How Black Lives Matter was blamed for killing of US police officers

Summary: Conservative American politicians and television pundits have increased their attacks on the Black Lives Matter movement. In the aftermath of the killing of police officers, the movement's name has been mentioned as a contributing factor. A look at the Black Lives Matter backlash.

By Jessica LussenhopBBC News Magazine "They're a hate group. And I'll tell you right now, I'm going to put them out of business." That's what Fox News TV host Bill O'Reilly said after showing a clip of protesters in St Paul, Minnesota, holding a Black Lives Matter banner and chanting, "Pigs in a blanket, fry 'em like bacon." O'Reilly said the chant meant "dead police officers". The protest happened the day after Harris County Deputy Darren Goforth was shot to death by a black male suspect in Houston, Texas. In a news conference after the killing, Sheriff Ron Hickman told reporters, "We've heard 'black lives matter.' All lives matter. Well, cops' lives matter, too." Several pundits ran with Hickman's sentiment linking the movement to violence against police, and Republican party politicians like Ted Cruz said protest movements in Baltimore and Ferguson were vilifying law enforcement and "endangering the safety and security of us all". "Their agenda is it's OK to go ahead and kill cops," said Fox's Kimberly Guilfoyle. In an official statement from the Black Lives Matter Movement, the group denounced these conclusions. "We're targeting the brutal system of policing, not individual police," the statement reads. "We seek a world in which ALL Black lives matter, and racial hierarchy no longer organises our lives or yours. This is a vision of love. As Black survivors of White supremacy, our hearts go out to all victims of violence." The "black lives matter" phrase and hashtag was born in 2013 after the acquittal of George Zimmerman in the killing of Trayvon Martin. The movement grew and spread after the deaths of Eric Garner in New York and Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri. Today there are 26 chapters of Black Lives Matter around the country. There have been over 1,000 Black Lives Matter demonstrations around the country. From the start, there has been opposition. Some of the trouble began just with the name, as some have interpreted it as a declaration of supremacy. Presidential candidates have stumbled over this point - former Maryland governor Martin O'Malley ultimately apologised after telling a group of protesters, "Black lives matter. White lives matter. All lives matter." The New York Times editorial page recently came to the group's defence. "They are not asserting that black lives are more precious than white lives," they write. "They are underlining an indisputable fact - that the lives of black citizens in this country historically have not mattered, and have been discounted and devalued." Deana Rohlinger, a professor of sociology at Florida State University, says some of the tactics that BLM has used - interrupting campaign speeches, shutting down major traffic thoroughfares, using controversial chants - have been used by countless other protest movements dating back to the 1960s, and don't inherently correlate with a desire for lawlessness. For examples, as a recent article in Vox pointed out, the Kennedy administration once worried that Martin Luther King Jr's famous March on Washington in 1963 would devolve into a "race riot". "This is a stereotype, that activists are engaged in violence, activists being people who don't want to work...It becomes shorthand way of stereotyping a cause and those who are trying to push it forward," she says. "Historically people without power use disruption. Black Lives Matter is not doing anything differently than other movements have." Creating what she calls a "false dichotomy" between supporting BLM and supporting police also makes perfect fodder for TV. "It makes good press. Pundits are having fun, so are some of the politicians," she says. "It really creates this false dichotomy for them. 'Republicans care about the police. We're the ones who care and Black Lives Matter does not,' which is not true but it gets listeners. It rallies troops." Still, violence and lawlessness has occurred at protests in Ferguson and Baltimore. ("Protests are messy," writes Vox.) And while the movement has founders - Alicia Garza, Patrisse Cullors and Opal Tometi - and figures of prominence, Black Lives Matter does not have a traditional top-down leadership structure. David Klinger, a former police officer and professor of criminology at University of Missouri-St. Louis, says that should not absolve Black Lives Matter of culpability when violence does occur at the fringes of the group. He says it is impossible to say with total certainty that those who act violently are not influenced by things they pick up from Black Lives Matter rhetoric, and that those who chanted "pigs in a blanket" could cause real harm. "The leadership should immediately disown them and say, 'You are persona non grata,'" he says. "The heated rhetoric that goes over the top, that's where it becomes a problem if you don't have unity of command and sound leadership that can - pardon the pun - police the efforts of their group." They may not have centralised leadership, but Harold Pollack, a professor at the University of Chicago School of Social Service Administration, said he was very impressed with the recently released demands for action laid out by Campaign Zero, which was founded by prominent activists like Deray Mckesson, Johnetta Elzie and Brittany Packnett, who've participated in many Black Lives Matter events. The campaign lists 10 potential solutions to police misconduct, such as ending ticketing quotas, requiring body cameras and making police officers' disciplinary histories public. Pollack believes explicitly stated demands like these can help the movement coalesce around concrete goals and avoid being generalised as a "hate group". "Many elements included were solid policy proposals that could command broad support," says Pollack. "I hope they do more of that. I fear that in the absence of a positive agenda that we're one killing of a police officer away from a very harsh backlash." For what it's worth, Lecia Brooks, director of outreach for the Southern Poverty Law Center - which designates and tracks hate groups - has no intention of adding Black Lives Matter to their list. "We're very much concerned about the killing of police officers," she says. "That said, Black Lives Matter is not on our radar."

रूढ़िवादी अमेरिकी राजनेताओं और टेलीविजन पंडितों ने ब्लैक लाइव्स मैटर आंदोलन पर अपने हमले बढ़ा दिए हैं। पुलिस अधिकारियों की हत्या के बाद, आंदोलन के नाम का उल्लेख एक योगदान कारक के रूप में किया गया है। ब्लैक लाइव्स मैटर प्रतिक्रिया पर एक नज़र।


Coronavirus lockdown in India: ‘Beaten and abused for doing my job’

Summary: India's prime minister, Narendra Modi, suddenly announced on 23 March that the entire country would be put under lockdown. This left many delivery services and vendors of essential services unprepared, leading to confusion and clashes between police and their staff in many areas. The BBC's Vikas Pandey reports.

Suresh Shah and his brother, Ramprasad, have been selling vegetables in the Delhi suburb of Noida for more than 15 years. Their daily routine involves picking up vegetables from a wholesale market in the morning and then selling them in their small carts in the evening. It's a standard day for millions of vegetable sellers across the country. But on Tuesday, the brothers' routine was brutally broken. 'Hit so hard I'm struggling to sit' The brothers picked up their vegetables at 06:00 and reached their homes an hour later. They stocked their carts and went out that evening as usual. But almost immediately, police officers approached their cart and started shouting at them using abusive language. Suresh tried to explain, but before he realised what was happening, one of the policemen hit him hard with a baton. He was struck a few more times and then forced to pack up his cart and leave. It meant a loss of around 3,000 rupees ($40; £32) because he couldn't sell anything. "I was hit so hard that even today I am struggling to sit. But what hurts even more is that it was a huge loss for me as I only make around 300 rupees every day in profits," he said. Vegetable sellers like him were "used to harassment by the police", he added. "But this time they beat us up when we were genuinely trying to help. I know the risk of coronavirus and that is why our role is more important now than ever," he added. His brother said they took a break for a day and returned to the market. "We need to go out and make money for our families. But more importantly, people need supplies and we are helping them stay indoors. We need support and not beatings and abuses," said Ramprasad Shah. 'We're not the enemy here' Their story is not unique. Similar incidents were reported in several states in the days immediately following the lockdown. Delhi police even suspended one officer who allegedly beat up a vegetable seller. But quite apart from police, vendors have also faced harassment from Resident Welfare Associations (RWA) - non-government local groups that look after the upkeep of neighbourhoods and housing societies. Rajesh Kumar was told by an RWA that he couldn't sell fruits in the colony. "Some people told me that I go to crowded wholesale vegetable markets and I may have picked up an infection. But the same people also want door-step delivery at their houses. Why are we being treated like this?" he asked. "We are trying to help people stay indoors. We are not the enemy here." Lockdown breaks link in supply chain Vendors like Rajesh and the Shah brothers are the backbone of India's supply chain of essential goods, especially in small towns and villages. They bring vegetables, fruit, grain, bread and milk to millions of houses every day. But the lockdown has broken this crucial link in the supply chain. For the 21-day lockdown period to be a success, this network of doorstep sellers needs to work and know how to be protected against the virus. A number of state governments have announced that vendors will get passes, warning police not to stop them going about their business. HC Awasthy, chief police officer in India's most populous state, Uttar Pradesh, told the BBC that "this is an unprecedented challenge". "There were a few stray incidents in the first two days. We largely enforced the shutdown peacefully. Policemen have been told to be calm and patient with people. This situation is new for everybody," he said. His force's top priority, he said, was to "work with district administrations to ensure people are getting essentials". "We have to avoid mass gatherings anywhere - be it a shop, a bank or any other place. We are in this together, so I urge people to to be patient with the police as well." Delivery services caught up in lockdown But it's not just vendors. App-based delivery services are also relied on by many for essential items. However, even these companies were hit by the first three days of the lockdown. Their delivery executives were beaten up and harassed across the country, forcing many of them to temporarily suspend services. Dairy-and-produce delivery app Milk Basket said it was forced to dump 15,000 litres of milk and 10,000 kg of vegetables on Monday as its "staff, vendors and vehicles [were] being pushed back from the roads by local police". Pradeep Kumar Mittal, who works with a milk delivery app, said he had been stopped by the police several times. "I had to beg and plead at several check points and I felt humiliated. But now I have a pass and it has made things a bit easier," he said. But not every vendor has a pass. India's bureaucracy is now under mounting pressure to ensure doorstep deliveries get through. Otherwise there is a risk of panic and overcrowding in shops that are allowed to open. When Mr Modi announced the lockdown on Tuesday night, people poured into shops, ignoring social distancing. K Ganesh, co-promoter of produce delivery app Big basket as well as medical equipment firm Portea, said the lockdown was the right decision because there was no other option. "How does a policeman understand the necessity of the service? By nature, he is used to seeing a pass or a permit and if he does not see it, he thinks you are a crook and he beats you up," he told BBC Hindi. Two Portea executives who were carrying medical equipment were allegedly beaten up by the police in Kerala and Uttar Pradesh states. Another executive was arrested for breaking the curfew. He is now out on bail. "We are sitting in our homes and there are [delivery] guys who are trying to help people. Instead of going to their villages, they are ready to go out and work, but they are caught and beaten up," he said. Authorities have said those delivering essential services will not be stopped, but challenges remain. Some of the apps are back online, but only partially. Many workers have abandoned the cities and towns they work in to return to their villages - sometimes on foot as public transport has been suspended. But many others are soldiering on despite the added burden. All they ask for is to be allowed to do their jobs. As Suresh Shah put it: "You don't beat up the people who are trying to feed you."

भारत के प्रधान मंत्री, नरेंद्र मोदी ने अचानक 23 मार्च को घोषणा की कि पूरे देश को बंद कर दिया जाएगा। इसने कई वितरण सेवाओं और आवश्यक सेवाओं के विक्रेताओं को तैयार नहीं किया, जिससे कई क्षेत्रों में पुलिस और उनके कर्मचारियों के बीच भ्रम और झड़पें हुईं। बीबीसी के विकास पांडे की रिपोर्ट।


The Qatari princess, Angelina Jolie and the battle of the pyramids

Summary: Reports that Hollywood star Angeline Jolie is planning to make a movie about Sudan's history have sparked a row with Egypt, and BBC Africa's Mohanad Hashim says it is about much more than who has the biggest pyramids.

The latest twist in a long-running feud between Egyptians and Sudanese is over controversial claims that a film is to be made in Sudan to showcase the country's contribution to human civilization. Various media have reported that a Qatari production company would fund the film, which would apparently feature Hollywood stars Angelina Jolie and Leonardo Di Caprio. It is meant to promote historical tourism in Sudan by narrating the country's ancient Nubian history. The claims were so widespread that even the British ambassador to Sudan was caught up in the fray, tweeting on the story: Sudanese tweeters published memes showing Jolie depicted as a Nubian queen and shared reports of press conferences confirming the Hollywood star and UN ambassador would visit the country in May to scout the film's locations. An Egyptian TV channel even interviewed Sudanese designer Samar Darwish who was reported to be the costume designer for Jolie. However, none of this has been confirmed. A princess desert tour sparks controversy The row kicked off in March, when the wife of the former Qatari Emir, Princess Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, visited Sudan as a United Nations ambassador. Photos of Sheikha Moza's visit to the al-Bajrawyah pyramids, a site that houses several Meroitic pyramids that date from 320 BC - 50 AD, were widely publicised by Qatari-owned Pan-Arab networks. The pictures were widely circulated on social media too. But across Egypt's TV networks, the visit was ridiculed and criticised. Qatar's move to invest $135m (£100m) in projects to develop Sudan's archaeological sites is seen by many in Cairo as an attempt to undermine the struggling tourism sector in Egypt and part of ongoing efforts by the Gulf emirate to discredit Egypt and its leadership. Pyramid size matters? Reacting to the pictures of the princess by the Sudanese pyramids, Azmi Mujahid, a talk-show host on Egyptian Al-Assema TV mocked the Sudanese pyramids. "All the world's stars have had their pictures taken by the [Giza] Pyramid but Sheikha Moza had a picture next to two [cheese triangles] in Sudan," he said. The barrage of ridicule aimed at the size of the Sudanese pyramids made the Sudanese minister of information weigh in. Ahmed Osman said: "Sudan's pyramids were older than Egypt's by 2,000 years", a claim disputed by archaeologists. Other Sudanese were quick to point out that their country has a much larger collection of pyramids - 230 in total. Egyptians vexed: Sudan the 'mother of the world' Egyptians have always prided themselves in claiming that "Egypt is the mother of the world". Any visitor to Egypt would recognize the claim made and perpetuated by the official and popular narrative that Egypt is a "7,000-year-old civilization". This is why a hand-written note written by the Qatari princess that Sudan was the "mother of the world" fell foul of Egyptian commentators and social media users. Ketchup ban This war of words between the two neighbours shows increasing tension over conflicting positions on issues such as: Recently, President Omar al-Bashir accused Egypt of "stabbing his country in the back when it occupied" Sudanese territory in the mid-1990s. He was referring to the disputed Halayib triangle, a coastal area on the Red Sea between Sudan and Egypt, which both countries claim. After the row sparked by Sheikha Moza's visit, many Facebook pages sprang up in Sudan, calling for a boycott of Egyptian products, especially fruit and vegetables, claiming they were contaminated by raw sewage. Since March, the Sudanese ministry of trade has suspended imports of several items, including ketchup, tomato and fish. Khartoum's measures follow similar measures taken in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Some in Sudan have called for travel restrictions to be imposed on Egyptians. Although officials from both countries have downplayed the row in public and emphasised the historic ties between the two peoples, Sudan has imposed visa fees on Egyptian men. Why is Egypt angry? Cairo is nervous about Khartoum's position on various issues. First is Sudan's close ties with Ethiopia, where the newly constructed Millennium Dam could reduce Egypt's share of the Nile waters, which Egypt's rulers have long considered its biggest existential threat. The second matter is Sudan's ties with Egyptian Islamists and their Qatari backers. Qatar backs Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood, which was banned by President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi after he deposed the Brotherhood's Mohammed Morsi as president in 2013. Why are the Sudanese so touchy? Egyptians often depict Sudan as Egypt's southern province, with Egyptians often recounting that both countries were one during the British colonial presence in the Nile Valley. Sudanese have long complained about racist sentiments displayed by Egyptian commentators ridiculing their country and government. One reaction to the ongoing row has been the launching of the hashtag #KnowSudan and its Arabic translation in an effort by the Sudanese to raise awareness of their country and its heritage.

रिपोर्ट है कि हॉलीवुड स्टार एंजेलीन जोली सूडान के इतिहास के बारे में एक फिल्म बनाने की योजना बना रही है, जिसने मिस्र के साथ विवाद खड़ा कर दिया है, और बीबीसी अफ्रीका के मोहनद हाशिम का कहना है कि यह सबसे बड़ा पिरामिड रखने वालों की तुलना में बहुत अधिक है।


Stanwick Lakes Iron Age roundhouse damaged in fire

Summary: A replica Iron Age roundhouse built as a feature in a community project about heritage in east Northamptonshire has been severely damaged in a fire.

Firefighters were called to Stanwick near Rushden at 2000 GMT on Wednesday. The fire completely destroyed the thatched roof which took four days to build. The heritage project attracted more than 500 volunteers, including schools, youth groups and was due to be completed by 26 March. The Iron Age house was being created as part of the Rose of the Shires project which researches the heritage of local areas. Organisers are hoping to be able to restore the roundhouse. Liz Williams, education co-ordinator for the project, said: "We are assessing the damage to the roundhouse but at the moment we are not quite sure what we'll do next."

पूर्वी नॉर्थम्पटनशायर में विरासत के बारे में एक सामुदायिक परियोजना में एक विशेषता के रूप में निर्मित लौह युग के गोलघर की प्रतिकृति आग में गंभीर रूप से क्षतिग्रस्त हो गई है।


Sotheby's sued over 'misattributed' Caravaggio claim

Summary: A painting sold by Sotheby's in London for £42,000 is at the centre of a legal battle amid claims that it could actually be the work of Italian baroque master Caravaggio and worth up to £11m.

By Jane PeelBBC News Correspondent Former owner Bill Thwaytes, of Penrith in Cumbria, has accused the auction house of "professional negligence". When it was sold in 2006, it was attributed to a follower of the artist. Mr Thwaytes said more should have been done to determine whether it was by Caravaggio, who died in 1610. The oil painting The Cardsharps depicts a wealthy man falling victim to two cheats at a card table. It was bought by the Thwaytes family in 1962 for £140. In 2006, Mr Thwaytes asked Sotheby's to value the work and the auction house concluded that the painting was one of several copies made of the original, which is on display at the Kimbell Art Museum in Fort Worth, Texas. In the 1950s, the Thwaytes family sold a genuine Caravaggio, The Musicians, to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Mr Thwaytes suspected his version of The Cardsharps was also likely to be authentic. But Sotheby's decided the copy was not created by the Italian master himself and attributed it to a 17th Century follower. The painting was sold for £42,000. But its new owner - a British collector - has declared it to be by Caravaggio and worth millions. 'Preposterous' valuation Speaking at the High Court in London on Monday, Henry Legge QC, for Mr Thwaytes, said the issue was not whether it could be proved on the balance of probabilities that the painting was by Caravaggio. The core of the case, he said, was a claim of negligence. He said Sotheby's had failed to thoroughly research the painting, consult outside experts or properly advise Mr Thwaytes. Sotheby's is defending the claim and has described suggestions the painting is worth £11m as "preposterous". In papers submitted to the court, the auction house said its experts were competent to assess the artwork and none of the leading scholars who have examined it since it was sold think it is by Caravaggio. Mr Thwaytes and some of the world's leading Caravaggio experts will give evidence at the trial, which is due to last for four weeks.

लंदन में सोथबीज द्वारा 42,000 पाउंड में बेची गई एक पेंटिंग उन दावों के बीच एक कानूनी लड़ाई के केंद्र में है कि यह वास्तव में इतालवी बारोक मास्टर कारवागियो का काम हो सकता है और इसकी कीमत 11 मिलियन पाउंड तक हो सकती है।


Why an MP wants India to talk about child sex abuse

Summary: India is home to the largest number of sexually abused children in the world, and on Friday, a top female news presenter revealed how she was sexually abused as a child. But there is general reluctance to talk about the topic. Now, an MP, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, is trying to change that, writes the BBC's Geeta Pandey in Delhi.

At an "open house" in Delhi on "Why we need to start talking about child sexual abuse and protect our children" earlier this week, Mr Chandrasekhar described the problem as an "epidemic". "Child sexual abuse has taken epidemic proportions in India. It is a problem that has been veiled by a culture of secrecy and denial and fostered by government apathy," he said. "Most people think that child sexual abuse is not as pervasive as I say, but the data proves otherwise." He is right - according to a 2007 study conducted by India's ministry of women and child development, 53% of children surveyed said they had been subjected to some form of sexual abuse. The study revealed that contrary to the general belief that only girls were abused, boys are equally at risk. It also pointed out that a substantial number of abusers were "persons in trust and care-givers" which included parents, relatives and school teachers. An MP from the southern city of Bangalore, Mr Chandrasekhar began talking about child sexual abuse in January 2014 when he was approached by the mother of a three-year-old who had been raped in her school. "She asked me for help because the police were not registering her complaint. I was horrified. When I called a state government minister, he said: 'It's not our fault, it's the parents' fault. Who asked them to pick that school?'," he says. Since then there have been several high-profile cases of children being sexually assaulted in Bangalore, Delhi and across India - not surprising considering a child is sexually abused every three hours in the country. To break the silence over the issue, Mr Chandrasekhar started a petition on change.org in September, asking Prime Minister Narendra Modi to "make the safety of our children a priority and to commit to a roadmap to protect our children from sexual abuse". On Tuesday, he met the Women and Child Welfare Minister Maneka Gandhi to hand over the petition which has been signed by more than 182,000 people. Despite the staggering statistics, Mr Chandrasekhar's attempts to talk about child sexual abuse have not gone down well with many and he has been trolled on Twitter for months for being "part of a Western conspiracy to defame India". That, campaigners say, is the biggest hurdle in fighting incest and child sex abuse. Anuja Gupta, who heads RAHI (Recovering and Healing from Incest) Foundation - India's first incest and child sexual abuse response organisation - says parents are generally reluctant to admit child abuse, and sexual abuse of children by family members is rarely reported. This "conspiracy of silence", Ms Gupta says, has serious consequences for the victims, their families and society as a whole. "The sheer helplessness and the trauma of the victim is debilitating. It's very difficult for a child to come forward and say that he or she was abused, and the fact that nobody did anything about it is very damaging for them." In 2012, India introduced the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) to deal with cases of child sexual abuse, but it took the authorities two years to record the first cases under the law. In 2014, 8,904 cases were registered under the new law, but in addition, for the same year, the National Crime Records Bureau recorded 13,766 cases of child rape; 11,335 cases of "assault on girl child with intent to outrage her modesty; 4,593 cases of sexual harassment; 711 cases of "assault or use of criminal force on girl child with intent to disrobe"; 88 cases of voyeurism and 1,091 cases of stalking. The statistics show that POCSO was not even invoked in most cases of child sexual assault. Child rights activists say it is a well-framed law but there are huge gaps in its implementation and the conviction rate under the act is a paltry 2.4%. Legal expert Swagata Raha says that happens because very often the victims are pressurised by the accused - invariably known to the child or related to them - to retract, so the case falls apart. Says Mr Chandrasekhar: "Our institutions are far from child-friendly. The police do not have the sensitivity to deal with children, there are no dedicated prosecutors, and the judiciary is over-burdened. And this creates an ecosystem that is hostile and intimidating for the child. "We owe it to our children to ensure a safe childhood for them. This must stop."

भारत दुनिया में सबसे अधिक यौन शोषण वाले बच्चों का घर है, और शुक्रवार को एक शीर्ष महिला समाचार प्रस्तुतकर्ता ने खुलासा किया कि कैसे एक बच्चे के रूप में उनका यौन शोषण किया गया था। लेकिन इस विषय पर बात करने में आम अनिच्छा है। अब, एक सांसद, राजीव चंद्रशेखर, इसे बदलने की कोशिश कर रहे हैं, दिल्ली में बीबीसी की गीता पांडे लिखती हैं।


Kosovo-Serbia row makes Europe clocks go slow

Summary: Are you running late for work and blaming your electric alarm clock?

The real reason may lie in a dispute between Kosovo and Serbia, which has affected Europe's power grid. Entsoe, the body representing electricity transmission operators across 25 European countries, said bedside clocks had slowed down by up to six minutes since mid-January. Central heating timers and oven clocks are also affected - but not computers or smart phones. Countries from Spain to Turkey and from Poland to the Netherlands are part of a large area in Europe linked together into an electricity grid that operates at a synchronised frequency. This frequency regulates time-keeping in certain devices. The UK and some Nordic countries are not affected. During the crisis period, Kosovo did not generate enough electricity to meet its needs. According to Entsoe, Serbia is legally obliged to meet Kosovo's demand to keep the European grid stable. But because Kosovo and Serbia are in dispute over the issue - and many more related to Kosovo's unilateral secession from Serbia 10 years ago - Serbia did not step in. This failure to act on time forced the frequency to "deviate" - and the drop affected the clocks. Other countries that lost reserves amounting to 113 GWh are seeking compensation. "The deviation stopped yesterday [Tuesday] when Kosovo generated the energy it needs," Entsoe spokeswoman Susanne Nies told the BBC. Surplus energy would need to be generated and fed into the system over time for the balance to be redressed across the continent, Ms Nies said. So yes, you can manually adjust your clocks - but they will automatically stop losing time once the grid stabilises.

क्या आप काम पर देर से जाते हैं और अपनी बिजली की अलार्म घड़ी को दोष देते हैं?


My Money: 'Most of our spending is on our son'

Summary: My Money is a series looking at how people spend their money - and the sometimes tough decisions they have to make. Here, Ned Vincent from Norfolk takes us through a week in his life during the coronavirus pandemic.

Ned is 31 and lives in Dereham, 15 miles outside of Norwich in Norfolk. He works for an audio visual company as a purchaser. His wife, Cara, is a part-time beautician, splitting her time between work and looking after their two-year old son, Theo. During the pandemic Ned was able to work from home for 10 weeks before returning to the office. He says he has always had an interest in personal finance and does his best to achieve a balance between spending money wisely and saving. At the start of the year he chose to build up an emergency fund and says he is so glad he did. Each month he pays his savings account first, leaving just enough money for bills and essentials. This way he is able to save as much as possible and says it's a great feeling seeing his savings grow. Over to Ned... This week is slightly different as I have a week off work - so my spending will be different to normal. It is also the week where most of our bills come out. Cara and I put £650 each into our joint account where all our bills are paid from. Our mortgage for our three bedroom link-detached house is £670, council tax is £134, £50 direct debit for electricity, £34 for water and £11 for health insurance for the three of us. This comes to £900 but covers everything bar food and phone/internet. Sometimes it can be daunting seeing so much money leave all in one day but I like it coming out at the start of the month, so I know what we have left. Today was the day that we decided Theo's hair had got long enough so needed a cut. We do try and take him to the hairdressers but after last time (total nightmare) we decided to do it at home. His reward was a toy from the toy shop, £14.99 and a couple of hours at soft play, £4.95. Cara and I had a hot chocolate each which came to £5. I also picked up a prescription which cost me £9.15 and will last a month. Total spend for the day was £900 on bills and £34.09 for bribes, drinks and medication. Total spend: £934.09 My Money More blogs from the BBC's My Money Series: We're looking for more people to share what they spend their money on. If you're interested, please email my.money@bbc.co.uk or get in touch via our My Money (World) Facebook group, or if you live in the UK, please join our My Money (UK) Facebook group and we'll aim to contact you. Theo was at nursery today so Cara and I had a rare day to ourselves. We decided to go to Norwich for afternoon tea to celebrate our birthdays and wedding anniversary which wasn't possible during lockdown. This came to £45 but after using a discount card we got 10% off so it came down to £40.50. We then found a few things for Theo's birthday and Christmas presents. Even though this seems like a long time away (November and December) we like to spread the cost over as many months as possible. After multiple visits to toy shops the total damage was £17.95. Cara and Theo do lots of crafts at home too so we bought a few bits for Halloween and Christmas which came to £11. We then bought new wallpaper for Theo's bedroom which came to £25, and a couple of candles which were £2. Car parking was £6. I would have loved to have spent money on clothes today but I'm really trying hard to not spend any money where it's not totally necessary. I have plenty of clothes at home so I remind myself that saving is my top priority right now. Total spend: £102.45 It seems more like a holiday for Theo as today we are off to his favourite place, a dinosaur park which has a great soft play area. We previously bought an annual pass for the three of us which gives us access 10 times a year for £60 each and so brings the cost down to £6 each per visit. This would have normally been £15 each in the summer and £10 each in the winter so we feel it is completely worth it. This will keep Theo happy for a good three hours or so and is great to get us all outside and walking in the fresh air. We would normally take our own lunch but seeing as we are on holiday we decided to buy a very overpriced sandwich, crisps and drink for both Cara and I which came to £12.90. We did however bring Theo's lunch with us so that helps. Overall a day of very little spending. Total spend: £12.90 Thursday was a day in bed for me as I seemed to have caught a stomach bug. No spending for me. Cara decided to do the weekly food shop. We do our main shop in Aldi and then go to Tesco for anything we couldn't get. We used to always do our whole shop in Tesco but found that Aldi was just as good and is cheaper for the basics. Our Aldi shop came to £41.51 and the Tesco shop came to £45.43 (£86.94 in total). Seems we got it the wrong way round this week as the Tesco shop came to more than the Aldi shop. Most likely as Cara decided to get some "special" food for our week off. As a side note, this shop also includes everything else you'd expect to get from the supermarket like toiletries etc. This shop will last us all week and we try to stick to £80 a week (£320 a month) where possible. Sometimes this figure will include non food items, for example clothes for Theo or presents for birthdays etc. We have always thought our food bill is high but when trying to eat healthier, food is more expensive, which seems counter productive! A price we are willing to pay. We also use our club card in Tesco which gives us a little back. Every little helps as they say. Total spend: £86.94 Still feeling pretty awful today but decide I need some fresh air to try and make me feel better. We head off to the coast for a walk along the sea front and some time in the arcades. Cara and Theo have fish and chips which comes to £8. After, we go to the arcade and turn a £10 note into more 2p coins than Theo knows what to do with. Worth every penny though as he has a great time and even wins a prize. You can't put a price on your child's happiness. We then go to the play area which is a great way to keep Theo entertained for half an hour and doesn't cost a thing. We try to take him to parks as often as possible as he has just as much fun as say, soft play, but it is free - win win. Car parking comes to £3. Total spend: £21 Urgh, this stomach bug doesn't seem to want to go away. A shame as this morning we had planned to go out for breakfast but food still makes me feel ill so that will have to wait for another weekend. As something to do we jump in the car and head off to Spalding outlet village. I need to fill my car up with fuel and this comes to £58.70. I can't really complain as my car does about 50-55 mpg and this tank should last at least two weeks. I will always budget £120 a month for fuel but the odd month it works out I only need to fill up once. At the fuel station we grab some food for lunch and this totals £8.60. Again, something we wouldn't normally do but as we are off work, convenience is allowed. We end up not buying anything at the shopping village which seems to make the whole trip a little pointless but it was more as something to do and get us out of the house. Again, I could have spent lots of money on clothes but I'm strict with myself and walk away. Go me. Car parking is only £1. Super cheap. Total spend: £68.30 Today we go swimming! We don't go to our local leisure centre but instead opt for a small local pool at a Caravan Club. This is £12 for an hour and we have the whole pool to ourselves. It actually works out cheaper than going to a leisure centre and supports local businesses which we try and do where possible. It's our last night before we are back to work tomorrow so again we opt for an easy meal in the evening. I pop to Tesco to pick up a meal deal which comes to £10. Lasagne, chunky chips and chocolate orange mousse. The bottle of white wine which also comes as part of the deal can stay in the fridge for another night. Still not quite ready for alcohol yet. Total spend: £22 Total spent this week: £1,247.68 How does Ned feel about his week? As I said before, this week has been a little different due to a week off work and also bills week but I'm still happy with how we have spent our money. Most of this spending is split between myself and Cara so only really half of it leaves my personal account. I've only actually spent £67.85 this week in total after bills (£9.15 for prescription and £58.70 for fuel) so can't really complain. As always I've thought about each potential purchase and made myself walk away with the priority being my savings. Once I reach three months of money saved up, I plan to start saving for my next car which I hope to not have to buy for at least another 18 months, two years. I'd also like to have some spare money to take the family away on a little break to try and get away from all the Covid news which fills our lives these days. You'll agree that a lot, if not most, of our spending is on our son, Theo. I suppose I don't mind this at all as this is the reason I go to work each day, to be able to provide for my family and also treat Theo when possible.

माई मनी एक श्रृंखला है जिसमें देखा गया है कि लोग अपना पैसा कैसे खर्च करते हैं-और कभी-कभी उन्हें कठिन निर्णय लेने पड़ते हैं। यहाँ, नॉरफ़ॉक के नेड विंसेंट हमें कोरोनावायरस महामारी के दौरान अपने जीवन में एक सप्ताह के माध्यम से ले जाते हैं।


Car crashes into Sparkhill police station

Summary: A suspected drink-driver crashed a stolen car into the front of a police station, officers have said.

The Seat saloon is thought to have hit two vehicles and lost control before ploughing through a brick wall outside the base in Sparkhill, Birmingham. Two people were helped from the wreckage by officers before being taken to hospital. A 29-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of drink-driving, dangerous driving and vehicle theft. A 27-year-old woman was held on suspicion of theft of a motor vehicle. Follow BBC West Midlands on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: newsonline.westmidlands@bbc.co.uk

अधिकारियों ने कहा है कि एक संदिग्ध शराब-चालक ने एक चोरी की कार को एक पुलिस स्टेशन के सामने से टकरा दिया।


Lyme Regis Christmas pudding racers aim for glory

Summary: Thousands of people packed Lyme Regis seafront to see a pub team scoop the honour of being champion Christmas pudding racers.

The event involved teams of six tackling an obstacle course on the Dorset coast while carrying a pudding. The race on Saturday afternoon was won by a team from the Volunteer Inn pub in the resort. More than £5,000 was raised for Cancer Research UK. Organiser Philip Evans boasted it was "Dorset's whackiest festive event". More than 3,000 people turned out to see this year's event, which also included a Chase the Pudding race where competitors aimed to catch up with a runner dressed as a Christmas pudding. The event, now in its third year, is based on a similar race held in Covent Garden.

हजारों लोगों ने लाइम रेजिस सीफ्रंट को एक पब टीम को चैंपियन क्रिसमस पुडिंग रेसर्स होने का सम्मान प्राप्त करते हुए देखा।


Shropshire slip road skull tests 'inconclusive'

Summary: A post-mortem examination into human remains found on a motorway embankment in Shropshire has proven inconclusive.

A male skull was discovered by the M54 slip road on Thursday by workers surveying a roundabout at junction four near Telford. Further skeletal remains were later found. Tests showed the remains had been at the scene for over two years. Police said more tests had been ordered and were keeping an open mind as to how the remains came to be there. Det Sgt Paul Hopwood, of West Mercia Police, said: "We are continuing to pursue a number of inquiries to identify the man and establish what has happened. Searches at the site ended on Sunday.

श्रॉपशायर में एक मोटरवे तटबंध पर पाए गए मानव अवशेषों की पोस्टमॉर्टम जांच अनिर्णायक साबित हुई है।


A387 in Looe closed for 'foreseeable future' after landslip

Summary: A main route into the Cornish town of Looe, blocked by a landslip following recent heavy rain, is to remain closed for the foreseeable future, highways officials said.

The A387 was shut at Sandplace Road last Friday 30 November. Elsewhere in the town, the B3253 at St Martin's Hill was reduced to one lane after another landslip. Cornwall Council said the road was expected to remain single-lane for about four weeks. Emergency access The authority said engineers were working to stabilize a supporting hillside affected by the landslip. The council added that it had met with emergency services staff and local transport operators to discuss ways of providing access to the town while repair works were carried out. It said: "Arrangements have already been made to provide access for fire and rescue, ambulance, police and coastguard services and diversion routes are being agreed with local bus companies." The coastal town and port has a population of about 5,000.

राजमार्ग अधिकारियों ने कहा कि हाल ही में भारी बारिश के बाद भूस्खलन से अवरुद्ध कोर्निश शहर लू में जाने वाला एक मुख्य मार्ग निकट भविष्य के लिए बंद रहेगा।


High Down inmates take call centre employment

Summary: Inmates at a prison in Surrey are being paid to work in a call centre as part of a government scheme to make it easier for them to find work upon release, it has emerged.

The Ministry of Justice said the scheme would help provide prisoners with "skills and experience". The scheme at HMP High Down Prison in Banstead, Surrey, has been running for three weeks. About 20 prisoners are working for the Census Data Group company. Prisons Minister Andrew Selous said the work, which is taking place within the confines of the prison, would make offenders more employable in the future. The inmates earn about £9.80 a week. However, the Professional Trades Union for Prison, Correctional and Secure Psychiatric Workers (POA) said prisoners should not be given "preferential treatment, by being placed into meaningful work". Last year, it emerged inmates at HMP Oakwood, near Wolverhampton, and Drake Hall, in Staffordshire, were carrying out market research for insurance companies.

सरे की एक जेल में कैदियों को सरकारी योजना के तहत कॉल सेंटर में काम करने के लिए भुगतान किया जा रहा है ताकि उन्हें रिहा होने पर काम ढूंढना आसान हो।


Butlin's holidays widow Lady Sheila Butlin dies aged 89

Summary: Lady Sheila Butlin, widow of the founder of Butlin's holiday camps Sir Billy Butlin, has died aged 89.

Lady Butlin died peacefully at her home in Jersey on Saturday, family funeral directors confirmed. Born as Sheila Devine, she moved to Jersey with Billy Butlin in 1968. The couple married in 1975. While living in Jersey they became active members of St John's parish community life and donated land for a community centre to be built. In 2015 Lady Butlin opened the newly-refurbished St John recreation centre. Sir Billy, who died in Jersey in 1980, aged 80, opened his first holiday camp in 1936 and turned the idea into a multi-million pound leisure industry.

बटलिन के अवकाश शिविरों के संस्थापक सर बिली बटलिन की विधवा लेडी शीला बटलिन का 89 वर्ष की आयु में निधन हो गया है।


Rail death leads to train delays near Cardiff

Summary: Rail services near Cardiff were affected late on Saturday night after a person died after being struck by a train.

The incident involving an Arriva Trains Wales service from Ebbw Vale to Cardiff happened at 23:30 GMT. British Transport Police said the death on the Cardiff side of the Wentloog freight terminal was "not suspicious". It led to one service being cancelled and a number of delays. All lines were back to normal by 01:00 GMT on Sunday.

ट्रेन की चपेट में आने से एक व्यक्ति की मौत के बाद शनिवार देर रात कार्डिफ के पास रेल सेवाएं प्रभावित हुईं।


Trump's mental health debate: What is it about?

Summary: It seems an incredible question to ask of a man who ran a multi-billion-dollar business and vanquished seasoned political opponents on his way to highest office in the US. But experts are debating the mental health of the US president.

The discussion of Donald Trump's mental health has come to the fore following an open letter from dozens of professionals who say his "grave emotional instability" makes him unfit for the presidency. The call seems to break a long-standing rule among experts of not diagnosing public people, and has been condemned by a leading psychiatrist, who described the "psychiatric name-calling" as an insult to the mentally ill. What is it about? Debate over Mr Trump's mental fitness is nothing new, and existed even before his election, last November. But the majority of mental health professionals have refrained from making public statements, following a self-imposed principle known as the "Goldwater rule", adopted by the American Psychiatric Association (APA) in 1973. It prohibits psychiatrists from giving diagnosis about someone they have not personally evaluated. It was instated after a magazine asked thousands of experts in 1964 whether Republican nominee Barry Goldwater was psychologically fit to be president. The APA warned last year that breaking the rule in trying to analyse the candidates in the presidential election was "irresponsible, potentially stigmatising, and definitely unethical". But now, some professionals have spoken out, including those who have signed a petition asking for Mr Trump's removal. It has now gathered more than 23,000 signatures. Some have suggested that Mr Trump has Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD). People with this condition often show some of the following characteristics, according to Psychology Today: What is new? In a letter to the New York Times, 35 mental health professionals warned that the "grave emotional instability" indicated in Mr Trump's speech and actions made him "incapable of serving safely as president". They said experts had remained silent because of the Goldwater rule, but that it was time to speak out. "This silence has resulted in a failure to lend our expertise to worried journalists and members of Congress at this critical time. We fear that too much is at stake to be silent any longer." The letter added: "Mr Trump's speech and actions demonstrate an inability to tolerate views different from his own, leading to rage reactions. His words and behaviour suggest a profound inability to empathise. "Individuals with these traits distort reality to suit their psychological state, attacking facts and those who convey them (journalists, scientists)." Earlier this week, Democratic Sen Al Franken said that "a few" of his Republican colleagues had expressed concern to him about Mr Trump's mental health. The concerns, he said, stemmed from questions about the president's truthfulness and the suspicion that Mr Trump "lies a lot". Why the controversy? Apart from the apparent break of the Goldwater rule, other professionals say the psychiatric diagnosis of Mr Trump is an insult to the mentally ill. Also in a letter to the NYT, Dr Allen Frances, who helped write the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders IV, one of the main key manuals used to classify mental disorders, said that "most amateur diagnosticians have mislabelled" Mr Trump with the diagnosis of "narcissistic personality disorder". "He may be a world-class narcissist, but this doesn't make him mentally ill, because he does not suffer from the distress and impairment required to diagnose mental disorder." He added: "Mr Trump causes severe distress rather than experiencing it and has been richly rewarded, rather than punished, for his grandiosity, self-absorption and lack of empathy. "It is a stigmatising insult to the mentally ill (who are mostly well behaved and well meaning) to be lumped with Mr Trump (who is neither). "Bad behaviour is rarely a sign of mental illness, and the mentally ill behave badly only rarely. Psychiatric name-calling is a misguided way of countering Mr Trump's attack on democracy."

एक ऐसे व्यक्ति से पूछना एक अविश्वसनीय सवाल लगता है जो अरबों डॉलर का व्यवसाय चलाता था और अमेरिका में सर्वोच्च पद पर पहुंचने के रास्ते में अनुभवी राजनीतिक विरोधियों को हरा देता था। लेकिन विशेषज्ञ अमेरिकी राष्ट्रपति के मानसिक स्वास्थ्य पर बहस कर रहे हैं।


Ten sheep killed after dog attack at Ystrad Meurig

Summary: Ten sheep, some of which were pregnant, have died and others were left injured after a dog attack.

Some sheep were killed in the incident and others had to be put down by a vet, Dyfed-Powys Police said. Two black lurcher-type dogs were seen near the sheep at Ystrad Meurig, Ceredigion, on New Year's Eve. "These incidents can and should be avoided," said the force. "It is vital that all dog owners keep their dogs under control and on a lead." The force's Ceredigion Rural Crime Team is investigating the attack. Related Internet Links Dyfed-Powys Police

दस भेड़ें, जिनमें से कुछ गर्भवती थीं, कुत्ते के हमले के बाद मर गई हैं और अन्य घायल हो गई हैं।


Jeyaraj and Benicks: Why was a viral video on custodial deaths taken down?

Summary: An Instagram video about the custodial deaths of a father and son in the south Indian state of Tamil Nadu was instrumental in getting the case national attention. But now Suchitra Ramadurai has taken down her video. She spoke to the BBC's Andrew Clarance about why.

"Hi, I'm Suchitra, and I'm south Indian and I hate how every south Indian issue just remains a south Indian issue because we don't talk about it in English." This was the opening line of Ms Ramadurai's video, that went on to get millions of views in India and across the world. Armed with details from the case filed by the victims' family, and matching eyewitness reports, she then goes on to explain in graphic detail what happened to P Jeyaraj, 58, and his son Benicks, 38, who were arrested and held an entire night at the Sathankulam police station in Tuticorin town. They died within hours of each other two days later. Relatives of the two men say the men were subjected to brutal torture and even sexual abuse after they were picked up for allegedly keeping their stores open past permitted hours - Tamil Nadu is still observing a lockdown to curb the spread of Covid. Ms Ramadurai, a singer, and a radio jockey with a popular radio station in Chennai (formerly Madras) is a familiar name in Tamil Nadu's capital city. She ends the video saying, "Let's fight the system. Wherever you are in the world, share this video." What followed was extraordinary. Her video ended up getting more than 20 million views and set off a chain reaction across social media. Video posts detailing the case started popping up in regional languages, calling for justice for the two men. It then made it way on to national news with trends emerging on Twitter and Instagram as politicians, cricketers, business personalities, comedians and Bollywood actors tweeted about the case. With mounting national outrage over the incident, the case was handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation - a federal investigation agency. Since then, five policemen have been arrested and charged with murder in relation to the custodial deaths. Days later, five more police personnel, including a sub-Inspector, were arrested. The officers who were accused in the deaths were initially transferred. But as demands for more severe action grew, they were suspended. It was at this point that Ms Ramadurai says she was asked to delete the video by the Tamil Nadu police. The police say that she has "falsely exaggerated and sensationalized the chain of events," and is not backed by proof." In a statement released on Twitter, the police said that Ms Ramadurai video was promoting hatred against the police. Ms Ramadurai said that an officer of the state's criminal investigation department asked her to delete the video as the details in the video were in direct contrast to what was mentioned in the post-mortem report of the two men. "I asked her for a copy of the post-mortem report but she said no" Ms Ramadurai told the BBC, adding that the officer told her that it was a sealed document sent directly to the judge in the case. "I'm surprised then how she got to see it and point out inaccuracies in my video, if it is a sealed document." But Ms Ramadurai said she then took down the video on the advice of her lawyer. Police brutality is a serious problem in India. A report by a consortium of NGOs against custodial torture have released a report in which they say 1,731 people died in custody in India during 2019. This works out to around five custodial deaths a day. Speaking to the BBC, a former Inspector-general of Police in the southern state of Karnataka, Gopal Hosur, said it was important for policemen to go by the rule book. "When a person is in your custody, he is helpless, there is no question using these methods. You can gather evidence by means other than using force," he said. And Ms Ramadurai remains defiant. Even though she deleted the video, she feels that its job has been done and people can't be fooled by statements. "This video spread mainly because of 90s kids and millennials. You can't fool people by saying its fake and was meant to cause anarchy. The younger generation can see through it all. They won't buy it."

दक्षिण भारतीय राज्य तमिलनाडु में एक पिता और पुत्र की हिरासत में मौत के बारे में एक इंस्टाग्राम वीडियो ने मामले को राष्ट्रीय ध्यान आकर्षित करने में महत्वपूर्ण भूमिका निभाई। लेकिन अब सुचित्रा रामादुरई ने अपना वीडियो हटा लिया है। उन्होंने बीबीसी के एंड्रयू क्लेरेंस से बात की कि क्यों।


Eight held and cars seized over 'illegal hunting' near Compton

Summary: Eight men have been arrested following reports of vehicles running over animals and people firing catapults on a track in Berkshire.

Police received multiple calls from people on The Ridgeway near Compton at 13:45 BST on Saturday reporting that pheasants and deer had been injured. Eight men aged between 20 and 50 from Datchet and Slough were arrested on suspicion of hunting offences. Thames Valley Police said four vehicles had also been seized. Anyone who saw anything is urged to contact the force.

बर्कशायर में एक पगडंडी पर जानवरों और लोगों द्वारा गुलेल दागने वाली गाड़ियों के ऊपर से गुजरने की रिपोर्ट के बाद आठ लोगों को गिरफ्तार किया गया है।


Sony delays PlayStation relaunch

Summary: Sony has delayed the relaunch of its online PlayStation video game network.

It had previously said the network would resume normal operations by the weekend. Sony recently suffered a huge security breach with the theft of personal data from 100m online accounts. "We were unaware of the extent of the attack on Sony Online Entertainment servers, and we are taking this opportunity to conduct further testing," Sony said in a blog. "We won't restore the services until we can test the system's strength in these respects." The security breach was first discovered on 20 April. Many users have been upset about the company taking two days after discovering the theft before contacting the police and almost a week to inform those people affected. Data posted Also over the weekend, Sony admitted that it had found some 2,500 names and partial mailing addresses of customers posted by hackers on a website. Sony said it immediately took down the site, and the company was removing any residual links to the list. "The website was out-of-date and inactive when discovered as part of the continued attacks on Sony," it said in a statement. The data belonged mostly to US customers who took part in a competition in 2001. Last week, in a bid to reassure Sony's customers and regain their trust, Chief Executive Howard Stringer said that "to date, there is no confirmed evidence any credit card or personal information has been misused, and we continue to monitor the situation closely." In a blog post on the PlayStation website, he wrote that the company was working on heightening security measures to "protect your information better than ever". He also offered compensation to US PlayStation Network and Qriocity users in the form of a year-long free enrollment in an identity protection programme. The programme includes a $1m (£608,000) identity theft insurance policy for each user, should they become victims of any future cyber-attacks.

सोनी ने अपने ऑनलाइन प्लेस्टेशन वीडियो गेम नेटवर्क को फिर से शुरू करने में देरी की है।


Kellingley mining machines buried in last deep pit

Summary: The UK's last deep-pit coal mine is closing and buried in its cavernous darkness will be tens of millions of pounds of advanced mining machinery, which is now effectively worthless. What happens when you wind up a pit that helped power the nation?

By Alex MossBBC News Dubbed the "Big K", Kellingley Colliery in North Yorkshire is a sprawling 58-hectare site of equipment synonymous with an industry that has seen both great fortunes and devastating conflict. Its two winding towers, emblazoned with the letter K, stand connected to a web of conveyor belts and processing sheds surrounded by vast expanses of muck heaps. At its height it employed about 2,000 people and was the biggest deep mine in Europe, at one point bringing 900 tonnes of coal an hour to the surface. Two shafts descend some 800m (2,600ft) underground where, from the bottom, miners travel about five miles on small battery-powered trains in 30C heat and humidity before laying chest down on a conveyor belt to reach the coal face. After the pit's closure, one of the main jobs will be sealing the shafts, underneath which, in the labyrinth tunnels, will be the now redundant mining equipment worth some £150m. The machinery includes the giant underground shearer which cuts coal from the face, supports weighing up to 30 tonnes, the train ridden by miners and the huge gears used to drive the conveyor belt. Kellingley Colliery manager Shaun McLoughlin said investment at the site over the years had gone into state-of-the-art equipment, but because of wider pit closures there was no demand for it. "It will just be sealed in the underground. It cost too much to salvage it and there's no market for it even if we did salvage it. "We have got some good mining machinery on the surface that we have tried selling all year round and we just can't sell it, so that's going in the scrap bin for scrap value." In the days when more deep mines were operating across the country, equipment was often sold on to other sites for the cost of removing it. But Andy Smith, director of the National Coal Mining Museum, said UK Coal, which owns Kellingley, had been forced into a different situation. The former miner, who has has worked at several Yorkshire collieries, said: "It's almost criminal really, but there's no other choice. "To keep a mine going there are massive fixed costs. There's the costs of inspecting the shafts and the infrastructure alone, so basically as soon as they cease production which is paying for it all, the quicker they can get it shut. "Although you're looking at a lot of money, you're looking at a bigger amount of money to keep it running." Along with some 20 workers from Kellingley, Mr McLoughlin, who started at Kellingley as a general worker in 1977, will remain on site over the coming months to make it safe. The shafts will be emptied of cables and ropes and then filled with a concrete block about 10 metres deep. Demolition then starts on the surface buildings and the site will be levelled out before ownership is transferred to Haworth Estates for future redevelopment. What that will be is unknown, although the company said it would be focused on replacing jobs lost by the closure. For now Mr McLoughlin will remain at Kellingley steering the pit to its end. He said: "In some respects it's very sad but in other respects I feel very privileged to be the last manager here and to be at the last deep mine in the UK."

ब्रिटेन की आखिरी गहरे गड्ढे वाली कोयला खदान बंद हो रही है और अपने गहरे अंधेरे में दबी हुई है, जिसमें लाखों पाउंड की उन्नत खनन मशीनरी होगी, जो अब प्रभावी रूप से बेकार है। क्या होता है जब आप एक गड्ढे को बंद करते हैं जो राष्ट्र को बिजली देने में मदद करता है?


Norwich fire station home conversion plan considered

Summary: A Grade II listed fire station in Norwich could be converted into homes when a new station is built on the outskirts of the city in 2011.

Norfolk County Council wants to sell Bethel Street Fire Station to be developed into 14 flats. The plans also propose using the ground floor to house offices, shops, a health centre or gallery. But opponents say the whole of the historic 1930s building should be kept for public use. Currently Bethel Street houses two permanently staffed fire engines and one emergency tender.

नॉर्विच में एक ग्रेड II सूचीबद्ध फायर स्टेशन को 2011 में शहर के बाहरी इलाके में एक नया स्टेशन बनाए जाने पर घरों में परिवर्तित किया जा सकता है।


Welsh Treasury team prepares for tax power

Summary: A Welsh Treasury team has been set up to prepare for the new tax-raising powers of the Welsh government.

From April 2018 Wales will take control of a land transaction tax to replace stamp duty and a landfill disposals tax. A team of 35 people has been gathered to work on innovative finance, economic advice, tax policy and legislation. Finance Minister Jane Hutt said the Scottish government was giving advice based on its own tax power experience. A bill to set up a tax collection authority for Wales is due to be presented in July. Powers to vary the rates of income tax in Wales have also been offered to the Welsh government subject to a referendum on the issue.

वेल्श सरकार की नई कर बढ़ाने की शक्तियों की तैयारी के लिए एक वेल्श ट्रेजरी टीम का गठन किया गया है।


Thousands of ducklings die in Caistor blaze

Summary: Thousands of ducklings have died after a fire ripped through a poultry shed in Lincolnshire.

The blaze broke out at a farm in Moor Lane in Caistor at about 12:30 GMT on Saturday. Residents in the area were advised to keep doors and windows shut due to the large amount of smoke. Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue Service said an estimated 15,000 ducklings perished in the fire, which was caused by an electrical fault. Follow BBC East Yorkshire and Lincolnshire on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Send your story ideas to yorkslincs.news@bbc.co.uk.

लिंकनशायर में एक पोल्ट्री शेड में आग लगने से हजारों बत्तखों की मौत हो गई है।


UUP deputy speaker David McClarty deselected

Summary: The Stormont Deputy Speaker David McClarty has been deselected by the Ulster Unionists in East Londonderry.

The party has chosen former Westminster candidate Lesley Macauley and the Coleraine councillor David Harding to fight the Assembly election next May. Mr McClarty, who has been an MLA since 1998, said he was "devastated" by the decision of the East Londonderry election committee. The UUP said the decision has to be ratified by its Executive Committee. The East Londonderry election committee is made up of representatives from the local constituency association and the central party election committee.

स्टॉर्मॉन्ट डिप्टी स्पीकर डेविड मैकक्लार्टी को पूर्वी लंदनडेरी में अल्स्टर यूनियनिस्ट्स द्वारा अयोग्य घोषित कर दिया गया है।


India coronavirus: World's largest postal service turns lifesaver

Summary: India has the largest postal service in the world - and now it is stepping in to help deliver lifesaving medicines during a countrywide lockdown aimed at tackling the coronavirus pandemic. The BBC's Ayeshea Perera in Delhi reports.

Red postal vans are a familiar sight in India. They make thousands of journeys every day, criss-crossing the country's wide network of post offices in 600,000 villages. The postal service does much more than deliver letters and packages. It is also a bank, a pension fund and a primary savings instrument for millions of Indians. Now it will also be transporting medical equipment and drugs to where they are needed most, at a time when transport has come to a standstill. When India went into total lockdown on 24 March in an attempt to stop the spread of the coronavirus, all businesses - apart from essential services - were ordered to shut and people were told to stay home. Given that the announcement was made barely four hours ahead of the lockdown going into effect, many industries were left in the lurch - including hospitals, pharmaceutical companies and labs at the forefront of the fight against Covid-19. "We were facing a lot of difficulties. We usually rely on courier services to send out products to customers, but none of them were responding, probably because they didn't have curfew passes or delivery people," Ashok Kumar Madan, the executive director of the Indian Drug Manufacturer's Association (IDMA), told the BBC. Many of these products, he added, were essential medicines such as for heart conditions or cancer. Then, he got a call from Alok Ojha, the senior superintendent of the postal service in Uttar Pradesh, India's most populous state. The postal service had already partnered with the IDMA in the western state of Gujarat to deliver medicines and equipment as a priority. Mr Ojha was offering to do the same on a much wider scale. "We were definitely looking for a solution, and the postal service has unhindered access the country," Mr Madan said. That is because India Post is among only a few industries deemed "essential services" and allowed to operate normally during the lockdown. "We thought we could help with this as we have a supply chain that is intact. Many people I spoke to said this would help as it helps keep drugs in the market and prevents hoarding," Mr Ojha told the BBC. As word spread, many people began calling and asking for help. Dr Ujjala Ghoshal, a microbiologist at the Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences in the northern city of Lucknow, told the BBC she got in touch with Mr Ojha when a batch of Covid-19 testing kits she urgently needed was stuck in the capital Delhi, 550km (340 miles) away. "The Institute of Medical Research told us that we would have to send someone to Delhi to collect the kits because the courier company they usually used was not working, but there was no way we could do it because of the lockdown," she said. The postal service, she said, made an exception and actually went to the institute to pick up the kits, instead of having them dropped off at a post office. She received them a day after she made the request. Many other institutions and companies have made similar requests. Mr Ojha says ever since the lockdown began, the postal service has been used to deliver everything from batches of lifesaving drugs to Covid-19 tests, to N95 masks and ventilators, moving medicine and equipment between major cities and states - mostly via the red postal vans. For longer or very urgent journeys - such as a consignment of defibrillators that had to be transported from the state of Tamil Nadu in the south to Uttar Pradesh in the north - cargo planes are used. Sometimes, the consignments must be handled with special care - one drug manufacturer who asked for help said his medicines needed cold chain maintenance, which means they need to be frozen while transported. And so far, every request made to the department has been fulfilled. "We are the best-connected service in India. We are everywhere. And in this case, we knew we could help," Mr Ojha says. And with the lockdown set to be extended, he anticipates that the service will play a larger role in the weeks ahead.

भारत में दुनिया की सबसे बड़ी डाक सेवा है-और अब यह कोरोनावायरस महामारी से निपटने के उद्देश्य से देशव्यापी लॉकडाउन के दौरान जीवन रक्षक दवाओं को वितरित करने में मदद करने के लिए कदम उठा रहा है। दिल्ली में बीबीसी की आयशिया परेरा रिपोर्ट करती है।


ATM machine theft in Coggeshall thwarted by police

Summary: Balaclava-clad thieves were forced to leave a cash point machine in the road in a village after they were interrupted by police.

The gang struck at Coggeshall, near Braintree in Essex, at about 03:10 BST and used chains to rip the ATM out of the wall of McColls in Church Street. The five-men fled in a blue Land Rover and silver Jeep when police arrived. They headed towards Tiptree pursued by police but later abandoned their vehicles in a field. An extensive search for the suspects was conducted but they were not found. The men were described as white and aged in their 20s. The incident was the latest in a spate of 10 other ATM raids in the county so far this year. Enquiries are continuing and officers ask anyone with information to call Essex Police.

बालाक्लावा पहने चोरों को पुलिस द्वारा बाधित किए जाने के बाद गाँव में सड़क पर एक कैश प्वाइंट मशीन छोड़ने के लिए मजबूर किया गया।


Maidstone teenager in court on murder charge

Summary: A 16-year-old boy has appeared before magistrates charged with the murder of a 50-year-old man.

The victim suffered a head injury in Week Street in Maidstone, Kent, on Friday night. He later died in hospital. The teenager, from Maidstone, was remanded in custody, and will next appear at Maidstone Crown Court on Wednesday. Three other teenagers who were also arrested have been released on bail. Related Internet Links HM Courts & Tribunals Service

एक 50 वर्षीय व्यक्ति की हत्या के आरोप में एक 16 वर्षीय लड़का मजिस्ट्रेट के सामने पेश हुआ है।


Kony2012: The rise of online campaigning

Summary: A social media campaign to shine a light on Ugandan warlord Joseph Kony has attracted ire of its own after critics attacked its methods. Is using Facebook and Twitter to promote change pointless, or the natural extension of our social media habit?

By Kate DaileyBBC News Magazine, Washington On Monday, the California-based nonprofit Invisible Children released an online 30-minute documentary about Joseph Kony, leader of the Lord Resistance Army (LRA). "We want to make him famous," they said. "Not to glorify him, but so that his crimes would not go unnoticed." It worked. The video, part of a campaign called Kony2012, became a viral sensation with more than 35 million views. #Kony2012 was a number one topic of conversation on Twitter, and was shared multiple times on Facebook by concerned citizens and celebrities alike. By Wednesday, there was a shift in mood. Critics pointed out that Invisible Children had a less-than-perfect rating on Charity Navigator - an independent charity evaluator based in the US - and questioned the allocation of their funds. Foreign policy experts and Ugandan nationals noted the situation on the ground was much more complicated than just the crimes of one man. Ugandan journalist Rosebell Kagumire was among those pointing out that Invisible Children oversimplified a complicated geopolitical struggle. Invisible Children posted a response to these criticisms on their website. Most damning were some complaints that the entire campaign reeked of colonialism. BBC Africa correspondent Andrew Harding described the controversy from the campaign, and called attention to a tweet arguing that "the awareness of American college students is NOT a necessary condition for conflict resolution in Africa". When it comes to issues like those raised by the Stop Kony campaign, Harding wrote: "The outside world has a role to play, but it is patronising and above all cripplingly counter-productive to believe we have all the answers." But is colonialism in play, or something much more modern: the idea, however misguided, that the social media generation has the opportunity to change the world with the click of a mouse? Invisible Children is not shy about its belief in the power of social media. Its documentary claims there are more people on Facebook than were alive 200 years ago. And the charity admits the film is a calculated social media ploy to raise Kony's profile, at one point calling it an "experiment". It planned - and prepared - for a viral hit and its aftermath. "The film starts by saying this is a social revolution, and you're part of something special," says Eric Vachon, an account executive for evolve24, a market intelligence company. He says it is a positive lesson for organisations looking to spread their message online. "They had to help people to make it go viral," he says. This includes calling out specific celebrities and lawmakers to petition and providing the contact info to do so, making follow-up materials easily accessible, and giving the campaign a finite deadline. For many, the idea that sending tweets and sharing videos on Facebook can solve an international conflict that has stymied world governments is farcical. But it's an approach not without precedent. From protesting Egyptians in the Arab Spring to those rallying against the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA), many have learned their actions online have a certain power. Just this week, a concerted social media effort led to dozens of companies pulling their advertisements from Rush Limbaugh's radio talkshow after he called a law student a "slut" for advocating for insurance-covered birth control. There's a big difference, of course, between influencing advertisers and catching a warlord. It's naive to think social media and raised awareness can solve the world's problems. "Of course it doesn't. But the bigger answer is, the journey starts with a single step," says Amanda Bower, associate professor of marketing at Washington and Lee University. She notes that awareness is required for changing behaviour, and that social media is an extremely effective way to do so. The belief that online activism can change the course of international politics, whether it's arrogant or optimistic, is another hallmark of the social media generation, many of whom consider themselves citizens of a wider online world. "As these tools become more widespread, there are more people online, which means more people to mobilise and galvanise," says Gerald C Kane, associate professor of information systems at Boston College. "And as more people participate, more people pay attention," he says. After all, thanks to the internet, Britons horrified by last summer's riots rallied to clean up their looted streets. And sleuths across the world have connected adopted children and birth parents, and reported crimes from thousands of miles away. But the Invisible Children campaign may represent the next step in online activism. Previous efforts have been one-sided, with users joining forces against a common foe. "Now you have two sides going to war in a social media campaign for the public opinion," says Kane. In the meantime, people are becoming more critical about what they read online, especially when it comes to charitable causes. "There's definitely a social media fatigue," says Bower. "You can't just put something out there and let it sit. People are going to challenge it." By Invisible Children's own metrics, though, Kony2012 is already a success. "Last week, there were millions of people who didn't know who Joseph Kony was, and today they do," says Vachon. "There's value in that." What value it will have for the people of Uganda, however, is yet to be seen.

युगांडा के सरदार जोसेफ कोनी पर प्रकाश डालने के लिए एक सोशल मीडिया अभियान ने आलोचकों द्वारा उसके तरीकों पर हमला करने के बाद अपनी खुद की नाराजगी को आकर्षित किया है। क्या परिवर्तन को बढ़ावा देने के लिए फेसबुक और ट्विटर का उपयोग करना व्यर्थ है, या हमारी सोशल मीडिया आदत का स्वाभाविक विस्तार है?


Record Store Day 2019: Ten of the best releases

Summary: Ever wanted to own Baby Shark as a 7-inch picture disc? Or Shakespears Sister's fourth album on red vinyl?

By Mark SavageBBC Music reporter Well, the long wait is finally over - with both those gems being released for Record Store Day on Saturday 13 April. More than 550 records will hit the shelves of independent stores around the UK, with exclusives from Aretha Franklin, Robyn, Pink Floyd and Idles. Courtney Barnett, The Flaming Lips and The Beloved are also releasing brand new material to mark the occasion. You can even get a Mickey Mouse disco album, if that's your sort of thing. Now in its 12th year, Record Store Day is hugely important for local, independent stores. More than 90,000 albums and singles were bought at last year's event - making it the biggest sales day outside Christmas for many shop owners. This year's list of releases even includes an ode to record stores by Sheffield rock band Bang Bang Romeo. "It was in your arms where I found The Smiths and The Flaming Lips," sings Anastasia Walker on Cemetery. "Hours never wasted, always got my kicks." Her sentiments are echoed by Iggy Pop - whose 72nd birthday happens to fall on Record Store Day. "In my life, music has been a balm for loneliness," he said. "It was in the cheap-ass little record store that I found a way to connect with other people. "Everywhere on earth I go, there are freaks minding a record store. It's a good hang - daylight vs dimly lit, clear-eyed vs stoned, and social vs savage. So that's why I like 'em." The full, exhaustive list of Record Store Day releases has just been published - but here are 10 of the highlights. Various Artists - Mickey Mouse Disco "Mouse trap / Uh huh / He grabs the cheese and away he flees." A sought-after curio from 1979, Mickey Mouse Disco was Disney's belated attempt to cash in on the disco craze; mixing original songs with club versions of Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah and Chim Chim Cher-ee. And if you think that's weird, wait until you hear Macho Macho Duck - a tribute to Donald Fauntleroy Duck in the style of the Village People's hit Macho Macho Man - which features the lyric: "Ladies love to touch his uniform". I swear I'm not making this up. Long out of print, the album is being pressed onto black vinyl for Record Store Day. Otis Redding - Just Do It One More Time! (Live at Monterey) "I'm pretty sure I'd just seen God on stage," said The Grateful Dead's Bob Weir, after watching Otis Redding at the Monterey International Pop Festival in 1967. "Otis looked to be 12 or 14 feet tall, stalking the lip of the stage like a caged tiger, just shooting lighting and sparks. He was amazing." Redding's scorching five-song set has been cleaned up and remastered for this release - featuring Shake, Respect ("a song that a girl took away from me"), I've Been Loving You Too Long, Satisfaction, and Try a Little Tenderness, The marbled vinyl LP also includes opening performances by Booker T and the MGs, and the Mar-Key Horns. Prince - The Versace Experience The Versace Experience is the most expensive cassette ever sold at the online music marketplace Discogs, fetching $4,087 (£3,075) back in 2016. A rare, one-off release, it was originally given away to guests at Versace's Paris Fashion Week show in the summer of 1995. It features edits and remixes of tracks from Prince's Gold Experience album including P Control, Gold and Shhh, some of which never released anywhere else, alongside material from side-projects like the New Power Generation and jazz-fusion band Madhouse. Like the original, this release is only being issued on cassette. Trembling Bells - I Am The King Psychedelic Glaswegian folk band Trembling Bells are using Record Store Day to announce their split, issuing one final EP as their swan song. "After 10 years of being in a band which has felt more like a family, these are the final two statements from Trembling Bells," said drummer and founder member Alex Neilson. The band's final two songs are I Am The King and Medusas "which sounds like it's a Greek myth but is actually about jelly fish". On the b-side are two songs Neilson recorded under his solo pseudonym Alex Rex, in tribute to his younger brother, Alastair, who died in his sleep last year. "I dream about him regularly," said the singer. "In one of my dreams we sang the Night Visiting Song [originally by Luke Kelly] together as a way of saying goodbye and to induce his passage into the world beyond." Bob Dylan - Blood On The Tracks (Original New York Test Pressing) It's easy to forget that, when Blood On The Tracks was released in early 1975, Bob Dylan's career had been on the slide for almost a decade. Maybe that's why, months before it was released, the star pressed up a test-run of the album to play to friends and family. As legend has it, his brother David Zimmerman wasn't keen on the album, and convinced Dylan to re-record five of the songs - Tangled Up in Blue; You're a Big Girl; Idiot Wind; Lily, Rosemary and the Jack of Hearts; and If You See Her, Say Hello - in order to brighten up the stark, confessional album. The advice paid off: Blood On The Tracks is widely considered to be Dylan's best work. Only five copies of that test pressing survived... but it's now getting a full vinyl re-release for Record Store Day, duplicated from the original disc. Bananarama - Remixed Just to prove Record Store Day isn't just for depressed managers having a mid-life crisis, here's Bananarama, with the first in a forthcoming series of remix albums. This volume contains a strobing disco mix of the band's debut single Aie A Mwana, Tom Moulton's classic eight-minute reconstruction of Cruel Summer; and two brand-new versions of their smash hit Venus. The Nanas are also putting out their 2000s albums Drama and Viva on vinyl for the first time. Nichelle Nichols - Know What I Mean / Why Don't You Do Right? Nichelle Nichols was a singer long before she became Star Trek's Lieutenant Uhura, touring with both Lionel Hampton and Duke Ellington in the 1950s. Her first single for Epic Records, Know What I Mean, was released in 1967 and although it wasn't a commercial success, it's become a collector's item for Northern Soul fans, with original copies changing hands for £250. Written by Floyd 'Everybody Wants To Be A Cat' Huddleston, it's a cheeky soul stomper that features the unforgettable line: "I ain't about to part with all my home-made fudge." Bingo Hand Job - Live at Borderline REM never toured in support of their multi-million-selling album Out Of Time - but they did play two secret shows at London's Borderline Club the week it came out, under the name Bingo Hand Job ("sanitised for your protection," read a sign outside the venue). Tapes of the show were bootleg gold throughout the 1990s, but now a recording of the second night is being officially released for the first time. The two-disc album will include live versions of Losing My Religion, The One I Love, Half A World Away and Radio Song, alongside covers of Tom's Diner, Love Is All Around and Moon River. Sadly, Stinky (Michael Stipe), Raoul (Peter Buck), Ophelia (Mike Mills) and The Doc (Bill Berry) had already disowned Shiny Happy People, so it gets left off the setlist. 😞 The Mighty Boosh - Complete Radio Series "The Mighty Boosh are a million miles from Radio 4," said the BBC's commissioners when Noel Fielding and Julian Barratt first proposed their fantastical, anarchic series in 1999. Thankfully they persevered, and the nation was introduced to the zoo-based antics of Howard Moon and Vince Noir. Most of the episodes were reworked for the duo's subsequent TV show, but there's a subtle thrill to hearing these early, embryonic versions - on a three-disc, paint-spattered album, for some reason. Duran Duran - As The Lights Go Down In 1984, at the height of their fame, Duran Duran played to 150,000 people over three nights at California's Oakland Coliseum. The concerts were filmed for TV specials that aired around the globe, but were never officially released... until now. The 11-track record includes live versions of Girls On Film, Is There Something I Should Know and Save A Prayer - which Simon Le Bon dedicated to Marvin Gaye, who had been shot dead days earlier. "I rarely look back over my shoulder but listening to the mastered version of this album, it motivated us to recently play the song The Seventh Stranger for the first time since 1984," said keyboard player Nick Rhodes. "Things only got stranger because when we rehearsed it sounded the same as when we wrote it and when we last performed it… I think this record captures the spirit of who Duran Duran were then and still reflects who we are now." Further listening Al Green and Aretha Franklin are releasing box sets of their classic 1960s singles. Courtney Barnett will treat fans to an exclusive new song, Everybody Here Hates You. The first anniversary of Mark E Smith's death will be marked with five previously-unreleased live albums by The Fall. The sci-fi soundtrack to Black Mirror's USS Callister episode is being released in a limited run of 1,000 LPs. Pop star Robyn releases a white vinyl EP collecting songs from her Body Talk trilogy, including a previously-unreleased acoustic version of Stars 4-Ever. Bastille issue volume four of their Other People's Heartache EP on vinyl. The Wedding Present's "lost" 1988 single Davni Chasy finally sees the light of day, ahead of the 30 year anniversary re-release of The Complete Ukrainian John Peel Sessions. Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.

कभी बेबी शार्क को 7 इंच की पिक्चर डिस्क के रूप में लेना चाहते थे? या शेक्सपियर की बहन का लाल विनाइल पर चौथा एल्बम?


India election 2019: 22-26 April the week that was

Summary: India has entered full election mode: voting began on 11 April, and the final ballot will be cast more than five weeks later on 19 May. Every day, the BBC will be bringing you all the latest updates on the twists and turns of the world's largest democracy.

On Friday, Narendra Modi filed his nomination in Varanasi What happened? India Prime Minister Narendra Modi filed his nomination on Friday amid huge crowds. He is contesting from Varanasi constituency in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh. He travelled to the local district office in a procession of cars that stretched for several kilometres. President of the governing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Amit Shah, Home Minister Rajnath Singh and several cabinet ministers joined Mr Modi on the roadshow. Why does this matter? Mr Modi won the seat in 2014 with a huge margin of more than 300,000 votes. There was speculation that opposition parties would field a common candidate to take on the prime minister in the high-profile constituency. But the main opposition Congress party and prominent regional heavyweights like the Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party failed to form a coalition. And on Thursday Congress announced its own candidate for the seat, putting an end to rumours that Priyanka Gandhi herself would run against Mr Modi. Analysts say the triangular contest will help Mr Modi retain the seat. Varanasi is strategically important because the BJP hopes that Mr Modi's campaign there will help the party repeat their thumping win in the 2014 elections when it won 71 out of 80 seats in Uttar Pradesh. On Thursday, Priyanka Gandhi ended speculation that she would run against PM Modi What happened? The main opposition Congress party on Thursday named Ajay Rai to take on Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his Varanasi constituency in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh. The announcement ended weeks of speculation that Priyanka Gandhi, the charismatic sister of Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, was going be the party's candidate for the seat. Mr Modi won the seat by a huge margin of more than 300,000 votes in 2014, ahead of Aam Admi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal. Mr Rai was in the third spot. Why does this matter? Ms Gandhi has always been considered the more popular of the Gandhi siblings with many blaming her brother's "lacklustre leadership" for a string of Congress defeats between 2014 and 2018. In previous elections, she campaigned in Amethi and Rae Bareli - the parliamentary constituencies of her brother and mother, Sonia Gandhi, respectively - and is held in high esteem by voters there. But she formally joined politics only in January after she was appointed the party's general secretary for eastern part of Uttar Pradesh. India votes 2019 Many in the party were hoping that she would be a formidable challenger against Mr Modi. Ms Gandhi herself had hinted that she would contest against the PM if her party asked her to do so. But the Congress' announcement ended the possibility of a so-called "mega contest". The party gained some ground in recent state elections and Mr Gandhi's stock has risen, but Congress still faces a tough challenge to beat the BJP and regain power. On Wednesday, Bollywood star Akshay Kumar interviewed PM Modi What happened? Prime Minister Narendra Modi sat down with Bollywood star Akshay Kumar for a "candid" interview, where the two discussed everything - except politics. It's unclear when the interview actually took place but it aired on the ANI television channel on Wednesday. It was filmed at the prime minister's residence in Delhi. The "completely non-political" - as Kumar put it - conversation led to jokes on Twitter and #ModiwthAskhay was one of the top trends in India. Why does this matter? It's surprising because Mr Modi is known to avoid spontaneous interactions with the media. Televised interviews have been rare; and he has not held a single press conference in his five years as prime minister. The casual tone aside, the interview was not really freewheeling because Kumar steered clear of anything remotely political or controversial. And it spawned some snarky humour on Twitter. We learnt a few new things about the otherwise reticent Mr Modi - he "enjoys" watching memes on himself; former US president Barack Obama repeatedly advised him to sleep longer; his very own remedy for a cold involves fasting for two days and putting mustard oil in his nostrils; and West Bengal chief minister and arch rival Mamata Banerjee sends him sweets and kurtas every year. He also said he had never aspired to be prime minister; instead he wanted to join the army and "serve the nation". One user commented on how Mr Modi appeared to have narrated his biography to Kumar considering the Election Commission had held back the release of a biopic on him during the election. Mr Modi is, of course, hugely popular so there were also those who enjoyed the interview. On Tuesday, Shah Rukh Khan urged fans to vote in a music video What happened? Well, Prime Minister Narendra Modi put out a barrage of tweets on 13 March asking famous Indians to "creatively" encourage voting. And Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan obliged...on Monday, some five weeks later. He said he was sorry for the delay - but Mr Modi did ask for "creativity". The Indian election kicked off on 11 April but it's so long - it's staggered over five weeks - that Khan's appeal to voters may still work. Why is this important? Khan is a huge celebrity in India and one of the few that did not immediately respond to Mr Modi's string of tweets in March. So his tweet on Monday, although late, quickly made news. And Mr Modi was certainly impressed. It's worth mentioning that the prime minister had gone all out when he tweeted at celebrities, even channelling his inner Bollywood. Our personal favourite is the tweet in which he punned on the iconic tagline from the early noughties Bollywood blockbuster Kabhi Kushi Kabhie Gham: "It's all about loving your family." He tagged the film's two male leads, Khan and Amitabh Bachchan, and its director Karan Johar, and ended with "It's all about loving your... democracy". On Monday, any chance of a Congress-AAP alliance was doomed... What happened? The main opposition Congress party named its candidates for six out of seven parliamentary seats in Delhi, ending the possibility of a coalition with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). The AAP, which is the ruling party in the Delhi legislative assembly, and the Congress had earlier talked about forming an alliance to fight Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). But with the Congress going ahead with its list, we will now see a three-cornered contest in Delhi. The Congress named former Delhi Chief Minister, Sheila Dikshit, as its candidate for the North East Delhi seat. Why is this important? The AAP and the Congress both oppose the BJP, and analysts say a coalition would have avoided the splitting of opposition votes in Delhi. But both parties couldn't agree to a seat sharing agreement. The first signs that their talks were failing came when Congress President Rahul Gandhi accused Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal of making a U-turn in a tweet on 15 April. In response, Mr Kejriwal had tweeted: "What U-Turn? The talks were still on. Your tweet shows that having an alliance is not your wish. I am saddened by your comment. Today it is important to save the country from the threat of Modi-Shah [BJP chief Amit Shah]. It is unfortunate that in UP [Uttar Pradesh state] and other states you are helping Modi by splitting the anti-Modi vote." ...And PM Modi's 'nuclear button' remark sparked outrage What happened? At a rally in the northern state of Rajasthan on Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi referred to India's nuclear arsenal, sparking a storm on social media. "Pakistan keeps threatening us every now and then by saying, 'We have a nuclear button'. Even if they do, they should know that India also has one. Do they think our button is for Diwali?" the PM said. Diwali is a Hindu festival of lights and firecrackers. India is no longer scared of "Pakistan's threats", he added. He also attacked the main opposition Congress party, saying that they were unable to curb terrorism when they were in power. "It is the Congress that has weakened the country. The BJP, however, is in a process to strengthen it," he said. Why is this important? Mr Modi and the governing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have drawn flak for including India's recent strikes in Pakistan in their election campaign. Earlier this month, a row erupted over a letter from retired military officers urging President Ram Nath Kovind to ensure that political parties do not use the armed forces to "further their political agendas". Mr Modi has made national security the BJP's number one campaign plank ahead of the vote, continuously accusing the Congress of being weak on terrorism. National security has traditionally never been an election issue in India, but some analysts say that this strategy by the BJP could help galvanise voters and boost the party's chances. But Mr Modi's remarks prompted outrage on Twitter, with many calling them "flippant" and "unfortunate". Coverage from previous weeks: How do you vote in the election? Here's a video explaining everything that happens inside a polling station - and what happens to your vote after that: Ask a question

भारत पूर्ण चुनाव मोड में प्रवेश कर गया हैः मतदान 11 अप्रैल को शुरू हुआ, और अंतिम मतदान पांच सप्ताह से अधिक समय बाद 19 मई को किया जाएगा। हर दिन, बीबीसी आपके लिए दुनिया के सबसे बड़े लोकतंत्र के मोड़ और मोड़ पर सभी नवीनतम अपडेट लाएगा।


Retired priest faces trial over abuse claims

Summary: A former Catholic priest charged with sexually abusing children in the 1970s and 80s is set to stand trial.

Father Paul Moore, 81, who worked in Ayrshire, is also accused of abusing a student priest in the 1990s. He is accused of committing offences on boys aged between five or six and 13 at various locations, including at a primary school and Irvine beach. At the High Court in Glasgow, he denied all the charges. Fr Moore is due to go on trial in December.

1970 और 80 के दशक में बच्चों के यौन शोषण के आरोप में एक पूर्व कैथोलिक पादरी पर मुकदमा चलाया जाना तय है।