Why an American went to Cuba for cancer care

Summary: Cuba has faced more than 50 years of US sanctions. Now, for the first time, a unique drug developed on the communist island is being tested in New York state. But some American cancer patients are already taking it - by defying the embargo and flying to Havana for treatment.

Judy Ingels and her family are in Cuba for just six days. They have time to go sightseeing and try out the local cuisine. Judy, a keen photographer, enjoys capturing the colonial architecture of Old Havana. And while she is in the country, Ingels, 74, will have her first injections of Cimavax, a drug shown in Cuban trials to extend the lives of lung cancer patients by months, and sometimes years. By travelling to Havana from her home in California, she is breaking the law. The US embargo against Cuba has been in place for more than five decades, and though relations thawed under President Obama, seeking medical treatment in Cuba is still not allowed for US citizens. "I'm not worried," Ingels says. "For the first time I have real hope." She has stage four lung cancer and was diagnosed in December 2015. "My oncologist in the United States says I'm his best patient, but I have this deadly disease." He does not know she is in Cuba. When she asked him about Cimavax, he had not heard of it. "But we've done a lot of research - I've read good things," Ingels says. Since January, Cimavax has been tested on patients in Buffalo, New York state, but it isn't yet available in the US. Ingels, her husband Bill and daughter Cindy are staying at the La Pradera International Health Centre, west of Havana. It treats mostly foreign, paying patients like Ingels, and with its pool complex, palm trees and open walkways, La Pradera feels more like a tropical hotel than a hospital. This trip from their home in California, together with a supply of Cimavax to take back to the US, will cost the Ingels family more than $15,000 (£12,000). Cimavax fights cancer by stimulating an immune response against a protein in the blood that triggers the growth of lung cancer. After an induction period, patients receive a monthly dose by injection. It's a product of Cuba's biotechnology industry, nurtured by former President Fidel Castro since the early 1980s. Ironically, Cuba's biotech innovations can partly be explained by the US embargo - something Castro continually railed against. It meant Cuba had to produce the drugs it could not access or afford. And medications like Cimavax - low-tech products that could be administered in a rural setting - were developed to fit the Cuban context. Now the industry employs around 22,000 scientists, technicians and engineers, and sells drugs in many parts of the world - but not in the US. And although the Cubans will not reveal the cost of producing Cimavax, it is cheaper than other treatments. For Cuba's residents, all health care is free. One beneficiary is Lucrecia de Jesus Rubillo, 65, who lives on the fifth floor of a block of flats in the east of Havana Last September she was given two or three months to live. What began as pain in Lucrecia's leg, was diagnosed as stage-four lung cancer that had spread. She had chemotherapy. "That was really very hard," she says. "It gave me nausea, and it hurt. But my kids asked me to fight, so I did." After radiotherapy, Lucrecia began Cimavax injections. Now she is strong enough to walk up the five flights of stairs to her home, and her persistent cough has diminished. She feels better, more hopeful, and is thinking about what to do next. "Perhaps I'll go to Spain to visit my kid," she says. "I feel happy, and I'm still dreaming of the future, but I also feel sadness. I've had a lot of friends who've died of cancer, and they never had the chance I'm having with these injections. I feel privileged." Her doctor is Elia Neninger, an oncologist at the Hermanos Ameijeiras Hospital in Havana. Neninger is one of the principal clinicians to trial Cimavax on patients since the 1990s. "Lucrecia arrived incapacitated by her disease in a wheelchair," Neninger remembers. "Now the tumour on her lung has disappeared, and the lesions on her liver aren't there either. With Cimavax, she's in a maintenance phase." In Cuba, specialists like Neninger do not talk about curing cancer - they talk about controlling it and transforming it into a chronic disease. She has treated hundreds of patients with Cimavax. "I never thought I'd work on something that would improve the lives of so many people," she says. "I have stage-four lung cancer patients who are still alive 10 years after their diagnosis." But mostly Cimavax is proven to extend life for months, not years. And it does not help everyone. In trials, around 20% of patients haven't responded, Neninger says, often because the disease is very advanced, or they have associated illnesses that make treatment more difficult. Nonetheless, Dr Kelvin Lee is impressed. He is the Chair of Immunology at the Roswell Park Cancer Institute in Buffalo, New York, where the American trials of Cimavax are taking place. It is the first time a Cuban medication has been trialled in the US, and required special permission because the embargo prohibits most collaboration and trade. Cancer immunotherapy is getting more expensive in the US, Lee says. A cheap vaccine that can be administered at primary care level is very attractive. And he thinks it is possible that Cimavax could be used to prevent lung cancer, too. "If we could vaccinate the high-risk smokers to prevent them from developing lung cancer, that would have an enormous public health impact both in the United States and worldwide." This has not been proven, however, and the initial US trials of Cimavax only began in January. There is political uncertainty, too. On the campaign trail before his election, President Trump said he would reverse the thaw with Cuba that began under the Obama administration, unless there was change on the island, which is governed as a one-party state. "Our demands will include religious and political freedom for the Cuban people, and the freeing of political prisoners," Trump said on the campaign trail in Miami. So far, Cuba has not made it to the top of his in-tray. There is a large constituency of Americans who believe that Cuba does not deserve the kind of recognition and status the association with the Roswell Park Cancer Institute brings. Find out more But Lee thinks political arguments against US-Cuba collaboration are misplaced. "The gas we put in our cars, the iPhones we tweet from, the shoes we buy our kids - all come from countries that the United States has fundamental differences with regarding women's rights, freedom of speech, personal liberties. Yet that has never stopped us from working with them in areas that benefit the people in both countries." For now Bill Ingels, Judy's husband, isn't worried about falling foul of US authorities. "I told them I was coming for educational purposes," he says. "And I am learning about cancer and medication! I'm basically a very honest person, but if I have to, I will lie." Ingels will not know if the vaccine has made a difference until she has a scan in three months. "We feel pretty positive, and we thought this would be a great experience and journey for my family to take together. It's the first time I've felt up since I was diagnosed." Cindy Ingels, Judy's daughter, is a nurse - she will administer the Cimavax shots to her mother back home in California. "Even if she remains stable - that it maintains the tumour size, and it doesn't worsen - we'd be happy with that," she says. "If the tumour decreases from what it is now, that would really be a miracle." Join the conversation - find us on Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and Twitter.

क्यूबा ने 50 से अधिक वर्षों के अमेरिकी प्रतिबंधों का सामना किया है। अब, पहली बार, कम्युनिस्ट द्वीप पर विकसित एक अनूठी दवा का न्यूयॉर्क राज्य में परीक्षण किया जा रहा है। लेकिन कुछ अमेरिकी कैंसर रोगी पहले से ही इसे ले रहे हैं-प्रतिबंध की अवहेलना करके और इलाज के लिए हवाना के लिए उड़ान भर रहे हैं।


Queen names new Royal Navy aircraft carrier in Rosyth

Summary: The UK's largest warship marks "a new phase in our naval history", the Queen has said, as the vessel was officially named in her honour at a ceremony at Fife's Rosyth Dockyard.

A bottle of whisky was smashed on the hull of the 65,000-tonne HMS Queen Elizabeth - the first of two new Royal Navy aircraft carriers being built. The Red Arrows flew over the dockyard before the ship was officially named. First Sea Lord Admiral George Zambellas said the ship was "fit for a Queen". "HMS Queen Elizabeth will be a national instrument of power and a national symbol of authority," he said in a speech. "That means she will be a national icon too, all the while keeping the great in Great Britain and the royal in Royal Navy." 'Inspiration and pride' Addressing the audience, the Queen said the "innovative and first class" warship, the largest ever to be built in the UK, ushered in an "exciting new era". "In sponsoring this new aircraft carrier, I believe the Queen Elizabeth will be a source of inspiration and pride for us all," she said. "May God bless her and all who sail in her." About 3,500 people involved in the design and construction of the carrier watched the celebrations, alongside dignitaries and politicians including Prime Minister David Cameron, First Minister Alex Salmond and former prime minister Gordon Brown. Mr Cameron said it was a "very proud day" for Scotland and the UK, while Mr Salmond said it was a "huge day" for the workers and their families. Ian Booth, of the Aircraft Carrier Alliance which is overseeing the ship's construction, said it was a "historic occasion". "The ship truly reflects the very best of British design and ingenuity," he said in a speech. The Red Arrows flypast was followed by a procession of three generations of Royal Navy aircraft, including a historic 1950s de Havilland Sea Vixen fighter - the last and only flying aircraft of its kind in the world. The Queen oversaw the ceremony by pressing a button to release a bottle of Islay malt whisky - suspended at the front of the ship - to smash on to the hull. The naming ceremony, a naval tradition dating back thousands of years, marked the first time in more than 15 years that the Queen has christened a Royal Navy warship. Six shipyards in the UK including Tyne, Rosyth and Appledore have been involved in building parts of the carrier. More than 10,000 people at more than 100 companies have worked on HMS Queen Elizabeth, which has been beset by construction and design delays. The estimated cost of the vessel and its sister ship is £6.2bn, well over the initial projected cost of £3.65bn. The warship is as long as 25 buses and can carry 40 jets and helicopters at a time. It will have a permanent crew of almost 1,600 when it enters service in 2020. Mr Booth described it as a "floating military city that can deploy aircraft, that can act as a disaster relief centre". Analysis Glenn Campbell, BBC Scotland political correspondent It so happens that the Royal Navy has chosen to name and float its new aircraft carrier on American Independence Day. Yet this ceremony signals the UK's intention to continue to independently project military power in the world for decades to come. Albeit that the largest warship ever built in Britain will carry fighter jets made largely in the US. But one question that arises is: in whose name will HMS Queen Elizabeth and its air crews operate when they come into service in 2020? Will it be the flagship of the UK as it currently exists or only for England, Wales and Northern Ireland if Scotland chooses its own independence in September's referendum? The UK government argues that the union offers Scotland greater security as well as greater job prospects for thousands of Scottish defence workers. The Scottish government believes NATO would guarantee an independent Scotland's defence and that shipyards such as Rosyth and Govan would continue to prosper by winning orders from both the UK and Scottish defence ministries. The huge choice that Scotland faces looms large at the naming of a very big ship. Major construction The carrier has still to be fitted out and floated, to make way for the assembly of its sister ship HMS Prince of Wales. Assembly of HMS Prince of Wales is set to begin at Rosyth later this year. The naming of the first of the two ships comes five years after the first metal was cut on the vessel and 33 months after the first section entered the dry dock at Rosyth for assembly. Firefighters had to be called to a fire on board HMS Elizabeth last month. A small fire had started in one of the vessel's hull compartments but fire crews only reported minor damage. The US last month grounded all of its F-35 Lightning II fighters, the type of aircraft due to fly operationally from HMS Queen Elizabeth, after one caught fire on a runway. The US Department of Defence (DoD) said all 97 stealth fighters would face additional engine inspections following the incident at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida on 23 June. The F-35 is due to make its international debut at the Royal International Air Tattoo at RAF Fairford from 11 July but the DoD said it would make a final decision on whether it attends early next week.

ब्रिटेन का सबसे बड़ा युद्धपोत "हमारे नौसेना इतिहास में एक नए चरण" का प्रतीक है, रानी ने कहा है, क्योंकि जहाज का नाम आधिकारिक तौर पर फाइफ के रोज़ीथ डॉकयार्ड में एक समारोह में उनके सम्मान में रखा गया था।


Gwenfro river near Coedpoeth, Wrexham, polluted by 'dairy'

Summary: A river near Wrexham has been polluted with what may be a dairy product, Natural Resources Wales has said.

Environmental officials are investigating a "white substance" which can be seen in the Gwenfro river near Coedpoeth. A spokesman said: "Our officers are investigating a pollution in the Gwenfro river near Coedpoeth. "The pollutant may be dairy product."

प्राकृतिक संसाधन वेल्स ने कहा है कि रेक्सहैम के पास एक नदी प्रदूषित हो गई है जो एक डेयरी उत्पाद हो सकता है।


New Archbishop of York: Evangelist Stephen Cottrell

Summary: A pastoral theologian who combines a lifelong affection for traditional liturgy with a desire to commend the Christian faith to the unchurched, Stephen Cottrell has been appointed the 98th Archbishop of York, the second most senior cleric in the Church of England.

By Martin BashirReligion editor Currently the Bishop of Chelmsford, he succeeds John Sentamu, the highest ranking BAME cleric, who retires as Archbishop of York next summer. Educated at a non-selective secondary school in Essex, Stephen Cottrell went on to to secure a BA at the Polytechnic of Central London before undergoing ordination training at St Stephen's House in Oxford. He was ordained priest in 1985 before beginning his ministry at Christchurch, Forest Hill in south east London, and then moved onto the dioceses of Chichester and Wakefield. His emphasis upon evangelism and outreach to the unchurched brought him to the attention of senior clergy and he was nominated area Bishop of Reading in 2004 after Jeffrey John controversially withdrew his nomination to the post. John was pressured to stand aside by then Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, who feared that elevating an openly gay priest to the position of bishop was likely to split the Anglican Communion. Stephen Cottrell had supported Jeffrey John's original appointment. After serving as Bishop of Reading for six years, he became Bishop of Chelmsford in 2010 and will take up his new post in June 2020. 'Nurture your inner slob' He has written widely on evangelism, discipleship and spirituality, including a series of meditations on Holy Week entitled The Things He Carried (2008) and a book of reflections on the paintings of Stanley Spencer, called Christ In The Wilderness (2012). His approach to prayer and contemplation was emphasized in his book Do Nothing To Change Your Life (2007) in which he challenged the notion that meaning and value can only be found in activity and productivity. Instead, he offered a blunt alternative. "Switch off the TV," he wrote, "put this book down; shut your eyes; breathe deeply; do nothing but listen to the things you can't hear. Nurture your inner slob. You might even find you begin to pray - by enjoying the intimacy of God's presence and the fragile beauty of each passing moment." One area in which he has been outspoken is the issue of nuclear weapons. During the General Synod last year, Bishop Stephen said there were "no circumstances" in which the use of modern-day Trident missiles could be justified given the destruction they would cause. "The argument," he said, "that they have worked as a deterrent is no argument at all. Our holding them only makes them seem more attractive to other nation states." In April this year, he was signatory to a letter signed by 25 priests and bishops who opposed a service at Westminster Abbey, designed to mark 50 years of constant patrols by the UK's nuclear deterrent. Bishop Stephen said: "While I do not doubt Westminster Abbey's good intentions to make this a celebration of those men and women who serve in the Royal Navy… it is impossible not to view this service as appearing also to celebrate the weapons themselves." Despite protests, the service went ahead as planned. Bishop Stephen says he's humbled and honoured to have been appointed Archbishop of York. But friends say that, when he takes up his post at York Minster, he is likely to regret the increased distance from his other favourite place of worship. He is a lifelong supporter of north London's Tottenham Hotspur Football Club.

एक पादरी धर्मशास्त्री जो पारंपरिक उपासना के लिए आजीवन स्नेह को जोड़ते हैं और ईसाई धर्म की प्रशंसा करने की इच्छा रखते हैं, स्टीफन कॉट्रेल को यॉर्क का 98वां आर्कबिशप नियुक्त किया गया है, जो चर्च ऑफ इंग्लैंड में दूसरा सबसे वरिष्ठ मौलवी है।


Bitcoin virtual currency can now be used to pay for pizza

Summary: Pizza can now be bought using the bitcoin virtual currency.

The Pizza for Coins service has been set up by two programmers as a way to boost use of the digital cash. The service acts as a middleman and converts bitcoins into US dollars that are used to pay for food. It charges a small fee to do the currency exchange. Paying via bitcoins can also delay an order, warn the site owners, saying the conversion can mean pizza takes up to 80 minutes to be delivered. While orders for pizza are placed on the Pizza for Coins site, once payment is made they are funnelled to the website of Domino's pizza to be made and delivered. Links to other pizza companies, such as Pizza Hut and Papa John, would be added soon, said programmers Matt Burkinshaw and Riley Alexander in an explanatory note on the site. The site, which only works with US addresses, currently offers a limited range of pizzas and toppings. A medium pizza with two toppings costs about 0.71 bitcoins (£12). Paying via the digital currency also adds a 0.09 bitcoin (£1.50) premium to the price of a pizza to convert the digital money to real dollars. The service's owners said this conversion charge might change as exchange rates for bitcoins had fluctuated widely. If the service proved successful, charges would be reduced, said its creators. Bitcoins first appeared in 2009 and are closely linked to the global network of computers that supports the currency and its users. Many people generate or "mine" the coins by participating in that network and a growing number of web stores and online firms accept bitcoins as payment. They have become a very widely used alternative payments system and one bitcoin is currently worth about £17 ($26).

पिज्जा को अब बिटक्वाइन आभासी मुद्रा का उपयोग करके खरीदा जा सकता है।


Germany welcomes Turkey's Erdogan with gritted teeth

Summary: Central Berlin is bristling with police officers.

By Jenny HillBBC Berlin correspondent Bemused tourists stop at security cordons to stare at the armoured police vehicles and rooftop snipers around the capital's luxury Adlon hotel. Germany's security services are taking no chances with its controversial guest. This will be a stormy state visit. Even before Recep Erdogan's plane descended - through airspace closed to private aircraft - the protests had begun. Tens of thousands of people are expected to take to the streets during the course of his visit. Reporters without borders were the first to stage a demonstration. Mr Erdogan has infuriated the German government - and enraged many Germans - by locking up journalists and critics of his regime. Among them are five people with German passports. The plight of reporters like Deniz Yucel who was jailed for a year without charge has strained relations between Ankara and Berlin. But Mr Erdogan and his wife stepped down from their plane to a red carpet welcome. He carries with him high ambitions: to reset the Turkish-German relationship and smooth over profound differences of opinion and policy. Don't expect too much. A difficult start On Thursday morning Mr Erdogan urged Berlin to designate the Fethullah Gulen movement a terror organisation - he blames the group for a coup attempt in 2016. The call, published in a German newspaper, serves to highlight existing tension. Germany has said it needs more proof linking supporters of the US based preacher to the attempt to overthrow Mr Erdogan's government. Mr Erdogan will also open a new mosque in Cologne, run by the Turkish organisation Ditib. The movement is controversial in Germany, where there are concerns about radicalisation and anti-Semitism in some of its mosques, and the city's mayor Henriette Reke has already said she will boycott the event. And perhaps it's rather telling that there isn't a rush for places at a state banquet due to be held in the Turkish leader's honour at the presidential palace. Chancellor Angela Merkel won't be at the dinner hosted by Frank-Walter Steinmeier. Neither will most of her ministers. Three million reasons to get along Mrs Merkel will, however, hold three meetings with Mr Erdogan. Her government is conscious of the huge Turkish diaspora in Germany, which is home to some three million people with Turkish heritage. While he continues to be a controversial figure among the community, two thirds of those who voted remotely in this summer's Turkish election supported Mr Erdogan. His role in the Middle East, particularly with regard to Syria, matters here too. The conflict will be high on the agenda. Mr Erdogan may be in the weaker position: a struggling economy, exacerbated by a diplomatic fallout with the US, means he is after help and support. Germany is an important trading partner for Turkey but that economic relationship goes both ways. And, of course, the EU's migrant deal with Turkey, facilitated largely by Mrs Merkel, is still at stake. Under the 2016 agreement, people arriving in Greece to seek asylum are sent back to Turkey in return for billions of euros in aid. Mrs Merkel still views Turkey - and the deal - as playing a vital role in reducing migration into the EU. Mr Erdogan says he wants closer ties for what he says is the "sake of prosperity and the future of both countries." It is a relationship which matters to Angela Merkel, despite the conflicts. But given her own diminishing power and the contempt in which Mr Erdogan is held here, her welcome will be a cautious one.

मध्य बर्लिन पुलिस अधिकारियों से भरा हुआ है।


New Jersey man breaks hip then wins $1m lottery

Summary: A man who fell and broke his hip while on his way to buy a lottery ticket in New Jersey has scooped the $1m jackpot - after buying a ticket at the hospital he was taken to for treatment.

Earl Livingston, 87, from Blackpool, was given the chance to join Jefferson Stratford Hospital's lottery pool. He entered the state's Mega Millions pool with 141 other people. Mr Livingston will need a hip replacement but is said to be coping well with the surprise news. He thanked hospital staff who had helped him join the pool after hearing his story, and wished them a "happy long life". His niece, Bobbie Mickle, said she had thought her uncle was "confused" when he told her of his $1m win while she was visiting him in hospital. She told NBC10 TV that it was only when hospital staff came in to congratulate him that she accepted his story. "I was, like, 'Wow, he really did win!'" she said.

न्यू जर्सी में लॉटरी का टिकट खरीदने के लिए जाते समय एक व्यक्ति जो गिर गया और उसका कूल्हा टूट गया, उसने अस्पताल में टिकट खरीदने के बाद 1 मिलियन डॉलर का जैकपॉट हासिल किया-जिसे उसे इलाज के लिए ले जाया गया था।


Hartlepool school fire: Second boy arrested

Summary: A second boy has been arrested in connection with a fire that badly damaged a primary school.

The nursery and a classroom used by Year 3 pupils at Rift House Primary School in Hartlepool were destroyed in the blaze on Sunday. A 14-year-old boy has been arrested on suspicion of arson, police said. A 13-year-old boy was arrested on suspicion of arson on Tuesday. Both have been released with no bail conditions. Police have appealed for anyone with information to contact them.

एक प्राथमिक विद्यालय में आग लगने से बुरी तरह से क्षतिग्रस्त होने के मामले में एक दूसरे लड़के को गिरफ्तार किया गया है।


Trump op-ed in New York Times passes the key tests

Summary: The first rule when writing opinion pieces is: don't be boring. Judging by its content and the reaction it has provoked, the anonymous op-ed by a senior White House official published by the New York Times has passed this test.

Amol RajanMedia editor@amolrajanon Twitter But has it passed the test justifying anonymity? Journalists grant anonymity to sources on two grounds: first, to protect them; second, because there is an editorial justification for conveying their views. This applies to news reports and opinion pieces alike. Many US newspapers obey a church and state approach to news and opinion, in which the editors of news pages at the New York Times don't know what is going to be in the opinion pages. This is done for high-minded reasons, though it strikes many journalists in other countries, such as Britain, as naïve, ludicrous, undesirable and impractical. Even if there is a separation between the news and opinion pages, the approach to anonymity is informed by those same two principles: protection of sources, and editorial justification. A reporter could have used the words in the op-ed to inform a news story; but sometimes there is so much the source wants to say that presenting it in op-ed form is better. Wrapping it in a news story doesn't necessarily add much. This begins to address one of the criticisms made of the article. In the Washington Post, which has this week been carrying the reporting from inside the White House of its associate editor Bob Woodward, Erik Wemple argues that reporters have been getting this kind of detail from sources regularly since Trump's election. Therefore, Wemple says, the op-ed has "not a lot of news value". That is a bad call. As Wemple goes on to say, undermining his argument, the section of the op-ed in which this senior official says members of Trump's cabinet have discussed mechanisms for removing him is clearly of tremendous interest, even if it is just confirmation of something that has been known. The fact that the "early whispers" referred to by the author are not made explicit isn't a problem. Perhaps we'll find out more about them. Just getting a whisper of these whispers is good enough. Wemple suggests that the New York Times editors may have "missed the approximately 10,000 quotes from anonymous administration officials raising questions about Trump's capabilities". This sarcasm misses the point: readers of the New York Times may indeed have missed that. For the likes of Wemple, a media critic, news about Trump has come in a hourly deluge. For many newspaper readers and subscribers, their daily dip into a paper means they will not necessarily be aware of the 10,000 quotes that Wemple, luckily for him, has had the chance to see. Another criticism made by Wemple is that this is "a PR stunt". Is it? And if it provided positive publicity for the New York Times, so what? There is nothing innately wrong with opinion pieces making a noise and raising the profile of a particular organ. It would only be a stunt, in the pejorative sense of that word, if the sole purpose was to boost that organ's brand. That's not the case here. A more intriguing argument is that made by David Frum in The Atlantic. He says that the author of the op-ed has provoked a "constitutional crisis". They have "throw[n] the government of the United States into even more dangerous turmoil. He or she has enflamed the paranoia of the president and empowered the president's wilfulness". President Trump himself has accused the author of cowardice. But nobody should conflate the journalistic motivation of the New York Times with either the personal morality of the individual or the political duty of White House officials. A newspaper's job isn't to deny cowards a platform, or make sure a department of government functions well. It is to find things out, analyse them, and inform the citizenry, the better to conduct a democracy. The author of this op-ed may be a coward. The White House may now be marginally closer to full-blown crisis, though for now, I doubt it's any worse than after the publication of Michael Wolff's Fire and Fury. The questions for the New York Times are: has this taken the story on, aided our understanding of the Trump administration, and given readers useful information? Yes, yes, and yes. Has it undermined reporters? Is it a mere PR stunt? And is it boring? No, no, and no. "Publish and be damned," said Wellington, in 1824 - but the principle is timeless. If you're interested in issues such as these, please follow me on Twitter or Facebook; and also please subscribe to The Media Show podcast from Radio 4. I'm grateful for all constructive feedback. Thanks.

राय लिखते समय पहला नियम हैः उबाऊ मत बनो। इसकी सामग्री और इससे हुई प्रतिक्रिया को देखते हुए, न्यूयॉर्क टाइम्स द्वारा प्रकाशित व्हाइट हाउस के एक वरिष्ठ अधिकारी के अनाम ऑप-एड ने इस परीक्षा को पास कर लिया है।


Marathon Oil no longer selling UK offshore assets

Summary: Marathon Oil is no longer looking to sell its UK offshore assets, it has been announced.

Marathon operates the Brae complex, and also has stakes in the East Brae and Braemar fields as well in the Foinaven project west of Shetland. The company is putting more resources into its shale gas projects in the US. However, Marathon said it had not received an acceptable offer for its UK interests, which went up for sale in December. The company's UK base is located in Aberdeen.

यह घोषणा की गई है कि मैराथन ऑयल अब अपनी यूके अपतटीय संपत्तियों को बेचना नहीं चाहता है।


Van Gogh painting L'Allee des Alyscamps sells for $66m

Summary: Van Gogh painting L'Allee des Alyscamps has sold for $66m (£43.5m) as the star of a $368m (£242m) impressionist and modern art sale at Sotheby's New York.

It was painted in 1888 while the artist worked with friend Paul Gauguin in Arles, France, just one month before he famously cut off his ear. The piece had been expected to fetch $40m (£26.4m) and drew several bidders, going to an Asian private collector. One of Monet's iconic water lilies from 1905 also sold for $54m (£35.6m). This particular painting of the famous lily pond in the artist's garden at Giverny, France, had not been viewed in public since 1945. It was one of five Monet works sold at the auction, which together fetched a total of $115m (£75.6m), with a sixth painting failing to sell. Van Gogh's L'Allee des Alyscamps achieved a record for a landscape by the artist at auction, and is the highest price achieved for any work by Van Gogh since 1998. "To have a canvas from Arles by that very self-taught artist at the height of his work marks the sale as momentous," said Clifford Edwards, a professor at Virginia Commonwealth University, who is a Van Gogh expert. David Norman from Sotheby's said the same painting "struggled to make $12 million" when it was last auctioned in 2003, which only provided evidence of the "tremendous bidding power we see in the market right now". The Spring art sale was Sotheby's second-highest impressionist and modern sale ever, with the auction house finding buyers for 78% of its 65 lots. Half of the works in the sale had never been auctioned before, with three of the top lots being purchased by Asian collectors. Monet's 1908 painting of Venice with a view of the Palazzo Ducale on the Grand Canal fetched more than $23m (£15m). It was one of the artworks the Nazis confiscated from collector Jakob Goldschmidt which was reclaimed by his son in 1960. It had descended to a grandson, who died last year. Two other highlights of the sale came from the collections of Hollywood film moguls Samuel Goldwyn and his son, who died in January. Pablo Picasso's Woman with a Chignon in an Armchair, a portrait of the artist's lover Francoise Gilot, sold for $29.9m (£19.6m), almost double its presale estimate of $18m (£11.8m). Henri Matisse's Anemones and Pomegranates sold for more than $6m (£3.9m), having been bought by Goldwyn Sr just two years after it was originally painted in 1948. Giacometti sculpture Femme de Venise VI sold for $16.2m (£10.6m). The Spring sales continue next week when four auctions will be held at Christie's and Sotheby's. They include works by Picasso and Giacometti, which are expected to set records.

वैन गॉग की पेंटिंग एल 'एली डेस एलिस्कैम्प्स सोथबी के न्यूयॉर्क में $368 मिलियन (£242 मिलियन) की प्रभाववादी और आधुनिक कला बिक्री के स्टार के रूप में $66 मिलियन (£ 43.5m) में बिकी है।


Coronavirus: 'Rule of six' hits larger families

Summary: Indoor and outdoor social gatherings of more than six people will be banned in England from Monday as coronavirus restrictions are tightened. Although larger households are able to gather within their bubbles, some can no longer meet up with friends and family.

By Riyah CollinsBBC News Before the pandemic hit, Alison Keen had planned a big party for her 40th birthday on 21 September. When lockdown happened, she postponed it until 2021 and instead had hoped for a family gathering. But now that too cannot go ahead. She and her husband have four children, meaning the new "rule of six" applies solely to their family. "I can't meet up with anyone just because I've got kids," said Mrs Keen, from Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire. "Mum's upset that she can't see me on my birthday and really annoyed that she could have come to see the kids last week, but not next week." Mrs Keen said allowing her children, between six and 11, to go back to school but not have family gatherings "seems daft". The family had thought her parents, who live in Birmingham, would be able to see Mrs Keen's two sisters, who both have fewer children. But from Tuesday additional restrictions in Birmingham will prevent this. Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced the new rules "to avoid a second national lockdown" as the rate of infection climbs across the country. It applies both indoors and outdoors and to all ages - although there are some exemptions, such as gatherings for work or school. The new rules will be enforced by police who will have powers to issue fines and make arrests. "I get they're trying to simplify the rules, but that's not how viruses work," said Mrs Keen. "At the end of the day it's a new virus and as you learn, policies have to evolve. But it feels awful." Dee Jones, a mum of six from Telford, in Shropshire, said the new restrictions means she won't be able to see all of her children, five of whom have moved out and married. She works two jobs and so only has one weekend off each month - the family would normally use that weekend to get together for a big meal. "We can't do that now, unless my son-in-law sits out in the garden and eats his dinner there." The "rule of six" will make it almost impossible to arrange seeing her family and already they are having to do so "almost on a rota". She said a turkey, bought for the family's Easter meal, had been "stuck in the freezer all throughout lockdown - if I didn't laugh about it I would have cried", adding she was finding the restrictions "quite depressing". "Honestly, it's ridiculous. I'm frustrated. We've done what we've been advised and there are clearly people out there who haven't." Stephanie Raheel, from Yardley in Birmingham, has three children, Alina, Amaya and Arissa. Her husband's parents are at the heart of their family and they would usually meet them regularly with extended family members. To go back to stricter measures will be hard, she said, "especially for the children - it's hard for them to understand". Mrs Raheel's children, aged between three and six, have returned to school and nursery but she worries the restrictions will mean the older people in her family will miss out on special moments with her young daughters. "Within our family we've had two babies born in lockdown," she said. "The key moments, you want to celebrate with your loved ones. "The grandparents too, they love to see the little ones." Mrs Raheel said her mother-in-law is due to have an eye operation next week, something her husband and his six brothers are keen to support her with. "We'll all just want to go and see her and check she's OK - when people are in need, it's difficult." She is not sure how the family will be able to keep checking in on loved ones without breaking the new restrictions, but thinks they will just have to take it in turns to visit. "Everyone is just a little bit puzzled about why it is six people, and they're not shutting restaurants and pubs - it just doesn't make any sense. "There are so many different things you're allowed to do and not allowed to do, we just have to accept that's the way it is." Additional reporting by Joanna Tidman Follow BBC West Midlands on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: newsonline.westmidlands@bbc.co.uk

इंग्लैंड में सोमवार से छह से अधिक लोगों के अंदर और बाहर सामाजिक समारोहों पर प्रतिबंध लगा दिया जाएगा क्योंकि कोरोनावायरस प्रतिबंधों को कड़ा कर दिया गया है। हालाँकि बड़े परिवार अपने बुलबुले के भीतर इकट्ठा होने में सक्षम हैं, लेकिन कुछ अब दोस्तों और परिवार से नहीं मिल सकते हैं।


Man arrested in Cardiff Bay flat murder investigation

Summary: A man has been arrested on suspicion of murder after a woman was found dead in a flat in Cardiff Bay.

Christine James, 65, was found dead by police on Wednesday, 2 March, after relatives became concerned about her whereabouts. The man, 36, is currently in custody at Cardiff Bay Police Station. South Wales Police has referred the matter voluntarily to the Independent Police Complaints Commission. A 66-year-old man who was arrested on Wednesday has been released on police bail.

कार्डिफ बे में एक फ्लैट में एक महिला के मृत पाए जाने के बाद हत्या के संदेह में एक व्यक्ति को गिरफ्तार किया गया है।


Driver flees scene after car smashes into Longbenton house

Summary: Police are looking for a driver who fled the scene after a car crashed into a house in North Tyneside.

The silver vehicle ploughed in to the home in Goathland Avenue, in Longbenton, at around 07:10 GMT. Northumbria Police said the car came off the road, crossed a garden in front of the property and then hit a wall. Nobody in the house was injured. Officers said they had received reports that there were three people in the vehicle who all fled. Related Internet Links Northumbria Police

पुलिस एक ड्राइवर की तलाश कर रही है जो नॉर्थ टाइनसाइड में एक घर में एक कार के दुर्घटनाग्रस्त होने के बाद घटनास्थल से भाग गया था।


Uttarakhand dam disaster: Race to rescue 150 people missing in India

Summary: Emergency workers are searching for as many as 150 people after a piece of a Himalayan glacier is believed to have fallen into a river, triggering a huge flood in northern India and killing 26.

The floodwaters burst open a dam and a deluge of water poured through a valley in the state of Uttarakhand on Sunday. Most of the missing are believed to be workers from two hydropower plants. The rescue effort is focused on several sites, including a tunnel more than 200 metres (656ft) long. More than 30 people were apparently trapped inside when the torrent of icy water swept down the valley, carrying rocks and earth as it gathered speed. According to India's NDTV broadcaster, the tunnel is blocked with slush and debris. There has been no contact with the workers since Sunday, and officials say it is hard to tell where in the tunnel they are and whether they are together. Hundreds of troops, paramilitaries and military helicopters have been sent to the region to help with rescue efforts. Rescue workers and locals have been using shovels and mechanical diggers to try and clear the entrance to the tunnel. NDTV reported that rescuers had also been seen with wooden planks to help them wade through the mud. An investigation is continuing into what caused the suspected glacial burst. Speaking from hospital, one man described the moment the tunnel flooded. "We heard screams, 'get out, get out'. We didn't know what was happening. We started running to escape when the force of the water gushed in through the mouth of the tunnel. We couldn't get out because of that," he said. "We held on to the [roof] of the tunnel. We held on for about an hour. As the water receded, we slowly climbed onto the big rocks that flowed in, to take a breath. We had lost hope. We didn't think we would survive." Uttarakhand police said an avalanche struck at about 11:00 local time (05:30 GMT) on Sunday, destroying a dam known as the Rishiganga Hydroelectric Project. Police said the impact catapulted water along the Dhauliganga river, damaging another power project downstream in the Tapovan area. Senior police officials said a bridge in the Tapovan area that connected 13 villages was washed away in the avalanche. Food packets were air dropped in some of these villages. One witness compared the flash flood with "a scene from a Bollywood film". Video showed the floodwater barrelling through the area, leaving destruction in its wake. Emergency workers had earlier evacuated dozens of villages, but authorities later said the main flood danger had passed. Emergency crews rescued 16 workers who had been trapped inside a tunnel filled with debris. Officials told the BBC that between 35 and 40 others were thought to be trapped in a second tunnel. Emergency crews have reached the mouth of the 2.5km (1.5 mile) tunnel and are in the process of clearing the area with heavy equipment. "We are trying to break open the tunnel," said Ashok Kumar, the state police chief, told the Reuters news agency. Rescuers had gone 150m inside, he added. The director general of the National Disaster Response Force told ANI news agency that rescue operations could take up to 48 hours. Uttarakhand, in the western Himalayas, is prone to flash floods and landslides. Some 6,000 people are believed to have been killed in floods in June 2013 which were triggered by the heaviest monsoon rains in decades. What caused the flood? Navin Singh Khadka, BBC World Service environment correspondent The remoteness of where this happened means no-one has a definitive answer, so far. Experts say one possibility is that massive ice blocks broke off the glacier due to a temperature rise, releasing a huge amount of water. That could have caused avalanches bringing down rocks and mud. "This is a strong possibility because there was a huge amount of sediment flowing down," said DP Dobhal, a senior glaciologist formerly with the government's Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology. Experts say an avalanche could also have hit a glacial lake that then burst. Another possibility is that an avalanche or landslide may have dammed the river for some time, causing it to burst out after the water level rose. Sunday's disaster has prompted calls by environment groups to review power projects in the ecologically sensitive mountains. "Avalanches are common phenomena in the catchment area," MPS Bisht, director of the Uttarakhand Space Application Centre, told AFP news agency. "Huge landslides also frequently occur." Uma Bharti, a former water resources minister, said she had spoken out against power projects on the Ganges and its tributaries.

ऐसा माना जा रहा है कि हिमालय के ग्लेशियर का एक टुकड़ा नदी में गिर गया है, जिससे उत्तर भारत में भारी बाढ़ आ गई है और 26 लोगों की मौत हो गई है, जिसके बाद आपातकालीन कर्मचारी 150 लोगों की तलाश कर रहे हैं।


Megadams: Battle on the Brahmaputra

Summary: China and India have their eye on the energy potential of the vast Brahmaputra river. Will a new wave of "megadams" bring power to the people - or put millions at risk? The BBC World Service environment reporter Navin Singh Khadka reports from Assam, India.

On the banks of the Brahmaputra it is hard to get a sense of where the river starts and ends. It begins far away as a Tibetan mountain stream. On the floodplains of Assam, though, its waters spread as far as the eye can see, merging with the horizon and the sky. From here it continues through north-eastern India into Bangladesh, where it joins with the Ganges to form a mighty river delta. For centuries the Brahmaputra has nourished the land, and fed and watered the people on its banks. Today, though, India and China's growing economies mean the river is increasingly seen as a source of energy. Both countries are planning major dams on long stretches of the river. Source of Yarlung Zangbo Guwahati city Icy source Zangmu dam Great Bend Tea gardens Subansiri dam Guwahati city Zangmu dam Great Bend Subansiri dam Assam tea gardens [an error occurred while processing this directive] Source of the Yarlung Zangbo The river, known as the Yarlung Zangbo in China and as the Brahmaputra in India, starts its 1,760 mile (2,840 km) journey beneath Mount Kailash, high in the Tibet region of the Himalayas. Zangmu dam China is constructing the Zangmu dam to provide hydro-electric power. The project began in 2009 and has caused concern downstream in India. Three other dams are planned nearby. The Great Bend of the Yarlung Zangbo Before the Yarlung Zangbo leaves China to flow into the Arunachal Pradesh region of India and become the Brahmaputra, it makes a dramatic turn to the south, known as the Great Bend. Assam tea gardens Many of Assam's tea gardens are irrigated by the Brahmaputra. They are vulnerable to flooding and erosion by river water. Subansiri dam site India is also building dams on the river – many more than China. The Lower Subansiri Dam, on a tributary of the Brahmaputra, has been stalled by protests for several years. Guwahati - city on the river In Guwahati, Assam's biggest city, anti-China sentiment is growing and some say the river level has dropped in recent years. In Assam the plans are being greeted with scepticism and some fear. The fear is that dams upstream could give China great power over their lives. And many in Assam worry whether China has honourable intentions. Brahmaputra voices: What next for their river? After a landslide in China in 2000, the river was blocked for several days, unknown to those downstream. When the water forced its way past the blockage Assam faced an oncoming torrent. There was no advance warning. There are concerns this could happen more frequently. Some also believe that China may divert water to its parched north - as it has done with other southern rivers. India's central government says China has given them assurances about the new Tibetan dams. "Our foreign ministry has checked with China and we have been told that the flow will not be affected, and we will make sure that the people's lives are not affected by the dams," Paban Singh Ghatowar, minister for the development of north-eastern India, told the BBC. Beijing says the dams it is building on the Tibetan stretch of the river will ease power shortages for people in that region. "All new projects will go through scientific planning and feasibility studies and the impact to both upstream and downstream will be fully considered," China's foreign ministry told the BBC. It said three new dams at Dagu, Jiacha, and Jeixu were small-scale projects: "They will not affect flood control or the ecological environment of downstream areas," the foreign ministry said. Despite the statements, there is no official water-sharing deal between India and China - just an agreement to share monsoon flood data. Experts and interest groups remain as sceptical as local residents. 'Rivers unite us, but dams divide us," says Peter Bosshard, of the International Rivers Network. He criticises India for ignoring the rights of Bangladesh even as it deals with China's claim on the river. "By engaging in a race to dam the Brahmaputra as quickly as possible, China and India will cause cumulative environmental impacts beyond the limits of the river's ecosystem, and will threaten the livelihoods of more than 100 million people who depend on the river." It is hard to know where the truth lies. The dams are hidden from view, on remote valleys and in deep mountain gorges. It is there that the never-ending tension between politics, development and environment is now being played out.

चीन और भारत की नज़र विशाल ब्रह्मपुत्र नदी की ऊर्जा क्षमता पर है। क्या "मेगाडैम" की एक नई लहर लोगों के लिए बिजली लाएगी-या लाखों लोगों को खतरे में डालेगी? बीबीसी विश्व सेवा पर्यावरण रिपोर्टर नवीन सिंह खड़का असम, भारत से रिपोर्ट करते हैं।


Northumberland faith school free transport charges proposed

Summary: Free transport for pupils at non-local faith schools could be scrapped under plans by Northumberland County Council.

The authority proposes charging for buses to faith schools which are not a pupil's closest or in their catchment area. The current system costs nearly £870,000 a year for about 800 pupils, it said. Charges could be introduced from September 2015, but would only apply once a child starts a new school. The authority said pupils who qualify for free school transport for any reason other than religion or belief would not be affected. Consultation on the plans runs until 10 June.

नॉर्थम्बरलैंड काउंटी काउंसिल की योजनाओं के तहत गैर-स्थानीय धार्मिक स्कूलों में छात्रों के लिए मुफ्त परिवहन को समाप्त किया जा सकता है।


Uber banned from Australia's Northern Territory

Summary: Car-hire service Uber will not be allowed to operate in Australia's Northern Territory (NT), reported the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

The NT government announced reforms to the taxi industry but said it would not be making legislative changes authorising ride-sharing services. US-based Uber currently operates in several other parts of Australia. It has expanded aggressively around the world and faces regulatory battles in several countries. Comments from the public on the ABC's Facebook page questioned the decision, with one person saying Uber was needed in Darwin, particularly for evening transport to and from the airport. The writer said local taxis often refused to pick up passengers at night. Transport Minister Peter Chandler told the ABC the move could be reconsidered later. His office did not responded immediately to questions from the BBC.

ऑस्ट्रेलियाई प्रसारण निगम ने बताया कि कार-किराया सेवा उबर को ऑस्ट्रेलिया के उत्तरी क्षेत्र (एनटी) में काम करने की अनुमति नहीं दी जाएगी।


Weymouth death: Man and woman charged with manslaughter

Summary: A man and a woman have been charged with manslaughter over the death of a 75-year-old man in Dorset.

The body of John Cornish was found at an address in The Esplanade, near Alexandra Gardens, Weymouth, on 7 September. Aaron Brown, 38, from Weymouth, and Hannah Day, 28, of no fixed abode, have been charged with manslaughter and robbery. They are due to appear at Poole Magistrates' Court on Thursday. Ms Day has also been charged with theft and five counts of fraud by false representation. Two men from Weymouth, aged 37 and 66, arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender, have been released under investigation.

डोरसेट में एक 75 वर्षीय व्यक्ति की मौत के मामले में एक पुरुष और एक महिला पर हत्या का आरोप लगाया गया है।


Former MP Eric Joyce to stand trial over 'shop attack'

Summary: Former Falkirk MP Eric Joyce is to stand trial accused of attacking two teenagers and causing £200 worth of damage to groceries in a London shop.

The 54-year-old ex-Labour MP is accused of scuffling with two boys aged 14 and 15 during the confrontation in Camden on 17 October, 2014. Joyce was not present at Westminster Magistrates' Court, but denies two counts of actual bodily harm and one of causing criminal damage. He will appear on 1 May for trial. Mr Joyce formerly represented Falkirk as a Labour member and later as an independent, but announced in 2012 that he would not seek re-election in May.

फ़ाल्किर्क के पूर्व सांसद एरिक जॉयस पर लंदन की एक दुकान में दो किशोरों पर हमला करने और किराने के सामान को £200 का नुकसान पहुंचाने के आरोप में मुकदमा चलाया जाना है।


Teacher denies assaulting boy, four

Summary: A teacher has appeared in court charged with assaulting a four-year-old boy.

Ian Webber, 54, of Fairfields Hill, Polesworth, north Warwickshire, denies a charge of assaulting the youngster by beating in May last year. A pre-trial hearing at Birmingham Magistrates' Court was told he denies an allegation he "smacked" the boy, whose identity cannot be reported, at a West Midlands school. Mr Webber is due to face trial on 26 February. Related Internet Links HM Courts & Tribunals Service

एक शिक्षक चार साल के लड़के पर हमला करने के आरोप में अदालत में पेश हुआ है।


'My parents were told to plan my funeral'

Summary: When Maddy Hopson was a day old, her parents were told to prepare for her funeral. When she was two, they were told she would never walk or talk. When she was seven years old, they were told she would never go to university.

Now 22, Maddy, who lives in Sheepstor, Devon, has defied the odds, recently graduating with a degree in sport development. From her dramatic entrance into the world, to navigating her way through school and becoming the UK's first diving coach with cerebral palsy, Maddy explains how the challenges she has faced have helped shape the person she is today. 'I was given a 25% survival rate' I was born in Germany at 27 weeks, weighing less than a bag of sugar. I was supposed to be born on 22 July but I arrived on 22 April and had a rocky start to life. When I was born I had sepsis - which is why I was born so early - and a bleed on the brain resulted in me having cerebral palsy. I was given a 25% survival rate and a day later my dad was told to plan for my funeral. In the beginning I was on 100% pure oxygen because I couldn't breathe on my own. The doctors in Germany were really good, they were amazing. But when I was two, my parents took me to see a children's doctor and they basically said I'd never walk or talk and my parents would have a spastic child. That's when they decided to move back to the UK. 'School didn't know what to do with me' I went to PACE which is a UK-registered charity and special school based in Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire. It helps children and young people with motor disorders such as cerebral palsy and the people there helped me to walk and talk. Then when I was four, I started primary school. The head teacher at the time was really supportive but that was the school that didn't really know what to do with me. It was here where joining in on sports day meant putting out bean bags and other equipment. Then my support assistant left, the head left and another teacher told my parents that I'd never go to university. My parents took me out of the school when I was eight or nine and I went to Beachborough Prep School in Northamptonshire. That was the best school I've ever gone to and I was there for five years. A change of school, where inclusion was high on the agenda, opened up a world of sport to me. 'I was dragged by my school tie in the rain' At primary school, the other kids knew I was different and knew I had something wrong with me but I don't think any of us really understood and that was sort of OK. When I went to Beachborough though, I obviously understood then. I did have some good friends who were really supportive but some were just horrible. On one occasion, I had the whole of my games locker emptied and my games kit thrown all over the floor. I also had lies made up about me. The bullying was aimed at my disability. The one I mostly remember is this girl who had started when I was 11. One Friday, after rehearsing the school play, she and and another girl decided to corner me outside when it was chucking down with rain and scream at me. I tried to run but they got hold of me and dragged me by my tie. I managed to get away and saw the head girl who took me to my mum. The two girls and their parents got called in. They were sitting on the floor crying, saying sorry. But you don't forget it. A couple of years later, weeks before I was about to have major hip surgery, the same girl decided to imitate how I walked. I ran out of the room crying. I had the operation and had to learn to walk again. It was just before my 13th birthday. I was home schooled for a month, before gradually going back to full time at school. 'My love of sport began' Despite some bullying at Beachborough, I did lots of sport including hockey, rounders and netball and went with friends on matches to different schools. I started horse-riding when I was seven but it wasn't until I moved to Devon when I was 14 that I started competing in dressage regionally and nationally. I did stuff like Ten Tors and the Duke of Edinburgh award while at Stover School. My love of sport had begun. Then in 2012, I saw Tom Daley win the bronze medal at the London 2012 Olympics. He had a competition in Plymouth a year or so later so me and my friend went to meet him. It was then, while watching where I thought 'I'll give this a go'. It had taken me 10 years to learn how to swim a length of the pool. I wouldn't jump in off the side, I was so scared. You may also like: In September 2014, I started my A-levels and I did COPE - Certificate of Personal Effectiveness - a bit like life skills. I was able to do my diving as part of that and complete targets. That was when I started to do it every week. My coaches were great and got me doing tuck rolls off 1m and 3m boards. I'm starting to try and jump off 5m before moving to 7m, my next target. Whilst having lessons, I saw a local diver coaching and I thought that might be fun to do. I did the level-one course in June 2016 and started coaching in the September, when I started university. I did the level two last June but I didn't pass because I didn't have that much confidence talking to people. But I now have a mentor and am constantly improving. When I dive into the water, it can make me feel like I'm no different to anyone else. I can be like everyone else in the water. My aim is to try and get diving in the Paralympics. Southampton is the only place in the UK that does disability diving classes and I'm the only diving coach with cerebral palsy in the country. I've had interest from California, Denmark and Australia to try and get disability diving on the agenda. I really want to work in either Germany or Austria. In Germany, they have the International Paralympic Committee, which is where I'd really like to work. We have a friend out in Austria who organises sporting events including ski shows. He said he'd offer me a job if I learnt German, so that's what I'm doing now. 'University has made me more resilient' Getting into university was amazing. It enabled me to achieve something I was led to believe was impossible for me. Even at Stover, I didn't think they thought I could get A-levels or even GCSEs but I got through them. If you can't do the exact same thing as others you can do it a different way. You can adapt to anything. Diving and going to university have definitely been big moments in my life. If I hadn't have gone, I wouldn't have had the confidence to be student speaker, something I was honoured to be asked to do. Going to university has made me a more resilient person. There have been highs and lows, all of which have taught me not to give in, and especially not to be beaten by disability. My aim is to help people who deserve to have sport in their lives, but due to being born different or because of their living environment, have not been given the same opportunities as everyone else. My own sporting journey is and will probably always be tough. I hope I can make a difference in some small way to underprivileged and disabled people as well as pursuing my own personal challenges and dream of joining the Paralympic movement. As told to Hayley Westcott What is cerebral palsy? Source: NHS Choices

जब मैडी होप्सन एक दिन की थी, उसके माता-पिता को उसके अंतिम संस्कार की तैयारी करने के लिए कहा गया था। जब वह दो साल की थी, तो उन्हें कहा गया था कि वह कभी न तो चलती है और न ही बात करती है। जब वह सात साल की थी, तो उन्हें बताया गया था कि वह कभी विश्वविद्यालय नहीं जाएगी।


Is new India state capital Amaravati more bane than boon?

Summary: India Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for a new capital for the south Indian state of Andhra Pradesh on Tuesday, amid much fanfare. But although Amaravati is being touted as a city that can "make India proud", a number of concerns, including its impact on the ecology, have been raised. Sriram Karri finds out more.

When Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the inauguration stone for Amaravati on Tuesday, he said the new city represented the spirit of a state which would lead an economic revolution in India. The Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu added that his aim was to create a capital city that would make India proud and the world envious. The south Indian state was forced to look for a new capital after it was split in two to create India's 29th state, Telangana. The current capital Hyderabad went to the new state, although both will share it for 10 years. The plans for Amaravati are ambitious to say the least. The city will be developed on a land area of 7,500 sq km (2895 sq miles) over the next 10 years, and is envisaged to be 10 times bigger than Singapore, which is helping the state government construct it. 'Opportunity, not challenge' Instead of using the Land Acquisition Act, which has often led to litigation and agitation, to build his city, Mr Naidu has proposed a scheme where farmers will voluntarily surrender their land, in exchange for developed land in the city. Mr Naidu, who is widely held to be responsible for converting Hyderabad from a sleepy historic town into a global software destination during his previous term as chief minister between 1995 to 2004, is brimming with confidence. "Some people would have seen a challenge, but I saw a great opportunity. Amaravati will not only be India's best new city and capital, but a leading global destination. I want to build it with people's participation. I want everyone to own a part of it," Mr Naidu told the BBC. The lore surrounding what Mr Naidu did for Hyderabad is legendary. Microsoft chairman Bill Gates' decision to build the company's biggest development centres outside the US in Hyderabad was made because he was so impressed by a power point presentation made by Mr Naidu, or so the story goes. But not everyone is impressed. 'One-sided development' Farmers are angry because they feel the plans for Amravati exclude them. "Mr Naidu has gone back to his one-sided development talk that benefits corporates and businesses at our expense. He is taking away land from the most fertile agrarian belt in India, which yields three crops a year," Mallela Harindranath Chowdary, a farmer leader, told the BBC. Mr Chowdary also alleges that the government is using police force to pressure farmers to surrender their land to the state. Mr Naidu has however dismissed the allegations as being politically motivated. "Some political leaders are perpetually dissatisfied and obstruct development, which is crucial to remove poverty. Farmers have most given us land because they know the benefit of owning land in a developed city," said Naidu. The government has also imposed a law that prohibits gatherings of people in and around the area where Amravati is being constructed, to "prevent political agitations". But it's not just farmers who are protesting against Amaravati. Ecological disaster? India's environment body, the National Green Tribunal (NGT), has also expressed concern that the state government did not complete a mandatory environmental assessment before deciding on the location of the city. Environmentalists say the state has not followed any of the procedures or complied with requirements to carry out a project of this scale. Adding to concerns is the fact that Mr Naidu has asked the central government to release over 20,000 hectares (49,240 acres) of additional reserved forests around the capital region. "It violates the Conservation of Forests Act. By law, they are supposed to create forests in double the land - 40,000 hectares in wasted forest lands - and plant twice the number of trees cut," a forest officer who wished to remain anonymous, told the BBC. "In the next few months, Andhra plans to cut over 10 million trees. Not only is it against all norms, it is an invitation for an ecological disaster. "They will cut forests within no time, but take decades to plant that many trees. They will destroy forests with diversity and plants standard forestation saplings like teak, eucalyptus, neem and Red Sanders. "What will happen to water bodies, smaller trees and plants, shrubs, animals, birds and insects?" he said. "It is not a people's capital but a contractor's capital," a senior Andhra Pradesh opposition official, Ummareddy Venkateswarlu, told the BBC. "We are not opposed to Amaravati, but the illegal ways adopted to create it." Sriram Karri is author of the best-selling, MAN Asian Literary Prize longlisted novel, Autobiography of a mad nation

भारत के प्रधान मंत्री नरेंद्र मोदी ने मंगलवार को बहुत धूमधाम के बीच दक्षिण भारतीय राज्य आंध्र प्रदेश के लिए एक नई राजधानी की आधारशिला रखी। हालांकि अमरावती को एक ऐसे शहर के रूप में देखा जा रहा है जो "भारत को गौरवान्वित कर सकता है", पारिस्थितिकी पर इसके प्रभाव सहित कई चिंताओं को उठाया गया है। श्रीराम कारी को अधिक पता चलता है।


Mobile phone mast near football pitch is approved

Summary: Plans to install a 10m (33ft) high mobile phone mast near a Guernsey football pitch have been approved.

Six objections were made to the plans concerning possible health risks and the visual impact. The mast at the Northerners Athletic Club field will be made of timber and painted green to reduce its visual impact. Cable and Wireless asked for planning permission in a move aimed at improving mobile phone coverage in the area. It was the second time it had applied for the installation, after an earlier attempt failed.

ग्वेर्नसे फुटबॉल पिच के पास 10 मीटर (33 फीट) ऊँचा मोबाइल फोन मास्ट लगाने की योजना को मंजूरी दी गई है।


The place where crazy inventors create your future

Summary: More and more of our waking hours are spent in spaces sprinkled with electronic devices - a digital camera here, an electronic book reader there and smart phones as far as the eye can see. But what part did the famous Massachusetts Institute of Technology play?

By Matthew DanzicoBBC News, Cambridge, Massachusetts Welcome to MIT's Media Lab - an academic institution that looks for a breed of student who is one part engineer, two parts futurist and three parts tech-savvy brainiac. The programme has just celebrated its 25th anniversary by drawing together its alumni and others, including Google CEO Eric Schmidt, to MIT to partake in a day chock-full of techno nerd-oriented talks and an open house featuring the students' research projects. Walk through the hallways of the elite Cambridge institution any day of the week, and one will see students with thick-rimmed glasses scampering past with stacks of paper containing advanced algorithms, meshes of wires attached to robotic heads, the beginnings of self-propelled prosthetic limbs or even blueprints for the first fleet of foldable cars. The Media Lab has been behind both technological breakthroughs and social campaigns - the electronic ink used in the Amazon Kindle and Sony e-Reader, the educational programming language Scratch, the One Laptop Per Child initiative and even video games Guitar Hero and Rock Band. Much of the lab's funding comes from roughly 80 corporate sponsors - though those companies are not allowed to support or direct any of the research. The lab is divided into 23 research groups, including the eyebrow-raising Lifelong Kindergarten and Opera of the Future, which is aimed at revamping musical theatre using robots, among them. They sit alongside more easily digested group concepts, like Biomechatronics and Synthetic Neurobiology. The lab focuses on the ways technology can impact on us at a human level, says programme director, Frank Moss. "That might mean how we entertain ourselves, how we take care of our health, our finances, how we live, how we socialize, work and play." And Mr Moss says innovation at the lab is achieved by taking the students, who he calls natural "builders", and teaching them how to "make almost anything" - which is also the name of a six-month class students at the Media Lab take during their first year, How to Make (Almost) Anything. "By the time they are halfway through their first year, they can build any piece of software, any circuit board, they can use the laser cutter and build any kind of object out of metal or aluminium, foam, wood, you name it." 'Crazy' students The idea for the Media Lab was conceived in 1980, and it opened its doors five years later under the direction of Greek-American architect and technologist Nicholas Negroponte and Jerome Wiesner, former MIT president and science adviser to President John F Kennedy. Mr Negroponte, 66, brother of former US Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte, describes the Media Lab's inception as having had "perfect timing". When it opened the PC had recently been developed, telecommunications would soon be deregulated and the internet was just beginning to stretch its legs as a medium. Mr Negroponte says a person strolling through the doors of the Media Lab in its infant stage would have been quickly encircled by a maze of computer-controlled balloons, holograms and faculty who had been exiled from other departments - what he calls the "real Salon des Refuses", alluding to French 19th century painters whose work was rejected by the establishment of the day. And although the programme - now bursting with research projects focused on autism, prosthetic limbs, robots and, well, robotic opera singers - is now getting the attention it deserves, Mr Negroponte says it still attracts like-minded individuals. "If you are considered crazy in your field, you come to the MIT Media Lab," he says of the students today. "After about 15 years, it morphed into a style of thought, a way of doing research and into a program that was friendly to risk," Mr Negroponte added. And the themes of risk and creativity are obvious when looking at some of the projects on display during the programme's open house. Medical Mirror The Medical Mirror is a project being developed to allow individuals to check their pulse, respiration and heart rate simply by looking at their own reflection. Electrical and medical engineering student Ming-Zher Poh implanted a simple web camera into a two-way mirror, which tracks a person's face when he or she peers into the rectangular looking glass. The camera then analyses the slightest variations in brightness in the person's complexion caused by blood flow from blood vessels and returns figures on what it calculates. "People look at the mirror everyday, and people pay attention to their outward appearance - but this [Medical Mirror] also reminds them about their physiological information," he adds. The Cornucopia Marcelo Coelho and Amit Zoran of the school's Fluid Interfaces group may have also created a product that could one day aid in personal health - a personal, automatic food factory. Armed with clear tubes containing an array of ingredients, the Cornucopia is a food printer of sorts that mixes elements of a dish together to produce starters, main courses and desserts. The current Cornucopia prototype can produce a programmable snack from tubes of chocolate and nuts. Mr Coelho says the machine offers up the potential for a better understanding of what ingredients go into your food and how healthy the foods you put into your body are. BiDi Screen Let's be honest for a moment - is it or is it not starting to seem just slightly archaic to use a remote control, a video game controller or even a mouse to manipulate objects on a monitor or television screen? Professor Henry Holtzman and student Matthew Hirsch in the Information Ecology group at the Media Lab have been working in collaboration with the Camera Culture group on a screen that allows you to control objects on a screen using only your hands. The bi-directional display interface (BiDi) uses embedded optical sensors to capture both touch and hand gestures in front of a screen. Mr Hirsch says the technology could be helpful in a range of areas but particularly with gadgets like mobile touch-screen mobile phones, on which displays can sometimes appear cramped. Powered ankle-foot prosthesis Hugh Herr and his students in the Biomechatronics group have developed a prosthetic ankle capable of propelling a person wearing the device forward in the same way a biological one would. The prosthesis uses strings that work like tendons and an electric motor to push the wearer forward and vary the ankle's stiffness, which could help individuals move over varying terrains. Student Michael Eisenberg says conventional prosthetic limbs, which typically use a passive springs, can make an amputee exert significantly more energy and even cause back problems in the person wearing the ankle. "Some of the more recent prostheses [on the market] can be in a sense quasi-passive, in that they can move around but cannot provide active energy to the wearer. But it turns out especially in the ankle - that functionality is not sufficient. The ankle is responsible for much more functionality than just that," Mr Eisenberg says. The Future Frank Moss feels that during the next 25 years, as Media Lab continues to grow, the public may be hearing more from students like Mr Eisenberg. "I think we'll see it [technology] around health, around aging, around how we can better control and make decisions in our lives that are in our best long-term interests - it's a level of empowerment that goes beyond shopping, searching, and socializing, to really a deeper agency," Mr Moss says. And Mr Negroponte says we may even witness significant changes as soon as 10 years from now. "Every surface will be a display. Everything will be linked to every other thing. Things will know where they are and some may know who they are," he says. If Mr Negroponte's prediction that technology could soon be conscious of itself proves to be true, it raises one very peculiar but important question: Is the world ready for an opera-singing robot with attitude?

हमारे जागने के अधिक से अधिक घंटे इलेक्ट्रॉनिक उपकरणों से छितरे हुए स्थानों में बिताए जाते हैं-यहाँ एक डिजिटल कैमरा, वहाँ एक इलेक्ट्रॉनिक बुक रीडर और स्मार्ट फोन जहाँ तक आँख देख सकती है। लेकिन प्रसिद्ध मैसाचुसेट्स इंस्टीट्यूट ऑफ टेक्नोलॉजी ने क्या भूमिका निभाई?


Pakistan flood survivors refused aid at relief camps

Summary: As floodwater in Pakistan displaces tens of thousands of people from their homes every day, some are turning up at camps without the documentation necessary to receive aid, adding to the humanitarian crisis. The BBC's Jill McGivering reports from a camp in Sukkur, Sindh province.

Sukkur is overwhelmed. Along the river banks and canals, on patches of dry ground and alongside the roads, homeless families are sitting or lying in the open air, their possessions piled at their side. They fled their homes with whatever they could carry as rising floodwater inundated their towns and villages. Most, unless they find shade under a tree, have no shelter from the scorching sun. A fraction have places inside the relief camps which have sprung up all across the city. They consist of rows and rows of tents with simple latrines, and access to these areas is strictly controlled. Tension high I entered one camp shortly before a food distribution was about to start. The World Food Programme was bringing in several trucks with fortified biscuits, flour and cooking oil. A screening process had already taken place within the camp to decide which families were eligible to receive it. Many people here are desperate and tensions are running high. Recently there have been incidents of crowds mobbing aid trucks and people being hurt in the crush and confusion. So this time the chosen few were regimented, sitting on the ground in neat lines in the glare of the sun, men and women segregated, as armed police officers and rangers stood guard around them. Jealously watching Abdul Hamid Bulo, one of the camp organisers, explained why such discipline was being imposed. "Otherwise people rush over and don't listen," he said. "People just see there's a distribution of food and they come rushing." As the trucks rolled in and the distribution began, the recipients were allowed forward one by one to show their identity card and registration papers to officials sitting behind a desk, then have their name ticked off on a printed list. Beyond the guards, watching jealously, other homeless people had gathered. An elderly lady tried to press forward and was herded back by guards wielding sticks. She started to sob and wail, her hands clawing at her face. I went across to talk to her. "For god's sake, help us," she said. "We don't have breakfast in the morning or food at night. I don't know why they won't issue me with papers so I can get food." Documentation Nearby two frail elderly women, their clothes filthy, were clinging to each other. They were walking with the help of sticks and they were both blind. They too had been turned away by security and were now in tears. "We lost everything in the flood," they told me. "We don't have any food. Please help us to get aid." They too had fled from their homes without any documentation. But it seemed that, because they didn't have identity cards, they weren't eligible to register at the camp and gain inclusion among the aid recipients. The aid agencies and local charities are doing the best they can, trying to maintain security in the face of rising tension and growing desperation. But at the moment, there simply isn't enough food to go round. Every day, more people in Sindh are being forced from their homes - and the gap between what is needed and what's available is steadily increasing. A number of governments and aid organisations are appealing for donations to help those affected by the flooding in Pakistan.

जैसे-जैसे पाकिस्तान में बाढ़ का पानी हर दिन हजारों लोगों को अपने घरों से विस्थापित करता है, कुछ लोग सहायता प्राप्त करने के लिए आवश्यक दस्तावेजों के बिना शिविरों में आ रहे हैं, जिससे मानवीय संकट बढ़ रहा है। बीबीसी की जिल मैकगिवरिंग सिंध प्रांत के सुक्कुर में एक शिविर से रिपोर्ट करती हैं।


Twelve arrested in Ayia Napa 'over alleged rape of British woman'

Summary: Twelve Israelis have been arrested in Ayia Napa in Cyprus over an alleged rape of a British woman, reports say.

Local media said police were called in the early hours of Wednesday morning. Cypriot police confirmed that 12 arrests were made and said the suspects would appear in court in Paralimni on Thursday morning. A spokesman for the Foreign Office said it was "supporting a British woman who was assaulted in Cyprus and are in contact with local police". An Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman confirmed that 12 Israeli citizens were arrested and their families notified. The Times of Israel said some of those involved in the alleged attack were boys, and that the alleged victim was 19.

रिपोर्टों में कहा गया है कि साइप्रस के अय्या नापा में एक ब्रिटिश महिला के कथित बलात्कार के मामले में बारह इजरायलियों को गिरफ्तार किया गया है।


Pontcysyllte Aqueduct towpath closes for repair work

Summary: Maintenance work on a Wrexham aqueduct means the towpath will be closed for six hours a day.

The Canal & River Trust said the path at Pontcysyllte Aqueduct would close between 09:00 GMT and 15:00 from Monday until 17 February. The towpath will be open outside these hours from Monday to Saturday and will be open all day on Sundays. Repair work is needed on the parapet of the 126ft (38m) tall structure. The Canal & River Trust said said: "These measures are to protect the public whilst we undertake these important works, allowing them to be undertaken safely by our operatives."

रेक्सहैम जलसेतु पर रखरखाव के काम का मतलब है कि टोवपाथ दिन में छह घंटे के लिए बंद रहेगा।


Pluto among the 'most diverse worlds' in our Solar System

Summary: The latest pictures of Pluto show it to have a beautiful blue-tinged atmosphere. And analysis of the scientific data sent back by the New Horizons spacecraft so far indicates that it has one of the most diverse landscapes in the Solar System.

By Pallab GhoshScience correspondent, BBC News To date, Nasa's New Horizons probe has sent back just a tenth of the data it collected as it flew past the Pluto system on 14 July. The information reveals a surprisingly varied terrain: mountains, dunes, cratered areas and ones that are smooth. The head of the mission, Prof Alan Stern, told BBC News that what he has seen so far is "amazing" and has already transformed our notions of the far-flung world: "The Pluto system is much more complex than I had expected. Pluto itself displays (such a diverse) range of geological landforms that it is unprecedented in the Solar System," he explained. "It certainly rivals the Earth and Mars, perhaps even occupies the number one spot for complexity of all the planets in the Solar System." So what are the discoveries so far? A thicker atmosphere in the past A colour image from New Horizons shows that Pluto has atmospheric hazes that have a blue tinge. The startling view is caused by weak sunlight scattering off soot-like particles called tholins in the dwarf planet's thin, nitrogen atmosphere. Prof Alan Fitzsimmons of Queens University in Belfast says that the initial data suggests the atmosphere may have been thicker in the past. "Perhaps Pluto did have a thicker atmosphere and its atmosphere probably does significantly change once in its orbit," he said. "Right now, Pluto is receding from the Sun, having been closer to it a few years ago - and it has been speculated that at some point as it moves out to the furthest point from the Sun, the atmosphere and planet may get so cold that the atmosphere may actually collapse on to the surface and freeze out only to be regenerated again as it approaches the Sun." That theory is borne out by the observation of dunes on the surface not unlike those in the deserts of Earth. If these were made by the action of wind, it implies there might once have been a thicker atmosphere. Pluto may be active There is a large area named Sputnik Planum hundreds of miles across that is devoid of craters. That means that something is happening to smooth over the holes left by impacts. "If that is the case, it is really perplexing because, as a small planet, geophysicists would have expected that it should have cooled off long ago and not have present day activity - yet it does," Prof Stern says. However, in the equatorial region, there are lots of old, large, craters where other objects have struck over the history of the Solar System. The question is why the terrain is so diverse. Prof Stern doesn't have the answer - at least not yet. "My head hurts looking at the data," he confesses. "The flyby continues and the data comes down every week, and we continue to get data and we continue to get surprises and it just gets better and better and it gets more and more perplexing." How the heart was formed That is going to be one of the outstanding questions that scientists are going to look at over the coming months and years. It is thought to be made up of fresh, relatively recent deposits of nitrogen ice. But why are other areas not like this? There are also differences in the composition of the nitrogen ice between the left and right lobes of the "heart". One theory is that there are two geysers at the centre of each lobe that shoot material up above the surface which is then blown by a light wind into the heart shape as it comes back to the surface. Pluto's size Pluto was stripped of its status as a planet in 2006 after the discovery of similar objects in the Kuiper Belt region of the outer Solar System - notably the dwarf planet Eris, which was in many ways like Pluto. The New Horizons mission suggested Pluto might be larger than Eris, so a case could be made to reinstate the former planet. Prof Stern has in the past argued for reinstatement - but seems to have grown weary of the discussion. "From a planetary science point of view, and as an expert in the field, I should tell you planetary scientists consider it as a planet," he told BBC News. "The fact that astronomers do not is of little concern to me. The astronomers are not experts in the field and what they say doesn't carry very much weight. "It's the equivalent of asking a divorce lawyer about tax law; its immaterial. The fact that they are studying things in space like black holes and galaxies has no credence with respect to planets, and what they do just doesn't matter to planetary scientists." But Prof Andrew Coates, who is a planetary scientist at the Mullard Space Science Laboratory at University College London, respectfully disagrees. "There seemed to be a great feeling of victory that it was a little larger than Eris," he said. "This would lead people who would like to call Pluto a planet to think 'great'; and I think that bit was over-egged. For me, that's a non-argument. What we are interested in is what this object is like, the science and its relationship to other Kuiper Belt objects, rather than the size. Prof Coates added: "Pluto was characterised a few years ago as not a classical planet but an ice dwarf object. That is a good classification because we are seeing something that is different to the rest of the objects in the Solar System." Nitrogen cycle There appears to be a possible nitrogen cycle through the atmosphere. Initial observations indicate that glaciers are transporting fresh nitrogen from the mountains across the surface, down to the lower plains where the nitrogen may be heated by the Sun and rises back into the atmosphere where it then precipitates on to the mountains again. Scientists speculated before the flyby that there would be evaporation and condensation of nitrogen as the surface warmed and cooled. But most thought it would be a gentle process, and the apparent flows of nitrogen glaciers were a surprise. "If that actually holds up - that is an absolutely fantastic thing," says Prof Fitzsimmons. "No-one had really predicted this." What's next The New Horizons spacecraft will send back higher resolution images, which will show exquisite new details of a world that is more beautiful than anyone had ever imagined. There will also be new information about Pluto's moons. We have received only a glimpse of its largest moon, Charon, but it is a breathtaking one. It is a third the size of Pluto and yet the pictures shows canyons that are several kilometres deep and some signs of geological activity. In just a few months, our knowledge of Pluto has already been transformed. And, according to Prof Coates, there is much more to come. "The data from New Horizons is rewriting the text books about the outer Solar System. It is a real voyage of exploration to look at this mini solar system of Pluto and its moons." Follow Pallab on Twitter

प्लूटो की नवीनतम तस्वीरें इसे एक सुंदर नीले रंग के वातावरण के रूप में दिखाती हैं। और न्यू होराइजन्स अंतरिक्ष यान द्वारा अब तक भेजे गए वैज्ञानिक आंकड़ों के विश्लेषण से संकेत मिलता है कि यह सौर मंडल में सबसे विविध परिदृश्यों में से एक है।


Could smart phones help provide mental health care?

Summary: There is a shortage of talking therapy available to people with mental health problems. But Lord Darzi, a former Labour health minister and the current executive chair of the World Innovation Summit for Health (WISH) suggests mobile technology could be used to help fill the gap.

By Lord DarziInstitute of Global Health, Imperial College London In the UK, one in four people will experience a mental health problem at some point in their lives. Mental illness can be unforgiving and can often leave people feeling hopeless. While treatments do vary depending on the individual or type of illness, they will often include a mixture of therapy, self-help, or medication. People also turn to exercise, meditation and creative art therapies, to help in their recovery process. Often it is a combination of these things that works best. But are there more innovative alternatives we can offer? 'An issue that won't go away' Increasingly we rely on smart phones in our daily lives, from checking emails and reminders or monitoring social media to purchasing goods and services. But I believe mental health services are behind the curve and should be better utilising the communication technology patients already have at their fingertips. Even with the successful introduction of the Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) service, there is a shortage of trained professionals who provide the kind of care patients need. That's an issue which will not go away. It needs to be addressed with innovative thinking. Mobile technologies are still largely untapped sources of innovation for the NHS. The portability, privacy, and round-the-clock availability of mobile phones offer mental health workers and patients a direct, private, and instantaneous method of communication as well as access to information and self-care support. 'Buyers beware' There are thousands of mental health apps available directly to consumers, bypassing support from trained NHS clinicians. Could this be because these apps are discovered privately, through a medium they trust, are instantly accessible, are in patients' hands at almost any time of day? But buyers beware: most direct-to-consumer apps have no evidence from clinical trials. Even those with a promising but small evidence base lack the necessary funding to run the type of large clinical trials that would allow them to be evaluated for inclusion in NHS treatment recommendations. I believe mobile technology can be used as an extension of existing one to one or group therapy, so that when a patient leaves their weekly session they still feel connected to the health service, even if not physically. This kind of engagement could achieve a great deal in getting more patients into treatment, and helping more patients with ongoing support and recovery. If implemented effectively then patients could benefit from a quicker recovery process and shorter waiting lists while the health service will accrue benefits from a shift of burden towards increased patient self-care. Potential For example, there is an app called 'Viary' created by Swedish startup Hoa's Toolshop, which prompts users to engage in behaviours known to relieve depression, such as writing in a journal, and tracks patients' progress over time and location. The app accumulates data and then visually presents triggers; progress; setbacks; and patterns over time and across locations that the patient and therapist can view together and look at ways to address problems. A nine-week trial of the app was conducted in Sweden in 2013. Eighty-eight participants with depression received either four face-to-face sessions of cognitive behavioural therapy plus the use of Viary or 10 face-to-face sessions of CBT alone. The study found no between-group differences on levels of depression, which indicates that four sessions of CBT plus Viary were as effective as 10 sessions of CBT. While this was only a small study, this - and other similar work that has been done - demonstrates the potential for mobile technologies to support the treatment of a wide range of mental health issues. Health leaders need to consider greater collaboration with innovators in technology and academic and private-sector cooperatives should be encouraged to foster innovation in this area. Mental health care professionals deliver fantastic care every day but with such demand it is not an easy task. Bold and innovative thinking is needed to ensure that people living with mental health get the best service possible. The World Innovation Summit for Health (WISH) is an initiative of Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development. The Summit takes place on 17/18 February 2015. Prof Lord Darzi of Denham, is executive chair of the World Innovation Summit for Health (WISH) and director of the Institute of Global Health Innovation at Imperial College London.

मानसिक स्वास्थ्य समस्याओं वाले लोगों के लिए उपलब्ध बात करने वाली चिकित्सा की कमी है। लेकिन पूर्व श्रम स्वास्थ्य मंत्री और स्वास्थ्य के लिए विश्व नवाचार शिखर सम्मेलन (डब्ल्यू. आई. एस. एच.) के वर्तमान कार्यकारी अध्यक्ष लॉर्ड डार्जी का सुझाव है कि मोबाइल प्रौद्योगिकी का उपयोग इस अंतर को भरने में मदद करने के लिए किया जा सकता है।


Jamie T postpones UK dates

Summary: Jamie T has postponed six UK tour dates due to an extended bout of Laryngitis.

By Greg CochraneNewsbeat music reporter The singer's Kings & Queens tour was due to begin in Bristol tonight (1 October) but will now commence on 9 October at Glasgow Barrowlands. Dates in Southampton, Birmingham, Newcastle, Nottingham and Norwich have also been affected. He is reportedly not recovered since falling ill on a recent tour of Australia.

जेमी टी ने स्वरयंत्रशोथ की एक विस्तारित लड़ाई के कारण ब्रिटेन के छह दौरे की तारीखों को स्थगित कर दिया है।


Elections 2021 in Wales: Leaflets can be delivered from Monday

Summary: Delivering election leaflets will be allowed in Wales from Monday.

But Wales' first minister said door knocking by activists will not be permitted yet. Mark Drakeford's latest decision followed criticism from some election candidates on a ban on the delivery of leaflets during lockdown. He said that full preparations for the elections are underway for 6 May, with the criteria for postponing the election not met. The Senedd has passed but has not used legislation that would allow for a delay to the Senedd election. Ministers from the UK, Scottish and Welsh government have asked voters to take their own pens and pencils to the polls, if they choose to vote in person. Postal and proxy voting is also available. Wales will begin easing many of its restrictions this weekend. Mr Drakeford said the Welsh government would be publishing guidance for campaigning for the Senedd and Police and Crime Commissioner elections due to take place in May. "It's got to be done sensibly and properly," he told a press conference. He said allowing door-to-door canvassing would not be advisable "from a public health perspective" and people would not understand it. "You cannot meet members of your own family but you can meet a political canvasser, I don't see that being easy to explain," he said. Door-to-door campaigning for England's local elections has been allowed since 8 March and activists can canvas and leaflet there as long as they work alone. Groups of six canvassers are due to be allowed in England from 29 March.

वेल्स में सोमवार से चुनावी पर्चे वितरित करने की अनुमति होगी।


Police name suspect in Small Heath stabbing probe

Summary: Police have named a man they suspect of attempted murder in connection with a stabbing in February.

Detectives are seeking 18-year-old Abdirabi Mohamud who is known to frequent various areas of Birmingham and has links to Liverpool and Manchester. The attack happened on Coventry Road in Small Heath, Birmingham, on 18 February. The victim was a 22-year-old man who was stabbed in the back. Police advise people not to approach the suspect but inform officers of his whereabouts. Follow BBC West Midlands on Facebook, on Twitter, and sign up for local news updates direct to your phone.

पुलिस ने फरवरी में छुरा घोंपने की घटना के सिलसिले में हत्या के प्रयास के संदेह में एक व्यक्ति का नाम लिया है।