Dilma Rousseff and Brazil set for two testing years

Summary: It was more polite applause than thunderous cheers as Brazil's normally stern-looking President, Dilma Rousseff, jauntily kicked a ball to inaugurate the first of 12 stadiums set to host the 2014 Fifa World Cup.

By Julia CarneiroBBC Brasil, Rio de Janeiro But December's opening of the stadium in the north-eastern city of Fortaleza was a key moment as Brazil gears up to be the centre of sporting attention. "We Brazilians are showing the world that we are good both on and off the football field," said President Rousseff as she inaugurated another stadium, this time in the city of Belo Horizonte. After years of planning for the World Cup and the 2016 Rio Olympics, the moment has arrived for Brazil to start delivering. And with Ms Rousseff now halfway through her four-year term, her own ability to produce results is also under scrutiny. According to recent opinion polls, Ms Rousseff enjoys approval ratings of 62% - the highest achieved by a president in their first two years. Her popularity has continued despite a slowdown in the economy, with growth in 2012 at just 1%, well below the expectations of the government and investors. This sluggish performance is the worst compared with other Bric nations Russia, India and China, and is in sharp contrast to a 7.5% rate recorded just two years ago. Given this, economic analysts say, 2013 will be a crucial year for Brazil - and the government. "Another 'PIBinho' (or 'tiny GDP', as Brazilians have been calling last year's results) will be devastating for Dilma and for the country's image," says historian Jose Murilo de Carvalho, of Rio de Janeiro's Federal University (UFRJ). "Once more the dream of becoming a great power, which Brazilians have aspired to since independence (in 1822), will be frustrated." No-nonsense The halfway point of Ms Rousseff's first term also marks 10 years in office for the Workers' Party, which first won the presidency under her predecessor and mentor Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. During this period, Brazil has won international acclaim for reducing some of its extreme inequality. Ms Rousseff has taken some of the credit for that, says Mr Carvalho, but he also points to other factors. He believes the president is gaining supporters among Brazil's growing middle class, who are increasingly aware of their rights as taxpayers. "These people are more concerned about having a good government in terms of efficiency, honesty and transparency, which is Dilma's promise," he says. Ms Rousseff lacks former president Lula's charisma, but her firm style has earned her a reputation as a tough, no-nonsense manager - and an ethical one. She sacked seven ministers for allegations of corruption and has frequently said she will not tolerate wrongdoing. But it is the economy that the opposition will be focusing on to develop its campaign for the presidential elections in 2014. The Social Democratic Party (PSDB), which governed before Lula, aims to attack President Rousseff's image as an efficient manager. Another area where Ms Rousseff could face a big challenge is Brazil's energy sector. Water levels in the reservoirs that feed the country's hydroelectric power stations are as low as in 2001, when the authorities were forced to introduce nationwide energy rationing. Ms Rousseff, who was Lula's minister for mines and energy, has dismissed any need for rationing this time, but has been holding emergency talks on the issue. Skills shortage The government puts much of the blame for the economic slowdown on the wider international financial crisis, which has affected traditional trade partners such as the US and Europe. But analysts say the problem is just as much internal. "Now that the international situation has deteriorated, there is growing demand for products and services here," says Fernando Lattman-Weltman, from the Getulio Vargas Foundation in Rio de Janeiro. "But businesses have difficulty to meet this demand because of problems such as poor infrastructure, an unskilled labour force and a high tax burden." The government seems to be trying to tackle these problems, says Luciano Rostagno, chief strategist for WestLB Bank. "But these are improvements that will only happen in the medium-term," he says. Mr Rostagno predicts growth will be 3.5% this year, while the government, which has proved to be overly optimistic in 2012, is suggesting 4%. But GDP should not be the sole measure of success, says political scientist Eduardo Raposo, of Rio's Pontifical Catholic University (PUC-Rio). Looking at the wider picture, he says Brazil is going through "a good moment". Its institutions are growing stronger, as shown by a recent major corruption trial before the Supreme Court that convicted 25 people, among them high-profile politicians. "We are living the longest period of democracy in Brazil's republic since the end of the dictatorship (in 1985). This brings an institutional stability that we'd never seen before," says Mr Raposo. But for the year ahead, the success of the Rousseff administration looks set to rest on what can be achieved economically. Just before Christmas, Ms Rousseff said 2013 would be the year to reap the benefits of measures taken in 2012, such as lowering interest rates. She told reporters her hope for 2013 was a "PIBao grandao", or a "big fat GDP". She will be joining 190 million Brazilians in rooting for the national football side to triumph in this year's Confederations Cup curtain-raiser and in next year's World Cup. However well - or not - the economy is doing then, a Brazil victory could well earn Dilma Rousseff extra popularity points.

यह जोरदार जयकारों की तुलना में अधिक विनम्र तालियाँ थीं क्योंकि ब्राजील की आम तौर पर कठोर दिखने वाली राष्ट्रपति, डिल्मा रूसेफ ने 2014 फीफा विश्व कप की मेजबानी के लिए निर्धारित 12 स्टेडियमों में से पहले का उद्घाटन करने के लिए एक गेंद को लात मारी।


In pictures: Europe's July 2019 heatwave

Summary: People around Europe are looking for ways to stay cool as record temperatures hit the Continent.

The second heatwave in a month has seen Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands all record their highest ever temperatures. Weather warnings have been issued in countries including Portugal, France and Luxembourg. Temperatures of 42C have been reached in Paris, while comparisons have been drawn to a deadly heatwave in 2003. All pictures subject to copyright.

यूरोप के आसपास के लोग ठंडे रहने के तरीकों की तलाश कर रहे हैं क्योंकि महाद्वीप में रिकॉर्ड तापमान है।


Primary league tables: Best results

Summary: This table lists the primary schools with the highest attainment in England in 2012.

At these 213 schools, all Year 6 children achieved Level 4 in English and maths. They are then ranked on the average point scores that the pupils have achieved. The list does not include schools with fewer than six pupils.

इस तालिका में 2012 में इंग्लैंड में सबसे अधिक उपलब्धि हासिल करने वाले प्राथमिक विद्यालयों को सूचीबद्ध किया गया है।


Coronavirus: Devon care homes were 'hit so quickly'

Summary: Care homes across England have tried in vain to protect their vulnerable from Covid-19 but the virus has swept through many, contributing to thousands of deaths and causing a widespread crisis over the way it has been handled. One care home boss describes the reality of trying to stop the virus once it got through the doors.

By Emma HallettBBC News "It was so unprecedented and such uncharted territory - things were just changing so quickly. The first day I went in, within the first hour, there were two deaths. "You had people walking around that do not have the capacity or insight to understand that walking around could potentially kill themselves or infect another resident." Less than two weeks into the national lockdown, Ed Bliss learned that residents and staff at his family-run care homes in Devon were showing possible signs of Covid-19. Primley Court and Primley View in Paignton had closed their doors to visitors and relatives two weeks before the prime minister's announcement on 23 March. But by the first week of April, several residents at both premises, which have 100 staff and care for up to 80 people with dementia, were seriously unwell, and the entire senior team was ill or self-isolating. "[Primley Court] was hit so quickly, the staff had been wiped out," said Ed. "Our top five senior staff members were taken out of the game, so we had lost our rudder. "We had 40% of our workforce out on the floor either ill or self-isolating, so we were running a home at near full capacity with complex dementia care needs with 60% of our own staff and limited senior management." Optima Care Partnership was started by Ed's father, Paul, 34 years ago and remains a family-run business based in Weston-super-Mare. It cares for people with varying types of dementia and those who need psychiatric rehabilitation or end-of-life nursing at homes in Bristol, North Somerset and Devon. The first coronavirus symptoms were seen at the Paignton homes on 3 April and a small number of residents were tested five days later. The results, which came back on 11 April, showed some of those tested were positive for the virus. Management at the homes raised concerns two days later about the number of residents becoming lethargic with no fever with the Torbay Council Quality Assurance and Improvement Team (QAIT) and Public Health England (PHE), and insisted more residents needed to be swabbed. But Ed, who is director of dementia services, said a consultant at PHE told them lethargy was not a symptom of the virus and further testing was unnecessary. "We were saying 'we need help here' and we weren't getting that as readily as we wanted. While understanding that it was just wildly unprecedented, that is where the hole was," he said. "The social care sector was being treated as second class to the NHS. Second week into lockdown there was nothing, no focus on social care. That's when they should have been in, at that point, and that's where it fell down." The situation was escalated by QAIT and on 18 April all residents and staff were tested for the virus. With the situation becoming critical following a number of deaths, a specialist team from Torbay Hospital was called in to help. Ed, his nephew and sister-in-law, all of whom are nurses, joined them soon after. "We knew [staff] were really struggling and we had to do something," said Ed, who normally works in a home near Bristol. "We were told by the NHS infection control team, 'you have a high risk of getting this'. That was just something we were prepared to accept." To combat the spread of the virus, floors were isolated and staff worked on one site to reduce the risk of cross infection. The changes made those residents with complex dementia more agitated, with some becoming violent and spitting - a particular risk when trying to stop the spread of the virus. For residents showing coronavirus symptoms, official advice was to keep them in their rooms, but Ed said this was "impossible". "You have to imagine - residents are coming out of their rooms that we're desperately trying to keep in their rooms, but we can't keep them in there because of the distress that would cause and varying care policies. "That is what we were constantly up against. It's indescribable, because you're in the middle of it, you're in the middle of danger." How big is the epidemic in care homes? Asymptomatic care workers unknowingly spread virus Care homes felt 'abandoned' as virus hit Many of the staff brought in to help had no experience of working in a care home setting or how to provide dementia care at a complex level. Staff were also faced with the challenge of trying to care for people, many of whom have communication difficulties, while dressed head to toe in protective clothing, or PPE. "Half your face is covered, you have plastic all over you, gloves on and the only thing you can really communicate [with] is this muffled voice and your eyes," said Ed. By far one of the hardest things to manage was the impact on families who lost relatives, said Ed. "Making the call to say 'mum is close now', that was very difficult, very alien. To have that kind of emotional phone call… you can't hold someone's hand, they can't see how genuinely upset you are about what you are saying to them. "To have that conversation with someone over the phone is not what we are here to do, but that is all we had. Someone telling you that you can't see your mum or dad, knowing they are probably going to die within the next 24 hours… to take that away from the families is disastrous. You just can't understand how crushing that is." By the end of April the outbreak at both homes had stabilised and they have since been given the all-clear by PHE. Despite the challenges they faced, Ed said support from the Care Quality Commission, PHE and local authorities had been "excellent" during an incredibly difficult time. "We would have wanted to see more support within that initial two-week gap, more testing and resource, we didn't get it," he said. "But we did as best we could and... the NHS professional disciplinary teams did as best they could as well." A spokeswoman for PHE said: "PHE South West, Torbay Council and Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust worked in partnership to support the care home, following the government guidance on managing an outbreak. "Further testing of residents, asymptomatic, symptomatic or otherwise, was not part of government guidance at the time. "However, to provide extra support to the home, testing of all residents and also staff was promptly carried out by the local hospital laboratory alongside a full support package provided by the local hospital." Optima Care Partnership has not released official figures for the number of staff and residents affected, or the number of deaths. It said it could not conclusively say when or how the virus got into its homes.

पूरे इंग्लैंड में देखभाल गृहों ने कोविड-19 से अपने कमजोर लोगों को बचाने के लिए व्यर्थ प्रयास किए हैं, लेकिन वायरस कई लोगों में फैल गया है, जिससे हजारों मौतें हुई हैं और जिस तरह से इसे संभाला गया है उस पर व्यापक संकट पैदा हो गया है। एक देखभाल गृह मालिक वायरस को दरवाजे से निकलने के बाद रोकने की कोशिश करने की वास्तविकता का वर्णन करता है।


The helter skelter story of the Cavern Club

Summary: It has been shut down, demolished, and rebuilt, but Liverpool's Cavern Club remains an icon of pop history. As it celebrates its 60th year, those who were there in its heyday recall its evolution from subterranean jazz club to international music Mecca.

'What about that place there?' Peter Morris was a friend of the club's first owner, Alan Sytner, who modelled the basement venue on Le Caveau de la Huchette - a jazz place he'd seen in Paris. He recalled how they were drinking at The Grapes pub in Mathew Street when the idea was formed. "Alan said, 'We should have a place like [Le Caveau]'. He said, 'I'd love to find a place, like a basement or something'. "We came out of the pub and [one of us] said, 'Hey Alan, what about that place there?' And there was a sign that said 'Basement For Sale, Or Let'. "The next day we met up again for a pint at lunch time and Alan said, 'Got that place. I've bought it'." Peter recalled how Alan's vision for the club, which opened on 16 January 1957, involved some questionable manual labour. "It was actually three rooms, and Alan said, 'What we need is one big room, so these walls will have to come down'. He said, ''I'll get the sledgehammers and a barrel of ale, and we'll all go down one night and knock these walls down'. "Just thinking about it afterwards, you know, the whole thing could have come down on top of us." 'They're all leaving' Colin Hanton was the drummer with John Lennon's skiffle group, The Quarrymen - a precursor to The Beatles. He remembered how the jazz club's owners were less than impressed with their set in 1958. "John had done a couple of rock and roll numbers and someone passed him a folded piece of paper. So John said over the microphone, 'Oh, we have a request from the audience'. "He opened it up and it said, 'Do not do any more rock n' roll, signed the management'. Apparently we weren't the only band that got that kind of note. "But rock and roll was coming, you know? It was like King Canute trying to hold back the waves. "The more we played rock and roll the more people got up and left and John was quite beside himself. He turned to me and said, 'They're all leaving, I can't believe it'. 'Here's our Cilla' By 1960, the club's new owner Ray McFall - whose bankruptcy forced its temporary closure in 1966 - had abandoned the venue's jazz roots for rock 'n' roll. He would help launch the careers of many Merseybeat bands, including The Beatles, who played their first Cavern gig in 1961. Gerry Marsden, lead singer of Gerry and the Pacemakers, remembered the club as a popular spot which shone a spotlight on then-cloakroom attendant, Cilla Black. "We would play alternate days with The Beatles. It used to be packed - all the girls would come from the offices and the lads would all come in [at lunchtime]. "Cilla asked, 'Can I sing?' 'Yep come on, get up. Here she is! Here's our Cilla'. "And that was it. She just got up and did it and a star was born." 'It was like a steam bath' For Cavern regular Debbie Greenberg, the anticipation started above ground. "We would queue up in Mathew Street waiting to go in and you could hear the 'throb, throb, throb' of the beat inside. "There was a small opening to get in and 18 stone steps to go down. And there'd be a guy sitting at a wooden table taking the money as you went in. "You'd pay your shilling to get in and then you'd be part of the excitement." But it wasn't just the thrill of the music and the bands that made an impression. "It was a smelly place, because there were no drains, no main drains, just a cesspit under the toilets, and the cleaners used to top it up with disinfectant every day. "There would be condensation running down the walls, everybody would be perspiring because it was so hot in there, it was like a steam bath. "But that was what made [it] The Cavern." The Cavern would became an even bigger fixture in her life when her father Alf Geoghegan bought it in the late 1960s. "Dad came to me and said 'I've got a chance of buying the Cavern, what do you think?' Well, you offer a child a key to a sweet shop it's not going to say no. "Paul McCartney turned up [once] and said: 'I've got my new girlfriend in the car outside, and I'd like to bring her back and show her where it all began'. "They came in and she took a photograph of me with Paul." 'It changed my life' Billy Kinsey, lead singer of The Merseybeats, also recalled the cellar's strange aroma - "horrible smell, very distinctive". But despite its dungeon-like qualities, he credits the club with shaping the course of his life. "I knew the minute I saw The Beatles playing on the Cavern - that's what I wanted to be, a professional musician. "And three days later I left school. I became a professional musician, which I still am. "It changed my life. It absolutely changed my life." 'So really, did we lose anything?' The club's long and winding road looked set to hit a dead end when in 1973 British Rail obtained a compulsory purchase order to build a new underground railway. The original venue was bulldozed and the cellar filled in, bringing what many thought was an end to the landmark venue. But following John Lennon's murder in 1980, it was rebuilt on the original site and opened four years later. It now mixes its 60s heritage with modern acts. Dave Jones, who has owned the club since 1991, said the venue and the success of The Beatles has helped make Liverpool a global destination. "We know it's not the original Cavern, we don't pretend that it is, but [it] is where the original Cavern was," he said. "In hindsight you could say that because it led to the demolition, and it led to the rebuilding, we actually ended up with a better venue anyway, on the same site. "So really, did we lose anything?" Learn more: The Cavern The Most Famous Club In The World

इसे बंद कर दिया गया है, ध्वस्त कर दिया गया है और पुनर्निर्मित किया गया है, लेकिन लिवरपूल का कैवर्न क्लब पॉप इतिहास का एक प्रतीक बना हुआ है। जैसा कि यह अपने 60 वें वर्ष का जश्न मना रहा है, जो लोग इसके सुनहरे दिनों में थे वे भूमिगत जैज़ क्लब से अंतर्राष्ट्रीय संगीत मक्का में इसके विकास को याद करते हैं।


Could you run a marathon without training?

Summary: London Marathon entrants have a month of training left for what's seen as one of the greatest feats of human endurance. Yet Irish twins Jedward claim they completed the Los Angeles marathon without any training. So is it possible to run one on a whim?

By Vanessa Barford and Jon KellyBBC News Magazine For most runners, a marathon is not just 26.2 miles of physical endurance - it means months and months of arduous, painstaking preparation. Typically, those signing up commit to long periods of meticulous planning, a careful diet and a regimented programme of progressively longer runs. And yet those limbering up for the London Marathon on 22 April can be forgiven for feeling galled by Irish pop singers Jedward - aka John and Edward Grimes - who claim to have completed the Los Angeles marathon on a whim, straight off a flight and with no training. Such an accomplishment flies in the face of all the advice offered by the medical world and the running community alike. With the body under considerable stresses and the race consuming an entire day's worth of calories, conventional wisdom says completing a marathon is a physical ordeal for which you have to prepare. Add cramps, chafing, dizziness and dehydration into the mix, and the 26-mile mission can push the human body to its limits. People can even die running both marathons and half-marathons. In the first 30 years of the London Marathon, 10 competitors died, with eight of those cardiac cases. Sportscardiologists recommend screeningfor many runners. Jedward are not the only figures said to have completed a marathon without preparation. Former athlete David Bedford, now race director for the London Marathon, apparently only chose to enter the 1981 race in the early hours of race day, while in a nightclub. He had been challenged by none other than Grandstand commentator David Coleman. After stopping on the way home for a curry, according to his own account, Bedford duly completed the course - although he was filmed throwing up midway through the route. Andrew Gertig caused consternation in running circles when he announced he had finished the2003 San Francisco marathonin four hours 28 minutes without any training. And when Eddie Izzard ran 43 marathons in 51 days, the comedian admitted he only began preparing five weeks before. Not all have been so successful, however. The reality television star Jade Goody was hospitalised after attempting the 2006 London marathon without meaningful training. So how difficult is it to run a marathon without putting in the leg work? For American Sean Ogle, 26,running a marathon on almost no trainingwas not something he set out to achieve. But he is testament to the fact it can be done, albeit in a modest time of five hours and 29 minutes. Ogle began training for the Eugene marathon in Oregon, held on 1 May 2011, in January of that year. But he kept up his training for just three weeks. Then he was compelled to travel more regularly for work, and picked up a shin injury, so he stopped. "Before I knew it, it was three weeks before the marathon," he recalls. "I'd paid $100 to enter, I wanted to do it, so I decided to run three miles to see if I could. It was hard, but it made me think, maybe I can walk this thing." Ogle says he turned up to the start of the race with his new plan, but then something happened. His ego kicked in. "There were a bunch of 10 women between the ages of 50-60 next to me and I didn't want to be the guy holding them up. So I decided to run for the first mile, which went to three, and somehow I kept going. "By 18 or 19 miles, I was walking at the end of every mile for 30 or 45 seconds. I'd stretch my leg on a tree or something. "I'd heard all the stories about crashing at 22 or 23 miles, and I didn't know what was going to happen. All I knew was I was getting closer." Ogle says he was overcome with emotion and pain when he actually managed to cross the finish line. For the following week he could barely walk as far as his local shops. And yet he did not entirely tackle the marathon from scratch. Although Ogle says he has no regular fitness regime, he normally runs about three miles a couple of times a week. Indeed, according to Dr Valerie Gladwell, a senior lecturer in sports and exercise science at the University of Essex, a person's basic level of fitness plays a big part in their potential. The Jedward twins were keen runners in their pre-fame days,according to a Sunday Times profile,competing in their local athletics club and coming 7th and 13th in an Irish schools' mountain running championships shortly before they came to public recognition. Gladwell says this history of fitness would have been crucial. "Jedward spend a lot of time being very active, they do a lot of dancing," she says. "Their cardiovascular systems are going to be OK, they will have reasonable muscle strength. "If people of their level of fitness get their fuelling right, if they keep their pace steady, they could probably do a marathon if they really wanted to, but it isn't something I'd recommend," she says. "From doing no training, their muscles wouldn't be accustomed to it. If they were going through an extra pain barrier they would risk injury through muscle strains and excessive wear and tear on their joints. "But if they went round slowly and listened to their bodies they wouldn't necessarily be at any more risk - as long as they are staying within their comfort zone and not doing it faster than they are capable of." John Brewer, professor of sports science at the University of Bedfordshire, agrees it is physically possible as long as the competitor has some experience of running and attempts it at the lowest possible intensity. "If you're a runner and your body is conditioned to running 5k or 10k in distance, as long as you set your goals properly and you run at a very slow pace, you could probably get around," he says. "If you walk briskly at 15 minutes per mile, that's six-and-a-half hours to do 26.2 miles - most people could sustain it." Interspersing walking with a small amount of running might shave another hour off the time, he says. "In today's world of mass-participation running with people fundraising in fancy dress costumes, you're not going to be the last to finish with a time like that." However, he cautions that, for those unaccustomed to long distances, recovery will be longer and more painful. Additionally, first-time runners who have eschewed health check-ups would run the risk of triggering any undiscovered medical condition. "I wouldn't ever recommend anybody tackling a marathon without proper training - you can't underestimate the physical effort and energy demands involved," he adds. Indeed, he is not the only one. Ogle believes anyone who wants do to a marathon should go for it, but he would not advise anyone to follow in his footsteps. "If I ever was to do one again, I'd train," he says. "Training needs real commitment. Personally I think training for a marathon is more of an accomplishment than running it."

लंदन मैराथन में प्रवेश करने वालों के पास एक महीने का प्रशिक्षण बचा है जिसे मानव सहनशक्ति के सबसे बड़े कारनामों में से एक के रूप में देखा जाता है। फिर भी आयरिश जुड़वां जेडवर्ड का दावा है कि उन्होंने बिना किसी प्रशिक्षण के लॉस एंजिल्स मैराथन को पूरा किया। तो क्या एक सनक पर दौड़ना संभव है?


Mali country profile

Summary: Once home to several pre-colonial empires, the landlocked, arid West African country of Mali is one of the largest on the continent. For centuries, its northern city of Timbuktu was a key regional trading post and centre of Islamic culture.

But this prominence has long since faded. After independence from France in 1960, Mali suffered droughts, rebellions, a coup and 23 years of military dictatorship until democratic elections in 1992. In 2013, France intervened militarily upon the government's request following the capture of the town of Konna and its troops overran Islamist strongholds. Authorities agreed a United Nations-sponsored ceasefire with Tuareg separatists in 2015, but parts of the country remain tense, with Tuareg rebels sporadically active. Meanwhile, a jihadist insurgency in Mali's north and central regions continues. Mali is renowned worldwide for having produced some of the stars of African music, most notably Salif Keita. FACTS Republic of Mali Capital: Bamako Population 18.5 million Area 1.25 million sq km (482,077 sq miles) Major languages French, Bambara, Berber, Arabic Religions Islam, indigenous beliefs Life expectancy 57 years (men), 84 years (women) Currency CFA (Communaute Financiere Africaine) franc LEADERS Interim President: Bah Ndaw The military council that seized power in August 2020 named former army officer Bah Ndaw as interim president of Mali the following month. Coup leader Colonel Assimi Goita will serve as his deputy. Mr Ndaw, a retired colonel-major, served as defence minister under ousted President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita. West African leaders have demanded the appointment of an interim president to oversee a planned 18-month-long transition to elections. Mali has struggled with mass protests over corruption, electoral probity, and a jihadist insurgency that has made much of the north and east ungovernable. President Keita, who took office in September 2013, proved unable to unify the country or face down the insurgency. MEDIA The media environment in Bamako and the south is relatively open, but the presence of armed militant groups in the north poses dangers for media workers, says Freedom House. Radio is the leading medium. There are hundreds of stations, run by the state as well as by private operators. TIMELINE Some key dates in Mali's history: 11th century - Empire of Mali becomes dominant force in the upper Niger basin. 14th-15th centuries - Decline of the Empire of Mali, which loses dominance of the gold trade to the Songhai Empire. Late 16th century - Moroccans defeat the Songhai, make Timbuktu their capital and rule until their decline in the 18th century. 1898 - France completes conquest of Mali, then called French Sudan. 1960 - Mali becomes independent with Modibo Keita as president. It becomes a one-party, socialist state. 2012 - Coup after which Islamist fighters capture several towns. France intervenes militarily and recaptures key towns from the rebels. 2015 - November - Islamist gunmen attack the Radisson Blu hotel in the capital Bamako. 2018 - Ibrahim Boubacar Keita re-elected for a second term as president. 2020- Military coup ousts President Keita.

एक समय में कई पूर्व-औपनिवेशिक साम्राज्यों का घर, भूमि से घिरा, शुष्क पश्चिम अफ्रीकी देश माली महाद्वीप के सबसे बड़े देशों में से एक है। सदियों से, इसका उत्तरी शहर टिंबक्टू एक प्रमुख क्षेत्रीय व्यापारिक केंद्र और इस्लामी संस्कृति का केंद्र था।


New Zealand gannet 'no mates Nigel' dies alongside fake partner

Summary: Nigel "no mates", a lonely New Zealand gannet who lived his life on the edge of the cliffs of an uninhabited island, has been found dead alongside his partner - a concrete replica bird.

Nigel had been on Mana Island for five years and was besotted with one of the 80 decoys spread across the island. Conservation ranger Chris Bell, who found Nigel's body last week, said his passing was "incredibly sad". "This just feels like the wrong ending to the story," Mr Bell said. Nigel was found next to his immobile concrete partner, who was part of a fake colony created to help lure gannets to Mana Island off the west coast of New Zealand's North Island. He had been observed over the years by volunteers who said they were touched after witnessing him carefully construct a nest from seaweed and twigs on the cliff edge in an apparent act of courtship in 2013. In a Facebook post on Thursday, conservation group Friends of Mana Island wrote that Nigel "won the hearts" of its members and visitors to the island. The group, which says that three other gannets recently arrived on the island as a "Christmas surprise", posted a poem dedicated to the dead bird, with the message: "RIP 'no mates' Nigel." "We weeded, we painted, we sprayed guano around," the post reads, adding: "We hoped you'd find the real thing." You might also be interested in: Mr Bell said that with the recent arrival of other gannets, Nigel's love affair may not have been "for nothing", the Guardian newspaper reports. "Whether or not he was lonely, he certainly never got anything back, and that must have been very strange experience," he said. "I think we all have a lot of empathy for him, because he had this fairly hopeless situation." Despite the arrival of the three other gannets, Nigel apparently refused to be separated from his replica mate and his commitment was confirmed when he later died by its side.

नाइजल "कोई साथी नहीं", एक अकेला न्यूजीलैंड गैनेट जो एक निर्जन द्वीप की चट्टानों के किनारे पर अपना जीवन जीता था, अपने साथी-एक ठोस प्रतिकृति पक्षी के साथ मृत पाया गया है।


The disruptive power of 3D printing

Summary: Advocates of 3D printing say that small, in-home machines will allow tinkerers and makers to unleash a wave of creative energy, constructing whatever they can imagine, whether replacement shower curtain rings, works of art or even cars.

By Anthony ZurcherEditor, Echo Chambers "The technology has not yet evolved to replace full manufacturing processes, but in its current nascent form it does cut down on prototyping, waste and transportation emissions - opening the door for more sustainable business practices across a range of industries," writes Chat Reynders of Reynders, McVeigh Capital Management for the Guardian's website. Reason magazine's Greg Beato says the focus on the myriad uses of the technology, from the artistic to the mundane, ignores the larger picture: 3D printing has the potential to be a disruptive, possibly revolutionary invention. What will happen, he writes, once millions of people are able "to make, copy, swap, barter, buy, and sell all the quotidian stuff with which they furnish their lives"? It's the end of big-box stores - Bed, Bath & Beyond, for one. But more than that, it could also strike a blow to the heart of government (music to Beato's libertarian ears). He explains how: Once the retail and manufacturing carnage starts to scale, the government carnage will soon follow. How can it not, when only old people pay sales tax, fewer citizens obtain their incomes from traditional easy-to-tax jobs, and large corporate taxpayers start folding like daily newspapers? Without big business, big government can't function. Beato contends that recent history shows that government will fight back. Just ask the online car-for-hire company Uber, which has struggled with taxi unions and local government approval in cities like Dallas and Seattle. Over the past decade or so, as newer technologies and fewer opportunities for traditional employment have prompted more people to act in entrepreneurially innovative ways, government's response has been the same: Consumers must be protected against strawberry balsamic jam made in home kitchens. Tourists must be protected against immaculately maintained carriage houses that can be rented on a daily basis for below-hotel rates. Travellers must be protected from cheap rides from the airport. There's a "dark side" to 3D printing, writes Lyndsey Gilpen of TechRepublic, and it's not just because the machines are "energy hogs" and possible sources of pollution. "3D printers are still potentially hazardous, wasteful machines, and their societal, political, economic, and environmental impacts have not yet been studied extensively," she says. There's a reason government has stepped in to regulate factories, after all. Unfettered manufacturing could have harmful consequences: Weapons can be 3D printed. So can safety equipment such as helmets, wheels for bikes, and toys for small children. Of course there is the issue of intellectual property and trademark, but the larger issue involves responsibility. If a person shoots a gun and harms or kills someone, stabs someone with a 3D printed knife, or breaks their neck while riding on a bike with a 3D printed helmet, who is held accountable? The owner of the printer, the manufacturer of the printer, or the irresponsible person who thought it was a good idea to produce and use an untested product? 3D printing is clearly one of the Next Big Things. Should politicians and CEOs be worried?

3डी प्रिंटिंग के अधिवक्ताओं का कहना है कि छोटी, घर में चलने वाली मशीनें टिंकरों और निर्माताओं को रचनात्मक ऊर्जा की एक लहर को मुक्त करने की अनुमति देंगी, जो कुछ भी वे कल्पना कर सकते हैं, चाहे वह प्रतिस्थापन शॉवर पर्दे की अंगूठी, कला के काम या यहां तक कि कारें हों।


Wolf Alice: 'Our album is like hummus'

Summary: Wolf Alice have won the 2018 Mercury Music Prize for their second album, Visions of a Life. Speaking to the BBC on its release in 2017, they discussed their eclectic sound, panic attacks and why Craig David should be prime minister.

By Mark SavageBBC Music reporter "It's crazy, Los Angeles," says Wolf Alice's bassist, Theo Ellis. "It's like a fictitious city." "You can go skiing and then come back down to the ocean," adds singer Ellie Rowsell, "or go to the desert and then into town." The band spent the start of 2017 in the city, recording Visions of a Life - their follow-up to the Mercury-nominated debut My Love Is Cool. Like that record, it tears up the indie-rock rule book, merrily flitting between wild-eyed punk (Yuk Foo), dreamy pop (Beautifully Unconventional) and chiming indie melodies (Planet Hunter). "We're easily influenced," laughs Rowsell. "But I think the thing we've learned the most is that you have to trust your gut." The band landed in LA on the day of Donald Trump's inauguration, noting that "everyone seemed really angry". But the political situation didn't overwhelm the record, most of which was written before Donald Trump's surprise victory. Instead, the lyrics are deeply personal, talking about departed friends, blossoming love affairs and, on Sky Musings, a panic attack Rowsell suffered 40,000 feet in the air. The first single, Yuk Foo, is two minutes of unbridled rage, but you wrote it in a dressing room at a TV show. Didn't the other guests get scared? Ellie: I've mastered this by having, unfortunately, lived with my parents my whole life. When you're supposed to be being quiet, but you want to write a song where you're shouting, I have my technique. It sounds a little bit like this. [Makes a sound uncannily like a chipmunk]. I promise it actually sounds like shouting if you layer it up and put enough effects on it! Theo: That might be the reason for our unique sound, is you trying to record angry songs very quietly. Was Yuk Foo targeted at anything in particular? Had someone left the M&Ms off your rider? Ellie: Yes, someone decided to put sun-dried tomatoes in my hummus. Theo: Scum! It's funny you bring up hummus… The first time I interviewed you, in 2014, you told me it was the only item on your rider. Ellie: Haha! We're very low maintenance. What's your favourite variety: Red Pepper, Moroccan, traditional? Ellie: I like anything with garlic in it. But yeah, probably just traditional. Theo: To be fair though, maybe we should get different varieties... Marks and Spencer does a selection pack. Theo: Too posh! Too bougie! Ellie: I think hummus is quite a good analogy for our album. You get all these different varieties but at the end of the day they're all hummus. Yuk Foo is a spicy hummus, Don't Delete The Kisses is beetroot. That's one of the things that impresses me about the album - You have a different sound, and even vocal style, from one track to the next. Is that something you considered in the writing process? Ellie: Not really the songwriting, but maybe the recording. We're all quite easily influenced. I'll watch one band and be like, "I want to be in that band" and then I'll watch another completely different band and be like, "actually, no, I want to be in that band". But why do I have to be in one or the other? I can go and write like a stoner rock dude, and then write a sugary folk song - and adopt the role of each singer without doing anything that feels unnatural to me. What band do you want to be in today? Theo: I want to be in Outkast, but played by the members of Drenge. OutDrenge. It feels like the lyrics on this album are more revealing than the first record... Ellie: I held back less on this record. It's something you grow into with confidence. If you were to write a diary and you held things back, when you went back to look at it when you were older, you'd be annoyed because you want to know how you truly felt. So I didn't want to do that. Musically, as well, we didn't do that. People often say guitar solos are embarrassing, but if they're working it's not embarrassing. Just do it. Speaking of which - did I hear a saxophone solo on Heavenward? Ellie: No! That's Joff's guitar. Theo: I really like it. It's a very specific guitar pedal that he bought. Ellie: It's called a Miku. Theo: The nature of the pedal is quite bizarre. It's supposed to emulate the singing voice of multiple Asian women. It's really, really weird. He just bought it on a whim, because he's always exploring how to make his guitar sound different. My mum thought it was bagpipes when I played it to her. St Purple and Green is a really personal lyric. It's about your grandmother, right? Ellie: Yes. My grandma, she was always a big talker but her mind slowly began to deteriorate. I remember I went to her house one day and she was saying: "I want to go there, purple and green." I was like, "What is she going on about?" but I also liked the way she was talking. One of the most inspiring things about her was she was always quite excited by the prospect of death. She always said, "Why would you be scared of it? It's the next big adventure." I guess Purple and Green is about that - don't be scared, you get to go to this new place. And the song Sky Musings sounds like a panic attack in three minutes. What inspired those lyrics? Ellie: I've had quite a few moments on long haul flights where I've had a couple of drinks and watched some rom-com and felt like I had a thousand million thoughts swimming around my head. Apparently it's a thing that happens on flights: Because its one of the only opportunities you get to do nothing, you start to have lots of thoughts which you'd normally push aside. And also, your life is in the hands of someone else, so people get very emotional. So Sky Musings is kind of the journey of that panic attack, which I had on lots of different flights, but rolled into one for the sake of a song. You've recently done some work with the Labour party. What's your view on Corbyn-mania? Theo: He's been adopted by a generation even younger than us, I reckon. He's the meme lord! The older media were a little reluctant to endorse him. Ellie: And it didn't stop him… or it did for a bit… Theo: Yeah, it stifled him but social media and a lot of youth-leaning outlets championed him. It's really interesting to see that - especially with Brexit being voted for, largely, by the older generation. But then, he's pro-Brexit. Theo: Yeah, I don't necessarily agree with him on Brexit. Ellie: But I think lots of people were for Brexit, when it wasn't really laid out to us what Brexit would mean. Theo: Politics is for everyone, and I don't feel everyone was given the right information on what was going on. People were ringing up the next day and saying, "Can I change my vote?" Will Brexit affect you as a band? Theo: It does directly affect touring in Europe. We have to get all the right pieces of information and documentation. Ellie: So many bands can't get to America because of Visa issues. If we're going to have to start needing Visas around Europe, it's the end of low-level touring. You built your career on touring. Why don't more bands do that? Ellie: It's expensive to tour. You have to remember that. We did it on a shoestring but we were lucky that we had a mate that would drive us, and we had jobs that would let us go. You're a big, formidable presence on stage now. Was that true at the beginning? Theo: No. We had no idea who we were at all! Ellie: I was probably more confident, in a way, because I thought no-one was paying attention. One thing I've noticed is that your influences are much broader than most guitar bands. Wasn't Craig David's Born To Do It the first record Theo bought? Theo: How the heck did you know that?! But, yeah, he's such a good performer. He's the Judi Dench of garage now. He's like a British icon. A hero. He went away for 10 years, moved to Miami, got massive, came back and started shelling it down at every festival on earth. He is also exceptionally polite in real life. Theo: I know! Craig David for next Labour leader. Ellie [singing]: Oh, Cra-i-ig David. What was your first record, Ellie? Ellie: I think mine was Missundaztood by Pink. That was Dua Lipa's first record, too. Ellie: Really? That's funny. I think Pink's like a rock star making pop music. Theo: Everyone likes Pink. And Dua Lipa leans her chair back very far on flights. It feels like there's a story there... Theo [in a strained voice]: "I need some wine, Dua Lipa is crushing me." Listen, Dua Lipa has no idea who I am. But shout out to her, I really like her. She's totally wicked. She's just really bad at flying. Wolf Alice's second album, Visions of a Life, is out on 29 September. Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.

वुल्फ एलिस ने अपने दूसरे एल्बम, विज़न्स ऑफ ए लाइफ के लिए 2018 का मरकरी संगीत पुरस्कार जीता है। 2017 में इसके जारी होने पर बी. बी. सी. से बात करते हुए, उन्होंने अपनी सारग्राही ध्वनि, पैनिक अटैक और क्रेग डेविड को प्रधान मंत्री क्यों बनाया जाना चाहिए, इस पर चर्चा की।


Meningitis B: Is there enough vaccine to go round?

Summary: As hundreds of thousands of people sign a petition for the meningitis B vaccine to be given to all children, BBC News asks why it is limited to babies of a certain age - and whether there is enough of it to go round.

The issue was thrust into the news when the mother of two-year-old Faye Burdett, who died from the B-strain of the infection, shared a photograph of her. Former England rugby player Matt Dawson has also revealed his child suffered from the C-strain of the illness. His toddler son Sami is now recovering well. A vaccine for meningitis C is available free for all children as part of the NHS childhood vaccination programme. At the moment though, the vaccine - called Bexsero - for meningitis B is only available free for babies born on or after 1 May 2015. The reason behind this is that babies and children under five are the most at risk, with a peak age of five months. However, if the carers of children who are too old to qualify for the vaccine free on the NHS want them to have the inoculation, they can buy it privately. Or can they? The supplier of the vaccine, GlaxoSmithKline, has released a statement to say: "Due to unexpected global demand for Bexsero during 2015, we are experiencing supply constraints during the first half of this year. "Although vaccination through the NHS childhood programme has been prioritised and is unaffected, we have unfortunately had to ask private clinics temporarily to not start new courses of vaccination. "Children who have already started their course of the vaccine privately should still be able to receive their follow-up doses. "We know the unexpectedly high demand for the vaccine reflects the importance parents have placed on protecting their children from meningitis B, so we are working hard to increase supply, and expect to have increased stock by summer 2016." Clinics across the country are telling worried parents they can join a waiting list for the vaccine. Boots UK, one of the leading pharmacies in the country, announced in November it was introducing a private meningitis B vaccination service for children aged two and older. But now it has said the service is unavailable for new patients, due to a shortage in the market. CityDoc, the largest supplier of the vaccine outside of the NHS, said it was unable to offer it to new patients. Babies who qualify for the free NHS vaccination are unaffected by the shortage. Stocks are expected to return to normal levels by July, GlaxoSmithKline said. What is meningitis B? Bexsero protects against infection by meningococcal group B bacteria, which are responsible for more than 90% of meningococcal infections in young children. The Meningitis Research Foundation (MRF) said "GPs and travel clinics throughout the UK and Ireland have been informed that the vaccine is available. "You should start by asking your own GP for the vaccine, as if they can provide it, this is likely to be the least costly option. "GPs may not be able to offer the vaccine to their own patients, but they may be able to arrange it via another surgery on private prescription. "You can also get the vaccine from a travel vaccination clinic in your area, or a private GP practice." As a guideline, the NHS list price of the vaccine is £75 a dose, excluding VAT, although GPs or clinics can set their own charges for administration, meaning prices in excess of £150 a dose are not unusual. More than one dose of the vaccine is needed for sufficient protection - the total number depends on the age of the person being vaccinated, but for some families it can be prohibitively expensive. "I've got three kids and I want them all to have the jabs," said Jane Hunter, from Carlisle. "I'd never put money before my kids' health, so I'll find the way somehow. Credit card maybe. "Looking at that poor little girl who died it's worth it." Sue Davie, chief executive of Meningitis Now, said: "Although the introduction of the Men B vaccine on the childhood immunisation scheme for young babies was a momentous achievement, saving thousands of lives, there are still so many, like Faye, left unprotected. "We continue to campaign to see the Men B vaccine rolled out, particularly to at-risk groups, to ensure a future where no-one in the UK loses their life to meningitis." A Department of Health spokesman said: "When any new immunisation programme is introduced, there has to be a date to determine eligibility. A decision is based on the best independent clinical recommendation to ensure we can protect those children most at risk of Men B. "When our nationwide Men B vaccination programme was introduced last year, England became the first country to protect our babies from this devastating disease."

जैसे ही लाखों लोग सभी बच्चों को मेनिनजाइटिस बी का टीका दिए जाने के लिए एक याचिका पर हस्ताक्षर करते हैं, बीबीसी न्यूज़ पूछता है कि यह एक निश्चित उम्र के शिशुओं तक ही सीमित क्यों है-और क्या यह देखने के लिए पर्याप्त है।


Euro's existential threat

Summary: The acrimonious breakdown of talks last night between Greece and other eurozone governments on a new financial and economic settlement for the debt-burdened country isn't just another swerve in the longest game of chicken in financial history.

Robert PestonEconomics editor It crystallises for the first time how much is at stake for Berlin and other eurozone governments, in the nature of what led to this latest impasse. Because the fact that Berlin, Madrid, Lisbon, Dublin and the rest are insistent that Greece must agree to an extension of the current bailout, and its terms (however flexibly interpreted), goes to the heart of the matter. For Germany et al the long-term success of the euro depends on the perception that its rules, and the applications of its rules, apply to all, in all circumstances. If they create an exception for Greece, they fear they may find themselves obliged by politics and justice to revisit the austerity and hardship forced on Ireland, Portugal, Spain and Cyprus. The euro would look like a hastily cobbled together monetary pact driven from pillar to post by economic expediency, with no reliable underlying governance structure. Or at least so they worry. And that would be the road to endemic economic and financial instability. But there may be an even worse outcome for them from this impasse - which is that Greece could leave the euro. That arguably would be an even more severe existential threat to the euro than bending the fiscal and financing rules for Greece. Because in theory the euro is forever. That is what all the law associated with it says. And once it is not forever for Greece, it is not forever for any nation, even Germany. Whether Berlin likes it or not, the moment Greece leaves, those who control the world's huge pools of liquidity or cash will start placing bets on the next country to head for the exit. Once that happens, eurozone fragmentation is almost impossible to reverse: the vast and widening gulf in access to global capital between vulnerable and stronger eurozone economies would reinforce their diverging economic performances. Gamble As the rich north became ever richer relative to the over-indebted south, a more devastating eurozone breakup would become almost inevitable. So, it is the big gamble of Greece and its finance minister Yanis Varoufakis that its exit will ultimately be seen by Berlin as the bigger existential threat. To be clear Greek exit is also an existential threat for the Syriza government, given that most Greeks say they want to keep the euro. But Syriza can be confident Greece would endure if Greece leaves the euro, although the country would be considerably poorer for a while. By contrast, Berlin, Paris and the rest simply cannot be confident the euro will be for all time if Greece is either bundled out the exit door or chooses to walk through it. Because it would demonstrate that the euro had failed in its core underlying purpose, which was to bind its members ever closer together, economically, financially and - perhaps critically - in a political sense too.

ग्रीस और अन्य यूरोज़ोन सरकारों के बीच कल रात कर्ज के बोझ से दबे देश के लिए एक नए वित्तीय और आर्थिक समझौते पर बातचीत का तीखा टूटना वित्तीय इतिहास में चिकन के सबसे लंबे खेल में सिर्फ एक और मोड़ नहीं है।


South Africa in shock after AstraZeneca vaccine rollout halted

Summary: South Africa's decision to halt its rollout of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine after a study showed "disappointing" results against its new Covid-19 variant may have left the nation in shock, but it also shows how scientists are at the forefront of the battle against coronavirus.

By Pumza FihlaniBBC News, Johannesburg One and half million doses of the jab had been bought for healthcare workers and they were due to start getting their vaccinations this week How do frontline workers feel? There is no denying that they feel anxious. Siviwe Gwarube, head of health for the main opposition Democratic Alliance, said the setback left them vulnerable to a third wave. South Africa has recorded almost 1.5 million coronavirus cases and more than 46,000 deaths since the pandemic began - a higher toll than any other country on the continent. "I had a lot of hope that the vaccine would change the situation we're in as a country. A lot of people are losing jobs. I'm a medical student and we are really exposed to Covid-19. It was a blow for me when I heard that the efficacy of the vaccine was lower," a young male medic, who asked to remain anonymous, told the BBC. But health experts say while the new variant has affected South Africa's initial vaccine plan, all is not lost - and 100,000 older nurses and other health workers will still be given the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine as part of a new trial. This is because they believe that the vaccine may still be effective in preventing severe illness and go some way to reducing the number of people who need to be admitted to hospital for treatment. This is important in a country where some 80% of the population cannot afford private health care and rely on state hospitals, which are currently overstretched. Was the AstraZeneca trial a waste of time? No, say South African experts. "We are experiencing science in real time," says Dr Kerrin Begg, a public medicine specialist at the University of Cape Town. And South Africa's health officials have been commended for following the advice of scientists in their handling of the coronavirus outbreak. Many of their, at times, controversial decisions have been driven by erring on the side of caution. In this case, the most recent phase of the study on the AstraZeneca vaccine was carried out on 2,000 people whose average age was 31. Recent data from the trial shows it was not effective against mild and moderate symptoms of the more contagious South African variant, also known as 501.V2 or B.1.351. This is a stumbling block as 90% of new infections in South Africa are of the new variant. The scientists now want to see if the study on the group of 100,000 nurses and other healthcare workers will show if the vaccine is effective against the new variant and in preventing severe illness in an older age group And Dr Begg says the public should not lose sight of how much has been achieved by scientists not just in South Africa but globally since the virus's outbreak last year. "Vaccines usually take years to develop because they are amongst the most regulated substances on Earth. But we're in a position now where many have been passed for safety and are becoming available to the public, that is an incredible achievement." Are anti-vax sentiments a factor? South Africans generally do not have a problem with vaccinations - from birth, children are immunised for various diseases including polio, measles and chicken pox and hepatitis B up until they begin school. These programmes are done through both private and state hospitals. However, in the case of coronavirus, there have been some who have voiced concerns about the speed at which the vaccines have been made available, partly down to fake news peddled on social media and conspiracy theories accusing pharmaceuticals of trying to "poison" people through the vaccines. Even some of those working on the frontline have doubts, including this male health worker in Johannesburg, who asked not to be named: "I am worried that they want to test these vaccines on us healthcare workers. "We work in medicine, it's a concern to me that we don't know all the side-effects of these vaccines and their contra-indications but we're expected to just take them and don't have a say." Yet most are confident in the science as expressed by a medic working on paediatric wards in a Johannesburg hospital: "If there was a vaccine we could use I would feel more protected, less anxious, feel that there's hope. "Vaccines have been helping us for ages in South Africa, I would take any vaccine that's proven to be safe and effective." Another Johannesburg resident agreed: "We lost family members because of Covid. "We need to get vaccines that work so we can get on with our lives," she said. So what happens next? There are suggestions that if this nurses' trial goes well, AstraZeneca will still be administered to all health workers and to be followed with a "booster" once it becomes available. The country's new plan, according to Health Minister Zweli Mkhize, includes the new Johnson & Johnson single-dose vaccine - of which it has ordered nine million doses Trials of that vaccine have shown a high degree of efficacy against Covid-19, including the new variant discovered in South Africa in November and since confirmed in at least 30 other countries worldwide. The government has also secured 20 million doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine. Both expected to arrive in the next few months. Officials say they are now working on accelerating their delivery. How bad is the situation in South Africa? South Africa has recently passed the peak of a second wave of infections. But scientists warn of another surge in the winter months, around June, so officials are imploring citizens not to drop their guard. "Vaccines are not going to stop Covid. Human behaviour is still one of the most important tools," says Dr Begg. "People need to understand that the first defence is washing hands, keep wearing masks, practice social distance and limiting being in large crowds." And as Prof Shabir Madhi, who led the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine trial in South Africa, has warned - mutations are always going to be a problem. The message is "it is not too late" to change your behaviour to beat the virus. Around the BBC Africa Today podcasts

एक अध्ययन के बाद ऑक्सफोर्ड-एस्ट्राजेनेका वैक्सीन के अपने रोलआउट को रोकने के दक्षिण अफ्रीका के फैसले ने अपने नए कोविड-19 संस्करण के खिलाफ "निराशाजनक" परिणामों से देश को सदमे में छोड़ दिया होगा, लेकिन यह यह भी दर्शाता है कि वैज्ञानिक कैसे कोरोनावायरस के खिलाफ लड़ाई में सबसे आगे हैं।


Aberdeen Journals confirm distribution outsourcing deal

Summary: A move to outsource the distribution of the Press and Journal and Evening Express newspapers has been confirmed.

Owner DC Thomson is holding a redundancy consultation with 59 affected staff in Aberdeen and Inverness. The delivery of the Aberdeen Newspaper titles will be handled by Menzies Distribution from Monday 10 September. Ellis Watson, chief executive officer for publishing, said the decision was taken to prevent business declining. DC Thomson bought the titles in 2006.

प्रेस एंड जर्नल और इवनिंग एक्सप्रेस समाचार पत्रों के वितरण को आउटसोर्स करने के कदम की पुष्टि की गई है।


Huge vegetable oil fire at North Cave recycling plant

Summary: Firefighters have tackled a huge blaze at a recycling plant where 600 tonnes of vegetable oil went up in flames on Christmas Day.

At its height, 62 firefighters and 12 engines were at the biogas plant in Crosslands Lane in North Cave. There have been no reported casualties as the plant was not believed to be operational at the time. People nearby were urged to keep windows and doors closed as a precaution. Humberside Fire and Rescue Service said crews remained at the scene throughout Boxing Day checking for hotspots and liaising with the owners of the plant. Follow BBC Yorkshire on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to yorkslincs.news@bbc.co.uk.

अग्निशामकों ने एक पुनर्चक्रण संयंत्र में लगी भीषण आग पर काबू पा लिया है, जहां क्रिसमस के दिन 600 टन वनस्पति तेल में आग लग गई थी।


Barack Obama's presidency: Why hope shrivelled

Summary: Barack Obama was sworn in as president of the United States on the "audacity of hope" but four years on, the great orator - fuelled by such bold optimism and grand promises - appears to have been replaced by a very different man, says Andrew Marr.

Who would have thought it? Who - left or right, Democrat or Republican - would have believed four years ago, after his ecstatic campaign and election, that Barack Obama would be fighting for his political life? This was a man once compared, only half jokingly, to a political messiah, a saviour, a faith healer - who could bring Americans together again and wash away the raw anger of the Bush years. Now he is within an inch of losing to Mitt Romney, a wealthy Republican Mormon who many of his own supporters recently despaired of. We set out for Chicago, Washington and New York with a simple question: what happened to hope? Was it that the 2008 financial crash and the threat of a second Depression just blew away the optimism? Was it his own impossible promises, combined with inexperience? Was it endemic failure in the US political system? Or raw Republican enmity? Certainly, we heard the most dramatic possible accounts of the awful economic situation which confronted Obama even before inauguration. Many thought American capitalism itself was about to collapse. Austen Goolsbee, the Chicago economics professor who helped steer policy through the first part of the Obama administration, described the bad news - coming in a blur of awful figures - as "just one terrifying thing after another". He had told Obama after one particularly grim session that it might have been the worst background briefing any president-elect had had since Lincoln's in 1861, when the Union was about to break apart. Obama had glanced up at him and replied: "Goolsbee, that's not even my worst briefing this week." With a massive fiscal stimulus, Obama saved the economy from total collapse, and on the way saved the imperilled automobile industry. But some economists thought he got it badly wrong, failing to take the chance to change the system itself. Jeffrey Sachs, sometimes described as the world's most famous economist, told me he thought adding half a trillion dollars on to the deficit without a plan was "rather shocking". He did not feel Obama's administration was dealing with the fundamental problems of a deeply unequal and under-invested economy, which had exported too many jobs abroad. "This is not a country in good shape. We have 15% of the population in poverty, we have one in six or one in seven on food stamps, we have about half of our households within at least twice the poverty line or below, meaning that we have a staggering share of America that is financially struggling right now." Certainly, it is that sense of a struggling middle class that has dogged Obama's campaign and given Romney some of his best lines. We spoke to plenty of people who, while applauding Obama's attempt to reform healthcare, thought it had deflected him from the economy and stirred up ferocious hostility he could have done without. Obama's complex health compromise certainly proved a hard sell. It produced disastrous 2010 mid-term election results for the Democrats - their worst performance since 1948. After that, Washington was gridlocked and Obama's power at home severely curtailed. Obama had said "Yes, we can" but he failed to translate a brief sense of common purpose into a movement that would carry him through. On foreign policy, the killing of Osama Bin Laden, and the use of drone strikes - controversial abroad - have been wildly popular. But Obama's early promises to close Guantanamo Bay and bring about a new era of trust between the US and the Muslim world have turned to dust. He over-promised. He believed in his own importance as a symbol of change. But a symbol of change and an agent of change are two very different things. It is quite true that in Congress, the Republicans waged a brutal and remorseless campaign to frustrate him. The level of vituperation and abuse Obama took at the hands of insurgent Tea Party activists went far beyond civilised disagreement. Yet Obama cannot escape responsibility for his own failure to communicate. His biographer Jodi Kantor, of The New York Times, speculated that he might rely too much on his own intelligence. "He is an extremely solitary man. He's the most introverted president we've seen in the United States for decades." As an explainer, Bill Clinton has been far more effective over the past few weeks, to the point where Obama calls him "the Secretary of State for Explaining Stuff". Yet I came away believing the real reason for that shrivelling optimism of 2008 was deeper. This is a great country which is losing its economic dominance and has not found any kind of consensus about how it might be recovered. Politicians have loaded the country with debt, much of it now owned by China. Tough choices have been avoided. As Sachs pointed out, a thicket of dense, semi-corrupt relationships between big money and politics has overgrown Washington. Meanwhile, increasingly, Americans live in their own separate liberal and conservative worlds, listening to different media, barely conversing. Instead of steering the ship, the crew are throwing punches. It would have required some kind of saviour to turn all that around. Obama is a clever and likeable man. But he is not the Messiah.

एंड्रयू मार का कहना है कि बराक ओबामा ने "आशा के दुस्साहस" पर संयुक्त राज्य अमेरिका के राष्ट्रपति के रूप में शपथ ली थी, लेकिन चार साल बाद, इस तरह के साहसिक आशावाद और भव्य वादों से प्रेरित महान वक्ता की जगह एक बहुत ही अलग व्यक्ति ने ले ली है।


'LTTE ordered killing of surrendees'

Summary: Karuna Amman a former Tamil Tiger militant in Sri Lanka, now a government minister, has admitted that his comrades killed more than 600 policemen 20 years ago in the part of the country he then controlled as a Tiger leader.

Vinayagamoorthy Muralitharan, commonly known as Colonel Karuna Amman said, he was in a different part of Sri Lanka at the time. Testifying before a government-appointed commission looking at the Sri Lankan war, blamed Tiger’s leader and intelligence chief for killings. 600 policeman Colonel Karuna’s defection from the Tamil Tigers or LTTE six years ago is seen as having led to their all-out military defeat in 2009. Now a vice-president of Sri Lanka’s governing party, he’s been dogged by allegations that he has abused human rights. He has now told the war commission that more than 600 policemen were indeed killed in eastern Sri Lanka when he headed the LTTE there, something some earlier witnesses alleged. But Col Karuna said he was then in Jaffna in the north. He said the Tigers’ leader, Prabhakaran, and their intelligence chief were to blame, as they had taken in the police who, he said, were never heard of again. The former Tiger said he joined the militants as a teenager and received training in India during the time of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. Big mistake Ironically, the Tigers later assassinated her son, Rajiv. He said this was a “big mistake” but added that Indian peackeeping troops sent to the island by Mr Gandhi when he was prime minister had killed many Sri Lankan Tamils and raped many women; he implied that one such woman was used as the suicide bomber who killed Mr Gandhi. Col Karuna Amman, like other Sri Lankan government members, dismissed the idea that government forces should face war crimes charges. He said the Tigers, his former comrades, had used 300,000 Tamil civilians as a human shield against the state military, and that the latter’s military campaign was necessary in order to release them.

श्रीलंका में एक पूर्व तमिल टाइगर आतंकवादी करुणा अम्मन, जो अब एक सरकारी मंत्री हैं, ने स्वीकार किया है कि उनके साथियों ने 20 साल पहले देश के उस हिस्से में 600 से अधिक पुलिसकर्मियों की हत्या कर दी थी, जिस पर वे एक बाघ नेता के रूप में नियंत्रण रखते थे।


Views sought on double council tax plan for Wales

Summary: Plans to charge extra council tax on holiday homes and empty properties in Wales could be softened as consultations are launched.

From April 2017, councils will be able to charge up to 100% extra in a bid to control house prices and put more empty properties back into use. Public Services Minister Leighton Andrews asked whether there should be exemptions for "unreasonable" charges. He gave the example of someone actively trying to sell or let an empty house. Separate consultations on the charges for second homes and empty properties will run until June. An estimated 23,000 homes in Wales are empty or used as second homes.

वेल्स में छुट्टियों के घरों और खाली संपत्तियों पर अतिरिक्त परिषद कर लगाने की योजना को नरम किया जा सकता है क्योंकि परामर्श शुरू किए जाते हैं।


'Zombie' companies eating away at economic growth

Summary: You may have seen zombies in horror movies - the bodies of lost souls, neither alive nor dead - but experts are increasingly talking of a zombie colony in the UK economy, which is expanding and threatening to impede recovery and a return to growth.

By Hugh PymChief economics correspondent, BBC News The rise of so-called zombie companies is, to some extent, a consequence of the UK's current record low interest rates. Struggling companies can just about afford the interest payments on their loans, but not much more. There are zombie households, too - those on interest-only mortgages, yet unable to pay off the loan itself. "A zombie company is one which is generating just about enough cash to service its debt, so the bank is not obliged to pull the plug on the loan," explains Mark Thomas, business strategy expert at PA Consulting and author of The Zombie Economy. "The company can limp along, it can survive, but it hasn't got enough money to invest." According to R3, the industry group that represents insolvency practitioners, there are an estimated 146,000 zombie businesses in the UK - and, says R3, that figure is on the rise. And according to experts around a third of these - approaching 50,000 - could be doomed to failure if interest rates go up: "They could pull through, but urgent attention is needed to avoid the catastrophe of multiple failures and tens of thousands of job losses," says Christine Elliott, chief executive of the Institute for Turnaround, which represents financial professionals brought in to help ailing companies. But there are concerns that banks are keeping these no-hope companies alive in order to avoid taking further, potentially significant losses - and this, in turn, could be holding them back from new lending, which is needed to boost the economy. More failure needed Finding a zombie company prepared to own up to its status is not easy, but I finally tracked one down in East London. The owner, who does not want to be identified, has been a successful developer for 20 years building up a portfolio of shops and offices in the South East of England. But he is currently stuck with more than £500,000 ($794,000) of debt, which was run up before the financial crisis. Since the credit crunch, his bank has refused to lend any more money to allow him to build houses on his main site, a former knitwear factory. And that has left him in limbo. Speaking to Radio 4's File on 4 programme, the developer says the situation is "demoralising" and he feels trapped: "We are in a hole and we can't really get out because it's not like you can trade... without any money from the banks you can't trade." The plunge in commercial property values has played its part in the zombie phenomenon. The British Council of Shopping Centres acknowledges that the industry is facing difficult challenges, with one in five centres already defaulting on loans, or in danger of going that way. Property values in the sector have plunged more than a third since the top of the market - but lenders are reluctant to pull the plug because they know they will struggle to sell the assets. The investor and entrepreneur Jon Moulton thinks the zombies pose a threat to the wider economy. "We do need to have a situation where bad businesses fail, otherwise the economy will stack up with progressively weaker business models and growth will go into reverse," he says. So-called forbearance - where banks give a breathing space to borrowers - has been a matter of concern for regulators, too. They have urged banks to build up their capital reserves, so that they can more easily bear the losses when they pull the plug on zombie businesses. Critics of the banks argue they are applying forbearance to avoid making tough decisions on loans. But Derek Sach, head of debt restructuring at RBS, denies that banks are failing to face up to their losses because they cannot afford to plug the holes in their balance sheets: "We rigorously go through our books on a monthly basis, looking at loans where we should be making provisions - we are taking the appropriate steps to take write-downs wherever we should." The wider concern for the economy is that money tied up in struggling companies is not available for more vibrant small businesses or entrepreneurs. Andrew Bailey, head of banking supervision at the Financial Services Authority, says the issue is high on his list of priorities: "It's not a bad thing to be extending credit terms to companies in this way, providing it isn't choking off new lending and new investment. "That's why we and the Bank of England are so focussed on that question," he told File on 4. "Zombie companies" is not a phrase that bankers and regulators like to use. Most shy away from the idea and prefer to talk in their usual jargon, like "forbearance" and "provisions". But there is no doubt that the dead hand of the zombies is casting a shadow over the economy. Listen to the full report on File on 4 on BBC Radio 4 on Tuesday, 13 November at 20:00 GMT and Sunday, 18 November GMT at 17:00 GMT. Listen again via the Radio 4 website or the File on 4 podcast.

आपने डरावनी फिल्मों में लाशों को देखा होगा-खोए हुए आत्माओं के शरीर, न तो जीवित और न ही मृत-लेकिन विशेषज्ञ तेजी से ब्रिटेन की अर्थव्यवस्था में एक ज़ोंबी कॉलोनी की बात कर रहे हैं, जो विस्तार कर रहा है और सुधार और विकास में वापसी को बाधित करने की धमकी दे रहा है।


Highlands and Islands university mace made in Edinburgh

Summary: A mace is being made for Scotland's newest university.

The ceremonial staff will be unveiled on 25 August at celebrations marking the creation of the University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI). Silversmiths at Hamilton and Inches in Edinburgh are close to finishing the mace, which features ash wood, silver and gold. UHI said the design symbolised the landscape and natural elements of the Highlands and Islands. The university has a network of colleges and centres in the Highlands, Western and Northern isles, Moray, Argyll and Perthshire.

स्कॉटलैंड के सबसे नए विश्वविद्यालय के लिए एक गदा बनाई जा रही है।


Covid: Pubs and restaurants reopen outdoors in Wales

Summary: People in Wales have been visiting pubs and restaurants for the first time in almost five months.

From Monday, pubs, cafes and restaurants in Wales are able to reopen to customers outdoors. Up to six people from six households are now able to meet, with social distancing and hygiene measures in place. Outdoor attractions, such as zoos and theme parks, can also reopen under the latest easing of lockdown. Wedding receptions and funerals can again be held outdoors at regulated premises with up to 30 people. Organised outdoor activities, such as sport activities limited to 30 people, are also able to resume. Protests are also now allowed but will need to be organised by a "responsible body with appropriate mitigations, including undertaking a risk assessment". Hospitality is set to reopen indoors from 17 May, along with increased limits on those who can attend organised events, but this depends on case rates and the make-up of the Welsh government after the election on 6 May. Wales' rolling seven-day case rate is now 12.9 per 100,000 people, the lowest level since 3 September. More than a fifth of people in Wales have now had a full Covid vaccine. Volunteers and those who are unable to work from home can also order a lateral flow self-test kit to be delivered to their home from Monday. First Minister Mark Drakeford said because "meeting outdoors continues to be lower risk than meeting indoors" the lockdown easing was able to go ahead. The Welsh Conservatives said it was a "welcome but long overdue" reopening for these sectors. Plaid Cymru said it was thanks to "the collective effort of the people of Wales" that the changes could happen. The Welsh Liberal Democrats described it as a "cautious but welcome" first step to reopening. SIGN UP FOR WALES ALERTS: Get extra updates on BBC election coverage 'First drink of the year' Friends Linda Trollope and Pat Cooper have been enjoying a gin on the terrace of Murray's Sports Bar in Bargoed, Caerphilly county. "It is so lovely just to be out in the open and in the sun again," said Ms Trollope. "First drink of the year, we couldn't wait for it to open again, even if it is outside." "I wish I wore a t-shirt, instead of my winter jumper. We're celebrating in style," added Ms Cooper. Jean Ellis, from Rhyl, Denbighshire, was at the Dinorben Arms in Bodfari celebrating her son's birthday. "It's lovely," she said. "I was restricted to my own home for so long because I have heart problems and I have to be very careful, but I've had both my vaccinations now, so I'm hopefully clear now." 'Still limited' Nick Saunders, director of an entertainment and food venue in Cardiff, said he was "delighted to be back open" after being shut for the past five months. He said it was "crucial" to get more than 60 members of staff who have been on furlough back to work. From Monday, the venue will be operating 40 tables offering street food, with table service carried out via an app. However, Mr Saunders said he was "still limited" by the entertainment he could offer, saying "there's no real entertainment we can do apart from background music". "We'd be delighted to get back to entertaining people in the way that we have done previously," he said. 'Small and strong community' Meanwhile, Elen Morris said there would be "a lot to do" to prepare for reopening her pub in Bala, Gwynedd, after five months of being shut. Ms Morris said opening outdoors would not be "financially viable" because there would be "triple the staff, and a quarter of the capacity", but once they could open indoors customers would be there "day in, day out". "People used to go out and have a pint on their own and talk to bar staff until somebody else came in - and by the end of the night they would know who is who in the pub and all get along," she said. Suzanne Hallmark-Powell, who was preparing for a busy day in her beer garden in Ystalyfera, near Swansea, told BBC Radio Wales that if the sunny weather continued everything would be OK. "If it's like during the last lockdown when we reopened, all it did was rain for two weeks, and that put us even further back," she said. She added she was looking forward to seeing her regulars again, saying: "A lot of my regulars are elderly people that live on their own, so that walk to their pub or shop, that's their only socialisation." As cafes and pubs could start serving customers outside, people enjoyed a drink in the sunshine at Barry Island. Friends Vicky Evans and Lauren Ing enjoyed a cup of coffee in the sunshine after travelling from Herefordshire, and said they might go for "something stronger later". After bringing his deck chair to the beach every day, to be able to sit outside, Jim Kennedy said it was "wonderful" to finally be able to meet friends for a drink. Thomas Jones, who grabbed a pint at 11:00 BST when the Lamb and Flag in Rhayader reopened, said it had been "a long winter" for the industry. "It's good to get out and support them," he said, "We are hoping for a better summer in the town and looking forward to visitors." 'The animals will enjoy the company of visitors' Meanwhile, in neighbouring county Conwy, Nick Jackson's zoo is also preparing to open its doors again to visitors. He said he was "over the moon" to reopen and staff had been working "frantically". "We're so pleased to be opening and getting income back, but it still hangs over our heads the worry as to what the future holds." He said the zoo's closure to the public - including being shut for two Easter periods - has been "very difficult, in a direct practical way because of the loss of income". "Although we're back on Monday we're not back to the level of normality we would like to see." The zoo will have a visitor number cap of 1,500 people who can enter per day. Mr Jackson said the site would only be able to reopen its outdoor areas, while its cafe is just operating for takeaways. However, he said he thought that many of the zoo's animals - including primates and monkeys - would "enjoy the company of the visitors coming in" because they find them entertaining and amusing. 'Out on the water' The lockdown changes also mean adults will also be able to return to outdoor activity centres. Alison Yates, operations and programme manager at a centre in Caernarfon, said the team was pleased visitors "will now be able to experience the huge benefits that come from being out on the water, especially after a period which has been tough for many reasons, including on mental health". The attraction - which offers outdoor activities and watersports courses - initially reopened on 2 April for under-18s living in Wales, but from Monday it is able to welcome all visitors from across the UK. 'Eager to get on the green' For Alan Thompson, 74, the easing of restrictions means he will be able to step back on the bowling green for the first time in over three years after recovering from a stroke. While playing was banned, Mr Thompson, from Llantrisant, had been practicing by taking part in virtual games during lockdown. "I honestly didn't think I'd ever be able to play bowls again, but playing virtual bowls helped me ease back into it and I've found my confidence again," he said. "I've done the rehearsal and now it's time for the real performance out on the green." 'You can't guarantee the weather' However, Bre Carrington-Sykes said despite restrictions easing to allow 30 at outdoor weddings, many of the bookings at her wedding venue still cannot go ahead. The venue in Llandyrnog, Denbighshire, typically accommodates up to 150 people for a wedding booking. She said so far she just has two weddings able to go ahead in June, but there are at least 70 weddings still waiting to happen because couples want more than 30 people present. "Until we open up properly, many of our weddings can't go ahead. "On a wedding day, we could have roughly 40 staff - including caterers, florists - working here." "Usually we'd have a wedding every weekend from March to the end of October. Last year we had 43 weddings booked. "We're maintaining the place and desperate to get open, refurbishing different pieces, but an outdoor wedding even for 30 people - you can't guarantee the weather," she said. 'Desperate for clarity' Tracey Owen, who owns a wedding venue, in Llangollen, Denbighshire, said three weeks notice was "pretty pointless" for most couples and many venues were already booked up. "Weddings need a couple of months to prepare... and our couples are making decisions for weddings due to take place months away," she told BBC Radio Wales. She repeated calls for clarity for couples and the industry, saying people were "desperate" to know when receptions would be able to be held indoors. "We've lost all of our weddings to postponements to later dates... our couples have been so patient we really need that clarity," she said. The Welsh government said it had provided the "most generous offer of help anywhere in the UK" with a package of financial assistance for firms worth more than £2bn. A spokeswoman said it was looking to run a number of pilot events in May and June, connected to the test events programme happening in England. "We will assess these results and will work closely with the events sector with the aim of restoring activities safely and successfully in Wales as soon as we're able to do so," she said. What do Wales' political parties say? Mr Drakeford, the Welsh Labour leader, said the reopening of hospitality outdoors would provide more opportunities for people to meet and have a "significant positive impact on people's well-being". A Welsh Conservative spokesman said the reopening of sectors such as outdoor hospitality was "welcome but long overdue, particularly when clarity could've been afforded to these businesses some time ago". "Regrettably, Labour ministers have chosen to play politics at the expense of people's businesses and livelihoods, and that's why the Welsh Conservatives pledge to cut the confusion and end the political games in Cardiff Bay after May's Senedd election." Adam Price, leader of Plaid Cymru, said it was "thanks to the collective effort of the people of Wales" and NHS staff that rules could be eased. "Like people all over Wales, I can't wait to support local businesses by enjoying a socially distanced drink after a long day campaigning for Plaid Cymru." Welsh Liberal Democrat leader Jane Dodds said the reopening was a "cautious but welcome" first step to the recovery of the hospitality sector, which it "desperately needs". "For many firms, takings will be significantly down as they can only operate at a reduced capacity and it's important that financial assistance from the government continues," she said. A modern browser with JavaScript and a stable internet connection is required to view this interactive. More information about these elections Who can I vote for in my area? Enter your postcode, or the name of your English council or Scottish or Welsh constituency to find out. Eg 'W1A 1AA' or 'Westminster'

वेल्स में लोग लगभग पाँच महीनों में पहली बार पब और रेस्तरां जा रहे हैं।


Rescued Caernarfon sewer snake reunited with owner

Summary: A snake rescued from a sewage system in Gwynedd has been reunited with its owner four months after it is believed to have escaped down a toilet.

The RSPCA was contacted after a Carolina corn snake was found by staff at a treatment works in Llanllyfni, near Caernarfon. Rebecca Wood spotted the rescue story in a newspaper and "knew immediately" it was her son's snake Charlie. "I always had a feeling she would come back," said Ms Wood. "We're unclear how she escaped, but after she got out, we found shampoo bottles knocked over all around our bathroom. "We're just relieved to have Charlie home, who is now getting plenty of rest."

ग्वेनेड में एक सीवेज प्रणाली से बचाया गया एक सांप शौचालय से भागने के चार महीने बाद अपने मालिक के साथ फिर से मिल गया है।


What do you think of a public transport snack ban?

Summary: A ban to stop people snacking on public transport has been mooted by England's outgoing chief medical officer, in a bid to tackle childhood obesity. Has the plan found favour with commuters across the country, or left a bad taste in the mouth?

Six out of every 30 children are obese - and it's because they are being "flooded" with junk food, according to Professor Dame Sally Davies. She has suggested a number of measures to tackle the growing crisis, but the one that has sparked the most debate is her proposal to ban snacking on certain public transport. There was a caveat to her proposal: "Prohibit eating and drinking on urban public transport, except fresh water, breastfeeding and for medical conditions." But what do people who have to make these journeys think of the idea? In Wolverhampton, which is one of the worst places for childhood obesity, Maan Surdhar said a public transport snack ban would not solve the problem. "I think children need to be more active," said the 29-year-old who lives in London and is a postgraduate at the University of Wolverhampton. "In London, people are more aware of their health, children seem to be more active. "But here all I see is children hanging around takeaways, eating all the time and then they go home and there's a real problem with gaming addiction too. "I don't think the answer is banning food on public transport, because even though they might not eat on the bus for example, they'll still eat it outside won't they?" Rosemary O'Connor, 61, from Aldersley in Wolverhampton, said: "I don't think they should ban eating on public transport. "I get buses and coaches often and have a snack on them because it's the only time I have sometimes. "It's down to parents - a little and often can do you no harm can it?" Tony Morgan, 55, who works in security at Wolverhampton railway station branded the plan "ridiculous". "I don't think it would help stop kids being obese," he said. "The main thing is that parents are busy now and so it's easier to pick up a takeaway." Michelle Crosbie, who is a public health lecturer for University of Wolverhampton, called for projects to tackle the root of the child obesity problem. "The government has launched various schemes and looked at school dinners, but if you can come out of school and access fast food that's not going to help," she said. "But banning food on public transport may not be the right way to do this. We need to fund grassroots initiatives with families and give children safe and accessible places to play in a way that combines physical exercise and technology. " In Liverpool, Stacey said she agreed with the ban but not for young children. "As a parent you've got to be able to give them a snack - and they can have a healthy snack," she said. "Fast food and hot food yes, it's horrible sitting next to people eating that on the bus. That should not be allowed." In Nottingham, Sue Walters said: "If you want to change what people eat, you should target the manufacturers, not the end users. "People often don't have the time or information to make better choices but if the products are better, you immediately change what is being consumed." Jo Drage said: "How would you enforce it? Who is going to police it? "Who will judge when someone has to eat and what they can eat?" Commuter Emma O'Riordan posted on Twitter that the idea was "nonsense" and pointed to the need to eat on the run. "I'm currently on a bus for work that left at 06:35 BST so I left the house at 06:25. I'll be damned if anyone is taking my snack from me. "Also, have the authors of this report been around 'hangry' kids? "If you share an hour-long bus trip home with kids after school, would you rather see them have a snack or a meltdown?" TV presenter Kate Quilton, who fronted Channel 4's Food Unwrapped, said: "The issue is what kids are eating, not when. "Giving my baby a bit of banana on the bus can be a godsend. (A) public transport ban is not the solution." A senior conductor with West Midlands Trains told BBC 5 live it was a "ridiculous idea" from a practical standpoint. "I'm just wondering who this nannying nincompoop thinks is going to enforce this? Does she want us to strip search people before they get on the train, or seize the food off them when they start snacking? "I get enough grief just asking somebody to take their feet off the seats, if I tried to take their food off them I'd have a riot on the train." Some people could see the benefits of the idea, but queried the approach. Anne Terry, in Tunbridge Wells, said: "I can see a ban would be put in for the right reasons, but I'm not sure a blanket ban is the right way to go." Fellow commuter Clive Freeman added: "I think people having hot, smelly foods on the train is more annoying for passengers than eating in general. "If this is about obesity, it would be better if they just said no fizzy drinks or junk food. It's really for the manufacturers to make the food and drink they produce a bit healthier." Dr Simon Blainey, an associate professor of transport at the University of Southampton, said it was a "terrible idea" and an "excellent way to discourage people from travelling by healthy and sustainable modes". Mark Ryan, a commuter in central London, said: "I think it's a sensible idea to ban snacking on the Tube but I don't think it will really help with cutting obesity. "The problem is our fast food culture, that's what needs to change. I also don't see how they would be able to police it." Health Secretary Matt Hancock said his department would study the report closely and "act on the evidence". A Department for Health spokesman said there were no plans to ban snacking on public transport.

बचपन के मोटापे से निपटने के लिए इंग्लैंड के निवर्तमान मुख्य चिकित्सा अधिकारी ने सार्वजनिक परिवहन पर लोगों को खाना खाने से रोकने के लिए प्रतिबंध लगाने का विचार रखा है। क्या इस योजना को देश भर के यात्रियों ने पसंद किया है, या मुंह में बुरा स्वाद छोड़ दिया है?