Politics in 2012: Nick Clegg's tuition fees apology did little to boost Lib Dem fortunes

Summary: This was the year that Nick Clegg apologised.

By Ben Wright & Andrew FaggBBC Westminster He had broken a pre-election pledge to oppose any rise in university tuition fees and for that, he said, he was sorry. The PM programme on BBC Radio 4 set the apology to Elton John singing, What Have I Got To Do To Make You Love Me? It was a telling choice of tune. Nick Clegg's apology, however sincere, was an attempt to arrest an alarming decline in his own and his party's popularity. 'Toxic brand' But according to the president of the YouGov polling firm, Peter Kellner, it didn't work. "Nick Clegg is a toxic brand," he argues. "Fewer than 20% think he's doing well as party leader and deputy prime minister. "Around 70% typically think he's doing badly. "These are simply terrible figures. I find it hard to see how the Liberal Democrats could recover with him leading the party at the next election." The plunging popularity of Mr Clegg and his party has been made clear at the polls. The Corby by-election in November was possibly the lowest point. The Lib Dem candidate, Jill Hope, lost her deposit, polling less than 5% of the vote. She accepted that her party leader was part of the problem. "Yes he's a problem for our party, but I don't know whether that's Nick's fault. "And I don't think the Liberal Democrats are like other parties. We don't dump somebody because they're unpopular. Every single person I know that has met Nick respects him and regards him fondly. Coalition 'conscience' Mrs Hope is typical among Lib Dem activists, in that she remains supportive of her leader - reserving her ire for the party's Conservative coalition partners. "Can you imagine the draconian measures that would be implemented if we weren't there on their shoulder like Jiminy Cricket as their conscience, making them do things for ordinary people, for lower-paid people?" This line of attack - that the Liberal Democrats are the "conscience of the coalition" - gives a clue to what the party's narrative might be at the next election. Activists have had their cherished hope of reforming the House of Lords dashed. They have seen the number of Lib Dem councillors falling below 3,000 for the first time in its history. But they insist there is plenty to shout about. This was the year, they say, in which Nick Clegg won key concessions on the controversial health bill - and prevented a return to O-Levels. It was the year in which Vince Cable convinced the Treasury to fund a British Business Bank, and more free childcare for parents on low incomes. It was the year in which Mr Clegg drove through the Lib Dems flagship policy of lifting the level at which people begin to pay tax - giving a tax cut to more than twenty million people. Sir Nick Harvey - one of the longest serving Lib Dems in the Commons who left the government in September's reshuffle - believes Mr Clegg has to remain in charge. "Nick Clegg was the architect of the strategic gamble of going into the coalition with the Conservatives," he says. "I just don't think the issue arises of getting shot of Nick Clegg. It was a five-year strategy and people still have the belief that the strategy was right." Political strategy No one, then, is talking seriously about a change of leader. But there are murmurings about some of Mr Clegg's decisions, including pulling ministers, including Sir Nick, out of the Ministry of Defence and the Foreign Office in the summer reshuffle. "I did not agree with the decision," Sir Nick says. "We are an internationalist party. We are committed to the UK's participation to international organisations. We should still be in defence and the foreign office and we may live to regret coming out of both of them." There has been a lot of talk this year about how the Lib Dems must sharpen their differences with the Conservatives. Mr Clegg gave a flavour of this in the summer when he withdrew his support for constituency boundary changes, following a Tory rebellion on Lords reform. But - barring disagreement about energy policy - Nick Clegg has if anything scaled down his rhetoric against the Conservatives since then. He must soon come up with a strategy to win back popular support. The protest vote, the anti-war vote, the student vote, the new-way-of-doing-politics vote has disappeared and Peter Kellner believes this has left only a rump of core supporters. "Unless something dramatic happens, they are bound to lose quite a lot of seats next time. "So the Lib Dems' challenge in 2013 is to find that big, deus ex machina, that thing that none of us can quite foresee, which will change people's minds about him. I don't know what it is. " Clearly, Mr Clegg has some big thinking to do.

यह वह वर्ष था जब निक क्लेग ने माफी मांगी थी।


Man, 42, dies after incident in waters off Gower

Summary: A 42-year-old man has died after getting into difficulties in waters off Gower, South Wales Police has said.

Emergency services went to Three Cliffs Bay, near Swansea, after the alarm was raised at 14:10 BST on Saturday. The man was taken to Swansea's Morriston Hospital, where he later died. Two more people were taken to hospital but their injuries were not thought to be life-threatening. South Wales Police have asked anyone with information about the incident to get in contact via the 101 phone line.

साउथ वेल्स पुलिस ने कहा है कि गोवर के पानी में कठिनाइयों में पड़ने से एक 42 वर्षीय व्यक्ति की मौत हो गई है।


The enduring myth of Rudolf Hess

Summary: On Wednesday 20 July 2011 - the anniversary of the attempt on Hitler's life in 1944 - the public was informed that the grave of Rudolf Hess, the "Fuehrer's deputy", had been razed before daybreak.

By Thomas DoerflerUniversity of Goettingen, Germany Beyond the fascinating coincidence in the date - there will surely be further speculation on this - the decision by Hess's heirs was surprising. They wanted to commit his mortal remains to the waves and organise a funeral at sea for a man whose mystique and influence on the far-right was strongly linked to the existence of his grave in the Bavarian village of Wunsiedel. He was already one the most interesting figures in post-war Germany, being the only high-ranking Nazi serving a life sentence imposed by the Nuremberg war-crimes court - Albert Speer, for instance, was released in 1966. 'Anti-German plot' Hess owes his ambiguous fame to the circumstances of his death. He was found hanged in a summer house in Berlin's Spandau Prison, where he had spent the previous 20 years. The official version - contested by right-wingers of all stripes - was that he committed suicide to end his long imprisonment. For the German and international far-right movement, this was clear evidence that the powers that be had tried to suppress the truth about an "anti-German" plot dating back to the war years. According to this version of events, the Allied forces - notably the British secret service - ignored the true purpose of Hess's flight to Britain in 1941. He was taking a peace plan to Churchill, he told his interrogators. This idea made Hess the perfect figure to portray the Nazis as victims, rather than aggressors. Britain had started World War II to destroy Germany, and Hess was captured in Scotland to crush the peaceful intentions of Nazi Germany. Even the fact that Hitler declared him insane did not dent this legend. Revitalised myth Moreover the resurgent Nazi scene in recent years has gradually recognised the potential of this myth to attract young people susceptible to tales of injustice. What started as a tiny demonstration of a handful of Nazi activists in the 1990s had turned into thousands regularly filling the streets of Wunsiedel by early 2000s. Everybody who looked at such scenes - including myself and my academic colleagues - felt uncomfortable. Most of the demonstrators were young and dressed like average heavy-metal kids - until you looked at their T-shirts and tattoos. The Hess myth, modernised to satisfy a desire for victimhood, made the Wundsiedel commemorations alluring to young people. But it also led the Constitutional Court to ban the event in 2005, as the potential for the recruitment of new blood into the Neo-Nazi movement got increasingly obvious. However the court order had limited effect on such gatherings, which continued less frequently and at a smaller scale elsewhere. But then Hess had become a kind of right-wing Che Guevara, with his portrait on shirts, buttons and posters. In the end the family agreed to terminate the lease on the grave. Thus an event that many would have thought highly improbably until now became reality on Wednesday evening. What might be the consequences of this startling decision? Nazi zombie Firstly, it is no coincidence that the relatives and officials chose to eliminate every physical trace of a figure with a vast potential for creating right-wing legends. As was the case for Osama Bin Laden some weeks ago, the authorities understand the power of a permanent shrine to a highly controversial figure. It becomes a place of pilgrimage, a focus for irrational and uncontrollable worship. Secondly, the far-right movement has lost a crucial place embodying myths and legends that give it a friendly face. The neo-Nazis desperately need to celebrate the memory of an attractive "hero" for the benefit of new recruits. And thirdly, there will be an increased potential for violence of all kinds - from street unrest to digital stalking - by the far-right. Deprived of a leading rallying figure, the movement will feel that its noble tradition has been humiliated by unjust powers yet again. Ultimately it is possible that a renewed cult could rise again around Hess, the ultimate Nazi zombie.

बुधवार 20 जुलाई 2011 को-1944 में हिटलर के जीवन पर प्रयास की वर्षगांठ-जनता को सूचित किया गया कि "फ्यूहरर के सहायक" रुडोल्फ हेस की कब्र को सुबह से पहले ध्वस्त कर दिया गया था।


Jersey airport flights cancelled and delayed after fog

Summary: Jersey Met Office has warned there may be problems for people going into and out of the island's airport on Friday.

Many flights were cancelled, delayed or diverted on Thursday because of foggy weather. Jon Searson from the Jersey Met Office said he expected the fog to lift by mid-afternoon. It comes after about 10,000 passengers were affected by similar disruptions last week when planes were grounded for several days in a row. Passengers are being advised to check in as usual, unless they hear otherwise from airlines.

जर्सी मौसम कार्यालय ने चेतावनी दी है कि शुक्रवार को द्वीप के हवाई अड्डे के अंदर और बाहर जाने वाले लोगों के लिए समस्याएं हो सकती हैं।


Why India is one of world's most protectionist countries

Summary: The world's largest democratic exercise begins today.

By Szu Ping ChanBusiness reporter Nine hundred million Indians are registered to vote in general elections taking place over the next five weeks. Much is at stake. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has promised to make India the world's third largest economy by 2030. Meanwhile, the opposition Congress Party has put job creation at the heart of its manifesto. India's trade policy has also come under scrutiny. With some of the highest tariffs in the world, some fear the country is slipping back into its old protectionist ways. A history of protectionism After independence in 1947, India spent decades trying to survive without international trade. The country ditched its model of local production for local consumption following a currency crisis in the early 1990s that forced policymakers to ask the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for help. The IMF cash came with conditions: India had to open up to foreign investment, cut red tape and remove trade barriers. Many saw this as the start of India's reintegration into the global economy, and over the last 20 years liberalisation has connected its young, vibrant workforce with firms around the world. Today, it is one of the world's top outsourcing destinations, with many of its workers powering back-end IT systems, call centres and software development. This has also helped India to run a trade surplus - whereby it sells more than it buys - in goods and services with the US. The Modi era When Narendra Modi came to power in 2014, he promised to boost India's already impressive growth through further economic liberalisation. And the new government took big steps to make doing business easier, says Rick Rossow, former deputy director at the US-India business council. For example, it combined more than a dozen levies into one national sales tax that helped goods to move seamlessly across state borders. Mr Modi's warmth with global leaders and chief executives - and his oft-lampooned fondness for hugging them - also marked a big shift from past prime ministers. Yet when it comes to its trade, there has been no such progress, with some even accusing the country of travelling backwards. US President Donald Trump has repeatedly attacked Indian duties on Harley Davidson motorcycles and American whiskey, despite trade between the two countries having boomed in recent years. In its latest report on global trade barriers, the US trade department singles out India as having the highest tariffs "of any major world economy" - averaging 13.8%. It describes Indian trade policy as opaque, unpredictable, and says it often leaves US firms drowning in paperwork. Global Trade More from the BBC's series taking an international perspective on trade: Mr Rossow says India's strategy has always been "pro-investment and anti-trade". Flagship government policies such as Make in India have aggressively courted foreign direct investment while seeking to boost domestic manufacturing. To achieve this, India has erected trade barriers against competitors. In the past, western multinationals were the target. Today, China is seen as a rising threat. The BJP used its budget last year to raise import duties on goods including sunglasses, cigarette lighters and fruit juice to discourage Chinese imports. 'WTO troublemaker' Mr Modi's government has also spent the last four years defending India's multibillion-dollar food-security programme, which many developed countries see as unfair. Under the programme, the government heavily subsidises local farmers so they can provide low cost food for the poor. But, the US and others argue it breaks World Trade Organisation (WTO) rules around subsidy limits. Dmitry Grozoubinski, a former Australian negotiator at the WTO, thinks they may have a point. "India is justifying its agricultural subsidies by claiming their poorest citizens can't afford food, but they're maintaining massive tariff walls that effectively prevent the imports that could bring prices down." Blocking progress? He believes Mr Modi is just grandstanding to show support for the millions of farmers in India - a key voting constituency. This also may explain why India has become such a troublemaker at the WTO over the issue, Mr Grozoubinski adds. Indian trade representatives regularly use obscure legal precedents to stop the Geneva-based body from doing its job, he says, even trying to block rulings on entirely unrelated matters. "Domestically it plays well for them to say we're standing up for poor farmers and not letting western countries bully us," he adds. Trade flows and trade talks As the fastest growing major economy in the world, India is unlikely to worry too much about such criticism. It's managed to bring millions of people out of poverty since the millennium, although challenges remain. There is, however, a risk that its protectionism could backfire. Take the way that, last December, the government banned foreign retailers such as Amazon from striking exclusive deals with local goods sellers. The move was viewed as a bid by Mr Modi to placate small traders, also a key voter base. But it irked the US and last month the Trump administration said it planned to end a scheme which allows some goods to enter the US duty-free after India refused to remove price caps on some medical devices. India, which was also angered by Washington's refusal to exempt India from steel and aluminium tariffs last year, vowed to retaliate. But it has so far delayed implementing tit-for-tat tariffs. "My guess is that they see picking a direct fight with the US as a losing battle and a real danger," Mr Rossow says. Will the election change anything? Trade is unlikely to play a major role in this year's election. Voters are more likely to be concerned about jobs and growth, says Shumita Deveshwar, director of India research at TS Lombard. Others compare Indian protectionism to the "slippery slope" in President Trump's America, where strong growth is overshadowed by a fear of China and a lack of good jobs. Analysts say the risk is that further protectionist measures could reverse the economic gains enjoyed by the country since liberalisation. Ms Deveshwar says India will need to reform on trade if it wants to secure long-term prosperity. "India hasn't been able to tap into some of the trade opportunities that have opened up because of the tensions between the US and China, and you've seen other countries such as Vietnam come and take that market share." If the Congress party gains power in May, it is unclear whether it will seek to change India's trade policy, and Mr Rossow believes a second term for Mr Modi will just mean more of the same. "This government is all about trying to encourage investment and if it continues [in power], you're going to see another big run at that." The Indian government did not respond to requests for comment on the issues raised in this article.

दुनिया की सबसे बड़ी लोकतांत्रिक कवायद आज से शुरू हो रही है।


Sarah Everard murder case: What happens next?

Summary: A Met Police officer has been charged with the kidnap and murder of 33-year-old marketing executive Sarah Everard. It means criminal proceedings are under way but, with the justice system creaking under a massive backlog, how long might it be before a trial could take place?

By Thomas MackintoshBBC News, London To start with, Wayne Couzens will be taken to Westminster Magistrates' Court for his first court appearance. All such proceedings start at the magistrate level, where a defendant confirms personal details such as their name, date of birth and where they live. Serious crimes, known as indictable offences, are always sent up to crown court. The 48-year-old will then appear at crown court - most likely the Central Criminal Court in London, which is better known as the Old Bailey. A judge will listen to the background of the case and can grant or refuse bail - although it is extremely rare for someone accused of murder to be granted bail. The judge will also set a date for a plea hearing and, should Mr Couzens plead not guilty, he will go on to be tried by a jury. When might a trial take place? The coronavirus pandemic has contributed to a backlog that stands at an estimated 56,000 crown court cases in England and Wales. About 65% of the crown court backlog is believed to be made up of trials, and many will not go before a jury until 2022 at the earliest. The other cases are sentencing hearings and plea preparations. Due to the pandemic, social distancing measures have had to be put in place. This means not all trials in the past year have been able to be heard in court buildings, which often have very cramped conditions. So finding a suitable courtroom could take some time, as dates have already been set for other trials. Mr Couzens has been charged with murder and has already been remanded into custody. Custody ahead of a trial carries a time limit which is currently eight months, but this can be reviewed, extended or cut by a judge. There are protocols in place to expedite the most serious cases, both in the interests of public protection and management of dangerous offenders on remand. Any trial could well take place this year, should it be fast-tracked. What about social media? Particularly now there has been a charge in the case, people need to be especially cautious about what they post about it on social media. Posts should not include comments claiming or implying that any suspect is guilty of an offence of which they have been accused, nor anything else that could prejudice a trial or impede the administration of justice. This is because, according to English law, everyone charged with a criminal offence shall be presumed innocent until proven guilty and everyone has the right to a fair trial. Criminal proceedings against Mr Couzens have been "active" since his arrest. This means that under contempt of court laws, nothing should be published that could cause a substantial risk of seriously prejudicing or impeding the legal process, for example by influencing potential jurors. What has the Met Police said? Commissioner Dame Cressida Dick said that the arrest of a serving police officer on suspicion of murder had caused anger both within the Met and with the general public. As is usual, because one of its own has been arrested, the Met referred itself to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) as well as its in-house Directorate of Professional Standards. Both are responsible for investigating complaints about the professional conduct of officers. The IOPC has also launched an investigation into the Met's initial handling of the missing person investigation. Ms Everard's last known movements were at about 21:30 GMT on 3 March, shortly after she got off the phone to her boyfriend. It took roughly 36 hours for police to make their initial appeal for information about the whereabouts of the marketing executive. But the findings of investigations into the way the case was handled would not be made public until after any murder trial.

मेट्रोपोलिटन पुलिस के एक अधिकारी पर 33 वर्षीय विपणन कार्यकारी सारा एवरार्ड के अपहरण और हत्या का आरोप लगाया गया है। इसका मतलब है कि आपराधिक कार्यवाही चल रही है, लेकिन न्याय प्रणाली के बड़े पैमाने पर बैकलॉग के तहत आने के साथ, मुकदमा होने में कितना समय लग सकता है?


Taunton legal highs shop to remain closed after owner loses appeal

Summary: The owner of a shop selling legal highs in Taunton has lost an appeal to get it reopened following its closure by magistrates.

Taunton magistrates had granted an application for police to close Hush in Bridge Street for three months under anti-social behaviour powers. Police said it was responsible for serious disorder in the town. Owner Simon Tomlin appealed against the closure order at the higher crown court but the appeal was dismissed. Last year, Taunton Deane councillors voted unanimously to ban the sale of the substances in premises rented from the authority.

टौनटन में कानूनी ऊंचाई बेचने वाली एक दुकान के मालिक ने मजिस्ट्रेटों द्वारा इसे बंद करने के बाद इसे फिर से खोलने की अपील खो दी है।


Eritrea celebrates 25 years of independence after war with Ethiopia

Summary: This week marks 25 years since Eritrea gained independence from Ethiopia in a conflict which lasted three decades. Rights groups criticise the East African nation for its lack of democracy, media freedom and its policy of forced conscription, which can last for many years. But the Eritrean government has organised huge celebrations.

By Mary HarperBBC News, Asmara Long rows of rusting tanks and other military vehicles, which were captured from Ethiopian forces, fill a field outside the capital. Eritrean rebels were fighting a far more powerful and better equipped army. At a carnival in the capital, Asmara, people re-enacted key moments from the war. Tens of thousands of Eritrean women fought alongside men in the war for independence, making up more than a quarter of the army's fighting force by the end of the conflict. When women joined the army, their long hair was cut off into an Afro-style. Children born to female soldiers were known as Red Flowers. People told me the young would be separated from their parents and raised in communal creches so their parents could keep fighting. Many buildings across the country have been festooned with decorations for Independence Day. At an exhibition about the conflict, this bra is one of the items on show. Made by hand from scraps of cloth, it is an example of the creative self-reliance Eritrean fighters had to practise, given the extremely limited resources they had. Along with the bra, a pair of pants is also being exhibited. One way to kill lice, which were rife among soldiers, was to bury clothes under small stones, a war veteran told me. There was very little water to wash clothes. He said soap was in such short supply that there was a "special punishment" for anyone who lost a piece of soap. When wounded Eritreans left hospital to go back to the front, they often had no shoes. Doctors in the underground hospitals made them temporary shoes out of cardboard and the tubing used for drips. This tree bears the photos of 264 "martyrs" who were killed in the space of five days as the Eritrean rebels made a final push into the capital, Asmara, in 1991. In 1998, fighting resumed between Eritrea and Ethiopia. Thousands were killed on both sides during the two-year border conflict, which remains unresolved. Eritrea still takes great pride in its self-reliance and there is a special market in Asmara where metal is recycled into everything imaginable. Old oil drums are made into plates. Rusting heaps of metal are "rewound" to be converted into combs, hair pins, Christian crosses, gutters and other items. This young man is working on a gate made using the same technique. Many of the men in the market said they were still in "national service", some after nine or 10 years, and were working in the market to supplement the small wages they received from the army. Asmara's central boulevard has been decorated with special lights for the occasion. Even though Eritrea is known as a place people run away from, thousands of people from the diaspora have come home to join the party. In some ways, Eritrea seems frozen in time. Many buildings are in the Modernist and Art Deco style of 1930s when the country was colonised by Italy. Some of the cars are old and Italian too. Although the carnivals and parades held for the Silver Jubilee have been a joyous occasion for many Eritreans, everyday life remains tough for many. The wars with Ethiopia, targeted sanctions and international isolation have hit the country hard. But things are beginning to change. Eritrea is opening up, albeit slowly. It is making more friends, especially in the Arab world. And there is increased foreign investment, especially in the mining sector. Despite this, a UN-appointed commission of inquiry into human rights in Eritrea said last year that as many as 5,000 Eritreans flee their country every month, many of them young men. The European Union says more Eritreans come to Europe than from any other African country, many fleeing years of conscription, although the Eritrean authorities deny this and dispute the figure given by the UN.

यह सप्ताह तीन दशकों तक चले संघर्ष में इरिट्रिया को इथियोपिया से स्वतंत्रता प्राप्त हुए 25 साल पूरे होने का प्रतीक है। मानवाधिकार समूह पूर्वी अफ्रीकी राष्ट्र की लोकतंत्र की कमी, मीडिया की स्वतंत्रता और जबरन भर्ती की नीति की आलोचना करते हैं, जो कई वर्षों तक चल सकती है। लेकिन इरिट्रिया सरकार ने बड़े पैमाने पर समारोह आयोजित किए हैं।


What might a post-Brexit EU look like?

Summary: Brexit. It's all about Britain, right?

By Chris MorrisBBC News, Brussels Well, not entirely. There is the rest of the club to consider - what has become known, rather inelegantly, as the EU-of-27. They are about to lose - depending on your point of view - a curmudgeonly whinger who was dragging the whole project down or one of their largest economies and the most powerful defence and security power in Europe. So what to do? There are those who think, genuinely, good riddance. "General de Gaulle was right all along," they mutter. "We should never have let them join in the first place. "Freed from the shackles of British ministers objecting to integration here and integration there, we can get on with it." Costly divorce Closer co-operation on EU defence policy is high on their list; and it has been given an extra boost by the new president of the United States musing out loud about Nato and whether it is all worth it. Others are dismayed by the British decision to leave, but after getting over the initial shock - and it really was a shock - they too are determined to make the best of it. And when it comes to negotiating the UK divorce bill, make no mistake. For the people who matter, the unity of the remaining 27 is more important than trying not to upset the Brits as they wave goodbye. The bill will be big - up to 60 billion euros - and European diplomats are bracing themselves for what one called "the very real possibility" that the UK will walk out in a huff. But the likelihood is that after one too many late-night summits - and one too many outraged tabloid headlines - a deal of sorts will emerge from the rubble. The consequences of Brexit will rumble on for years; there are trade deals that will have to be done. But the EU is in no position to wait for the dust to settle. In many ways, it has already moved on. So long Britain, and thanks for the memories. Later this month, leaders of the 27 (the 28th has already sent her apologies) will meet in Rome to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the EU's founding treaty. Multi-speed Europe? I say celebrate, but there is no illusion about the challenges facing the union. Could the forces that prompted Brexit spread to other countries? Will anti-EU populists continue to rise in France, the Netherlands and parts of Central Europe? It is certainly not impossible, and EU leaders know it. The idea that the EU could fall apart - unthinkable a few years ago - is now the subject of serious discussion. Which is why they need a new plan to reinvigorate the project on its 60th birthday, and make it fit for future purpose. The European Commission has now produced a series of policy options for the best way forward, ranging from shrugging its shoulders to throwing up its hands in horror. But the most likely solution is to make more use of what is known as multi-speed Europe. That's the idea that "coalitions of the willing" can move forward on big projects even if others want to linger on the starting line. It is already happening with the euro, and with the passport-free Schengen area - not all EU countries are members of everything. An inner core may want to push ahead, if (and it's a big if) it can take public opinion along for the ride. Difficult balancing act The other Commission proposal that looks to have legs is the idea that Brussels would return some powers to member states, as long as the EU was given greater responsibilities in major policy areas such as trade, migration, security and defence. Variations on this theme have been around for some time. The EU needs to be big on the big things, they said, and smaller on smaller things. And the biggest of the big things - in a competitive field - is probably the need to fix the eurozone. The single currency remains half-formed, and - as a result - not yet secure. There is talk of a eurozone finance minister and a single eurozone budget. But if you centralise economic power, you have to make sure it is politically accountable. In an era of populist, anti-establishment rage, that is a difficult balancing act. Much will depend on who wins national elections this year in Germany and, in particular, France. Political leadership will be at a premium. But as the UK prepares to leave and enter a whole new world, the status quo is no longer an option for the countries that remain. The EU either needs to move forward towards closer integration, or transfer significant power back to nation states. It continues to be a bold experiment in Europe. But the halfway house has been built on sand.

ब्रेक्सिट। यह सब ब्रिटेन के बारे में है, है ना?


Port St Mary rescue: Three rescued from stricken trawler

Summary: Three men have been rescued after their fishing boat broke down off the coast of the Isle of Man.

Port St Mary's all-weather lifeboat Gough Ritchie 2 was launched at 17:55 GMT on Wednesday after being alerted by Belfast coastguard. The RNLI said the scallop fishermen were "fit and well" when found on board the locally owned 14m (46ft) boat. He said their trawler had suffered steering problems 10 miles (16km) south-east of Port St Mary.

आइल ऑफ मैन के तट पर मछली पकड़ने वाली उनकी नाव के टूट जाने के बाद तीन लोगों को बचा लिया गया है।


Portsmouth's D-Day museum set for Heritage Lottery Fund £4.1m grant

Summary: A museum dedicated to telling the story of the Normandy landings is set to receive a £4.1m grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF).

Portsmouth's D-Day Museum is currently marking the 70th anniversary of the invasion which was a turning point for the Allies during World War Two. The money will be used to "renew" it in time for the 75th anniversary in 2019. The museum opened in 1984 and houses the Overlord Embroidery, an 83-metre-long textile tribute to the veterans. Carole Souter, chief executive of HLF, called the landings a "monumental moment in European history". Plans include new displays using the words of veterans to bring the story to life, and a new activity space for work with schools. The museum must now raise £160,000 towards the development costs.

नॉरमैंडी लैंडिंग की कहानी बताने के लिए समर्पित एक संग्रहालय हेरिटेज लॉटरी फंड (एचएलएफ) से 41 लाख पाउंड का अनुदान प्राप्त करने के लिए तैयार है।


Man driving stolen car calls at police station for 'help'

Summary: A wanted man driving a stolen car knocked on a police station door asking for help, telling officers he was being chased.

The 41-year-old called in at Newtown police station in Birmingham at about 08:00 BST. West Midlands Police said he is alleged to have made off from a petrol station without paying last week. Officers arrested the man and later described the incident on Twitter as an "epic fail". On Twitter, police described it as "unbelievable". It garnered a number of responses, with one user commenting that it would "save so much time and effort" if more criminals "came knocking on your door". Follow BBC West Midlands on Facebook, on Twitter, and sign up for local news updates direct to your phone. Related Internet Links West Midlands Police

चोरी की कार चला रहा एक वांछित व्यक्ति मदद मांगते हुए पुलिस स्टेशन का दरवाजा खटखटाता है और अधिकारियों को बताता है कि उसका पीछा किया जा रहा है।


EU student funding guaranteed, says Kirsty Williams

Summary: EU students applying for places at Welsh universities for the next academic year will be eligible for loans and grants, ministers have said.

Education Secretary Kirsty Williams said the financial support would continue, on the same terms, if the UK leaves the EU during their studies. The aim was to ensure the "best and the brightest" students across the EU were still attracted to Wales, she said. The same announcement has also been made for universities in England. "Our decision not only provides welcome certainty for our universities and colleges regarding future funding, but also assures prospective EU students they will not have the terms of their funding changed if the UK leaves the EU during their studies, Ms Williams added.

मंत्रियों ने कहा है कि अगले शैक्षणिक वर्ष के लिए वेल्श विश्वविद्यालयों में स्थानों के लिए आवेदन करने वाले यूरोपीय संघ के छात्र ऋण और अनुदान के लिए पात्र होंगे।


Mercury Prize 2020: Get to know this year's nominees

Summary: For the first time ever, the winner of the Mercury Prize will be revealed on The One Show this Thursday.

By Mark SavageBBC music reporter The prize, which recognises the best British or Irish album of the year, is normally announced at a lavish awards ceremony in London. But with Covid making that impossible, Radio 1's Annie Mac will deliver the judge's verdict live on BBC One. This year's nominees include pop stars like Dua Lipa and Charli XCX, alongside Stormzy and folk singer Laura Marling. The bookmaker's favourite, however, is Michael Kiwanuka - whose soulful exploration of identity and self-doubt is one of the most acclaimed albums of the last 12 months. The BBC has also put together a special Mercury Prize show featuring specially-filmed performances from many of the 12 nominated acts. Laura Marling performed music from her nominated album, Song For Our Daughter, at the Royal Albert Hall, while indie band Porridge Radio filmed their contribution at Brighton's Rialto Theatre. Charli XCX has shot an exclusive performance in LA, while Dua Lipa has made a previously unseen performance available, and Stormzy will be seen in an excerpt of his historic Glastonbury set last year. As well as The One show, BBC 6 Music will present live coverage of the award from 19:00 BST, including the first interview with the winner. The winner will also appear for an extended interview on a special edition of Later… With Jools Holland on Friday at 22:00 BST on BBC Two. Read about all 12 of this year's nominees below. Anna Meredith - Fibs Scottish composer Anna Meredith has been a composer-in-residence with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, made music for park benches in Hong Kong, opened the first night of the Proms with a piece commemorating the end of World War 1, and created orchestral arrangements for Laura Marling and Sigur Ros. The songs on her second solo album, Fibs, are in perpetual motion, skipping deftly between moods and sounds, whether she's layering up arpeggiated synths, thrashing a hair metal guitar, or making "bangery pop pop" on the elegaic Inhale Exhale. The critics say: "It's a frankly overwhelming listen first time around, with everything tearing along at 100 miles an hour, but it's all fizzing and crackling so exhilaratingly that you're happy to let her sweep you along." [DIY Magazine] Listen to this: Inhale Exhale Charli XCX - How I'm Feeling Now "Staying positive goes hand in hand with being creative," said Charli XCX, announcing that she intended to write and record an album from scratch during the Covid-19 lockdown. Six weeks later, How I'm Feeling Now emerged, fusing her pop melodies with fidgety electronic production. Understandably, it simmers with anxiety and stress - but also finds space to celebrate the relationship that sustained Charli through self-isolation. "I don't know why I haven't made an album like this before'," she told the BBC. "It's so fun and nice to work like this." The critics said: "While not life-altering, How I'm Feeling Now is fun, fast and thoroughly listenable. It's absorbing as a document from a strange period, and its diaristic, vloggy aspects provide an intriguing peek into artistry under pressure." [The Quietus] Listen to this: Claws Dua Lipa - Future Nostalgia "I've time-travelled quite a lot on this record," said Dua Lipa of her second album, which draws on 70s disco, 80s workout-pop and 90s club jams. The retro-futuristic sound was a deliberate step away from her debut album, as Lipa resisted the pressure to make a "New Rules Pt. II" and revisited the music that inspired her, growing up in London and Kosovo. The result is almost defiantly happy - a sweat-glistened hymn to the dancefloor that cements her position as Britain's top pop star. The critics said: "A breathtakingly fun, cohesive and ambitious attempt to find a place for disco in 2020." [Rolling Stone] Listen to this: Don't Start Now Georgia - Seeking Thrills Growing up, Georgia Barnes' bedroom doubled as a recording studio for dance mavericks and two-time Mercury nominees Leftfield. "It was keyboards, drum machines, wires, bits of percussion, microphones," said the singer, whose father was the band's producer Neil Barnes. She started playing one of those drum machines when she was five, and her love of rhythm permeates her propulsive second album, Seeking Thrills. Like Dua Lipa's record, Seeking Thrills is a euphoric tribute to dancefloor deliverance. Or, to use Georgia's own words, "ultrasound light, consumed by night". The critics said: "It's a spectacularly physical and restless album... The embodiment of what it means to come alive on the dancefloor." [Popmatters] Listen to this: Never Let You Go Kano - Hoodies All Summer One of the legends of grime's first wave, Kano's fifth album, Made In The Manor, landed him a Mercury nomination in 2017. His sixth record is, if anything, sharper and more focused - a lean, 10-track survey of social and racial injustice, that addresses everything from knife crime and Windrush to gentrification and, crucially, the importance of good times. "I feel like we're resilient people and there's always room for a smile and to celebrate the small wins and the big wins," he told Apple Music. The critics said: "This is the album grime has been crying out for." [The Telegraph] Listen to this: Can't Hold We Down Lanterns On The Lake - Spook The Herd On their atmospheric fourth album, Newcastle's Lanterns On The Lake sing about environmental crisis, internet extremism, social media addiction and bereavement. "Don't look now," sings Hazel Wilde on the opening track, "Here come the baddies/ On a wave of hate." The topics are urgent and frequently upsetting, but Wilde infuses her lyrics with empathy, exploring how compassion could deliver us from disaster. The music is a balm, too, with shimmering guitars and dreamy soundscapes that draw you deeper with every listen. The critics said: "A spectacular, rich and luscious album that many listeners will have etched into their minds and hearts forever." [Music OMH] Listen to this: Every Atom Laura Marling - Song For Our Daughter Laura Marling's seventh album was inspired by Maya Angelou's book, Letter to My Daughter - a series of essays to a younger generation of women, full of wisdom and lessons in compassion and fortitude. Marling is also passing down some hard-won wisdom. "Stay alone, be brave," she sings on Strange Girl. Later, on For You, she advises: "Love is not the answer / But the line that marks the start." For an artist who's frequently hidden behind characters and metaphor, it's her most straightforward record yet, full of rich string arrangements and melodic Laurel Canyon harmonies, and earning the singer her fourth Mercury nomination. The critics said: "Marling's seventh solo LP has the clarity, mastery and quiet strength of a folk-rock classic." [Q Magazine] Listen to this: Strange Girl Michael Kiwanuka - Kiwanuka Michael Kiwanuka joins rarefied company, as only the third artist to receive a Mercury nomination for each of their first three albums (the others being Coldplay and Anna Calvi). Despite that track record, his latest album emerged from a period of crippling self-doubt. "I've always had imposter syndrome," he told the BBC last year. "I was always waiting for someone to find me out and go, 'You're not actually that good and it's all going to crumble'." After conquering his demons, Kiwanuka re-emerged with a record that bears his name as a badge of pride and self-belief. Across 13 interwoven tracks, it showcases his talents as a melodicist and arranger, steering effortlessly through gospel-rock, melancholy soul and trippy psychedelia - while never losing sight of his grace and humanity. The critics said: "Kiwanuka is loaded with memorable songs, but the best way to experience them is by listening to the album from start to finish." [Uncut] Listen to this: Hero Moses Boyd - Dark Matter Moses Boyd made his name as a drummer, winning two Mobo Awards as part of the free-jazz duo Binker and Moses. His solo debut is a foundation-shaking collision of West African and Caribbean rhythms, incorporating elements of UK garage and experimental electronica for good measure. Aimed squarely at the dancefloor, it's also a subtly political album, written as a reaction to Windrush, Grenfell and Brexit. "I didn't sit down to write political songs," he told All About Jazz, "but I was turning on my TV and seeing tower blocks burning and people being deported [so] I was responding to what was around me. There's a lot of darkness." The critics said: "Cool, relevant, and vital in pulling together the threads of London's often disparate musical communities." [Allmusic] Listen to this: Stranger Than Fiction Porridge Radio - Every Bad "I'm bored to death / Let's argue," sings Porridge Radio's singer, songwriter and guitarist Dana Margolin in the opening seconds of the band's second album. Those feelings of frustration and uncertainty appear across the whole album, as Margolin attempts to figure out her place in a world that doesn't allow space for self-reflection. The chaos is reflected in the itchy guitar lines and agitated drums, helping the Brighton-based band burn off some of that nervous energy. The critics said: "Porridge Radio have not only written the album of their careers but possibly of the year too." [Clash] Listen to this: Circling Sports Team - Deep Down Happy Last month, Sports Team achieved the highest first-week sales for a debut album by a British band in four years, narrowly missing out on the number one slot after a week-long showdown with Lady Gaga. It's easy to see why: Deep Down Happy is a compact, playful blast of indie-rock, combining the spirit of Britpop with the scuzzed-up swagger of post-punk. Frontman Alex Rice's lyrics, meanwhile, take a sardonic look at middle England - "I wanna be a lawyer, or someone who hunts foxes," he sneers on Lander - placing them alongside previous Mercury-winners Pulp and Arctic Monkeys, albeit with the added privilege of a Cambridge education. The critics said: "This is the sound of a band who are done being the underdogs." [NME] Listen to this: Here's The Thing Stormzy - Heavy Is The Head Stormzy's debut won multiple Brit awards, landed him a headline slot at Glastonbury and established the 26-year-old as one of Britain's most compelling new voices. The pressure on the follow-up was immense - hence the title - but the rapper kept a level head and focused on the music. The result is an eclectic album that caters both to his mainstream audience and the grime scene that built him, without feeling like he's pandering to either. Indeed, the intended target appears to be Stormzy himself. Throughout the album, he questions how to use his fame - to crush the competition, or elevate his community? He usually errs towards the latter, seeking humility and forgiveness (particularly from his ex, Maya Jama) while turning to God for guidance. The critics said: "Not only is it a drastic step up from his impressive debut, but it shows an artist keen to test himself emotionally, as well as artistically." Listen to this: Crown Follow us on Facebook, or on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.

पहली बार बुध पुरस्कार के विजेता का खुलासा इस गुरुवार को द वन शो में किया जाएगा।


Ting Tings wrestle for 'creative control'

Summary: "We just had this huge stand-off because our label wanted us to do a certain TV show and we don't want to do it," says The Ting Tings' lead singer Katie White. "It just feels cheap and nasty."

By Greg CochraneNewsbeat music reporter Was it X Factor? "I'd rather not say," she smiles. "We just felt like we want to have a career. We don't just want to ride on celebrity and hope people see your face in a magazine and then buy your record. For us it's about the creative side. "If you have great songs and interesting, innovative stuff then you don't have to whore yourself out." DIY approach Right now, Salford's The Ting Tings are in an interesting place. Back in 2007, the pop pairing had more or less given up hope of chiselling a career in music. As drummer Jules De Martino puts it: "We had nothing to lose. "There was no intention to be a band commercially or travel the world - those dreams had gone. Our chances over." But the duo, who were previously dropped in another band, began their last shot at stardom doing everything themselves. They organised their own gigs, sold their own vinyl and shot their own videos. It's a deep-seated DIY attitude which they still maintain despite being signed to a major record label and having sold over two million copies of their debut album, We Started Nothing. On the eve of their new album the band are determined to fight for their own creativity, but also sympathetic to the state the music industry finds itself in right now. "It's really hard for labels at the moment," says De Martino. "There are less and less things for them to channel you into. "They want to put you on TV but there are not a lot of shows left - the pickings are slim so it gets even more competitive. "In terms of making decisions, we've always said if we're going to do anything wrong or fail we'd so much rather that be our decision." White jumps in: "You might sell slightly less records for two weeks but in the long run you have more respect and dignity and you end up selling more albums. "People realise you're an artist and you're not just trying to jump down their throats." New album All of which leads to The Tings Tings preparing for the release of their as yet untitled second album (tentatively scheduled for January) and latest single Hands. "It was the first track we wrote coming off the 18-month tour. It's about working really hard," says De Martino. "After we came back to the UK after being around the world for so long a lot of things had changed. A lot of our friends had lost their jobs or were working ridiculous hours." The impact of the financial downturn appears to have bled into the band's music. "We were touring through the whole global recession that was going on," adds De Martino. "Every country we visited, we had them talking about them losing their jobs and how things were tough for them. "Places in Europe like Greece were crazy. Rubbish wasn't being picked up on the street… You just wouldn't think that you'd see that in our life time. "You think you're going to come home and back in Blighty everything would be fine - but the same thing is happening here. It was a shock." Shocked, yes. Surprised, yes. But The Tings Tings, understandably, are ploughing on regardless. Between now and the album release they're planning on putting out another one or two singles that will be accompanied by online "visuals". The album's sound has been influenced by everything from Nancy Sinatra to 60s psychedelic pop and 90s girl-group TLC. It was recorded entirely by the twosome, who set up shop in a deserted Berlin jazz club last winter. "It was still a very isolated area. We had no internet, no TV… The internet we had was a dongle you stuck in a laptop and then walk down an alleyway to send an email," says De Martino. "To be creative, we have to come out of the entertainment industry. You get caught up in that and become part of that. "There was nobody over your shoulder saying 'you sold two million albums last time, if you write this again you'd sell three million'. "We've got egos like every other musician and pop star, but equally it's important to feel totally free when it comes to recording." "We're control freaks," giggles White, almost stating the obvious. "You don't want to hit them with a song and then be papped every day. I don't think people get convinced by that."

द टिंग टिंग्स की प्रमुख गायिका केटी व्हाइट कहती हैं, "हमारे बीच इतना बड़ा गतिरोध था क्योंकि हमारा लेबल चाहता था कि हम एक निश्चित टीवी शो करें और हम इसे नहीं करना चाहते।" "यह सिर्फ सस्ता और बुरा लगता है।"


NHS should welcome 'citizen whistleblowers'

Summary: People who see something going wrong in the NHS should be able to report their concerns, even if they haven't been directly affected, according to Anna Bradley, the chair of patients' group Healthwatch England. In this week's Scrubbing Up, she says the NHS often doesn't let witnesses file complaints - an omission akin to preventing people reporting an abandoned bag at an airport because they don't have the owner's permission.

By Anna BradleyChair of Healthwatch England We know that patients are reluctant to make a fuss when standards slip on hospital wards. Many simply don't know how to make a complaint, others are actually scared of the consequences. Yet we often hear complaints referred to as 'gold dust' by hospital bosses in terms of improving services. You would think then that health and care organisations would be eager to hear from anyone who wanted to report a concern or complaint. However, our research suggests that tens of thousands of incidents are slipping under the radar because those who witness poor care and try to report it are being told, in one particular case, to "mind their own business". 'Civic-minded individuals' Responding to a Freedom of Information request, a third of hospitals across England told us that they don't record complaints from "third parties", ie those that witness rather than personally experiencing poor care. Many of the hospital trusts that replied incorrectly stated that such complaints cannot be investigated without the permission of the patient. Others said they record such incidents as informal feedback only, with no follow-up provided to the courageous and civic minded individuals complaining on behalf of vulnerable patients. In the worst cases some hospitals just flat out said they don't record these complaints. Even where these reports are recorded, they are often not included in formal stats allowing hospitals so their complaints data doesn't tell the true story. For me this is symptomatic of a much bigger problem around complaints handling in the NHS and social care services. The fact that doctors and nurses would rather tell one of these "citizen whistleblowers" they can't complain because they don't tick the right box or have the permission to make a complaint is just wrong. If a passer-by reports an abandoned bag in an airport, the staff don't say: "I'm sorry sir, but do you have the permission of the bag owner." Rather they are thanked for their vigilance. If the policy makers and politicians are serious about driving culture change in the NHS then more needs to be done to wipe out this 'compute says no' attitude and encourage staff to welcome feedback - positive and negative. 'Long hard look' With the secretary of state for health's update on progress against the recommendations of the Francis inquiry expected in the next few weeks, I implore him to take a long hard look at the complaints question. In our report, 'Suffering in Silence', we set out a vision for streamlining and refocusing the complaints system around what people want. Firstly, the system needs to make it easier for people to complain, including institutions understanding that everyone, including third parties, has the right to raise concerns. Secondly, every case should be dealt with compassionately, with a speedy, personalised response that actually addresses the poor experience and includes an outline of what happens next. Lastly, those who fail to up their game must be held to account by being put into "special measures" by the regulators, issued with financial penalties and ultimately being shut down and replaced. In short, it's time for the health and social care sector to get serious about complaints, and stop finding loopholes to avoid having to face up to their mistakes.

रोगियों के समूह हेल्थवॉच इंग्लैंड की अध्यक्ष अन्ना ब्रैडली के अनुसार, जो लोग एन. एच. एस. में कुछ गलत होते हुए देखते हैं, उन्हें अपनी चिंताओं की रिपोर्ट करने में सक्षम होना चाहिए, भले ही वे सीधे प्रभावित न हुए हों। इस सप्ताह के स्क्रबिंग अप में, वह कहती हैं कि एन. एच. एस. अक्सर गवाहों को शिकायत दर्ज करने नहीं देता है-एक चूक जो लोगों को हवाई अड्डे पर एक परित्यक्त बैग की रिपोर्ट करने से रोकने के समान है क्योंकि उनके पास मालिक की अनुमति नहीं है।


Ceredigion crash: Child in life-threatening condition

Summary: A child has been left in a life-threatening condition following a collision between a car and a vehicle towing a livestock trailer.

The head-on crash happened at about 08:50 BST on the A485 between Llangybi and Tregaron in Ceredigion. The driver of the car, a 28-year-old woman who was travelling with her two children towards Lampeter, was also taken to hospital. The driver and passenger of the other vehicle sustained minor injuries. Dyfed-Powys Police has appealed for anyone who may have witnessed the collision to contact them.

एक कार और एक पशुधन ट्रेलर को खींचने वाले वाहन के बीच टक्कर के बाद एक बच्चे को जानलेवा हालत में छोड़ दिया गया है।


Jeremy Corbyn's support begins to show signs of fraying

Summary: Jeremy Corbyn's defiance has been built on his insistence that a small number of Labour MPs who have never believed in him are trying to unseat him in Westminster, and his position is buttressed by overwhelming support among the party around the country.

Laura KuenssbergPolitical editor@bbclaurakon Twitter But with only hours until a vote on a motion of no confidence in his leadership at Westminster, there are signs that his backing away from Parliament could be starting to fray. Another member of the front bench, Andy Slaughter, has joined dozens of others in resigning. But this is different. Mr Slaughter describes himself as a "comrade" of Mr Corbyn and decided to resign only after consulting with his local party activists who agreed. His disquiet cannot be dismissed as the grumbling of an MP from a very different wing of the party. I understand he also turned down a promotion to the shadow cabinet, and decided to quit instead. Fighting on And the first senior figure in Labour local government is now calling for him to go. Dave Sparks, the former chair of the Local Government Association, has warned that if Mr Corbyn stays, Labour will be wiped out. He told the BBC that if the leadership doesn't change leader, and change course, the party is looking at its support disappearing in England as it has melted away in Scotland. But last night, shadow chancellor John McDonnell said that Jeremy Corbyn would fight to stay on. Last night in Westminster, Mr Corbyn and his close friend and colleague Mr McDonnell seemed utterly determined not to budge. It seemed inevitable that MPs' only course was to challenge him as leader. But other local council figures are expected to echo Mr Sparks and call for him to go. The wave of enthusiasm he built outside Parliament may be starting to recede. If so, his confidence that he would win the likely leadership contest may prove to be misplaced.

जेरेमी कॉर्बिन की अवज्ञा उनके इस आग्रह पर बनाई गई है कि लेबर सांसदों की एक छोटी संख्या, जिन्होंने कभी उन पर विश्वास नहीं किया है, उन्हें वेस्टमिंस्टर में पद से हटाने की कोशिश कर रहे हैं, और उनकी स्थिति देश भर में पार्टी के बीच भारी समर्थन से मजबूत हुई है।


Why was IMF chief Lagarde put on trial?

Summary: The head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Christine Lagarde, has been found guilty of negligence after a trial in France over compensation awarded in 2008 to Bernard Tapie, a well-connected businessman, when she was finance minister. Although she has avoided a sentence, Ms Lagarde had denied wrongdoing and the verdict came as a shock. The IMF had backed her through the judicial saga, and prosecutors said while she had made a bad decision, they did not see it as an offence.

Why was she taken to court? It is a story that all began with a big business deal in the early 1990s that years later led to accusations of cronyism levelled against several leading French figures, including Christine Lagarde. In 1993, Bernard Tapie had to sell his business interests to become a minister in the then Socialist government. When sports goods manufacturer Adidas was sold on his behalf, Credit Lyonnais (CL) bank found buyers for the equivalent of €320m in 1993. The state-owned bank said this was a good price, but investors immediately sold Adidas on for €560m, and Mr Tapie cried foul. Mr Tapie argued that the bank had deliberately undervalued the company, and pointed out that one of the firms that had flipped Adidas for a huge profit was a subsidiary of CL. He sued the bank for fraud in a court battle that went on for many years. Why was Christine Lagarde caught up in it? As finance minister from 2007-11 under centre-right President Nicolas Sarkozy, she played a key role in the initial settlement. In 2007, she decided to refer the long-running case to final arbitration. This decision was controversial as Mr Tapie had thrown his support behind Mr Sarkozy in the election. In 2008 the three-member panel awarded Mr Tapie not just compensation, but also interest and other costs - for a total of €404m ($429m; £340m). That included €45m for "moral damage". Ms Lagarde decided not to challenge the ruling, prompting an outcry. Critics argued that by going to binding arbitration rather than continuing fighting Mr Tapie through the courts, she was repaying favours. Profile: IMF chief Christine Lagarde Many accused Ms Lagarde of cronyism, and in 2011 a group of Socialist MPs launched a corruption case against her. The whole compensation deal was eventually thrown out and Mr Tapie was ordered to repay the €404m. Paris prosecutors later targeted parties to the 2008 decision - including Mr Tapie, arbitrators and other officials - on suspicion of fraud and misuse of public funds. Investigations are still ongoing but Ms Lagarde was tried by France's highest court and cleared of the most serious charges in 2014. So why was she put on trial again? The court in 2014 said Christine Lagarde's decision to settle the case through arbitration had demonstrated a "grave negligence". Prosecutors argued that she had not committed an offence, but simply made a poor decision. However, the Court of Justice of the Republic (CJR) rejected their recommendation. Ms Lagarde was accused of negligence and faced hostile questioning during the five-day trial. What happened in court? One of the key moments came when ex-treasury official Bruno Bezard told the court that the government had been warned on several occasions not to go to arbitration, which had "colossal risks". But it was not clear that the warnings had reached Ms Lagarde. Her then chief of staff, Stephane Ricard, decided not to give evidence in the trial. However, when the €404m payout was recommended by the panel, Mr Bezard said the decision not to appeal was "scandalous", he said. Although Ms Lagarde said she had taken her time before deciding not to contest the payout, Mr Bezard spoke of his shock at the speed at which she took the decision. Chief prosecutor Jean-Claude Marin spoke of " very weak accusations" that were not sustained by the evidence. On the final day of the hearing, Christine Lagarde appeared to be close to tears as she defended her record and described a five-year ordeal. The risk of fraud had never occurred to her, she said. "I acted in good faith and good conscience with the sole aim of defending the general interest," she insisted. Why did she avoid a sentence? The CJR ruled that Ms Lagarde had been personally implicated in the decision not to challenge the panel's decision. And yet it decided not to hand down a criminal penalty because it said her national and international reputation had to be taken into account. It is not yet clear how far her reputation will be tarnished. Although there can be no appeal, her lawyer has said they will try to contest the ruling. Why is the court unusual? The CJR was set up in 1993 to handle crimes allegedly committed by cabinet ministers. As it is composed of 12 politicians and three magistrates, many see it as a way of using the court system to wage political battles. Outgoing French President Francois Hollande has vowed to scrap the CJR, arguing that government ministers should be treated like ordinary citizens. But the court remains in place, and has just held one of the highest-profile cases in its short history.

अंतर्राष्ट्रीय मुद्रा कोष (आई. एम. एफ.) की प्रमुख, क्रिस्टीन लेगार्ड को 2008 में बर्नार्ड टैपी, एक अच्छी तरह से जुड़े व्यवसायी को दिए गए मुआवजे पर फ्रांस में एक मुकदमे के बाद लापरवाही का दोषी पाया गया है, जब वह वित्त मंत्री थीं। हालांकि उन्होंने एक सजा टाल दी है, सुश्री लेगार्ड ने गलत काम करने से इनकार किया था और फैसला एक सदमे के रूप में आया था। आई. एम. एफ. ने न्यायिक गाथा के माध्यम से उनका समर्थन किया था, और अभियोजकों ने कहा कि उन्होंने एक बुरा निर्णय लिया था, लेकिन उन्होंने इसे एक अपराध के रूप में नहीं देखा।


NHS prepares for financial showdown

Summary: The Budget is over, the battle lines are drawn. Stand by for a prolonged period of speculation about how NHS England will respond to a funding announcement one of its top officials, Sir Bruce Keogh, has described as "worrying".

Hugh PymHealth editor@BBCHughPymon Twitter There's talk in the air of rationing and a further downgrading of targets for patient care. Sir Malcolm Grant, chairman of the organisation, has said the extra money will go some way towards filling the funding gap but "we can no longer avoid the difficult debate about what it is possible to deliver for patients with the money available". This will be high on the agenda for the NHS England board meeting on 30 November. Haggling NHS England chief executive Simon Stevens has already warned that failing to get a significant funding increase would mean waiting lists for non-urgent surgery in England ballooning to 5 million. He said the only appropriate course would be to scrap the national waiting times target for routine operations. It was clear from NHS England's responses on Budget Day that its leadership felt the chancellor had not delivered what was needed. The board meeting may well set out the direction of travel and the areas of care NHS England feels will need to be "deprioritised". But this will be followed by weeks of haggling with the Department of Health over the annual mandate setting out the government's objectives for NHS England as well as its budget. NHS Budget plan not enough, say bosses Jeremy Hunt: We must do better on NHS waiting times NHS waits for cancer care, A&E and ops worsen across UK 10 charts that show why the NHS is in trouble The £2bn extra announced in the budget for the NHS in England in 2018-19 will go to the Department of Health (after the usual formula is applied, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland will get proportionate increases). Ministers will then "discuss" with NHS England leaders how the money will be spent. The Department, it seems, will not try to insist the funding is tied to specific waiting-list initiatives but may demand more efficiency improvements. There will, no doubt, be wrangling over what Mr Stevens thinks is achievable and what Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt thinks must be delivered (he has already said the four-hour A&E wait target will be reached next year and will be embarrassed if that does not happen). Sir David Nicholson, former head of NHS England, gave his view via Twitter: "The first response is not to tell the public what they can't have but present the government with options and choices that flow from the consequences of the proposed funding of health and social care and do it openly and transparently." 'Dodged a bullet' While NHS England was clear that the chancellor's injection of new funding was not adequate, there were varying shades of opinion across Whitehall and the health service. Jim Mackey, head of the regulator NHS Improvement, struck a different note with his view that the extra revenue was "a reasonable investment" and the news that any pay award above 1% would be fully funded by the Treasury was "very welcome". He did acknowledge the money wouldn't make all the problems go away. After an intensive number crunch, the health think tanks Nuffield, King's and Health Foundation suggested the Budget could have been worse and the NHS had "dodged a bullet". But their experts criticised the award of £350m to cope with this winter's pressures arguing it was hard to spend the money effectively so late in the year. Sir David Nicholson's Twitter assessment was that it was "too late to spend it so it'll go straight to the bottom line and will allow government to blame the NHS if things go badly wrong". Whitehall sources argue that the new winter money is "better late than never". Challenge of winter Labour's Jon Ashworth has claimed that the funding boost for health still does not meet the Conservatives' manifesto pledge of raising the amount spent per person across the lifetime of the Parliament. Figures from the House of Commons library show that Department of Health spending (in real terms) per head of population will rise from £2,207 this year to £2,223 next year before falling again to £2,222 and staying there till 2020-21. The Conservative election pledge on funding per person referred to the NHS as opposed to the Department of Health. There will always be a debate about the NHS and money as patient demand rises relentlessly. Calls for a cross-party convention to grapple with the issue are gaining momentum. It will be brought to a head as and when NHS England announces what has to give in its services because of the funding which has been made available. There is also of course the small matter of a winter to be navigated. Can't find your health trust? Browse the full list Rather search by typing? Back to search If you can't see the NHS Tracker, click or tap here.

बजट समाप्त हो गया है, युद्ध की रेखाएँ खींची गई हैं। एनएचएस इंग्लैंड के शीर्ष अधिकारियों में से एक, सर ब्रूस केओघ ने "चिंताजनक" के रूप में वर्णित किया है कि वह धन की घोषणा पर कैसे प्रतिक्रिया देगा, इस बारे में अटकलों की एक लंबी अवधि के लिए खड़े रहें।


Ricky Tomlinson battles to overturn 1970s prison term

Summary: Before becoming one of Britain's best-loved actors through roles in Brookside and The Royle Family, Ricky Tomlinson was controversially jailed for his part in a strike in 1972. He is trying to clear his name, and hopes a new play about the case will help.

By Ian YoungsEntertainment reporter, BBC News In 1972, Ricky Tomlinson was a plasterer in his mid-30s, living in a council house in north Wales, known by his real name Eric, with his familiar gift of the gab and a fiery streak. When building workers went on a national strike that May, Tomlinson was among the leaders of a "flying picket" that visited building sites to persuade non-union members to down tools. On 6 September, 300 members of a flying picket, including Tomlinson, visited building sites around Shrewsbury. Five months later, 24 were charged with committing offences on that day including conspiracy to intimidate, unlawful assembly and affray. In the end, three were jailed. Tomlinson, given a two-year sentence, was among them. Fellow picket leader Des Warren got three years. Tomlinson, Warren and the others insisted they were innocent and had been set up by the political establishment. Their treatment led to protests, bitter arguments within the Labour party and the threat of a general strike. Those with long memories may recall the case of Eric Tomlinson and his comrades. Those who know him only as the cuddly TV and film star - as layabout Jim Royle from The Royle Family, Bobby Grant from Brookside and Mike Bassett England Manager - may be surprised to learn about his past life. More than 40 years on, the story is being told on stage in a docu-drama called United We Stand. Tomlinson, now approaching his 75th birthday, has given his support to the play and hopes it will help the campaign to clear his name. He transforms back from cuddly star to firebrand as he discusses the case, insisting it was a miscarriage of justice. "We live in a so-called democracy, but does it really exist?" he asks. "That's why it's so important to tell people today that we haven't got the freedom that we think we've got. "They're taking it [the story] to the masses, to the people who don't know anything about it. A lot of people who will see the play weren't born when this went on." The trial of Tomlinson, Warren and the others was told that they put on a "frightening and terrifying display of violence", according to newspaper reports from the time. According to Tomlinson, the government, judiciary, police and building trade cooked up the charges to make an example of the strikers. The year 1972 had been a torrid one for Edward Heath's Conservative government. Strikes by miners and dockers had forced the prime minister to call two states of emergency. So what happened on 6 September 1972? Tomlinson says the pickets were asked to visit a building site ("called the Brookside site, funnily enough") that was full of "lumpers", casual workers who were paid lump sums and undermined the strength of the union. Police accompanied them at all times, he points out, and made no arrests on the day. "Considering we were charged with conspiracy, their argument was blown to pieces because I'd only hired my coach till 12 o'clock to go as far as Oswestry," he says. "The guy I hired the coach off did the school run. I had to phone him at 12 o'clock to ask if we could keep the coach longer. The police were with us, these 80 police, and we had a good meeting on the site." Was there any trouble? "Oh, there was the usual banter," he replies without defining what he means by banter. "And fellas shouting, 'Oh, we don't want to come out.'" 'Peaceful' protests But the meetings were not violent, he says. "I went out every day. I used to take my lad out with me - I had a five or six-year-old son. I used to take him out nine times out of 10 on my shoulders. "We were after £30 for a 35-hour week and we were after better health and safety. In 1972/3, more people died in the building game than in the mining industry and the farming industry put together. That's the point we had to put across." Part of the following outcry stemmed from the fact that the men had been charged with conspiracy to intimidate rather than intimidation. Simple intimidation would have carried a maximum sentence of three months. The conspiracy charge had no limit. The trial judge and the appeal judge acknowledged that the length of the sentences was intended as a deterrent to other strikers. Lord Widgery, Lord Chief Justice, dismissed the appeal, saying at the time: "The deterrent effect of the original sentence has contributed to a period of relative peace." Career change Des Warren died in 2004, having blamed his ill health on tranquilliser drugs administered to awkward prisoners. Tomlinson is clearly haunted by the treatment his co-defendant received. The campaigners now want the convictions to be overturned and want government and security service documents from the era, which have not been made public on national security grounds, to be released. After leaving jail in 1975, Tomlinson struggled to work in the building trade again. He had been a pub and club entertainer on the side, and so answered an advert in the Liverpool Echo for someone with an Equity card and trade union experience. It was placed by director Roland Joffe, who invited him to do a workshop. Tomlinson says he misunderstood: "I phoned my mate and said, 'That fella's turned out alright. He wants us to build a workshop.'" When he got there, with mate and building gear in tow, Tomlinson found he had actually been invited to an acting workshop, where actors and directors try out scenes. Joffe was so impressed with Tomlinson's acting that he cast him in the lead role for a BBC Play For Today titled United Kingdom in 1981. Ricky Tomlinson, the lovable TV personality, was born - but his fiery streak burns on. United We Stand opens at the Lantern Theatre in Liverpool on Thursday before going on tour.

ब्रुकसाइड और द रॉयले फैमिली में भूमिकाओं के माध्यम से ब्रिटेन के सबसे पसंदीदा अभिनेताओं में से एक बनने से पहले, रिकी टॉमलिंसन को 1972 में एक हड़ताल में अपनी भूमिका के लिए विवादास्पद रूप से जेल में डाल दिया गया था। वह अपना नाम साफ करने की कोशिश कर रहे हैं, और उम्मीद करते हैं कि मामले के बारे में एक नया नाटक मदद करेगा।


Summary: When Egyptian teenager Ghadeer Ahmed sent her boyfriend a video of her dancing - without her hijab, and in a short dress - she never imagined he would post it online. But years later he did. Here she tells the story of her decision to re-post the video herself, and to tell the world she saw no reason to be ashamed.

In 2009, when I was 18 years old, I was at a friend's house having fun and dancing with other girls. In Egypt, girls don't have anywhere to dance in public, so we dance together behind closed doors. I asked one of my friends to record a video of me dancing on my mobile phone. There was nothing pornographic about this video, but I was wearing a short dress that revealed my body. A few days later, I sent it to my boyfriend. In Europe or the US this would not be a big deal. But I come from an ordinary Muslim family in the Nile delta and, like most Egyptian girls, I had been raised to believe that no man has the right to see my body except my husband. At that time I was still wearing the hijab, the very emblem of female modesty, whenever I left the house. I knew that it was risky to send that kind of video to a man who was not my husband or even my fiance. But I sent it anyway. A while later I did something even riskier and sent him some private photos. By 2012 we had broken up. That's when the threats started. He said he would put the video and photos online if I didn't get back together with him. He knew that I was starting to build a public profile as a political activist and women's rights campaigner, and he thought he could use these images to destroy my career as well as my reputation. I was really frightened. I even thought my life might be in danger. In our society, the reputation of the whole family rests on the conduct of its daughters, sisters, and wives. Our bodies are not our own: they belong to the male members of the family, and are the vessels in which the family's honour is carried. I was scared that the video would bring shame on my parents, that our friends and neighbours would condemn my father for failing to raise me as a "good girl". I begged my ex-boyfriend not to publish the photos or the video. About a year later, in early 2013, I was talking with friends and mentioned that I loved dancing. I'll never forget the reply from one of the men in the group. "I know," he said. "I've seen you dancing on YouTube." #ShameOnline This is one of a series of stories looking at a new and disturbing phenomenon - the use of private or sexually explicit images to threaten, blackmail and shame young people, mainly girls and women, in some of the world's most conservative societies. You can explore all the stories and contribute to the conversation here. My ex had not only uploaded the dancing video - he had also made a video montage out of the private photographs and uploaded that as well. I managed to get YouTube to take down the video showing these photos, but the dancing video was still online. Secretly, I contacted a friend who is a lawyer and asked if there was anything in Egyptian law that would allow me to press charges. He encouraged me to file a complaint for defamation. The next day I reported my ex-boyfriend to the police. My family still knew nothing of this, and I was hoping to keep it that way. But a few months later, when I was on my way from Cairo back to my parents' home town, I received a phone call from my mum. Worried by the involvement of the law, my ex-boyfriend had gone to my father and told him everything. He had even shown my dad the private photos to prove that he had seen my body, and then offered to "restore" the family's honour by marrying me - on the condition, of course, that I drop the charges. I can definitely say that this was the worst marriage proposal I have ever received. The absurdity of this offer - a legal settlement wrapped up as a marriage proposal - lays bare the assumptions that restrict the sexual freedom of women in Egypt and across the Arab world. Family honour is inextricably linked to female sexual purity. If that purity is compromised in any way, honour can only be restored through marriage - or, in extreme cases, through murder. Some countries apply the same logic even in cases of rape. Jordan, for example, still has a law, Article 308, which exempts rapists from prosecution or punishment if they agree to marry their victims. When I got home, my mother was distraught. "You have shamed us," she said. I left and got on the bus back to Cairo, where I had been living for a while. I was convinced that I had lost my family. But after a few kilometres, I told the bus driver to stop and let me off. I went home again to my parents and asked them to help me put it right. "I can't fix this without your support," I told them. My father was furious with me for sending the video to a stranger. I tried to argue that the fault lay not with me, but with the man who had violated my privacy. He looked totally unconvinced. But despite the immense social pressures that they were under, my parents supported me in my fight for the right to privacy, and in 2014 my ex-boyfriend was convicted for defamation and sentenced in absentia to one year in jail. The legal situation was muddied by counter charges that, in an attempt to derail the case, he had filed against me in a separate dispute over money. In the end, exhausted by the whole procedure, I decided to withdraw my complaint. His conviction was annulled and he was never arrested or jailed. But the fact that a judge had examined the case and found him guilty was enough for me. The blackmailing was over. I thought I could forget about the video and get on with my life. I was wrong. Back in 2012, exactly one year after the Egyptian uprising and the protests in Tahrir square, I had founded a group called Girls' Revolution. It began as a hashtag on Twitter, and then grew into a movement of young women campaigning for change. We felt we had no real rights in Egypt, that we were merely tolerated as guests in our own country. Around the same time I decided to take off the hijab and started to become more outspoken - on Facebook, in TV debates and elsewhere - about the situation of women in Egypt. This drew hostility from some men, who began to insult me on social media. In October 2014, one of these trolls posted a link to the dancing video, with a comment saying, "This is Ghadeer Ahmed, who wants to corrupt our Egyptian girls, and here is the video that shows that she herself is a slut." For me, that was breaking point. I was exploding with rage. I thought, "No. I refuse to be blackmailed, I refuse to be threatened, I refuse to be shamed for having a female body. I will never again feel guilty about my own body, or frightened of what I do with it." So I took the dancing video and posted it on my own Facebook page for the whole world to see. The post I wrote to accompany it said: "Yesterday a group of men tried to shame me by sharing a private video of me dancing with friends. I am writing this to announce that, yes, it was me in the video, and no, I am not ashamed of my body. To whoever is trying to stigmatise me, as a feminist I've got over the social misconceptions about women's bodies that still dominate Eastern societies. I don't feel ashamed because I was dancing happily, just as I did publicly at my sister's wedding, where I also wore a very short and revealing dress. Now, I want to ask you guys: what is it that really annoys you? Me being a slut, or me being a slut without sleeping with you? My body is not a source of shame. I have nothing to regret about this video." Immediately, the post went viral in Egypt. A lot of people said how brave I was, and agreed with my argument that a woman must have rights over her own body, as well as the right not to be exposed online. I received calls from my close friends offering their support. Finally, after five years, I felt that I had put an end to all the fear. I closed the door on it all. Two years on, I have no regrets about posting that video. Every now and then a girl has to break the mould that girls are put in. A girl has to stand up and say "Yes, I've been blackmailed with private images, yes, I sent them of my own free will, but still no-one has the right to use them to shame or humiliate me." I am sharing my story now to encourage the thousands of girls all over the world who are still being threatened and blackmailed with digital images on social media. Here is what I want to say to you: You are not alone. I went through what you are struggling for. I felt lonely, I felt helpless, I felt weak and ashamed. There were times when I collapsed during this whole exhausting experience. I do not have the right to tell you to fight as I did, but I am urging you to ask for help from someone you trust. Once we ask for help, we feel less alone, less endangered. Together, we can change the culture that makes us frightened and ashamed. Together, we can survive. Together, as sisters, we can turn the world into a safer place for women. Join the conversation - find us on Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and Twitter.

जब मिस्र की किशोरी ग़दीर अहमद ने अपने प्रेमी को उसके नृत्य का एक वीडियो भेजा-उसके हिजाब के बिना, और एक छोटी पोशाक में-उसने कभी नहीं सोचा था कि वह इसे ऑनलाइन पोस्ट करेगा। लेकिन वर्षों बाद उसने किया। यहाँ वह खुद वीडियो को फिर से पोस्ट करने के अपने फैसले की कहानी बताती है, और दुनिया को यह बताने के लिए कि उसने शर्मिंदा होने का कोई कारण नहीं देखा।


Harry Whitlam death: Tractor driver admits safety breach

Summary: The driver of a tractor which knocked down and killed an 11-year-old boy has admitted breaching health and safety rules.

Harry Whitlam, 11, died after the vehicle driven by Gary Green, 51, reversed into him at Swithens Farm, Rothwell, in 2013. An inquest last year heard Mr Green was almost three times the legal alcohol limit on the day of the crash. He was not prosecuted at the time as it happened on private land. Mr Green, of Bradburn Road, Wakefield, admitted failing to ensure the safety of others at a hearing at Leeds Crown Court. He is due to appear in November for a further hearing before sentencing. The Health and Safety Executive announced this year it had brought a charge against Mr Green under Section 3 of the Health and Safety at Work Act. Related Internet Links Health and Safety Executive

एक ट्रैक्टर के चालक ने स्वास्थ्य और सुरक्षा नियमों का उल्लंघन करना स्वीकार किया है, जिसने एक 11 वर्षीय लड़के को कुचल दिया और उसकी मौत हो गई।


Which prime minister didn’t enjoy life at No 10?

Summary: This weekend marks the 300th anniversary of the role of prime minister.

By Sir Anthony Seldon & Peter SnowdonPolitical historian and Blair biographer On 3 April 1721, Sir Robert Walpole became Britain's first PM, and since then a cast of 54 occupants have tried to change the course of the country, though only a small number have succeeded. Most prime ministers leave office in unhappy circumstances, having been thrown out by the electorate, pushed out by their parties or succumbing to ill health. "I don't think I did enjoy the job," Tony Blair told us. "Because the responsibility is so huge. "Every day you're making decisions and every day you're under massive scrutiny as is your family. The paradox is that you start at your most popular and least capable and you end at your least popular and most capable." Few might have suspected that a prime minister who, in his decade in office, exuded such an appetite for power, harboured such regrets. Mr Blair's predecessor, Sir John Major, who struggled to hold his government together as his party's long period of rule came to an unruly end in 1997, recalls how his premiership became intolerable as his small majority vanished. "If you have a very small or no majority it is crippling of your time. You have to attend very late night votes, which prime ministers with a large majority don't have to do. "You don't have to worry about sections of your party who are opposed to a particular policy because they're a minority, they're going to be outvoted. You treat them decently and listen to them, but you don't have to worry that they're going to upset the apple cart completely and defeat the government." Sir John found some solace in his weekly audiences with the Queen. "They are utterly private. So it is an opportunity for both parties to speak in total frankness to one another. And in politics, except with people who are extraordinarily close, it is very difficult to do that. So it's a great outlet when prime minister and Monarch can meet." What of the current incumbent? Boris Johnson strikes a characteristically ebullient note. "Number 10 has brilliantly evolved over hundreds of years into what is a big department of state now," he says. "And what you've got is a 18th century townhouse, which is rather beautiful. This is an incredible institution that has evolved over time into this extraordinary centre of a G7 economy." It is obvious that the prime minister revels in the history of the building and, despite being in office during the worst pandemic in over a century, which almost took his own life, he relishes the job. While Mr Johnson claims that he's supported by a "big department of state" in Number 10, many prime ministers feel they lacked institutional might, especially compared with the Treasury. David Cameron told us: "Everyone thinks Number 10 is all powerful because it is the office of the prime minister. But of course Number 10 is very small - underpowered - compared to these massive departments of state. "I remember joking after a few months that you spend far too much time trying to find what the government's actually doing and quite a lot of time trying to stop it." Mr Cameron was criticised for "chillaxing" in the job, enjoying the trappings of Chequers, the prime minister's official residence in the Chilterns. Lack of time and the relentlessness of the Downing Street diary afforded him little time off. "I would often pop up [to the flat] and make a sandwich for lunch. Because you do need a bit of time to be able to be on your own and just think and just breathe. Just a few moments of peace at lunchtime and making a cheese sandwich. These were really valuable moments," he says. For many incumbents of Number 10, survival in office was not just political - it was a matter of life or death. While Spencer Perceval remains the only prime minister to be assassinated - in 1812 - others have been the targets of numerous attempts - notoriously Margaret Thatcher in 1984 and John Major in 1991, both targets of the IRA. Others have left exhausted and ill, notably Anthony Eden and Harold Macmillan. David Lloyd George nearly died of Spanish Flu in September 1918 only a few weeks before the end of the First World War. The seriousness of the condition was concealed from the public for fear that it might harm morale. A century later, a stunned public was all too aware of the gravity of Boris Johnson's illness, when he was admitted to intensive care suffering with Covid-19. Was Mr Johnson aware of the echoes with Lloyd George's near death experience during the last major pandemic? "Did he? I had forgotten that. I didn't get the Spanish flu. If you want to know, I'm feeling absolutely tremendous." As a keen student of history and biographer of Winston Churchill, which of the prime minister's predecessors would he most like to meet and find common cause? Would it be Churchill himself, the choice of David Cameron? Might it be Sir Robert Walpole, the man who established the office and held it for longer than any other? The PM's reply was surprising. "I think Gladstone. I'd love to meet Gladstone," he says. The Prime Minister at 300, presented by Sir Anthony Seldon and produced by Peter Snowdon, is on BBC Radio 4 on Friday at 11am and at the same time on Friday 9 and 16 April. It is also available on BBC Sounds.

इस सप्ताह के अंत में प्रधानमंत्री की भूमिका की 300वीं वर्षगांठ है।


Oscars 2021: Why Two Distant Strangers is 'important and necessary'

Summary: Travon Free was co-writing a romcom screenplay last year when George Floyd died. Free decided the romcom would have to wait - as an African American, he wanted to create a serious screenplay addressing the police killings of black people in the US.

By Vincent DowdArts correspondent, BBC News But the resulting short film, Two Distant Strangers, which is nominated at this week's Oscars, still borrows a lot from one of the big comedy hits of the 1990s. Travon Free started his career as a writer on Comedy Central's Daily Show. Last May, he was at work on a screenplay with Martin Desmond Roe, a white British writer and director who has worked in Los Angeles for almost 20 years. Then, during an arrest in Minneapolis, George Floyd was killed. Derek Chauvin, an officer called to the scene, had knelt on his neck for nine minutes. The incident was caught on video and protests at police brutality against black people spread across the US. Chauvin was was found guilty of two counts of murder and one count of manslaughter on Tuesday. Following Mr Floyd's death, Free said to Roe that he wanted to switch tracks. "There were all the George Floyd protests in America and marches around the world," he says. "So at the beginning of our work day I just told Martin I had a new idea for a short film, and after that it just consumed our lives." The film is in contention for best live action short at Sunday's Oscars. "Two Distant Strangers is about a young black man, Carter, who initially we wrote as a nerdy cartoonist," Free says. "He's spent the night with a girl he met. But he's left his dog at home and in attempting to leave the apartment to get to the dog, he has a run-in with a police officer who ultimately kills him." Dying, he wakes up back in the girl's bed. He realises everything that's happening he's seen before, and the audience recognises he's stuck in a time loop. The device is familiar from the 1993 film Groundhog Day, starring Bill Murray. Free is not the only writer to have borrowed it. Roe says neither of them hesitated to use the structure, even if audiences might associate it more with romantic comedy. "As soon as Travon pitched it to me I thought, this is a great metaphor for what America is going through right now. His screenplay really elevates the idea. "As we were discussing the screenplay last summer, we were watching America tear itself apart. The idea of doing something that might speak to what was happening was overwhelming to me and to almost everyone who got involved." The film lasts 32 minutes and was shot with LA standing in for New York. Free and Roe share the director's credit. Carter is played by the rapper Joey Bada$$, while Welsh actor Andrew Howard makes a convincing New York cop. Free says writing the story was a powerful experience. "It was the first time that, whatever I thought a piece of writing would be, I was pulled away from that by the script itself." He says the urge to write came of anger, sadness and hopelessness. "But also I was holding onto a little bit of hope that we could change America." He says white people and black people react differently to the film. "White viewers say to me that they finally see this story differently - they understand in a way they never could when they were trying to engage in the issue. "We put you right in Carter's shoes and, no matter what your background is, you have to go on that journey with him. It's the power of film. "And for black people it feels like a confirmation of what they've already been feeling about these events." Studies suggest a black person in America is at least three times as likely to be killed by police as a white person. In reaction to Chauvin's murder conviction on Tuesday, Free tweeted: "Justice for George has been served." He also told the Hollywood Reporter: "The fight to end police violence is not over, and one verdict won't change the system that perpetuates it, but it is a sign that we have the ability to move in the direction of a society where these things no longer happen." Free's screenplay may have been prompted by a specific death, but George Floyd is not the only person he keeps in mind. "I was on the phone to Martin and he told me about the death of Daunte Wright in Minneapolis [on 11 April]. It felt like the worst kind of confirmation of why what we've done with our film was important and necessary. "It's an issue that we still haven't dealt with. We still refuse to give it the level of importance it deserves. "Once we do, we'll finally be at the beginning of the conversation we need to have so there aren't more Daunte Wrights and Adam Toledos and George Floyds." Two Distant Strangers is available on Netflix. Follow us on Facebook or on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.

ट्रैवन फ्री पिछले साल एक रोमांटिक पटकथा का सह-लेखन कर रहा था जब जॉर्ज फ्लॉयड की मृत्यु हो गई। फ्री ने फैसला किया कि रोमांटिक फिल्म को इंतजार करना होगा-एक अफ्रीकी अमेरिकी के रूप में, वह अमेरिका में अश्वेत लोगों की पुलिस हत्याओं को संबोधित करते हुए एक गंभीर पटकथा बनाना चाहते थे।


Metro Great North Run overcrowding report blames operator

Summary: Long queues, overcrowding and passengers left on Tyne and Wear Metro platforms during the 2015 Great North Run were caused by an "intentional, sizeable reduction" in train numbers by its operator, a report has found.

Known driver shortages, power failures and illness caused by overcrowding meant "significant" delays, it said. Service operator DB Regio Tyne and Wear (DBTW) apologised "unreservedly". Metro owners Nexus said it was working to make sure it did not happen again. More than 55,000 people took part in the half marathon on 13 September. Early in the day six trains failed or were cancelled, on top of the already reduced service, leaving capacity down by between 25% and 44% across the network, the Nexus report said. Squeezing large numbers of passengers onto fewer overcrowded trains and treating those who subsequently felt unwell also caused delays, it added. 'No excuses' Disruption also meant trains bunched together, tripping overhead power lines. The report into what happened concluded DBTW addressed driver shortages by reducing the timetable and did not inform Nexus or its own directors. Nexus staff failed to notice the number of trains planned did not meet its requirements. Additional driver shortages on the day made the situation worse. DBTW managing director Sharon Kelly said she made "no excuses for what happened". "Mistakes were made in terms of planning for this event, which have been subject to a review that has now concluded, and we have immediately taken actions to ensure this never happens again," she said. Complaints by customers relating to the race rose from 5 in 2014, to 517. Nexus managing director Tobyn Hughes apologised and said the company was "working closely" with DBTW to "prevent a repeat of the problems". The report's recommendations include DBTW reviewing plans for future marathons, addressing driver shortages and improving communication of problems.

एक रिपोर्ट में पाया गया है कि 2015 ग्रेट नॉर्थ रन के दौरान टाइन और वियर मेट्रो प्लेटफार्मों पर लंबी कतारें, भीड़भाड़ और यात्रियों को छोड़ना इसके ऑपरेटर द्वारा ट्रेनों की संख्या में "जानबूझकर, बड़ी कमी" के कारण हुआ था।