Iowa caucuses: Nine unusual things about them

Summary: On Monday evening, tens of thousands of Democrats in Iowa will brave the cold and gather in schools, churches, gyms and libraries to decide on their favourite presidential candidates.

By Helier CheungBBC News, Washington DC It's the first stop in the race for the Democratic nomination - but it's not a traditional vote as you know it. Most US elections involve filling in a ballot paper in private. But in Iowa's caucuses, Democrats will gather in noisy rooms, stand in different zones to show which candidate they support - and try to convince others to switch sides. Here's what's unusual about one of the first key contests for Democrats who want to take on Donald Trump. 1. It's a bit like musical chairs - with lots of shouting, and baked goods Iowa's Democratic caucuses are colourful - and complicated. After representatives from the campaigns make their final pitches, everyone has to gather with others who support the same candidate. "There's this process where everybody stands up and moves... you have to find other people" in your group, says Karen Kedrowski, a political science professor at Iowa State University. "When everybody has stopped moving, they freeze the room and folks count how many are in each sub-caucus." At this point, any candidate with fewer than 15% of the total number of people in the room is considered unviable - and their supporters have the chance to go to another candidate's zone. It's been likened to a high-stakes game of musical chairs, but louder. "Folks that are wandering around are likely to get persuaded quite forcefully by supporters of other candidates" to join them, says Prof Kedrowski. In previous caucuses, reporters even saw some supporters offer free cookies and other treats as they encouraged voters to head towards their corner. Following this second round, all candidates with more than 15% of votes are allocated a number of delegates who will represent their interests in the later stages of the nominating process. Republicans also have caucuses in Iowa - but the process just involves casting a ballot, and no one is seen as a serious challenger to Mr Trump this year. 2. It's not actually an election The Iowa race gets plenty of coverage because it comes first - but it's not an election. Caucus actually means "a meeting of neighbours", and they're run as internal party meetings. As a result, the process is run by party volunteers rather than election officials - and orchestrating such a complicated process across all 1,678 precincts in the state is a challenge. Bret Nilles, Chair of the Linn County Democrats, is responsible for 86 precincts, and expects up to 20,000 people to show up to his caucuses. He likens it to "planning 86 wedding receptions when you don't know how many people are going to show up". An added challenge is that voters need to be in the room at the same time for the count - and close to 600 voters could be showing up and moving around in the largest venues. "People in other states may not understand why you'd stand around for two hours for a caucus," says Ann Anhalt, from Des Moines. However, she loves the political process and, despite the snow, has travelled to outlying towns and seen six of the candidates in person. 3. Iowa may be first - but it started by accident "Iowa is not first because it's important, it's important because it's first," says Dennis Goldford, a political science professor at Drake University in Iowa. In fact, its Democratic caucuses ended up so early in the calendar partly because of understaffing, and a slow mimeograph machine. In 1968, Hubert Humphrey became the Democratic candidate for president without winning any of the presidential primaries - leading to an outcry and protests at the Democratic Convention. After he lost to Richard Nixon, the party decided it had make its nominating process more transparent by publicising when caucuses were taking place, holding them in public spaces, and making them open to all registered members. Since the process in Iowa involves four stages (precinct caucuses, and then county, district and state conventions), and since the party there was "underfunded and understaffed", Iowa needed a particularly long time, says Prof Kedrowski. Ask me Share this chatbot The chair of the Iowa Democrats also wanted all delegates to have a copy of the rules and proposals - but the party's copy machine was old and slow. "In order to comply with all the new requirements, the Democratic Party of Iowa worked out they needed at least a month between [each stage] to pull together all the paperwork," says Prof Kedrowski. "By the time they backed up the calendar, they ended up leapfrogging New Hampshire - and nobody at the time noticed." This changed in 1976 when Jimmy Carter used the Iowa caucuses to jump-start his presidential campaign. Since then, Iowa has worked to ensure it comes first in the nominating calendar - Republicans and Democrats even agreed to hold their caucuses on the same day "to maximise attention" from media and politicians, says Prof Goldford. 4. You can be 'uncommitted' - but you might get stuck If voters don't have a favourite candidate, they can opt for being "uncommitted". This was actually a popular choice in the past - in 1972, and 1976, the "uncommitted" option actually won the most delegates in Iowa (Jimmy Carter came second). This year, new caucus rules mean that voters are locked in after the first round if their preferred option passes the 15% threshold - which means that if enough voters are unsure about who to vote for in the first round, they could end up getting stuck. But experts say this is unlikely to happen this time. "Fewer and fewer people have been counting themselves as uncommitted" in recent years, says Prof Goldford, "because the caucuses have become such a centre of attention". 5. Some delegates could get decided by coin flips The Iowa Democratic Party's handbook uses coin tosses to resolve ties. This typically happens when two candidates have the same number of supporters but there's an odd number of delegates. The coin toss determines who gets the extra delegate. It may sound arbitrary, but a lot of states use similar methods- in Nevada's Democratic caucuses, ties are broken by whoever draws a higher card from a deck of cards, while in Mississippi, a state election tie was resolved by drawing straws. In 2016, there were conspiracy theories after reports that Hillary Clinton won six coin tosses in Iowa - although experts pointed out that her rival Bernie Sanders also won several coin tosses, and that mathematically, the number of delegates won through coin flips was not significant. The coin toss was "a party rule that they put in, thinking it would be rarely used - but it ended up being used a lot, which is a testament to how close Sanders and Clinton were," says Prof Kedrowski. 6. Some Republican supporters take part too Only registered Democrats can take part in the caucus - but voters can register or change their party affiliation at the door. Ms Anhalt has voted Republican since 1996, and is a registered party member. She says she is "not disillusioned, and not unhappy" with her party - but nonetheless plans to switch affiliation so she can support Andrew Yang at Monday's caucus. She credits her support due to the face to face exposure Iowans get to candidates - she attended events for various Democratic candidates "just to see the process", and unexpectedly became impressed with Mr Yang. "I like his fresh ideas - you have to see him, and hear him... you can't get it from a 30-second commercial," she says. She says the caucuses are good because candidates "have to come and go town to town" and "they have to be humble". "You can ask a question, or at least shake their hand... you can hardly meet them anywhere else." However, this doesn't mean she'll necessarily be a Democratic voter in November's presidential election. "If Andrew Yang does not make the ticket... I'll decide on the day." 7. You don't have to be in Iowa - but you do have to be in the room at the right time For the first time ever, Iowa is allowing satellite caucuses outside of the state. It has 92 satellite sites elsewhere in the US, and sites in Paris, Glasgow, and Tbilisi. It's because the caucuses have been criticised for being inaccessible to shift workers and those with caring responsibilities. To take part in a caucus, "you have to show up at 7pm on a Monday night in the winter," says Prof Goldford. "You've got to hope you're not on a night shift, not out of the state, that your car starts as the baby sitter shows up." The new locations may help a bit - but participants still need to be physically in the room when the caucus starts. There were plans for a virtual ballot - but these were vetoed over cyber security fears. Why doesn't Iowa allow absentee ballots or a longer voting window instead? It has a tacit agreement with New Hampshire - the second state in the selection process, and the first to hold a primary. "New Hampshire is going to raise holy heck if Iowa does anything that smells or feels too much like a primary," says Prof Kedrowski. 8. 17-year-olds can vote Here's another first - Iowa will allow 17-year-olds to vote in the caucuses, as long as they are 18 by the time November's presidential election rolls around. This is thanks to a law that came into effect in January 2019 - and state officials say almost 5,000 17-year-olds have now registered to vote. Given how tight some of the caucuses were last time, having younger voters involved could tip the balance. 9. And finally - don't be late If you arrive at your precinct after the start time, you're out of luck - you won't be able to take part. That's because organisers need to work out what 15% of all of the people in the room is, to determine which candidates are viable - and even one latecomer could change the percentages. Organisers are "literally recruiting volunteers to stand at the end of the line at 7pm" to make sure latecomers don't vote, says Prof Kedrowski.

सोमवार की शाम को, आयोवा में हजारों डेमोक्रेट ठंड का सामना करेंगे और अपने पसंदीदा राष्ट्रपति पद के उम्मीदवारों का फैसला करने के लिए स्कूलों, चर्चों, जिम और पुस्तकालयों में इकट्ठा होंगे।


Anglers in Isle of Man lifeboat cliff rescue

Summary: The Isle of Man coast guard was called out on Sunday to rescue two anglers from a cliff on the Calf of Man.

It happened at 16:30 (BST) just minutes after the end of the annual raft racing event in the south of the island. The crew from the RNLI Atlantic 85 lifeboat from Port Erin assisted in the rescue of two men from a cliff face near Cow Harbour. An RNLI spokesman said the anglers were "shaken but in good health" after becoming stuck on a ledge.

कैल्फ ऑफ मैन पर एक चट्टान से दो मछुआरों को बचाने के लिए आइल ऑफ मैन तट रक्षक को रविवार को बुलाया गया था।


Nigeria schools: Kaduna primary teachers fail pupils' exam

Summary: Thousands of primary school teachers in Nigeria's northern Kaduna state are to be sacked after failing the exams they set for their six-year-old pupils.

State governor Nasir El-Rufai said 21,780 teachers, two-thirds of the total, had failed to score 75% or higher on assessments given to pupils. He said 25,000 new teachers would be recruited to replace them. Mr El-Rufai made the comments at a meeting with World Bank representatives in the state capital, Kaduna. "The hiring of teachers in the past was politicised and we intend to change that by bringing in young and qualified primary school teachers to restore the dignity of education in the state," he was quoted as saying by Nigeria's Daily Trust newspaper. Mr El-Rufai said problems with pupil-teacher ratios across the state would also be addressed. He said some areas currently had one teacher for every nine pupils while in other areas the ratio was one to 100.

नाइजीरिया के उत्तरी कडुना राज्य में हजारों प्राथमिक विद्यालय के शिक्षकों को उनके छह साल के छात्रों के लिए निर्धारित परीक्षा में विफल होने के बाद बर्खास्त किया जाना है।


Lady Brittan: How police cast a dark shadow over Leon's final days

Summary: Lady (Diana) Brittan's husband, ex-Home Secretary Lord (Leon) Brittan, died in January 2015 with an allegation that he'd raped a 19-year-old female student in 1967 hanging over him. Months after his death, the Metropolitan Police said that, had he been alive, he would not have been prosecuted, and apologised for its handling of the case. Here, for the first time, Lady Brittan describes the ordeal she endured.

I went to visit him when he was recovering from a really quite a serious operation related to the cancer he had. He was lying in hospital. He said: "I've just been rung by the police." I said: "What's it about?" He said: "I'm not terribly sure, but I've just said to them 'I'll ring my lawyers'." And then the lawyers rang me and they said to me 'This is an old rape allegation, 47 years old' against Leon. I first met Leon in 1973, although we didn't get married until 1980. I just could not believe that this was him - it was not the man that I knew. He went to the lawyer's office when he came out of hospital. They discussed what they should do. I was not in the room at the time. And then about a couple of weeks later he was interviewed under caution in the office of the lawyer. He was asked no supplementary questions at all - in fact, he was asked practically no questions. It was a very short interview and at the end of it he felt absolutely assured in his own mind that that would be the end of the matter. A week or two later, I remember being rung up by the BBC on a Saturday night saying this is all going public tomorrow, what would I say? He was not at all well. After all, he'd had one huge operation, a number of weeks in intensive care and then this second operation. We were trying to enjoy a weekend up in Yorkshire but of course the gate was absolutely besieged by press. I was chased by a car - a very, very frightening thing - in the Yorkshire lanes. I had to try and find somewhere to go to where I couldn't be followed. It was the weekend the Tour de France was in Yorkshire. It was not easy for Leon to go into the local town and deal with pointing fingers and all the rest of it, although people were extremely supportive of him on that particular occasion. I was absolutely certain that when he said that this allegation was without foundation, that was true. Background He got iller and iller and iller, and of course he died in the beginning of 2015 when some of the other things had started appearing in the press. He would never say anything to me, but I cannot believe from what he said to my daughters that he was not affected by it all. He was a strong man and he was a very moral man, and I think the last thing he wanted - because I think we both knew what was coming - was to upset me even further. I learned - I think it must have been in July of the year after he'd died, from the Independent on Sunday - that no further action would be taken. I then got my lawyers to write to the police saying: "Was this story true?" Because they hadn't bothered to inform me. And I suppose about a month later I got a reply: "Um, we wouldn't have continued it, not enough evidence, um, sorry we've caused you distress." I only found that out, really, because of the press stories. I'm never entirely sure when the case was dropped and certainly Leon was never told. I felt let down. I think he should have known that he was innocent of the charges before he died, but that didn't happen. It's become clear that Det Ch Insp Settle's original decision [that there was no case to answer] was correct. It's made me very saddened because I realise that the last year that Leon was alive would have been very different [if the case had been dropped]. Find out more This is an edited version of Lady Brittan's interview with BBC Radio 4's The Briefing Room, to be broadcast on 24 November at 20:00 GMT. You can listen again on iPlayer following the broadcast It would have been an easier time for me and him, looking after him, having him home away from hospital and in the final few months. [I was] very much aware of the bravery of Det Ch Insp Settle over appearing in front of the Select Committee for Home Affairs. Somebody gave me his address and I wrote him a very short note, two paragraphs only, saying: "Thank you for what you've done and what you said gave me comfort." It seemed to me during the course of this particular inquiry that Leon was worse treated than had he been an ordinary citizen and that, I felt, was wrong. The presumption of innocence had been set aside. I think the jury is out as to whether lessons will be learned from the whole of this affair and Operation Midland. I suppose the question that has to be asked of the [Met Police's] Commissioner is, what will change as a result of both these reports? I met the Commissioner in February. At that time he gave me an apology for the delay in telling me about the outcome of the earlier case and I presented some questions that I wanted answering both on that and then on Operation Midland. I just wish that none of it had happened. I was a magistrate in the City of London for many years. I understand the role of the police, the rule of law. I suppose it has dented my confidence only in the officers who were involved in these operations. I don't think I could possibly extend that to the entire police force everywhere. But I do hope that lessons are learned and that the reputation of the police which I think has been damaged is restored in some way. What I'd really like is that what happened to me and Leon, to Lord Bramall, to Harvey Proctor and to others never happens to anyone else. My fervent hope is that the Met will learn lessons - and other police forces, too - from what has happened and not allow it to happen again in this way. I've been absolutely steadfast all the way through saying that I knew [the allegations] weren't true. When you're in the eye of a storm quite as turbulent as this storm, it's very hard to keep your poise - and your belief. And what I was much assisted by during all of this was my two daughters. They would always say to me, at the end of every conversation: "Mum, it's not true, just remember that, it's not true." And it wasn't true. Det Ch Insp Paul Settle lead an earlier investigation into the claim of rape against Lord Brittan. The first thing I did was examine the allegation that had been given to us. On [the complainants'] account alone I didn't believe the offence of rape had been made out, in that what she said had happened didn't amount to a rape. I sought the opinion of the senior Crown prosecutor for London that deals with sexual offenders, and I sent a complete anonymised information pack to her with all the relevant details in. And she came back with the same opinion - that she wasn't satisfied that the offence of rape had been committed. [As far as] I was concerned the matter was concluded with no further action. [The following year] I was informed that it was being looked at by the Commander. They didn't they didn't tell me why at the time, but it then transpired that a letter had been sent in by the Labour MP Tom Watson. The simple fact of the matter was that the offence wasn't made out and that's a very crucial part within law - that if the offence is not made out, it's stopped there and then. There was clearly going to be an awful lot of interest and an awful lot of publicity. I was told to have nothing to do with the enquiry whatsoever and I was basically going into work and staring at the wall for 18 hours. I repeatedly asked to be given something to do and was told there was nothing for me to do. I carried on going into work for a couple of weeks until, quite frankly, I couldn't take any more of it and I took two weeks' holiday. Unfortunately, the two weeks' holiday didn't do anything to help and then after that I went sick. I was asked to give evidence before the [Home Affairs Select Committee] and initially the Metropolitan Police said it was inappropriate for me to give evidence because of my junior status. When that didn't fly, they then phoned me up and asked me if they could use my medical condition as an excuse for me not to give evidence, saying I was unfit to give evidence, which I declined and said no, I'm perfectly fit, thank you. There's a certain amount of personal comfort that comes from being vindicated, but at the same time [I feel] more sorrow because it didn't have to be like this. Metropolitan Police statement "The Commissioner, Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe, has personally and unreservedly apologised to Lady Brittan, and offered a further personal meeting should she wish. "Since the publication of sections of the review by Sir Richard Henriques, Assistant Commissioner Helen King has written to Det Ch Insp Paul Settle offering the opportunity to meet in person. "The MPS continues to provide its fullest possible support to Det Ch Insp Settle, and we continue to want the best for his career within the organisation." Join the conversation - find us on Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and Twitter.

लेडी (डायना) ब्रिटैन के पति, पूर्व गृह सचिव लॉर्ड (लियोन) ब्रिटैन की जनवरी 2015 में इस आरोप के साथ मृत्यु हो गई कि उन्होंने 1967 में एक 19 वर्षीय छात्रा के साथ बलात्कार किया था। उनकी मृत्यु के महीनों बाद, मेट्रोपॉलिटन पुलिस ने कहा कि, अगर वह जीवित होते, तो उन पर मुकदमा नहीं चलाया जाता, और मामले को संभालने के लिए माफी मांगी जाती। यहाँ, पहली बार, लेडी ब्रिटैन ने उस अग्निपरीक्षा का वर्णन किया है जिसे उन्होंने सहन किया था।


Is China the hitch for the Hinkley Point deal?

Summary: Does Hinkley Point have a national security hitch?

Carrie GracieChina editor@BBCCarrieon Twitter While others may be professing astonishment over the British government decision to delay this deal on the eve of signing, the Chinese stakeholders are too polite - for now. Despite putting up a third of the funding and sending a delegation to the UK to celebrate what they along with everyone else expected to be the final launch ceremony for the project, a statement from China General Nuclear Power Corporation or CGN expressed understanding today: "We respect the new government's need to familiarise itself with a project as important to the UK's future energy security as Hinkley Point C and we stand ready to help the government in this respect…CGN remains committed to delivering this much-needed nuclear capacity with our strategic partners, EDF, and providing the UK with safe, reliable and sustainable energy." In private, the Chinese team may be less polite. This kind of 11th hour reversal is not how things are done in China. A source close to China General Nuclear Corporation (CGN) has told me the Hinkley Point delay came as a surprise and a pain, and added, everyone in the company is bemused by the way it's been choreographed. CGN has been given no real insight into the reason for the delay other than being told it was something the prime minister wanted. The company was told this was a big investment in critical infrastructure and the PM wanted to be absolutely certain she understood all the issues and ramifications. The firm is frustrated with the way the government has framed the reasoning for the delay. Considering all components of the deal is, the source said, a non-denial denial which allows the speculation about national security concerns to continue. The source also said that the last minute notice of the delay was unhelpful and that a very senior delegation from China had been ready to attend today's planned ceremony at Hinkley Point. But the source also said CGN had seen many false dawns before and had seen the Hinkley Point project go through lots of scrapes. So in the grand scheme of things if it ends up being just a six-week delay it will be neither here nor there. From the British government no apologies or explanations of the upset; the Business and Energy Secretary Greg Clark said simply, "the government will now consider carefully all the component parts of this project and make its decision in the early autumn." And unless and until the new British government tells us that national security questions are not one of the component parts that need considering, the question is out there because at least one senior official close to the Prime Minister seems to have a very different view on national security from that of the previous government. Nick Timothy is Theresa May's chief of staff and a long time adviser. Criticisms As recently as last October, just as the former Prime Minister David Cameron and his Chancellor George Osborne were preparing to unveil the Hinkley deal during a state visit by the Chinese President Xi Jinping, Mr Timothy expressed strong criticisms of the deal on the Conservativehome website: "During Xi's visit to London, the two governments will sign deals giving Chinese state-owned companies stakes in the British nuclear power stations planned for Hinkley Point in Somerset and Sizewell in Suffolk. It is believed that the deals could lead to the Chinese designing and constructing a third nuclear reactor at Bradwell in Essex. "Security experts - reportedly inside as well as outside government - are worried that the Chinese could use their role to build weaknesses into computer systems which will allow them to shut down Britain's energy production at will. "For those who believe that such an eventuality is unlikely, the Chinese National Nuclear Corporation - one of the state-owned companies involved in the plans for the British nuclear plants - says on its website that it is responsible not just for 'increasing the value of state assets and developing the society' but the 'building of national defence'. "MI5 believes that 'the intelligence services of…China…continue to work against UK interests at home and abroad'." It's important not to over-interpret these comments or to assume a new direction in government policy. Mr Timothy is an unelected adviser to the prime minister and what's more, they were made when he was not in a senior government role. But the Cameron government which left office less than a month ago was particularly bullish on China. The Chancellor George Osborne talked of embarking on a 'golden decade' in which the UK would be China's 'best partner in the west'. His successor Philip Hammond was in China only last weekend to take part in a meeting of G20 finance ministers and to reassure Chinese partners that post-Brexit, the UK was still 'open for business'. Mr Hammond raised the possibility of negotiating a free trade agreement with China once the UK leaves the European Union. But Theresa May's views across the range of policy issues with China are less clear. And until London clarifies which components of the Hinkley Point deal it's worried about, and until it expresses itself satisfied with Chinese involvement on both security and safety grounds, Beijing will wonder whether this cherished deal will fall victim to the UK's continuing political drama.

क्या हिंकले प्वाइंट में राष्ट्रीय सुरक्षा की कोई अड़चन है?


Dealing with OCD on walk from John O' Groats to Land's End

Summary: Like thousands of other people, Tom Clancy is tackling the well-trodden 1,200-mile trek between John O' Groats to Land's End for charity. But for the 31-year-old, from Cheltenham, sore feet can be the least of his problems. He has obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), a condition that can leave him paralysed with fear.

By Steven McKenzieBBC Scotland Highlands and Islands reporter Tom has had OCD for many years but the past 11 have been the hardest for him in terms of coping with the illness. A trigger for this difficult period was memories of a magazine article about incurable sexually transmitted diseases he read in his teens. The concerns these memories raised, at a time when he was less informed about STDs than he is now, caused him to avoid some public spaces and to obsessively wash his hands. However, his OCD also involves "intrusive thoughts". Unsettling ideas pop up in his head which cause him crippling feelings of anxiety and fear. "December 2014 and on into 2015 was unquestionably the worst period of my life," says Tom. "I have never attempted suicide, but at that point in time I was so utterly petrified by the intrusive thoughts permanently inside my head - and what they might mean - that I wondered if I might be better off dead than continuing to live like this." What is OCD? It is a serious anxiety-related condition where a person experiences frequent obsessive thoughts, according to the charity OCD UK. The illness affects as many as 12 in every 1,000 people, including children, and often involves repetitive compulsions, impulses or urges. OCD UK says there are various forms of the illness, but typically a person living with it fall into four main categories. These categories involve repetitive checking, concerns about contamination, hoarding and intrusive thoughts. The last involves "obsessional thoughts that are repetitive, disturbing and often horrific and repugnant in nature", says the charity. Tom was at university when the worst of his OCD was occurring. He says: "I'd experienced deeply unsettling thoughts before - I hadn't known they were called intrusive thoughts at the time - but never to this degree. Fear and anxiety consumed me. I was so afraid. "It was all I could think about and my thoughts spiralled out of control. "A week later and I was having to end a relationship with someone who'd felt like the best thing to happen to me in a long time. Two weeks after that and I'd decided I was going to have to leave my studies - which meant having to leave my accommodation and housemates." 'Just let go' Tom had sought help previously, but the visit he made to a GP following this episode led to what he describes as a "life-changing phone call" from NHS service 2Gether. A member of the service helped him to begin phases of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). "CBT teaches you to try and just let go of the thought," says Tom. "That it is just that, a thought. "I find it very hard because OCD feeds off of doubt, you question yourself. "Another factor for dealing with OCD is exposure. This can either be making yourself do the things you're scared to do, or trying not to avoid situations that produce the fear and anxiety - instead sit with the anxiety until it passes." Exposure is the situation Tom now finds himself in as he walks the hundreds of miles to Land's End in Cornwall. Though a keen walker, it is the first time he has tackled the route, or walked so far. He started out on his trek, which he calls the OCD Walk and is raising funds for charity, six days ago. End to Enders It has been estimated that up to 6,000 people tackle the route from John O' Groats to Land's End - or the other way around - each year. Many do it to raise money for charity. Known as End to Enders, large numbers of the those who do the route walk or cycle it. However, other charity efforts have involved travelling on motorised bar stools, skateboards and mobility scooters. Tom says: "The last six days have been the most painful I've ever experienced in terms of physical pain and having to find the mental strength to keep going. "I had a really good day yesterday, but I have to say day five was quite a low day and I was having intrusive thoughts. "I was thinking bad, horrible things about myself. Anyone who lives with OCD will know how bad those intrusive thoughts can be." He adds: "The walk itself is a challenge for me. But in terms of my OCD, camping and using public toilets and showers are throwing up challenges which I'm having to push through." Messages of support he is receiving on social media are helping him cope with the stresses of the challenge, he says. During his trek, Tom also plans to walk to the summits of Britain's three highest peaks - Ben Nevis near Fort William, Scafell Pike in the Lake District and Snowdon in Snowdonia. He says: "I am hoping that others living with OCD might like to join me on the climbs, but if no-one turns up that'll be okay. "What I do hope is that other people with OCD find out about my walk and find someone to listen to them. "When you first encounter OCD it can feel like you are going crazy."

हजारों अन्य लोगों की तरह, टॉम क्लैन्सी दान के लिए जॉन ओ 'ग्रोट्स से लैंड्स एंड के बीच 1,200 मील की लंबी पैदल यात्रा से निपट रहा है। लेकिन चेल्टेनहैम के 31 वर्षीय व्यक्ति के लिए, पैर में खराश उसकी समस्याओं में सबसे कम हो सकती है। उसे जुनूनी बाध्यकारी विकार (ओ. सी. डी.) है, एक ऐसी स्थिति जो उसे डर से लकवाग्रस्त कर सकती है।


'Tree of the Year' competition finalists announced

Summary: An oak said to have sheltered Robin Hood and his merry men, and a yew which spans an area the size of the Royal Albert Hall, are two of the finalists in the "Tree of the Year" competition.

Run by nature charity Woodland Trust, the contest's winner will be pitted against trees from other countries in an international competition next year. More than 200 nominations were whittled down to a shortlist of 10. The finalists include seven oaks, two yews and an apple tree. The winner will be decided by public vote, which can be registered on the Woodland Trust website. England Tree of the Year finalists: Big Bellied Oak, Wiltshire An old pollard in Savernake Forest that could date back to Saxon times. The Tree Council recognised its heritage in the celebration of the Golden Jubilee in 2002 by naming it one of fifty Great British Trees. Allerton Oak, Merseyside More than 1,000 years old, it is in Calderstones Park in Liverpool. Not having a formal court house, it is suggested the hundred court assembled beneath the tree in the Middle Ages. Whiteleaved Oak, Herefordshire Thought to be about 500 years old, it is situated at the southern end of the Malvern Hills. It is still used in druidic ceremonies and even has its own visitors' book. Kett's Oak, Norfolk Now next to the B1172 near Hethersett, the men who marched on Norwich in the Norfolk Rebellion mustered under the tree in 1549. Newton's Apple Tree, Lincolnshire Situated in the orchard of Woolsthorpe Manor, it is said to have inspired Sir Isaac Newton's theory of gravity, when an apple landed on his head as he sat underneath. Ankerwycke Yew, Surrey The Runnymede tree is estimated to be more than 1,400 years old. King John signed the Magna Carta in the "meeting meadow" opposite the yew. People can still climb up inside the tree's trunk. Shugborough Yew, Staffordshire The yew is thought to be more than 350 years old, with a span of 200 yards. According to the Woodland Trust, it is believed to be the widest tree in Britain and Ireland, and is still spreading. Ickwell Oak, Bedfordshire Situated in the village of Ickwell, it is within the boundary of the 175-year-old cricket club. A branch, which fell off in a storm, was turned into three seats used to mark the millennium celebrations. Old Knobbley, Essex An ancient tree in the village of Mistley, shiny "steps" have been worn into the back of the trunk by people climbing it over hundreds of years. The Major Oak, Nottinghamshire Located in Sherwood Forest, it is allegedly where Robin Hood and his merry men would shelter and sleep. It weighs about 23 tonnes.

कहा जाता है कि एक ओक ने रॉबिन हुड और उसके खुशमिजाज लोगों को आश्रय दिया था, और एक यू जो रॉयल अल्बर्ट हॉल के आकार के क्षेत्र में फैला हुआ है, "ट्री ऑफ द ईयर" प्रतियोगिता में दो फाइनलिस्ट हैं।


What is the extent of China's influence in Zimbabwe?

Summary: A trip to Beijing by Zimbabwe's military chief was a "normal military exchange", China's foreign ministry said after the army seized power in Harare. How deep are relations between China and Zimbabwe really?

By Dr Alex VinesChatham House The news that General Constantino Chiwenga had visited China only a few days before the military takeover in Zimbabwe was a coincidence that did not go unnoticed. There was also speculation after China said it was closely watching developments, but stopped short of condemning President Mugabe's apparent removal from power. China is Zimbabwe's fourth largest trading partner and its largest source of investment - with stakes worth many billions of pounds in everything from agriculture to construction. Zimbabwe is the dependent partner - with China providing the largest market for its exports and much needed support to its fragile economy. China's relations with Zimbabwe are deep, starting during the Rhodesian Bush War. Robert Mugabe failed in 1979 to get Soviet backing, so turned to China, which provided his guerrilla fighters with weapons and training. Both countries formally established diplomatic relations at Zimbabwean independence in 1980 and Robert Mugabe visited Beijing as prime minister the following year. He has been a regular visitor since. For years, Zimbabwe's officials have tried to play off China against the West, advocating the country's "Look East" strategy, particularly following the introduction of EU sanctions in 2002. Indeed, a decade ago, Mr Mugabe told a packed rally at the Chinese-built national sports stadium in Harare: 'We have turned east, where the sun rises, and given our back to the west, where the sun sets." China's military engagement also deepened during Zimbabwe's "Look East" era. Significant purchases were made, including Hongdu JL-8 jet aircraft, JF-17 Thunder fighter aircraft, vehicles, radar and weapons. However, following a controversy about a shipment of arms in 2008, Beijing decided to list Zimbabwe for "limited level" military trading. Despite Zimbabwe's efforts, the "Look East" strategy did not bring the investment flood hoped for and a decade later, in August 2015, Mr Mugabe openly asked for Western re-engagement in his "state of the nation" address. Now, the reality is that increasingly Chinese and Western interests - particularly those of the UK - have become aligned. Not far from each other in the outer suburbs of Harare, two of the biggest embassies in Zimbabwe are the British and the Chinese. As other embassies scaled down or closed, Beijing's expanded. Whereas British diplomats were well connected with business, civil society and opposition figures, the Chinese invested in "technical support" of the party of government Zanu-PF, including state security and the presidency. When it came to Zanu-PF politics and factionalism, Chinese diplomats were well connected and insightful and, like their Western colleagues, concerned about stability, a better investment climate and adherence to the rule of law. President Xi Jinping visited Zimbabwe in 2015 and President Mugabe visited Beijing in January 2017. In public, the Chinese leader said his country is willing to encourage capable companies to invest in Zimbabwe. But in private, the message was that there would be no more loans until Zimbabwe stabilised its economy. In 2016 trade between the two countries amounted to $1.1bn (£0.8bn), with China the biggest buyer of Zimbabwean tobacco and also importing cotton and various minerals. In return Zimbabwe imported electronics, clothing and other finished products. Chinese state construction firms have also been active, building infrastructure including Zimbabwe's $100m (£75m) National Defence College. And last year China agreed to finance a new 650-seat parliament in Harare. But Chinese diplomats and many businesses are waiting for better days in Zimbabwe. Some companies have found the investment climate challenging - being burned on diamonds, for example - and have looked for alternative markets. A couple of weeks ago I was in China, attending a meeting on China-Africa relations and Zimbabwe was not mentioned once. Unlike Ethiopia, Sudan, or Angola that are strategic partners, or big markets like Nigeria, Kenya and South Africa, Zimbabwe is far from being Beijing's new priority. So, Beijing's interest is in a better investment climate in Zimbabwe. A clear transitional arrangement resulting in elections for a legitimate government in Harare is as much in Beijing's interest as London's. The "Look East" and the "Re-engagement with the West" strategies have not brought about the confidence and investment that Zimbabwe needs. What Zimbabwe requires is stable and accountable government - then investors from Asia, America and Europe will seriously consider that Zimbabwe has an investment future. This was the message that Mr Mugabe received in Beijing in January. And the one which Zimbabwe's military chief also was given last week. About this piece This analysis piece was commissioned by the BBC from an expert working for an outside organisation. Dr Alex Vines OBE is Head of Africa Programme, Chatham House, and a Senior Lecturer at Coventry University. Chatham House, the Royal Institute of International Affairs, describes itself as an independent policy institute helping to build a sustainably secure, prosperous and just world. Edited by Duncan Walker

हरारे में सेना द्वारा सत्ता पर कब्जा करने के बाद चीन के विदेश मंत्रालय ने कहा कि जिम्बाब्वे के सैन्य प्रमुख की बीजिंग यात्रा एक "सामान्य सैन्य आदान-प्रदान" थी। चीन और जिम्बाब्वे के बीच संबंध वास्तव में कितने गहरे हैं?


Hammond on EU: Stop talking about 'punishing' UK over Brexit

Summary: He is taking his message to the heart of Europe.

Kamal AhmedEconomics editor@bbckamalon Twitter In a speech to business leaders in Berlin tonight, the chancellor will say it is time for the European Union to engage more positively in the Brexit negotiations. And stop talking about "punishing" the UK over Brexit. After months of grumpy noises from Brussels over a perceived lack of clarity from the UK, Philip Hammond will say that Britain needs to hear about the ambition the EU has for a deep trading relationship with the UK. My sources point out that with Australia, Canada and America all making positive overtures about free trade agreements with Britain, the lack of a similar offer from the EU could lead to unintended consequences. Logically, "no deal" could be one of those. And certainly the present tone of the debate from the EU is damaging the chances of a positive outcome of the Brexit negotiations, my sources say. Clarity needed "They say, 'It takes two to tango'," Mr Hammond will argue. "Both sides need to be clear about what they want from a future relationship. "I know the repeated complaint from Brussels has been that the UK 'hasn't made up its mind' what type of relationship it wants. "But in London, many feel that we have little, if any, signal of what future relationship the EU27 would like to have with a post-Brexit Britain. "Since the referendum in the UK, there has been a marked asymmetry between the enthusiasm expressed by certain third countries to pursue future trade deals with the UK and the relative silence, in public at least, from Europe on what the EU wants our future relationship to look like. "I am saying this to you tonight, because I fear that many EU opinion-formers see this as a question only for British politicians, for British voters to resolve, before they engage with the EU27. "By signalling a willingness to work together in a spirit of pragmatic cooperation on a future, mutually beneficial, partnership, based on high levels of access for goods and services continued close cooperation in security and defence, in education, science, technology, and culture putting behind us any narrative of "punishment" for leaving and focusing on the mutually beneficial relationships we have now and can continue in the future the EU will send a message to the British people which will resonate as they consider the options for their future. "And that is my challenge to you." A bespoke deal Now, the EU could well argue that it was Britain which decided to leave the union and so it is up to us to offer a solution. Mr Hammond might agree with at least part of that, but nevertheless, the Treasury argues the decision has now been made and it is time to focus on the best post-Brexit outcome for both sides. If Britain is left with binary option of a "take it or leave it" Canada-style free trade deal (which excludes for example financial services, vital for the UK economy) or membership of the European Economic Area (which allows for free movement of people), then both are likely to be rejected, officials suggest. The government wants a bespoke deal, and believes the EU should talk more publicly about that or risk "damaging the debate in the UK", according to my sources. Mr Hammond will say to German business leaders tonight it is time for Britain to throw down the gauntlet and call for the EU to provide some options about what it wants. Brussels might well say this all has the whiff of "having our cake and eating it". The Treasury responds - we are where we are. How do we make the best of it?

वह अपने संदेश को यूरोप के दिल तक ले जा रहे हैं।


Malala Yousafzai: Her father's daughter

Summary: It's been three years since the name Malala Yousafzai entered the collective consciousness, when the then unknown 15-year-old Pakistani girl was shot by the Taliban for defying their ban on female education in the country's Swat Valley.

By Rebecca ThomasEntertainment reporter Her subsequent fight for survival and renewed vigour on recovery have proved an inspiration to millions around the world. Her courage has won her the Nobel Peace Prize and led to her becoming one of those rare individuals who can go by their first name alone. But behind her international profile is one of a normal teenager - and a daughter of a loving, united and inspirational family. It's this story, seemingly mundane yet so fundamental to who Malala is, that fascinated director Davis Guggenheim - maker of the Oscar-winning portrayal of US Democratic politician Al Gore in An Inconvenient Truth - and led to his latest documentary He Named Me Malala. Guggenheim uses one-to-one interviews, news footage and animation to paint an intimate portrait of the Yousafzais's past and present - and in particular the influence of Malala's father Ziauddin on her life. The director explains: "People in the Swat Valley were being killed for standing up to the Taliban but there was this young girl who decided she was going to stand up to them. "People don't fully understand this vital element of her story or where that determination comes from. "My first instinct in making this movie was that it is very much about a family, about a father's love and about a girl who feels empowered to do amazing things. "If you cover that story, it speaks to girls all over the world." Guggenheim filmed the Yousafzai family - Malala, her parents and two younger brothers - over 18 months. Much of the film takes place at the family's home in Birmingham, where they stayed following Malala's treatment at the city's hospital. But Guggenheim also shows Malala on trips to the Middle East and Africa as part of her work for the Malala Fund - an education charity she established with her father - visiting schools, refugee camps and addressing world leaders. Guggenheim is himself passionate about the importance of education and has made documentaries on the US school system. And as a father to two girls, he seems the perfect candidate to enter Malala's world - but it didn't prevent the nerves that preceded their first encounter. "I was walking on eggshells," he says. "But they were just hilarious and joyful. They tease each other and I found them remarkably enlightened and infinitely curious. I would leave their house invigorated. "They have a certain freedom from having risked their lives and Malala lives her life even more fearlessly - the little things in life just disappear." Malala's brothers Khushal, 15, and Atal, 11, are lively boys, dreaming of glorious futures and tirelessly jibing and arguing with their sister. "Look Malala, one day I will be an astronaut and a great sportsman and you will be known as my sister," says Atal. Her mother Toor Pekai is barely visible on camera due to her Pashtun sense of modesty but, says Guggenheim, she is "100% in control. When a big decision is being made all eyes turn to her". And Malala emerges as a just a normal teenager, struggling to get the best grades at school and bashfully doe-eyed over Roger Federer. It's an endearing picture but what truly stands out in this family story is Malala's bond with her father, who very visibly supports her in everything she wants to do. It's an attachment that began even before Malala was born. In Pakistan, Ziauddin belied his slight physique and the difficulties of a stammer to become a passionate social activist and a teacher, even establishing his own school. In a patriarchal society in which "women are not known in public and their names are only known to family members", he was adamant his daughter would be different and named her after a legendary 19th Century Pashtun warrior heroine, Malalai of Maiwund. "Malalai had had a voice and I wanted my Malala to have the same - that she would have freedom and be brave and be known by her name," says Ziauddin. And it was immediately apparent she was special, he says. "I hesitate to romanticise or make it something superstitious by saying she was born a saint or prophet but I felt an immediate attachment to her. I saw a light in her eyes. "She was very mature and sensible and mindful of others and was loved by the whole community." Ziauddin put himself at considerable risk through his activism and received threats from the Taliban as a result. It caused Malala extreme anxiety yet she continued with her own activism and famously wrote a blog for the BBC under a pseudonym, about life in the Swat Valley. Though acknowledging he was a role model for his daughter, Ziauddin says he feels no guilt for what ultimately happened to her. "Guilt comes from when you do something sinful. When your basic human rights are violated and you don't stand up, that's a sin," he says. "I didn't push my daughter; if I had she would have stopped. She would have said: 'Father you put me in a very bad situation, I got hit by a bullet, I am not going to do it anymore for you'. "But she became more resilient, more committed and I've never heard her utter a single sigh or a single word which implies complaint or regret." And Malala - who has been left with some paralysis in her face and impaired hearing - vehemently backs her father. "My father only gave me the name Malalai. He didn't make me Malalai. I chose this life," she says. As for the future, Ziauddin shows characteristic defiance. He is sure the family will go back to Pakistan for good, he says, despite the welcome and freedom they are all grateful to have received in the UK. And he has faith that his daughter will know the right path for herself to tread. Guggenheim fully agrees. "When you do the DNA of Malala, she is a potent mix of both her parents. She gets her sense of mission from her father but her moral fibre, her religious clarity and forgiveness from her mother," he says. "Anything is possible for Malala. She is wholly equipped to be a leader and she is completely unique in that, when the big decisions are being made about girls education, she is the only young person at the table. "She's a voice for all those girls who don't have a voice. She'll be that for a very long time." He Named Me Malala opens in the UK on 6 November.

तीन साल हो गए हैं जब मलाला यूसुफजई नाम सामूहिक चेतना में आया था, जब तत्कालीन अज्ञात 15 वर्षीय पाकिस्तानी लड़की को तालिबान ने देश की स्वात घाटी में महिला शिक्षा पर प्रतिबंध की अवहेलना करने के लिए गोली मार दी थी।


£20m plans unveiled for former Fisons site in Bramford

Summary: A £20m development featuring a business centre, shops and 130 new homes is being proposed for the former Fisons site in Bramford in Suffolk.

Developer Paper Mill Lane Properties said more than 250 jobs could be created at the complex. The Grade II listed former Fisons building would make up the business centre, with surrounding warehouses replaced by housing. A public consultation is under way over the complex, which could open in 2015. Eamonn Killoughery, managing director of Paper Mill Lane Properties, said: "There is proven demand for small business units in the area, with many businesses looking to be located close to the A14 rather than renting space in central Ipswich." Fertiliser company Fisons operated from the site from 1858 until 2003. The public consultation ends on 5 April.

सफ़ोक के ब्रैमफ़ोर्ड में पूर्व फिज़न्स स्थल के लिए एक व्यावसायिक केंद्र, दुकानें और 130 नए घरों की विशेषता वाला 20 मिलियन पाउंड का विकास प्रस्तावित किया जा रहा है।


Helen McCourt's mother angry at killer's prison day trips

Summary: The mother of a murder victim has been told her daughter's killer is to be released from prison for unaccompanied day trips, despite refusing to reveal where he hid his victim's body.

Marie McCourt fears the trips are a sign Ian Simms will soon be released. She has led a campaign to introduce "Helen's Law", which would block parole for killers who conceal the whereabouts of their victims' bodies. Helen McCourt, of Billinge, Merseyside, was 22 when she was killed in 1988. Simms was jailed for life with a minimum tariff of 16 years, but has always maintained his innocence. Mrs McCourt said a parole board officer contacted her to inform her a prison governor intended to allow Simms to visit a town centre without the supervision of officers. The killer had already been allowed to make similar trips while accompanied by prison officers, she was told. "If he is released without telling us where Helen's body is, it will be the final insult," the 74-year-old said. Mrs McCourt also said she felt threatened by the former pub landlord, ever since an ambiguous letter he wrote to her in 1991 promised "justice" once he was released. Mrs McCourt's daughter was murdered after failing to come home from work. Simms, whose pub was just yards from her home, quickly became a suspect and he was convicted after an earring belonging to her was found in the boot of his mud-covered car. Mrs McCourt has recently called on the government to speed up the parliamentary process for the Unlawful Killing (Recovery of Remains) Bill 2016-17. The bill was introduced by MP for St Helens North Conor McGinn in October 2016 but has yet to progress beyond a first reading. Prisons minister Rory Stewart backed the "no body, no parole" legislation in the House of Commons on 5 June and said he was "disgusted" by the "sadism" shown by killers like Simms. It was Mr Stewart's comments that prompted Mrs McCourt to contact the parole board, who told her a prison governor was planning the solo excursions. "I'm worried he could take the chance to abscond and go underground if he knows this legislation is coming," she said. "We'll lose any chance to have a funeral for Helen if he is released before this law is introduced." A Ministry of Justice spokesman said: "We're legally obliged to ensure life sentence prisoners have the chance to show they're safe for release."

एक हत्या पीड़ित की माँ को बताया गया है कि उसकी बेटी के हत्यारे को जेल से रिहा किया जाना है, भले ही उसने यह बताने से इनकार कर दिया हो कि उसने अपने पीड़ित के शरीर को कहाँ छिपाया था।


Can we trust AI if we don't know how it works?

Summary: We're at an unprecedented point in human history where artificially intelligent machines could soon be making decisions that affect many aspects of our lives. But what if we don't know how they reached their decisions? Would it matter?

By Marianne LehnisTechnology of Business reporter Imagine being refused health insurance - but when you ask why, the company simply blames its risk assessment algorithm. Or if you apply for a mortgage and are refused, but the bank can't tell you exactly why. Or more seriously, if the police start arresting people on suspicion of planning a crime solely based on a predictive model informed by a data-crunching supercomputer. These are some of the scenarios the tech industry is worrying about as artificial intelligence (AI) marches inexorably onwards, infiltrating more and more aspects of our lives. AI is being experimented with in most sectors, including medical research and diagnosis, driverless vehicles, national surveillance, military targeting of opponents, and criminal sentencing. A recent report by consultancy PwC forecasts that AI could boost the global economy by $15.7tn (£11.7tn) by 2030. But at what cost? These software algorithms are becoming so complex even their creators don't always understand how they came up with the answers they did. The advent of neural networks - designed to mimic the way a human brain thinks - involve large numbers of interconnected processors that can handle vast amounts of data, spot patterns among millions of variables using machine learning, and crucially, adapt in response to what they've learned. This enables amazing insights, from better weather forecasts to the more accurate identification of cancers. But Rhodri Davies, head of policy and programme director at the Charities Aid Foundation, says: "If these systems are being used for things like voting or access to public services, which we're starting to see, then that's usually problematic." David Stern, quantitative research manager at G-Research, a tech firm using machine learning to predict prices in financial markets, warns that "the most rapid progress in AI research in recent years has involved an increasingly data-driven, black box approach. "In the currently popular neural network approach, this training procedure determines the settings of millions of internal parameters which interact in complex ways and are very difficult to reverse engineer and explain." Another trend in robotics is "deep reinforcement learning" whereby a "designer simply specifies the behavioural goals of the system and it automatically learns by interacting directly with the environment," he says. "This results in a system that is even more difficult to understand." So the industry is exploring ways that algorithms can always be understood and remain under human control. For example, US defence agency Darpa runs its Explainable AI project, and OpenAI, a not-for-profit research company, is working towards "discovering and enacting the path to safe artificial general intelligence". This sounds sensible, but one of the advantages of AI is that it can do things humans can't. What if we end up making it less effective? Adrian Weller, programme director for AI at The Alan Turing Institute, suggests that the need to understand how a machine reaches its decisions will depend on how critical those decisions are. And other considerations might be more important than explicability. "If we could be sure that a system was working reliably, without discrimination, and safely - sometimes those issues might be more important than whether we can understand exactly how it's operating," he says. When it comes to driverless cars, or medical diagnosis, for example, having a machine that is more accurate and would save more lives could be more important than understanding how it works, he says. "For medical diagnosis, if a system is 95% accurate on average, that sounds good - though still I'd want to know if it's accurate for me personally, and interpretability could help to understand that. "But if we had some other way to be confident that it really is accurate for me, then I might be less worried about interpretability." On the other hand, where AI is used in criminal sentencing to help determine how long people are locked up for, it's important to understand the decision making process, he argues. "If an algorithm recommended I be imprisoned for six years, I'd want an explanation which would enable me to know if it had followed appropriate process, and allow a meaningful ability to challenge the algorithm if I disagree," says Dr Weller. "I agree with recommendations that we should require companies to be clear about when an algorithm is doing something, particularly if we might otherwise expect that it's a human," he adds. Without these safeguards there is a risk people could be discriminated against without knowing why and become "extremely marginalised". More Technology of Business And if many of us don't even know that an AI algorithm was behind a decision that affected us, it conflicts with established principles in law, argues Mark Deem, a partner at law firm Cooley. "If one thinks about the theory of contract, the promise, how is it that you can promise a certain outcome based upon machine-based learning, if you don't actually know precisely what is to be produced by a black box algorithm?" To tackle the transparency issue the European Union's GDPR [General Data Protection Regulation] legislation has introduced a right to know if an automated process was used to make a decision. "The concept of automated decision making in GDPR is that you should not be able to take a decision that affects the fundamental rights of a data subject based solely on automated decision making," explains Mr Deem. We have a right to some some human explanation and oversight. But what if companies can't explain it? It's a grey area that will have to be tested in the courts. So will we be happy to work alongside super-intelligent machines making beneficial decisions we might not be able to understand, or will this make us slaves to automation at the expense of our rights and freedoms as humans? "We're quite comfortable sitting in a 1mm-thick aluminium tube hurtling through the air at 30,000 feet with only a very limited understanding of how it works, reassured by safety statistics and regulation," argues G-Research's David Stern. "I'm confident that as long as similar oversight is in place and there is sufficient evidence of safety, we will get used to sitting in a car driven by a machine, or trusting a computer's diagnosis of our medical results," he concludes.

हम मानव इतिहास के एक अभूतपूर्व मोड़ पर हैं जहाँ कृत्रिम रूप से बुद्धिमान मशीनें जल्द ही ऐसे निर्णय ले सकती हैं जो हमारे जीवन के कई पहलुओं को प्रभावित करते हैं। लेकिन क्या होगा अगर हम नहीं जानते कि वे अपने निर्णयों तक कैसे पहुँचे? क्या यह मायने रखेगा?


Police identify Carlisle woman found in Solway Firth

Summary: Police have identified a woman whose body was found in the Solway Firth in southern Scotland earlier this month.

The discovery was made on the afternoon of 11 January near to Cummertrees in Dumfries and Galloway. The woman has now been identified as Janet McElrone, 51, from Carlisle, who had been reported missing in December last year. A short statement from Cumbria Police said there were no suspicious circumstances.

पुलिस ने एक महिला की पहचान की है जिसका शव इस महीने की शुरुआत में दक्षिणी स्कॉटलैंड के सोलवे फर्थ में मिला था।


How do zoos prepare for dangerous animal escapes?

Summary: As the Easter Bank Holiday gets under way, many people may be contemplating a trip to their local zoo. This is generally accepted as a safe, family-friendly activity but in fact, escapes by wild animals are not unheard of.

By Laurence CawleyBBC News Imagine the scenario. Unpredictable carnivores break through the steel wire of a zoo enclosure and are on the loose. It is every zookeeper's nightmare. Yet for keepers at Colchester Zoo six months ago, that fear became a reality when five wolves managed to escape. Somehow they had broken through a special steel mesh fence - a fence the zoo says was checked on a daily basis. Three wolves were shot dead and two were tranquilised. To the zoo's relief, though, no members of the public were harmed. Industry experts say the zoo's handling of the incident, from an operational perspective, was successful and the rarity of such escapes highlights the great lengths zoos go to to keep the public safe. So how do zoos manage to keep visitors - and animals - safe? Step one: Designing a zoo Preventing animal escapes starts with bricks and mortar. Strong, high walls usually come as standard and there will usually be an inner and an outer perimeter. Rock solid on the outside, zoos must also support free movement within - for emergency vehicles such as fire engines, trucks carrying large animals and, of course, visitors. Many zoo buildings - such as restaurants, shelters and visitor centres - share a double purpose; they are sealable safety refuges in case of emergency. Equally important is designing enclosures with adequate space for the animals and using tough materials - such as toughened safety glass and stainless steel zoo mesh. Inside enclosures are areas that animals can be taken to for safety. This is especially important when they are about to be moved, because that is one of the times when an escape is most likely. Dr Kirsten Pullen, chief executive of the British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums (BIAZA) said: "Some of our zoos are well over 100 years old when health and safety concerns were less of a concern than they are now. These zoos have had to adapt." Step two: Knowing the risks An in-depth knowledge of the types of animals housed is essential. Each species is different, as are the risks they pose. Zoos rank animals according to the amount of damage they could cause if they escaped. Wolves, for example, are classified as category one on a three-level scale. Joining them in category one are the big cats, elephants, rhinos, great apes and the world's largest lizard, the komodo dragon. Zoo staff also need to be aware of the "danger points" during the daily routine, when zoo security is at its most vulnerable. So, thorough procedures will be in place for feeding times, moving animals, veterinary visits, maintenance work and so on. This, combined with a daily series of enclosure checks, are how zoos manage to make sure escapes are an "unusual occurrence", said Dr Pullen. Step three: Practice, practice, practice Zoos which are home to dangerous animals are subject to stringent legal requirements to protect the public. Drills are carried out at least twice a year for a dangerous animal escape. These are usually desktop exercises, to make sure each member of staff knows his or her role in advance. "Our keepers are there because they have a passion for the animals," says Dr Pullen. "It is a situation that none of us want to have to face but we do have to prepare for it." The way a zoo responds to an animal escape depends on the type of animal missing and where it escapes to. In the case of the wolf escape, for example, the zoo had to inform the police as soon as the zoo premises were breached. If it just escapes its enclosure into the zoo's grounds, the police do not have to be told. A spokeswoman for the RSPCA said: "We think zoos should do everything possible to prevent escape in the first place because once dangerous animals have escaped there will always be the risk that they will need to be killed for safety reasons, however hard that decision is." Step four: Public, public, public Human life is always the "first priority" for zoos, says Dr Pullen. She said once a dangerous animal escapes from the zoo and is in a public space, the most likely outcome is it will be shot. Not only are dangerous animals unpredictable "outside their own environment", but the people who might encounter them can be too. The unpredictability of the human reaction will also define what visitors are told when an animal is on the run. "Each zoo will make a call about how much information they release to the public, because they don't want panic," says Dr Pullen. In the Colchester case, while one wolf remained at large for most the day, the upper part of the zoo remained open to the public. This was only possible because of the way the zoo was designed, which allowed for the lower part to be sealed off. Spotters, the zoo said at the time, were stationed around the perimeter during the escape to ensure public safety. But for hours, customers visiting the zoo were blissfully unaware a wolf was on the loose. And when - at about 15:30 - it came to telling customers the zoo was closing a little early - they were told not of an an animal escape but of "a medical emergency". Bryony Williams, who was at the zoo at the time with her children, said she was concerned she was not told of the escaped wolves. She said she understood alerting the public might have caused "hysteria" but she had mixed feelings about the way it was handled. She said describing the situation as a "medical emergency" seemed "a bit silly". But Dr Pullen said the decision about what to tell the public would have been made in the best interests of those in the zoo at the time. Step five: Lethal force? The Colchester wolf escape was brought to an end with the pull of a marksman's finger. A day later, Essex Police was criticised via social media by people who wrongly assumed it was police marksmen who shot the wolves. As the police were keen to point out , via Twitter, it was the zoo's own staff who shot the animal. "All of our zoos with dangerous animals have a requirement to hold firearms licenses and their staff have regular firearm training," said Dr Pullen. Zoos also have to ensure they have the right calibre of gun depending on the types of animals they have. A far larger calibre of rifle is needed to kill an elephant, for example, than a wolf. Dr Pullen said despite criticism made about the zoo's decision to shoot dead three of their wolves, they did exactly the "right thing". She said once a dangerous animal escapes from the zoo and is in a public space the most likely outcome is it will be shot.

जैसे-जैसे ईस्टर बैंक की छुट्टी शुरू होती है, कई लोग अपने स्थानीय चिड़ियाघर की यात्रा करने पर विचार कर रहे होंगे। इसे आम तौर पर एक सुरक्षित, परिवार के अनुकूल गतिविधि के रूप में स्वीकार किया जाता है, लेकिन वास्तव में, जंगली जानवरों द्वारा पलायन के बारे में अनसुना नहीं है।


What will happen in Syria following IS defeats?

Summary: Civil wars that spread devastation and suffering across a whole country have no real victors. But one war in Syria - that against the Islamic State (IS) group's so-called caliphate - is well on the way to being won.

Jonathan MarcusDiplomatic correspondent@Diplo1on Twitter Earlier this week IS's last urban bastion in eastern Syria, Deir al-Zour, hard up against the Iraqi border, fell to Assad government forces. IS will remain in some form or another as an insurgency and source of ideological inspiration but as a territorial entity or physical caliphate, it is finished. But what of Syria's other war, the uprising against the Assad regime and its efforts - aided by Iran and Russia - to crush the opposition? The current situation on the ground means that forces from the above countries will be in close proximity to United States troops, who are supporting some of the anti-Assad groups. Joshua Landis, a Syria expert and professor at Oklahoma University, summed it up in simple terms. "Assad has won the Syria war militarily," he told me. "He has defeated the original uprising or revolution. The rebel groups that remain have been pushed to the margins of Syria. "The international community has all but abandoned them as a lost cause. The rebel militias," he argues, "still have some teeth in defence, but cannot mount a credible offensive against Assad's military." Charles Lister, a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute, and another close watcher of Syria, has a slightly more cautious assessment. "President Assad," he notes, "sits more comfortably in Damascus than at any time since 2011." But having said that, he argues that "it would be inaccurate to suggest Assad had won the war. He's simply avoided losing it." "The Assad regime has a stated intent to recapture every inch of Syria. If that goal is to ever be met, we're talking years at least," he explained. But the crucial take-away from all this is that Syria is entering a new phase of conflict. The territorial defeat of IS, says Charles Lister, "will throw an awful lot of potential sources of hostility up into the air and nobody really knows right now how they'll land". What is emerging is a new strategic map with Syria divided into different zones: One controlled by the Assad regime (with the support of Russia and Iran), another controlled by the Syrian Democratic Forces (an amalgam of Kurdish, Arab and other groups supported by the US), and others run by various elements of the Syrian opposition, backed to varying degrees by Turkey and Jordan. Having helped Assad restore his control over a significant part of the Syrian population, Moscow has also manoeuvred itself into holding the best cards in the putative diplomatic end-game. As Joshua Landis told me, the Astana peace process, led by the Russians, "is the only one worth anything at the moment. "The Geneva process, led by the US," he notes, "has been about grandstanding and sticking to talking points that no longer have any relevance on the ground, such as demanding that Assad step aside and that democratic elections be held in Syria. Everyone knows this will not happen." With the demise of IS, Syria's future will continue to be determined by a variety of external players, fighting out their own strategic battles and seeking local advantage. The four key actors are the US, Russia, Turkey and Iran. Its initial half-hearted efforts to galvanise a democratic opposition to defeat the Syrian regime failed dramatically. Its focus has largely been on the defeat of the IS caliphate. But now, Joshua Landis says, Washington must make a decision: "Will it stay in Northern Syria to defend the gains of the Syrian Democratic Forces that it has armed, trained and propelled to victory in Raqqa and the region north of the Euphrates River?" The difficulty, as Charles Lister told me, is that "beyond fighting IS, it is sadly very hard to determine whether the US really has a Syria policy." And he says that what policy there is is full of contradictions. For example, Washington continues to say Assad must leave and that his days are numbered, and yet the US has ceased all support to anyone opposed to Assad. If US policy could be said to be in a mess, so too could that of Turkey. Ankara's goal, says Joshua Landis, is to retrench. "It seriously overreached in Syria," he told me, "almost to the point of destabilising Turkey." He believes that President Erdogan "must make sure that the Kurdish question in Turkey does not lurch toward civil war. He will increasingly normalise relations with Assad in order to contain the independence of Syria's Kurds." Turkish troops have moved a small way into northern Syria to achieve this goal. Indeed, after posing as a champion of the opposition against the Assad regime, Charles Lister says, that "at times, Turkey has directly betrayed the opposition groups it had stood by for so long, merely to secure a more favourable position against the Kurdish YPG, which it views as a terrorist organisation. In backing the Assad regime (and offering significant support to the Shia-dominated government in Iraq) Tehran has had one clear goal - to secure its hegemony in the northern Middle East: the lands stretching from Lebanon through Syria and Iraq, all the way to Iran's own borders. "This," says Joshua Landis, "is the new security architecture that Iran has fought so vigorously for and it is within its reach today. This means that Iran can counter-balance Israel. It means that Iran can establish oil pipelines running to the Mediterranean coast, trade routes, highways, and pilgrimage routes." This, he says, means "Iran is no longer cut out of the Middle East." And Tehran has troops to back up its position. Charles Lister notes that Iran "commands tens of thousands of Shia militiamen inside Syria, which gives Tehran more influence than any other actor, bar none." Russia, after Iran, is the other great winner from the Syrian conflict, reviving its role in the region, securing important military bases, and making itself a key diplomatic player. It wants to "solve" Syria on its terms and with its favoured actors ending up the victors and it seems to be well on the way to achieving this goal. But the growing proximity of Russian and Iranian-backed pro-regime forces and those backed by the US raises the possibility of some dangerous encounters. The US and Russia can agree on the need to defeat IS but on little else. Moscow's "side" has the military and diplomatic advantage on the ground. Will the US seek to bolster its position in Syria, perhaps as part of a broader policy to "roll back" Iranian influence, as US conservatives are hoping? This may be easier said than done and might require many more resources and boots-on-the-ground than the Trump administration is prepared to put in harm's way.

पूरे देश में तबाही और पीड़ा फैलाने वाले गृह युद्धों की कोई वास्तविक जीत नहीं होती है। लेकिन सीरिया में एक युद्ध-इस्लामिक स्टेट (आईएस) समूह के तथाकथित खलीफा के खिलाफ-जीतने की राह पर है।


Coronavirus: Ex BBC radio presenter dies after contracting Covid-19

Summary: A former BBC radio presenter has died after contracting coronavirus.

Nonny James presented at various times a weekly evening music show, a Sunday late show and the Sunday breakfast show on BBC Radio Shropshire as well as covering daytime programmes. She was also heard regularly on BBC Hereford & Worcester and had a long career writing and performing music. The 69-year-old died on Friday, although she had been ill for some time, her daughter said. Tributes have been paid by listeners on social media, where she was described as a "fabulous lady". 'Not forgotten' Beryl Parker said: "I loved listening to her programmes, and often exchanged emails with her at the time of her programmes. "I have a CD of hers. She had a beautiful voice. Thinking of her family." Jackie Hughes Jones said that she loved her shows and that she "will not be forgotten". Former colleague Jules Morgan added: "Extremely sad to learn this. Fabulous lady. Loved working with her." Follow BBC West Midlands on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: newsonline.westmidlands@bbc.co.uk Around the BBC Radio Shropshire BBC Hereford & Worcester

बीबीसी के एक पूर्व रेडियो प्रस्तुतकर्ता की कोरोनावायरस से संक्रमित होने के बाद मृत्यु हो गई है।


'Blackmail, terrorism and tension' - Greek left turns up rhetoric

Summary: Greece is a country where economic crisis has given way to social crisis.

Paul MasonFormer economics editor, Newsnight The far right on the march, tube strikes have paralysed the capital. Now there is growing political violence. The police have moved to clear out anarchist squats. Political party offices have been firebombed. Last month, someone fired a Kalashnikov at the HQ of the ruling party, New Democracy. Now the opposition leader Alexis Tsipras has upped the ante, accusing Prime Minister Antonis Samaras's government of pursuing a "strategy of tension", akin to that allegedly pursued by the Italian secret service in the 1970s. Speaking to a packed audience at an Athens theatre on Monday, he said: "In 1969, a bomb in Piazza Fontanta in Milan left 17 dead. "This was the dawn of a long period where far right and fascist groups, in total collaboration with the Italian secret services, the parallel state, and the state within a state, developed what came to be called 'the strategy of tension'. "Today the manuals of European extreme right have become the gospels of present Greek government." So far the coalition government - which includes conservatives, social democrats and a small ex-communist party - has managed to stabilise the fiscal crisis, winning key concessions from the IMF and EU. But if - amid political tension - the coalition were to fall, Mr Tsipras would be in with a serious chance of becoming Europe's first far-left prime minister of the post-Cold War era. I met him in his offices in the Greek parliament on Tuesday. I asked him: "Are you seriously saying the Greek state is pursuing a secret strategy of creating violent tension?" "It's not exactly a secret strategy," he says. "I think that it's now obvious that this government is the most right-wing and the most extreme government this country has ever had since the political changeover after 1974. "It's obvious that the prime minster, Mr Samaras, is trying to establish an agenda which intensifies political conflict and aims at creating a sense of fear within the Greek society, in order to achieve two separate goals: firstly, to get people not to think of the economy, to scare them and have them thinking primarily of their own safety - about the dangers related to the immigrants or demonstrations. "And secondly, to try and bring together the most conservative parts of our society, in order to establish a stable basis for his own political sway. "But this strategy, I believe, is a very dangerous one for democracy itself." The "strategy of tension" refers to the dark days of European politics in the Cold War. After the Piazza Fontana bombing, an anarchist being questioned died in custody. Numerous trials - of leftists and far-right activists - in the ensuing decades, failed to establish a perpetrator. The allegation at the time, as far-left and far-right terrorism took off in Italy, was that the violence was being fomented by the "secret state", to justify curtailing democracy. So for Mr Tsipras to use this phrase in the Greek context is, to put it mildly, cranking up the political stakes - because there is real political tension in Greece. This month, four anarchists were caught trying to rob a bank. The police Photoshopped their arrest mug-shots because the injuries they received made them barely recognisable. The injuries were allegedly received while in police custody. Meanwhile, police have recently made arrests of people allegedly connected to a terror group called Conspiracy of the Cells of Fire and found arms caches. Amid this, the challenge for Mr Tsipras's party, Syriza, is what would you do if you gained power? About Golden Dawn? About anarchist bank robbers? An already hostile Greek media is asking if Syriza is a party that could ever run the Greek state. "We will implement the law," Mr Tsipras tells me. "We will rigidly follow the letter of the law. And we shall have zero tolerance towards Golden Dawn, which is a gang, violating the law. "We shall also uproot all Golden Dawn cells located within the [police and civil service]. We will not tolerate illegal behaviour from anyone or any group. "And all those groups using violence, claiming that they belong to the anarchist field - a fact I personally do not believe in, because I believe that the use of violence is the most authoritarian act one can exercise - those groups too, will be facing the legal repercussions." Public support for Syriza, and Mr Tsipras, dipped when the opposition party publicly backed a tube strike that paralysed Athens. Though they scored 27% in the elections, and nearly won, their opponents see Mr Tsipras's complaints about democracy as crying wolf. Thanos Veremis, Hellenic Foundation for European and Foreign Policy, told me: "The paradox here is that Mr Tsipras is crying wolf. "His party is going down in the polls and that has caused some panic among the party cadres. "It's a fact that recently the government is taking advantage of throwing Tsipras's own statements back at him, in order to convince the undecided voters. Mostly because the undecided voters are not radicals - the radicals are where they want to be, whether of the left or right." I ask Mr Tsipras whether the Syriza should now admit that the coalition has stabilised the fiscal situation, and that Syriza's proposed policy - of a selective moratorium or default - would have just crashed the Greek economy? "No serious person could admit something like this. Look at the data," he replies. "In Greece, in the last three years, in order to reduce the Primary Deficit of the government by 25bn euros ($33bn, £21bn), we reduced the internal demand by 70bn euros - that is the Greek economy shrunk by 70bn euros. "It's like having seen a snake in a tree and deciding to burn the entire forest, to get rid of the snake." Mr Tsipras has been on the offensive since the IMF admitted it had miscalculated - ie underestimated - the negative impact of spending cuts and tax rises on the Eurozone economy. He is scathing about this controversy about the so-called "multiplier effect": "They admit that they failed to calculate correctly the multiplier. But, please, allow me to say that if this kind of mistake was to be revealed in any company, and if the people who made the mistake came forth and admitted it, the company would have at least reimbursed the client and would have fired the employees who made the mistake. "Here we have the following sadistic absurdity: the IMF admitting that they have made a mistake, but continuing with the plan, without even an apology." "And what's even more absurd, it's that the client does not protest! The Greek government is saying 'no problem, you made a mistake and we continue with this mistake'." Mr Tsipras has been feted in Rio, Buenos Aires, and even the think-tank circuit in Washington recently. But his own supporters are restive. There is a growing minority within Syriza which supports leaving the euro. And the rank and file see the growth of the far right and fear that, while the far right are expressing raw anger, Mr Tsipras and the party's new MPs, look more and more like mainstream politicians - who on the Greek streets are despised. I ask him: "Who are you? Are you the man of the parliamentary opposition or are you the man who is going to lead the strikers out here into a mass uprising against this government?" "I think that this is exactly our biggest advantage. We can be at the same time the parliamentary opposition and tomorrow the government. At the same time we can be down in the streets, fighting and mobilising the masses. "This is probably what they cannot accept, the political, the economic and the media authorities in Greece. Because in Greece we are governed by an oligarchy. It's the oligarchy of the media and of the plutocrats. "So, we do have this advantage. We can participate in a protest, motivating people to defend their rights, while at the same time, we can be in Washington discussing with the IMF, the State Department or in Germany, conversing with Schauble, in order to voice the fair demands of the Greek people. "We have one and a half million people unemployed, one and a half million people with a monthly wage lower than 600 euros. "And the main question for me and for all of us involved in politics is how will all those people survive? How will these people live? "And in order for those people to live, they need to defeat the fear and claim their rights. That's why I am here. I'm here to help those people claim what's theirs." Not forgotten On the night Syriza lost the election I was in the party's cramped HQ. One of the party's activists told me: "We lost, that's great for us." The assumption was that, as the economic crisis deepened, it would be Syriza next in power. But the governing parties, through their PR teams, are relentlessly forcing the issue with Mr Tsipras: parliament or the streets? Syriza activists privately admit the party is reeling under the pressure. But Mr Tsipras knows that - even if the country's finances are stabilized - with relentless austerity the governing parties are acutely vulnerable to issues raised by the past. "If our government and Mr Samaras believe that he can run this country for ever, using blackmail, terrorism and the tension strategy he is sadly mistaken. Because the Greek people have a long tradition of democracy and struggle." By raising the half-forgotten events of Italy in the early 1970s, Mr Tsipras is reminding Greeks of never-forgotten events: the anti-Nazi Resistance during World War II, the Civil War, the military junta in the 1960s and its overthrow in 1974. It is another throw of the dice in Greece, a country whose crisis is nowhere near over.

ग्रीस एक ऐसा देश है जहाँ आर्थिक संकट ने सामाजिक संकट को जन्म दिया है।


Children's toys 'marketed at gender' over the years

Summary: Action Man, Sindy and Barbie. They are all well-known names in the toy industry - but with campaigns against "sexism" in the way toys are marketed, do manufacturers know where they stand? And can they please everybody?

By Carys BetteleyBBC News Gender has been an interesting part of the toy industry for decades, according to Hilary Kennelly from the West Wales Museum of Childhood. During her own childhood, in the 1950s and 60s, she remembers girls playing with dolls and boys playing with cars as being "how it was". "Nobody really thought about it for centuries, boys played with boys' stuff and girls with girls' stuff and that was it," she said. "There were various little protests here and there with people trying to change things but nothing really changed until probably the 1960s, with the women's liberation movement. "The toy designers have been confused ever since." Hilary said people then began asking for equality - but despite "conditioning" children would ultimately choose what they wished to play with. "It did become a minefield out there," she added. "When Action Man came out it was the laughing stock of the 1966 toy fair, 'a doll toy for a boy? You'll be laughed out of the industry', and of course it was the toy of the year for the next 10 years. "But it looks 'boyish' and it is a jolly good thing to play with." While Hilary added the same company did issue an Action Girl toy, she said there was no "Action Woman" despite the existence of the Women's Royal Air Force and the Women's Royal Naval Service. "Action Girl didn't have anything to do with what Action Man was doing, she had long hair you could comb, it only went as far as the name," she said. Lego, meanwhile, presented itself as unisex and in the 1970s and 80s took the approach of not marketing by gender. In 2014 three new Lego figures - all female scientists - were unveiled. "I played with Lego as well," Hilary said. "They kept very much to basic colours: white, red, blue and grey. "In fact there were no bricks of green because apparently they didn't want people to build warships." But later on, Hilary said, Lego did begin to make more toys "aimed towards ickle girls with dolly furniture and pink things". "There was something in the toy world that they [girls] have got to have pink and I think there was a lot of influence from America," she said. Hilary said television had also been an "enormous influence" on the industry. She added: "There really wasn't that much toy advertising in the days before everybody had a telly, toys were popular by word of mouth." The "must have" toy became a concept, Hilary said, with Christmas 1992 being a time she "would never forget" after the Thunderbirds' Tracy Island toy craze "all children must have". "Mothers were fighting in the aisles of Toys R Us," she said. "Bribes were being made to toy buyers. "We managed to get all of the ones we ordered but we had a waiting list as long as that again. "On Christmas Eve, at 5:50pm, 10 minutes before closing, we had one in the back room. "She had been rung to collect it but [the mother] still hadn't come so we rang her and she said 'oh, I don't think I'll bother'. "We rang the next number on the 'not a chance' waiting list and he arrived with smoke pouring from his car, almost in tears that he had managed to get one. "But that was all whipped up by the media, such a fuss was made of it, it's amazing what does get whipped up. "If you look at doll categories, Sindy and Barbie were fashion dolls at first but we started to get these Disney princesses coming in from America with butterfly wings and pink things, there was quite an onslaught." There are campaigns, including Let Toys Be Toys, which "name and shame" companies and shops on social media for dividing toys by gender - particularly when toys relating to science and industry are automatically placed in the "boy" section. The campaign calls on toy and publishing industries to stop "limiting children's interests by promoting some toys and books as only suitable for girls, and others only for boys". It instead asks retailers, booksellers and manufacturers to sort and label toys and books by theme or function. Hilary said: "Most of the time, [shops] put things that possibly a girl might play with in the boys' section, but they don't put a thing a boy would play with in the girls' section in the shops. "It is a tricky one." Elizabeth Lloyd-Parkes, a senior lecturer in marketing at the University of South Wales, wrote her doctoral research on the child consumer. A complicating factor, she said, was the child being the consumer - but one without disposable income - with adults ultimately making their choices for them. "Adults will purchase within their own comfort zones. Manufacturing and marketing decisions, we know, should start with market researchers," she said. "They are supposed to fulfil what the consumer wants, and are responding to what the parent wants to buy for their child, so it's a difficult one to break. "I think [this issue has] been going on for some time now." She added there had been efforts to challenge shops to categorise toys by theme and not by gender. "Manufacturers are basically trying to please everyone," she said. "The whole issue is not black and white - it's very much blue and pink."

एक्शन मैन, सिंडी और बार्बी। वे सभी खिलौना उद्योग में जाने-माने नाम हैं-लेकिन जिस तरह से खिलौनों का विपणन किया जाता है, उसमें "लिंगवाद" के खिलाफ अभियानों के साथ, क्या निर्माताओं को पता है कि वे कहाँ खड़े हैं? और क्या वे सभी को खुश कर सकते हैं?


Carlisle's old fire station to become £1m arts centre

Summary: Plans to build a £1m arts centre in an old fire station in Carlisle have been given the go ahead by councillors.

Carlisle City Council approved plans to transform the former fire station on Warwick Street into a space for galleries, workshops and meeting rooms. It is hoped it will help develop arts and culture in the city for local artists and groups. Leader of Carlisle City Council, Colin Glover, said the council had "every confidence" it was a worthy investment. The council said it recognised "weakness" in arts and entertainments programmes and wanted to develop a "sustainable facility" to act as a focal point for the city.

कार्लिस्ले में एक पुराने फायर स्टेशन में 1 मिलियन पाउंड का कला केंद्र बनाने की योजना को पार्षदों द्वारा मंजूरी दी गई है।


Asma al-Assad and the tricky role of the autocrat's wife

Summary: Asma al-Assad has been condemned for supporting her husband, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, as the bombardment of her family's home city, Homs, goes on. But do autocrats' wives ever rein in their husbands?

By Tom GeogheganBBC News Magazine The first public intervention of British-born Asma al-Assad, 36, since the uprising began in Syria nearly a year ago was an email from her office to the Times newspaper in London. In it she expressed her support for her husband, the president, while stating that she "comforts" the "victims of the violence". It's estimated by human rights groups and activists that more than 7,000 people - 2,000 members of the security services, and 5,000 others - have been killed in the unrest, and Syrian opposition supporters promptly condemned Mrs Assad's "hypocrisy". But her stance should come as no surprise, says Rime Allaf, an associate fellow of Chatham House, the London foreign affairs think tank. "Why are we shaming her and saying she should do something? There was never any question that she would do anything else. "Even if, deep down, she was not happy with what's happening, she wouldn't be able to do anything about it. "And even if, between four walls, she told him 'I don't approve of this', we wouldn't know about it. Let's be more realistic about this." But there have been examples where wives have stood up to their authoritarian husbands. In the early 1990s, Susana Higuchi condemned her husband, Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori, as a "tyrant" and he responded by divorcing her and giving the status of First Lady to his daughter. He dismissed the nation's parliament and judiciary, with the help of the army. Higuchi failed in her attempts to become a politician, but in 2009 her ex-husband was sentenced to 25 years in prison for human rights abuses. Higuchi was an inspiration to women, says Dr Jelke Boesten, a fellow of the US Institute of Peace in Washington. "It was very brave and temporarily it was very important but her husband was far stronger politically and he had the army behind him and popular support. Although she temporarily won the support of feminist organisations, that was a small part of society." There are contrasting examples in Africa of female powers behind the throne, says Richard Dowden of the Royal African Society. "Sally Mugabe was a really soothing, sensible influence on [her husband, Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe] and many people trace his going completely over the top to after she died. Up until then she was the one that restrained him. That is the perception, at least." When he married his second wife, Grace, the perception is that it all changed, says Mr Dowden, as she embraced the extravagant lifestyle commonly associated with spouses of very wealthy, autocratic leaders. But Grace is not thought to have had political influence, unlike Simone Gbagbo, wife of deposed Ivory Coast leader Laurent Gbagbo, who is awaiting trial at the International Criminal Court on four charges of crimes against humanity. "Simone Gbagbo was a more militant version of him," says Mr Dowden. "As a politician he was a bit shifty but she was really hardline and used language that Gbagbo himself would not have used. "She had a formal political role as well as being the president's wife. She was always in the newspapers and a really rabid anti-foreigner." There are cases where the wife is a malign influence but mostly it's not the case, says Daniel Chirot, author of Modern Tyrants: The Power and Prevalence of Evil in Our Age. In fact, wives are often unfairly blamed for the actions of a leader, due to a kind of prejudice that holds them to higher standards. Columnist Yasmin Alibhai-Brown agrees that women are sometimes judged unfairly, but anyone who stands by a dishonourable man with the power to make or break a nation fully deserves blame and punishment, she says. She believes there are "true Lady Macbeths" like Madame Mao, partly responsible for the Cultural Revolution, or Mira Markovic, widow to Slobodan Milosevic and regarded as a key influence on him. But the silent wives also deserve condemnation, in her view. "We don't know if they're victims. I see the difficulties for them but if something like this [in Syria] is going on, for me it's unforgivable. It could be that Asma is under terrible pressure, that she's been told that if she doesn't do this she will be in trouble. "But both Suzanne Mubarak [wife of former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak] and Asma are powerful women. They're not put upon or oppressed women." Unlike the wife of the late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, who didn't have much of a presence, others like to present themselves as modern Arab women, says Ms Alibhai-Brown. Yet they allow themselves to be silenced when they should speak out or act. "The biggest rulers in the Ottoman Empire were always very easily manipulated by their wives and mothers, so women could play a part, but since then we've gone backwards. "It can't be possible that today they are all too oppressed."

आसमा अल-असद को उनके पति, सीरियाई राष्ट्रपति बशर अल-असद का समर्थन करने के लिए निंदा की गई है, क्योंकि उनके परिवार के गृह शहर, होम्स पर बमबारी जारी है। लेकिन क्या तानाशाहों की पत्नियां कभी अपने पतियों पर लगाम लगाती हैं?