he saw.

It's been more than a month since the military coup in Myanmar. People have endured internet blackouts, night-time raids, unlawful arrests, being chased down or beaten up in the streets, being shot at point-blank range, or being targeted by head or chest shots from long range. Several dozen protesters have been killed in less than a week. A teenage girl, wearing a shirt that read "Everything will be OK", died after being shot in the head. If you happen to be in a neighbourhood in Yangon in broad daylight these days, the smell of smoke is likely to hit you first more than anything. Small children taste tear gas or smoke bombs in their own homes. And there is not much else mothers can do but curse. Live rounds, rubber bullets, stun grenades, tear gas, water cannon, smoke bombs. You name it. Myanmar has seen all these already in less than a month. And yet new waves of protests take place every day. People have been boiling with rage over the junta's atrocities - but still the protesters are largely peaceful. Creative forms of defiance - including sarongs Students, monks, women, civil servants and even some police officers are joining in the movement against the regime. Some police taking part in the civil disobedience movement have been openly speaking out, saying they will no longer serve the military rulers and would rather serve the people. So far the opposition is organised and determined. You see different kinds of defiance from dawn to dusk. Simply clapping or singing a song - or even hanging out sarongs (called htamein in Burmese) in front of high-rise buildings - have become nothing short of opposition to military rule. Why sarongs? People believe that soldiers are superstitious and afraid of sarongs, which may weaken their strength and spiritual power. As the demonstrations on the main roads were easily crushed by the security forces, protesters have started creating their own spaces in their neighbourhoods. Little fortresses made up of sand bags, rubbish bins filled with water or makeshift barricades can be seen almost everywhere in the city. People in the neighbourhoods are also extremely supportive of each other. Many can be seen distributing food or protective gear for free. A common wish has been to uproot the military dictatorship for the sake of future generations. At the same time, people are reminding each other to stay alive and well, and to continue the fight against the regime. Night-time banging of pots and pans, which people traditionally believe can drive evil out, has now been supplemented by home protests. People chant pro-democracy slogans at night from their balconies or sitting rooms to keep the fighting spirit alive amid all the deadly crackdowns. In many places the air resonates with the sounds of protest songs from previous uprisings against the military dictatorship, like "We won't forget until the end of the world" (Kabar Ma Kyay Bu in Burmese) or "Blood Oath" (Thway Thitsar). Or newly created songs by the younger generation like "Reject (the coup)" (Ah Lo Ma Shi) which vows: "We will fight to the end." Being out on the streets has become dangerous, so home is the only place for some people to vent their spleens. Some light candles and pray for those who died during demonstrations, affectionately called "Fallen Heroes". 'Dictatorship must end' In the late evening, you may also see groups of young people run through the streets making the revolutionary three-fingered salute - a symbol of the rebellion against the military takeover. Street murals, cleverly created by young people, are also inevitable these days not just in Yangon but also in major cities across the country. Police loyal to the regime are kept busy late into the night trying to remove painted texts like "Reject the Military Coup" or "We Want Democracy". The next day, young people are sure to go somewhere else and paint on the streets again. At the same time, people are outraged at the brutality from the military and are calling for a stronger international response. They are now becoming more frustrated than ever because the UN or South-East Asian regional body Asean cannot prevent the regime's barbaric acts. Bold declarations or statements, or even targeted sanctions by Western countries, do not seem to be enough for the people. Nor for the generals, who behave with arrogance towards the international community. In recent demonstrations, many placards I have seen read: "How many dead bodies are needed for the UN to take action?" But many people believe the best chance for the country's future may depend on young people and the momentum of the two wings of the ongoing anti-coup movements - street protest, and the civil disobedience campaign. On one occasion, a protester with a youthful face with deep marks caused by regular use of gas masks during demonstrations removed his goggles and told me: "The military dictatorship must end in our era." He had written his blood type and a contact number for his next of kin on his helmet. Generation Z, who are playing a leading role in this movement, know that blood is a heavy price to pay, even though their generation has only just come up against this bitter experience of military rule. The nightmare of violence and terror may not go away easily, as Myanmar never completely got rid of its military junta legacy. However, the younger generation has shown its sheer grit and determination to take down the regime. Another young protester simply repeated the words: "The military dictatorship must end in our era."

म्यांमार में सैन्य शासन को समाप्त करने की मांग को लेकर बड़े पैमाने पर विरोध प्रदर्शन हुए हैं और कम से कम 55 प्रदर्शनकारी-जिनमें से कई युवा कार्यकर्ता हैं-मारे गए हैं। बीबीसी बर्मीज़ के न्येन चान आये यांगून में अग्रिम मोर्चे से रिपोर्टिंग कर रहे हैं-और उन्होंने यही देखा है।


Prisoner found hanged in his cell at HMP Hewell

Summary: A remand prisoner has been found hanged in his cell at a jail in Worcestershire.

The Prison Service said David Boylan, 47, was found at HMP Hewell in Redditch, early on Sunday. Mr Boylan, who was on remand, had been accused of causing grievous bodily harm. A spokesman said he was taken to hospital but pronounced dead at 0935 BST. The Prisons and Probation Ombudsman will carry out an inquiry.

एक रिमांड कैदी को वॉरसेस्टरशायर की एक जेल में उसकी कोठरी में फांसी पर लटका हुआ पाया गया है।


Coronavirus: Can live-streaming save China's economy?

Summary: "I'm a bit nervous," confessed Li Qiang, the deputy mayor of Wuhan, the Chinese city where the coronavirus was first reported late last year, as he awaited the start of his first-ever live-streaming event.

By Vincent Ni and Yitsing WangBBC World Service It is not the kind of tone one often hears from a senior Communist party official. But in an effort to revive China's economy after the devastating epidemic, Mr Li was determined. He spoke fondly of his long appreciation of Wuhan's local delicacy, hot and dry noodles, and urged locals to frequent his favourite shop. The two-month-long nationwide lockdown has taken a heavy toll on the economy. It shrank 6.8% in the first three months of 2020 - the first time the country's economy has contracted since the death of Chairman Mao in 1976. But unlike then, Chinese politicians are more pragmatic these days, particularly as the once fast-growing economy is entering uncharted waters. In a provincial-wide campaign to revive the economy, senior officials in Hubei province - home to 60 million Chinese - are turning themselves into online streaming celebrities. Mr Li and his colleagues are endorsing local brands and paying close attention to sales figures. And the result? Chinese media reports say that on the first day of the campaign - 8 April - these live-streaming sales across the province garnered 17.9m yuan ($2.5m; £2m). They sold nearly 300,000 items in nine hours - including 44,000 portions of Mr Li's favourite hot and dry noodles. Hubei is not the only province taking advantage of China's booming live-streaming industry. Many local officials in Hunan, Shandong and Guangxi provinces have also turned themselves into sales gurus since social distancing became a rule in China. They endorse local products to help revive the economy - while showing a different side of Communist party politicians to their constituents. Sales through live-streaming during the epidemic "definitely provided hope and a new outlet for companies to start investing in marketing, which supports the service industry and other industries as well," says Andrea Fenn, CEO of Fireworks, a Shanghai-based marketing consultancy. 'Lipstick Brother No 1' Yet this business model is not just a top-down effort. Even before party officials began appearing on live-streaming services, savvy business owners were turning to live-streaming platforms such as Douyin (the equivalent of TikTok in China) and Kuaishou, as well as e-commerce giant Alibaba's Taobao, to promote and sell their products in real time. One of them is 27-year-old Li Jiaqi, whose maverick sales technique has won him the nickname "Lipstick Brother No 1". Once an unassuming shop assistant earning a modest salary in Nanchang in south-east China, he now has more than 40 million followers on Douyin. In one of his live-streaming sales sessions he sold 15,000 lipsticks within five minutes. Unlike many beauty bloggers he always demonstrates the lipsticks he's selling on his lips, rather than his arms. It seems to be paying off, as he now reportedly has a net worth of up to $5m (£4m). There is also 33-year-old Wei Ya, whose 1 April sale of a $6m rocket launch on Taobao amazed the nation and attracted international publicity. So much so that Taobao had to issue a statement confirming the sale was real and not an April Fools' joke. Wei Ya has been a familiar face in China's live-streaming sales circle. Her followers call her "Queen of Goods". The official China Daily says this was "the world's first live broadcast of a rocket sale". More than 620,000 Weibo users have used the hashtag #WeiYaSellsARocket and more than two million online viewers tuned in to watch the sale. Can it save China's economy? Foreign brands too have been joining in. Luxury product maker Louis Vuitton hosted a live-streaming sale in March - the first time since the brand entered the Chinese market 30 years ago. At the height of China's Covid-19 epidemic, in February alone Taobao, the platform which sees the largest number of live-streaming sales, saw an increase of 719% in new sellers across the country. Not everyone will succeed, though. Marketing consultancy boss Andrea Fenn says that despite the recent frenzy, the market is getting increasingly crowded. "Early adopters were able to obtain results with [often quite amateurish] live-streaming activities because the phenomenon was quite new and fresh. "Now there are thousands of live-streamings out there and consumers are starting to wonder how come we have gone back to a communication activity that looks much like a 1990s telemarketing show. "I am seeing more and more companies failing in their ability to increase sales through live-streaming due to consumer fatigue." One of China's most successful online celebrities can probably attest to that. In April, 48-year-old former English teacher - and now internet celebrity - Luo Yonghao made the news with his inaugural live-streaming sales event. It attracted 50 million viewers across China and within three hours he had rung up a staggering sales figure of $15.5m. Over the next fortnight Mr Luo used live-streaming twice more to sell goods, but with much less success. Chinese media say the number of his viewers and sales figures plummeted - by 83% and 48% respectively. Andrea Fenn says, for him, all this confirms that "I don't think we are looking at something that alone can sustain an economic boom". Illustration by Davies Surya

"मैं थोड़ा घबराया हुआ हूँ", चीनी शहर, जहाँ पिछले साल के अंत में पहली बार कोरोनावायरस की सूचना मिली थी, के उप महापौर ली कियांग ने स्वीकार किया, क्योंकि वह अपने पहले लाइव-स्ट्रीमिंग कार्यक्रम की शुरुआत का इंतजार कर रहे थे।


Elections 2021: Sign up for alerts on Scotland and Wales coverage

Summary: You can get extra news, analysis and in-depth reporting from the BBC's election teams direct to your smartphone by signing up below.

Tap here to receive alerts on the Scotland election. Tap here to receive alerts on the Wales election. This feature is only available to UK app users. You can download the latest versions of the BBC News app here on the Android Play Store or here on the iOS App Store.

आप नीचे साइन अप करके सीधे अपने स्मार्टफोन पर बीबीसी की चुनाव टीमों से अतिरिक्त समाचार, विश्लेषण और गहन रिपोर्टिंग प्राप्त कर सकते हैं।


Breast cancer: Zimbabwe woman's struggle to avoid mastectomy

Summary: A 44-year-old woman in Zimbabwe, Tendayi Gwata, is battling to avoid a mastectomy after her breast cancer treatment abruptly ended when the only radiotherapy machine in the capital, Harare, stopped working.

Ms Gwata, a marketing consultant, had already lost all her hair during chemotherapy. Then she was told that because the machine had broken down, she may need her breast removed. Zimbabwe's health sector has largely collapsed amidst an economic crisis that has seen inflation soaring to 785%, and a severe shortage of cash. The crisis has been compounded by the coronavirus outbreak. Ms Gwata told the BBC's Clare Spencer about her ordeal: In July 2019 I had discomfort in my breast so I went to the doctor in Harare and had a scan and mammogram. A biopsy then confirmed I had stage-three breast cancer and the cancer had spread to my armpit. I flew to South Africa to go through the full cycles of chemotherapy and had surgery to remove the tumour. Then I started radiotherapy back in Harare to stop the tumour from recurring. When we were booking the radiotherapy, there was only one machine working in the whole of Harare and that was at the private facility, Oncocare. I'd got quite far in my treatment - 21 sessions of the 30 that I was supposed to do. Then I got the call. I was in my car on my way to my 22nd daily radiotherapy session when they phoned me to tell me to turn around because the machine had broken. That was on 21 April. A week went by. A month went by. And I still had no clue when the radiotherapy machine was going to get fixed. Youlie on a table Machinedirects beams of radiation at the cancer Youneed to stay as still as possible Treatment usually lasts for only a few minutes Itis completely painless Youcan usually go home soon after it has finished My oncologist said I would need to start thinking about having a mastectomy. I tried really hard to not cry. I've worked so hard to stay positive, to stay energised, to look to the future and say: "I'm going to survive this," to only get to this point where I'm now having to go through a new set of fully invasive procedures, in the hope that I have a better chance of survival all because someone won't fix the machine. I was really just wanting to burst into tears but my anger took over and I went to Twitter. I also started learning as much as I could about radiotherapy. The only research I could find on the impact of missing radiotherapy sessions is for up to two days. I couldn't find any research on the impact of missing it for two months, for three months. It's not even explored because it's so incomprehensible to the rest of the world that a machine can break and not be fixed. I talked on BBC Focus on Africa radio about my anger and frustration and after that interview I had loads of people phoning me asking: "What can I do? How can we help?" I explained to them that I was failing to get in touch with someone who could actually give me answers and who I could talk to for a way forward. So, one of my friends I went to high school with gave me the phone number of the head of the health services board, who in turn put me in touch with Ernest Manyawo, the chief executive officer of Harare's biggest public hospital, Parirenyatwa. It's not just me That's when I discovered the scale of the problem. He said that there are 500 people sitting at home right now waiting for radiotherapy because of broken machines. It's not just me. It's not just a handful of people but it's a lot of people and that's where my outrage comes from. Having had personal experience of the pain and agony that you go through, going through chemo, surgery, raising money for treatment, the overall impact on your family, just to then fall at the last hurdle because these facilities don't exist, that really struck a chord with me. Canceris in a large area of breast or has spread throughout Breast is full of pre-cancerous cells Usually requiresremoving most of breast tissue and skin, and nipple When I was first looking for radiotherapy, Parirenyatwa was not given as an option to me. It turned out they had three machines, which had all been broken and had been sitting idle since August 2019. You may also be interested in: Mr Manyawo told me they had received the spare parts for the machines in February. These machines cost anything between $1m (£795,000) and $3m. So, there's an agreement with the company that sold the machines that only their engineers can come and fix them. But those engineers are in South Africa. I haven't slept well Mr Manyawo didn't say why it had taken six months to get those parts, nor why the engineers didn't come as soon as the spare parts arrived. Then, on 23 March, before any engineers had visited, Zimbabwe shut its borders to try and restrict the spread of coronavirus. This case got lost in a whirlwind of red tape. Now, I've been told that the engineers' flight has been booked and all that is pending is a clearance from the Ministry of Health to allow them into the country. So we're in that limbo period. I'm anxious. I haven't slept well. I keep waking up in the middle of the night. But I'm trying to keep a lid on it because the one thing that cancer has taught me is that you should really only worry about something when you get to it. Otherwise you'll just spend your entire life worrying and that's not good for your health. More about cancer treatment during the coronavirus pandemic:

जिम्बाब्वे में एक 44 वर्षीय महिला, टेंडाई ग्वाटा, स्तन कैंसर का इलाज अचानक समाप्त होने के बाद स्तनछेदन से बचने के लिए संघर्ष कर रही है, जब राजधानी हरारे में एकमात्र रेडियोथेरेपी मशीन ने काम करना बंद कर दिया।


Scunthorpe toxic algae pond death 'not suspicious'

Summary: The death of a man whose body was found in a pond with a toxic algae outbreak is "not being treated as suspicious", police say.

Maciej Dymowski, 23, was found in the water at Ashby Ville in Scunthorpe on Monday. Last week, visitors were warned by North Lincolnshire Council of the dangers of swimming in the pond because of the blue green algae outbreak. Humberside Police said it had prepared a file for the coroner.

पुलिस का कहना है कि एक व्यक्ति की मौत, जिसका शव एक तालाब में जहरीले शैवाल के प्रकोप के साथ पाया गया था, को "संदिग्ध नहीं माना जा रहा है"।


Iranian hardliners threaten taxi app boycott in hijab row

Summary: Iranian social media users are threatening to boycott their country's popular taxi app Snapp after the company apologised to a woman who had been ordered out of one of their driver's cars for failing to wear the compulsory Islamic headscarf, or hijab.

By BBC Newsand BBC Monitoring The passenger posted a picture on Twitter of the driver who ordered her out of his cab. "This is the driver who dropped me off his car in the middle of a motorway [in the capital Tehran]," she wrote on 6 June. Snapp later apologised and promised to reprimand the driver, according to the woman. Conservatives responded angrily to Snapp's decision, criticising the company for submitting to people who disrespect "Islamic values". A Persian-language hashtag which translates as "boycott Snapp" has been used more than 66,000 times since Saturday. "If news that Snapp has apologised to the girl with derogatory behaviour and reprimanded Saeed Abed [the driver] is true," one user tweeted, "in addition to boycotting Snapp, the company manager who has actually encouraged indecency by his apology and reprimanded the driver, should be prosecuted based on... the Islamic Penal Code." Following the Islamic revolution in 1979, the Iranian authorities imposed a mandatory dress code requiring all women to wear the hijab. In an interview with Iranian state television channel IRTV3, Mr Abed said he could be fined if police identified female passengers not wearing hijabs in his car and that his actions were his "religious duty". The woman had "defied" him by reporting him to Snapp, he told the broadcaster. According to hardline website Jahannews, the Aerospace commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps, Brig-Gen Amir Ali Hajizadeh, met the Snapp driver and personally thanked him. In a statement on Saturday, Snapp said it had apologised to the driver. "We apologised to the driver whose particulars were published," the statement read. "He will continue to work at Snapp satisfactorily. "Moreover, customer-respect policy required us to empathise with the passenger because her journey was incomplete, as well as notifying her of Snapp's terms and conditions." You might also be interested in: On Monday, the woman deleted her earlier tweets and apologised. "I hereby apologise to the Snapp driver, Snapp company and all those who were hurt because of the recent story," she tweeted. "I declare I am bound to comply with my country's laws." Peaceful protests against the hijab law on the streets and on social media have sparked a crackdown by the authorities. Since January 2018, they have arrested at least 48 women's rights defenders, including four men, according to Amnesty International. The campaign group says some have been tortured and sentenced to prison terms or flogging after grossly unfair trials. Women who participate in public demonstrations against the hijab could face up to 10 years in prison, the police have warned.

ईरानी सोशल मीडिया उपयोगकर्ता अपने देश के लोकप्रिय टैक्सी ऐप स्नैप का बहिष्कार करने की धमकी दे रहे हैं, जब कंपनी ने एक महिला से माफी मांगी, जिसे अनिवार्य इस्लामी हिजाब या हिजाब पहनने में विफल रहने के लिए उनके एक चालक की कार से बाहर करने का आदेश दिया गया था।


Coleg Cambria in bid for Groves school site in Wrexham

Summary: A landmark school building in Wrexham could be transformed into a new college campus after standing empty for over a decade.

Coleg Cambria has revealed plans for the former Groves High School site near its main town centre campus. Wrexham council has been trying to find new uses for the site which closed in 2003 following a shake-up of secondary school education in the town centre. The college said the plans will allow it to develop its curriculum. The plans are due to go on show at the college's Rendezvous Restaurant.

रेक्सहैम में एक ऐतिहासिक स्कूल की इमारत को एक दशक से अधिक समय तक खाली रहने के बाद एक नए कॉलेज परिसर में बदला जा सकता है।


Coronavirus: The tide was not turned - now what?

Summary: Nearly 10 million people's lives are under limits again.

Laura KuenssbergPolitical editor@bbclaurakon Twitter The number of coronavirus cases is rising fast. Concerned members of the public are stuck in frustrated queues for coronavirus tests in some parts of the country. The tide was not turned. Life is not back to normal. And even some Conservative MPs are asking, what on earth is going on? There is a realisation at the top of the government that mistakes were made at the start of the pandemic. Back then though, even with the prime minister on his sick bed, the political and public confidence in the government was high, and opinion polls - that elusive currency - suggested trust appeared to have made a comeback. 'Predictable problems' But as the leaves turn, and the country seems on the first rung of a second surge, the political season has shifted too. One senior former minister fumed that Number 10 keeps "crashing into predictable problems," storing up discontent over the exams algorithm, or the squeeze on testing. Another Conservative grandee said that people are simply "fed up" of life with Covid-19 and ministers' ever changing advice - calling instead for the government to pursue a clearer path based on common sense. There is a burgeoning sense around Westminster, as the patchwork of local restrictions builds, that a nationwide tightening, even if temporary, may not be that far off, despite the prime minister's protestations that he will do everything to avoid it happening. But whatever happens, Boris Johnson simply cannot be sure that the public, or indeed his own party, would be willing to acquiesce next time. Frustrated with No 10 Downing Street has tried to streamline government and the way the pandemic is being handled to take a firmer grip - one senior figure told me problems are now meant to be solved "in the room". Yet many Conservative MPs, advisers, and some ministers, are frustrated with what they see as aggression from a tiny group that makes the decisions in Number 10. Ruthless and effective is one thing. Brutal and incompetent quite another. With concerns about testing, the number of cases, schools, and the economy, it is far from clear right now which phrase best describes what is going on. These are, however, times that no one expected. One minister told me: "Covid has changed the rules of politics, because no one can be sure of the right thing to do."

लगभग 1 करोड़ लोगों का जीवन फिर से सीमित हो गया है।


Windfarm developers 'welcome' Manx community to meeting

Summary: Developers are "looking forward" to hearing from the Manx community about proposals to extend an offshore windfarm near the Cumbrian coast.

A public event outlining the plans takes place in Douglas later. The 102-turbine farm, off Walney Island, was developed by Danish company Dong Energy and is thought to be one of the largest in the world. A company spokesman said: "The team are looking forward to welcoming the local community and hearing their views." It currently consists of more than 100 turbines and is situated 9.3 miles (15km) west of Barrow-in-Furness. The Manx government is currently in talks with both developers and UK regulators about the potential impact of the plans. Dong Energy will be hosting the public consultation at the Villa Marina on 5 September, between 1300 and 1900 BST.

डेवलपर्स कुम्ब्रियन तट के पास एक अपतटीय पवन फार्म का विस्तार करने के प्रस्तावों के बारे में मैनक्स समुदाय से सुनने के लिए "उत्सुक" हैं।


Lady Gaga: New album 'finished'

Summary: Lady Gaga has said that her forthcoming second album is "finished".

Speaking in an interview with Rolling Stone magazine she said the follow-up to her debut, 2009's The Fame, is already complete. The Poker Face singer said: "I've been working on it for months now, and I feel very strongly that it's finished right now. It came so quickly. "Some artists take years; I don't. I write music every day." A release date and title for the album have yet to be confirmed. The 24-year-old New Yorker released The Fame in January 2009 - it has now spent a total of 75 weeks in the UK charts. She released a re-packaged version of the album with eight new tracks, The Fame Monster, later in the year. Gaga is currently on tour throughout north America. She returns to continue her Monster Ball tour in Europe in October 2010.

लेडी गागा ने कहा है कि उनका आगामी दूसरा एल्बम "समाप्त" हो गया है।


Teenagers arrested over attempted murder in Glasgow

Summary: Two teenagers have been arrested in connection with the attempted murder of a 15-year-old boy in Glasgow.

Police were called to an incident on Boydstone Road, near Thornliebank train station, at 23:10 on Friday. The 15-year-old boy was found injured at the scene. Two other boys, aged 15 and 16, have been charged and are due to appear at Glasgow Sheriff Court on Monday.

ग्लासगो में एक 15 वर्षीय लड़के की हत्या के प्रयास के मामले में दो किशोरों को गिरफ्तार किया गया है।


St Clears' town police station set to close

Summary: A Carmarthenshire town's police station is to close, the Dyfed-Powys police and crime commissioner has confirmed.

Christopher Salmon said he hoped the St Clears building would be sold, as operations are moved six miles (10km) away to a re-opened station at Whitland. Mr Salmon insisted that policing levels in St Clears would remain the same. Some residents have criticised the move, saying it will open up the town to more crime.

डैफेड-पॉव्स पुलिस और अपराध आयुक्त ने पुष्टि की है कि कार्मार्थेनशायर शहर का एक पुलिस स्टेशन बंद होने वाला है।


Derbyshire villagers keep 19th Century Christmas tradition alive

Summary: Performing in masks, careering around pubs and homes with a horse's head and demanding a drink from the hosts. This Christmas tradition, dating back to at least the 19th Century, is still going strong in at least one part of the UK.

A group from a Derbyshire village has been keeping alive the tradition of guising, known as mumming in other places, by dressing up as characters including knights, an old woman and a horse based on a photograph from 1870. "People say things like, 'Christmas does not start until we see the guisers'," said organiser and Winster Guisers performer Allan Stone. With no rehearsals ahead of the show, the group of 11 entertain punters at pubs, houses and hotels across the White Peak villages in a number of shows during two weekends over Christmas. After their 10-minute performance, the group collects money for charity before moving on. Mr Stone, 63, has performed in every single show since the group reformed in 1979. The custom originally died out after the world wars. He said: "It is the continuation of the tradition, which we think is very important. "It is always very enjoyable too." Three other members of the group have been involved since 1979 but Mr Stone, who plays the quack doctor, is the only one to have performed in every show. "Three or four have been involved for 40 years, the majority for 25 years and one for about 10 years," he said. "It is like when you're in, you're in. It's your role for life." The story The "enterer-in" sets the stage for a conflict between St George, who is dressed in red and riding a hobby horse, and the Black Prince of Paradise. St George is victorious and the King of Egypt berates him for killing his son. An old woman then calls for a doctor and the quack doctor cures the prince by giving him a pint of beer from an audience member. The play diverts from this narrative and we meet characters Beelzebub and Little Johnny Jack. It then ends with a horse, which is a real horse's skull operated by a hidden guiser, careering around the room while a groom tells the animal's life story. Mr Stone said originally the guisers would dig up a dead horse and use its head in the performance. Now, they use a painted horse's skull, which they have had for years. Finally, they sing We Wish You a Merry Christmas and demand a drink by singing "we want a jug of ale" as the second line. Mr Stone said the earliest record they had of guisers in Winster was in the diaries of Llewellyn Jewitt, an antiquarian who lived in Winster Hall for five years from the late 1860s. He added: "The tradition was people would go around big houses begging a small performance for a drink, food and perhaps some money. "This was not just confined to Winster. It was a common thing back in that era." The revival was initiated by a local man called Dave Bathe, who interviewed people old enough to remember the Winster Guisers and looked at written records, which he used to write the script. After Mr Bathe died in 1993, Mr Stone become the organiser. "We all feel proud we are keeping this alive," he said. Follow BBC East Midlands on Facebook, on Twitter, or on Instagram. Send your story ideas to eastmidsnews@bbc.co.uk.

मास्क में प्रदर्शन करना, पब और घरों में घोड़े के सिर के साथ घूमना और मेजबानों से पेय की मांग करना। यह क्रिसमस परंपरा, जो कम से कम 19वीं शताब्दी की है, अभी भी ब्रिटेन के कम से कम एक हिस्से में मजबूत हो रही है।


Rio base: Big mistake for England?

Summary: For what it's worth, I think the England football team may have made a pretty big mistake by choosing Rio de Janeiro as their World Cup base - more specifically the particular part of Rio where they're hoping to spend most of the next month.

Wyre DaviesRio de Janeiro correspondent Initially, you can see the sense behind the choice of what some locals here know as the "cidade maravilhosa" - the "marvellous city". Not wanting to be isolated in a plush resort, away from fans and "civilization", the England management listened to players' concerns about boredom and sought out a city centre location. It was a policy that, after all, suited the England team well in the 2012 European Championships when they chose the Polish city of Krakow as their base. But Rio is different. 'Luxury' hotel When in the city briefly last year for a friendly fixture against Brazil, England stayed in a hotel right on Copacabana beach, in the heart of the hotel zone, close to the big tourist attractions and the temptations of Rio's famous night life. But for the World Cup, that stretch of beach on Copacabana is exactly where Fifa's fan fest is belatedly being built - a huge cavernous beer tent and big screen where hundreds of thousands of football fans, without tickets for the stadiums, will watch the matches. You can see why England officials wanted to move away. But move away they have, to a beach area well to the south of the city, known as Sao Conrado. From a distance, it looks pleasant enough, and there are the facilities of the upmarket Gavea Golf Club to which the players will, presumably, have access. Apart from that, Sao Conrado has very little going for it. England's chosen hotel, the Royal Tulip, is nice enough and has been spruced up ahead of the team's arrival. Its billing as a "luxury" hotel is pushing things a bit. The rooms are pleasant but the decor and furnishings are rough around the edges and multi-million pound footballers will be used to a much classier standard of accommodation. Upsurge in violence The biggest problem is that, golf apart, there is absolutely nothing to do or see in the vicinity of the team hotel. The beach immediately in front is, arguably, the most polluted in the whole of Rio. It's not so much the rubbish that gets washed up on the sandy shore as the tonnes of untreated sewage that pour into the sea from the nearby Rocinha favela or shanty town. Rocinha is Rio's biggest favela and, like some of the city's other "pacified" shanty towns, has become something of a tourist attraction in recent years. Spread out along the hillside above Sao Conrado, Rocinha will be an unmissable sight as the England players relax on their bedroom balconies. But, apart from the odd choreographed goodwill visit, English players are very unlikely to be venturing into the favela. In recent weeks Rocinha - and several other favelas in Rio - have seen a worrying upsurge in violence between the resurgent drugs gangs and armed police. There has been clearly audible gunfire from inside the community and people have been killed, either deliberately or in the crossfire. Recently interviewed by the BBC, the police commander in Rocinha said that despite the troubles the England players had no need to worry because "what happens in Rocinha stays in Rocinha". Different reality If, as they wake up in the morning, England players stand on their balconies and their gaze wanders from the hillside to the street, they'll perhaps be mesmerised by the endless river of traffic that flows each morning in the direction of the city centre. Like many other big cities, Rio has a chronic traffic problem. Public transport is completely inadequate and there is a heavy reliance on cars. Commuters from Sao Conrado and Barra even further to the south can spend hours in the morning crawl to their jobs in central Rio. That's in the same direction as England's daily training camp. One assumes the team bus will be leaving each day after rush hour is over and returning before it begins. They'll also have a noisy, over-the-top police escort but the journey to the camp in the Rio suburb of Urca is unlikely to be traffic free. Once in Urca, though, team England will have few complaints. Underneath the imposing Sugar Loaf mountain, it is one of Rio's most attractive areas. They'll be training on a secure military base, away from the prying eyes of the public and press - something the England team management has always seen as a priority. The FA has paid great attention to detail to help upgrade facilities at the base, which also serves as an army physical training centre in Rio. The football pitch has been re-laid, gym facilities upgraded and there's even a (cleaner) private beach on which to unwind and to up the tans of those sun-starved English bodies. The training camp aside, England have been lured by Rio's beguiling reputation - but the reality will be rather different. Petty crime is rising alarmingly, so watches, expensive jewellery and designer clothing will have to be left behind in the hotel. If wives and girlfriends come along, Rio has surprisingly few high-end shopping attractions (compared, say, with the much more modern metropolis of Sao Paulo) and all the beaches are public. There is always the military base where the players are training, but that might be a distraction too far. How long team England stays in Rio depends entirely on how they fare in their group - and remember those group games will take them away from the delights of Sao Conrado from time to time. Other teams have chosen much more suitable and diverse places to be based from Iguacu to Salvador to Belo Horizonte. It would have been great had the England made the most of this huge country and realised there is so much more to it than Rio.

इसके लायक क्या है, मुझे लगता है कि इंग्लैंड की फुटबॉल टीम ने रियो डी जनेरियो को अपने विश्व कप आधार के रूप में चुनकर एक बहुत बड़ी गलती की होगी-विशेष रूप से रियो का विशेष हिस्सा जहां वे अगले महीने का अधिकांश समय बिताने की उम्मीद कर रहे हैं।


Southwark police car crash: Man charged after four officers injured

Summary: A man has been charged with causing serious injury by dangerous driving after four police officers were injured in a crash in south London.

They were hurt when a police vehicle and another car crashed in Draycott Close, Southwark, on Tuesday. The female driver of the police car remains in hospital, while three male officers have since been discharged. Haydon Martin, 25, of Fenwick Road, Southwark, is due to appear at Croydon Magistrates' Court later.

दक्षिण लंदन में एक दुर्घटना में चार पुलिस अधिकारियों के घायल होने के बाद एक व्यक्ति पर खतरनाक ड्राइविंग से गंभीर चोट पहुँचाने का आरोप लगाया गया है।


Dublin house prices rise 15% over the year

Summary: House prices in Dublin are now 15% higher than they were a year ago, according to the latest official figures.

The Residential Property Price Index showed prices in the city rose by 2.3% between September and October. Outside the city, the housing market is much flatter. House prices in the rest of the Republic of Ireland rose by 1.5% between September and October and are still 0.3% lower than a year ago. Earlier this week the Irish broadcaster, RTÉ, reported that a senior EU official had said the rapid rise in prices in Dublin over the past year was "not overly concerning". The official reportedly said that house prices need to recover from the property crash.

नवीनतम आधिकारिक आंकड़ों के अनुसार, डबलिन में घरों की कीमतें एक साल पहले की तुलना में अब 15 प्रतिशत अधिक हैं।


A holiday camp for India's captive elephants

Summary: Once a year, some of India's captive elephants are whisked off to a "rejuvenation camp", where they are pampered and cared for by their caretakers. Omkar Khandekar visited one such retreat in the southern state of Tamil Nadu.

After seven years of being a local celebrity, Akila the elephant knows how to pose for a selfie. She looks at the camera, raises her trunk and holds still when the flash goes off. It can get tiring, especially when there are hundreds of requests every day. Despite this, Akila, performs her daily duties diligently at the Jambukeswarar temple. These include blessing devotees, fetching water for rituals in which idols of the deity are bathed, and leading temple processions around the city, decked up in ceremonial finery. And, of course, the selfies. But every December, she gets to take a break. "When the truck rolls in, I don't even have to ask her to hop in," Akila's caretaker B Arjun said. "Soon, she will be with her friends." India is home to some 27,000 wild elephants. A further 2,500 elephants are held in captivity across the states of Assam, Kerala, Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu. The country is widely believed to be the "birthplace of taming elephants for use by humans". Elephants here have been held in captive by Indians for millennia. But 17 years ago, after protests by animal rights activists over instances of handlers abusing and starving captive elephants, the government stepped in to give the animals a bit of respite. As a result, Akila and numerous other elephants held in temples around India are now brought to a "rejuvenation camp" each year, their caretakers in tow. For several weeks, the animals unwind in a sprawling six-acre clearing in a forest at the foothills of Nilgiris, part of the country's Western Ghats. The camps were described as an animal welfare initiative and have become a popular annual event for the state's temple elephants. The one Akila and 27 other elephants are attending currently opened on 15 December last year, and will go on until 31 January, costing about $200,000 (£153,960) to run. Supporters argue it is money well spent. A break from the city for these elephants is therapeutic, explains S Selvaraj, a forest officer in the area. "Wild elephants live in herds of up to 35 members but there's only one elephant in a temple," he says. "For 48 days here, they get to be around their own kind and have a normal life." Akila, who is 16 years old, has been a regular at the camp since 2012, the year she was sold to the temple. Arjun, who has accompanied her every year, is a fourth-generation elephant caretaker. At the camp, he bathes Akila twice a day, feeds her a special mix of grains, fruits and vegetables mixed with vitamin supplements and takes her for a walk around the grounds. A team of vets are on hand to monitor the health of the camp's large guests, while at the same time tutoring their handlers in subjects like elephant diet and exercise regimes. Akila has even forged a friendship with Andal, an older elephant from another temple in the state, said Arjun. But despite the shady trees and quiet, the getaway is a far cry from an elephant's "normal life". The walled campus has eight watchtowers and a 1.5km (0.93 miles) electric fence around its perimeter. While the elephants appear well cared for, they spend most of their time in chains and are kept under the close eye of their caretakers. And one six-week rejuvenation camp a year does little to assuage the stress of temple elephants' everyday lives, activists say. "Elephants belong in jungles, not temples. A six-week 'rejuvenation camp' is like being let out on parole while being sentenced for life imprisonment," argues Sunish Subramanian, of the Plant and Animals Welfare Society in the western city of Mumbai. "Even at these camps, the animals are kept in chains and often in unhygienic conditions," he adds. "If you must continue with the tradition, temple elephants should be kept in the camps for most of the year - in much better conditions - and taken to the temples only during festivals." Even among the company of their own, the elephants - like Andal and Akila - aren't allowed to get too close. "I have to make sure the two keep their distance - otherwise, it'll be difficult to separate them when we go back," Arjun explains. It is not just the animal rights activists who have concerns, however. The camp has become a tourist spot in recent years, attracting a steady stream of visitors from neighbouring villages. Most watch, wide-eyed, from the barricades. But not everyone outside the camp is happy. In 2018, a farmers' union representing 23 villages nearby, petitioned a court to relocate the camp elsewhere. The petition claimed that the scent of the animals - all female, as is the norm among temple elephants - attracted male elephants from the wild. This has caused them to go on the rampage, often destroying crops that farmers depend on for their livelihood. The union says 16 people have died in such incidents. But the court rejected the petition. Instead, it asked why there were human settlements in what was identified as an elephant corridor. It also criticised the state government's tokenism of rejuvenation camps. "Some day," it said, "this court is going to ban the practice of keeping elephants in temples." But Arjun can't bear the thought of parting with Akila. "I love her like my mother," he says. "She feeds my family, just like my mother used to. Without her, I don't know what to do." But he also understands that his elephant can get lonely. "And that's why I work twice as hard to make sure she doesn't." You may also be interested in: All photographs by Omkar Khandekar

साल में एक बार, भारत के कुछ बंदी हाथियों को "कायाकल्प शिविर" में ले जाया जाता है, जहाँ उनकी देखभाल करने वाले उन्हें लाड़-प्यार करते हैं और उनकी देखभाल करते हैं। ओंकार खांडेकर ने दक्षिणी राज्य तमिलनाडु में ऐसे ही एक आश्रय स्थल का दौरा किया।


Latvia hopes euro will bring stability

Summary: On the road from St Petersburg to Valmiera in northern Latvia, an ornate tower is all that remains of the tsarist-era manor house Valmiermuiza. Traditional Latvian beer was once brewed here for thirsty Russian aristocrats on their way to Western Europe.

By Damien McGuinnessBBC News, Latvia Now, as the eurozone prepares to take in Latvia on 1 January, it looks like Western Europe is heading this way instead. Today the manor is a romantic ruin. But in the grounds beer is being made here once again. The owner of Valmiermuiza brewery, Aigars Rungis, says the euro will give his business an extra boost. The malt, hops and specialist brewing equipment all come from Germany, so at the moment buying ingredients also means having to buy euros - and paying hefty bank charges. Once Latvia has the euro, the cost of currency exchanges will vanish. Aigars sees the single currency as the final step in Latvia's integration into Europe, away from domination by the former colonial master Russia, which occupied Latvia for much of the 20th Century. "I think being part of the euro will help us to feel more safe economically, less that we can be influenced by outside, by Russia," he says. Stability But the real argument for business owners is an economic one. "Over the last five years there is a lot of discussion: will Latvia devalue or not devalue?" says Aigars, "When we have the euro, I can be sure that the currency will not devalue, then I could really speak with banks and plan my business. And in general business will feel more stable in Latvia." According to polls, the majority of businesses in Latvia tend to agree with Aigars. They believe borrowing costs will go down and foreign investment will go up. When the European Commission announced in June that Latvia had met all the economic targets to switch to the euro, it was seen as an endorsement of Latvia's economic health. Rating agencies raised the country's credit rating by one notch. Latvia's government now predicts that once the country adopts the euro in 2014 its rating should go up still further, to an "A" category. This increased confidence should mean Latvia will be able to borrow more cheaply on international markets. And businesses hope this will bring down the high interest rates charged by banks for business loans. Inflation worries But not everyone is as enthusiastic about the euro as business owners. According to a survey of 1,000 people by pollster SKDS, 58% of Latvians oppose the currency switch, with just 20% in favour. Take the Latvian border town of Valka, for instance. Half of this town is in Estonia, which adopted the euro three years ago - so people here go in and out of the eurozone everyday, often shopping in the Latvian part where many goods are cheaper. Chatting to Latvians as they cross the invisible border, it is impossible to find anyone who is positive about the euro. "Prices shot up in Estonia when they got the euro. And it's already happening here in Latvia. There's a shop I go to once a week, and every time I go prices are little bit more expensive," says one elderly woman. "While we have our own currency, we are independent. But when we lose that, we'll lose our autonomy," says a middle-aged woman. 'Not a currency crisis' But the Latvian government says the situation was similar in Estonia before it adopted the euro, and that now the single currency there has widespread support. The driving force behind Latvia's desire to join the eurozone was Valdis Dombrovskis. Taking over as prime minister at the height of the crisis in 2009, he stood up against international pressure to devalue Latvia's currency, in order to stay on schedule with euro adoption in 2014. Instead he kept the peg with the single currency, which meant having to pursue a painful and controversial policy of severe cuts in wages and benefits, and turned around Latvia's economy, which is now the fastest growing economy in the European Union. Mr Dombrovskis astounded critics by not only surviving politically, but even being re-elected - twice. Earlier this year, I asked him why, despite the ongoing crises in the eurozone, Latvia's government still wanted to join. "This crisis is not a currency crisis. If you look at the euro as a currency it's doing just fine," he said. "What we are really seeing is a financial and economic crisis in certain eurozone countries. But we also see that this problem is being addressed through strengthened fiscal discipline and stricter economic governance." Last currency? But an unexpected tragedy will prevent Mr Dombrovksis from celebrating what was expected to be the crowning achievement of his premiership. In November the roof of a supermarket in Riga collapsed, killing at least 54 people. The nation is still reeling from the shock. A week later, Mr Dombrovskis resigned, accepting political responsibility for the tragedy. The move was unexpected but was seen as an unusually principled act. The prime minister's resignation also meant that the government was dismissed. So Latvia's parliament now has to form a new governing coalition. Analysts say that although losing a prime minister as credible at home and abroad as Mr Dombrovskis is a blow, a loss of investor confidence in Latvia's economic health is unlikely: the euro is seen by international investors as an anchor for the country's future economic policy. And the new government will look very similar to the outgoing one, says Latvia's Finance Minister Andris Vilks. "No-one is going to change, because society and business want to see stability and predictability of conditions. No one is going to change that." And when it comes to currency reform, Latvians have certainly had enough of change. Throughout a turbulent 20th Century of foreign occupation Latvia experienced six different currencies: from Hitler's reichsmark to Stalin's rouble. The euro will be the seventh. Yearning for stability and predictability, most Latvians hope this currency will also be the last.

उत्तरी लातविया में सेंट पीटर्सबर्ग से वाल्मीएरा तक की सड़क पर, एक अलंकृत मीनार वह सब है जो ज़ारिस्ट-युग के जागीर घर वाल्मीयरमुइज़ा का बचा हुआ है। पारंपरिक लातवियाई बीयर कभी पश्चिमी यूरोप के रास्ते में प्यासे रूसी अभिजात वर्ग के लिए यहाँ बनाई जाती थी।


Spring in Tashkent: Is Uzbekistan really opening up?

Summary: Uzbekistan is a country that has long been in the shadows, but this week the once repressive and secretive Central Asian state invited the media in for an international summit on the peace process in Afghanistan. It was a chance for BBC Uzbek's Ibrat Safo to return home for the first time in more than 10 years.

Spring always comes suddenly in Tashkent. One day it's cold and grey; the next, the city's almond and apricot trees burst into blossom. This year the streets are also festooned with fairy lights to celebrate Navruz, the tradition spring festival. Even in the pouring rain there's a new sense of hope and anticipation in the air. After the death President Islam Karimov in 2016, Uzbekistan has started to open up. And this week's Afghan peace conference, with delegates and journalists flying in from all over the world, was the highest-profile indication yet of a new willingness to re-engage with the world. Returning home For me it was a chance to return home to work for the first time since the BBC had to leave Uzbekistan in the aftermath of the unrest and violence in the town of Andijan in 2005. And I wasn't the only one. As I walked into the grand white marble conference media centre I met many familiar faces from the old Tashkent press corps, also returning for the first time in many years. The peace conference was headline news on all the local TV news programmes and everyone seemed to know about it. "You here for the Afghan summit?" a taxi driver surprised me by asking on the first day. Like many people here, he saw the conference as yet another sign that the new President Shavkat Mirziyoyev is trying do things differently. A peace summit makes sense for people here because neighbouring Afghanistan is not just a security nightmare right on their doorstep, it's also a potentially huge market for Uzbek goods and services. In this country of 31 million people where the economy has been stagnating for decades, everyone is hoping for some better news. "I work in a factory assembling washing machines," my taxi driver told me. "Our products are more expensive now because Mirziyoyev slapped tariffs on Chinese spare parts." "So that's bad for you, then? I asked. "Oh no," he replied. "We need to start making our own spare parts. I think the president is totally doing the right thing." It was first of many similar conversations, in the brief few days I was reporting in Tashkent, which gave me a sense that things really are beginning to change. A more open media Chatting to local reporters as we waited for the latest news from the conference floor, I heard many stories about the way the media is opening up. State television news, once famous for ignoring 9/11 and headlining bulletins with stories about cement factories, has suddenly become lively and interesting. Journalists are competitive, covering real stories that matter to ordinary people - life in a village with no electricity, a teacher killed sweeping the roads for the local council. Of course there are still limits to this new freedom. One reporter told me she was made to take down an online article after she criticised a monopoly business owned by a local official. And while people are keen to praise the new president, there's still a reluctance to say anything too critical about his predecessor, whose rule over more than two decades was marred by allegations of corruption and human rights abuses. In a brief break between sessions, I went to visit a relative in hospital. On the wall there were framed portraits of both the old and new presidents. "They're still not ready to put that one in the bin," one patient muttered darkly, gesturing at Mr Karimov. At the peace conference, the new and more open Uzbekistan was very much in evidence. The presidents of both Uzbekistan and Afghanistan attended the session, as did the EU's foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini, and senior officials from the United Nations and the 23 countries taking part, including the US and the UK. Sodyk Safoyev, a former foreign minister and now deputy head of the Uzbek Senate, told the BBC the conference was happening because of what he called Uzbekistan's "renewed foreign policy" over the past year and a half. "A completely new political atmosphere has been created in Central Asia," he said. "There's mutual trust, and mutual readiness to resolve the most sensitive issues in the region." No-one was expecting the peace conference to deliver any breakthroughs. But that was never the point. This was a chance for Uzbekistan to reclaim its place on the international stage and to show solidarity for a peace process that matters not just for Afghanistan, but for all of Central Asia. It ended with a declaration supporting efforts to bring the Taliban to the negotiating table, and underlining that Afghans must lead the peace process themselves. As the Afghan President Ashraf Ghani's convoy swept through the streets on his way back to the airport, like me he will have seen the wide avenues, shiny shopping centres and grand apartment buildings of a new and very different Tashkent. Spring has come to Uzbekistan, and I left hoping the new beginnings in my country might one day be echoed in a new day for peace in Afghanistan.

उज्बेकिस्तान एक ऐसा देश है जो लंबे समय से छाया में रहा है, लेकिन इस सप्ताह कभी दमनकारी और गुप्त मध्य एशियाई राज्य ने मीडिया को अफगानिस्तान में शांति प्रक्रिया पर एक अंतरराष्ट्रीय शिखर सम्मेलन के लिए आमंत्रित किया। यह बीबीसी उज़्बेक के इब्राहिम सफो के लिए 10 से अधिक वर्षों में पहली बार घर लौटने का मौका था।


London Tubes: Unexpected locations of underground trains

Summary: London's underground Tube trains are one of the capital's best-known symbols. And yet, the flash-by streaks of red, white and blue can be found in unexpected places up and down England. BBC News Online finds why Tubes are in such high demand.

By Jenny ScottBBC News Online From its iconic map to its crisp passenger announcements such as "mind the gap", the Tube train is indelibly associated with London. So, to find one rushing past grazing sheep and wooded hillsides in the heart of rural Leicestershire comes as something of a surprise. Especially because they are on the route of the old Midland Railway link between Nottingham and Kettering, which closed in the 1960s. But, a 2.8 mile (4.5 km) stretch of the line, near the village of Old Dalby, is now used as a test track for Network Rail, which leases it to London Underground. "We test the trains at Old Dalby because the Tube network is used 20 hours a day for passenger service, so we need to be able to test trains off site so that we're not disrupting passenger services," said a London Underground spokesman. The new S - or sub-surface - stock Tubes, which are manufactured by Bombardier, in Derby, undergo a minimum of 500km (310 miles) of testing before being delivered to the transport network. "The new trains will... serve the Metropolitan, Circle and Hammersmith & City lines and are being rolled out on the District," added Transport for London. In which other unusual locations can Tubes be found? On top of a building London itself can hardly be described as an unexpected place to spot a Tube. But four carriages sitting on top of a 10m (33ft) high Victorian warehouse is not something you come across every day. The venue, in Great Eastern Street, Shoreditch, is run as a not-for-profit "cultural space" by Village Underground, an arts centre. "We basically run a venue which is located under the trains," said office manager Amelie Snyers. "We rent out the trains to various people - start ups, designers, freelancers etc." She said the venue's founder, Auro Foxcroft, came up with the idea of using the trains because he wanted to build "something as sustainable and eco-friendly as possible which is why he ended up upcycling old Tube carriages." On an island If you are used to dashing down a lengthy escalator to catch the next train to Marble Arch, you might be a little surprised to find London Tubes skimming around the more leisurely environs of the Isle of Wight. But holidaymakers are accustomed to catching the re-commissioned rail links from the pier at Ryde to the seaside resort of Shanklin. Andy Naylor, head of Island Line's customer experience, said 10 former Northern Line cars, dating from 1938, were bought after flooding in a tunnel meant the track-bed had to be raised. "The Tube cars were the only stock that would fit through the tunnel," he said. Today, Mr Naylor says the Tubes are the oldest non-heritage stock in Britain still in regular service. The carriages have been fitted with a standard wheel set, to enable them to operate away from the Underground network, but are painted in their original livery. "They are one of those quirky things people come to the island to see," Mr Naylor said. "But people also use them every day to get to work and school. About one million people a year travel on the service." The Isle of Wight link is not the only offshore network to employ ex-Tube stock. Former Tube trains can also be found on the channel island of Alderney. There, volunteers have restored a former quarry line to make a pleasure railway for tourists. "I think the Isle of Wight went for them because they were fairly easy to get across there, whereas we went for them because they are practical for us," said Tony Le Blanc, chairman of the Alderney Railway Society. "The Tubes are light and only need small platforms. We have a 1949 diesel locomotive called Elizabeth and she chugs up and down, pulling the cars behind her. "People are very much surprised to see them. They think it's really quirky. They can travel from the middle of the island down to the sea to explore the lighthouse. "We get a lot of French visitors and I tell them the Northern line doesn't end at Morden - it actually ends in Alderney. You get a few of them who believe me." As a film-set Tube trains make popular film sets. As Lindsay Collier, who founded the Walthamstow Pumphouse Museum says: "It's very difficult to film in an Underground car on the Tube, so we get film-makers in all the time. "They come because it's quite reasonably priced and it's safe - you're not anywhere near live rails. The film-makers put up blue screens outside the windows so it appears as if the car is moving." The museum has a decommissioned 1968 model Victoria Line Underground railway carriage and Mr Collier hopes to build a replica Tube platform for it next year. The car also doubles as a part-time restaurant, being used by an organisation called Underground Basement Galley for a monthly supper club. Alex Cooper, managing director of the company, said people like eating and socialising in the Tube because it seems opposed to normal Tube etiquette. "Normally when you go on a Tube, eating is frowned upon and people don't really talk to each other," he said. "At our supper club, we encourage complete strangers to sit next to each other and engage with each other. As a result, we've had people start business deals and one couple even got married after meeting that way." The Vintage Carriages Trust, based at Ingrow, near Keighley, also has two Metropolitan line carriages from 1919 and 1924 that are frequently used in films and TV shows, including the Woman in Black and the BBC's North and South. "Our carriages aren't necessarily what may spring to mind for many people when they think of Tube trains," said Jackie Cope, the trust's treasurer. "The carriages are wooden and date from the days when the Underground was steam-hauled." On a farm There are three Tube carriages in the middle of a farm in rural Essex - but this is the home of the Mangapps Railway Museum. Managing partner John Jolly and his team look after the coaches, two from 1959 Northern stock and one a 1938 District line car. The coaches, currently non-operational, form part of an exhibition at the museum about London Tubes. "There aren't many places you can see old London underground trains," said Mr Jolly. "Railway preservation is usually centred around steam railways. "I think there are two main reasons why they are so popular. The first is that so many people have travelled on the Tube. It was the first and, for a long time, the largest urban rail transport network in the world. "The second is that it's one of those icons - like the London bus - that people associate with London."

लंदन की भूमिगत ट्यूब ट्रेनें राजधानी के सबसे प्रसिद्ध प्रतीकों में से एक हैं। और फिर भी, लाल, सफेद और नीले रंग की फ़्लैश-बाय धारियाँ इंग्लैंड के ऊपर और नीचे अप्रत्याशित स्थानों पर पाई जा सकती हैं। बीबीसी न्यूज़ ऑनलाइन को पता चलता है कि ट्यूबों की इतनी अधिक मांग क्यों है।