On the trail of South Africa's missing textbooks

Summary: South Africa's Basic Education Department has been in court this week, accused of failing to deliver textbooks to schoolchildren in the northern Limpopo province. The issue has developed into an embarrassing scandal for the governing African National Congress, involving allegations of mismanagement and corruption, as the BBC's Rob Walker reports.

Mrs Manaka's maths class are struggling with a problem - how to calculate daily profits from a busy car wash. She jots down a formula on the board and pupils begin to shout out their answers. Since lessons started in January, students at Tlakulani Secondary School have also been wrestling with another, much bigger problem - how to study without the new textbooks the government was supposed to provide. "Many times, we ordered the books but they didn't deliver. We reminded them, we keep on ordering the textbooks, and they still didn't deliver," says Mrs Manaka. She fears results will nose-dive in the fast approaching end-of-year exams. Limpopo province, one of the poorest in South Africa, already has some of the worst performing schools in the country. Yet despite an education budget of 22bn rand ($2.6bn; £1.6bn), the ANC-led provincial government has failed to provide any textbooks for this year. Many parents are furious, particularly because some grades are studying a new curriculum this year. "They promised us better education. They campaigned and told us your vote is your voice. Now there is nothing," said Tondani Lydia Masiphephethu, who has three children in Limpopo state schools. Earlier this year, she joined forces with Section 27, a South African NGO, and took the national Department of Basic Education to court to demand it provide textbooks. "In the speech of the president, he announced billions to the department of education. Where is the money?" she asks. The answer to that question shines a light on a problem much wider than Limpopo. Two years ago, Limpopo's education department decided to contract out the procurement and distribution of textbooks. A company called EduSolutions, which operates large state contracts in other provinces, won the bid. But it was soon clear that privatisation meant books would cost the state much more than before. "They wanted a way to corrupt the system, and the only way is when you bring in a middle-man," said Solly Tshitangano, a senior education official at the time of the deal. He says politicians and officials decided to outsource textbook supply solely in order to find a new way to defraud the taxpayer. "This was just the tip of the iceberg. It was not the only deal that was taking money away from the government." Mr Tshitangano was sacked by Limpopo's government last year for gross insubordination and gross negligence. He says it was because he had blown the whistle on the EduSolutions deal and other questionable tenders. By the end of last year, Limpopo's education department had run out of money, before it had ordered any textbooks for 2012. It had racked up an astonishing $250m in unauthorised expenditure and was no longer able to pay salaries. In December, the central government was forced to intervene, taking over education, and four other departments. Once the National Treasury got a look at the books, information began to emerge about tenders which had been awarded without competition, and which appeared to have been manipulated to increase their value. 'Tenderpreneurs' Details of the EduSolutions deal were particularly disturbing. "Having EduSolutions there you had inflated pricing and we didn't have control over the procurement of those books, and we couldn't negotiate discounts," says Kenneth Brown, deputy director general in the National Treasury. Central government cancelled the contract with EduSolutions earlier this year, and Mr Brown says, saved a huge amount of money in the process. "We procured the same amount of books at just 10% of what government would have paid [to EduSolutions]," he says. The Special Investigating Unit - the state body responsible for fighting corruption - is now examining the textbook deal. EduSolutions told the BBC it prides itself on good governance. It said the tender had followed government procurement procedures and that book prices were set by the education department and the publishers. "It is therefore baseless and far from the truth to suggest that the deal with EduSolutions meant inflated prices/ pricing," the company said in a statement. Pat Kgomo, the spokesman for Limpopo's education department, maintained that correct procedure had been followed in awarding the contract to EduSolutions and said in a statement that the allegation the tender was designed to benefit politicians and officials was "false and malicious". The national Department of Basic Education took over the functions of the provincial department in December. Its spokesman, Panyaza Lesufi, accepts there have been serious failings in Limpopo, but says that these are now being addressed by the national government. "You've got bad apples that are doing things that are not correct in terms of tenders, but that does not mean the entire system has collapsed - that's a wrong, misleading view." But government critics say the problems go much wider than the failure to deliver textbooks. "Senior political leaders in the province in their majority are 'tenderpreneurs'," is the blunt assessment of Dan Sebabi, the head of Limpopo's branch of Cosatu, the coalition of trade unions that is in alliance with the ANC. "They are doing business with the same government institutions they are leading. They are awarding themselves tenders." Mr Sebabi believes the ANC politicians who run Limpopo have betrayed the people they are supposed to represent. "They are spitting in the faces of the poor. Our people see these things and their anger is growing by the day." Many other local governments have faced similar accusations. According to South Africa's auditor general, only seven out of 237 South African cities received clean audit reports for 2010. As end-of-year exams approach, some schools in Limpopo are still waiting for books. Parent Tondani Lydia Masiphephethu is furious. "They're just eating money, and my problem is the politicians' children are not in our schools. Most of them send their children outside the country, to study in foreign schools." Rob Walker's Assignment will be broadcast on the BBC World Service on 4 October 2012. Listen to the Assignment via iplayer or browse the documentary podcast archive.

दक्षिण अफ्रीका के बुनियादी शिक्षा विभाग पर इस सप्ताह अदालत में उत्तरी लिम्पोपो प्रांत में स्कूली बच्चों को पाठ्यपुस्तकें देने में विफल रहने का आरोप लगाया गया है। यह मुद्दा सत्तारूढ़ अफ्रीकी राष्ट्रीय कांग्रेस के लिए एक शर्मनाक घोटाले में बदल गया है, जिसमें कुप्रबंधन और भ्रष्टाचार के आरोप शामिल हैं, जैसा कि बीबीसी के रॉब वॉकर ने बताया है।


HMP Hull prisoner released in error back in custody

Summary: A prisoner who was mistakenly released from jail has been found, Humberside Police has said.

Michael Kavanagh was released from HMP Hull in error on Friday. A police spokesman said Mr Kavanagh was located on Sunday and taken into police custody. No details as to how he was found have been released. He is on remand awaiting trial for allegedly carrying an offensive weapon and intent to cause grievous bodily harm, in June. Hull Prison is a Category B men's jail that originally opened in 1870 to hold both men and women. It has capacity for 1,044 prisoners.

हंबरसाइड पुलिस ने कहा है कि एक कैदी जिसे गलती से जेल से रिहा कर दिया गया था, वह मिल गया है।


'Should I dump my girlfriend before uni?'

Summary: Nineteen-year-old Anoushka Dougherty finished school earlier this year and spent the summer months thinking about her next big step - leaving home in Kent and heading to university in Manchester. One of the major questions her friends were grappling with, she noticed, was what to do about their existing boyfriends and girlfriends. To dump, or not to dump?

JULY 2019 It's the summer before the start of university, results are around the corner and the time of home-cooked meals and laundry that appears to do itself is finally ending. But despite the fact that we should be fussing over budgeting and acquiring culinary skills beyond the realms of pasta and Pot Noodle, one of the most stressful decisions surrounding uni for a lot of people is whether or not to remain in their secondary-school relationships. Speaking to my friends, I've found that some are opting to keep relationships going despite the pressures of distance while others are finishing things before the start of term. And then there's a third group who have decided to go to the same city as their partners so that they can study - and stay - together. I'm curious about those who are planning to keep their existing partners. Will their relationships survive, or will the romantic possibilities in their new environments be too exciting to turn down? Luke will soon be leaving Kent to start a degree in geography at Southampton. Although uni is a welcome change, the worry over what will become of him and his girlfriend, who will be studying three hours away, is intensifying. They've been together for a few months and Luke credits the relationship with helping him stay sane through his exams and overcome his struggles with anxiety. Although he's aware of the potential difficulties to come, Luke doesn't want to break off the relationship prematurely. Instead, he hopes that regular visits, social media and a lot of commitment will help keep it going. He knows there won't be the same level of intimacy between them and says he's worried that temptation at uni may become an issue. "Trust is maybe the one thing that I am worried about going forward. I trust my girlfriend 100%, unequivocally," he says. "But we're going to both be in large cities making new friends every single day. The chances of either one of us finding someone that we perhaps like more, get on with more, find more attractive, are quite high. "With flatmates, say, you'll be spending every day with them, rather than the five hours at a weekend you'll get with your partner. There could be problems." Even so, he thinks that maybe he and his girlfriend can make it work. Find out more Listen to Degrees of Love, featuring Anoushka Dougherty and her friends, on BBC Sounds Although the separation will be hard, he reflects, it could help test the relationship and allow them both to see if it is really worth pursuing further. "If you go to uni and it all works out, then you know then you've got some solid foundations to work on and a relationship that could last for life. If you get past the first two years or so then you'll know that the relationship is going to work - and if you don't, then that's a good indication that it was never going to work." Our friend Tom thinks this may be misguided. University changes people, he says, so he urges Luke to end things before term starts. He's influenced by his older brother, who went to university single and fell in love there. And he notes that at university, you get to pick from a much larger pool of people. "There will be loads of opportunities there and so much more chance of meeting the right person," he says. Relationship therapist Dee Holmes, who works for the counselling service, Relate, tells me these different views are shaped in part by how people respond to new challenges. "I think for some people starting university brings a lot of excitement and they can shed all that's gone before. For them, it's a new start. And yet for others, it's quite important to have the security that they've got at the moment." She adds that while social media may make it easier to stay in relationships, it can also put a strain on them. This is particularly the case if one person becomes isolated and suspicious. "If you're spending every night in your room on a Skype call with your girlfriend or boyfriend miles away, then actually you are going to be probably making that loneliness and insecurity greater. Especially if they're having fun with flatmates and going out, while you're left wondering what's going on." One way round this might be to go to university in the same city as your partner - which is exactly what Thea and Lola have chosen to do. They're starting at Leeds Uni and their boyfriends will be at Leeds Beckett, right next door. Thea, who has been with her boyfriend, Jack, for two years, says it's a perfect solution. "You have that sense of support while you're in the same place, but you have the separation which you kind of need, so you can find your feet and do your own thing," she says. She notes, though, that neither her parents or Lola's are fully on board with the decision. They seem to fear that their daughters will be cut off from the full uni experience. "I think they're quite sceptical about it because if your child's going to university you don't want to be paying £9,000 a year for them to be hanging out with their boyfriend, or staying in bed together. They say that university is the best time of your life and they don't want their kid to waste it being with their boyfriend or girlfriend." It's not you... Every year freelance journalist Justin Myers posts a darkly humorous tweet on A-level results day, pointing out that all the good news could be the kiss of death for relationships. "I've been wheeling this out in various incarnations for the last eight years or so. It's instantly relatable to anyone who went to university. We've all seen it happen! Most of the lovebirds in my first-year halls consciously uncoupled by Halloween," he says. "Most people love the tweet and laugh along, but in recent years I've noticed an increasing backlash, mostly from couples who stayed together and are anxious to assert their monogamy, or those claiming new students might be upset by the tweet. I'd argue teenagers aren't humourless and are smart enough to know how things might turn out. And if you bucked the trend, congratulations!" When it comes to advice on practical steps to make long-distance relationships work there are blog posts on how often to call, how to build up trust and deal with difficult situations. One is written by travel-blogger Absolutely Lucy, who stayed with her boyfriend from home all the way through uni, only to drift apart once they settled into the world of work. As students, they dedicated certain weekends to couple time and sent thoughtful texts and even flowers to help keep the relationship going. They both made an effort and Lucy thinks this was the key. "Temptation is the biggest question of all about having a boyfriend at university. There is a lot of temptation, if you like sweaty blokes wearing too much aftershave daring mates to down pints without being sick! Some might feel left out of all the drunken snogging and sleeping around that comes with freshers' [week], but you're not really missing anything! It's possible to go to university and not sleep with everyone. It's possible to go on a night out and go home with your girls and a greasy burger!" Katie Broadbent has also written a survival guide for students separated from their partners, which includes sharing problems with close friends and keeping as busy as possible while apart. She'd been with her boyfriend, Sam, for two years before they started at different universities and they're still together now that they've graduated. It was hard, but worth the effort, she says. "I know that many of my friends and family were doubtful about whether we'd stay together, but our relationship is stronger than ever. "We've both matured a lot and been through so much. Now we're looking forward to the future together. I believe that if you really are committed to your partner, you will always find a way to make things work." SEPTEMBER 2019 In Leeds, freshers' week is already over. Thea says she has hardly seen her boyfriend over the last few days because they agreed to use the time to make new friends. Lola tells me she wonders whether spending more time together away from home and their school friends might mean she and her boyfriend clash more, but she's philosophical about it. "I'd be surprised if we were still together in a year - pleasantly surprised, but I just don't think we will be. I don't think it's going to be anything sad, or like some emotional break-up," she says. And Thea also recognises there is no guarantee that her "perfect solution" will work. "If you do split up and you're both in the same city, or both at university, it is gonna be harder. But it's always hard if you split up with someone, isn't it? It's never really going to be that easy. "And if you've spent time making an effort with new people, then you're going to be dealing with splitting up with friends around you. You'll be forced to socialise with people rather than lie in your bed all day playing sad songs!" But two of my friends, Luke and Tom, have both made 180-degree turns. What a difference two months makes. Tom, whose advice was to split up before going to university, is now thinking it's worth giving it a try with his girlfriend, Jenny. Luke, on the other hand, who wanted to make his relationship work, has just been told by his girlfriend that she's changed her mind. He's been dumped. But amazingly, he doesn't seem too disappointed. "She said it would be hard. Even though it would've been a struggle I was prepared to do it. But now she's ended it and I think that's left me more excited to start uni," he says. "It means I can go without having to worry about anything at all!" You may also be interested in: Anoushka Dougherty was offered a place at Cambridge University, but she's mixed-race and from a state school - and only 3% of students who started at Cambridge in 2017 were black, or mixed-race with black heritage. So is it the best place for her? At this point, she's not sure. READ: 'I'm mixed-race, is Cambridge University right for me?' (January 2019)

उन्नीस साल की अनुष्का डौघर्टी ने इस साल की शुरुआत में स्कूल की पढ़ाई पूरी की और गर्मियों के महीनों में अपने अगले बड़े कदम के बारे में सोचती रही-केंट में घर छोड़कर मैनचेस्टर में विश्वविद्यालय जा रही थी। उसके दोस्तों के सामने एक बड़ा सवाल था कि उनके मौजूदा प्रेमी और प्रेमिकाओं के बारे में क्या करना है। छोड़ देना है या नहीं?


Covid: 'Getting the vaccine in Ramadan helps others'

Summary: A series of pop-up vaccination centres in mosques have been set up to support Muslims to get a Covid vaccination during Ramadan, after concerns from Islamic scholars and NHS leaders that the fasting period may discourage some. BBC News meets people who are welcoming the new services.

By Sandish ShokerBBC News, East Midlands The start of Ramadan means millions of Muslims will begin fasting during daylight hours for a month. But there have been concerns among health bosses that some may delay getting their vaccines as a result. During Ramadan, many Muslims abstain from allowing anything to enter their body, such as food and drink, between sunrise and sunset. Senior NHS workers who are Muslims and the British Islamic Medical Association have issued assurances having the vaccination will not break the fast and the NHS has set up pop-up vaccination centres at mosques, workplaces and community centres, with options such as out-of-hours and women-only clinics being considered. Erum Suleman, from Derby, said she thought the comfortable and familiar settings would encourage other Muslims to get their jabs. Mrs Suleman, who had her vaccination on Friday - just before Ramadan began this week - said: "Some local people might feel more comfortable going to the community centre, because they know the people there, and they can walk there, and I think these things are a big help." The 43-year-old, who founded the charity Erum's Helping Hand, said there had been hesitancy among some Muslims in her community about taking up the vaccine. She added: "I have heard people talking about whether they are going to get the vaccine or not and I would say to people that sooner or later we all need to get it, so just go as soon as you are invited... and then we can see our parents and families again. "A lot of people in the community know me through my charity work so I thought if people saw me getting the jab done then they might book theirs too." Mrs Suleman added she felt having the vaccination was, in fact, in keeping with the aims of Ramadan. "Whatever we do for good in those 30 days of Ramadan, this is a good step for the future, for our children and for our families," she said. "By doing this we are showing that we care for others, our community, for everybody, and we are helping others - which is what Ramadan is about." Yunas Naroo from West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire, is due to have his second vaccination during Ramadan. The 83-year-old said he had sought advice on having the vaccine during the holy month and was confident it was safe to do so. "I enquired about it, but I've not been worried," he said. "I had my first vaccine and didn't feel any side effects at all so I wasn't worried about the second dose. "I have been fasting for a long time, since I was young, so my body is used to it." Mr Naroo, who is the vice chairman of the Jamia Masjid Sultania mosque in Sneinton, Nottingham, said he was aware of some concerns within the community. "I know some people are worried about having the vaccine and everyone has their own opinions, but I don't see any problem with it," he said. "I recommend everybody should have it when they are asked to book, just to be on the safe side." Leicester Imam Dr Ather Hussain said he had been telling worshippers having the vaccination is "a form of worship". "Worship is anything that brings kindness and unity to the people around you," he said. "Walking around and refusing to take the vaccine or any precaution is irresponsible and selfish. "Anything which reverses that trend and protects you and your neighbours - that's a form of worship." He added he believed the timing of Ramadan this year was "just so important". "It opens your eyes to our responsibilities and who and what matters in your life, and in the pandemic, everyone matters," he said. "This virus has taken everyone from society - of every race and religion - and we have all got to be careful and responsible." Dr Shehla Imtiaz-Umer, a Derby GP and representative of the British Islamic Medical Association (BIMA), believed it was important not to delay the vaccination programme. "As Muslims we have a duty to preserve life and getting vaccinated is the most effective way to prevent illness and loss of life from Covid-19," she said. "We must now stand together and not allow this progress to halt during Ramadan." Follow BBC East Midlands on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Send your story ideas to eastmidsnews@bbc.co.uk. Related Internet Links Derby and Derbyshire CCG

इस्लामी विद्वानों और एन. एच. एस. नेताओं की चिंताओं के बाद कि उपवास की अवधि कुछ लोगों को हतोत्साहित कर सकती है, रमजान के दौरान मुसलमानों को कोविड टीकाकरण प्राप्त करने में सहायता के लिए मस्जिदों में पॉप-अप टीकाकरण केंद्रों की एक श्रृंखला स्थापित की गई है। बीबीसी समाचार उन लोगों से मिलता है जो नई सेवाओं का स्वागत कर रहे हैं।


Bristol Free School plans are given council approval

Summary: Bristol Free School has been given the green light to create temporary facilities at Westbury-on-Trym.

Plans to re-use the former site of the Environment Agency and Defra on Burghill Road were approved by a planning committee on Wednesday. The temporary site - which could be used until December 2012 - will include facilities for ICT, science and technology, sport and extra classrooms. Bristol Free School is set to be the largest of its kind in England.

ब्रिस्टल फ्री स्कूल को वेस्टबरी-ऑन-ट्रिम में अस्थायी सुविधाएं बनाने के लिए हरी झंडी दे दी गई है।


Chandrika denies mansion story

Summary: "Is Prince Andrew's Southyork mansion going to Sri Lanka?" President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga has categorically rejected that she has bought a mansion in the UK as reported by the Evening Standard of December 1st, 2005 published in the UK.

The article appeared in the column 'Londoner's Diary' under the caption, "Is Prince Andrew's Southyork mansion going to Sri Lanka?" It says President Chandrika Kumaratunge has bought the Sunninhill Park mansion belonging to Prince Andrew, the second son of the Queen. The article says, "Has the Duke of York finally sold his country mansion, Sunninghill Park? One well-placed source tells me the property - dubbedSouthyork after the Ewing ranch in the 1980s TV series Dallas - has been bought by former Sri lankan Presidnet Chandrika Kumaratunge. The article says that the Prince Andrew has been desperate to sell the mansion since divorcing Sarah, Duchess of York in 1992. Worth £10 million Stating that the mansion has been on the market for more than three years for ten million pounds, says it is not known how much Mrs.Kumaratunge might have paid for the white elephant on the Berkshire-Surrey border. The article also alleges that two flats in Paris have also been bought by President Kumaratunge. The Evening Standard further says that President Kumaratunge is known to have been keen in buying a house in the UK nearer to her son who is qualified recently as a veterinary surgeon from the Bristol University and her daughter who is a doctor in the UK. The office of the President Kumaratunge says that it, ".......wishes to categorically reject the references to her in the said article which are baseless, as she does not, nor propose to, own property abroad." Denial Considering the extreme damage the said article has done to the reputation of President Kumaratunge, office of the pesident requests the Evening Standard publish the statement issued by them. It also says that legal action will be taken by President Kumaratunge against the newspaper for publishing defamatory article. However, a member of the editorial of the paaper told Sandeshaya that they stand by their report. "We have not received any denial or a formal letter of litigation", the editorial member said. Palace declines to comment When we contacted the Buckingham Palace to verify this information the media unit in the palace said they would not comment on private transactions. The Unit said they reject the article appeared in the Evening Standard.

"क्या प्रिंस एंड्रयू की साउथ यॉर्क हवेली श्रीलंका जा रही है?" राष्ट्रपति चंद्रिका भंडारनायके कुमारतुंगा ने स्पष्ट रूप से खारिज कर दिया है कि उन्होंने यूके में एक हवेली खरीदी है जैसा कि यूके में प्रकाशित 1 दिसंबर, 2005 के इवनिंग स्टैंडर्ड द्वारा बताया गया है।


Coventry half marathon postponed due to coronavirus

Summary: Coventry Half Marathon is to be postponed due to coronavirus.

In a statement, organisers said current circumstances would prevent bringing the "best atmosphere and event to runners and spectators" on 5 April. It said it took the decision after government advice to be mindful how events could be a burden on public services. Organiser Matt Wall said the event team were left with "little option" other than to move it to later in the year. In a statement, published on the event website, organisers said the team were "excited about delivering a fantastic event" but had to prioritise the "wellbeing of all runners, spectators and crew". Organisers said those who had a place would have it automatically moved to a new date, which they hoped to confirm in the coming weeks. Latest news from the West Midlands Speaking to BBC CWR, Mr Wall said organisers had been "working like mad" behind the scenes, but "ultimately we are a community event and our biggest focus was about ensuring the community could be safe and that we weren't going to be a drain on other resources". There have been 798 confirmed cases of the virus across the UK as of 09:00 GMT on Friday., including three in Coventry. Follow BBC West Midlands on Facebook, on Twitter, and sign up for local news updates direct to your phone. Related Internet Links Coventry Half Marathon

कोरोनावायरस के कारण कोवेंट्री हाफ मैराथन को स्थगित किया जाना है।


A Twitter war on Stephen Colbert

Summary: Satire can be a dangerous game. Making jokes about racists is safe. Making a joke about racism by pretending to be a racist is the kind of subversive humour that can get you in a lot of trouble.

By Anthony ZurcherEditor, Echo Chambers Just ask Stephen Colbert, who is both a master of the art and its latest victim. The first thing to understand is that the Stephen Colbert on Comedy Central's The Colbert Report is not really Stephen Colbert. The show's "Stephen Colbert" is a caricature, a cardboard version of a right-wing pundit used to poke satirical fun at right-wing pundits like Rush Limbaugh and Bill O'Reilly. On Wednesday night, Colbert mocked the attempt by the owner of the Washington Redskins US football franchise to defuse allegations that the team's name is a racist slur on Native Americans. Earlier this week, Dan Snyder said he was starting an "Original Americans Foundation" to provide support to impoverished Native American communities. On his show, Colbert announced that he was going to "show the Asian-American community I care by starting the 'Ching-Chong Ding-Dong Foundation for Sensitivity to Orientals or Whatever'". It was a reference to previous instances on the show where Colbert pretended to be a stereotypical Asian and then didn't understand why his behaviour might be offensive. The following day, the network-run @ColbertReport Twitter account - over which Colbert and his show have no editorial control - sent out a tweet to its one million followers with that quote, devoid of any context or reference to the Redskins. The message caught the attention of 23-year-old social media activist Suey Park, who gained fame in 2013 by creating the #NotYourAsianSidekick Twitter trend. On Thursday night, she tweeted to her 18,000 followers: "The Ching-Chong Ding-Dong Foundation for Sensitivity to Orientals has decided to call for #CancelColbert. Trend it." She followed it up with a concerted campaign to rally support for her cause. When supporters of the show pushed back, pointing out that Colbert's routine was satire, Ms Park pressed on: "Dear white people, we're not stupid. We know what satire is and what it isn't." "I shouldn't have to interrupt my work/social life to respond to every act of racism. The left is just as complicit." "I'm sick of liberals hiding behind assumed 'progressiveness.'" That last tweet was picked up by conservative columnist Michelle Malkin, who called on her 700,000 followers to "co-sign", giving the trend additional momentum. The Twitter war quickly caught the attention of the mainstream media, as columnists and commentators weighed in on the matter. Salon's Mary Elizabeth Williams admits that she is "a full-time, professional offended feminist", but adds: I've got to say that we all undercut the serious points we may be trying to make about changing the conversation when the response to something that we deem inappropriate is a full-on demand for somebody's head. Colbert's humour succeeds by "cranking offensiveness up so far as to be inherently unbelievable", writes the Wire's Brian Feldman. "React however you choose, but this sort of thing is Colbert's bread and butter." Slate's David Weigel wonders if Ms Park's "hashtag activism" will have an effect: Any time a public figure or group of people is blitzed and told not to say something offensive, no matter how prideful they are, the instinct is to never say that again. He says that just because Colbert has tried to mock someone else's racism, that's not enough for people like Ms Park: As they explained in 140-character bursts, when a white comedian like Colbert joked about racism by playing a racist, he was still telling his audience to laugh at a racist joke. Anyone who disputed this was trying to "whitesplain" satire - an argument that can never be debunked. He also notes that the entire episode exposes how difficult it is to win Twitter outrage wars: The weaponised hashtag also takes power from the people who are trying to mock it - Twitter doesn't discriminate between earnestness and parody. People making fun of the humorlessness and bad faith of the hashtag end up keeping it in the "trending" column. The Daily Banter's Chez Pazienza calls Ms Park a "human umbrage machine", saying he hopes the episode will "serve as the breaking point for progressive pop culture, when it finally decides that the constant ridiculous outrage has become nothing more than self-parody". Meanwhile, those on the right revelled in a liberal icon like Colbert taking fire from the left. Twitchy, a social media watchdog site founded by Malkin, took particular delight, collecting tweets from outraged liberals and liberals outraged at the outrage. Douglas Ernst of the Washington Times blogs that Colbert's situation "highlighted quite nicely where you end up when you follow that worldview to its logical conclusion: the land of livid thought police". "Sadly, Mr Colbert, for some weird reason, still doesn't understand that his own ideology breeds intellectual cannibals," he adds. Comedy Central has since deleted the offending message, and Colbert tweeted from his personal account that he had nothing to do with it: "#CancelColbert - I agree! Just saw @ColbertReport tweet. I share your rage. Who is that, though?" As regular viewers of The Colbert Report will attest, the show's guests and interview subjects often act as though they're oblivious to being the target of subtle derision. It's part of the show's insidious charm. Ms Park, on the other hand, professes to be well aware of Colbert's style of humour and contends that pretending to be racist is just as bad as being racist. If Colbert had used a racial epithet - say, the "n" word, for instance - to make fun of a Klan member, would that have been acceptable? Is "ching-chong ding-dong" any less inflammatory? At what point does humour cross over into offensiveness? As I wrote, satire is dangerous business. That danger, walking the line between laugher and shock, is part of what makes it so compelling - and Colbert so popular.

व्यंग्य एक खतरनाक खेल हो सकता है। नस्लवादियों के बारे में मजाक करना सुरक्षित है। नस्लवादी होने का नाटक करके नस्लवाद के बारे में मजाक करना एक प्रकार का विध्वंसक हास्य है जो आपको बहुत परेशानी में डाल सकता है।


How I set out to catch a romance scammer

Summary: It's a tough conversation to listen to.

By Athar AhmadBBC Panorama The woman on the phone thinks she has a fiancé in the US. But the romantic emails she's been receiving are really coming from a small town in Nigeria. Laura Lyons has to break the bad news. She's a private investigator who specialises in tracking down online romance fraudsters, otherwise known as "catfish". "When you have to go back to individuals and explain to them that this person doesn't exist, they're not real, that is really hard to do," she says. The catfish are often based in Africa and work from pre-written romantic scripts in internet cafes. Their stories are designed to tug at the heart strings and to empty bank accounts. More than a quarter of new relationships now start through a dating website or app, so there's no shortage of potential victims. Most victims are too embarrassed to go to the police, but there are still 10 catfish crimes a day reported in the UK. Those affected by such scams lose on average around £15,000. The mark: A victim who is targeted by romance fraudsters Roy Twiggs shows me the stream of email conversations he had with someone who pretended to be a US woman called Donna. Roy thought they were in love and were going to get married. Then she started asking for money to help with a building project in Malaysia. "The money seemed to be for plausible things. When you're sending £3,000, £4,000, it sort of all adds up. "After I'd worked everything out I'd actually paid her the best part of £100,000." The 67-year-old from Doncaster should be enjoying a comfortable retirement. Instead he's paying off creditors each month using his pension. "I'm broke. You're whitewashed, you're totally devastated, you're finished, you just don't want to be bothered anymore." While we are filming we spot a worrying entry on Roy's calendar. He has written "$500" next to the name Sherry. Sherry is Roy's new American girlfriend. He met her online. When I check the messages Sherry has sent, it's clear she's using the same language and methods as the original catfish. It's far from unusual, as catfish are ruthless with their victims. If you have been hooked once, you are more likely to be targeted again. The bait: A fake profile used to hook someone online I want to catch a catfish by setting up my own fake dating profile. Nearly two-thirds of reported victims are women, so I have become Kathryn Hunter - a wealthy divorcee looking for love. It's not long before the catfish begin to bite. Four men approach me online and they all claim to be US soldiers. It's an immediate red flag. The military profile is a commonly used cover story which gives catfish an excuse not to meet in person, as well as providing a seemingly legitimate reason to ask for money to be sent overseas. One of the soldiers, who calls himself Paul Richard, comes on strong. On day two, he tells Kathryn he's in love. On day three, he wants to marry her. He takes the conversation away from the dating site and bombards me with texts. There are messages late into the night and more waiting for me in the morning. After a week, Paul Richard says he wants to speak on the phone. My producer takes on the role of Kathryn for the call. The number he rings from has a Nigerian dialling code. After a brief silence, a man with a thick African accent comes on the line. He doesn't sound like the American soldier whose picture he is using. But Paul explains away his accent by saying he has a cold. The easiest way to prove someone is a catfish is to find the real person whose pictures they are using. An online reverse image search can show where the pictures came from on the internet. The first three photos Paul sends us don't work, because the meta data has been stripped from the picture. But we get a result on the fourth, a selfie Paul claims is him in his army uniform. It leads us to the Instagram page of Juan Avalos, a real life marine whose page features the same pictures sent to us by Paul. He has uploaded a warning about catfish because so many fraudsters have been using his photos to scam people. Juan told us: "These guys will say anything to anybody and lie. I run into so many messages, even if I show them it's not me they still don't believe it because they are so deeply in love." For the next few weeks, my producer continues to speak to Paul Richard on the phone as I listen in. Paul talks gushingly about their future life together and his plans to move to the UK to be with Kathryn once his army service finishes. The conversations grow longer and more frequent, punctuated with kisses, flirtatious comments and a regular request for pictures. There's just one thing standing in the way of our future happiness - Paul's son is sick and desperately needs medical attention. He asks for $800 (£620) to pay for young Rick's treatment. Paul says we should pay the cash to his nanny in the US, a woman called Marcy Krovak. It's a breakthrough because, unlike Paul Richard, Marcy Krovak is a real person. Mule: Someone who transfers money or goods for the catfish Catfish need real people to pick up cash for them as some form of identification has to be shown when collecting transactions. Some of these money mules are innocent victims tricked into forwarding on cash, others are in on the scam. We don't know whether Marcy is in on it or not, so we head to Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania, where she lives. We send her a small amount of cash to see if she will pick it up. The next three days are spent sitting in a blacked out van outside Marcy's local Western Union. We spot a number of women who look like her going inside but each time it's a false alarm.. Then, just as we think our sting has failed, we receive a notification telling us the cash has been picked up using Marcy's ID. But it's been collected 400 miles away - in New York. When we ask Marcy what's going on, she claims she's also a victim of our catfish: "I never was going to go to Western Union and pick that money up but now somebody's used my info and gone and picked it up. It was not me, I did not do it. Please find this person." The reveal: Unmasking the catfish It seems like we have hit another dead end, but then our catfish makes a mistake. Paul Richard accidentally leaves a name tag - Dan Coolman - on one of his WhatsApp pictures. We search through all the Dan Coolmans in Nigeria and we find one who runs a barbershop in Ibadan. He's using the same number that our catfish has been calling us from. Dan Coolman is another false name, but we discover the phone is registered to Daniel Joseph Okechkwu. We then find a Twitter account with that name and the same profile picture as the one used by Dan Coolman. We have finally uncovered the real identity of our catfish. We head for Ibadan, but by the time we get there he's gone. The doors to the barber shop are locked and locals say it's been closed for weeks. There is a photo of our catfish posing with a customer on the side of the building, but no-one seems to know where Daniel Joseph Okechkwu has gone. After three months of talking to our catfish, we decide to call him and tell him who we really are. Surprisingly, he doesn't hang up straight away. He sticks to his story about being a US soldier and insists his name is Paul Richard. He denies scamming anybody and then ends the call. It feels like a disappointing end to our search, but later that night he calls back. This time, Daniel Joseph Okechkwu confesses. He claims it's the first romance scam he's ever pulled and that he has been forced to do it because of the closure of his barber shop. He sounds sincere and he apologises for the way he has treated us. Our catfish says he wants to stop being a romance fraudster. But he needs us to give him money, so that he can afford to stop tricking other people out of their cash. It's a classic catfish twist. They never give up on the scam even when they have been rumbled. You can watch BBC Panorama's Billion-Pound Romance Scam on Monday 19th November at 8:30pm on BBC One, or afterwards on BBCiPlayer.

यह सुनने के लिए एक कठिन बातचीत है।


Plastic litter at Hazlehead Park pitches in Aberdeen to be tackled

Summary: Talks are to be held about the amount of plastic litter left at popular Hazlehead Park in Aberdeen.

It is claimed that plastic bottles are regularly strewn across the pitches following football games. Local councillor Jennifer Stewart said it was "ruining a gorgeous space" and said she would raise the issue at a meeting with sports body Sport Aberdeen. Sport Aberdeen has been contacted for comment.

एबरडीन के लोकप्रिय हेजलहेड पार्क में बचे प्लास्टिक कचरे की मात्रा के बारे में बातचीत होनी है।


Lockdown win: How learning to read at 54 transformed my life

Summary: Tim Davies was one of millions of adults in England who struggled to read and write. For a long time he tried to hide this fact, but a brush with cancer caused him to re-evaluate his life and not even lockdown could stop his progress.

Previously shopping or dealing with bills was a daunting task, he said. Now Tim, 54, is learning to drive and hopes to start his own business as a tree surgeon. "It's changed my life," he said. 'Thought nobody cared' About seven million adults in England have very poor literacy skills, the Literacy Trust charity estimates. Tim said his problems began as a nine-year-old when he was left at a boys' home. "From that point I thought nobody cared about me so why should I care? "So I never concentrated at school." Tim, who lives in Bristol, said he managed to cope with life by hiding his skills gap and took a job as a tree surgeon and landscape gardener because it did not require him to read. "I was scared to tell people. I kept it quiet." 'I've got to learn' Despite being employed, life as a non-reader was a struggle. "I would go into a supermarket and not understand the signs, or bills would come through the door and I couldn't read them. "Then I got throat cancer in 2004 which made it hard to speak. "It got to the point where I thought 'I've had enough now, I've got to learn to read'." If you know someone who needs help After trying some group sessions, which he said gave him panic attacks, he met volunteer Jill Johnston. They have been meeting up twice a week, for the past year, when restrictions allow. Their sessions involve the phonics method, which teaches pupils to recognise which sounds are associated with which letters. "Tim has many attributes," said Ms Johnston. "He listens well, and has a good memory." Thanks to their time together, Tim - who has never travelled abroad - has applied for a passport, learned to drive and is enjoying books. Next he plans to buy a van to set himself up as a self-employed tree surgeon. 'Cannot overestimate the courage' Graham Bottrill, chairman of the charity Read Easy in Bristol, said people who cannot read can feel a deep sense of shame. "They often keep their problems with reading secret, which makes life incredibly hard. "Sometimes even their own families don't know." Mr Bottrill said he had known adults feel a "tremendous release" when they were able to read. "But you cannot overestimate the courage making that step takes," he said. Covid-19 impact Jason Vit, from charity The National Literacy Trust, said lockdown had created extra challenges for adults learning to read. "Regular, in-person support is so important to help with motivation and confidence," he said. While online learning could be "fantastic" for those who struggled to read, finding the resources online was a challenge in itself, he continued. "At the same time, the impact of Covid-19 is highlighting the critical importance of good literacy skills in adapting to new ways of working." Related Internet Links Read Easy

टिम डेविस इंग्लैंड के उन लाखों वयस्कों में से एक थे जिन्होंने पढ़ने और लिखने के लिए संघर्ष किया। लंबे समय तक उन्होंने इस तथ्य को छिपाने की कोशिश की, लेकिन कैंसर के कारण उन्हें अपने जीवन का पुनर्मूल्यांकन करना पड़ा और लॉकडाउन भी उनकी प्रगति को रोक नहीं सका।


AstraZeneca halts work on Motavizumab drug

Summary: AstraZeneca has warned that it will have to write-down $445m (£286m) after discontinuing a key development programme for one of its newest drugs.

The UK group has cancelled further development of its antibody Motavizumab for the prevention of a respiratory virus. It said it would take the $445m charge in its fourth quarter 2010 results. The news comes just four days after US regulators further delayed approval of the company's heart drug Brilinta. AstraZeneca said it would no longer develop Motavizumab for the prevention of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and as a result was withdrawing its licence application to the US Food and Drug Administration. However, it added that it would continue to develop Motavizumab for other treatments of RSV.

एस्ट्राजेनेका ने चेतावनी दी है कि उसे अपनी नवीनतम दवाओं में से एक के लिए एक प्रमुख विकास कार्यक्रम को बंद करने के बाद 445 मिलियन डॉलर (286 मिलियन पाउंड) लिखना होगा।


'Planet' Pluto comes into view

Summary: There are three letters you need to know this year: BTH.

Jonathan AmosScience correspondent@BBCAmoson Twitter They stand for "Better Than Hubble"; and in the next few months, we're going to witness two remarkable BTH events. The first will come on 26 January when the Dawn spacecraft starts to return our best views yet of Ceres, the largest object in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. The second - and the one I'm most looking forward to - will occur from May onwards as the New Horizons probe bears down on Pluto, and we get its pictures back. As awesome as Hubble's capabilities are, the venerable telescope has given us only a blobby perspective on these worlds, and in the case of Pluto even the word "blob" describes way more detail than we actually have. Both, of course, carry this relatively new classification of "dwarf planet". And if 2014 was the "year of the comet" with duck-shaped Comet 67P, then 2015 is very definitely the year when we get up-close and personal with the Solar System's smallest planets. I'll return to Ceres soon, but I want this posting to highlight the very special circumstances of New Horizons at Pluto. I think this really is a major event. For those of us who grew up with the idea that there were "nine planets", it's the moment when we finally get to complete the set. We've been to all the others, even the distant Uranus and Neptune, which we encountered with Voyager 2 in the late 1980s. But at a distance of 5bn km, Pluto is a whole other challenge. Like the Rosetta satellite, which took 10 years to reach Comet 67P, New Horizons has also been travelling for more than nine years to get to Pluto - and it had to break the record for the fastest-flying satellite at launch to do so. And, again, just as with Rosetta, we expect the pictures and science data from this latest mission to blow us away. "This is a return to the kind of space exploration in the 60s and 70s when everything was completely new - the first mission to Venus, the first mission to Mars, the first mission to everywhere," New Horizons principal investigator Alan Stern told me. "People talk about re-writing the textbook. Well, this is a case where we won't re-write it; we're going to write that textbook for the first time. It's that new. "It's like we've plucked a mission out of the 60s and 70s, a bold first-time exploration, but we're doing it with 21st Century technology." Granted, the 14 July rendezvous is going to be just a flyby. New Horizons is going too fast (at 13km/s at encounter) and Pluto's gravity is too small to think about going into orbit around the 2,300km-wide body. But the probe's seven instruments will capture such a blaze of data that I don't think we'll be disappointed. And here's the interesting thing. At a distance of 5bn km and with a 15-watt transmitter, New Horizons will downlink its information at 3,000 bits per second - at best. If you can bear to recall the bad old days of dial-up internet, you'll realise this is painfully slow. It'll take an hour to send back one compressed picture; it will take a full 16 MONTHS to return every bit of information gathered during the flyby. But what that means is that New Horizons will actually feel like an orbiter mission because we'll get "updates" from the encounter right through the second half of this year and most of 2016. So, what do we know about Pluto right now? Very little is the truthful answer. It's about two-thirds rock enveloped by a lot of ice. Remarkably, even though the surface of the world is a frigid minus 230C, geophysical models suggest there could be a warm ocean hiding down below. Those surface ices feed a wispy nitrogen atmosphere, sublimating to bulk it up or frosting out to thin it down - all depending on where Pluto is in its orbit around the Sun. And it's got five moons. Four of these were only discovered after Nasa green-lit the mission. The one we did know about previously, and the biggest, is called Charon. Like Earth's Moon, it was very probably formed out of the debris that resulted when something else hit Pluto in the past. Indeed, that wreckage likely also spawned all the other moons - Styx, Nix, Kerberos, and Hydra. And who knows, we may even find in the next few months that this collisional history has given Pluto some rings. When New Horizons has gone through the system on 14 July, it will fly on, into the domain of the Solar System referred to as the Kuiper Belt. It's a region of space that should contain many thousands of icy bodies, and Hubble has found a couple of candidates that the spacecraft can quite easily reach for another flyby event in 2019. In some senses, you should think of New Horizons as a sentinel, because over the course of the next 10-15 years we're going to get some colossal telescopes that will be able to probe the Kuiper Belt properly for the first time. New Horizons is the scout. And, finally, no discussion of Pluto can omit a reference to that controversial day in 2006 when the International Astronomical Union, the keeper of space nomenclature, "demoted" the world from full planet status to mere dwarf planet. Alan Stern is still riled by that decision - "You wouldn't go to a podiatrist if you needed brain surgery, and I don't recommend you ask astronomers to do the job of planetary scientists and planet classification" - but he is actually now more interested in talking about the burgeoning science of dwarf planets. "I think historically Pluto will always be considered the ninth planet, but from a technical standpoint it's obviously one of a very large class of planets - the best known in that class, because it was the first to be discovered, and so far it's the largest and apparently the most complex in the class, with the richest satellite system, the most interesting atmosphere, etc. "But people need to understand that this is a time of change in the field as we get used to a new paradigm with large numbers of small planets." Closest approach (13,000km) to Pluto is set for about 11:50 GMT on 14 July. With pictures that have a best resolution of 70m per pixel, Pluto will be a blob no more.

इस वर्ष आपको तीन अक्षरों को जानने की आवश्यकता हैः बी. टी. एच.।


Nearly 80 World War Two landmines found in Sark

Summary: Landmines from World War Two have been exploded in Sark.

Nearly 80 explosives, brought to the island by the occupying German forces, were discovered in a field on the west of the island on Thursday. The bomb disposal unit from Guernsey Police travelled to the island to examine the explosives. Officers said 28 of the 78 landmines were still live. The mines were detonated in controlled explosions.

सार्क में द्वितीय विश्व युद्ध की बारूदी सुरंगों में विस्फोट किया गया है।


Denise Welch shares her mental health survival tips

Summary: Denise Welch is worried about our collective mental health.

By Helen BushbyEntertainment and arts reporter "Mental health services are going to be on their knees," says the actress and Loose Women star, amid the uncertainty of the coronavirus pandemic. "We're talking about a possible second wave - it's going to include mental health, and undiagnosed mental illnesses of other kinds." Psychiatrists warned last month of a "tsunami" of mental illness from problems stored up during lockdown. Welch, 62, is no stranger to mental illness, calling it her "unwelcome visitor". Her first depressive episode was sparked in 1989 by the birth of her son Matthew (now the frontman of The 1975), and she's spoken out about her debilitating mental health struggles and addictions ever since. She's also said she wished there was more information and medical help available during the early years of her illness. Three marriages, two children and one viral video later, she has written a book documenting the pain she's experienced, and how she and her family have survived. The book was prompted by the massive response she got after she "very impulsively" tweeted a video of herself during an episode of clinical depression. "I was overwhelmed, blindsided by the response, because I've talked out about this for 31 years, so it was actually a shock to me that so many people seem to be desperate to hear what I have to say about my illness," she tells BBC News. Welch, whose acting roles include Waterloo Road, Coronation Street and Soldier Soldier, admits she's "somebody who is very sensitive and tends to take on the worries of the world". She says of the coronavirus pandemic: "It's been a very frightening time for everybody, and some people have dealt with that better than others." She's quick to add that "obviously, I don't come at this as any kind of medical person", but having chatted with friends, young people and mental health charities, she's seen people with anxiety fall into two camps during lockdown. "There were people who went into massive anxiety early on because of lockdown - people were unsure about their jobs, but mostly because of health anxiety," she says. "But I was also talking to a lot of young people, and they found a solace in it, because of a lack of status anxiety in lockdown. "A lot of young people live their lives in a 'compare and despair' world, and [suddenly] that didn't exist." "Other people can't work, or they find it very difficult to, so the fact that many people weren't able to work has given some people a little comfort bubble." "With lockdown starting to ease a little bit, we're now dealing with massive strains on the mental health service, because those people are now getting anxiety." She worries for her many friends in the theatre industry, saying: "They are not just losing their jobs, they're losing their careers. And I've found that I've got a bit overwhelmed by that." So, given her own history of anxiety and depression, what advice does she offer to people dealing with similar feelings? Denise Welch's mental health survival tips 1. Allow yourself to be overwhelmed "What I've found that for my own sanity, is that I've had to take some time in the day to allow myself to become overwhelmed with the worries of the world. It's not just the worries about family, it's the whole globe. " 2. See what you can do to help others "I do what I can in little bits, whether that's making a video for somebody or just checking in on somebody, or tweeting. There's a hashtag #ExcludedUK on Twitter and it's about all of those freelancers who haven't got any money. "So if you have got a job, maybe take a little bit of time each day to see what you can do to help others, even if it's just social media awareness." 3. Be a bit selfish "I think that we have to protect our own mental health and be a bit selfish "I have to look after my family and make sure that they're okay... but if I want to go upstairs and take some time out and have three hours watching The Real Housewives of anywhere in the world, I'm not going to feel guilty about it. "I think that self care and retreating into your little bubble - it's not to be pooh-poohed. That's basically how I've managed to survive." Welch has also spoken many times on the panel of ITV's Loose Women about mental health, and discussed her post-natal depression on breakfast TV with Lorraine Kelly. She writes in her book: "Post-natal depression is the cruellest, most unforgiving and isolating condition, because not only are you submerged in a pitch-black nightmare of mental illness, but you also have a totally dependent child who can't survive without you." She adds that when she first got ill, "I would have given anything to see a woman come on the television and talk about having my illness. "Someone who was well, who had a couple of children and could smile and say, 'I've been where you are right now. But look at me now. Yes, I still have it, but in between I live this great life with my two children. You will get better." But despite having spoken publicly about her condition in the past, it was still a "big decision" to write the book, which spares no details on her life. "Much as I was frightened about writing it, because I knew it would be triggering, I knew I would have to really invest in order to write a really good book, something I was proud of." She was also wary of press interest in some of the book's revelations, saying: "Anything to do with alcohol and drug use always creates a tabloid headline dream for them, you know?" But she went ahead because: "I wanted to write the book that I needed throughout my illness. "And that's what I feel that I've written. If I die tomorrow, I feel that this is my legacy and I'm happy with that. "I honestly feel that this book is the book that I would have given anything to read when I needed it." The actress is keenly aware that her writing might reach a different audience than other memoirs that tackle mental health. "I think it's important there's different types of people, so for example, people like Stephen Fry and Ruby Wax have done wonders for the mental health world. "But my audience tends to be a bit more 'Betty from Bolton', who wouldn't necessarily look to people who they see as being Oxford-educated people, because they feel that they wouldn't relate to them. "So I am more relatable to a certain group of people, because of the type of TV I do, and I'm a Loose Woman. It's important that there's somebody for everybody." She adds that a chapter in the book is written by "my husband, my dad, my sister, my sons and my best friends - because the people who live with those with depression are very under-represented". "I always used to say that if the shoe had been on the other foot, and I was living with me, I don't know how tolerant I would have been. And so I'm very, very grateful for the people in my life." Despite aspects of her life being having been blighted by depression, the star remains upbeat. "I still say that if all the world's problems were in my front room in piles, I would still pick my pile, because my life outside of my depressive episodes is wonderful." The Unwelcome Visitor: Depression and How I Survive It by Denise Welch is published by Hodder & Stoughton on 25 June. Information and advice If you or someone you know is struggling with issues raised by this story, find support through BBC Action Line.

डेनिस वेल्च हमारे सामूहिक मानसिक स्वास्थ्य के बारे में चिंतित हैं।


Chancellor Rishi Sunak announces £330bn financial package

Summary: £330bn seems a lot of money - so what does it mean, and how much time does it buy? Scottish ministers have opted to use £2.2bn of crisis funding in similar ways to England. The support is for business, and particularly helpful for small and medium-sized ones. Will it help big manufacturers, as car plants shut down, and what will it do for the most insecure and low-paid workers? That's yet to become clear.

Douglas FraserBusiness/economy editor, Scotland There's a lot about the current crisis that challenges the wirings of the brain. For many of us, the scale of the global challenge and the changes to life, work and family just don't compute. The £330bn, announced on Tuesday by the chancellor, Rishi Sunak, fits that same pattern of incomprehensibly big numbers. In the US, they're going for over a trillion dollars. That much moola surely ought to overwhelm a mere microbe? So how to explain it, and the other measures set out by Rishi Sunak six days after his last big bazooka fell well short of meeting the challenge? Well, it's not real money. It's a guarantee that stands behind real money. A bank may not wish to lend to your business if you are at heightened risk of default through the next few months. Or if it does, it'll price in a lot of risk. But if the government is guaranteeing that money to the bank, then it's taking on the risk, and the cost of borrowing is closer to the very low rates of interest at which banks can access funds from the Bank of England. As a result, we - the taxpayers - could be on the hook for a third of a trillion pounds, to add to the two trillion or so that now make up Britain's government debt. But to run up that extra debt would require all the lenders to collapse and all that debt to turn sour. And if things got all that bad, the economy would be in such dire straits anyway that we'd be contemplating government default. On the rebound The reckoning is that such money will provide a bridge from here to the point at which the restrictions on socialising and travel are withdrawn, and we come out of our Covid-19 hibernation spending with wild abandon - frolicking like cows being put out to spring pastures. At that point, the businesses would still be there to ramp up operations and get back to business as usual. But they'd be carrying more debt, and this looks like it's based on a one-year loan, so it would have to be refinanced. Will a year be enough? An alarming academic paper was published on Monday evening by public health statisticians in London, suggesting that the new strategy for suppressing coronavirus may get over a peak of activity this summer, but it may not be sorted out until a vaccination is available, and the best estimates for that are 18 months of frantic development and production. Taking a loan to keep a cash-strapped business solvent until August or September is one thing if you can be confident of growth roaring back thereafter, but that may not be the case until well into next year. Meanwhile, for airlines and perhaps airports, which are to have another support package worked out, there's the awkward question of how much capacity there should be. Should this be used as an opportunity to scale back the sector, as part of the drive to reduce climate-changing emissions? Gig economy The Rishi Mark 2 economic support package went back to the retail, leisure and hospitality sector, a day after it was torpedoed with the request that people should not go out to restaurants, bars and clubs. There's a big wedge of money to give it a business rates holiday for a year - not just the smaller premises, but all of them. That was announced for England, and matched by Fiona Hyslop, the Scottish economy secretary, when she announced how the £1.9bn of funding that comes to Holyrood from the chancellor's crisis splurge on Tuesday. There will be a £10,000 grant for those businesses that fall beneath the threshold of the existing small business rates relief scheme. And for mid-sized businesses in those targeted sectors in shops, pubs, restaurants, clubs, hotels, etc, there will be a £25,000 grant. That is real money. And those are real grants. Will they get anywhere close to persuading owners to shutter their businesses and lay off their staff? The new governor of the Bank of England, Andrew Bailey, hopes so. He wants firms to think hard before they sack workers, to get in touch and see what is on offer. But it's money splurged without any strings attached to employment, or incentives to retain workers. There is still a big gap where business says it needs big wage subsidies, of as much as 75%, as used in European countries. Payroll and other taxes could be delayed or abandoned for months or a year, starting with VAT this month. Companies also want regulations relaxed. The Scottish Tourism Alliance, for instance, wants a temporary dropping of the requirement on tour operators to repatriate customers, as that could prove a big obstacle to getting foreign bookings restarted. The speed of the response, and of getting those grants and loans into business bank accounts, is vital. Customers stayed away, because they were told to, restaurants are closing, staff are being laid off. Earlier today, I was in a fishmonger who supplies high-end restaurants in Glasgow. With one such closure, he had 400 oysters and no market. I could have taken a pack in return for a charity donation - if only I liked oysters. Stephen Leckie, of the Scottish Tourism Alliance, who runs the Crieff Hydro group of 11 hotels, gave an example of his financial challenge. Crieff Hydro costs £60,000 a day in fixed costs, "just to open the doors". Peebles Hydro is nearly £40,000 more. Some 46% of his costs are in pay. Yet he says - and he was talking about the industry rather than his own business - hotels are going for a typical 80% occupancy in April and May to 30% or even 10%. This is the time of year when finance is running low and when bookings and trade should be picking up sharply. But instead of serving customers, office staff are busy taking cancellations. "That's catastrophic," Mr Leckie told John Beattie on Radio Scotland's Drivetime programme. "It's unheard of for one night, let alone a prolonged period." There was a small part of Rishi Sunak's announcement addressed to helping individuals and families, with a mortgage holiday of three months. If you get on well with your bank, you might have got such a break from payments anyway. And if you rent? An appeal by the Scottish government to landlords to go easy on arrears, while doubling the length of time - from three to six months - before arrears can lead to an eviction. For the self-employed and gig economy workers, there was a promise of an employment support package. It's yet to be thrashed out. Unions and employers are working with government, and it's likely to require another humongously mind-boggling sum of money.

330 बिलियन पाउंड बहुत पैसा लगता है-तो इसका क्या मतलब है, और यह कितना समय खरीदता है? स्कॉटलैंड के मंत्रियों ने इंग्लैंड की तरह ही संकट वित्त पोषण का उपयोग करने का विकल्प चुना है। समर्थन व्यवसाय के लिए है, और विशेष रूप से छोटे और मध्यम आकार के लोगों के लिए सहायक है। क्या यह बड़े निर्माताओं की मदद करेगा, क्योंकि कार संयंत्र बंद हो गए हैं, और यह सबसे असुरक्षित और कम वेतन वाले श्रमिकों के लिए क्या करेगा? यह अभी तक स्पष्ट नहीं हुआ है।


At least 14 dead as Rohingya boat sinks in Bangladesh

Summary: At least 14 people have drowned when a boat carrying Rohingya refugees sank off the south coast of Bangladesh, officials say.

The boat was destined for Malaysia and included Rohingya refugees from camps in Bangladesh, local authorities told the BBC. All of the dead bodies recovered are reportedly of women and children. An official told the AFP news agency that 70 people were rescued. Many are still missing. The boat capsized in the Bay of Bengal near Saint Martin's island. In August 2017, a deadly crackdown by Myanmar's army on Rohingya Muslims sent hundreds of thousands fleeing across the border into Bangladesh. Most have been placed in refugee camps and some have tried to flee in boats to Malaysia.

बांग्लादेश के दक्षिणी तट पर रोहिंग्या शरणार्थियों को ले जा रही एक नाव के डूबने से कम से कम 14 लोगों की डूबने से मौत हो गई।


Norway: The country where no salaries are secret

Summary: This week the British papers revelled in news about how much the BBC's on-air stars get paid, though the salaries of their counterparts in commercial TV remain under wraps. In Norway, there are no such secrets. Anyone can find out how much anyone else is paid - and it rarely causes problems.

By Lars BevangerBBC News, Oslo In the past, your salary was published in a book. A list of everyone's income, assets and the tax they had paid, could be found on a shelf in the public library. These days, the information is online, just a few keystrokes away. The change happened in 2001, and it had an instant impact. "It became pure entertainment for many," says Tom Staavi, a former economics editor at the national daily, VG. "At one stage you would automatically be told what your Facebook friends had earned, simply by logging on to Facebook. It was getting ridiculous." Transparency is important, Staavi says, partly because Norwegians pay high levels of income tax - an average of 40.2% compared to 33.3% in the UK, according to Eurostat, while the EU average is just 30.1%. "When you pay that much you have to know that everyone else is doing it, and you have to know that the money goes to something reasonable," he says. "We [need to] have trust and confidence in both the tax system and in the social security system." This is considered to far outweigh any problems that may be caused by envy. In fact, in most workplaces, people have a fairly good idea how much their colleagues are earning, without having to look it up. Wages in many sectors are set through collective agreements, and pay gaps are relatively narrow. The gender pay gap is also narrow, by international standards. The World Economic Forum ranks Norway third out of 144 countries in terms of wage equality for similar work. So the figures that flashed up on Facebook may not have taken many people by surprise. But at a certain point Tom Staavi and others lobbied the government to introduce measures that would encourage people to think twice before snooping on the salary details of a friend, neighbour or colleague. People now have to log in using their national ID number in order to access the data on the tax authority's website, and for the last three years it has been impossible to search anonymously. "Since 2014 it has been possible to find out who has been doing searches on your information," explains Hans Christian Holte, the head of Norway's tax authority. "We saw a significant drop to about a 10th of the volume that was before. I think it has taken out the Peeping Tom mentality." There are some three million taxpayers in Norway, out of a total population of 5.2 million. The tax authority logged 16.5 million searches in the year before restrictions were put into place. Today there are around two million searches per year. In a recent survey 92% of people said they did not look up friends, family or acquaintances. "Earlier I did do searches, but now it's visible if you do it, so I don't do it any more," says a woman I meet on the streets of Oslo, Nelly Bjorge. "I was curious about some neighbours, and also about celebrities and royalty. It could be good to know if very rich people are cheating, but you don't always know. Because they have many ways of reducing their income." The tax lists only tell you people's net income, net assets and tax paid. Someone with a vast property portfolio, for instance, would probably be worth far more than the figure found in the lists, because the taxable property value is often far less than the current market value. Hege Glad, a teacher from Fredrikstad south of Oslo, remembers that when she was young, adults used to queue up to examine the "enormous, thick" books of income and tax data, published once a year. "I know my father was one of those looking. When he came home he was in a bad mood because our well-to-do neighbour was listed with little income, no assets and, most of all, a very small amount of tax paid," she says. While she approves of Norway's transparency in this area, she notes that it can have negative effects. She has seen this in school. "I remember once coming into school and a group of boys were very keen to tell me about the massive amounts of money the dad of one of the others in the class was making. "I noticed a couple of other boys who usually were part of this gang had pulled back, saying little. The mood was not very nice," she says. There have been other stories about children from low-income families who have been bullied in school, by classmates who looked up their parents' financial situation. BBC pay But Hans Christian Holte thinks the government currently has the balance about right. The fact that anonymous searches are no longer permitted discourages criminals from searching for wealthy people to target. And yet, the restrictions introduced in 2014 have not stopped whistleblowers reporting things they find suspicious. "We like people to do searches which could help us in investigating tax evasion and the amount of tips that we get has not gone down," he says. "Maybe the Peeping Tom part has more or less vanished, but you still have the legitimate reasons for searching and also some good effects of that openness." Join the conversation - find us on Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and Twitter.

इस सप्ताह ब्रिटिश समाचार पत्रों में खबर आई कि बीबीसी के ऑन-एयर सितारों को कितना भुगतान किया जाता है, हालांकि वाणिज्यिक टीवी में उनके समकक्षों का वेतन गुप्त रहता है। नॉर्वे में, ऐसा कोई रहस्य नहीं है। कोई भी यह पता लगा सकता है कि किसी और को कितना भुगतान किया जाता है-और यह शायद ही कभी समस्याओं का कारण बनता है।


Stranded pony winched up 80ft cliff in Gwbert rescue

Summary: A stranded pony has been winched up an 80ft (24m) cliff edge after becoming stranded on a shingle bed in Ceredigion.

RSPCA Cymru said the animal, believed to have been trapped for a week, was rescued in Gwbert on Thursday. The pony was reached by boat and sedated before being lifted to safety by a team of 13 officers. A veterinary inspection found the animal to be fit and well despite being weak from the ordeal. Animal welfare officer Andrew Harris said: "This pony was in a hopeless situation and was facing certain death.. it was amazing to be involved in such a happy ending."

सेरेडिगियन में एक शिंगल बेड पर फंसे होने के बाद एक फंसे हुए टट्टू को 80 फीट (24 मीटर) चट्टान के किनारे पर रखा गया है।


Bradford man in court over fatal bypass crash

Summary: A man has appeared in court charged with causing the death of a 25-year-old man by dangerous driving.

James Gilbey, from Bramely, died after he was hit by a car, which allegedly failed to stop, while crossing Stanningley Bypass on 13 July. Majid Malik appeared at Leeds Crown Court charged with causing his death. Mr Malik, of Silverhill Avenue, Bradford, did not enter a plea and was remanded in custody to appear at the same court on 2 October. Eight other men arrested in connection with Mr Gilbey's death have been released on police bail.

खतरनाक तरीके से गाड़ी चलाकर 25 वर्षीय व्यक्ति की मौत के आरोप में एक व्यक्ति अदालत में पेश हुआ है।


De La Soul duo return as First Serve

Summary: Two-thirds of rap legends De La Soul have returned after a long absence on a new concept album which sees them performing in the alter egos of a young band aiming for the big time. In 1989, De La Soul's Posdnous, Dave and Maseo rewrote the rules of rap music with their debut album 3 Feet High and Rising. Now, Pos and Dave have returned with French producers Chokolate and Khalid in the form of First Serve, a fictional band making a break for the big time.

By Kev GeogheganEntertainment reporter, BBC News It was the Frenchmen, Paris-based Chokolate and Khalid, who approached the American rappers with the concept. Having worked with UK dance artists Gorillaz on their 2006 single Feel Good Inc and more recently on their Plastic Beach album, Pos - whose real name is Kelvin Mercer - says he and Dave were keen on the idea of another music collaboration. "Me and Dave thought what they were suggesting sounded cool," explains Pos. "That's what we and even Maseo have always been interested in - in terms of De La Soul, is the project itself. "If it draws us in and if we have the time, we will do it." The album's story follows wannabe rappers Jacob and Deen, from their daydreams in the basement of Deen's mum's house, through their meteoric rise and fall, to their jubilant reunion. The name First Serve comes from the band's ethos "First come, first serve. Get what you deserve." "Everyone loved it," said Pos. Pos insists that rather than struggling to fit lyrics into the narrative arc, the tracks "unfolded naturally". "At first they wanted maybe a black exploitation thing but then we settled on the story and from there it was just so simple." Disco samples The album itself is unapologetically retro and upbeat with Pos and Dave's rhymes laid over old school samples and disco and funk beats. It sounds, in comparison with the current crop of dark, truncated urban beat and electronic-sampled hip hop, a little old-fashioned. Not necessarily a bad thing, as hip-hop fans will hear shades of classic 90s rap like the Jungle Brothers, Jurassic 5 and The Pharcyde. But a concept album? Is there a worry that some fans will dismiss the album as a novelty? "Not really," says Pos. "I think that when people heard about the project, if they know De La Soul, I hope they would think Del La are known for putting as much quality into what they do, regardless of whether its something serious like (1996 album) Stakes Is High or fun like 3 Feet High and Rising." The rap concept album is, in of itself nothing new, the past couple of years has seen releases like Lupe Fiasco's The Cool and The Roots' Undun following rough narrative arcs. "Even before that there was Prince Paul's Prince Among Thieves," agrees Pos. "There's nothing new to it but I think it's still fresh, from a lyrical standpoint I think the content we gave each song, it still comes off a little refreshing." Now more two decades separate the fictional characters of First Serve with De La Soul's debut in the music industry. During that time, the world has seen the rise of the internet and social networking and a year-on-year fall in music sales, matched by the rise of digital music piracy. "Would I want to be an artist today starting out, knowing what I know now?" says Pos. "Not necessarily because it's a lot harder. "There's so much more technology that allows so many more people to be involved and the dream of getting signed by a label is no different than when we were coming up, but it's a little more bloody to be honest." He adds: "With technology, a lot of music has to be free and labels want a share of merchandise, so it means a lot of artists sign up to 360 music deals. "When we were coming up, they took a piece of the music but whatever we generated outside of that, that's what we got." It has been nearly 25 years since the release of De La Soul's debut album. Dropping in the middle of the rise of the gangsta-rap of Ice T and NWA, 3 Feet High and Rising was a landmark, an oddity even, with its self-effacing humour and positivity - which even saw them unfairly labelled "hippies". Their second album De La Soul Is Dead featured a smashed flowerpot on its cover. With an eighth studio album ready for later in the year - their first for eight years - their legacy can be heard through bands and artists like A Tribe Called Quest, Arrested Development, Outkast and Common. "It's great to hear," says Pos. "People will say, 'Your words and your music made me feel like I can do this and can do it this way. This is who I am, I'm not a person who stands in the street, I'm not always a person who's got to be bad, I want to tell jokes, I want to make music of all types. 'De La has done it, maybe I can do it.'" De La Soul's Plug 1 & Plug 2 present... First Serve is released on 2 April.

दो-तिहाई रैप दिग्गज डी ला सोल एक नए कॉन्सेप्ट एल्बम में लंबे समय तक अनुपस्थित रहने के बाद लौटे हैं, जिसमें वे एक युवा बैंड के अहंकार में प्रदर्शन करते हुए बड़े समय का लक्ष्य रखते हैं। 1989 में, डी ला सोल के पॉस्डनस, डेव और मैसिओ ने अपने पहले एल्बम 3 फीट हाई एंड राइजिंग के साथ रैप संगीत के नियमों को फिर से लिखा। अब, पॉस और डेव फ्रांसीसी निर्माता चोकोलेट और खालिद के साथ फर्स्ट सर्व के रूप में लौटे हैं, जो एक काल्पनिक बैंड है जो बड़े समय के लिए एक ब्रेक बना रहा है।


Literature Wales also aims to aid tourism through books

Summary: You've read the book about Wales, now see the country.

That is the message from Literature Wales, as it launches a series of tours to showcase the locations made famous by best-selling authors. It believes one key to tourism is to kindle the imagination for places and people celebrated by iconic writers. Eight summer excursions include a mix of walking and bus tours in English and Welsh dealing with the backdrops of authors like Hedd Wyn and JRR Tolkien. The star attraction this year is a personal guide by Owen Sheers around the setting to Resistance, his 2007 World War II novel which is also in production as a film. It is based on an alternate history following the failure of the Normandy landings, and a successful counter-attack and invasion by Nazi Germany. It centres around Sheers' home town of Abergavenny, and even though it describes fictional events, it draws heavily on the sights and sounds of the area. Peter Finch, chief executive of Literature Wales - formerly Academi - said: "Our main motivation is to promote the literature of Wales and to inspire new writers; but our interests are shared with so many others. "If we can bring in tourists and boost the local economies while we're at it, then all the better." 'Extremely nervous' He believes the combination of actual places and imaginary circumstances has helped to popularise the tours. "Last year I was extremely nervous when we ran a tour based on Raymond Williams' novel, Border Country, taking tourists to an empty piece of countryside which was the setting for a fictional signal box," he said. "But I'm happy to say that I was totally wrong. "I'd completely under-estimated the power to inspire of the Welsh countryside, the writings of our authors and the imaginations of the readers." "I think often Welsh people hide our lights under a bushel, valuing our own literature, but ignoring how important it also is to people from outside Wales. "Our tours have been taken up by people from all over the world; some who are serious critics, but others who know virtually nothing and go away with a thirst to read more." Tours run from May until the end of September, and also include a look at the Black Mountain landscape which inspired Tolkien's Middle Earth, Chris Meredith's guide to the Table Mountain of his poetry, and a look at the Rhymney Valley through the eyes of Idris Davies.

आपने वेल्स के बारे में किताब पढ़ी है, अब देश देखें।


Bill McLaren's crib sheets put up for sale

Summary: A charity has put copies of the late Bill McLaren's famous rugby commentary crib sheets up for sale in order to raise funds.

The A3 size documents contain up to 1,000 detailed facts and figures for each of the many matches he covered. Copies of the "Big Sheets" are being sold by the Bill McLaren Foundation set up in his honour. The first document available is from the 1993 match between the Barbarians and the All Blacks. The charitable foundation was set up after the commentator's death in January. It was set up to support the development of rugby and its values, and to recognise his contribution to the game.

एक दान संस्था ने धन जुटाने के लिए दिवंगत बिल मैकलारेन की प्रसिद्ध रग्बी कमेंट्री क्रिब शीट की प्रतियां बिक्री के लिए रखी हैं।


Nepal quake: Why are some tremors so deadly?

Summary: On 1 April, 2014, a Magnitude 8.2 earthquake rocked northern Chile. Six people died, 2,500 homes were damaged and 80,000 people were displaced. Just over one year later, a M7.8 earthquake strikes Nepal. Over 6,200 people (and counting) have been killed, entire towns and villages flattened and millions of people left homeless.

By Kate RaviliousScience writer Chile's earthquake barely made the news, whilst Nepal's has brought complete and utter devastation. How did two such similar earthquakes have such disparate effects? A huge part of the answer is, of course, building standards and wealth. Since Chile's terrible M9.5 earthquake in 1960, where over 5,500 people died, the country has taken big steps in modernising its buildings, designing them to withstand the shaking produced by great earthquakes. Meanwhile, in Nepal, few buildings were up to code, and many toppled when the earthquake struck. But wealth and building codes don't tell the entire story: the geology is different, too. Nepal sits on a continental collision zone (India is smashing into Asia) and its earthquake fault is well disguised: most of the fault is buried deep underground and surface ruptures are quickly covered by muds washed down by monsoon rains and the dense jungle. Furthermore, the speed of this continental collision (around 4.5cm every year) means that major quakes only hit Nepal every few decades. Chile's fault meanwhile is obvious - a whopping great trench where the Pacific Ocean floor dives underneath South America at a rate of nearly 10cm per year - with major earthquakes occurring every year, making earthquake-resilience a priority. As continental collision zones go, Nepal's is at the simpler end of the spectrum and has been relatively well studied. Indeed, geologists had identified Nepal's most vulnerable segment of fault just weeks before the recent deadly quake struck. Other countries in continental collision zones are underlain by a nightmare of widely dispersed faults, splintering across thousands of kilometres of land. All the way from the Mediterranean to Indonesia, lies a restless network of earthquake faults, created by the African, Arabian and Indian plates forging northwards into the Eurasian plate. Massive cities - including Istanbul, Tehran, Tabriz and Ashkhabad - are situated on some of the most dangerous land on Earth. "Because continental faults are less confined, they rupture less frequently, with some faults only coming to life every few thousand years - well beyond human memory or recorded history," explains James Jackson, a geologist at Cambridge University, UK, who heads up Earthquakes Without Frontiers, a project to increase resilience to continental earthquakes. Since 1900, earthquakes on continental faults have killed twice as many people as earthquakes on ocean-continent boundaries. Over the last few years, Jackson and his colleagues have been tracking down these elusive continental faults in Iran, Kazakhstan and China. Using high-resolution satellite images, they can spot anomalies in the landscape that hint at where the fault may lie. Meanwhile, seismic reflections help to draw a picture of what lies underground. And back in the lab, the scientists study regular satellite snapshots of the Earth's surface to monitor how the planet's surface is deforming. "We can see exactly where the Earth is being stretched apart or sheared, enabling us to map which parts of the Earth are under greatest strain," says Richard Walters from Leeds University, a member of the Earthquakes Without Frontiers team. Inverted expenditure In Nepal's case, much of this information was already available, and indeed a great deal of work had been done by local organisations (such as the National Society for Earthquake Technology) to prepare for the next big earthquake - training stonemasons, retrofitting schools and hospitals, educating people about earthquakes and stockpiling vital resources. "It does appear that there has been much less loss of life than would have been expected from such a large earthquake (though the toll could still turn out to be in the tens of thousands) and there is evidence that the programmes of the Nepalese government and some of the non-profit agencies did save lives," says Philip England, a geologist at Oxford University, also part of the Earthquakes without Frontiers team. If nothing else the devastating earthquake in Nepal will hopefully highlight to the international community how vital it is to build earthquake resilience. "Five times more money is spent on a response [to an earthquake] than it is on helping people to prepare," Katie Peters, from the Overseas Development Institute in London, told Sky News earlier this week. The first results from the EU's Sentinal 1 satellite show that last Saturday's earthquake in Nepal did not rupture the surface, suggesting that significant strain may still be stored on that segment of the fault, and that another large earthquake could hit in the coming decades. "Appalling though this event is, it could have been far, far worse. Let's hope that this event is the trigger for a more positive outcome next time," says England.

1 अप्रैल, 2014 को उत्तरी चिली में 8.2 तीव्रता का भूकंप आया था। छह लोगों की मौत हो गई थी, 2,500 घर क्षतिग्रस्त हो गए थे और 80,000 लोग विस्थापित हो गए थे। एक साल बाद ही नेपाल में एम7.8 का भूकंप आया था। 6,200 से अधिक लोग (और गिनती) मारे गए थे, पूरे शहर और गांव समतल हो गए थे और लाखों लोग बेघर हो गए थे।


Blackpool Council announces small council tax drop

Summary: Council tax is being marginally reduced in Blackpool.

Blackpool Council leader Simon Blackburn (Lab) announced there will be a reduction of 0.01%, during a budget meeting at the town hall. There has been no news on the 300 job cuts expected to be announced by the council as it seeks to save £14.1m in the next financial year. Tory group leader Tony Williams called it a "political budget" and said the loss of jobs was being ignored. Mr Blackburn said he was intending to freeze the council tax for the next three years but decided that for the next financial year there should be this small drop. He described the reduction as a "symbolic gesture". The decrease in council tax will work out as an annual reduction of nine pence for residents in band D households. On Thursday, Lancashire County Council announced a surprise 2% drop in council tax. Conservative County Council leader Geoff Driver said: "The county council has managed its finances very well despite huge reductions in funding and that has put us in a strong enough position to cut council tax while announcing new investments and continuing to make savings." Related Internet Links Blackpool Council

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Body found in Jubilee River missing man search at Datchet

Summary: A body has been found in the search for a man who went missing in the Jubilee River in Datchet.

Emergency services were called to The Myrke at about 19:00 BST on Friday following reports that people were in the water. A man in his 20s is believed to have "got in to difficulties" and a body was found in the river on Saturday afternoon, police said. Another man was treated in hospital for the effects of the cold. Supt Kate Ford said: "Sadly a body has been recovered from the water and is believed to be the man for whom we were searching."

डैचेट में जुबली नदी में लापता हुए एक व्यक्ति की तलाश में एक शव मिला है।