Could plant-based plastics help tackle waste pollution?

Summary: We know that plastic waste is a big problem for the planet - our oceans are becoming clogged with the stuff and we're rapidly running out of landfill sites. Only 9% is recycled. Burning it contributes to greenhouse gas emissions and global warming. So could plant-based alternatives and better recycling provide an answer?

By Suzanne BearneTechnology of Business reporter We have grown to rely on plastic - it's hardwearing and versatile and much of our modern economy depends on it. And for many current uses there are simply no commercially viable biodegradable alternatives. The humble single-use drinking straw is a case in point. Primaplast, a leading plastic straw manufacturer, says "greener" alternatives cost a hundred times more to make. Takeaway coffee cups are another example. In the UK alone we throw away around 2.5 billion of them every year, many of us thinking that they are recyclable when they're not, due to a layer of polyethylene that makes the cup waterproof. One company trying to change this is Biome Bioplastics, which has developed a fully compostable and recyclable cup using natural materials such as potato starch, corn starch, and cellulose, the main constituent of plant cell walls. Most traditional plastics are made from oil. "Many consumers buy their cups in good faith, thinking they can be recycled," says Paul Mines, the firm's chief executive. "But most single-use containers are made from cardboard bonded with plastic, which makes them unsuitable for recycling. And the lids are most often made of polystyrene, which is currently not widely recycled in the UK and ends up in a landfill." The company has created a plant-based plastic - called a bioplastic - that is fully biodegradable and also disposable either in a paper recycling or food waste bin. Mr Mines believes it's the first time a bioplastic has been made for disposable cups and lids that can cope with hot liquids but which is fully compostable and recyclable. The cup isn't yet on the market, but Mr Mines says he is in talks with a number of retailers. "It's not feasible to get rid of plastics completely," says Mr Mines, "but instead replace some of the petroleum-based plastic for biopolymers derived from plant-based sources." Plenty of other companies and research institutes, such as Full Cycle Bioplastics, Elk Packaging and VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, are working on similar biopolymer solutions that are more environmentally friendly but equally functional as conventional plastic. And Toby McCartney's firm MacRebur has developed a road surface material made from an asphalt mix and pellets of recycled plastic. The plastic mix replaces much of the oil-based bitumen traditionally used in road building. "What we are doing is solving two world problems with one simple solution - the problems we see with the waste plastic epidemic, and the poor quality of the potholed roads we drive on today," claims Mr McCartney. Since its launch two years ago, the Lockerbie-based firm's hybrid material has been used to build roads across the UK, from Penrith to Gloucestershire. More than five trillion pieces of plastic are floating in our oceans, by some estimates, much of which can take up to 1,000 years to degrade fully. As it breaks up over time, tiny pieces end up being eaten marine creatures. Scientists are particularly worried about the threat to larger filter feeders, such as sharks, whales and rays. Toxins in the plastics pose a serious health risk to them, they warn. Plastic waste has even reached the Arctic. So governments and businesses are starting to act. The UK has committed to eliminating all avoidable plastic waste by 2042, while France has introduced a ban on single-use plastic bags. Norway has been operating a plastic bottle deposit scheme for decades - shoppers receive one krone (9p) back when they deposit a bottle in a collection machine. The UK is considering following suit. And supermarkets are trying to reduce the amount of packaging they use, with Tesco aiming for all of it to be recyclable or compostable by 2025. But one of the problems with plastics is that many are not easily recyclable. Over in San Jose, California, Jeanny Yao and Miranda Wang, both 23, are focusing on tackling plastics bags and product packaging that is too difficult to recycle. "Such plastics are heavily contaminated and cannot be recycled by state-of-the-art mechanical recycling," explains Ms Wang. Their start-up BioCellection breaks down these unrecyclable plastics into chemicals that can be used as raw materials for a variety of products, from ski jackets to car parts. "We have identified a catalyst that cuts open polymer chains to trigger a smart chain reaction," she explains. "Once the polymer is broken into pieces with fewer than 10 carbon atoms, oxygen from the air adds to the chain and forms valuable organic acid species that can be harvested, purified, and used to make products we love." More Technology of Business Helen Bird of charity Waste Recycling Action Programme (Wrap) thinks businesses need to be encouraged to used less coloured plastic, as it's far harder to recycle. "As a rule of thumb, the clearer the plastic, the greater the opportunity of being recycled into another product or packaging," she says. Governments need to encourage business to use recyclable packaging and to label it clearly for customers, she argues. In our throwaway society, there haven't been many financial incentives to develop alternative compostable materials. And the idea that we are suddenly going to wean ourselves off oil-based plastics is fanciful, most experts agree. "In the next few decades, the global middle class is expected to double," says Ms Wang. "Although we can develop more compostable plastics, there is no way we can stop consuming plastics, which have properties that no other material on earth has." While awareness of the plastic waste issue is clearly growing, no-one is claiming there's an easy answer to the problem. Technology of Business will examine how business is reacting to the growing governmental and societal pressure for more sustainable plastics in future articles.

हम जानते हैं कि प्लास्टिक कचरा ग्रह के लिए एक बड़ी समस्या है-हमारे महासागर सामान से भरे हुए हैं और हम तेजी से लैंडफिल साइटों से बाहर हो रहे हैं। केवल 9 प्रतिशत का पुनर्चक्रण किया जाता है। इसे जलाने से ग्रीनहाउस गैस उत्सर्जन और ग्लोबल वार्मिंग में योगदान होता है। तो क्या पौधे आधारित विकल्प और बेहतर पुनर्चक्रण एक जवाब दे सकता है?


Who are the Young Fathers?

Summary: On Wednesday night, Edinburgh-based trio Young Fathers won the Mercury Prize - cue a social media chorus of people saying the prize was well-deserved, and a few honest souls admitting they'd never heard of them before.

By Alicia QueiroBBC Scotland It's a forgivable offence, as the band has sold less than 2,500 copies of the winning record, Dead, to date. As the BBC's Colin Paterson put it: "Almost no-one owns this album." But the Young Fathers beat 14-1 odds and competition from Damon Albarn, Bombay Bicycle Club and favourite FKA Twigs to win the £20,000 prize. So, who are they? The band is comprised of Alloysious Massaquoi, originally from Liberia, Graham 'G' Hastings, from Drylaw in Edinburgh, and Scots-born Kayus Bankole, whose parents are Nigerian. They officially formed in 2008, after meeting in an under-18s hip-hop night at The Bongo Club in Edinburgh, when they were just 14. The night was part of a pulsing Edinburgh hip-hop scene, which the club's manager Ally Hill describes as "a chaotic swarm of energy and creativity". "I did a wee dance when I heard them win," he told the BBC. "Great for Edinburgh, great for the Edinburgh hip-hop scene, great for the guys themselves... Everybody likes them." After they met on the dance floor, the boys agreed to start making music together. "We started recording when we were younger and ever since then we've just been family really," Hastings told the BBC's Colin Paterson after their win. A few years after forming, they recorded Tape One - a self-produced EP made in one week and ready to release within two. The BBC's Zane Lowe and Vic Galloway are fans, and Young Fathers made weekly shows for 1Xtra throughout October 2013. They've toured the US, UK and Europe, with pit-stops in Australia, Japan and Russia. The Mercury Prize isn't their first accolade. In June, the group won Scottish Album of the Year - another £20,000 prize - for their EP Tape Two, which earned them the interest of their American record label Anticon. What do they sound like? Though the media have made noble efforts to pin down their sound to one genre - invariably hip-hop - their music sidesteps classification. "It's not strictly hip-hop and none of us are that bothered or have any loyalty to hip-hop," said Hastings. "We didn't ever want to be a band that is one genre… the three of us bonded over putting things together that wouldn't usually go together." It may just be this fresh approach that won them the Mercury Prize. According to Simon Frith, who chaired this year's Mercury judging panel: "Young Fathers have a unique take on urban British music, brimming with ideas - forceful, unexpected and moving." What's next? The band is now signed to Big Dada and are working on their next album. For now, they're looking forward to the wider audience that the reward will bring. "We've never been a band that's wanting to be underground," Hastings said after winning the prize. "We go in the studio and do what we want on our terms and then selfishly want everybody to hear it. So for us, the more people that hear us, that's all we ever wish for."

बुधवार की रात को, एडिनबर्ग स्थित तिकड़ी यंग फादर्स ने मरकरी पुरस्कार जीता-लोगों के एक सोशल मीडिया कोरस का संकेत देते हुए कहा कि पुरस्कार अच्छी तरह से योग्य था, और कुछ ईमानदार आत्माओं ने स्वीकार किया कि उन्होंने उनके बारे में पहले कभी नहीं सुना था।


Life and soul of the Mars party

Summary: The community of Glenelg in the Scottish Highlands has twinned itself with Glenelg on Mars. BBC News Scotland online sampled Saturday's party atmosphere. It was only a matter of time before someone asked the question.

By Steven McKenzieBBC Scotland Highlands and Islands reporter "Are there any aliens on Mars?" said a boy somewhere in the crowded marquee erected on a small football pitch in Glenelg. Doug McCuistion, director of Nasa's Mars exploration programme, smiled before answering. "Well, that's what we hope to find out: that Mars was once able to support life." McCuistion, who had hoped to be in the west Highland community of about 280 people in person, addressed the gathering via a satellite link from the US. Many of the 500 folk who had bought tickets for the celebrations had got into the spirit of things. They wore alien antenna hair bands. Glitter from the sparkly balls wobbling above their heads soon covered hair and clothes like fallen stars. McCuistion took more questions and his answers revealed many facts about the Mars rover, Curiosity, and the Red Planet: •The rover could have enough power to last 20 years. •It suffered no damage in the landing •Mars' red colour is caused by oxidisation of iron in the soil •The Martian day lasts 24 hours and 45 minutes •It snows on Mars and scientists have observed water-based and CO2-based snow •3.5-4 billion years ago it once rained just as it was over Earth-bound Glenelg on Saturday •By the 2030s or 2040s, McCuistion believes humans will land on the Red Planet and take Curiosity back to Earth and hand it to a museum McCuistion said Glenelg on Mars was a "very important site" because of what appeared to be unusual geology that Nasa scientists are eager to investigate. He praised Ross-shire's Glenelg for having the imagination and determination to pull off a celebration of Curiosity reaching its namesake on another planet. Those gathered in the marquee watching McCuistion on a plasma TV applauded loudly. Prof John Brown, Astronomer Royal Scotland and a resident of Skye, which lies just across the Kylerhea Straits from Glenelg, was the event's compere. When not enthusing the crowd about astronomy he was entertaining it with magic tricks. Prof Brown introduced the celebrations' headline act - former Nasa astronaut Bonnie Dunbar. The farm girl from Washington State worked as an engineer on Nasa space shuttles and has made five flights into space. She gave a potted history of her childhood and career. Dunbar's paternal grandfather left Dundee for America in 1909 and her grandmother a few years later from Gardenstown in Banffshire. The pair met at baseball game in Oregon. Their granddaughter Bonnie grew up with Jules Verne and HG Wells' stories. However, a science fiction book published in 1945 by Scotsman John Keir Cross had a huge impact on her. Cross's children's novel, The Angry Planet, tells of two boys and a girl stowing themselves away on a spaceship from Pitlochry to Mars. During her talk, Dunbar praised the record of the now retired space shuttle vehicle and said she hoped to debunk suggestions the 1969 Moon Landing was faked. Dunbar, who is retired but still works on occasions for Nasa on strategy for exploration, said she hoped youngsters in the audience would become the engineers and scientists of the future who would help humans get to Mars. As McCuisition and Dunbar did, Prof Brown praised the west Highland Glenelg's gumption to twin itself with the one on Mars. There are also Glenelgs in Ontario, Canada, and Adelaide, Australia. Even if those other Glenelgs had tried to do the same they would have struggled to match the hospitality and imagination of the Scottish one. It had provided performers dressed as blue aliens who blew bubbles and played the bagpipes. There was also a race-against-the clock competition using a replica rover built by enthusiasts from Shetland, a memory card with a message from The Sky at Night's Sir Patrick Moore and a Tartan Martian Ceilidh with cocktails called Red Planet and Little Green Men. Glenelg resident and writer, Eddie Stiven, summed it up. He said even if Curiosity made the startling discovery of a pub on Mars it could in no way compare to one in Highland Glenelg - it would have no atmosphere.

स्कॉटिश हाइलैंड्स में ग्लेनेल्ग के समुदाय ने मंगल ग्रह पर ग्लेनेल्ग के साथ खुद को जोड़ा है। बीबीसी न्यूज़ स्कॉटलैंड ऑनलाइन ने शनिवार के पार्टी के माहौल का नमूना लिया। किसी के सवाल पूछने से पहले यह केवल कुछ समय की बात थी।


Coronavirus: Greater Manchester buses, trams, and trains to be cut

Summary: Public transport services in Greater Manchester are to be cut as more people reduce their journeys in line with government advice to curb coronavirus.

Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) said bus, train and tram services will be reduced because passenger numbers are falling. TfGM customer director Stephen Rhodes said: "This is a dynamic situation which we are monitoring continually." Elsewhere, Jodrell Bank Observatory in Cheshire is suspending public visits.

ग्रेटर मैनचेस्टर में सार्वजनिक परिवहन सेवाओं में कटौती की जानी है क्योंकि कोरोनावायरस पर अंकुश लगाने के लिए सरकार की सलाह के अनुसार अधिक लोग अपनी यात्रा कम कर रहे हैं।


Buxton man avoids jail over drugs offences

Summary: A man who ran a small but "determined" operation selling drugs has been handed an 18-month suspended jail sentence.

Derby Crown Court heard Daniel Hibberts sold GHB to some friends in his kitchen at his home on Williamson Avenue in Buxton, Derbyshire, on 20 July to fund his own use. The 41-year-old admitted nine offences, including supplying a Class C substance and possessing a Taser. Two previous charges of rape against him were discontinued by the court. Follow BBC East Midlands on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Send your story ideas to eastmidsnews@bbc.co.uk.

ड्रग्स बेचने वाला एक छोटा लेकिन "दृढ़" ऑपरेशन चलाने वाले व्यक्ति को 18 महीने की निलंबित जेल की सजा सुनाई गई है।


Disappointed astronomers battle on

Summary: The fightback has begun. As soon as it became known on Wednesday that a mission to Jupiter's icy moons was in pole position to become the next big European space venture, proponents of rival concepts were on the web campaigning to try to change the outcome.

Jonathan AmosScience correspondent@BBCAmoson Twitter The European Space Agency's executive has recommended to member states that Juice (JUpiter ICy moon Explorer) be declared the winner in the competition to find a billion-euro mission to launch in 2022. The news is a bitter blow to the teams behind other proposals. It's not just the deflation of coming second. It's also the thought of all the work that went into the proposals (five years) and the prospect that none of the promised science will be realised. But never say never. Prof Paul Nandra is from the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics in Garching, Germany, with a visiting position at Imperial College London, UK. He's a key mover behind Athena, the project to build the largest X-ray space telescope the world has ever seen - the absolute maximum size you could fit on the top of a mighty Ariane 5 rocket, something like 13m in length. Athena would have the sensitivity and resolution to elucidate the extraordinary and extreme physics at the edge of a black hole like no other mission before it. Prof Nandra heard officially on Tuesday that Juice had pipped his project for the recommendation. On Wednesday, he set up a campaign site to get the world's astronomers to weigh in behind Athena in the hope - even at this late stage - of a different outcome to the competition. He sent an email to a core list of Athena supporters at 15:30 CEST (14:30 BST) and in less than five hours he had 640 astronomers signed up, including more than 110 professors. "It was obviously disappointing to hear the news, given how hard we'd worked and how strong a case we feel we made. We just felt we needed to do something about it, to keep on making that case. I recognise it's an uphill struggle but the final decision is not made until it's made, so to speak," says Prof Nandra. But what chance really is there of a different outcome? Esa has a process. When it calls for mission ideas, it whittles down the many brilliant proposals it receives on the advice of specialist scientific panels. The different disciplines review the best concepts in their areas of expertise, before pushing their thoughts up to a super panel (the Space Science Advisory Committee) to pick the most meritorious suggestion from across the board. Esa's executive reviews the decision to check the chosen concept: If those conditions are met, it then passes its recommendation on to member states for the final say. The decision-making body (the Science Programme Committee), due to meet on 2 May, is sovereign and can decide what it believes is best. It could go against the painstaking process that has taken five years to produce a result, but no-one I've spoken to really expects that to happen. The setback for Athena is not just a setback for X-ray astronomy; it's a setback for the wider science. The funding agencies plan a suite of next-generation facilities to examine the outstanding questions in astronomy across the electromagnetic spectrum, with most becoming operational in the 2020 timeframe: X-rays will be the glaring omission. "Athena would give us unique information about the Universe that you can't acquire any other way. While everyone is somewhat parochial in advocating their own wavelength range, the idea that you would be missing something entirely really resonates with the community. I think that's why we've got so many people signing up to support us from across astrophysics," says Prof Nandra. If Juice is indeed selected as Europe's next big thing, it should launch in 2022. The great distance to the gas giant means it will not arrive at the Jovian System until 2030. And here's the splendid irony. The Athena team will re-enter its proposal in the follow-on Esa competition which is expected to call for ideas next year. The winner would probably get a launch slot in 2028. So, even if Prof Nandra and colleagues cannot get the SPC to do an about-turn, there's still a possibility their dream will realise its science before we get pictures of those icy moons from Juice.

लड़ाई शुरू हो गई है। जैसे ही बुधवार को यह पता चला कि बृहस्पति के बर्फीले चंद्रमाओं के लिए एक मिशन अगले बड़े यूरोपीय अंतरिक्ष उद्यम बनने के लिए ध्रुव स्थिति में था, प्रतिद्वंद्वी अवधारणाओं के समर्थक परिणाम को बदलने की कोशिश करने के लिए ऑनलाइन अभियान चला रहे थे।


Work begins on a new foul water pumping station

Summary: Work has begun on the installation of a new foul water pumping station at L'Eree on Guernsey's west coast.

The facility is part of an extensive scheme being carried out by Guernsey Water to connect more properties to the island's 'main drain' sewer system. Similar stations will be installed under the Network Extension Programme, eventually allowing properties in Torteval to be connected. The work at L'Eree will cost about £1.4m. The figure includes the installation of pipelines and the construction of the station, which will be positioned mostly underground. The work means the northern half of the L'Eree car park has been closed, and recycling facilities moved to the southern end.

ग्वेर्नसे के पश्चिमी तट पर एल 'ईरी में एक नए अशुद्ध जल पम्पिंग स्टेशन की स्थापना पर काम शुरू हो गया है।


Man charged over Benfleet cable theft attempt

Summary: A 43-year-old has been charged over an attempted cable theft in Essex in which his suspected accomplice died.

Police alerted to a power failure in the Benfleet area found the man's body by a rail line on 27 June. It is believed he was electrocuted. Mark Bradshaw has been charged with endangering rail passengers and the attempted theft of electrical cable. Mr Bradshaw, 43, of Canvey, is due before Southend magistrates on 12 November.

एसेक्स में एक 43 वर्षीय व्यक्ति पर केबल चोरी के प्रयास का आरोप लगाया गया है जिसमें उसके संदिग्ध साथी की मौत हो गई थी।


Charges at new Pen y Fan, Brecon Beacons car park

Summary: Walkers climbing Pen y Fan in the Brecon Beacons will soon have to pay to park after the National Trust won permission to build a new car park.

The trust will expand the existing 50-space car park at Pont ar Daf near Storey Arms to include 260 bays. In 2016, 115 drivers who parked on the A470 to visit the national park's highest peak during snow were fined. The new site will also have electric car charging points and a dedicated space for mountain rescuers. More than 350,000 people visit Pen y Fan every year but the trust said the current limited parking facilities in the area had caused "acute strains". As well as paid for parking spaces, it will have time-limited free bays for those using the toilets, as well as bays for disabled users, minibuses, coaches and cyclists.

नेशनल ट्रस्ट द्वारा एक नया कार पार्क बनाने की अनुमति प्राप्त करने के बाद ब्रेकन बीकन में पेन वाई फैन पर चढ़ने वाले पैदल चलने वालों को जल्द ही पार्क करने के लिए भुगतान करना होगा।


Omaha Sketchbook by Gregory Halpern

Summary: The American photographer Gregory Halpern has been photographing the city of Omaha in Nebraska for more than 15 years.

His work is collected together in a book and exhibition entitled Omaha Sketchbook. Working with photographic film, Halpern constructs scrapbooks from darkroom contact sheets of his work. The work is a personal documentation of masculinity in the city, The work will be on show at the Huxley-Parlour Gallery gallery in London until 12 October, and the book is available from the publishers MACK. All photographs Gregory Halpern, courtesy of Huxley-Parlour Gallery.

अमेरिकी फोटोग्राफर ग्रेगरी हैल्पर्न 15 साल से अधिक समय से नेब्रास्का के ओमाहा शहर की तस्वीरें ले रहे हैं।


'I worried about making mistakes': Your stories

Summary: Senior nurses have spoken out against the increasing number of patients each nurse is expected to look after. Frequently, a nurse now looks after a minimum of eight patients which, according to the Safe Staffing Alliance is too many.

The Alliance says that the high ratio means that mistakes are made and that nurses are under too much pressure. Medical professionals and patients have told the BBC News website about their experiences. In some cases, we have not used real names. Sian, Guildford, UK I have worked on wards where there is one nurse to six patients, and wards where there is one nurse to up to 15 patients. There is a big difference in patient care. When caring for just six patients I was able to give good quality, individualised care. I could remember the name, age and diagnoses of each patient. I knew who their family were and I knew their likes and dislikes. When I had 10 patients my knowledge of each patient was only superficial. Drug-rounds took longer. I was only able to review the vital signs recorded by the healthcare assistant rather than performing them myself, meaning abnormal readings took longer to be picked up. There is clear evidence saying more nurses would provide better care. It may be more expensive initially, but more timely intervention and closer monitoring would reduce adverse incidents and shorten length of stay for patients. A less stressed and more fulfilled workforce would reduce staff turnover rates and sickness. This would save money. Dave, Coventry, UK I don't think that the nurse to patient ratio is the issue here. I think it's about the nursing culture and about how departments are managed. When my nine-year-old son recently visited hospital suffering with a broken wrist, we were in the hospital for hours. I watched the nurses' station whilst I was waiting for my son to be seen. Eight nurses were on shift and four of them stood chatting around a desk. At one point they even showed off each other's nails. They weren't doing paperwork or talking to patients. When they dealt with us, they were brilliant. They were very professional and attentive but there was a lot of down-time. We had to go back to the same hospital for surgery as my son's bone needed to be reset. It was a shambles. We were sent from one department to another. Every time we turned up at another area, a nurse had to take the time to help us. If the hospital's departments had better communications, then the nurses' time could be spent looking after patients rather than answering questions from patient's carers, like me. Alison, Bristol, UK I came into nursing because I wanted to care for patients, but it's not uncommon for me to have 14 patients to look after. It's impossible to care properly. Paperwork is seen as the most important thing I must do. I can never do my drug-round without constant interruptions and I could potentially kill someone with a mistake. I have patients in wet beds and patients in pain, who do I go to first? I see patients food put in front of them and taken away because they can't feed themselves. The patients and relatives are unhappy with me and I go home late always and sometimes in tears. It has got worse recently. We have got so much paperwork to do. And the stress of the job has increased since we've had to make savings. All nurses I know feel the same but we daren't say anything. We know that if we complain, our card will be marked and it will only be a matter of time before we lose our job. James, Sheffield, UK I've been working as a hospital doctor for over six years and from what I have experienced I don't think the ratios have changed. But I definitely think the workload for nurses has and that's why they are under more pressure now. A lot of nurses have been promoted into management. They are then replaced with junior staff and so wards are losing experienced team members which can slow things down. Nurses are also stretched now because of the amount of paperwork they have to do. I see nurses staying at least an hour after their shift has finished just to catch up on form-filling. Also, there have been changes to the nursing role which has impacted on patient care. Nurses now perform basic junior doctor work such as taking blood. More is expected of them and that takes time. They then have less time to devote to patients. Eric, Tucson, USA Before I became a Registered Nurse (RN), I worked in what was essentially a retirement home. During the day, I had 28 patients and at night I had 56. Everybody was over-expended and I could barely do my work. It was always a struggle to reach minimum expectations. Medication mistakes are more likely to happen with a high number of patients to look after. I was also incredibly stressed. All I did was work. It's just not good for the patients or the nurses. As soon as I was qualified, I went to work for a company which maintains a 4:1 nursing ratio. This was not because I wanted an easy place to work, but because I wanted to provide full and adequate care. Now I feel like a have support. I feel good about the care I give. I do a good job but only because I have time to do it.

वरिष्ठ नर्सों ने रोगियों की बढ़ती संख्या के खिलाफ बात की है कि प्रत्येक नर्स से देखभाल की उम्मीद की जाती है। अक्सर, एक नर्स अब कम से कम आठ रोगियों की देखभाल करती है, जो कि सेफ स्टाफिंग एलायंस के अनुसार बहुत अधिक है।


Bloodhound diary: The '1,000mph genome'

Summary: RAF fighter pilot Andy Green intends to get behind the wheel of a car that is capable of reaching 1,000mph (1,610km/h). Powered by a rocket bolted to a Eurofighter-Typhoon jet engine, the Bloodhound car will mount an assault on the land speed record. Wing Cmdr Green is writing a diary for the BBC News Website about his experiences working on the Bloodhound SSC (SuperSonic Car) project and the team's efforts to inspire national interest in science and engineering.

By Andy GreenWorld Land Speed Record Holder A 'BIBLE' FOR ENGINEERS August is normally a really quiet month, where nothing happens because everyone is on holiday. So why were we still so busy, with several commercial deals being discussed? I don't know, but it's a nice problem to have - we must be doing something right. Last month, we did something unique in the history of the World Land Speed Record. We have published all the technical details of our car - before we've even built it. The Vehicle Technical Specification is sort of a 43-page-long "genome of Bloodhound SSC": you could pretty much build one from this information, which is just what we're doing. You won't find a motor racing team or aerospace company sharing this much information: they can't afford to. This sort of access is unique to the land speed record - it's one of Bloodhound's greatest strengths. This information won't help our competitors much, as they are building radically different vehicles. It will help our education programme, though. It gives students a real-time look at the "engineers bible" for building a 1,000 mph car, which we'll update as we go along. Once again, Ron Ayers (our aerodynamics and performance guru) has come up with a brilliant observation. We have chosen a V-shaped keel profile for the wheels of the car and the aerodynamic analysis shows that these wheels will reduce the drag of the vehicle by several percent. So what? We can already reach 1,000mph with our current drag estimates. But as Ron pointed out, if we have some drag "to spare", then we can use it to widen the rear-wheel track, increasing the roll-over stability of the car. This further improves Bloodhound SSC's safety margins, so it gets my vote. Well done (again), Ron! One of the most common questions about Bloodhound is "what about the G forces on the driver?" As the Royal Air Force's Chief Research Medical Officer Wing Commander Nic Green says: 'These effects are likely to be quite uncomfortable, physically tiring and potentially distracting'. As a Royal Air Force fighter pilot, it's nothing that I haven't seen before, but it's still something to think about. It's also something that the team has been asking about. So last month I invited them to come and try it for themselves in an Extra 300. As a high-performance aerobatic aircraft, the Extra 300 can easily reproduce the -2.3G (acceleration) and +3.3G (deceleration) forces that I'll experience in Bloodhound SSC. However, it's not a comfortable experience and a few of the team were feeling "a bit rough" afterwards. Nic Green's description of "quite uncomfortable" doesn't really do it justice. After flying eight passengers in a row, I'd had enough as well! It was worth doing though - it gave eight of the team a chance to see what Bloodhound SSC's G forces will feel like, and it gave me the confidence that I could drive as many runs as we need. I'm feeling that bit more ready to drive now. Out in South Africa, our track preparation efforts are continuing. We are hugely fortunate to have the support of the Northern Cape Government - with 24 million square metres of track to clear, we need all the help that we can get. We also need to make sure that we are fully compliant with the South African environmental legislation. In 1997, the Thrust SSC team set the current World Land Speed Record in the Black Rock Desert, Nevada. At the end of that year, the team was presented with an environmental award from the US Government, for leaving "cleaner than when we arrived". This is the standard that we must achieve again in South Africa. I had no idea how we were going to approach this challenge, but our track boss, Rudi Riek, has found the perfect people to help. Two South African companies, Terrasoil and EkoInfo, have been surveying Hakskeen Pan to check that a Land Speed Record attempt will not do any environmental damage. While a formal environmental impact assessment will take six months, the initial indications are very positive - from an environmental perspective, South Africa's Northern Cape is the ideal place for the world's first 1,000mph race track.

आरएएफ लड़ाकू पायलट एंडी ग्रीन एक कार के पहिये के पीछे जाने का इरादा रखता है जो 1,000 मील प्रति घंटे (1,610 किमी/घंटा) तक पहुंचने में सक्षम है। एक यूरोफाइटर-टाइफून जेट इंजन को बोल्ट किए गए रॉकेट द्वारा संचालित, ब्लडहाउंड कार भूमि की गति के रिकॉर्ड पर हमला करेगी। विंग कमांडर ग्रीन ब्लडहाउंड एसएससी (सुपरसोनिक कार) परियोजना पर काम करने के अपने अनुभवों और विज्ञान और इंजीनियरिंग में राष्ट्रीय हित को प्रेरित करने के लिए टीम के प्रयासों के बारे में बीबीसी समाचार वेबसाइट के लिए एक डायरी लिख रहा है।


Transfer market

Summary: The annual Gers figures have given the impression that Scotland is unique within the UK allocation of taxation and spending. It's not. Transfers around other nations and regions are becoming clearer, as three parts of England provide a taxation surplus for distribution elsewhere. London sees high tax revenue, but is also gains from big spending. Among the big gainers from fiscal transfers are England's north-west. Spending per head is highest in Northern Ireland and, with a low tax base, Wales would face a notional deficit more than twice as big as Scotland's if it were to become independent

Douglas FraserBusiness/economy editor, Scotland It's 27 years since Gers was first published. In some years, government expenditure and revenue in Scotland has helped make the case for independence. That was the case going into the 2014 referendum, when deficits were high for the UK and for Scotland, but Scotland was, temporarily, in a relatively good place. More often, when oil revenue hasn't been so strong, the annual figures have told a different story. That narrative is about an onshore economy which performs roughly as well as the UK average. Supporters of independence use that to emphasise that it is capable of standing apart from London rule. Or the figures show the relative generosity of spending, compared with the rest of the UK, made possible by the sharing of resource, from borrowing and through transfers from other parts of the UK. Alternatively viewed, it shows that the starting point for an independent Scotland would require a squeeze on spending. That is if it's to get borrowing down to levels that the money markets would fund, at least at low interest rates. But there's another way of looking at the figures, which doesn't fit with either side of the debate about Scottish independence: it's possible to see Gers as only one window of many on the transfer of funds around the whole UK. London weighting That has been highlighted by recent research at Cardiff University, showing Wales' notional deficit in 2017-19 was nearly £14bn. The scale of it, as a share of the Principality's total economic output, was 19% - well over twice that of Scotland. Spending per head is lower than in Scotland, but the tax base is lower still, leaving that very large gap. The wider view has also been researched by Professor Jim Gallagher at Nuffield College, Oxford. A former Scottish Office civil servant, he's long been associated with the pro-union side of the independence debate. He will be again, with the setting up next month of a new, pro-union think tank. Don't let your prejudices on either side of the debate colour your understanding of his analysis of a new set of figures, now being published by the Office for National Statistics. It's worth a look. This considers fiscal transfers within the UK. On spending, these have been relatively clear through the Barnett Formula as they affect Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, but much less so for the regions of England. Using figures for 2017-18, London, the south-east and the east of England were found together to represent 47% of the UK's economic activity. London's output per head was more than twice that of any other part of the UK, at £431bn. Of that, around £40bn is transferred out, through taxation, to the benefit of other parts of the country. Transfer window There is an implicit political consensus by pro-union parties at Westminster (not shared by those in favour of Scottish independence, of course) that welfare and pensions should be standardised throughout the UK. While education and health provision are intended to benefit from equalisation across England, the Barnett Formula is there to make sure that its smaller neighbours are no worse off. Following through on that implicit understanding, the populous north-west of England was, in 2017-18, the biggest recipient of support from the rest of the UK, gaining more than £16bn last year. Wales was up by more than £12bn, with Scotland and the English East Midlands benefiting from around £10bn each, and Northern Ireland £8bn. When an estimate of tax revenue is taken into account, Professor Gallagher suggests that north-west England had a notional deficit similar to Scotland's, while three other English regions had much higher ones. Celtic cousins Measuring this transfer per head gives an alternative picture of what was going on the year before last. The average Londoner contributed more than £4,500 to the UK's common pot. The gain from this process per capita was led by Northern Ireland and Wales - respectively seeing internal fiscal transfers per head of £4,300 and £3,600. North-east England gained by more than £3,000 per head, and the north-west by £2,200. Despite Gers and the independence debate giving the impression that Scotland is an outlier, it was lower down that table, with an internal fiscal transfer of £1,800. By this calculation, viewed as the sharing between the four parts of the UK, the average English person was contributing £533 to her Celtic cousins' public services. As English nationalism becomes more pronounced, it will probably take more of an interest in the transfer of 2% of the country's economic output to other parts of the UK. Dynamo This analysis underlines one of the emerging features of the UK economy - that London is both statistical outlier and increasingly its economic hub. With the demise of old industries, much of England is a hinterland for its capital. England's regional tax base has been eroded by migration into the south-east of those best able to earn high pay. Apart from doctors, academics and footballers, those in provincial England are more likely to be older, requiring higher levels of public spending, from state pensions to the health service and social care. They benefit from the metropolis as a powerful economic dynamo, providing fiscal transfers and economic spin-offs. Every other part of the UK benefits from transfers of tax revenue out of London, south-east and eastern England. The implicit contract is that London - along with Northern Ireland and Scotland - gets relatively high levels of spending, most obvious in its transport spending. Opaque Fiscal transfers like this are commonplace in other countries. In most, they are more explicit - Australia in particular, through the Federal Grants Commission. Canada seeks to equalise across provinces, to ensure everyone has roughly equivalent access to healthcare. The USA has significant transfers between rich and poor states, brokered through federal taxes, but not necessarily to ensure equality of outcome. In other countries, transfers are used to compensate for lower tax bases in some areas, where taxes are regionally or locally controlled. But in the UK, with highly centralised taxation and spending controls, fiscal transfers are through much more opaque decision-making. It's doubtful ministers even realise this is what they are doing with the allocation of funds, as England is funded through Whitehall departments rather than by region. It has only become a prominent issue in Scotland because of the campaign for independence, and what these figures mean for the starting fiscal position that a sovereign Holyrood might face. Sorry if this doesn't fit with your narrative or prejudice, but it seems Scotland is neither uniquely advantaged, nor disadvantaged.

वार्षिक गेर्स के आंकड़ों ने यह धारणा दी है कि स्कॉटलैंड यूके के कराधान और खर्च के आवंटन के भीतर अद्वितीय है। ऐसा नहीं है। अन्य देशों और क्षेत्रों में स्थानांतरण स्पष्ट हो रहा है, क्योंकि इंग्लैंड के तीन हिस्सों में कहीं और वितरण के लिए कर अधिशेष प्रदान किया जाता है। लंदन में उच्च कर राजस्व देखा जाता है, लेकिन बड़े खर्च से भी लाभ होता है। वित्तीय हस्तांतरण से बड़े लाभकर्ताओं में इंग्लैंड का उत्तर-पश्चिम है। प्रति व्यक्ति खर्च उत्तरी आयरलैंड में सबसे अधिक है और कम कर आधार के साथ, वेल्स को स्कॉटलैंड की तुलना में दोगुने से अधिक कल्पनात्मक घाटे का सामना करना पड़ेगा यदि वह स्वतंत्र हो जाता है।


GCSE results improve in Northern Ireland again

Summary: GCSE results for pupils in Northern Ireland have improved again.

By Robbie MeredithBBC News NI Education Correspondent The proportion of entries awarded A*-C grades has risen by 0.7% to 81.1%. Around one in 10 entries received the top A* grade. A small number of pupils in Northern Ireland received some of their grades in number form due to changes by English exam boards. In that system, nine is the highest grade and one the lowest. Overall, 2,914 number grades were awarded in Northern Ireland, which is 1.7% of the total number of grades awarded. The Northern Ireland exam board CCEA is maintaining the A*-G results system, although they will introduce a new C* grade in 2019. About 30,000 students in Northern Ireland received their GCSE exam results on Thursday. In contrast to 2018's A-Level results, the performance gap between boys and girls has widened at GCSE. 85.1% of entries from girls achieved A*-C grades. The proportion of entries from boys achieving those grades was 76.9%. There was also a significant rise of almost 5% in the number of girls taking science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) related subjects. STEM subjects now account for 43% of all GCSE entries. Many of those getting their results will go on to further study in their schools or in FE colleges BBC Northern Ireland will be hosting a special Facebook Live discussion for students and their parents later on results day. Hosted on BBC Northern Ireland's Facebook page, experts will be on hand to answer your questions from 14:30 BST.

उत्तरी आयरलैंड में छात्रों के लिए जी. सी. एस. ई. के परिणामों में फिर से सुधार हुआ है।


Middlesbrough street cleaner shot in 'callous attack'

Summary: A street cleaner suffered a serious facial injury when he was shot with an air rifle in Middlesbrough.

The 55-year-old was driving a road sweeping vehicle on Bournemouth Avenue, in the Priestfields area, when an air pellet smashed through its window. Cleveland Police described it as a "sickening, callous, attack" on a man who was going about his normal duties. Anyone who witnessed the incident at about 13:00 GMT on Monday is asked to contact the force. Related Internet Links Cleveland Police

मिडल्सब्रो में एक स्ट्रीट क्लीनर के चेहरे पर गंभीर चोट लगी जब उसे एयर राइफल से गोली मार दी गई।


The nuclear industry: a small revolution

Summary: Nuclear reactors may be about to shrink before our eyes.

By Roger HarrabinBBC Environment analyst After decades of building giant reactors in domes big enough to swallow a cathedral, nuclear engineers are thinking small. They believe part of the solution to the energy crisis will come from factory-built mini-reactors, just 23m (75ft) long, delivered to the site on the back of a lorry. Fans of small modular reactors (SMRs) say they will avoid the problems of delay and cost over-run that has beset traditional reactors. Most importantly, they say, "mini-nukes" as small as a tenth the size of a conventional reactor would be much easier to finance. Financial concerns Finance has become the biggest obstacle to new nuclear plants. The UK is locked in nuclear paralysis because EDF hasn't yet confirmed the funding for the planned Hinkley C nuclear power plant - despite the backing of two of the world's richest governments, France and China. Footloose investors scanning the world for money-making opportunities tend to turn away when they see a nuclear reactor taking years to build, fraught with technical and political risk. Solar and wind energy offer much more predictable returns in a fraction of the pay-back time. But SMR fans say mini-nukes as small as 50 megawatts (MW) could change that. They suggest it's as simple as placing your order and waiting for a reactor to turn up. Then plug and play - and wait to get your money back. If you want large-scale power, just line up a dozen SMRs side by side. It's a bit more complicated than that, of course, but potential offered by this technology is exciting governments worldwide. In his most recent Budget, the Chancellor George Osborne announced a competition for the design of small modular reactors for use in the UK. 'Evolutionary technology' There are two catches. First, there's still no solution (in the UK at least) to what to do with the nuclear waste. The government appears willing to go ahead with new nukes without knowing what happens to spent fuel and contaminated equipment. Second, no-one has actually built an SMR yet, and it's likely to take until the 2030s or 2040s before SMRs are widespread and making a real contribution to hitting carbon emission targets. The firm claiming to be leading the global SMR race is the US government-funded NuScale. It expects to have its first American SMR in operation by 2025, and hopes to be ready to generate in the UK in 2026 at the earliest. The veteran nuclear champion Dame Sue Ion believes SMRs will play a vital role in the 2030s and 2040s when transport and home heating will need to be de-carbonised in order to meet the commitments in the UK's Climate Change Act. "Personally I think SMRs are probably the future of nuclear," she says. "These things can be making a substantial contribution from the early 2030s onwards. "I'm really confident because it's not new technology - it's evolutionary technology from light water systems that have been around for 50 years. "We're not doing something brand new - we are just doing it more efficiently and cost-effectively." The USA, Canada, South Africa, India, Pakistan and Argentina are all interested in SMRs. China has been operating a prototype since 2000. Several firms in the UK are showing interest. 'Jam tomorrow' However, there are cautionary voices. Experts warn that to make it worthwhile building it, a reactor factory would need 40-70 orders. Yet given the strength of interest globally that may not be such a huge challenge in a world that's committed to predictable low-carbon energy. And the time scale is a big stumbling point for many. According to John Sauven of Greenpeace there's a high risk it will take longer than predicted to bring small scale nuclear on-stream. "Remember the nuclear industry promised in the 1950s that it would deliver energy too cheap to meter," he says. "Since then it's been completely overtaken by wind and solar energy which are much safer, reliable and cheaper. "With nuclear it's always jam tomorrow. We've got to decarbonise the energy industry now." Other critics warn that renewables and energy storage are progressing so fast that the energy industry won't need the sort of round the clock "baseload" power produced by nuclear in the medium term future. The energy commentator Kees van der Leun tweeted: "By the time [of the 2030s and 2040s] the growth of cheap solar and wind will have obliterated the chance of making any money with 'baseload'." Follow Roger on Twitter @rharrabin

परमाणु रिएक्टर हमारी आंखों के सामने सिकुड़ने वाले हो सकते हैं।


German chancellor race: The men vying for Merkel's job

Summary: Angela Merkel has long dominated European and international politics. But this autumn, after 16 years in office, the German chancellor will stand down, leaving her party with the difficult task of finding a replacement. The process begins in earnest this weekend with the election of a new leader for her Christian Democrat CDU.

By Jenny HillBBC Berlin correspondent Many complain that the field of candidates is rather narrow. And, at first glance, the three straight, white, middle-aged men do appear somewhat indistinguishable. They all hail from the same region, North Rhine-Westphalia, and each has a law degree. For obvious reasons they all claim to embody a credible future for both the centre-right CDU and Germany as a whole. And they make similar pledges to focus on issues like climate change and the digital economy. But there are significant differences between them and the decision made by the CDU this weekend will tell us a lot about how the party envisages its post-Merkel future. So who is in the race to lead the party? Armin Laschet - popular liberal Armin Laschet is a short, cheerful chap. The popular premier of Germany's most populous state, North Rhine-Westphalia, he throws himself with gusto into traditional carnival celebrations. He touts himself as a continuity candidate and, for a time at least, was thought to have been Angela Merkel's preferred candidate. He defended her stance during the 2015 refugee crisis and is known for his liberal politics, passion for the EU and ability to connect with immigrant communities. But his call for an early relaxation of Covid restrictions last spring surprised many and reportedly infuriated Mrs Merkel. He has since retreated from that position but he's had to work to repair the damage to his political credibility. Norbert Röttgen - Youth appeal Norbert Röttgen presents himself as a breath of fresh air. Mrs Merkel's photogenic foreign affairs expert and former environment minister rather enjoys media reports comparing him to George Clooney. Once considered an unlikely winner, he has upped his chances with an energetic digital campaign aimed at women and younger voters, and even released a Spotify playlist. A regular contributor to German news programmes and talk shows, he advocates a more hawkish stance on China and Russia. He'll have to convince the party of his political abilities closer to home; Mrs Merkel sacked him from her cabinet in 2012 after he presided over a humiliating defeat for the CDU in a regional election. Friedrich Merz - Traditional favourite When Friedrich Merz blazed back onto the political scene in 2018 after almost 10 years away, many assumed he was out for revenge. He was an influential figure in the CDU before Angela Merkel pushed him aside. He's a skilled public speaker who has made a fortune in business and banking. He's keen to advertise his economic expertise to a country which, sooner or later, will have to deal with the financial fall-out of the Covid pandemic. While he has alarmed some with controversial comments about immigration and homosexuality, he appeals to traditionalists in the party who are unnerved by Mrs Merkel's centrist politics. Mr Merz leads the field in surveys of CDU members, but the decision will be made by 1,001 party delegates in a secret ballot. One of those delegates is Katja Leikert. She's looking for a moderniser, someone who'll win more female voters and those from immigrant backgrounds for the party. "We don't need someone who just wants to differentiate themselves from Angela Merkel," she told the BBC. "These were good times for Germany. But after 16 years we do need a fresh start." Why this vote won't end the race for succession Don't assume - though it's often been the case - that the successful candidate in the CDU race will be the next German chancellor. It'll be the spring before the CDU and its Bavarian sister party the CSU finally decide who'll lead them into the September election as their Chancellor Candidate. After all, they want to be sure their man - and it will be a man - will win. It may seem strange that, with just months to go before an historic election, there is no official candidate. That's due in part to the fact that, when Angela Merkel resigned the party leadership in 2018, the subsequent election of Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer was, in theory, the anointing of an approved heir. But AKK, as she's known here, resigned after a series of gaffes, leaving the field open again. And, just as the Covid pandemic has shuttered Germany's shops and restaurants and restricted much of daily life, it's also changed the political landscape; delaying and complicating the race to replace Mrs Merkel. It has raised the profile and improved the chances of two other potential successors: Bavarian Prime Minister and CSU leader Markus Söder and Health Minister Jens Spahn. Both men insist they don't want the top job - but nobody really believes them. Markus Söder - Popular favourite The Bavarian leader has emerged as a clear favourite in surveys of the public and CDU membership. His decisive handling of the pandemic in his state has increased his popularity. No CSU leader has ever made it to the chancellery but, within the CDU today, there is reportedly little resistance to the idea. Still, political analyst Prof Ursula Münch thinks that, when Mr Söder says he wants to stay in Bavaria, he may mean it. "It's very important to be successful in Bavaria - that's the main task of the CSU and they don't have somebody else as well liked as Markus Söder in Bavaria. "It's not in the interest of the CSU to present a chancellor of the federal republic, because they're more interested in fighting with the CDU. That's one of the specialities of the CSU… these fights for example on migration policy in the past with a party very close to them are a recipe for success in Bavaria." Jens Spahn - Watching from the sidelines The health minister has performed well under the pressure of a pandemic. Some colleagues were also impressed by the way in which Mr Spahn, who was once considered rather too ambitious, dealt gracefully with his failure to land the party leadership when he ran against AKK and Friedrich Merz in 2018. He's supporting Armin Laschet in his current bid, but he's rumoured to have been sounding out party members over his own chances. It's widely thought that, if Mr Laschet is unsuccessful or succeeds but retains insufficient support, then Mr Spahn will throw his hat into the ring. Angela Merkel will, it seems, go out on a high. Thanks to her response to the pandemic, she's more popular than ever at home and her party is enjoying a much-improved position in opinion polls. Whoever the party settles on as her successor will be disadvantaged by the fact that they do not have comparable clout and experience. But, as many here point out, 16 years ago, Angela Merkel had to learn the ropes too. Just look, they say, at how she turned out.

एंजेला मर्केल लंबे समय से यूरोपीय और अंतर्राष्ट्रीय राजनीति पर हावी रही हैं। लेकिन इस शरद ऋतु में, 16 साल के कार्यकाल के बाद, जर्मन चांसलर पद छोड़ देंगी, जिससे उनकी पार्टी को एक प्रतिस्थापन खोजने का कठिन काम करना पड़ेगा। प्रक्रिया इस सप्ताह के अंत में अपने ईसाई डेमोक्रेट सीडीयू के लिए एक नए नेता के चुनाव के साथ शुरू होगी।


Planners give decisions on supermarkets for Newmarket

Summary: Planners have given the go-ahead for a new supermarket but turned down proposals for two more stores in a Suffolk town.

A Morrisons store has been approved to be built on the site of a former gas works at Exning Road in Newmarket. Applications for new Asda and Sainsbury's supermarkets were rejected by Forest Heath District Council. A submission by Tesco to expand its existing store in Fordham Road was also agreed at the meeting in Mildenhall.

योजनाकारों ने एक नए सुपरमार्केट के लिए मंजूरी दे दी है, लेकिन सफ़ोक शहर में दो और दुकानों के प्रस्तावों को ठुकरा दिया है।


Teen bailed over 'satanist' attack on Great Yarmouth church

Summary: A teenager arrested after a satanic image was left at the altar of a church has been released on bail.

Fires were also lit inside St Mary's Catholic church, Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, on Tuesday. CCTV footage showed a man lighting the fires before trying to burn a sacred icon from the altar and replacing it with a picture of a satanic figure. A 17-year-old arrested on Thursday on suspicion of criminal damage has been bailed until 18 April. Related Internet Links Norfolk Constabulary

एक चर्च की वेदी पर एक शैतानी छवि छोड़ने के बाद गिरफ्तार किए गए एक किशोर को जमानत पर रिहा कर दिया गया है।


Egypt attack: Gunmen target bus with Coptic Christians

Summary: At least seven people have been killed in Egypt by gunmen who opened fire on a bus carrying a group of Coptic Christians, officials say.

A number of people were also injured in the attack in the Minya region, south of the capital Cairo. The bus was heading towards a local monastery, a senior Coptic cleric says. The Islamic State group says it carried out the attack. Islamist militants have targeted Egypt's Coptic Christian minority repeatedly in recent years. Egypt's Copts have in the past accused the authorities of making only token gestures to protect them from such attacks. Egypt is a Muslim-majority country and its Christian minority - mostly members of the Coptic Orthodox Church - make up around 10% of the population.

अधिकारियों का कहना है कि मिस्र में कॉप्टिक ईसाइयों के एक समूह को ले जा रही बस पर बंदूकधारियों द्वारा की गई गोलीबारी में कम से कम सात लोग मारे गए हैं।


Do you have an underactive thyroid?

Summary: Hypothyroidism - or an underactive thyroid - affects one in 70 women and one in 1,000 men according to the NHS. But it can be a tricky disease to diagnose and treat. Dr Michael Mosley, of Trust Me I'm a Doctor, asks if sufferers are slipping through the net.

By Dr Michael MosleyBBC Someone emailed me the other day to ask me if I had ever considered the possibility that I might have hypothyroidism; an underactive thyroid. The reason he contacted me is because he had seen me on television and noticed that I have quite faint eyebrows, which can be a sign of this disorder. I have none of the other symptoms such as weight gain, tiredness and feeling the cold easily, so I've decided not to go and get myself tested. But if you do - and you think you could you have it - what should you do about it? To get some answers I've been talking to Dr Anthony Toft, who is a former president of the British Thyroid Association. He tells me that the thyroid gland is a bit like the accelerator pedal on your car. It produces hormones which help control the energy balance in your body. If it's underactive, then your metabolic rate will be slower than it should be. This means that you are likely to put on weight. Other symptoms can include feeling too cold or too hot, lacking in energy, being constipated, low mood, poor attention or "brain fog". The main hormones involved are thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), T4 and T3. TSH is released by the pituitary gland and tells your thyroid to get going. In response your thyroid should release the hormones T4 and T3. T4 is converted in your body into T3, the active hormone that revs up your cells. If you have symptoms of hypothyroidism then your GP will probably test your blood. The signs they're looking for are high levels of TSH, together with low levels of T4. If your TSH is higher than normal this suggests that the gland that produces this hormone - the pituitary gland - is working hard to tell the thyroid gland to produce more hormone, but for some reason the thyroid gland is not listening. The pituitary then ups its game and produces more and more TSH, but T4 levels stay low. So if you have a high TSH coupled with a low T4, it's likely that the body is saying "I need more thyroid hormone!" but the thyroid gland isn't doing what it's being told. The result is hypothyroidism. When this happens patients are often prescribed levothyroxine (T4). Symptoms diminish and patients are happy. So if it's so straightforward, why are there so many forums full of dissatisfied patients? Why do we at Trust Me get so many emails about this subject? One of the issues with the blood tests is that there are no standard international reference ranges. In the UK, for example, we set the bar rather higher than many other countries. Certainly Dr Toft thinks that current UK guidelines are sometimes interpreted too rigidly. "If the T4 is right down at the lower limit of normal," he says, "and the TSH is at the upper limit of normal, then that is suspicious. It doesn't often arouse suspicion in GPs, but it should." He is also concerned that when a GP does diagnose an underactive thyroid, then patients are almost always prescribed a synthetic version of T4. This works most of the time but in some cases the symptoms don't improve. This might be because with some patients the problem is not an underactive thyroid, but the fact that they can't convert enough T4 into the active hormone T3. One way round this is to take T3 hormone in tablet form, but here price is a problem. "The cost of T3 has escalated incredibly," says Dr Toft. "It's now about £300 for two months' supply of T3, whereas it costs pennies to make." Find out more Underactive thyroid (NHS Choices) Trust Me, I'm A Doctor is on BBC Two at 20:00 GMT, Wednesday 8 February - catch up on BBC iPlayer How can I tell if I have a thyroid problem and what can I do about it? From episode 1 - Which foods can improve your gut bacteria? The man with a titanium chest So if you have been put on T4 and it doesn't work, what about asking for a trial of T3? Because it is so expensive your GP may well say no. So instead some patients are going online and buying T3 from foreign websites. But it's important that if you are taking T3 you are being properly monitored, because it can cause serious side effects, including heart problems. A slightly less expensive hormone supplement taken from the glands of cows and pigs is available. It contains both the T3 and T4 hormones, and there is a growing call to prescribe it for patients who don't respond to T4 alone. So does Dr Toft think patients should be offered this combination? "I suspect that in time that's what will happen," he says. "The trouble is the evidence base is not as strong as we would wish it to be, and I suspect it will be a long time before we have sufficient evidence." Dealing with thyroid problems can be complicated. If you've had a blood test and the results have come back normal, then you can ask to look at the actual numbers. But you may also have to accept that medication is not for you and lifestyle changes may be more appropriate. Join the conversation on our Facebook page

हाइपोथायरायडिज्म-या एक कम सक्रिय थायरॉइड-एन. एच. एस. के अनुसार 70 महिलाओं में से एक और 1,000 पुरुषों में से एक को प्रभावित करता है। लेकिन इसका निदान और इलाज करना एक मुश्किल बीमारी हो सकती है। ट्रस्ट मी आई एम ए डॉक्टर के डॉ. माइकल मोस्ले पूछते हैं कि क्या पीड़ित जाल से फिसल रहे हैं।


Why Singaporeans aren't all glad to get the president they wanted

Summary: Singapore has named its first female president, Halimah Yacob.

By Tessa WongBBC News, Singapore A popular public figure, Mrs Halimah was widely expected to win the presidential election, but instead will begin her term amid controversy. So why are Singaporeans not happy to get the president many wanted? 'Selected, not elected' For starters, there hasn't been and won't be an election - she just got the job in a "walkover" because there were no other eligible candidates. Singaporeans are used to predictable elections, with the same party winning every parliamentary poll in the carefully managed country's 52-year history, last time with a landslide. It's partly due to loyalty to the ruling People's Action Party (PAP), but also because the government tightly controls the media and political freedoms. As the head of state, the president plays a largely ceremonial role and doesn't hold much power, apart from having some say in the use of Singapore's hefty financial reserves. Still, many were looking forward to exercising their vote this time round, and were angry to hear on Monday that Mrs Halimah was the only candidate. There were two other possible candidates in the running, businessmen Salleh Marican and Farid Khan. But a government-appointed committee decided they were not eligible as their companies didn't have at least $500m (£280m; $370m) in shareholders' equity, a rule that was recently tightened by the government. Mrs Halimah doesn't qualify under that rule either, but she made the cut because she used to be speaker in Singapore's parliament, and those who've held certain public office positions can qualify for the presidency. It has led some to joke online that the president has been "selected, not elected". Others vented on social media using the #NotMyPresident hashtag used in the US after Donald Trump won the election there. 'Racial purity' debate Mrs Halimah, who is Muslim, is only the second president to come from the Malay ethnic minority. It's a move that should be celebrated by Singapore, which prides itself on its multiculturalism and diversity. But instead, this has fired up one of the biggest controversies of the presidency. That's because this election was only open to Malay candidates - the first time the government has reserved an election for a particular race. The government, which lauds its careful maintenance of national racial harmony, argued it was necessary to ensure minorities could have a chance at becoming president in Chinese-majority Singapore, which has always had an ethnically Chinese prime minister. But some Malays saw the move as positive discrimination that went against Singapore's golden rule of meritocracy, which is that the best person gets the job, regardless of background. It also stirred up questions about Malay racial purity, after people realised Mrs Halimah was half-Indian, and many have mocked her ethnicity. The irony is that Singapore's government has often clamped down on such discussion, fearing it would hurt racial harmony. "Racial questions are popping up... yet the G [government] cannot tamp this down because it had opened the can of worms in the first place," wrote political commentator Bertha Henson. "Now, the discussion is described as 'mature'' when, in other instances, it would have been slapped down as being inimical to social order." 'How stupid they think we are' While some Singaporeans are delighted to see Mrs Halimah in office, others are unhappy at what they say is overt manipulation of the process by the government. Some believe the government deliberately took measures to block former presidential candidate Tan Cheng Bock, who came very close to defeating the government's man at the last election and who wanted to contest again. One view is that the government did not trust voters to choose their candidate this time round, despite the fact that it was Mrs Halimah, a former union leader who had broad appeal and was aided by extensive and favourable coverage in Singapore's state-friendly media. "Singaporeans have always known that our politicians... consider themselves superior beings," said writer Sudhir Thomas Vadaketh. "Now, with this reserved presidency, we have irrefutable proof about just how stupid they think we are." The government recently acknowledged the outrage by noting that the changes to the presidency might cost them "political capital", but argued it did what it had to do for "the future of the country". But some wonder if it has cost the country more. "The risk of we, the people, denying Halimah her mandate was probably too great for the PAP," wrote poet Alfian Sa'at. "And thus they would much rather deny us the right to confer her with a mandate... no matter how much cynicism and loss of trust it breeds towards our political systems." Singaporeans now have mixed feelings about their new president. Some, like the commentator Ms Henson, feel she is the "only good thing" in the whole episode and argue she is still "a decent person with a good heart", but others have accused her of complicity. Mrs Halimah, meanwhile, has largely sidestepped questions about the controversy. She told reporters earlier this week: "I promise to do the best that I can to serve the people of Singapore, and that doesn't change whether there is an election or no election."

सिंगापुर ने अपनी पहली महिला राष्ट्रपति हलीमा याकूब को नामित किया है।


iPhone users fume over letter 'i' bug

Summary: Some iPhone users have been left frustrated after an update to the iOS operating system started inexplicably auto-correcting the letter "i" to a capital "a" and a question mark.

The affected version of iOS, 11.1, is available on iPhones and iPads. "I have a $1,150 [£877] telephone that can't read the letter 'i'," wrote Mike Murphy, a technology reporter for news website Quartz, on Twitter. Apple has described a temporary fix for the problem on its website. The fix involves editing the keyboard settings in iOS so that the right character, either an upper or lower case "i", is used. Apple has said the issue will be fixed in a future software update. Not all iOS 11.1 users have been affected, though there are plenty of comments online from those who say they have experienced the problem. An online discussion forum on Apple's website includes comments from victims of the bug. "This is super-annoying," wrote one. The BBC has contacted Apple for comment.

आई. ओ. एस. ऑपरेटिंग सिस्टम के एक अद्यतन के बाद "आई" अक्षर को बड़े अक्षर "ए" और एक प्रश्न चिह्न में स्वतः सुधारना शुरू करने के बाद कुछ आई. एफ. एन. उपयोगकर्ता निराश हो गए हैं।


Birmingham shops targeted in knife crime operation

Summary: Police have targeted shops in Birmingham to see if they would illegally sell knives to under 18s.

A 15-year-old boy was sent into shops in Erdington on Tuesday night to attempt to buy knives. Out of three stores targeted, one sold a four-inch knife to the boy. Police and trading standards officers are investigating. The operation marked the start of a series of test buys as part off the force's Knives End Lives campaign. Police said shop keepers who illegally sold knives could face a six-month jail sentence and a fine of £5,000.

पुलिस ने बर्मिंघम में दुकानों को निशाना बनाया है ताकि यह देखा जा सके कि क्या वे 18 साल से कम उम्र के लोगों को अवैध रूप से चाकू बेचेंगे।


Appledore: Death of man found in road 'not suspicious'

Summary: The death of a man found in a road near Ashford is no longer being treated as suspicious, police say.

A man in his 30s was arrested on suspicion of murder after a body was found in Military Road, Appledore, on 23 May. He has now been released under investigation and officers are treating the death as accidental following the result of a post-mortem examination. The family of the deceased has been informed, Kent Police said.

पुलिस का कहना है कि एशफोर्ड के पास एक सड़क पर पाए गए एक व्यक्ति की मौत को अब संदिग्ध नहीं माना जा रहा है।


Helicopter crash victim Iain Stuart funeral held

Summary: The funeral of an Aberdeenshire oil worker who was among 13 people who died when a helicopter crashed in Norway has been held.

Iain Stuart, 41, of Laurencekirk, worked for the oil field services company Halliburton. The father-of-two was on board the Airbus EC225LP Super Puma when it crashed near Bergen on 29 April. Mr Stuart's funeral took place at Laurencekirk Parish Church before he was laid to rest. The maker of the helicopter that crashed has lifted its recommendation that the same type of aircraft be grounded worldwide. The aircraft will remain grounded in the UK, however, as a Civil Aviation Authority flight ban remains in force. Super Pumas are responsible for many of the 140,000 helicopter passenger flights in the UK each year.

एक एबरडीनशायर तेल कर्मचारी का अंतिम संस्कार किया गया है, जो नॉर्वे में एक हेलीकॉप्टर दुर्घटना में मारे गए 13 लोगों में से एक था।


Female doctors saying 'I look like a surgeon'

Summary: Last week thousands of women took to Twitter to challenge gender stereotypes by proclaiming "I look like an engineer". Inspired by the move, female doctors are doing the same, posting selfies along with the message "I look like a surgeon".

BBC TrendingWhat's popular and why Women across the globe are following the example set by Isis Anchalee, a female software engineer from San Francisco who created #ILookLikeAnEngineer, to try and break the male stereotype associated with the profession. A similar hashtag with much the same aim - #ILookLikeAPhysicist - soon followed. This week #ILookLikeASurgeon has taken off, appearing more than 12,000 times on Twitter, and it is still going strong. It first appeared last week - posted by Heather Logghe, a resident surgeon based in North Carolina - but took some time to gain traction. Now it's being used thousands of times every day, as more and more surgeons get involved. "The old stereotype [of a surgeon] is an all-knowing arrogant man who operates very well but can often be heartless, not only with co-workers but with patients too," Logghe tells BBC Trending. Whilst that may be changing, women are still underrepresented in surgery, she says. Logghe originally posted a selfie along with the hashtag, but says she deleted it after becoming nervous - as did another tweeter in Chicago. Alison McCoubrey, a consultant surgeon in Northern Ireland, was the first to post a photograph and leave it up, prompting hundreds of others to do the same. McCoubrey says that women now account for around half of medical graduates in the UK, but just 11% of surgical consultants - and one study suggests that figure is rising by just 1% every four years. A paper written by a male surgeon, Ed Fitzgerald, found that in Britain, over half of male and two-thirds of female newly graduated doctors did not think surgery welcomed women. Many used the hashtag to share their experiences of working in a male-dominated profession. "When I get asked 'R u a nurse' I say No, I'm a surgeon, but thanks for the compliment", said one tweeter, and "For every room you walked in & the patient looks straight past you to the male med student & says "how am I doing Doc?" wrote the Association of Women Surgeons. Will the hashtag make an impact? McCoubrey is hopeful that it will. "If we can continue to encourage girls to enter the profession, then things will change," she says. Next story: The Russian supermodel who defended her autistic sister Model Natalia Vodianova's Facebook post ignited a national debate about disability in Russia. READ MORE You can follow BBC Trending on Twitter @BBCtrending, and find us on Facebook. All our stories are at bbc.com/trending.

पिछले हफ्ते हजारों महिलाओं ने ट्विटर पर लैंगिक रूढ़ियों को चुनौती देते हुए घोषणा की कि "मैं एक इंजीनियर की तरह दिखती हूं"। इस कदम से प्रेरित होकर, महिला डॉक्टर भी ऐसा ही कर रही हैं, "मैं एक सर्जन की तरह दिखती हूं" संदेश के साथ सेल्फी पोस्ट कर रही हैं।


Kelis, Maximo Park for warehouse gigs

Summary: Kelis and Maximo Park are amongst the artists lined up to play this year's Warehouse Project series in Manchester.

The Acapella singer will play on 2 October, whilst the Newcastle band will open the three-month long series on 23 September. Located in the Warehouse space underneath Piccadilly station, gigs run every weekend until 1 January 2011. Now in it's fifth year the series will also feature live appearences from Doves, Magnetic Man, Delphic, Sub Focus, Ian Brown and Simian Mobile Disco. An international line-up of DJs including Calvin Harris, Eric Prydz, Andy C, Richie Hawtin, Pete Tong, Chase & Status and David Guetta will all play nights.

केलिस और मैक्सिमो पार्क मैनचेस्टर में इस साल की वेयरहाउस प्रोजेक्ट श्रृंखला खेलने के लिए कतार में खड़े कलाकारों में से हैं।


'How a TV show led to my cancer diagnosis'

Summary: When BBC journalist Victoria Derbyshire spoke openly about the symptoms that led to her breast cancer diagnosis on ITV's The Real Full Monty, two women contacted her to say it led to them being diagnosed themselves. Derbyshire has been to meet them.

By Victoria DerbyshireBBC journalist "I want to thank you for saving my life." This was the first line of an email sent to me by 86-year-old Margaret Witts, who had watched me talk about my experience of breast cancer on ITV's The Real Full Monty: Ladies' Night. Several weeks later, I went to meet her, along with Maren Marshall, 53 - who also got in touch to let me know she too had been diagnosed following the programme - to chat over tea and cake. "I'd got myself a nice big glass of sherry and I sat down, put my feet up on my recliner, put a blanket over my legs [to watch the Real Full Monty], and was looking forward to the next day because that was when family were coming." Margaret says she laughed and cried along with the programme, but something struck her. "You said that you'd found you had an inverted nipple and that your breast had gone flat," Margaret tells me, "and that's when you had the alarm bells ringing. "At the end of the programme it flashed up, 'Now ladies, go check your breasts'. "I stood in front of the full-length mirror and there it was, that one [breast] was much shorter than the other. "The nipple had gone right up and half inside. Then I started to feel my nipple, and there was this craggy-feeling lump." Margaret was in "total disbelief". An inverted nipple is not always a sign of cancer - some people are born with them or they can develop over time - but if there is a sudden change in appearance it should be checked out immediately. According to the charity Breast Cancer Care, a third of people who develop breast cancer are diagnosed after finding a symptom other than a lump. 'You go into overdrive' Maren, too, was struck by the mention of an inverted nipple. "I've always had an inverted nipple, but it was slightly more inverted than previously. "When I don't wear a bra I'd notice that I had a significant dip, whereas before it was quite flat," she says. Without the programme, she adds, "I don't believe that I would have done something about it. "I think I might have mentioned it in passing to my doctor that my nipple started disappearing, but I don't know that I would have gone there with that appointment in mind, that I needed to talk to him." Maren was diagnosed with breast cancer following a hospital appointment in May, and has now had a lumpectomy to remove the tumour and surrounding tissue. Margaret is having a mastectomy in June. "I think this coming so soon after my husband's death, it's just something else I could have done without. But it's here. "After [the mastectomy], I won't be stuck with it, I'll be stuck with being flat one side, but I can get over that. It's not the end of the world. "It's just that word 'cancer' - it affects everybody, you go into overdrive." Inverted nipple Source: Breast Cancer Care Information on the signs and symptoms of breast cancer, including those lesser known ones, can be found here. Maren says she is still "a little bit raw and numb" following the experience, joking that she is probably still coming round from the anaesthetic. "I don't even remember Joe, my nurse specialist, using the word 'cancer' when he spoke to me. "I remember, 'We need to sit down for this', but I don't remember ever hearing the word cancer until the following week when he phoned me and I was in the park." She says she has taken the decision to let colleagues and friends know she has cancer. "I've told everybody. It's not a sympathy vote, I just want people to understand that this loud, gobby, forthright female is possibly going to be a little bit moody and up and down. "I'd rather they were asking me what was wrong than whispering about me in the corner saying, 'What's the matter with her, she's a little bit down today.'" Margaret says she has taken comfort in speaking to others too. "It's not a death sentence. It will be gone and I shall be free of it," she says, resolutely. Thankfully, the outlook for both women is much more optimistic than it would have been had they chosen to watch a different channel that night. Watch the BBC's Victoria Derbyshire programme on weekdays between 09:00 and 11:00 on BBC Two and the BBC News Channel in the UK.

जब बी. बी. सी. की पत्रकार विक्टोरिया डर्बीशायर ने आई. टी. वी. के द रियल फुल मोंटी पर अपने स्तन कैंसर के निदान के लक्षणों के बारे में खुलकर बात की, तो दो महिलाओं ने उनसे संपर्क किया और कहा कि इससे उन्हें खुद का निदान किया गया। डर्बीशायर उनसे मिलने आई है।


Wales Coast Path: New 18-mile link added to walking route

Summary: A new link has been added to the 870-mile Wales Coast Path at Flintshire for walkers seeking a "bit more of a challenge".

The New Wales Link Path spans an extra 18 miles (29km), joining the route near the Cheshire border at Saltney Ferry. It takes in four counties in all, stretching into Wrexham and meeting the Offa's Dyke trail at Llandegla Forest in Denbighshire. Flintshire council secured £30,000 in funding to pay for the project. "If you are looking for a bit more of a challenge to walk around Wales, this route is for you," said councillor Bernie Attridge, cabinet member for the environment. Work on Wales Coast Path, the world's first round an entire country, began in 2007 with the formal opening in May 2012.

"थोड़ी अधिक चुनौती" की तलाश करने वाले पैदल चलने वालों के लिए फ्लिंटशायर में 870-मील के वेल्स तट पथ में एक नया लिंक जोड़ा गया है।


Your driving test experiences

Summary: Have you had a bad experience during your driving test?

The driving test is due to get harder this year with changes being made to the practical test. Among the changes is a section of independent driving, where the candidate has to take responsibility for route finding. Each year the Driving Standards Agency also receives a number of complaints about the test and the examiners, some of which are upheld. We would like to hear your experiences of the driving test. Have you made a complaint about your test? Or about the examiner? In most cases a selection of your comments will be published, displaying your name and location unless you state otherwise in the box below. Thank you for your comments. This request has now been completed.

क्या ड्राइविंग टेस्ट के दौरान आपको बुरा अनुभव हुआ है?


Why a Tennessee town has the fastest internet

Summary: A review of the best commentary on and around the world...

What in the world?Pieces of global opinion Today's must-read The south-eastern Tennessee town of Chattanooga has some of the fastest internet connection speeds in the world, thanks to a fibre-optic network installed by the government-owned electric company, EPB. The town, with a 2012 population of just more than 171,000, has used its internet speeds of over 1 gigabit per second to attract new businesses, including five venture capital funds with 2014 investment capital of more than $50m (£30m), according to the Guardian. Chattanooga's success is a testament to the power of government infrastructure investment, writes Daily Kos blogger Steven D. It's also, he says, a threat to the private telecommunications monopolies, which are content to offer lower levels of service, "slowly draining the lifeblood out of our nation even as they steal whatever is left in our pocketbook". He contends that private-sector malaise and greed are part of the reason why US internet speeds currently ranks behind 30 countries, including South Korea, Romania and most of Europe. "Uruguayans have better internet service than citizens of the 'greatest nation on earth,'" he writes. "Pretty damn embarrassing, if not a big surprise." Companies like Cox and Comcast are trying to prevent public utilities like EPB from competing directly with private internet providers, he says. The companies argue that government-supported entities have an inherent competitive advantage over private businesses when they succeed and are a drain on government coffers when they fail. Currently 20 states have laws placing limits on municipal broadband networks, according to Ars Technica, including strict prohibitions in Texas and Nevada. Private telecommunications companies are also fighting to prevent Federal Communications Commission regulations that would make it easier for municipalities to circumvent these state rules. "I have said before that I believe the FCC has the power - and I intend to exercise that power - to pre-empt state laws that ban competition from community broadband," FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler said in May. Russia Former US politicians are Gazprombank's newest lobbyists - Former US Senators John Breaux and Trent Lott have signed on to lobby the US government for the Russia financial giant Gazprombank, which faces sanctions from Western nations due to the Russian government's involvement in Ukraine. As a senator, writes New York Magazine's Jonathan Chait, Mr Breaux had a reputation for being a pragmatist - and that is once again on display here. "After all," Chait contends, "what could be more pragmatic than recognizing the blunt reality that Russia is way stronger and richer than Ukraine?" Germany The politics of Uber - A German court has banned Uber from operating throughout the nation, holding that the law doesn't allow unlicensed vehicle operators to provide rides for profit. This is just another attempt by taxi operators around the world to restrict competition, writes Quartz's Tim Fernholz. Uber will likely adapt quickly to the ruling, he says, just as it has in other areas - such as New York City - where licensing requirements were initially used to block the company. In the end, he says, German taxi drivers and labour unions should look at the arrival of Uber as an opportunity to boost the car service industry as a whole. Uber could end up being a blessing, he concludes, not a curse. China Hong Kong's sham democracy proposal - The guidelines issued by the Chinese government for Hong Kong's 2017 chief executive election are so restrictive that it effectively gives Beijing control over who can run for the top office, writes former Hong Kong legislator Margaret Ng in the New York Times. While some Hong Kong officials seem to be endorsing the plan as at least a semblance of representative government, Ng says that accepting it will "allow the Chinese government to assume complete control over Hong Kong's affairs". Pro-democracy supporters should stand firm, she says, and reject a proposal that is even worse than the status quo. India Japan love is going too far - Narendra Modi's election as India's new prime minister has ushered in a new era of warm relation with Japan, writes Bloomberg View columnist Pankaj Mishra. While there are economic benefits to increased trade and investment, Mishra says, there's a deeper reason behind the closer ties. "Since the 19th Century, Hindu nationalists have venerated Japan as the paradigmatic Asian society that preserves its traditional virtues while also developing industrial and military strength and inculcating patriotism among its citizens," he writes. Mr Modi will learn, Mishra says, that Japan has made too many mistakes to merit imitation and that much of the nation's success was a result of unique global conditions and not a sustainable economic policy. BBC Monitoring's quotes of the day Middle East commentators write about the rise of the Islamic State (IS) and what it means for regional stability. "With its attacks on Islamic State, America has returned to Iraq with unclear and non-transparent objectives, which it describes as a long-term policy to confront Islamic State. These plans will accelerate Iraq's disintegration." - Nosratollah Tajik in the Iranian newspaper Shargh. "Thank you Islamic State for your foolish sectarian incitement. Who believes the Gulf States would have taken serious steps to combat terrorism if Islamic State had not appeared?" - Shamlan Youssef al-Issa in Kuwait's Al-Watan. Have you found an interesting opinion piece about global issues that we missed? Share it with us via email at echochambers (at) bbc.co.uk.

दुनिया भर में सर्वश्रेष्ठ टिप्पणियों की समीक्षा...


Michael Barrymore: How the British TV king lost his crown

Summary: Michael Barrymore has been awarded damages following a lengthy court battle over his arrest on suspicion of rape and murder. Although the sum will be decided at a later date, the High Court ruling is the latest twist in a case that has hung over the former TV presenter since 2001, when a man was found dead at his home.

By Jodie HalfordBBC News In the 1980s and 1990s, the king of British television was a zany, larger-than-life London lad who ruled supreme with shows like Strike It Lucky, My Kind Of People, and a self-titled variety show. Barrymore, now 65, was loved by audiences for his energy and irreverence. Having been a Redcoat at Butlins, he moved into West End theatre shows before winning TV talent show New Faces in 1979. His wife, Cheryl, was the mastermind behind the career of the man whose birth name is Michael Parker. Within years he rose to fame through appearances on Blankety Blank and his own sketch show. Strike It Lucky came calling in 1986. The gameshow, which ran until 1999, saw Barrymore chat to quirky contestants and guide them through the questions. Its success earned the now-prime time star his own light entertainment show, Barrymore, in which he would interview guests and perform comedy routines. He was a highly bankable presenter - Strike It Lucky was one of the most watched shows on British TV in the late 1980s - and was paid handsomely for his work. In 1995, after years of rumours, he came out as gay and left the home he shared with his wife. His career took a downturn when figures slumped on his variety shows, but he went on to present other programmes such as My Kind of Music and Kids Do the Funniest Things. But away from the cameras, Barrymore's personal life was in disarray. He was battling drink and drug addictions, and in 2000 was warned by police after drugs were found in a hotel room he was using. But far worse was to come. On 31 March 2001, the body of a butcher called Stuart Lubbock was found floating in the swimming pool at Barrymore's home in Roydon, Essex. He had been among a group of people who had gone back to Barrymore's house following a night out in nearby Harlow. In the very early hours of the morning, his body - clad in just his boxer shots - was spotted at the bottom of the pool by a partygoer. Other guests pulled him out, and an ambulance was called. Over the coming months, several post-mortem examinations were carried out. Mr Lubbock's bloodstream was found to have contained ecstasy, cocaine and alcohol. He was also found to have severe internal injuries indicating he had been the victim of a sexual assault. Police initially said he had died from drowning, but subsequent examinations of his body by pathologists found there was "no unequivocal evidence" that this was the case. At the time, Barrymore was cautioned for drugs offences, but no-one was ever charged in connection with what happened to Mr Lubbock. In 2002, an inquest into his death recorded an open verdict. Barrymore gave evidence but refused to answer questions over allegations that he gave Mr Lubbock cocaine in the hours before his body was found. Police said they had been left "frustrated" by the lack of evidence from witnesses, and that the investigation had been "very problematic". For months, the TV star's face had been splashed all over the papers in connection with what happened to Mr Lubbock. Unsurprisingly, the publicity scared off producers, and, in the same year, ITV announced it had no future plans to commission shows with Barrymore. Over the following years, the entertainer made comeback attempts, moved to New Zealand, and filed for voluntary bankruptcy over an "unexpected" £1.4m tax bill. He appeared on Celebrity Big Brother in 2006, triggering speculation his career might be about to take off again. But in 2007, he was arrested on suspicion of raping and murdering Mr Lubbock. Police had launched a new inquiry into the death the year before, having conducted a review of the original investigation. The force said as part of that inquiry, new evidence had emerged, prompting the arrest of Barrymore and two other men. The process of arresting the entertainer did not go as planned, when the police officer designated to make the arrest, Det Con Sue Jenkins, was delayed. Instead, an officer who had been doing covert surveillance at the property where Barrymore was staying carried it out. This meant the arrest was unlawful, because the arresting officer had not been fully briefed. A few weeks later, the Crown Prosecution Service announced there was insufficient evidence to bring any charges. But the case was not over: in 2009, the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC), which had been investigating the case, upheld six of 36 complaints and allegations made by Mr Lubbock's father Terry. He had never stopped fighting to find out the truth about what happened to his son, attempting to bring private prosecutions and calling for a fresh inquest into the death. When a decade had passed since the events at Barrymore's home, police made a new appeal for information, but no further progress was made. In April 2013, Barrymore decided to take action against Essex Police, lodging a damages claim at the High Court for unlawful arrest and false imprisonment. Barrymore's lawyers said police had not had reasonable grounds for suspecting him of the rape or murder of Mr Lubbock, and the arrest was unlawful and "wholly disproportionate and unreasonable". Their court documents also said Barrymore "suffered loss and damage, namely distress, shock, anxiety and damage to his reputation". He has also claimed his career suffered because of the police handling of the case. For years, he had been hinting at comebacks - even as recently as March this year, when he announced on Twitter he was filming a new sitcom. As well as that, a new musical - More, More, More - is set to chart the rise and fall of his career. Terry Lubbock has reportedly described the musical as "sick and depraved". In October last year, when police admitted the arrest was unlawful, Barrymore took to Twitter, writing: "As much as I can say for the minute is 'justice'." The issue of whether the arrest was reasonable or not was at the heart of the issue. At the Royal Courts of Justice, Essex Police argued the arrest was reasonable, and that Barrymore had suffered no loss as a result of the unlawful arrest because he would have been arrested in any event. After four years of hearings, and weeks of consideration by judge Mr Justice Stuart-Smith, a decision has finally been made. What the ruling means for Barrymore's future as an entertainer remains to be seen.

माइकल बैरीमोर को बलात्कार और हत्या के संदेह में उनकी गिरफ्तारी पर एक लंबी अदालती लड़ाई के बाद हर्जाना दिया गया है। हालांकि राशि का फैसला बाद की तारीख में किया जाएगा, उच्च न्यायालय का फैसला उस मामले में नवीनतम मोड़ है जो 2001 से पूर्व टीवी प्रस्तुतकर्ता पर लटका हुआ है, जब एक आदमी अपने घर पर मृत पाया गया था।


Isle of Wight businessman charged with child sexual abuse

Summary: A former president of Isle of Wight Chamber of Commerce has been charged with 12 counts of child sexual abuse.

Peter Tomlinson, 63, is accused of "five counts of paying for the sexual services of a girl under the age of 13," the National Crime Agency said. The businessman is also charged with causing child exploitation, inciting an offence and making indecent images. He was remanded in custody by Portsmouth magistrates to appear at Newport Crown Court on 14 December. Mr Tomlinson, of Baring Road, Cowes, is no longer a director of any company after resigning from 10 roles in 2019, according to the Companies House website.

आइल ऑफ वाइट चैंबर ऑफ कॉमर्स के एक पूर्व अध्यक्ष पर बाल यौन शोषण के 12 मामलों का आरोप लगाया गया है।


US concerns on LTTE

Summary: The US Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Donald Camp who is visiting Sri Lanka said in a television interview that the LTTE is very deserving of being added on the list of banned organizations

“We think it will help cut off financial supplies and weapons procurement and the like”,he said. The US is concerned with the LTTE provocations that threatened the CFA agreement said the assistant secretary of state. He also said that the LTTE should give up violence if it needs to find a place within a united Sri Lanka. Government Commenting on the responsibility of the government Camp pointed out the need of the government to inquire into the recent killings of civilians. “We also hold democratic governments to high standards and when there are killings in areas controlled by the government, it is certainly the government’s responsibility to uphold law and order.” said Camp He said the government needs to address legitimate Tamil grievances.

दक्षिण और मध्य एशियाई मामलों के लिए अमेरिकी प्रधान उप सहायक विदेश मंत्री डोनाल्ड कैंप, जो श्रीलंका की यात्रा पर हैं, ने एक टेलीविजन साक्षात्कार में कहा कि एल. टी. टी. ई. प्रतिबंधित संगठनों की सूची में शामिल होने का बहुत हकदार है।