India election 2019: Echoes of Trump in Modi's border politics

Summary: The outcome of India's general election may help determine a central question at the heart of the contest - what does it mean to be Indian? Prime Minister Modi and his BJP party, like US President Donald Trump, have focused on borders to shape a particular vision of India's future.

By Courtney SubramanianBBC News, Assam Shanti Chandri has lived in the small, impoverished village of Dimilapar, outside Assam's capital city of Guwahati, for half a century. The diminutive 79-year-old says she fears her 50 years as a resident will be erased after the state publishes its updated National Registry of Citizens (NRC), a census created in 1951 to determine who was born in India and who might be a migrant from the neighbouring, Muslim-majority East Pakistan, now known as Bangladesh. The census, conducted only in the north-eastern state of Assam, counts citizens who can prove they were residents of India before 24 March, 1971, a day before Bangladesh declared its independence from Pakistan. Families are required to provide documentation to show their lineage, and those who cannot prove their citizenship are deemed illegal. But the process has been fraught, with some families unable to produce documents due to poor record-keeping, illiteracy or because they lack the money to file a legal claim. Shanti and her son Vinay, Hindus from the Bengali-speaking minority, were among those left off the NRC draft issued last year. Why Shanti's elder son, Paritush, was included on the list is unclear. Vinay, a 30-year-old day labourer, was overwhelmed by the 50,000 rupees ($715; £560) needed to fight his case in court. He was among many in the village who feared being placed in detention centres where hundreds of residents suspected of living in Assam illegally have been held. NRC officials have also begun holding "foreigner tribunals" to hear contested cases - much like the immigration court hearings under President Donald Trump at the US-Mexico border - while the draft list is being finalised to meet a 31 July deadline mandated by the Supreme Court. In total some four million people who thought they were Indian were excluded from the draft list. Half of these people have filed claims to be included in the final census. Vinay could not handle the stress of the uncertainty, Shanti says, and took his own life in May 2018. As she mourns her son, Shanti now worries about her own status if she is left off the finalised list. "Where shall I go and why should I flee?" she says. "It would be better that I too should die. Nobody is helping us. We are poor and weak people. The government should help us." The citizenship question Mr Modi's Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has long railed against illegal immigration in India but has made the NRC a priority in recent years. Local officials say the list has nothing to do with religion, but activists see it as targeting the state's Bengali community, a large portion of whom are Muslims. Their fears are set against rhetoric from a Hindu nationalist government whose leader has not hidden his preference for Hindu migrants over Muslim ones. However significant numbers of Bengali-speaking Hindus have also been left off the citizenship list, underscoring the communal and ethnic tensions in the state. For local Assamese, the NRC is about deporting all illegal immigrants - not just one religious minority - in an effort to preserve their culture. The question of identity is one echoed 13,000km (8,000 miles) away in the US, where a similar resurgence of nationalism has emerged under Mr Trump, the Republican president whose inflammatory rhetoric has stoked anti-immigration fears along the US-Mexico border and divided Americans on national identity. "While Trump is building his physical wall, Modi is creating a figurative one through policies like the NRC," says Milan Vaishnav, director of the South Asia programme at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Though Mr Modi came to power two years before Mr Trump, the resurgence of his party's unbridled religious nationalism has come to define this year's election, and the struggle for India's identity as a pluralistic democracy. 'Infiltrators at the border' BJP politicians have pointed to the NRC to amplify the threat of Muslim "infiltrators", while showing that they are curbing the tide of undocumented immigrants at India's borders. The party has suggested that such citizens registers could be drawn up across the country. "These infiltrators are eating away at our country like termites," BJP President Amit Shah said during rallies on 11 April in West Bengal. "The NRC is our means of removing them." Mr Shah's anti-immigration rhetoric is similar to that of Mr Trump, who has been accused of fear-mongering, describing migrants from Central America as killers and criminals who threaten US security. The US president has made a crackdown on America's 11 million undocumented immigrants a rallying cry in his 2020 re-election campaign. He continues to push hardline immigration policy, toughening requirements for asylum seekers and, more recently, proposing a reduction to America's family-based admissions system. But while Mr Trump has indicated his plans to return undocumented immigrants to their countries, the future of people seen as illegal foreigners in India is less clear. Once the final list is published, residents whose appeals have been denied will be stripped of their citizenship, forcing their deportation or leaving them stateless. Vijay Kumar Gupta, a senior BJP leader in Assam, told the BBC the process was about separating migrants who fled religious persecution from those who sought economic relief, "damaging Assamese heritage". He suggested the government would evict those deemed illegal foreigners, but Bangladesh has rejected claims that any of its citizens reside in Assam illegally, calling the NRC a "local internal matter". Threatened by diversity Michael Kugelman, deputy director of the Asia Program at the Wilson Center, points out Mr Modi's emphasis on nationalism in this election fits with the broader global trend of rightwing populist leaders using polarising rhetoric across Asia, Europe, the US and South America. While nationalism is not a new sentiment in India, he notes, what's happening under Mr Modi has striking similarities to the political landscape in Mr Trump's America. Mr Kugelman says the parallels extend to the cult personalities of the two men, both considered "straight shooters" who push conservative politics, have deep business interests and are perceived as hostile toward their country's media - while also embracing social media. "There has always been these tensions festering underneath this veneer of India as a secular, pluralistic state, between those that think it's true and should continue to be a secular state, and those that think India is above all a Hindu state, and that identity should be promoted as much as possible," Mr Kugelman says, Those in the latter camp have been emboldened under Mr Modi's leadership, he adds, much like the growing tenor of anti-immigrant sentiment under Mr Trump in the last two years. Both leaders have used national identity as a crude political tactic on the campaign trail, catering to a constituency feeling threatened by diversity and minority interests. Are Muslims being targeted? Assam's Muslim population, about one in three residents, fear the NRC is being used as a device to deport them from India. "The BJP is trying to divide society, and if they continue to do it, it will destroy the Indian identity," says Azizur Rahman, president of All Assam's Minority Student Union, a group advocating on behalf of those left off the NRC. "If they win, the next five years will be very tough for Muslims, and will be for decades to come." During the drafting process, residents have been able to challenge the citizenship of names included on the NRC, and some critics say those complaints have largely been directed at Muslims. "What was a process to segregate foreigners has so clearly become an anti-Muslim exercise," says Aman Wadud, a human rights lawyer based in Assam. Mr Gupta of the BJP strongly denied the NRC was being used as a means to target Muslims, saying that Mr Modi's government worked on behalf of all Indians. Ahmed Hussain, a science teacher at a government school in the village of Adabari, fears his family is among those ensnared in citizenship complications because of his name. "These types of problems against Muslims increased in Assam after the BJP formed the government in 2016." The 55-year-old teacher comes from a family that has lived for nine generations in the Assamese district of Dhubri, which sits next to the border with Bangladesh, nestled between pond-soaked fields, lush with water hyacinth, and the Brahmaputra river with its countless channels. Ahmed claims his father was involved in preparing the original NRC while serving in the Dhubri District Commissioner office in 1951, yet his family's Indian roots have been thrown into doubt over a complaint against his 18-year-old niece Nazia's inclusion on the list. The science student has just completed her studies in Guwahati, some 260km (160 miles) away from her hometown, with plans to become a medical doctor. But instead of studying, Nazia spends her time fighting the case against her, which implicates her entire family. "I'm afraid for my future, my ability to find a job if I'm not declared an Indian citizen," she says. "If I apply for a government job, will they target me for my Muslim identity? Why only us?" Among those lodging complaints against citizens are members of the All Assam Students Union (AASU), which has been a driving force behind the completion of the NRC and the anti-immigration movement since its inception. AASU general secretary Lurinjyoti Gogoi acknowledges his members are filing complaints against citizens they believe come from "suspected areas", but blames NRC officials for any errors on the list. "We want a foreigner-free NRC list. This is a one-time exercise," he declares, adding that if some Indian citizens are forced to endure legal difficulties, it is in the interest of the Assamese people. The battle for India's soul Last year the BJP government introduced the Citizenship Amendment Bill (CAB), legislation aimed at granting citizenship to religious minorities fleeing persecution from neighbouring Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh. It pointedly excluded Muslims, who the BJP contends do not count as a minority group. The fact that the central government was keen to welcome Hindus, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains and Parsis with no ties to the country while Assam's Muslims continued to fight for their right to stay in India angered many in the state and sparked violent protests. Opponents of the legislation argued it violated India's constitution by establishing religion as a requirement for citizenship. The BJP eventually soft-pedalled on the legislation, but if the party returns to power it may renew its efforts to push the legislation through India's parliament. Whatever happens, Mr Kugelman says the damage is done, deepening divisions about national identity. "Given the toxicity in politics and the nasty things that have been said and done, the discriminatory rhetoric and policies that we've had for the last two years in India and the United States, it's going to take a long time for both of these countries to recover." While millions in Assam await the finalised NRC in July, which will determine whether they are accepted as Indian, the rest of the country will decide on 23 May if they agree with the BJP's conception of what that means. Speaking at a rally in Mumbai in April, Mr Modi told the crowd: "This election is not just for choosing a government, it is an election to decide the direction of India." Read more on immigration in India and the US India US

भारत के आम चुनाव के परिणाम प्रतिस्पर्धा के केंद्र में एक केंद्रीय प्रश्न को निर्धारित करने में मदद कर सकते हैं-भारतीय होने का क्या अर्थ है? प्रधानमंत्री मोदी और उनकी भाजपा पार्टी, अमेरिकी राष्ट्रपति डोनाल्ड ट्रम्प की तरह, भारत के भविष्य के बारे में एक विशेष दृष्टिकोण को आकार देने के लिए सीमाओं पर ध्यान केंद्रित किया है।


Censorship claims emerge as TikTok gets political in India

Summary: Ajay Barman, 22, is a fading TikTok star in India. Not because he is past his prime, but because - he alleges - he's been "shadow banned" for uploading videos on Hindu-Muslim brotherhood on the popular video creation and sharing platform.

By Nilesh ChristopherTechnology writer, Bangalore Shadow banning is the act of partially blocking content so it doesn't reach the platform's entire community of users. It will not be obvious to the user that the creator's content is not being promoted. TikTok has traditionally shied away from political subjects, but Mr Barman built a strong following of just under a million by performing and uploading 15 second skits on the theme of Hindu-Muslim unity at a time when many in India fear the two communities are being driven further apart. His most popular offering garnered more than 2.5 million views. In one of the videos, Mr Barman is dressed as a Muslim man wearing a white prayer cap who is being carried by a Hindu man as harmonious music plays in the background. In another popular skit, he is dressed as a Muslim writer from Pakistan who is in India to research a book and is greeted and hosted by two gleeful Hindu strangers. The fact that a young Hindu man from the Indian city of Bhopal was uploading videos promoting brotherhood and peace between Hindus and Muslims captured significant attention, earning him the moniker of top "humanity" content creator. But over the past four months, TikTok India has been restricting the reach of his account to stay away from such "risky" content, he says, adding that he has lost some 25,000 followers since the end of October. In particular, his videos were no longer suggested on the front page, where TikTok gives tailored recommendations of creators and hashtags for users to discover. "My videos used to get an average of 200,000 views but it's now down to 8,000 views. None of my videos show up on the 'For You' page," Mr Barman says. He says his account started losing prominence last year, around the time a backlash began against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) - a controversial law which offers Indian citizenship to non-Muslims fleeing religious persecution in Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan. The law sparked fears it would marginalise India's Muslim minority, triggering protests. In the past few months, many of TikTok's 200 million Indian users have posted skits and songs on the app to voice their own opposition. Thousands of these profess "unity" between people of different faiths under an umbrella of hashtags around the CAA, and have gathered millions of views. But many are now worried after Mr Barman alleged he was shadow-banned. They wonder if they may be next. "I was inspired by many of Mr Barman's videos that talk about brotherhood between Hindus and Muslims," said Mirza Ateeque Baig, a 16-year-old user. Mirza shot to fame with a video viewed more than 4.8 million times, positioning politicians as the culprits dividing communities amid the backdrop of the citizenship law protests. He says he was "scared" to upload it at first. "I thought about it for 15 minutes. They [TikTok] don't want anything political that will impact them." TikTok India said it does not restrict any political content unless it violates its community guidelines. While the app does ban accounts for serious violations like pornography or hate speech, content it sees as a "lesser infringement" of its guidelines is left up on the app - but partially limited across user feeds. This kind of "limiting" or shadow banning leaves creators in a bind - they are unsure if their content is being censored for violating guidelines, or whether it was simply not good enough to be promoted. But then, users point to other evidence of people being blocked or "shadow banned" for political reasons by the app. In the past few months the social media platform, owned by China's ByteDance, has been called out for allegedly censoring so-called "risky" content. Most recently, it faced massive backlash in the US for blocking a teenager's account after she uploaded a video accusing China of putting Muslims into "concentration camps". TikTok later issued an apology and reinstated her account. Meanwhile, a recent report in The Guardian revealed that Bytedance had policies in place that outright censored "politically sensitive" content relating to US President Donald Trump and criticism of China's socialist system. In Turkey, the company was found to be censoring content that showed the LGBT community or same-sex relationships in a positive light. It has since updated its policies. However, TikTok has reason to be cautious in India. Police bought a case against unidentified TikTok influencers for hate speech over a video that sought revenge for a victim of mob lynching, and the app was temporarily banned in the country last year when a court decided it was encouraging pornography. Tiktok told the BBC it had temporarily suspended Mr Barman's account because he was seen wearing a t-shirt with a drug reference in several of his videos. "This should not have been a violation, and we have reinstated the videos accordingly," the company added. "Our guidelines are clear that political content is allowed on TikTok, as long as it does not include extremist content, such as hate speech," a TikTok spokesperson said. "All users have the opportunity to appeal violations, which the user had not done in this case." The company, however, did not respond to Mr Barman's allegation that he had been "shadow banned". For Mr Barman, the timing remains troubling. "Since the censoring, I have made most of my Hindu-Muslim humanity videos private, hoping that TikTok will reverse the shadow ban." He has even abandoned his first account and started afresh, uploading only comedy content that steers clear of his usual themes. Mr Barman's fans, meanwhile, have started an online campaign to reinstate his account, using the hashtag "unfreeze". They have made more than 700 videos. Free speech activists have also raised questions over the practice of shadow banning content on TikTok. "They will have to be transparent about to what extent and technical ability they are boosting, de-prioritising and changing the ecology of experience for users and creators on the app," said Apar Gupta, executive director of the Internet Freedom Foundation. He also pointed to the larger problem of censorship being algorithm-driven. In most cases, apps like TikTok tweak the platform in a way that matches their commercial interest over any interest in free expression, Mr Gupta added. "We also now have a platform which has the communitarian ethos of China, which is risk averse to almost any kind of political commentary. TikTok doesn't recognise that in the territories it operates, politics is an everyday conversation."

22 वर्षीय अजय बर्मन भारत में एक लुप्तप्राय टिकटॉक स्टार हैं। इसलिए नहीं कि वह अपने प्रमुख समय को पार कर चुके हैं, बल्कि इसलिए कि-उनका आरोप है-उन्हें लोकप्रिय वीडियो निर्माण और साझा करने वाले मंच पर हिंदू-मुस्लिम भाईचारे पर वीडियो अपलोड करने के लिए "छाया प्रतिबंध" लगाया गया है।


How Bake Off champ Nadiya Hussain made her cake and ate it too

Summary: Millions of people tuned in to see who would be crowned this year's winner of the Great British Bake Off, but who is the person behind the apron? BBC News looks at the winner's journey from home cook to baking star.

By Lauren PottsBBC News She was the bookies' favourite to win and Nadiya Hussain didn't let the punters down. The 30-year-old mum-of-three from Leeds - now famed as much for her facial expressions as her delicious bakes - entered the tent for the last time on Wednesday with a "look" she could do it, according to the show's co-judge Mary Berry. And sure enough, the amateur baker set aside her nerves to nail the final, producing a showstopper so worthy of its name it was described as "sheer perfection" by the judges. With odds of 2/5 on her walking off with the Bake Off crown, it was hardly a shock result. She has, after all, been the show's "star baker" three times - earning herself the hallowed "Hollywood handshake" for her signature bake in last week's semi-final. Even Prime Minister David Cameron announced on Tuesday he was rooting for her. But Nadiya's journey from stay-at-home mum to queen of the chocolate tart didn't begin with creating cheesecakes featuring cans of levitating pop. It started with an understandable curiosity about the lack of pudding in her life. "When we were younger we wouldn't have a dessert after a meal, it wasn't in our culture," she said of her Bangladeshi origins. "As we grew up we would buy apple pies and Swiss rolls, and by the time I was 15, I was making puddings for my family. "Although it took a long while to convert them, they now love my desserts." Nadiya applied to take part in the programme after encouragement from her family, despite a self-confessed lack of confidence in her own abilities. Over the past 10 weeks, viewers have watched the amateur baker turn into a kitchen star who has consistently impressed Paul Hollywood and Mary Berry with her attention to detail and mastery of flavours. Yet the Luton-born mum still shook her head seemingly in disbelief each time she was praised for her work. "I can be quite self-deprecating," she said. "But I feel I have tested my abilities and come out a much stronger, confident person the other side. "I went into the tent the smallest baker at 4ft 11ins, but I walked out feeling a giant." Though her confidence undoubtedly grew over the weeks, there were a number of memorable wobbles that threatened to throw her off course. Nadiya crumbled during one notable showstopper round, tearfully presenting Paul and Mary with plates of "deconstructed" vol-au-vents whose pastry cases resembled what was unflatteringly described as "buttery cellulite". A souffle-related meltdown during the semi-final saw the normally quiet baker raise her voice and vow never to bake the recipe again. It was a declaration not without substance after the dish placed her last in the technical challenge and reduced her to tears. On her many highs and lows, she described the show as an "emotional experience". "It is, after all, just cake and biscuits but when you have put so much effort into it, you do feel either very sad or very elated," Nadiya said. "My face is a giveaway as I can't hide my facial expressions, and I did say to myself that if I am going to cry I won't go and hide." Nadiya's facial expressions have made her something of an internet star, inspiring a Tumblr called The Many Faces Of Nadiya Appreciation Blog and a number of posts on Buzzfeed. The Bake Off winner has taken the attention in good spirits but hopes her mannerisms won't be her lasting legacy. "I had no idea that this would become a talking point on social media. It's all a bit of fun and not to be taken seriously. After all, it's just my face isn't it? "[But] I really hope I have not become known more for my facial expressions or my eyebrows than my baking," she said. After months of peering woefully at the inside of an oven and practising her recipes into the wee hours, what's next for the unexpected TV star? "Family life will carry on as normal, being a mum to three small children under 10 is pretty time-consuming," she said. "But I wanted to have my own adventure, which with a very supportive husband and a belief in my own ability, I can now carry on having. "I am really looking forward to see what will happen."

लाखों लोगों ने यह देखने के लिए ट्यून किया कि इस साल ग्रेट ब्रिटिश बेक ऑफ के विजेता का ताज किसे पहनाया जाएगा, लेकिन एप्रन के पीछे का व्यक्ति कौन है? बीबीसी न्यूज़ विजेता की घर के रसोइये से बेकिंग स्टार तक की यात्रा को देखता है।


Facebook revamp: You give us your views

Summary: Facebook has announced big changes to the way its website works.

It's done deals with film studios and music sites like Spotify which will change the way users listen to music and watch movies. Facebook is facing competition from other sites like Google+ and Twitter. Profile pages will change over the next few weeks with the introduction of a Timeline which will, depending on your privacy settings, show everything you've ever done on the site. We asked some of you what you think about the revamp. Alex Cooper, 27 "I think it's a really good idea. "I'm not particularly technical so I'll have to get used to it but I think it's a really good idea it's taking on Google. "Everyone complains about the changes every time they change it but everyone gets used to it and gets happy with the changes." Natasha Rungassany, 31 "I work in internet advertising and so there's a massive part of me that goes thinks this is great. "On the flip side I'm a Facebook users myself and I kind of find it irritating. "There are so many adverts... so it's kind of taking away from the essence of Facebook. "It's changing completely, everything changes but I think Facebook needs to rein it in a bit. "It's just becoming a big money making machine. "It changes so fast and I only log in once a weekend. "I find it really awkward to try and find things so it's slightly putting me off using it." Natalie Kurukegy, 28 "I go on Facebook less because it keeps changing and it gets more annoying to figure out what you're doing. "Yesterday I was on Facebook at work and all these pop ups came on and I just got irritated by them all so I logged off. "I had lunch at my desk so I thought I'd log on but just got irritated and decided to read Grazia instead. "I think Facebook is great for social networking and I think it should just stay as it is. "There are all these other ways of sharing music and other sites you can use for movie purposes so i don't know why it's trying to branch out when really it started of as friends social networking and it should just stay true to its roots." Sally-Anne Nelson, 23 "If they [Facebook] do it right it could be a good thing. "But they change it way too often that is confuses me too much. "It annoys me, it really annoys me until I get to grips with it but it's just getting used it. "But I'm a creature of habit and i like things to stay the same. "But if it's done right it'll be good, especially with Spotify because I'm a fan of Spotify." Darryll Braier-Lorimer, 16 "I think it's good that it keeps changing because you've got competitors now like Google+ that are going to try and get ahead of Facebook so Facebook's got to try and change things to stay ahead of the game. "It makes it more accessible. "Facebook's becoming more than just about updating your status, when you add things like music and film it becomes like a second life. "Not many people I know have joined Google+ but it's such a huge company they've got to be able to provide decent competition for Facebook."

फेसबुक ने अपनी वेबसाइट के काम करने के तरीके में बड़े बदलाव की घोषणा की है।


In pictures: By-elections since 2010

Summary: The by-election in Richmond Park was the 28th since 2010. Here's how they all ended. Oldham East and Saddleworth - 13 January 2011

By Adam Donald and Tom MoseleyBBC News The general election victory of ex-Labour minister Phil Woolas was invalidated after he was judged to have knowingly made false statements about his Liberal Democrat opponent, Elwyn Watkins, during the campaign. In the resulting by-election, Labour's Debbie Abrahams held the seat for the party, winning a majority of more than 3,500 and increasing the party's vote share to 42%. Liberal Democrat Elwyn Watkins came in second and Conservative Kashif Ali third. UKIP's deputy leader Paul Nuttall placed fourth with 2,029 votes - 5.8% of those cast. Barnsley Central - 3 March 2011 Labour MP Eric Illsley after admitting he fraudulently claimed parliamentary expenses, for which he was sentenced to a year in jail. Dan Jarvis held the seat for Labour with a majority of 11,771, and 60.8% of the total vote. UKIP's Jane Collins came second with 2,953 votes - 12.2% of the total. Conservative James Hockney placed third, while the Liberal Democrats' Dominic Carman fell to sixth, with 1,012 votes. Leicester South - 5 May 2011 Sir Peter Soulsby resigned as an MP to compete to become Leicester's first directly elected mayor. Jonathan Ashworth held the seat for Labour with a majority of 12,078, and 57.8% of the vote. The Liberal Democrats' Zuffar Haq took 7,693 votes, while the Conservatives' Jane Hunt won 5,169. UKIP's Abhijit Pandya came fourth, with 994 votes - 2.9% of the total. Belfast West - 9 June 2011 Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams announced he was going to resign as an MP in order to take up a seat in the Republic of Ireland's parliament. Mr Adams was replaced by Paul Maskey, brother of Sinn Fein MLA Alex Maskey, who won with a majority of 13,123 and 57.1% of the vote. Inverclyde - 30 June 2011 Iain McKenzie won the seat for Labour after the death of his predecessor David Cairns, but the majority fell from 14,416 in 2010 to 5,838. The SNP's Anne McLaughlin placed second, and the Conservatives' David Wilson third. Sophie Bridger, representing the Liberal Democrats, came in fourth. UKIP's Mitch Sorbie was fifth with 288 votes - 1% of the total. Feltham and Heston - 15 December 2011 The death of Labour MP Alan Keen triggered a by-election in which Seema Malhotra retained the seat for Ed Miliband's party, winning a majority of 6,203 and 54.4% of the vote. Conservative Mark Bowen was her closest competitor, taking 28%, while the Lib Dems just made it into third place with 5.9%. UKIP took 1,276 votes - 5.5% of the total. Bradford West - 29 March 2012 Marsha Singh's resignation on health grounds led to one of the biggest political upsets of recent years, with Respect's George Galloway taking the seat from Labour, winning 55.9% of the vote and securing a majority of 10,140. Labour's Imran Hussein was pushed into second place with 25% of the vote, and the Conservatives' Jackie Whiteley was third with 8.4%. Sonja McNally, the UKIP candidate, took 1,085 votes - 3.3% of the total. Cardiff South and Penarth - 15 November 2012 Labour's Alun Michael resigned to stand for the position of police and crime commissioner for South Wales. He was replaced by Stephen Doughty, who retained the seat for the party with a majority of 5,334, winning 47.3% of the vote. Conservative Craig Williams garnered less than half that total, while the Liberal Democrats' Bablin Molik placed third with 10.9% of total votes. UKIP's Simon Zeigler was squeezed into fifth place by Plaid Cymru's Luke Nicholas, who came fourth. Corby - 15 November 2012 When Conservative MP Louise Mensch announced she would resign from Parliament to move to New York with her family, Labour's Andy Sawford snatched the seat - Labour's first by-election victory over the Tories for 15 years. He took 48.4% of the vote in a 12.67% swing from the Conservatives. The Liberal Democrats were pipped to third place by UKIP's Margot Parker, who won 5,108 votes - 14.3% of the total. Manchester Central - 15 November 2012 Tony Lloyd was another Labour MP to opt to stand for police and crime commissioner, and he resigned from Parliament to run for that position in Greater Manchester. He was replaced in Parliament by Lucy Powell, who held the safe Labour seat with a majority of 9,936 and 69% of the total vote to become Manchester's first female Labour MP. The Liberal Democrats' Marc Ramsbottom came second with 9.4%, and the Conservatives' Matthew Sephton placed third with 4.5%. A mere four votes behind the Conservative candidate was UKIP hopeful Christopher Cassidy. Croydon North - 29 November 2012 Labour MP Malcolm Wicks's death triggered a by-election easily won by Labour candidate Steve Reed, with 64.7% of the vote and a majority of 11,755. The Conservatives' Andy Stranack came a distant second with 16.8%. UKIP's Winston McKenzie took 5.7% of the vote, with a total of 1,400 - pushing the Liberal Democrats into fourth place. Middlesbrough - 29 November 2012 The death of the long-serving Sir Stuart Bell also saw a new occupant of a safe Labour seat. Andy McDonald retained Middlesbrough for the party with a majority of 8,211 and 60.5% of the vote. UKIP's Richard Elvin came second with 11.8% of the vote, forcing the Liberal Democrats into third place the Conservatives into fourth. Rotherham - 29 November 2012 Labour MP Denis MacShane resigned after he was found to have wrongly claimed expenses. The party held on to the seat, with Sarah Champion securing a majority of 5,318 and 46% of votes cast. As in Middlesbrough, UKIP pulled into a second-place finish, with Jane Collins winning 4,648 votes for the party - 21.7% of the total. Eastleigh - 28 February 2013 Chris Huhne's resignation after pleading guilty to perverting the course of justice led to some by-election success for Nick Clegg and the Liberal Democrats. The party's candidate Mike Thornton retained the seat for the party, with coalition partners the Conservative Party finishing third and Labour fourth. UKIP came second, with Diane James winning 27% of votes cast, against the Liberal Democrats on 32%. Mid Ulster - 7 March 2013 Northern Ireland's Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness resigned from his role as an MP at the end of 2012. He was replaced as the Westminster representative of Mid Ulster by Sinn Fein's Francie Molloy, who won 46.9% of the votes and a majority of 4,681. South Shields - 2 May 2013 The resignation of David Miliband, former foreign secretary and candidate for the Labour leadership, triggered a by-election in a seat held by Labour since 1935. The party's Emma Lewell-Buck won the seat with a 6,505 majority - down almost 5,000 from Mr Miliband's three years previously. Big gains were made by UKIP, who finished second again, winning 24.2% of the vote. Wythenshawe and Sale East - 13 February 2014 The death of Labour MP Paul Goggins triggered a by-election for the Labour seat he had held since 1997. The party's candidate, Mike Kane, won with a majority of 8,960, taking 55.3% of the vote. UKIP's John Bickley - who would later stand for the party in the Heywood and Middleton by-election - came second, with 18% of the total vote. The Conservatives were pushed into third, and the Liberal Democrats came fourth. Newark - 5 June 2014 Former Conservative MP Patrick Mercer resigned after he was suspended from the Commons for six months for allegedly asking questions in Parliament in return for money. He was replaced as MP for Newark by 32-year-old Conservative Robert Jenrick, who won 45% of the vote and a majority of 7,403. The by-election was held in the wake of UKIP's victory in the European elections in May. Despite the hopes of Nigel Farage's party that the momentum from that win would help them triumph in Newark, the party's candidate, Roger Helmer, came second, with 26% of the vote. Clacton - 9 October 2014 Douglas Carswell's announcement on 28 August that he was defecting from the Conservative Party to UKIP triggered a by-election in Clacton. The prospect of UKIP winning their first seat in the House of Commons led to huge media attention, with party leaders descending on the constituency to campaign in the last week before the vote. In the end, Douglas Carswell won the seat comfortably with a majority of 12,404, giving Nigel Farage's party its first seat in Parliament. The Conservatives' Giles Watling came a distant second, with Labour third, the Greens fourth, and the Liberal Democrats falling to fifth. Heywood and Middleton - 9 October 2014 The death of Labour's Jim Dobbin in early September triggered a by-election that was scheduled to coincide with the one in Clacton. Ed Miliband's party had held a healthy majority and was thought unlikely to lose. As expected, Labour's Liz McInnes won the vote, but the night's big story was the close second-place finish of UKIP's John Bickley, with Labour's majority slashed from 5,971 to 617. The Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats trailed far behind in third and fourth. Rochester and Strood - 20 November 2014 When Conservative MP Mark Reckless defected to UKIP, and resigned his seat in the Commons, he set in train a by-election in his Rochester and Strood constituency. Unlike Clacton before it, which had been won by Douglas Carswell, Rochester was way down UKIP's list of "winnable" seats at a general election. Despite five visits to the constituency by David Cameron, who was campaigning for his party's candidate Kelly Tolhurst, Mr Reckless won the by-election with a majority of 2,920 votes. Oldham West and Royton - 3 December 2015 Long-serving Labour MP Michael Meacher died, prompting the contest. The party's candidate, Jim McMahon, secured a 10,722-vote majority over UKIP's John Bickley, and a 62% vote share - higher than at the general election. The Conservatives came third and the Liberal Democrats fourth. Sheffield Brightside and Hillsborough - 5 May 2016 Labour comfortably held on to the seat, vacated after MP Harry Harpham died. His widow Gill Furniss ran for the party, gaining 14,087 votes, a majority of 9,590 and a 6% increase in Labour's share of the vote. UKIP came second, followed by the Liberal Democrats and Conservatives. Ogmore - 5 May 2016 Labour MP Huw Irranca-Davies stood down to run for the Welsh Assembly election, and was replaced by his party colleague Chris Elmore. He won 52% of the vote, with UKIP second and Plaid Cymru third. Tooting - 16 June 2016 Labour held the south London constituency in a by-election prompted by the departure of newly elected London Mayor Sadiq Khan. Junior doctor Rosena Allin-Khan received 17,894 votes, winning with a majority of 6,357 over the Conservatives. The Green Party came third. Batley and Spen - 20 October 2016 Labour's Tracy Brabin won with an increased majority for her party in the seat left vacant because of the murder of MP Jo Cox. The other major parties opted not to stand, but a number of smaller parties - including the National Front and BNP - did. Witney - 20 October 2016 The Conservatives held on, albeit with a reduced majority, after former Prime Minister David Cameron stood down as an MP. Robert Courts won by 5,702 votes, with the party's vote share falling from 60% in 2015 to 45%, as the Liberal Democrats pushed past Labour into second place.

रिचमंड पार्क में उप-चुनाव 2010 के बाद से 28वां था। यहाँ बताया गया है कि वे सभी कैसे समाप्त हुए। ओल्डहैम ईस्ट और सैडलवर्थ-13 जनवरी 2011


Van Gogh: How London inspired a genius

Summary: Vincent Van Gogh's life was a short one but almost three years of it were spent in Britain. A big new exhibition at Tate Britain in London brings together 50 of his pictures - including some masterpieces - to show how life in the capital and the art scene in Britain - influenced the young artist. And how he in turn influenced British artists such as Francis Bacon.

By Vincent DowdArts reporter, BBC News You wouldn't normally visit a major show of work by Van Gogh to find yourself surrounded in the first rooms by paintings and engravings by the likes of James Whistler, Sir John Millais and Gustave Doré. But the new exhibition Van Gogh and Britain is all about context. Tate Britain has assembled around 100 pictures, half of which are by Van Gogh, who came to London in the spring of 1873 when he was 20. His career as a painter was ahead of him. The best known pictures include l'Arlesienne and his Sunflowers of 1888, which normally hangs in the National Gallery in London. The Musée d'Orsay in Paris has loaned Starry Night Over the Rhone, one of the artist's most spectacular images. Alex Farquharson, the director of Tate Britain, says the years in London had a huge effect on the artist-to-be. "I think Vincent found his university education in London. "He would walk everywhere and went to places like the National Gallery and the Dulwich Picture Gallery. We've even borrowed the Dulwich visitors book which has his signature in. "And it wasn't only painting he learned about. He also developed a love of Charles Dickens and other writers of the day." His position was with the French art dealers Goupil, then based in Southampton Street in Covent Garden. Increasingly Van Gogh disliked the job but, though he'd barely begun creating his own work, he was assessing and thinking about art every day. His instinct grew for which pieces he found pleasure in and which bored him . For most of his time in London, Van Gogh lodged at 87 Hackford Road, at the home of Ursula Loyer and her daughter Eugenie. Since 1973 there's been a blue plaque there to his memory. In 2003, Nicholas Wright's stage-play Vincent in Brixton - a hit in London and on Broadway - drew attention to a part of the artist's life which few had previously known much about. Farquharson says prints and engravings - perhaps at their most vibrant in the Victorian era - were a huge influence. "There's a print which Gustave Doré did of prisoners in Newgate debtors jail in London. Near the end of his life Van Gogh made a strikingly similar image, though in colour, called The Prison Courtyard (normally hanging in the Pushkin Museum in Moscow). "He painted it while in the Saint-Rémy asylum in Provence and his mental state was poor - even aside from the subject matter, the stylistic influence is obvious. It's a very bleak image." The last rooms of the show turn to Van Gogh's influence on artists who came after him. A turning point was the exhibition in 1910 at the Grafton Galleries in Mayfair. The critic Roger Fry had organised an exhibition of Post-Impressionist work which introduced Van Gogh's work to many art lovers who had barely known his name since his suicide near Paris 20 years before. The Tate show also includes some of the press reaction to Van Gogh's work in Edwardian England, some of which now appears shockingly cruel. You see how the crude caricature emerged of a mad Dutchman who sliced his own ear off. "You always have to remember that when Vincent Van Gogh died he was known to almost no one in Britain. His first solo show wasn't until 1922 and then came the milestone of the major Tate Gallery exhibition in 1947. "That introduced him to an entire generation of younger artists. This is our first exhibition of his work since then and in that time he's become one of the world's most famous artists." Among the most striking works on display by other artists are Francis Bacon's Studies For A Portrait Of Van Gogh (1957). They were based on photographs of Van Gogh's The Painter on the Road to Tarascon, which had been lost in World War Two. Farquharson says they're astonishing works. "There's a clear Van Gogh influence but Bacon went further than the original would have. But you see how the physicality of Van Gogh's brush-strokes influenced an artist decades later." As with any collection of Van Gogh there's a combination in the Tate show of great beauty and deep sadness. Farquharson thinks it's that combination which explains a lot of Vincent's appeal to the modern world. "I think there's something very powerful when beauty which has a real healing power in the viewer comes out of a place of great pain." Van Gogh and Britain is at Tate Britain in London until 11 August. Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.

विंसेंट वैन गॉग का जीवन छोटा था लेकिन इसके लगभग तीन साल ब्रिटेन में बिताए गए। लंदन में टेट ब्रिटेन में एक बड़ी नई प्रदर्शनी में उनकी 50 तस्वीरों को एक साथ लाया गया है-जिसमें कुछ उत्कृष्ट कृतियाँ भी शामिल हैं-यह दिखाने के लिए कि राजधानी में जीवन और ब्रिटेन में कला के दृश्य ने युवा कलाकार को कैसे प्रभावित किया। और बदले में उन्होंने फ्रांसिस बेकन जैसे ब्रिटिश कलाकारों को कैसे प्रभावित किया।


Coronavirus: Man coughed in PC's face claiming he was infected

Summary: A man who coughed in the face of a policeman claiming he had coronavirus has been jailed.

Christopher Plumb, 54, admitted assault by beating, criminal damage and assault on an emergency worker at Blackpool Magistrates Court. Lancashire Police said Plumb, of no fixed address, was arrested on Saturday after a domestic incident at an address in Cross Street, Blackpool. He was jailed for 16 weeks and given a restraining order. Police said Plumb deliberately coughed in police officer's face while in custody. Related Internet Links HM Courts & Tribunals Service

एक आदमी जिसने एक पुलिसकर्मी के चेहरे पर खांसते हुए दावा किया कि उसे कोरोनावायरस है, उसे जेल भेज दिया गया है।


National School Categorisation System: Red

Summary: These are the schools listed county-by-county in the red category, judged to need the most support. There are 56 schools, 10 more than last year and 17 - including seven secondary schools - remain in the red category from last year.

There is more on the overall picture here, as well as Q&A on the school categorisation system. Primary Abertillery Learning Community Secondary Abertillery Learning Community Brynmawr Foundation School Primary Tynyrheol Primary School Ogmore Vale Primary School Primary Llanfabon Infants School Bryn Awel Primary School St James Primary School Secondary Bedwas High School Islwyn High School Primary Pentyrch Primary St Alban's RC Primary School Secondary Cardiff West Community High School Primary Gwenllian Secondary Penglais School Primary Ysgol Swn y Don Secondary Ysgol Emrys Ap Iwan Secondary Denbigh High School Blessed Edward Jones High School Secondary Ysgol Treffynnon Primary Ysgol Gynradd Rhosgadfan Primary Ysgol Gynradd Brynsiencyn Ysgol Henblas None Primary Llantilio Pertholey C/W Primary Magor VA Primary School Primary Eastern Llansawel Primary Maesglas Primary & Nursery Secondary Llanwern High School Newport High School St Julian's School Primary Croesgoch St Marys RC (Pembs) Secondary Ysgol Greenhill School Pembroke School Milford Haven School Tasker-Milward VC School Primary Cefnllys Y Bannau Secondary Llandrindod High School Primary Cwmbach Church In Wales Secondary Mountain Ash Comprehensive School Porth County Community None Primary Ysgol Bryn Onnen Henllys Church In Wales Secondary Abersychan Comprehensive Cwmbran High School Ysgol Gyfun Gwynllyw Secondary Bryn Hafren Comprehensive School Primary Acton Primary Brymbo Aided (St Mary's) Secondary Ysgol Morgan Llwyd Ysgol Bryn Alyn Rhosnesni High School

ये लाल श्रेणी में काउंटी-दर-काउंटी सूचीबद्ध स्कूल हैं, जिन्हें सबसे अधिक समर्थन की आवश्यकता है। 56 स्कूल हैं, जो पिछले वर्ष की तुलना में 10 अधिक हैं और 17-जिनमें सात माध्यमिक स्कूल शामिल हैं-पिछले वर्ष से लाल श्रेणी में बने हुए हैं।


Brandon Lewis replaces Julian Smith as NI secretary

Summary: Brandon Lewis has been appointed the new Northern Ireland secretary.

He replaces Julian Smith, who was fired after 204 days in the job and had helped to restore power-sharing at Stormont. Mr Lewis is a former chair of the Conservative Party and, most recently, a security minister in Boris Johnson's cabinet. Shortly after his appointment was announced, he posted on Twitter that he was "honoured" to take on the role. Mr Lewis has been the MP for Great Yarmouth on the east coast of England since 2010. He campaigned for Remain in the EU referendum in 2016 but later said he would support leaving the EU as he was "first and foremost a democrat". Northern Ireland Deputy First Minister Michelle O'Neill said she would speak to Mr Lewis on Friday morning. The Sinn Féin vice-president posted on Twitter that she had several issues to discuss with him. SDLP leader Colum Eastwood said he hoped Mr Lewis would act with "fairness and integrity" in his work in Northern Ireland. Ulster Unionist leader Steve Aiken said Mr Lewis would face a "very large in-tray" and could not "let the grass grow under his feet". The Northern Ireland branch of the business body the Institute of Directors said it wanted to meet the new secretary of state soon to "discuss concerns of business leaders". In 2018, when Mr Lewis was a Cabinet Office minister, he visited the Irish border and later met businesses in Belfast to hear their concerns about Brexit. Last year, during an interview with the BBC, Mr Lewis said that after Brexit checks on some goods leaving Great Britain for Northern Ireland would be required if those goods were then destined to leave the UK. But he disputed the accuracy of a leaked government document that stated customs declarations checks would be highly disruptive and separate Northern Ireland from Great Britain. Mr Lewis becomes the fourth Northern Ireland secretary in four years. His three most-recent predecessors are: Mr Lewis takes up the job just weeks after a deal was reached to restore power sharing in Northern Ireland after a three-year impasse. Mr Smith was widely credited with overseeing efforts to get the main parties to agree to go back into the executive together.

ब्रैंडन लुईस को उत्तरी आयरलैंड का नया सचिव नियुक्त किया गया है।


#MeToo: Why sexual harassment is a reality in Bollywood

Summary: Every year thousands of young men and women head to the western city of Mumbai, India's film capital, in search of their own Bollywood dream. But for many the experience becomes a nightmare. The BBC's Rajini Vaidyanathan and Pratiksha Ghildial spoke to several actresses who say they have been sexually harassed by directors and casting agents.

Six years ago, Sujatha (not her real name) persuaded her conservative parents to let her leave her home in a small village in rural India so she could seek her fame and fortune as a Bollywood actress in Mumbai. She was just 19 at the time, with little acting experience and no contacts. But it didn't take her long to meet people who were willing to give her advice on how to break into the industry. One of her first offers came from a casting agent who asked Sujatha to meet him at his apartment. She didn't think anything of it because she was told it is common for such meetings to happen at home. Her account of what happened next is distressing. "He touched me wherever he wanted. He put his hand all over inside my dress. When he started removing it, I froze," Sujatha told the BBC. When she told him to stop, Sujatha says he told her that she didn't have the "right attitude" for the industry. The BBC has no way of independently verifying Sujatha's claims but she told us she has faced unwanted sexual advances on a number of different occasions while seeking acting work. She says that she went to the police on one occasion but her complaint was dismissed by officers who said "filmy people" can do what they want. Sujatha asked us to conceal her identity because she is terrified of speaking out. She believes any actress who does so is accused of being hungry for publicity or after money and, as a consequence, has her reputation trashed. Being asked for sexual favours in return for acting roles is something many people say is prevalent in the Indian film industry. BBC News has spoken to around a dozen other young actresses who say they have also faced lurid comments and sexual advances while seeking roles in films. They chose not to reveal their identities because they fear that they would be called liars and face reprisals. Usha Jadhav is one of the few women willing to go public with her experiences of harassment. She has been in the business for a decade but she says she still receives unwanted advances, even after she has won a national film award. She hopes that after hearing her story other actresses will come forward and share their stories too. When she first arrived in Bollywood, she says she was told that she would have to sleep with directors or producers to get ahead. "We are giving you something - you need to give something back too," she recalls being told. Usha says some young women in the industry feel they that have no choice but to say yes. She says she has always refused sexual propositions but that has led to threats from some producers, including one who said he would not cast her in his film because she had rebuffed his advances. "He cursed me and said you're not going to get any good roles… nothing good will happen to you. And I was like - I don't think you have much power." Power is part of the dynamic which drives many of these encounters, says Radhika Apte, an Indian firm star who spoke to the BBC about sexual harassment in the industry. While most of Bollywood's big names have stayed silent on the issue of harassment and abuse, Radhika is one of the few who has chosen to speak out. She recently starred in the blockbuster film, Padman, which tells the story of one man's quest to produce low cost sanitary pads. Both on and off-screen she is a champion for women's rights. "I have started talking about it openly… I do understand and empathise with a lot of women in the industry who are scared to talk about these things," she says. She says the lack of an entry system in Bollywood makes it easier for this sort of abuse to continue unchecked. Getting roles in Indian films is heavily weighted on personal contacts, social conduct and appearance - more so than in Hollywood, where there is a formal process of going through acting schools and the stage, she says. Radhika wishes Bollywood could have a #MeToo moment like Hollywood. But, she adds, it won't happen until bigger names come forward to support those who are facing abuse. One other well-known actress who has spoken to the BBC about this is Kalki Koechlin, who has in the past talked openly about how she was abused as a child. She says she can empathise with young actresses and actors who are scared to share their own Bollwood horror stories. "People don't listen to you if you're a nobody," she said in a recent BBC interview. "If you're a celebrity and you talk about it...it becomes a headline." But the issue of harassment extends well beyond Bollywood. India has thriving film industries in several regional languages and women from those industries are also beginning to speak out. Recently an actress from the southern Indian Telugu film industry stripped in public on the premises of a film association to protest against the casting couch. At first she was dismissed as someone trying to seek publicity and was even banned by the local artists association. But the ban was revoked after the National Human Rights Association intervened. Now a sexual harassment committee is being set up in the Telugu film industry to address the issue. "If people in the industry can demand that I send them my nude pictures, why can't I strip in public?" Sri Reddy said in an interview with the BBC. The film industry in the southern state of Kerala recently formed a collective for the welfare of women in that industry after a young actress was allegedly abducted and molested in a moving car. Sexual harassment is not just restricted to women. Ranveer Singh, one of Bollywood's biggest male actors, said in a 2015 interview that he had experienced the casting couch "first hand". He is one of the few men in Bollywood to voice concerns over abuse and harassment. Farhan Aktar, an actor, director and singer, is another male celebrity who has spoken out. He founded MARD, the Men Against Rape and Discrimination campaign, which raises awareness around sexual violence across the country, working in small villages and remote areas too. Farhan told the BBC that he would support women in Bollywood speaking out about abuse they say they've faced. "I would trust the women when they say it exists, I completely trust them." He believes Bollywood's #Metoo moment is on its way. "It'll only change through women speaking up, some amount of shaming that will put fear into people's hearts". But many of the women the BBC has spoken to believe change won't come until there are safe ways for them to report abuse and until more leading figures in the industry accept that there is a problem. Until that time comes, sexual harassment and abuse will remain the one story few in Bollywood want to tell. Additional reporting by Supriya Sobti. Contact Rajini Vaidyanathan on Twitter @BBCRajiniV if you have a story to share.

हर साल हजारों युवा पुरुष और महिलाएं अपने बॉलीवुड के सपने की तलाश में भारत की फिल्म राजधानी, पश्चिमी शहर मुंबई की ओर जाते हैं। लेकिन कई लोगों के लिए यह एक दुःस्वप्न बन जाता है। बीबीसी की रजनी वैद्यनाथन और प्रतीक्षा घिल्डियाल ने कई अभिनेत्रियों से बात की जो कहते हैं कि निर्देशकों और कास्टिंग एजेंटों द्वारा उनका यौन उत्पीड़न किया गया है।


Mobile barbering: 'It's like Uber, but for haircuts'

Summary: For many black British men, barber shops are a place to hang out, chat and meet friends. But for others they waste too much time, which is why two young men have come up with a new approach - a barber shop on wheels that you book via an app.

By Dougal ShawBBC Stories A van painted in bright colours drives slowly down a leafy, residential road in Norwood, south London. A young man in the front garden of a house, clutching a phone, waves at the driver, who parks nearby. They shake hands, then the driver pulls back the sliding door of the van. This reveals a sparkling, silver barber's chair, a large mirror, a hair dryer and pots filled with a variety of scissors. The young man hops in and puts on an apron, syncing his phone to the speakers to get some music playing. The driver - who is now his barber - gets to work with his electric clippers in the tight space. The door is still wide open to let in sunlight. A woman walking her dog along the pavement does a double take, craning her neck back in disbelief. "My service is like Deliveroo, or Uber Eats, but instead of delivering food, we deliver haircuts," explains Darren Tenkorang, 24, co-founder of Trim-It. He currently has two vans buzzing around south London and another in the north-west of the city. Darren is confident he's on to something. "Male grooming is a super-important part of my culture," he says. But in a van? Yes, he says. "My generation really values convenience above all else, you see." Darren grew up in Brixton, south London, where his mother worked as a cleaner and his father as a security guard; they had arrived from Ghana in the 1980s and had dreams of him becoming a banker, lawyer or accountant. University was always part of the plan for him, but when the time came, he wasn't sure which one would feel right. It was a barber shop that helped him decide. "It sounds silly, but the fact that there was an Afro-Caribbean black barber immediately when I got out the railway station at Brighton, to visit the University of Sussex, made me think instantly, 'I could be OK here, I could feel at home,'" Darren says. Afro-Caribbean hair is different from European hair and it takes some expertise to cut it well. Darren found he usually got better results with barbers who specialised in it. "I actually prefer it if a regular hairdresser admits they don't know how to do my hair," he says. "I've had a few bad haircuts when someone is too polite to say 'no', and the results can be terrible." Studying Business Management at Sussex, he got a one-year placement at a re-insurance firm in London - just the kind of thing his parents wanted for him. But while he was there he realised something that made him think hard about his future. He is dyslexic. Initially it was just a hunch, but Darren sought a professional opinion, and the diagnosis was confirmed. When he told his parents, his mother said she'd known since he was at primary school, but hadn't mentioned it. "She thought if I knew it might hold me back," says Darren. Darren reassessed his career plans. "I became worried about all the big numbers that would be flashing around in the corporate world," he says. So he decided to make his own way as an entrepreneur. Immediately he set up his first venture. It was a digital platform that used an algorithm to match clients' personalities with all kinds of tutoring services - it quickly folded. The following year he entered the StartUp Sussex enterprise competition for student entrepreneurs. He decided to work on an idea he was passionate about: male grooming. Afro-Caribbean barber shops are well-known for offering a social, convivial atmosphere - a place to hang out with friends. "My dad used to take me to the barber's in the morning and we'd be there for hours," says Darren. "We'd watch the football, and he would usually sip a pint of Guinness, chilling with his boys." Darren had enjoyed those times. But as he got older he became increasingly frustrated with the slow tempo of the experience. "I got sick of waiting for an hour at the barber, especially on a Friday or Saturday," he says. Or it would be your turn next in the queue, and then the barber would go to eat, or to pick up a child, he remembers. There was a special feeling of community, but perhaps that was more necessary for the generation before his, he wondered. "The new generation, like me, just want a trim and to get on with their day," says Darren. "We live our life fast-paced." And so the idea came to him of an app that would allow you to book an appointment at a salon for a fixed time with a specific barber. He thought this would appeal to everyone, not just those who use Afro-Caribbean barbers. Indeed some apps were already offering a similar service. He included within his proposal an idea that seemed to him slightly far-fetched. He would eventually like to employ barbers directly, who would drive to clients in a van: mobile barber shops on wheels. Darren's Trim-It app won the competition, and he was named the University of Sussex's Student Entrepreneur of the Year. The prize was £10,000. To get his company up and running, he recruited a rival from the competition, a fellow student called Nana Darko, whose confident air had impressed him. Darren promised to make Nana rich. He was similar to him, a young black man from south London with dreams of business success. Together they pounded the streets of Brighton, signing up barbers to their new app - all barbers, not just the Afro-Caribbean ones. Through hard work they built the app to the point where it was getting 2,000 bookings a month. But at the same time, the idea and the fledgling business were unravelling, says Darren. There were constant problems with barbers not turning up on time at the salon. Negative customer feedback was building up. They also hadn't figured out how to make any money from the platform. In 2017, Darren left Brighton and took a full-time job with a multinational company that specialises in sports betting, while trying to keep Trim-It going in his spare time. The competition money had dried up and the app seemed ready to die a natural death in the app store. "Self-doubt and a bruised ego had become something I was used to dealing with," he admits. Nana too was feeling bitterly disappointed. He had graduated with a first in engineering. But he was missing out at dozens of job interviews in the corporate world and he couldn't figure out why. Was it the way he presented himself, the way he talked, or perhaps the colour of his skin? It was at this low point that Darren and Nana decided to take a risk. They would focus on the side of the business that had at first seemed so implausible and try the idea of mobile barber vans - only this would allow them to control the whole customer experience. Through family and friends they were able to raise a five-figure sum in a last-ditch attempt to jump-start the business and in February 2018 the first van was ready - a Ford transit Darren customised outside his parents' house. The back of the van was all stripped out, to turn it into a mini-barber shop, powered by an electric generator. They recruited two full-time barbers, updated the app and waited for the bookings to come in. Very quickly those bookings arrived. In fact by July 2018 the van was permanently fully booked. Word spread partly due to some celebrity customers such as musicians Charlie Sloth and Sneakbo, who both have hundreds of thousands of followers on Instagram and Twitter. As Darren and Nana had intended, the kind of people making the bookings were mostly young, black millennials - people like Lewis, from West Norwood. "If I was 15 or 16, then I'd go to a barbershop," says Lewis. "But I'm 23, managing properties and working part-time, so I don't have time to go to a salon and wait for my turn." He might miss some of the banter in a typical Afro-Caribbean salon, but if he feels like company he can invite friends into the back of the van where there is a small bench for them to sit on, he says. Buoyed by the early interest, Darren was able to sign up more investors, allowing the team to raise a six-figure sum. Around the same time it was becoming clear that there was a shortage of barbers catering to Afro-Caribbean people in parts of London with large numbers of well-paid workers. "We're finding that because there is a bigger black middle class and there's more people working in the City, that we have pockets of customers there," Darren says. The van also turned out to be attractive to a new generation of black middle-class professionals looking for a haircut while working in trendy areas such as Old Street, Bethnal Green and Shoreditch. In the first year, about half of the van's business came in this way, says Darren. As of this week, there are three vans in operation. The increasing number of black professionals may mean that the relatively high cost of a Trim-It cut - £25 - is not an obstacle to growth. But there are others. One obvious problem is parking. When visiting residential areas, customers often provide tips on where to park, to avoid getting a ticket. It can be easier in the evenings, when parking is free of charge. But to cut hair in working hours in central London, the team has to find a place where they can park for a short period free of charge - no mean feat - or pay for a spot. The difficulty of reaching customers in different parts of the city, bearing in mind London's traffic problems, is expected to reduce if and when more vans come on stream, each serving a smaller area. But there is also the problem of climate change - will young clients continue to feel comfortable having their hair cut in a van that runs on fossil fuels. And of course many people in the black community still feel a strong emotional attachment to the barber shop, which was such an important meeting place for first generation immigrants. Lawrence Agyemang works at a barber shop in Oval, south London, where Darren had his hair cut as a teenager. "Young guys still want to hang out here in front of the shop, to show off their new hair styles," he says. And older people come even when they don't really need a haircut, he says, to socialise, watch sport, or just share a joke. Darren says that if his parents, 20 years ago, had thought their son would go into the barber shop business, they would have been "horrified". But if he can overhaul the barbering business, he thinks he might just make them proud. "Mobile barbershops will be a thing, trust me," he says. Follow journalist Dougal Shaw on Twitter: @dougalshawbbc You may also be interested in: Gina Atinuke Knight's white mum loved her, but her childhood in a white family meant it took her years to embrace her blackness. Her hair was one of the first things she came to love, which is why she became a hair blogger and wig-maker. Join the conversation - find us on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Twitter.

कई काले ब्रिटिश पुरुषों के लिए, नाई की दुकानें बाहर घूमने, बातचीत करने और दोस्तों से मिलने के लिए एक जगह हैं। लेकिन दूसरों के लिए वे बहुत अधिक समय बर्बाद करते हैं, यही कारण है कि दो युवा एक नया दृष्टिकोण लेकर आए हैं-पहियों पर नाई की दुकान जिसे आप एक ऐप के माध्यम से बुक करते हैं।


Victor Olaiya: Nigeria's 'evil genius' trumpeter who influenced Fela Kuti

Summary: Nigeria has been mourning music legend Victor Olaiya, who created Nigeria's highlife rhythms and influenced a generation of musicians including Fela Anikulapo-Kuti. Nduka Orjinmo looks back at the life of the trumpeter, who died last month at the age of 89.

Just like the well-turned out government filing clerk that he was, Olaiya always carried a pen in his breast pocket. This was not for noting instructions that had to be precisely followed, but rather because he needed to write down the musical notes and phrases as they came to him. This was at the beginning of the 1950s, his early days as a performer, when the trumpeter was trying to create Nigeria's highlife rhythms. More musician than bureaucrat At this stage, music was something he did in his spare time and Olaiya thought he had lost his job in the civil service when his boss saw a newspaper photo of him performing at a nightclub. Instead, he was told that he was a better musician than a bureaucrat at the survey department of Lagos mainland local government. He left the job and took on music full time. Highlife's 'Evil Genius' Bornin Calabar, southern Nigeria in 1930 FormedCool Cats band in 1954 Performedat Nigeria’s independence ball in 1960 Renamed Cool Cats to All Stars Band in 1963 Awarded Order of the Niger in 2009 Retired from music because of failing health in 2017 Born to wealthy Yoruba parents in the southern city of Calabar, Olaiya had an early start in music. His father was a church organist and his mother a folk singer from the western city of Oyo. He was also influenced by Caribbean calypso and included the popular song Sly Mongoose in his repertoire that he recalled first hearing when he was nine years old. As a teenager, though, he was taught Western classical music, and played the clarinet and French horn in his school orchestra in eastern Nigeria. Years later, wielding his gold trumpet and dabbing his face with a white handkerchief, Olaiya would perform a new type of music in Nigeria that would go on to inspire a young Fela Anikulapo-Kuti among others. After his secondary school, Olaiya moved to Lagos where he joined the Lagos City Orchestra and then the band of composer Sammy Akpabot, playing ballroom music for wealthy urban audiences. But it was as the head of Bobby Benson's Alfa Carnival Group that his talent would be properly nurtured. Benson took a number of musicians under his wing and it was here that Olaiya polished the skills that would help him form his own band, the Cool Cats. Listening to the recordings now, the gentle swinging rhythm and the prominence of the horn section, you sense a sepia tinge to Olaiya's songs. They evoke memories of the fading British Empire and transition to independence, conjuring up images of afro hair combed into a dome, of middle-class Nigerians appearing overdressed in tuxedos and gowns with a cigarette neatly tucked between the fingers. By the late 1950s, the colonial administrators were on their way out and a young generation of educated Africans was about to take over. As the disco bars and ballrooms gradually thinned out of the British and their music, in stepped the elite class of Africans seeking that same high life but fused with their own culture. And the bands responded to satisfy their new patrons, incorporating local rhythms and melodies into their repertoire. You may also like: The songs were romantic and the lyrics, which to today's eyes appear sexist, often used erotic imagery. Olaiya's 1961 track Adelebo Tonwoku (Single Lady Looking for a Husband) says that if a woman, referred to as "Cinderella shaking her buttocks", finds a husband she should "forgo education". As a musical term, highlife was first used in Ghana in the 1920s to describe a band playing a fusion of foreign and local instruments driven by multiple guitars and horns. Olaiya's influence came from Ghana, as he was a keen admirer of the Tempo band of highlife legend ET Mensah, who toured Nigeria multiple times from 1951. When Olaiya formed his Cool Cats band, he adopted Mensah's style and had Ghanaian Sammy Lartey as saxophonist. Years later, Olaiya and Mensah would release a joint album. In bombastic style, Olaiya was once described by a newspaper editor as "the evil genius of highlife", perhaps because once someone heard his music it was impossible not to dance. His music became so popular that in 1960 he played at the party to celebrate Nigeria's independence in front of Queen Elizabeth's sister, Princess Margaret. Fela comes to Olaiya Olaiya was a multi-linguist and sang in Twi, Igbo, Efik, Pidgin and Yoruba and his band would go on to serve as a training ground for musicians who would revolutionise music in Africa. Chief among those that interned with Olaiya was Fela, creator of the Afrobeat genre and arguably Nigeria's most influential musician. Fresh from secondary school in 1957, Fela spent time playing with Olaiya's Cool Cats in Lagos and headed another of the maestro's bands. Olaiya recognised a prodigy and gave him a platform, in the same way that he had been supported by Benson. Fela's drummer, Tony Allen, was also among those who played with Olaiya. Other notable musicians that passed through his band were guitar wizard Victor Uwaifo, juju musician Dele Ojo and saxophonist Yinusa Akinnibosun. By 1970, under the influence of James Brown, Olaiya had branched into soul and funk music. His Up-to-Date Mover album of that year included five tracks co-written with Brown. But Olaiya will forever be associated with highlife, and this gradually faded from the scene until the genre became a stacked collection of dusty vinyl for senior citizens who hung onto the memories of an era when "things were good". The Cool Cats were no longer cool, as first Fela's Afrobeat and later Afro hop swept succeeding generations off their feet. Olaiya tried to keep up in later decades by doing things like shooting music videos but he never looked comfortable with the format. He was used to the disco bars, the big orchestra and the larger-than-life bands performing for dandy crowds. Recognised by a later generation There were attempts to introduce his music to a new audience. In 2013, Tuface Idibia, a music legend in his own right, remixed Olaiya's Baby Jowo. It was a homage to another era but only underlined how things had changed. A handful of highlife musicians are still scattered in the eastern and western parts of Nigeria but their tunes are now mostly heard at funerals. When Olaiya is laid to rest, perhaps a band led by an immaculately turned out trumpeter will be at the front of the procession? And when he is lowered into the ground, it may be more than flesh that is returning to dust. The highlife music he pioneered may just be buried along with him.

नाइजीरिया संगीत के दिग्गज विक्टर ओलैया का शोक मना रहा है, जिन्होंने नाइजीरिया की उच्च जीवन की लय बनाई और फेला अनिकुलापो-कुटी सहित संगीतकारों की एक पीढ़ी को प्रभावित किया। एनडुका ओरजिनमो ट्रम्पेटर के जीवन को पीछे मुड़कर देखते हैं, जिनकी पिछले महीने 89 वर्ष की आयु में मृत्यु हो गई थी।


Harry Baker Barry docks death: Eight people deny murder

Summary: Eight people have denied the murder of a 17-year-old whose body was found at a docks.

Harry Baker's body was found at Barry docks, Vale of Glamorgan, in the early hours of 28 August. At Cardiff Crown Court on Friday eight people aged between 16 and 61 were remanded in custody after entering not guilty pleas to the charge of murder. Judge Neil Bidder set a date of February 2020 for a trial to take place at Newport Crown Court. It is expected to last between six and eight weeks. The defendants are:

आठ लोगों ने एक 17 वर्षीय युवक की हत्या से इनकार किया है, जिसका शव एक बंदरगाह पर मिला था।


Coronavirus lockdown: Am I allowed to move house?

Summary: England's property market has been released from some elements of the lockdown.

By Kevin PeacheyPersonal finance reporter Many in the housing sector anticipate a surge in moving from pent-up demand. However, strict guidelines are still in place covering every aspect of buying, selling, and renting. For now, the property markets in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland remain shut. But if you're moving house in England, what do the changes mean for you in practice? How will socially distanced property viewings work? The first property viewing will not be in person, but online. Virtual viewings have become more common recently and will continue, while open house viewings will not return for a while. When prospective buyers and tenants want to inspect a property in real life, government guidance states only one household should be shown around at a time. Internal doors should stay open, or door handles wiped down along with other surfaces after each visit. Washing facilities should be offered, towels washed, and visitors could bring their own hand sanitiser. Current residents are encouraged to leave the home while a viewing is taking place. If anyone involved - including the current residents - are symptomatic, self-isolating, or shielding, then it should not take place, the guidance says. An estate or letting agent should no longer drive anyone to a property, and must stay 2m (6ft) away from clients during the viewing. Can my landlord evict me now? Protections for tenants were put in place when general restrictions on movement were introduced. Ongoing evictions have been suspended, and there has been a temporary ban on new eviction proceedings. So, until 30 September, most landlords will not be able to start eviction proceedings unless they have given tenants three months' notice. Those rules still stand, even though landlords can now start showing prospective tenants around again. Social landlords and housing associations have been told to make sure tenants are not put under undue pressure to move. Policies on returning keys, inspections, and tenancy sign-ups also need to be updated so they meet social distancing requirements. Can I move in with someone new? Many people would be planning to move in with a partner, or rent a home with new housemates, who are currently in different households. Clearly, that means members of two households getting together, but the government says it is permitted. The important caveat is that it should be delayed if anyone in either household is showing symptoms. Any period of self-isolation should also be completed by the last member of either original household before people move in together, or join a houseshare. Will I have to move my own belongings? No. Removals firms will now be allowed to operate more widely, but with some restrictions. People should clean their belongings before asking movers and packers to handle them. They should also keep their doors open, and offer washing facilities to the removals team but should not offer any refreshments. Any removal workers with even the mildest symptoms should not work, while if someone in the home is symptomatic the move should be delayed. Removal staff should also operate a ''buddy'' system, so the same pairs carry bulky furniture or equipment each time. As before, there is always the option of moving your belongings yourself. Buyers often send in surveyors, builders and other experts to inspect a property before making an offer. They will have to practise social distancing as well. What will this mean for house prices? As always, that is a very difficult question to answer, and it is likely to vary depending on the area and its local economy. Many commentators expect prices to fall sharply in the short-term, but recover fairly quickly. It is clear many people face an uncertain outlook for their jobs and income, particularly first-time buyers. This is likely to lead to more haggling over house prices, and the possibility of lower demand from potential buyers in the medium term until they are sure their jobs are safe. Uncertainty tends to make prices more volatile, but it makes predictions trickier too. Future movements of rents are also difficult to read at the moment, and will depend on the area, the type of property, and the financial situation of the landlord. CoronaVirus translator What do all these terms mean? Antibodies test A medical test that can show if a person has had the coronavirus and now has some immunity. The test detects antibodies in the blood, which are produced by the body to fight off the disease. Asymptomatic Someone who has a disease but does not have any of the symptoms it causes. Some studies suggest some people with coronavirus carry the disease but don't show the common symptoms, such as a persistent cough or high temperature. Containment phase The first part of the UK's strategy to deal with the coronavirus, which involved trying to identify infected people early and trace anyone who had been in close contact with them. Coronavirus One of a group of viruses that can cause severe or mild illness in humans and animals. The coronavirus currently sweeping the world causes the disease Covid-19. The common cold and influenza (flu) are other types of coronaviruses. Covid-19 The disease caused by the coronavirus first detected in Wuhan, China, in late 2019. It primarily affects the lungs. Delay phase The second part of the UK's strategy to deal with the coronavirus, in which measures such as social distancing are used to delay its spread. Fixed penalty notice A fine designed to deal with an offence on the spot, instead of in court. These are often for driving offences, but now also cover anti-social behaviour and breaches of the coronavirus lockdown. Flatten the curve Health experts use a line on a chart to show numbers of new coronavirus cases. If a lot of people get the virus in a short period of time, the line might rise sharply and look a bit like a mountain. However, taking measures to reduce infections can spread cases out over a longer period and means the "curve" is flatter. This makes it easier for health systems to cope. Flu Short for influenza, a virus that routinely causes disease in humans and animals, in seasonal epidemics. Furlough Supports firms hit by coronavirus by temporarily helping pay the wages of some staff. It allows employees to remain on the payroll, even though they aren't working. Herd immunity How the spread of a disease slows after a sufficiently large proportion of a population has been exposed to it. Immune A person whose body can withstand or fend off a disease is said to be immune to it. Once a person has recovered from the disease caused by the coronavirus, Covid-19, for example, it is thought they cannot catch it again for a certain period of time. Incubation period The period of time between catching a disease and starting to display symptoms. Intensive care Hospital wards which treat patients who are very ill. They are run by specially-trained healthcare staff and contain specialist equipment. Lockdown Restrictions on movement or daily life, where public buildings are closed and people told to stay at home. Lockdowns have been imposed in several countries as part of drastic efforts to control the spread of the coronavirus. Mitigation phase The third part of the UK's strategy to deal with the coronavirus, which will involve attempts to lessen the impact of a high number of cases on public services. This could mean the NHS halting all non-critical care and police responding to major crimes and emergencies only. NHS 111 The NHS's 24-hour phone and online service, which offers medical advice to anyone who needs it. People in England and Wales are advised to ring the service if they are worried about their symptoms. In Scotland, they should check NHS inform, then ring their GP in office hours or 111 out of hours. In Northern Ireland, they should call their GP. Outbreak Multiple cases of a disease occurring rapidly, in a cluster or different locations. Pandemic An epidemic of serious disease spreading rapidly in many countries simultaneously. Phase 2 This is when the UK will start to lift some of its lockdown rules while still trying to reduce the spread of coronavirus. PPE PPE, or personal protective equipment, is clothing and kit such as masks, aprons, gloves and goggles used by medical staff, care workers and others to protect themselves against infection from coronavirus patients and other people who might be carrying the disease. Quarantine The isolation of people exposed to a contagious disease to prevent its spread. R0 R0, pronounced "R-naught", is the average number of people who will catch the disease from a single infected person. If the R0 of coronavirus in a particular population is 2, then on average each case will create two more new cases. The value therefore gives an indication of how much the infection could spread. Recession This happens when there is a significant drop in income, jobs and sales in a country for two consecutive three-month periods. Sars Severe acute respiratory syndrome, a type of coronavirus that emerged in Asia in 2003. Self-isolation Staying inside and avoiding all contact with other people, with the aim of preventing the spread of a disease. Social distancing Keeping away from other people, with the aim of slowing down transmission of a disease. The government advises not seeing friends or relatives other than those you live with, working from home where possible and avoiding public transport. State of emergency Measures taken by a government to restrict daily life while it deals with a crisis. This can involve closing schools and workplaces, restricting the movement of people and even deploying the armed forces to support the regular emergency services. Statutory instrument These can be used by government ministers to implement new laws or regulations, or change existing laws. They are an easier alternative to passing a full Act of Parliament. Symptoms Any sign of disease, triggered by the body's immune system as it attempts to fight off the infection. The main symptoms of the coronavirus are a fever, dry cough and shortness of breath. Vaccine A treatment that causes the body to produce antibodies, which fight off a disease, and gives immunity against further infection. Ventilator A machine that takes over breathing for the body when disease has caused the lungs to fail. Virus A tiny agent that copies itself inside the living cells of any organism. Viruses can cause these cells to die and interrupt the body's normal chemical processes, causing disease. translator What do all these terms mean?

इंग्लैंड के संपत्ति बाजार को लॉकडाउन के कुछ तत्वों से मुक्त कर दिया गया है।


Man, 84, dies in three car crash in Lincolnshire

Summary: A 84-year-old man has died in a three-car crash in Lincolnshire.

Police said the man was driving one of the cars which crashed on the A46 Lincoln bypass at the Skellingthorpe roundabout just after 12:00 GMT on Saturday. A seven-year-old girl travelling in another car was seriously injured and taken to the Queen's Medical Centre in Nottingham for treatment. The road was closed for the afternoon while officers investigated the crash. Related Internet Links Lincolnshire Police

लिंकनशायर में तीन कारों की दुर्घटना में एक 84 वर्षीय व्यक्ति की मौत हो गई है।


Will tech firms challenge China's 'open' internet?

Summary: Sometimes you can gauge how proud someone is about being at an event by the extent to which they want to talk about it. When that event is China's annual global internet get-together in Wuzhen there are plenty who turn up, but fewer who want to advertise their attendance.

By Robin BrantBBC News, Wuzhen China has been smart and ruthless in its control of the internet within its borders. It blocks some foreign sites altogether and it censors - heavily - what Chinese are allowed to see. Nonetheless the big idea at this gathering is openness. There wasn't much openness about the "great firewall" that keeps out Twitter, Facebook, Google and the New York Times to name a few. Not from the government minister I hastily followed down a corridor. Not from a senior Facebook executive. Not from one of the co-founders of LinkedIn. Chen Zhaoxiong's minders tried to push me away and the familiar hand went up over the camera as the vice minister for industry and information technology ignored my questions at the same time as saying "no problem, no problem" to me. This was a rare chance for me to talk to - or rather at - a China government minister. He's partly responsible for maintaining that firewall that keeps the social networks so familiar to many outside of China barred from most within it. In the end he told me: "The question you raised is very interesting. We will consider your advice." Winning on the web China doesn't need advice, because the truth is it's winning on the web. It's embracing innovation as it moves towards a digital economy, at the same time as using it as a tool of persistent oppression. It's online self promotion, at home and abroad, becomes slicker by the day. China is ramping up its investment in how the web works; artificial intelligence, big data and cloud computing. All while it presents the world with the fastest growing online market. I've gotten used to hearing this phrase; the next billion Facebook users are coming from one place. Which is why the social network is pushing very hard to try to get into China, legally. Facebook is banned here. Unlike LinkedIn and Microsoft's Bing search engine, it is yet to sign up to the conditions of doing business here. But when will that happen? Will they censor their content in China? Will they explain how important China is to the company's future? All those questions were met with a forced smile and a "no comment" from Vaughan Smith, a Facebook senior executive I spoke to as he left a packed session at the conference. Censorship and control over the internet have only increased under President Xi Jinping. The machine went into overdrive earlier this year, to help him, as his second term at the top of the Communist Party approached. Increasing censorship Apple agreed to remove dozens of VPN apps that allow free access to the web. It's chief executive Tim Cook said they had to comply with the rules and regulations. He was "optimistic" the decision would be reversed. There's no sign that's going to happen. Then some WhatsApp services were blocked. Unflattering pictures comparing Mr Xi to Winnie the Pooh were among the images that suddenly couldn't be exchanged on the messaging app. But none of that has deterred the big foreign names from coming to this conference. RJ Pittman, chief product officer of eBay did talk to the BBC. He told me "What needs to happen is more dialogue". He said the auction and retail website has learned a lot in over a decade of doing business in China. "We've been continuing to push the conversation, push the dialogue with the Chinese government," he explained. As for what they're pushing on he cited "a few things" they agree on, among them cyber security. Sovereignty and control This gathering is now in its fourth year. The serene and ancient water town that hosts it underpins the sense that it is China's bid to show the world a distinctly Chinese vision of the internet. A vision that's centred on sovereignty and control. The proponents aren't just politicians. The last person I spoke to, a slim and very animated figure, is an apostle. Jack Ma is a star in China. He's made billions. He founded the online retail behemoth Alibaba. It's made him China's best known businessman, and he has a very direct message for the foreign firms who want in. "Doing business in any country you have to follow the rules and laws," he told me. "I'm not in government, I cannot speak on behalf of the government. But I understand Facebook, these companies, they've been trying. But if they come here they have to say OK, I follow the Chinese rules and laws." In a congratulatory letter China's president promised this conference he will open the doors "wider and wider". He knows some foreign firms don't like his vision of the internet. But they'll accept it - and join in. As Tim Cook from Apple proved, when he appeared here in person, to praise China's vision of online "openness".

कभी-कभी आप अनुमान लगा सकते हैं कि किसी व्यक्ति को किसी कार्यक्रम में होने पर कितना गर्व है कि वह इसके बारे में किस हद तक बात करना चाहता है। जब वह कार्यक्रम वुज़ेन में चीन का वार्षिक वैश्विक इंटरनेट मिलन होता है तो बहुत सारे लोग आते हैं, लेकिन कम लोग जो अपनी उपस्थिति का विज्ञापन करना चाहते हैं।