Clash of Pakistan's governing titans

Summary: Pakistan's government, the courts, the opposition parties and even the media have spent weeks hurling accusations at one another. As the country teeters on the brink of meltdown, writer Ahmed Rashid says early elections may be the only way out of the latest quagmire.

Just days after former Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani was forced to step down by Pakistan's increasingly interventionist Supreme Court, two new notices were issued by the Supreme Court and the Lahore High Court against the president and the new prime minister. The case against President Zardari - which must be resolved by 5 September - revolves around whether or not it is lawful for him to be president as well as chairman of the governing Pakistan People's Party (PPP) - because under the 1973 constitution he cannot hold both posts simultaneously. Another case, dubbed "memogate", revolves around the treason investigation into Pakistan's former ambassador to the US, Hussain Haqqani, who is accused of trying to secure Washington's help last year to help avert a possible coup after the death of Osama Bin Laden. It has now been lodged as a formal case in the Supreme Court. Lawyers will try and prove that Mr Haqqani was not acting alone but on behalf of the president - so both would then be guilty of treason. If either case goes against him, he could be forced to step down immediately or be forced to confront the courts in a protracted legal battle. Both outcomes would deepen Pakistan's political crisis. Meanwhile, the Lahore High Court has made the same demand from Prime Minister Ashraf that it made from former Prime Minister Gilani - that he must write to the Swiss authorities to reopen old corruption cases against President Zardari. Mr Gilani chose to step down rather than accuse his party leader of corruption. 'Overbearing court' At the same time there is increasing anger among lawyers, jurists, politicians and civil society representatives that the Supreme Court is acting like a military dictator. It has been accused of interfering in constitutional issues which are better left to parliament and sacking elected leaders for which it has no mandate. Far from easing Pakistan woes, it is argued that the country's overbearing higher court has worsened them. A symptom of this stand-off is the paralysis shown by the beleaguered government in dealing with severe social and economic issues. These include a burgeoning electricity crisis that has left small towns without power for up to 18 hours a day, a massive debt crisis and the continued breakdown of relations with the US. This has dragged on for seven months and has meant that the road from Karachi that supplies Nato forces in Afghanistan has not been functioning. Economic collapse and relentless extremist violence have taken a huge toll on life and property. Minorities belonging to non-Muslim sects and even large numbers of Muslims belonging to smaller sects, such as the Shias, are being gunned down on a daily basis. Pakistan stands deeply isolated and intensely criticised among the community of nations. The second casualty could well be the democratic system as a whole. People ask why the courts cannot show patience when the government has to hold general elections within the next nine months. The opposition would like to see them held immediately, but it is co-operating with the government in appointing a consensus candidate as Chief Election Commissioner (CEC). Once parliament is dissolved the CEC would appoint an interim government of neutral personalities for three months to oversee the vote. Nobody can say which of the three main parties would win an election. Success for the PPP is unlikely given its dismal performance in governance and handling the economy - but it is still likely to win many seats in parliament. What is certain is that there would be no decisive winner and Pakistan would have to undergo another coalition government. Loggerheads PPP officials are suspicious that not only is the Supreme Court intensifying its long running vendetta against President Zardari, but that the courts are playing into the hands of the army which may like to see an interim government extended by one or two years so that it can clean out corrupt politicians. There is however no direct indication of what exactly the all-powerful army desires. But it is clear that it has no interest in carrying out a coup. All Pakistan's major institutions of state are now at loggerheads and stand discredited except the army. The courts, the government, the opposition parties and the media have spent the last weeks hurling accusations against one another and accusing each other of corruption. To avoid another tussle with the courts, many of President Zardari's advisers are telling him to announce early general elections, which could be held this winter. At the same time there is rising criticism of the courts - they are accused of not allowing an elected government to finish its term in office and of interfering in the democratic transition which Pakistan so badly needs. No elected government in the past has ever fulfilled a full term and been replaced by another elected government - military coups have intervened five times. The public meanwhile is fed up with a government that appears horribly distracted and cannot deal with the day-to-day crises that people are facing. So far the president has avoided an out-and-out standoff with the judiciary by letting Mr Gilani resign. But Mr Zardari cannot allow the new prime minister also to step down while exposing himself to the court's demands. Far better that the president trump the courts by going for early elections, taking the stance of an aggrieved victim of the judiciary's machinations. Pakistan's economic and political meltdown may just be avoided by early elections, a new government and an improved relationship between all centres of power in the country. Working that out is not impossible - but it can only occur if all the centres of power realise how fragile and vulnerable the country is right now.

पाकिस्तान की सरकार, अदालतें, विपक्षी दल और यहां तक कि मीडिया ने भी एक-दूसरे पर आरोप लगाने में कई सप्ताह बिताए हैं। लेखक अहमद राशिद का कहना है कि जैसे-जैसे देश मंदी के कगार पर पहुंच रहा है, जल्द चुनाव ही इस दलदल से बाहर निकलने का एकमात्र रास्ता हो सकता है।


The grieving mum helping underprivileged students

Summary: The start of university life can be an expensive time, especially for those students from less privileged households. One mother, whose daughter was killed by a drug-driver shortly before graduation, is on a mission to help young people from such backgrounds achieve their dreams.

By Andre Rhoden-PaulBBC News Watching your daughter walk on stage to collect her degree should be one of the proudest moments of a parent's life. For Novlet Nicholson, things were not so simple. As she climbed the steps to collect a first-class law degree on behalf of 21-year-old Demi, her emotions swirled. "I was extremely proud but at the same time it was very upsetting because I knew how hard she had worked for that day," Novlet said. "It was a day she had always looked forward to. While I was watching the other students I kept thinking in my head, 'she should be here to collect it herself'. At the point they gave me the certificate I broke because it was a bit too much for me." In January 2017 while at home in Birmingham, Liverpool Hope University undergraduate Demi packed her bags and left her room - a shrine to her idol, the rapper Drake - to head north. She had just spent Christmas with her family. The third-year student, described as a good talker, had managed to get the whole festive period off from her part-time job in Boots. But now she needed to drive up the M6 to work her first shift of the new year. A few miles outside Birmingham, her Vauxhall Corsa broke down and struck the central reservation. Moments later, a drug-driver hit Demi's car. Novlet, 50, who has two other children, remembers: "About an hour after the crash I got a phone call saying she had been involved in a car accident. "That was the worst phone call I have ever had. Police came and blue-lighted me to the hospital and then it was a matter of hours before they switched off the machine. It was absolutely devastating and the worst day of my life." Adrian Ferarah, 45, of Wyndhurst Road, Stechford, was jailed for four years and eight months in January 2018 after admitting causing death by careless driving while under the influence of drugs. Novlet said: "I never, ever thought this would happen. You don't ever think you're going to bury your daughter." She and her family were determined to find something positive to focus on after the loss of Demi, despite their grief "still being very raw and every day a battle". "So many people have come up to me and said they were upset when Demi died because she used to motivate them and we wanted to carry on motivating them and helping them financially," said Novlet. "Especially when you come from these kind of areas where people are less fortunate." Demi grew up in Winson Green, a deprived part of Birmingham on the edge of the city centre. From the age of 11 she knew she wanted to study law, her mother said, and worked hard to fulfil her ambition. Demi, who wanted to become a barrister, became the first person in her family to go to university. "There are gangs in this area and you see a lot of stuff going on around here," Novlet said. "She did not want that for herself and knew the only way out of this was by focusing on studying and getting something positive. "It does not matter about your environment, it is about you applying yourself - and that was Demi's ethos." The family set up the Demi Trust - an acronym for Dream Enormous, Make an Impact. It provides sixth formers and college students from underprivileged backgrounds with starter packs worth £80, containing essentials for life in halls of residence. The trust also helps students around the country by giving them vouchers to buy the items. The contents of the pack The trust also directs students to other organisations that can offer support and encourages young people to pursue their ambitions. Explaining her inspiration for the trust, Novlet said: "I knew for a single-parent family it was hard financially sending a child to university, I thought other parents must be experiencing the same difficulties and it would be nice to help them. "As young people, when your parents are going through difficulties, you don't want to cause them even more stress. "Some of the feedback we've had from the students is that it has been a lifesaver because they didn't know where they were going to get this money from. "It is a worthy cause and I hope it goes from strength to strength." Student Paris Williams, 20, originally from York, said the vouchers "took the pressure off her mum" when she started her politics, philosophy and economics course at Goldsmiths, University of London. She said: "I'm from a single-parent background, so my mum works a lot of hours, bless her. It was a big move, with the expense of train tickets and posting my stuff as she doesn't drive. So it just took a little bit off pressure from my mum, as your student loan does not drop until you actually register at university." Novlet is now busy preparing for the trust's second annual fundraising ball at Villa Park, on 6 April. It comes as the Office for Students has been told by the education secretary to ensure universities make "greater and faster progress" in helping more young people from "under-represented groups" into higher education. Out of 345,635 first degrees awarded to UK-domiciled students in 2018, 11% were awarded to Asian ethnicity students, 6% to black students and 5% to mixed and other ethnicity students, according to the Higher Education Statistics Agency. Novlet is pleased to be able to do her bit to try to improve these statistics - and for something meaningful to have come from her daughter's death. "People invite me to events and I speak about the trust and that's something I'd never dream of doing before," she said. "I have to keep thinking that it isn't for me, it's for Demi. "If we can help other people get to where Demi wanted to be, it would feel like her death was not as much of a loss."

विश्वविद्यालय जीवन की शुरुआत एक महंगा समय हो सकता है, विशेष रूप से कम विशेषाधिकार प्राप्त परिवारों के छात्रों के लिए। एक माँ, जिसकी बेटी स्नातक होने से कुछ समय पहले एक ड्रग-ड्राइवर द्वारा मार दी गई थी, ऐसी पृष्ठभूमि के युवाओं को उनके सपनों को प्राप्त करने में मदद करने के मिशन पर है।


'Mustard gas' mortar removed from Covehithe beach

Summary: A mortar likely to have contained "mustard gas or high explosive" has been removed from a beach.

The "rusty metal cylinder with fins" was found by a walker on a beach in Covehithe, Suffolk on Saturday. Police said a Ministry of Defence bomb disposal unit from Colchester was called out. The force said: "They confirmed that it was a mortar which would have contained mustard gas or high explosive." In a Facebook post, the force said the mortar was "inert" and "removed without incident". Mustard gas was used as a weapon during World War One and outlawed by the Geneva Protocol of 1925.

एक मोर्टार जिसमें "सरसों गैस या उच्च विस्फोटक" होने की संभावना है, उसे समुद्र तट से हटा दिया गया है।


5G: 'A cyber-attack could stop the country'

Summary: Superfast 5G mobile broadband could power smart cities and the internet of things, (IoT) but as more devices get connected, telecoms and security experts are warning that cyber-attacks could increase in number and severity.

By Matthew WallTechnology of Business editor Our homes and cities are getting "smarter" - thermostats, video doorbells, sprinkler systems, street lights, traffic cameras, cars, all connected to the internet, collecting and transmitting useful data. And 5G superfast mobile is seen as a catalyst that will light up this massive network. GSMA Intelligence forecasts that there will be more than 25 billion "internet of things" connections by 2025. But experts are queuing up to issue stark warnings about security. "Security around IoT devices hasn't been very good, so if they're opened up to better connectivity they're opened up to more hackers, too," says Cody Brocious, education lead at security consultancy HackerOne. "Not enough is being done to improve their security, and it's only going to get worse when they become 5G-connected. We'll see increases in spam and cyber-attacks." Steve Buck, chief operating officer at telecoms security company Evolved Intelligence, goes so far as to say that "5G will power critical infrastructure, so a cyber-attack could stop the country." The problem is that a lot of these IoT devices - think small sensors measuring air humidity or temperature, for example - are cheap and need to have a very long battery life. "Implementing good security into such devices will require more processing power and this drives up costs and drains power," says 5G expert Dave Burstein, editor of WirelessOne.news. Which is why it won't happen. The danger is that insecure devices will provide rich pickings for hackers. Just this month, internet security firm Sophos Labs warned about a new "family of denial-of-service bots we're calling Chalubo" targeting IoT devices. The malware tries to recruit insecure devices into a botnet that can be commanded to bombard websites with requests and knock them out. Hackers then normally ask for a ransom to stop the attack. "Google and Facebook spend billions on security and both have recently been hacked," says Mr Burstein. "If they can't be fully protected, how can an ordinary person be expected to secure the dozen or more connected devices many of us will soon have?" This is why Jeff Lipton, vice president of WaterSmart in San Francisco, a company that makes connected programmable water meters, thinks "these systems need to be very carefully thought through before rushing to make every device in a city smart". And it isn't just the devices themselves that are vulnerable - the network potentially is, too. "With 5G we'll be consuming services from all over the place, so we want to deliver those services very quickly as close to the customer as possible to reduce latency [delay]," says Adam MacHale, managing director of technology strategy at IT and networking firm Cisco Systems. So instead of one central delivery centre serving an entire country, there'll be thousands of local ones, he explains. "But this increases the threat surface [the number of potential weak points in a network that hackers can attack] and the risk." It's a point reiterated by Michele Zarri, technical director at GSMA, the organisation representing the global mobile industry. More 5G stories and features "5G is being developed to work within the cloud, and so the migration from physical to virtual networks will introduce new threats and widen the attack surface," he says. And the way national telecoms companies talk to each other also needs to be made more secure, says Steve Buck. "The interconnect which joins international networks together is the weak spot. A hacker can spoof your location and redirect your calls and texts. All he needs is your phone number." So what should the industry be doing about all these security concerns? Cody Brocious believes you could stop "99% of hacker attacks" on IoT devices by "preventing inbound connections" to them, routing the communications through an intermediary server, most likely operated by the device manufacturer. "5G services are likely to be subscription based, so the security will have to become a small part of the overall cost," he says. Our 5G smartphones will become key weapons in the battle against the hackers. So-called two-factor authentication - supplementing username and password log-ins with codes sent to our locked phones, for example - will become the norm. As many IoT device makers won't bother spending the extra money beefing up security on their devices, Cisco and other security firms are switching to monitoring how devices behave on a network - the typical data they send and receive, the patterns of traffic - and looking for anomalies. "If a device starts connecting to something it doesn't usually connect to, we might step in and block that traffic," says Mr MacHale. "And we can spot suspicious behaviour even if the traffic is encrypted." And the GSMA's Mr Zarri says 5G networks are being designed to allow sections to be isolated if they're attacked or compromised. New 5G security standards will be needed to make each mobile network authenticate itself before relaying our encrypted calls and messages, Mr Buck believes. "The regulators have been very concerned about this threat, but they haven't legislated for it yet," he says. "But if we don't do this we'll have missed a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."

सुपरफास्ट 5जी मोबाइल ब्रॉडबैंड स्मार्ट सिटी और इंटरनेट ऑफ थिंग्स (आईओटी) को शक्ति प्रदान कर सकता है, लेकिन जैसे-जैसे अधिक उपकरण जुड़ते हैं, दूरसंचार और सुरक्षा विशेषज्ञ चेतावनी दे रहे हैं कि साइबर हमलों की संख्या और गंभीरता में वृद्धि हो सकती है।


Jimmy Savile scandal: How will it affect future abuse cases?

Summary: Jimmy Savile's ability to commit hundreds of serious sexual offences inside public institutions, "hiding in plain sight" as Friday's police and NSPCC report on his crimes puts it, seems almost incredible.

Mark EastonHome editor@BBCMarkEastonon Twitter And for his victims, it is indeed credibility which is the issue at the heart of this scandal. A number have said the most important change that can come from the countless inquiries is that future victims of sexual abuse are believed. The Crown Prosecution Service agrees the approach to credibility in sexual assault cases now has to change. But there is a difference between being believed by a police officer and being credible in a court of law. 'Adversarial places' Some accusations of sexual abuse turn out to be untrue or mistaken, as the Lord McAlpine case recently demonstrated. Police and prosecutors are hoping to draw a line under this affair by stressing their commitment to victims, but apologies and sympathetic statements do not alter the fact that courts are necessarily adversarial and unemotional places. It would be a mistake to give the impression that the criminal justice system intends giving those making allegations of sexual abuse an easy ride. That said, there are ways in which prosecutors might improve the way they treat sexual abuse allegations. In her report for the Crown Prosecution Service, the QC Alison Levitt is critical of the way police and prosecutors dealt with four separate reports of abuse against Savile received by Surrey and Sussex police between 2007 and 2009. "On the face of it, the allegations made were both serious and credible; the prosecutor should have recognised this and sought to 'build' a prosecution," she concludes. Her report suggests the prosecutor should not have been so quick to dismiss the prospect of pursuing Savile just because complainants were reluctant to go to court. "He appears to have treated the obstacles as fatal to the prospects of a prosecution taking place," she writes. The director of public prosecutions, Keir Starmer, takes the point. He said: "Police and prosecutors have approached complaints of sexual offences with a degree of caution which is not generally justified. "Many people feel that for sexual offences, where it is 'one person's word against another's' and there is no or little scientific or other evidence to support the allegation, no prosecution should be brought." 'Rigorous test' "Unfortunately, this has often resulted in sexual offences being subjected to a different and, in reality, more rigorous test than that applied to other crimes," he added. An important point with the allegations against Savile received by Surrey police was that there were more than one. The victims told the Levitt inquiry that had they known they were not the only one to have complained, they would probably have been prepared to give evidence. So should the detectives have revealed to the women there were others making similar allegations? In the interests of justice and public safety should they have abandoned normal protocol? On Friday, Surrey police said their decision not to share accounts between victims had been looked at. The decision was initially taken "to ensure the integrity of evidence so there could be no suggestion of collusion, contamination or prompting between accounts". This is a serious concern. Comparing notes Courts have been known to throw out cases where multiple victims were alerted to the existence of others. However, Surrey police said they recognised there was a balance to be struck between the risk of disclosure between victims and the confidence of those victims to give evidence in court. None of this is easy. If victims of an abuser contact each other seeking support and then compare notes, they may inadvertently make it impossible to stage a successful prosecution. There is always a tension between the sympathy people naturally feel for victims of crime and a legal system that must remain dispassionate. Anyone who needs support on the issues raised in this article can call the NSPCC on 0808 800 5000 or email help@nspcc.org.uk

जिमी सेविले की सार्वजनिक संस्थानों के अंदर सैकड़ों गंभीर यौन अपराधों को करने की क्षमता, जैसा कि उसके अपराधों पर शुक्रवार की पुलिस और एन. एस. पी. सी. सी. की रिपोर्ट में कहा गया है, लगभग अविश्वसनीय लगती है।


How will Pope Francis deal with abuse in the Catholic Church?

Summary: In an effort to deal with the sex scandals rocking the Roman Catholic Church, the Pope has convened an extraordinary summit of bishops in Rome.

By Martin BashirReligion editor This follows his recent, unprompted, admission that priests had exploited nuns as "sex slaves" at a convent in France. Pope Francis decided to call this global conference after discussions with the so-called C9. This is the group of nine cardinal advisers who were appointed soon after Francis was elected. The Pope is under serious pressure to provide leadership and generate workable solutions to what is the most pressing crisis facing the modern Church. Stories of abuse have emerged in every corner of the world. And the Church has been accused of covering up crimes committed by priests, leaving its moral authority in tatters. Pope Francis must also confront the assumptions, attitudes and practices that have allowed a culture of abuse to flourish. The extent of this challenge may prove overwhelming. The summit, to be attended by the heads of all national bishops' conferences from more than 130 countries, is only the beginning of an attempt to address a sickness that has been poisoning the Church since at least the 1980s. When Jason Berry, a local newspaper reporter in the US state of Louisiana, began following the story of an abusive priest called Father Gilbert Gauthe, he did not expect his work to ignite an international scandal that is still ablaze more than 30 years later. Mr Berry's work led to the 1992 book Lead Us Not Into Temptation, based on civil legal actions that the Church settled with multiple accusers towards the end of the 1980s. In 2002, Mr Berry's work was followed by an investigation at the Boston Globe newspaper that provided an even more extensive narrative of clergy abuse and cover-up. The journalists won a prestigious Pulitzer Prize and their work was dramatised in the film Spotlight. The scandals kept coming. Consider six of the eight Roman Catholic dioceses in the state of Pennsylvania, which were the subject of scrutiny last year. The State Attorney, Josh Shapiro, subpoenaed and reviewed half a million internal diocesan documents. Dozens of witnesses gave evidence, some clergy admitted to their offences. Mr Shapiro's report, published in December, was devastating. "Over 1,000 child victims were identifiable from the Church's own records," he wrote, with "credible allegations against over 300 predator priests". The report, which is more than 1,000 pages long, covers the past 70 years - and the examples are horrific. In the diocese of Scranton, a priest raped a girl and when she became pregnant arranged for an abortion. The priest's line manager, his area bishop, wrote a letter. "This is a very difficult time in your life and I realise how upset you are," he wrote. "I too share your grief." The letter was not addressed to the girl, but the priest. In another diocese, a priest visited a seven-year-old girl in hospital after she had undergone a tonsillectomy - and raped her. In another, a priest abused a nine-year-old and then rinsed out the boy's mouth with holy water "to purify him". The report concluded that predatory paedophiles had been able to abuse children because the Church hid their activities by moving accused clerics on to other parishes and not reporting their offences to the police. Rape claims The Rt Rev Franco Mulakkal had risen from small-town Kerala, on India's south-west coast, to become a bishop in the north of the country. He was arrested in September 2018, following allegations from a nun that he regularly visited her convent in order to rape her. The bishop, who has temporarily stood down from ministry, has denied all the charges, telling reporters the accusations are "baseless and concocted". In a letter, written by the nun to her superiors, she claimed the first rape had happened in May 2014 and the last in September 2016. In January, the nuns appealed to the chief minister of Kerala to intervene on their behalf, after Church officials allegedly ordered them to leave the state, in an effort to clean up the mess. Nuns have complained that they are exploited because they are often reliant upon priests and bishops for their accommodation and fear abandonment if they fight back against abusive clergy. In Malawi, where HIV prevalence among adults up to the age of 64 is more than 10%, nuns are also alleged to have been targeted because they are regarded as "pure" and much less likely to be carrying the virus. 'Never again' pledge In 2012, the Australian government announced a Royal Commission, which was charged with investigating institutional responses to child abuse. The organisations involved included residential care centres for young people, schools, sports, arts and other community groups, and the Church. The commission concluded that 7% of Australia's Roman Catholic priests had allegedly abused children between 1950 and 2010. In one religious order, the St John of God Brothers, 40% of its leaders were accused of abusing children. Chrissie Foster, the mother of two children who were abused by priests in Melbourne, complained to the authorities. She told BBC News that instead of addressing her concerns, the family became the subject of a whispering campaign. "They said that we were liars, that we were after money," she said. "That's what they would say to parishioners. And parishioners would believe [it] because who would believe that a priest would rape a child? It was much easier to believe that lie than the truth that priests were sexually abusing children." In August 2018, the Roman Catholic Church in Australia published its formal response to the Royal Commission. Archbishop the Most Reverend Mark Coleridge, president of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference, said that "far too many" clergy, religious and lay people within the Church in Australia had "failed in their duty to protect and honour the dignity of all including and especially the most vulnerable, our children and our young people". "With one voice, the bishops and the leaders of religious orders here this morning make the pledge, 'Never again,'" he said. 'Appalling abuse' Last summer, Britain's Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse published a report on two of the most prestigious Roman Catholic schools in the UK: Ampleforth College, in North Yorkshire, and Downside School, in Somerset. According to the report, the schools "prioritised the monks and their own reputations over the protection of children" and "appalling abuse was inflicted over decades on children as young as seven at Ampleforth and 11 at Downside". The inquiry heard witness testimony from those who were forced into sexual acts, sometimes in the presence of fellow pupils. In conclusion, the report found that "many perpetrators did not hide their sexual interests from the children". "The blatant openness of these activities demonstrates there was a culture of acceptance of abusive behaviour," it said. Following publication, Ampleforth said the "abbey and college wishes to repeat their heartfelt apology to all victims and survivors of abuse". Downside expressed similar regret, saying: "The abbey and school fully acknowledges the serious failings and mistakes made in both protecting those within our care and responding to safeguarding concerns." For an organisation that numbers more than 1.2 billion adherents and is present in virtually every country on Earth, the focus is now firmly fixed on Pope Francis. When he was elected, in March 2013, the Pope was fully aware of the impact of clerical abuse scandals on the Church. Within a year, in July 2014, he met six victims from three countries - two people each from Ireland, Britain and Germany. At a private Mass, with the six victims among the congregation, he offered an explicit apology. "Before God and his people, I express my sorrow for the sins and grave crimes of clerical sexual abuse committed against you," Pope Francis said during his homily, published later by the Vatican. "And I humbly ask forgiveness. I beg your forgiveness, too, for the sins of omission on the part of Church leaders who did not respond adequately to reports of abuse made by family members, as well as by abuse victims themselves." Soon after, Pope Francis added eight new members to the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors, from Africa, Oceania, Asia, and South America. But this body was soon hit by defections. The only two individuals on the commission who'd been victims of abuse, Marie Collins and Peter Saunders, resigned. Marie Collins, who was molested by a priest when she was 13, wrote a letter saying that while the Pope may have wanted to address clerical abuse, the Vatican's bureaucracy kept obstructing proposals for change. After the commission made a recommendation that all correspondence from victims and survivors should receive a response, she discovered that none had received replies. "I find it impossible to listen to public statements about the deep concern in the Church for the care of those whose lives have been blighted by abuse," she wrote, "yet to watch privately as a congregation in the Vatican refuses to even acknowledge their letters." She concluded with these words: "It is a reflection of how this whole abuse crisis in the Church has been handled: with fine words in public and contrary actions behind closed doors." Pope Francis has decided to open the doors, convening an unprecedented summit to address the issue. But he's already tried to reduce expectations by warning the media, during the flight back to Rome from the United Arab Emirates, that a three-day conference represents only the beginning of a conversation. Others have argued that he should simply issue an edict for the Church to follow. But implementing universal protocols is challenging because the Church exists in a range of cultures and judicial systems. It's hard to imagine a more pressing challenge for the 82-year-old pontiff. His pontificate began with widespread enthusiasm for a man who chose pastoral appeal over pomp and ceremony, humility and compassion over the trappings of status. But how it ends is likely to depend on the action he takes, and the protocols he implements, to deal with the scourge of abuse. If you have been affected by any of the issues regarding sexual abuse raised in this article, help and support are available. Find out more at BBC Action Line.

रोमन कैथोलिक चर्च को झकझोर देने वाले यौन घोटालों से निपटने के प्रयास में, पोप ने रोम में बिशपों का एक असाधारण शिखर सम्मेलन बुलाया है।


Islamic State and the idea of statehood

Summary: Planes, bombs and crack commandos are at the forefront of the battle against Islamic State, but in the background a crucial battle of ideas is tackling one of the biggest questions in international life: what exactly is a state?

By Joe BoyleBBC News Almost every politician, expert and commentator have been clear on one thing: Islamic State is not a state. Islamic State, they say, is a terrorist organisation. It seems clear enough. IS militants have beheaded people on video. They have ransacked towns and villages. They have killed or threatened to kill anyone who dissents from their view of Islam. They have stolen territory from Iraq and Syria. There is no question of them gaining UN membership, or being accepted by any other international organisation. Thus, US planes can bomb IS militants without breaking one of the cardinal principles of international law, as outlined in the UN Charter: "All members shall refrain in their international relations from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state." There is, however, a problem with the action taken against IS. It is hard to drop bombs on a piece of land without someone accusing you of attacking their "territorial integrity or political independence". How to become a state Get UN membership The ultimate goal for aspirant states - they need the support of the Security Council, then two-thirds of the General Assembly Get recognition If they fail at the UN, aspirant states can get recognition from as many other states as possible and function as a de facto state Start trading If they have few friends, aspirant states can just start making business deals - political recognition may follow, or it may no longer be needed In Iraq, the current government formally requested help to battle IS. This makes a strong case for bombing IS in Iraq to be both legal and politically defensible. No such get-out exists in Syria. Bashar al-Assad remains the president of Syria, and Syria remains a sovereign state. Mr Assad has not asked for help, nor has he consented to air strikes. Despite this, US President Barack Obama recently said: "We have communicated to the Syrian regime that when we operate going after Isil [Islamic State] in their air space, that they would be well-advised not to take us on. "But beyond that, there's no expectation that we are going to in some ways enter an alliance with Assad. He is not credible in that country." Syria enjoys all the formal trappings of statehood. But the US and its allies do not believe its government has legitimacy. That is enough for its most essential sovereign rights to be overrun, for it to be practically rendered a non-state. Western European states including the UK have not taken part in the bombing of targets in Syria, even though they are part of the anti-IS coalition. It is possible to say that there are three different concepts of statehood in this story: Islamic State's claims have no support among states, but they illustrate that there is no universally accepted definition of statehood. Put the question "What is a state?" to a politician, a lawyer, a sociologist and an economist and you would get four different answers. Are these states? Kosovo: Declared independence from Serbia in 2008 after a period of UN administration; recognised by more than 100 states; path to UN membership blocked by Russia Palestinian territories: Declared independent by PLO in 1988; currently represented at the UN as a "non-member observer state"; recognised by more than 100 other states but not Security Council members UK, US or France Abkhazia: Broke away from Georgia in 1999; recognised by Russia and three other states; dependent on Russia for economic support Somalia: Full UN member, wide recognition, but no functioning central government; large areas are governed autonomously In law, for example, an attempt was made in the 1930s to distil the meaning of statehood in a single treaty - the Montevideo Convention. It lists four qualities a state must have: Crucially, it also attempts to shackle politicians to the law by stipulating: "The political existence of the state is independent of recognition by the other states." There is little in the Montevideo Convention that would clearly deny statehood to IS, or any other violent group capable of seizing territory and subjugating a population. The Convention has no moral dimension. But IS, as outlined above, is not regarded as a state. How can it be denied recognition? Not by appealing to any legal rule, but by invoking the moral imperative that violence and terror cannot be rewarded. Politics provides the morality - and subjectivity - that the law lacks. However, the moral dimension is by no means universal. North Korea, to take just one example, is a state that imprisons many thousands for suspected disloyalty, frequently threatens nuclear war and allows millions to starve through famine. Yet US diplomats rub shoulders with North Korean colleagues in the corridors of power from New York to Geneva. For all practical purposes, North Korea is a state. Conversely, Taiwan has enjoyed three decades of prosperity under elected governments adhering to international treaties and generally respecting the rights of its citizens. Yet Taiwan is not a UN member and is recognised only by a handful of states. It is euphemistically referred to as "the island". In sporting events it cannot even use the name Taiwan. For every example, there is an equal and opposite counter-example. Rather than a harmonious international society with defined rules of membership, we seem to exist amid a jumble of entities that fulfil ever-shifting entry standards with varying levels of success. The military battle against IS is messy, deadly and terrifying for those directly affected. The battle for ideas is genteel by comparison, but it has largely expunged the myth of a universal idea of statehood. The consequences of that are likely to be felt for generations to come.

विमान, बम और क्रैक कमांडो इस्लामिक स्टेट के खिलाफ लड़ाई में सबसे आगे हैं, लेकिन पृष्ठभूमि में विचारों की एक महत्वपूर्ण लड़ाई अंतरराष्ट्रीय जीवन के सबसे बड़े प्रश्नों में से एक से निपट रही हैः वास्तव में एक राज्य क्या है?


Venezuela's black economic magic

Summary: Sorcery is alive and well in Venezuela, once the richest country in South America, now an economic disaster. Hand over $100 and - hey presto! - you get a wad of notes the size of two house bricks: 100,000 Bolivars.

By John SweeneyBBC Newsnight, Caracas But that's an all-too-simple trick on the black market. Shopping for chicken, rice, toothpaste, soap, flour and toilet rolls has been turned into a vanishing act. The government's fixed prices for staples are at such low values shops lose money if they sell them - so they don't. Pop-up queues appear when rumours swirl that a supermarket might have a batch of staples at the fixed price. That people in the country with the biggest oil reserves in the world queue for food is black magic indeed. Four soldiers in flamboyant uniforms - black shakos, red feathers, gold brocade - guard the shaman responsible. Hugo Chavez lies in his tomb, a hero to his supporters, to his enemies the founder of a political cult. The mausoleum smacks of a shrine to a god suffering, like his country, from devaluation. Alive, Chavez - "El Comandante" - at least had charisma. The sorcerer's apprentice, President Nicolas Maduro, used to drive a bus. The bad news for Chavismo - the movement or cult Chavez created - is that wheels on the Maduro bus are falling off. Statistics of any kind in Venezuela should be taken with a swig of the local rum - like beer, unavailable in a restaurant we visited in Caracas - but under Maduro the Bolivar is currently suffering from inflation of 141%, according to the government's own figures. The IMF predicts it will hit 720% later this year. One number is that the country is $120 billion in the red, with oil revenue - responsible for nine-tenths of the state's export revenue - collapsing. Without the oil money, the country can't feed itself. Fears over Zika There are $10bn in debt payments due later this year and Venezuela can't borrow easily because the international market suspects it will default. Investors are already spooked because it has expropriated billions of dollars worth of foreign-owned companies. Governing party MP Ramon Lobo told Newsnight: "The economic war has become even more vicious. It's an attack on the real economy. The oligarchs who still dominate food production are looking for a way to hang us by cutting production on purpose." Murder numbers are notoriously dodgy in South American, but Caracas, by some estimates, suffered nearly 4,000 murders last year, making it one of the most dangerous cities in the world. And then there is the Zika plague - the mosquito-borne virus that some doctors believe is responsible for a spike in cases of creeping paralysis, Gillain-Barré syndrome, and, in Brazil, deformed babies. (The World Health Organisation has urged caution because the science on Zika is not yet proven.) Maduro recently raised the number of suspected Zika cases from 4,700 to 5,221 with three deaths. Dr Jorge Luis Hernandez-Rojas, of the Chacao Health Agency in Caracas is part of a group of doctors who are close to the opposition. He told Newsnight: "We fear the true number of Zika cases is not 4,000 but 400,000." No-one knows for sure. Political stalemate Newsnight visited the neurology ward at the main hospital, home to patients suffering from a creeping paralysis, Gillain-Barré syndrome, linked to Zika. The ward was gloomy, with no air conditioning, conditions insanitary. The patients we spoke to were grateful for their treatment but no doctor was available to talk to us. Windows were open - so the obvious danger of mosquitoes biting Zika patients and then infecting fresh victims in the hospital was ignored. The ward felt like a plague factory. The opposition won a big victory in December, taking control of the National Assembly for the first time in nearly two decades. One of the first things they did was to take down the Chavez banners that draped the building. They also set out to challenge Maduro's emergency economic powers. The Supreme Court, stacked, says the opposition, with Chavistas, backed Maduro, so politics is stalemated. The eyes of Hugo Chavez stare down at you from sites across the capital. But what they look down on is a nation gone to seed: grungy high-rise buildings, the concrete crumbling, stray dogs pecking at the rubbish, heavily armed police toting shotguns at checkpoints and traffic jams. Petrol here is the cheapest in the world - our driver could fill up his tank for pennies - an absurdity that Maduro dare not address lest he trigger riots, like the "Caracazo" chaos in 1989 in which hundreds died. Financial meltdown, political stalemate: it might not come to it but some people fear this could lead to violence and even a military coup. John Sweeney's report aired on Newsnight on 1 February. You can catch up on iPlayer (UK only)

एक समय में दक्षिण अमेरिका का सबसे अमीर देश रहे वेनेजुएला में जादू-टोना जीवंत और अच्छा है, अब यह एक आर्थिक आपदा है। 100 डॉलर सौंपें और-अरे पहले!-आपको दो घर की ईंटों के आकार के नोटों का एक टुकड़ा मिलता हैः 100,000 बोलिवार।


Funds to promote Scotland's Year of Islands Culture

Summary: More than £1.8m of public money has been awarded to aid the promotion of 2011 as Scotland's Year of Islands Culture.

Celebrations and events will be held across the Inner and Outer Hebrides, Orkney and Shetland. A large part of the money, £820,000, has been secured from the European Regional Development Fund. The funding was announced by Culture Minister Fiona Hyslop during a visit to Lewis in the Western Isles. The Convention of Highlands and Islands, which involves the Scottish government, agreed in 2008 to make 2011 Scotland's Year of Islands Culture. According the last major census in 2001, Scotland's inhabited islands were home to 99,739 people.

2011 को स्कॉटलैंड के द्वीपों की संस्कृति के वर्ष के रूप में बढ़ावा देने में सहायता के लिए 18 लाख पाउंड से अधिक का सार्वजनिक धन दिया गया है।


Identity 2016: Why I stopped mispronouncing my Igbo name

Summary: In Nigeria, the language spoken by one of the largest ethnic groups, the Igbo, is in danger of dying out - which is odd because the population is growing. In the past this didn't worry the BBC's Nkem Ifejika, who is himself Igbo but never learned the language. Here he explains why he has changed his mind.

By Nkem IfejikaBBC World Service When I'm in Nigeria, I say my dad is Igbo from Anambra State, and my mum is from Rivers State. I might throw in that I partly grew up in the United Kingdom. In Britain, I say I'm Nigerian, though I often add explainers about having been educated at British schools and lived outside Nigeria since I was 12 years old. When visiting other countries though, I identify myself as British - occasionally adding "via Nigeria", for good measure. I speak English and French, I can hold conversations in Spanish, and Yoruba and I've formally studied Arabic and German to varying degrees. But I can't speak Igbo, a language which should be very personal to me, the tongue of my ancestors. If you'd asked me my name 10 years ago I'd have given an Anglicised pronunciation - one I learned from my British teachers and fellow students, rather than the one I learned from my parents. Nkem Ifejika (or Nkemakonam Ifejika in full) is an Igbo name from south-east Nigeria, and Igbo is a tonal language. So words with the wrong stresses and tones either change their meaning, or worse, become unintelligible. The word "akwa" can mean crying, cloth, egg, or bridge, depending on how it's said. In Igboland, as it's informally known, names have meaning and history. Circumstances of a child's birth can determine the name given to a child. Names can be prayers or pronouncements on the child. Nkemakonam means "may I not lack what is mine", while Ifejika means "what I have is greater". By mispronouncing my names, I was throwing away generations of history, and disregarding my parents' careful choice. Igbo people Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica My indefatigable and proudly Igbo wife, Chikodili, rescued me when we met. "You don't even know how to pronounce your name," she'd say, half-teasing, half-scornful. And only half-correct... I did know, I just stuck as a rule to the Anglicised version. I look back on those days with a hint of shame. But now, when I'm on air, I say my name properly, with the correct tones, and with pride. I can and do forgive other people for getting my name wrong, but I should not be mispronouncing my own name. Igbos I come across often complain that Igbo children don't speak the language. It's a refrain I hear both in Nigeria and among the Igbo diaspora abroad. They're quick to praise Yorubas and Hausas (the other two large ethnic groups in Nigeria) for teaching their children their mother tongue. When two Hausas meet, they always speak Hausa, and it's the same when two Yorubas meet. But when two Igbo meet, they may well speak English to one another. These anecdotes are backed up by Unesco's description of Igbo in 1995 as "endangered", a rarity for a language whose population is actually growing. But why are Igbo people failing to pass on the language to the next generation? Even though my mum isn't Igbo she speaks it fluently. As I said, she comes from Rivers State in southern Nigeria, where once Igbo was a kind of lingua franca. But she didn't think it was critical for me to learn it as she wanted me to have an international outlook. And I cannot fault that pragmatic decision to teach me other world languages, even though my Igbo languished as a result. It's the same with many other Igbo families. They are outward-looking and aspirational. Igbos have a reputation for exploring faraway lands in search for a better life. Some complain that we're too quick to assimilate and adopt the culture of the host country, others argue this traveller spirit is something to be proud of. Assimilation isn't always easy, so I give credit to immigrants who succeed in doing so. But distance from homeland takes a toll on the old culture. Storytelling and proverbs are very important to the traditional Igbo way of life, and have always helped to sustain the language. Away from the elders, and away from the village square where the stories are told, it's easy to start losing contact with it. There are some books in Igbo, but no newspapers. Igbo people have also faced more than just the cultural battering which is the norm in a world where English predominates. My dad returned to Igboland after decades in Lagos, to live close to our ancestral village in Awka, Anambra State. He feels Igbos are discriminated against within Nigeria, and comes very close to endorsing secession. I tell him many groups within Nigeria feel marginalised, and that such disaffection is not unique to Igbos. Nigeria and Igbos have been here before, and it didn't end well. The Nigerian Civil War (1967-1970) in which the Igbos tried to form a separate state of Biafra saw a million Igbos die, mostly through starvation. After the war ended, the Nigerian government declared "no victor, no vanquished" as a way to bury enmity. But as a friend told me, the civil war was akin to a child being flogged, but told not to cry. Emotions are still raw as there's been no closure, no catharsis, and the Biafran war isn't taught in schools. This continued disaffection has given rise to secessionist groups such as the Indigenous People of Biafra and Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra. While many Igbos I speak to are not necessarily in support of secession, they see these groups as standing up for Igbo rights. Nkem Ifejika All these issues are interlinked, fear of marginalisation, identity crises, an endangered language. After the war, Igbo lost its status as a lingua franca that non-Igbo people like my mother would learn. While growing up, I didn't care that I couldn't speak Igbo, but in adulthood, especially since becoming a father, it's something I want to fix. I find myself wanting to bequeath Igbo to my son, Anyikamba (the name means "we are greater than a nation"), as an invaluable inheritance. I don't yet know as much as I should about my ancestors, or enough about Igbo history, so I can't pass these on to him. But language as an embodiment of that living, breathing, history, I (and especially my wife) can give. My identity is fairly cosmopolitan and outward looking, and I'm very adaptable. I've never been anywhere where I felt, "there's no way I can live here". The global languages I speak are probably more in keeping with my outlook, so why would I want to speak a language which restricts me to 41,000 sq km in the south-east Nigeria? I think it's because the modern world is so fluid, and multiple identities are more possible than ever before, that I want something rooted and preserved in time. And for me, that's Igbo. As people become increasingly connected and more mobile, the BBC is exploring how identities are changing. Listen to and download programmes from the World Service's Identity season. Learn more about the BBC's Identity season or join the discussion on Twitter using the hashtag #BBCIdentity. Subscribe to the BBC News Magazine's email newsletter to get articles sent to your inbox.

नाइजीरिया में, सबसे बड़े जातीय समूहों में से एक, इग्बो द्वारा बोली जाने वाली भाषा, मरने के खतरे में है-जो कि अजीब है क्योंकि आबादी बढ़ रही है। अतीत में यह बीबीसी के नेकेम इफ़ेजिका को चिंतित नहीं करता था, जो खुद इग्बो हैं लेकिन उन्होंने कभी भाषा नहीं सीखी। यहाँ वे बताते हैं कि उन्होंने अपना मन क्यों बदला है।


Coronavirus: Why did Dominic Cummings say he predicted it?

Summary: Of the many details about travel plans, eye tests, and drives made at Dominic Cummings's Rose Garden press conference on Monday, one thing stood out to me that does matter, and will matter well beyond the future of one adviser.

Faisal IslamEconomics editor@faisalislamon Twitter One of the absolutely core issues in assessing the government's early performance in combating the pandemic, is whether it left it too late to impose the lockdown. Scientists involved in pandemic planning have pinpointed a specific error - that it was too reliant on existing mathematic modelling of the pandemic based on influenza. They say it had not accounted for the fact that coronavirus was a different virus. This had two principal vital differences. Coronavirus is far more contagious than the influenza models, and, unlike flu, there are no approved existing vaccines or treatments. This rendered the available pandemic stockpiles of treatments and pre-purchase of tens of millions of vaccines unusable. So only testing, tracing, or forms of social distancing and lockdown were going to work. So for the PM's chief adviser to claim, in the middle of his defence, "only last year I wrote explicitly about the danger of coronaviruses" is worthy of some inspection. Such prescience would indeed have been impressive and helpful, and he does have a long-standing and well-known interest in mathematical modelling and big data. Looking at his blog, there is one reference to coronavirus, and it was indeed in a blog written in March last year. But it wasn't quite as billed. It is a blog about the risk of a pandemic starting from a leak from a biological lab. The point of it is that governments should pay money to "Red Teams" to try to break security at such institutions, including £1m to "honey trap" the security bosses. If this is the writing that "explicitly" warned of the danger of coronaviruses, then it rather suggests that a key No 10 figure believes that biolab security is the relevant issue. But then things get even stranger. Mystery The internet archive Wayback Machine, which tracks the changing versions of publicly available websites, shows that the blog was edited some time between 9 April and 3 May this year (after the pandemic started) to insert the reference to coronavirus and Chinese labs. This was first pointed out by a data scientist Jens Wiechers on social media, and can be seen here. It is in the form of a new quote from an article already linked to in the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists. It was not in the original blog. And the sitemap of Mr Cumming's blog corroborates this, showing that this post was indeed edited at 20:55:20 on the evening of 14 April this year, still available here. This happens to be the day Mr Cummings returned to work from his Durham trip. It is a mystery why he felt the need to burnish his credentials as a coronavirus sage so much that he pointed to having explicitly warned about something that was only added to his blog after the event. There is no other reference to coronavirus or Sars or Mers on his blog. There is a page on the mathematics of pandemic modelling and "herd immunity" in a long essay written on the education system in 2013, but no references to coronaviruses. It is difficult to see why editing a year-old personal blog would have been on any list of priorities for any No 10 official on a day like that - in the middle of the period where hospital deaths had peaked the previous week, but care home deaths were still mounting. But Mr Cummings clearly felt the need on Monday to point to examples of prescience on this specific issue. The context of his quote on coronavirus was to help disprove the allegation, first made in the Sunday Times, that he had backed a so-called "herd immunity" strategy. I've asked No 10 for a response on the change to his blog, the reference to Chinese biolabs, and whether he stands by the idea he explicitly wrote about the dangers of coronaviruses. A source acknowledged that the blog was updated and pointed to the fact that the original blog from last year linked to the separate article [in the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists] which did discuss coronaviruses.

सोमवार को डोमिनिक कमिंग्स के रोज़ गार्डन प्रेस कॉन्फ्रेंस में की गई यात्रा योजनाओं, नेत्र परीक्षणों और ड्राइव के बारे में कई विवरणों में से एक बात मेरे लिए अलग थी जो मायने रखती है, और एक सलाहकार के भविष्य से परे भी महत्वपूर्ण होगी।


Brexit: Trade deal now looking remote

Summary: If at first you don't succeed you can try and try.

Laura KuenssbergPolitical editor@bbclaurakon Twitter But eventually, sometimes, failure is what follows. That now seems the likely outcome of months of talks designed to create a smooth path for the country towards a different future - a deal that, in theory, would ease the junction from membership of a huge trading bloc to a world outside. There is a chance still that a couple of frantic days could result in a change. The prime minister could decide that after all, the potential disruption of no deal is just too great to risk. The EU president might be able to persuade continental leaders to budge, as they gather in Brussels today. But the chance of reassessing and refreshing the efforts seem now remote. The talks between Boris Johnson and Ursula von der Leyen were difficult - the gaps between them no slimmer at the end than the start. The hoped-for mutual understanding, the nudge or wink to pursue compromise, did not come. The only agreement was on when they might call a halt. For the first time in a world of highly moveable deadlines, they announced that a final decision must be taken by the end of the weekend. 'It's dystopian' Both sides want to stick to their principles. But that determination right now has set them on the path to the practical outcome they both wanted to avoid - and, if nothing changes, the chance of significant disruption at least in the short term for the country in many different ways. And for both sides, failing to agree would be a real political accident - something they don't want, and that didn't have to happen. One diplomat told me: "It's dystopian - the UK wants to have the absolute freedom to do things it will probably never do - apart from some tinkering. The EU wants to protect itself from things that will probably never come." People involved in the negotiations believed that there was a way through that could protect each part. But unless one side, or more likely both, are willing to give up some of their principles very fast, or the negotiators come up with a sudden miracle, then for all his optimism, Boris Johnson may fail to achieve the trade deal that Brexiteers boasted would be easy. A result that he always said he would be ready for, but no doubt what he wanted to avert.

यदि शुरू में आप सफल नहीं होते हैं तो आप कोशिश कर सकते हैं।


Chile's worst wildfire destroys town as help arrives

Summary: More international help has been arriving in Chile to help the country fight the worst wildfire in its modern history.

Russia has sent a super-tanker aircraft capable of carrying tons of water to douse the fires. The series of fast-spreading fires, mostly in Chile's central region, are being fanned by strong winds, high temperatures and a prolonged drought. One town, Santa Olga, has been destroyed by the blaze.

चिली में अपने आधुनिक इतिहास की सबसे भीषण जंगल की आग से लड़ने में मदद करने के लिए और अधिक अंतर्राष्ट्रीय सहायता पहुंच रही है।


The battle of the gas-sucking mega giants is set to begin

Summary: Off the coast of Western Australia, a battle between mega giants is unfolding. The combatants involve the world's biggest semi-submersible platform, the longest sub-sea pipeline in the southern hemisphere, and the largest floating facility ever built.

By Chris BaraniukTechnology of Business reporter They're all there for the same reason: natural gas - and they're hoping to start drawing it up this month. As several countries begin to move away from coal as an energy resource, this alternative fossil fuel, which produces 50% less carbon dioxide for every unit of energy generated, is increasingly in demand in our energy hungry world. Consumption is forecast to rise to 177 trillion cubic feet (tcf) or 5,012 billion cubic metres by 2040, up from 124tcf in 2015, says the US Energy Information Administration. That's why Shell's gigantic Prelude platform - which is 488m (1,600ft) long and displaces roughly as much water as six aircraft carriers - is competing with Japanese firm Inpex for access to gas in the Browse Basin. Although they are working on separate gas fields, those fields are connected. Shell and Inpex are essentially vying for the same resource. "The way I describe it - I have a slide I present to clients and I have a picture of two people drinking out of the same milkshake," says Saul Kavonic, an analyst at energy consultancy Wood Mackenzie. Prelude is a true behemoth. It has been designed not only to collect gas from sub-sea well heads, but also liquefy it on board at temperatures of -162C. As a liquid, the gas takes up significantly less space, making it easier to transport around the world on ships. This liquefaction would usually be done after piping the gas onshore, but Prelude can do the job herself - something never achieved on such a scale before. More Technology of Business Some serious technology is involved in making this happen. Prelude has high-capacity pumps that can draw 50 million litres of water from the sea every hour to help cool down the natural gas. Once liquefied, it is then stored in massive storage tanks with a volume equivalent to 175 Olympic swimming pools. And this all has to keep going even through the worst imaginable weather. Prelude's hefty mooring chains are designed to survive Category 5 cyclones. While Inpex has opted for sending its gas onshore for liquefaction, it also has a huge offshore semi-submersible platform to extract water and impurities from the gas first. And nearby, there is a floating storage and off-loading facility called Venturer. Collectively, Inpex has dubbed these bits of mega-infrastructure Ichthys - ancient Greek for fish. However, both projects have been beset by delays and spiralling costs, which may be why neither company was prepared to talk to the BBC for this feature. The pressure to start drawing gas first is obviously intense. The race for Browse Basin gas has even ignited competition on an international scale. Australia may overtake Qatar to become the world's top exporter of liquefied natural gas (LNG) once Ichthys and Prelude production is in full swing. But will any future vessel match or even exceed the scale of Prelude? Mr Kavonic says the fossil fuel industry isn't likely to try to build one any time soon. "We need new projects to meet demand [for gas] in the early 2020s," he explains. "We needed projects to be sanctioned last year and that didn't happen, we only saw one." That single project will be built by Italy's oil and gas giant Eni. A floating facility off the coast of Mozambique, it will have a slightly smaller capacity than Prelude - 3.4 million tonnes of LNG per year versus Prelude's 3.6 million. The capacity of Ichthys will be much bigger, at 8.9 million tonnes. "There's so far no [other] similar projects under the radar," says Jean-Baptiste Dubreuil from the International Energy Agency. The only other comparable vessel might be Allseas' Amazing Grace - an enormous twin-hulled construction ship due to be built over the coming years. Its job will be to lift offshore platforms, however, not process gas. Without more projects for gas production, industry watchers worry that, in about five years' time, demand for natural gas could outstrip supply. There is the "spectre of an LNG supply shock in the early 2020s" looming, says Stuart Elliott, gas editor at data provider S&P Global Platts. The problem could be particularly pronounced in Asia - especially China. "Last year, Chinese production increased by 8%, but they're not able to keep up with the growth of demand," says Mr Dubreuil. "We expect their needs for imports will grow over time." In fact, the IEA thinks that China will be importing 43% of its natural gas by 2040. This supply will need to be reliable if the country wants to avoid the gas shortages it experienced last winter - caused, ironically, by a botched attempt to cut coal use. In the meantime, there is some hope that the unexpectedly speedy growth of renewables - particularly solar and wind - will help to plug the gap. But there's little doubt that over the next few decades many countries, including the UK, will be heavily reliant on gas for their energy needs. Prelude and Ichthys are due to come online soon, but neither Shell nor Inpex will commit publicly to a start date. And with wholesale natural gas prices currently half what they were in early 2014, such multi-billion dollar projects may never recoup their outlay. As climate change climbs to the top of the world's agenda, funding such huge fossil-fuel extraction projects - impressive feats of engineering as they are - will look increasingly risky. Both Shell and Inpex must be hoping that their sea-faring mega giants don't go the way of the dinosaurs.

पश्चिमी ऑस्ट्रेलिया के तट से दूर, विशालकाय दिग्गजों के बीच एक लड़ाई शुरू हो रही है। लड़ाकों में दुनिया का सबसे बड़ा अर्ध-पनडुब्बी मंच, दक्षिणी गोलार्ध में सबसे लंबी उप-समुद्री पाइपलाइन और अब तक का सबसे बड़ा तैरने की सुविधा शामिल है।


Baby gorilla born at Bristol Zoo

Summary: A baby gorilla has been born at Bristol Zoo.

Keepers arrived to find the new arrival nestling in the arms of its mother. Photographs taken just hours after the birth on Wednesday show Kala - a nine-year-old western lowland gorilla - cradling the newborn. Staff said both were "doing well". The zoo said Kala gave birth naturally with the baby's father, Jock, nearby. Her first baby died last year a week after it was born. Lynsey Bugg, the zoo's curator of mammals, said: "We knew we were having a baby gorilla due and we've been on baby watch for a little while. "On Tuesday Kala looked nice and comfortable and not causing us any concerns or worries. "I came in [on Wednesday] morning to find a brand new baby in the house. It was lovely." She said staff had been "on tenterhooks" following the death of Kala's first baby last September, a week after she underwent an emergency caesarean. "It is so lovely that she was able to give birth naturally and baby and mum are really well. "She's a very attentive mother and very nurturing and you see lots of suckling from the baby, and the baby looks really strong and a good size." It will be a while before the zoo knows if the baby is male or female, Ms Bugg said. "They are not all that easy to sex and we want to have a few looks before we are certain." The new gorilla joins a troop of six at the zoo, which are part of a breeding programme. The western lowland gorilla is classed as critically endangered, with some estimates putting the number left in the wild at about 100,000.

ब्रिस्टल चिड़ियाघर में एक बच्चे गोरिल्ला का जन्म हुआ है।


Murder arrest after death of man in Leicester

Summary: A 23-year-old woman has been arrested on suspicion of murder following the death of a man in Leicester.

Emergency services were called to a house in Sylvan Street at 03:20 BST on Sunday following reports that a man had been seriously injured. The 26-year-old was taken to hospital, where he later died. The street has been cordoned between its junctions with Pool Road and Beatrice Road, while forensic examination takes place.

लीसेस्टर में एक व्यक्ति की मौत के बाद हत्या के संदेह में एक 23 वर्षीय महिला को गिरफ्तार किया गया है।


Tesco: Another victory for pragmatism?

Summary: Hugely regrettable - that's how the chief executive of Tesco, Dave Lewis, described the two-and-a-half-year scandal that has spanned his entire time at the helm of the UK's largest retailer.

Simon JackBusiness editor That is probably an understatement. One of his very first acts in charge was to face the media one morning in September 2014 to reveal Tesco executives had overstated profits by about £250m - a figure later revised up to £326m. The Serious Fraud Office (SFO) has been parked in Tesco's offices ever since. Dave Lewis will be hoping that today's announcement that Tesco will pay a £129m fine and set up an £85m compensation fund for investors who bought after Tesco knew something was wrong but before it told anyone will draw a line under the whole sorry episode. A Deferred Prosecution Agreement (DPA) - which still has to be approved by the High Court - is a fairly new way (introduced in February 2014) of punishing a company for criminal behaviour without the collateral damage of a conviction (for example, sanctions or reputational damage that could put the company out of business and destroy the jobs and investments of innocent people). This potential DPA with Tesco Stores Limited does not address whether liability of any sort attaches to Tesco PLC or any employee or agent of Tesco PLC or Tesco Stores Ltd. DPAs may be fairly new, but they are instruments the SFO is warming to. Just last month it announced a DPA with Rolls-Royce which saw the company pay a UK fine of £500m. In that case, the judge agreed that a criminal conviction for the company could disbar it from securing contracts - particularly in the US - which in turn could threaten the jobs of thousands of UK workers. A DPA also avoids lengthy and costly trials and puts the offending company on probation to ensure full co-operation in the future. It also does NOT mean that individuals escape scot free while shareholders pay the price for their conduct. Three former executives from Tesco face criminal proceedings. The SFO also quizzed the former chief executive Phil Clarke, before dropping any further action against him. In the Rolls-Royce case, the SFO has also turned its attentions from the company to former senior executives to establish who knew what and when about bribery allegations spanning 24 years. All in all, it looks like an elegant solution to a difficult problem. The head of the SFO, David Green, will chalk this up as another victory for pragmatic regulation and enforcement. It will be interesting to see whether its decade long probe into the Qatari government's £7bn investment in Barclays at the height of the financial crisis will end in a similar outcome. One reason it might not is that DPAs are supposedly reserved for companies that co-operate fully. Barclays withheld vital documents for many years on the basis of legal privilege. One reason it might is the £5bn investment in the UK announced by self same Qatari government just yesterday. Would pursuing an action involving a foreign investor, who arguably was trying to prevent a UK bank being nationalised back in 2009, be the best way to say the UK welcomed overseas investment? As I said at the time of the Rolls-Royce agreement, when it comes to ethics versus jobs and money, jobs and money usually come out on top.

बेहद खेदजनक-इस तरह टेस्को के मुख्य कार्यकारी डेव लुईस ने ढाई साल के घोटाले का वर्णन किया जो ब्रिटेन के सबसे बड़े खुदरा विक्रेता के शीर्ष पर अपने पूरे समय तक फैला हुआ है।


New 20-turbine wind farm at Moy near Inverness approved

Summary: A developer has won its appeal against Highland Council's failure to give a decision on its plan for a wind farm at Moy, near Inverness.

In a newly published decision, a Scottish government-appointed reporter has allowed the appeal and granted full planning permission. The go-ahead is subject to a number of planning conditions. Developer Carbon Free Moy Limited has proposed constructing 20 turbines on the site. It submitted the planning application with Highland Council in April 2011. The company appealed to the Scottish government in November 2011 following the local authority's failure to reach a decision within the statutory time scale of four months. Dominic Farrugia, director of Carbon Free, said the firm had spent two years designing a wind farm "appropriate to the location and the environment". He added: "We will continue to engage with local community as we prepare for the construction phase."

इनवर्नेस के पास मोय में एक पवन फार्म के लिए अपनी योजना पर निर्णय देने में हाईलैंड काउंसिल की विफलता के खिलाफ एक डेवलपर ने अपनी अपील जीत ली है।


Is Iran covering up its outbreak?

Summary: Iran is facing one of the largest coronavirus outbreaks in the world. Today, as families celebrate Persian New Year, Nowruz, there is concern the true scale of the virus is being downplayed by the government and could rapidly get much worse.

By Kayvan Hosseini & BBC MonitoringBBC Persian Mohammad has been working relentlessly since the coronavirus outbreak to save the lives of his patients. The hospital doctor, who works in the northern province of Gilan, has not seen his family for 14 days. He has lost colleagues. He has lost friends - including his former mentor, his teacher at medical school who recently fell victim to coronavirus. "It's not just our hospital. The coronavirus outbreak has paralysed our whole health system," says Mohammad. "The morale of staff is very low. Our families are so worried and we are under enormous pressure." Mohammad's name has been changed because speaking out against the government in Iran risks arrest. But several doctors from across the country's northern provinces have spoken to the BBC about the dire conditions they are facing, and how badly they think the government has handled the crisis. "We don't even have enough masks. Our medical staff are dying on a daily basis," says Mohammad. "I do not know how many people died but the government is trying to cover up the true scale of the crisis. They lied in the early days of the outbreak." In just 16 days, Covid-19 spread throughout all 31 provinces in Iran. On top of this, 16 countries claim they have cases of the virus that originated in Iran. They are Iraq, Afghanistan, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Lebanon, the United Arab Emirates, Canada, Pakistan, Georgia, Estonia, New Zealand, Belarus, Azerbaijan, Qatar and Armenia. However, critics of the authorities say the government of Iran has continued to downplay the outbreak. In its first announcement on 19 February, the government told people not to worry about the virus. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei accused Iran's "enemies" of exaggerating the threat. A week later, as the number of cases and deaths surged, President Hassan Rouhani echoed the Supreme Leader's words and warned against the "conspiracies and fear-mongering of our enemies". He said these were designed to bring the country to a standstill and urged Iranians to continue their everyday lives and carry on going to work. Most recently, state-controlled TV programmes announced the coronavirus could be a US-manufactured "bioweapon", with the Supreme Leader tweeting about a "biological attack". As of 20 March, nearly 1,300 people have died and nearly 18,000 people have been infected, according to the Iranian health ministry. Iran is the third worst-hit country behind China and Italy. Doctors from three of the worst-hit provinces in Iran - Gilan, Golestan and Mazandarn - have told the BBC that there are very few coronavirus testing kits, and medical supplies are limited - including basic medicines, oxygen tanks, sterilised masks, and protective scrubs and gloves. Doctors are now having to kit out temporary field hospitals. One intensive care doctor described how her local football stadium was being equipped with beds to handle the overflow of patients. Every doctor the BBC spoke to said that based on their experience, the official statistics must be much lower than the reality. One doctor, an A&E medic from Golestan Province, says her hospital receives an average of 300 patients a day. She estimates that 60%-70% of those are infected with coronavirus, but due to lack of resources, only those who are critically ill are admitted. And only those who are admitted to hospital are counted in the official statistics. The doctor describes having lost five patients a day on average over the past two weeks. She says that often by the time someone has arrived with a coronavirus testing kit, her patient has already died. Also devastating for medical staff is the loss of their own. Medical professionals said they had recently lost a number of colleagues. One heartbreaking case was that of 25-year-old Narjes Khanalizadeh, a nurse from the northern city of Lahijan who died towards the end of February. A photo of her went viral on social media. But the government denied she had died of Covid-19. State-controlled TV channels continued to portray an image of easy-going and fearless medical staff working on the front line, courageously battling the virus and saving their patients. But shortly after her death, the Iranian Nursing Organisation confirmed Narjes had died of coronavirus. How did the virus spread so fast? According to the government, there were two "patient zeros", both of whom died in the city of Qom on 19 February. One, it said, was a businessman who contracted the disease in China. Qom quickly became the epicentre of the outbreak. The city is an important pilgrimage destination for Shia Muslims. It is home to the country's top Islamic clerics, and draws some 20 million domestic and around 2.5 million international tourists a year. Each week, thousands of pilgrims navigate the city, paying their respects by kissing and touching the numerous shrines and landmarks. The virus spread quickly and the number of cases began to soar. But instead of quickly quarantining the city, representatives of the Supreme Leader - such as cleric Mohammad Saeedi - campaigned for pilgrims to keep on visiting. "We consider this holy shrine to be a place of healing. That means people should come here to heal from both spiritual and physical diseases." Richard Brennan, director of emergency operations for the World Health Organization (WHO), who recently returned from Qom, said: "Due to the special religious nature of Qom, with religious tourists coming from inside and outside Iran, the virus spread rapidly across the country." He said during his visit he had seen a "genuine effort" to increase operations in testing labs and hospitals in Qom and the capital Tehran. The city's shrines have now been closed. Did the government downplay the outbreak? February saw two major events for the country - the 41st anniversary of the Islamic Revolution and the parliamentary elections. "The first days that my colleagues and I recorded an abnormal respiratory disease were days before the Islamic Revolution victory day on 11 February," recalls one senior doctor, who says he sent multiple reports from his hospital to senior health ministers in Tehran warning of the outbreak. "We believe that health officials decided to hide the fact that coronavirus had reached Iran to have their usual state-sponsored gatherings." Both the anniversary event and the elections were seen as a test of the government's popularity, after six months of chaos endured by Iranians. These included violent protests in November following a fuel price hike, and rising tensions with the US, after Iran attacked a base in Iraq housing American troops in retaliation for the killing of the top Iranian commander Qasem Soleimani. The downing of a Ukrainian plane that led to the death of all 176 people on board dented public trust after officials initially denied the plane had been hit by a missile. Shortly after the election, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei accused Iran's "enemies" of exaggerating the threat of coronavirus to keep voters away from the polls. "Negative propaganda was launched several months ago, and in the last two days their media has used every opportunity to discourage people from casting their vote on the pretext of an illness and virus," said Mr Khamenei. More recently, Iran's health minister Saeed Namaki, rejected all claims of delaying reports, with state TV announcing "the issue was immediately announced [19 Feb] despite the fact the election was was due to be held that Friday [21 Feb]". Five days after the election, the number of cases confirmed by the government had risen to 139 with 19 dead. The same day, Ahmad Amirabadi Farahani, a hardline MP from Qom, stood up in parliament and said 50 people had died in his city over a two-week period. Deputy health minister Iraj Harirchi denied Mr Farahani's claim, and said he would resign if the death toll stood at even half that number. Later that day, Harirchi was seen sweating profusely and coughing during a press conference on coronavirus. He later announced he had tested positive, becoming the first of many high-profile Iranian politicians to become infected. Harirchi reportedly has since made a "full recovery" appearing live on television on 13 March. Numerous experts and journalists have suggested the official figures are a dangerous and vast underestimate of the true scale of the crisis in Iran, including a BBC Persian investigation which established on a single day, the death toll to be six times higher than reported. But as even the official figures continue to soar, the question now for Iranians is how to stop the virus. Living in lockdown Alireza's father passed away in mid-March. "Nobody in our family was there when they buried my father. I didn't even get to see his body. They just told us he'd died and had been buried in a special zone in Tehran's main cemetery." For safety, Alireza's name has been changed. Alireza's family were told by the authorities not to gather for a funeral but that they would be able to visit the grave once her father had been buried. But upon arriving at the cemetery, she was told by staff it wasn't safe to enter because they were still burying so many other bodies. "We talk more about the burial of my father than his death," she says. "I'm not a religious, or even spiritual person, but I still have this strange feeling inside, as if we disrespected my father." The Iranian authorities have now banned all large funeral gatherings. Several clerics, including the Supreme Leader, have also issued religious fatwas against the traditional washing of dead bodies, to protect those working as "mordeshoors" - or body-washers. As the WHO calls for international "urgent and aggressive action", Iran's response continues to fall short of the measures implemented in countries such as China or Italy. Schools, universities and seminaries have been closed, football matches cancelled, and a large-scale disinfection campaign has begun in the capital city, Tehran. All Iranians have been advised against travel and told to stay at home. And for the first time since the establishment of the Islamic Republic in 1979, Friday prayers have been cancelled. In an attempt to prevent the spread of the disease in overcrowded jails, 155,000 prisoners were also temporarily released. This includes political prisoners, many of whom are believed to be in poor health, among them British-Iranian charity worker Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe. However, most government buildings, offices and banks remain open. Even for middle-class Iranians such as retired teachers Fatemeh and her husband - not their real names - say the problem is most people are still reliant on cash for buying everything from groceries to fuel. 'We have to go to the bank to collect our monthly pension. We are expecting to receive the Nowruz [Persian new year] special allowance in the coming days.'' Many medical experts inside and outside Iran say unless the government establishes transparent incident figures and moves to quarantine whole cities such as Qom, the virus will continue to cripple the entire country. President Rouhani has repeatedly said the government will not place cities under lockdown and for "all shops to remain open and everyone to continue doing business", a decision many believe is simply because Iran cannot afford to do otherwise. The US sanctions have devastated the economy. Persian new year is the country's biggest annual festival. Ayatollah Khamenei used the event to praise the country's "dazzling" sacrifices in responding to the outbreak. For Fatemeh, it has never seemed less of a moment to celebrate. "In all my life, I don't ever remember staying home alone for Nowruz. Even during the war, when Saddam started attacking cities with missiles, we would visit each other during Nowruz."

ईरान दुनिया के सबसे बड़े कोरोनावायरस प्रकोपों में से एक का सामना कर रहा है। आज, जब परिवार फारसी नव वर्ष, नौरोज़ मना रहे हैं, तो चिंता है कि सरकार द्वारा वायरस के वास्तविक पैमाने को कम किया जा रहा है और यह तेजी से बहुत खराब हो सकता है।


21st Century Fox profits rise on strong film earnings

Summary: Rupert Murdoch's 21st Century Fox reported profits of $999m (£624m) in the third quarter, buoyed by strong earnings in its film and cable television units.

The company also said revenue rose to $8.42bn, a 17% increase from the same period last year. Fox was helped by the success of the films X-Men: Days of Future Past, Rio 2, and The Fault in Our Stars. Shares in the company rose 2% in after-hours trading. "As we close the fiscal year, I continue to have confidence in our ability to execute our growth plan and drive value for our shareholders," said Mr Murdoch in a statement accompanying earnings.

रूपर्ट मर्डोक की 21वीं सेंचुरी फॉक्स ने अपनी फिल्म और केबल टेलीविजन इकाइयों में मजबूत कमाई से उत्साहित होकर तीसरी तिमाही में $999 मिलियन (£624 मिलियन) का लाभ दर्ज किया।


Irish election: Micheál Martin 'will back minority Fine Gael government'

Summary: The leader of Fianna Fáil, Micheál Martin, has said that if another election is to be avoided, his party will support a minority Fine Gael government.

Mr Martin added that although Fianna Fáil would facilitate, they would not sign up to a programme of government. He said that understandings would be given but did not make it clear if these would be written or not. FF campaigned against the outgoing Fine Gael government in the recent election. Talks between the Republic of Ireland's two main political parties on forming a minority government will continue today. Talks on Friday were described by both parties as "constructive". Following February's election, Fine Gael had 50 seats, Fianna Fáil 44, Sinn Féin 23 and the Labour Party got seven. But no party was able to form a majority government and TDs have failed to elect a leader on three previous occasions.

फियाना फेल के नेता, मिशेल मार्टिन ने कहा है कि अगर एक और चुनाव से बचना है, तो उनकी पार्टी अल्पसंख्यक फाइन गेल सरकार का समर्थन करेगी।


Mana restaurant gets Manchester's first Michelin star in 42 years

Summary: Manchester has its first Michelin star restaurant in more than 40 years.

Mana in Ancoats, which can be booked out months in advance, has only been open for less than a year but got the city's first star since 1977. Chef Simon Martin got his big break in Denmark's capital Copenhagen where he was homeless for a few weeks when working at world-renowned Noma. Mr Martin, 29, said: "It's absolutely incredible - this is the highlight of my life. It's quiet overwhelming." Mana boasts a 16-course tasting menu such as grilled onions, kelp and fermented rice as well as salt-aged duck hung over burning charcoal and yakitori-style eel with roasted yeast and blueberry. Mr Martin said: "We cook food that we want to eat. We've had great reviews. "You sacrifice a lot, you work away from home and very long hours but now I don't regret a single thing." Mr Martin trained at Noma restaurant in Copenhagen which has been acclaimed in the past as the "world's best restaurant". But he ended up sleeping rough for two weeks while waiting for his first pay packet when he got a permanent job. Mr Martin told the BBC: "There was a point where I was homeless. It is quite difficult to find accommodation in Copenhagen. "I found a job and needed to start immediately when I hadn't sorted any accommodation." "It wasn't too bad. It was the end of the summer and there were showers at work." The French in The Midland hotel was previously the only Manchester restaurant to be awarded a Michelin star, which it held from 1974 until 1977.

मैनचेस्टर में 40 से अधिक वर्षों में अपना पहला मिशेलिन स्टार रेस्तरां है।


NME Awards: The view from the front

Summary: Jarvis handing out sandwiches, The Mighty Boosh and Slash eating noodles, Damon Albarn's extended speeches, odd collaborations and a host of special guests - this year's NME awards didn't fail to live up to their rock 'n' roll reputation.

By Greg CochraneNewsbeat music reporter at the NME Awards "This is not the Brits academy, this is the Brixton Academy... now, are you ready to graduate?" And so starts the NME Awards 2010, the Brit Awards' long-time rock 'n' roll little sister. Last week at Earls Court we had Peter Kay, but tonight it's the equally dry Jarvis Cocker taking charge of proceedings dishing out awards from a stage set up like a Shakespearian mansion. The ex-Pulp man plays the part of an eccentric university lecturer by running through a geographical slide show and tinkling keys like Bill Bailey. The all-conquering Kasabian opened the show, joined by The Mighty Boosh's Noel Fielding dressed as Vlad The Impaler baiting the crowd and hugging Serge Pizzorno. A brilliant way to begin. Dodging paps Looking like a very odd couple, Lily Allen and Slash pair up to present the best British band award to a bemused Muse. Lily's almost still out of breath after running up the red carpet outside the show 10 minutes before (Mark Ronson, Arctic Monkeys, Agyness Deyn and Blur also skilfully avoided the press throng). Meanwhile, much to everyone's surprise, Maximo Park's Paul Smith has been busy growing a hefty beard. He strolls out looking like a member of Fleet Foxes to give the award for best festival to Glastonbury's Emily Eavis. She keeps her thanks short and sweet. Unlike Damon Albarn, who Jarvis brings to the stage to present The Specials with their outstanding contribution to music award. "I'm gonna bang on about this for a little while," he begins, unpromisingly. "I can't believe how gross it is," say The Specials when they finally pick up the award before playing a short two-song set. Sandwich-fest After some inaudible chat from Alexa Chung backstage, a wide-eyed Mat Horne and Elly Goulding - considerably less nervous than at the Brits - welcome a very surprised Bombay Bicycle Club to the stage to collect best new band. Jarvis's increasingly odd links then see him hand out jam, cheese 'n' pickle and egg-mayo sandwiches to the frontline fans. After that, Lily's back to the stage collecting the 'giving it back to the fans' award for her Twitter ticket treasure hunts. "I'm happy to give it back anytime," she winks before scuttling off. Despite being up for the most awards tonight, only half of Arctic Monkeys turn up. Bassist Nick and drummer Matt pick up best live band explaining that the others are "auditioning for the prequel to Twilight". Biffy and Marina Almost at the half way point now and Ayrshire rockers Biffy Clyro rattle through their single Many Of Horror aided - slightly unnecessarily - by Marina Diamandis. Meanwhile, a huge cheer greets the news that Blur have bagged best live event for their Hyde Park gigs last summer. For the sake of the clock, Damon suffices with a simple "thank you" this time. It's two more words than The Pogues' Shane McGowan can manage though. The VT premiere of his Haiti benefit gig (featuring Johnny Depp and Paloma Faith amongst others) cuts in as he dangles a picture of Primal Scream's Bobby Gillespie around. The only logical way to follow that of course is Jarvis doing two minutes of hoola hoop. Lily's puppets A much needed raw edge is brought to proceedings by Courtney Love - or rather her newly-assembled Hole - who speed through a couple of gloriously rough-around-the-edges tracks. That's in contrast to the Big Pink playing their track Dominoes and being joined by Lily Allen. The most impressive bit being not their harmonising but the hand-controlled puppets with CCTV cameras for heads. By which time it's getting late and the prolific amount of free alcohol on the artists' tables is draining. Paramore get booed for not being there, before Noel Fielding - still sporting a fake moustache - bounds up to win best DVD. It's not long before he's back on stage with Courtney Love to announce Kasabian as the winners in the best album category. "I just had a Pot Noodle with Slash," titters Fielding. Cue Tom Meighan walking up with a head on a stick to collect his award, before The Clash's Mick Jones and Primal Scream's Bobbie Gillespie hand Paul Weller his Godlike Genius statue and bring the curtain down on another fantastically ramshackle NME Awards.

जार्विस सैंडविच सौंपते हुए, द माइटी बूश और स्लैश ईटिंग नूडल्स, डेमन अल्बर्न के विस्तारित भाषण, विषम सहयोग और विशेष मेहमानों के एक मेजबान-इस साल के एन. एम. ई. पुरस्कार उनकी रॉक 'एन' रोल प्रतिष्ठा पर खरा उतरने में विफल नहीं रहे।