Alitalia shareholders back rescue deal

Summary: Shareholders in Alitalia have backed a move to issue new shares worth 300m euros (£255m; $405m) as part of plans to save the struggling airline from bankruptcy.

They now have until 16 November to decide whether to take up the issue. The move comes after Alitalia's board agreed on Friday to a 500m-euro rescue package, of which the share issue is the biggest component. Air France-KLM, Alitalia's biggest investor, owns a 25% stake in it. Air France-KLM and the airline's remaining shareholders agreed to the share issue after a late-night meeting that finished after 02:00 BST. The remainder of the rescue plan will be financed by the Italian postal service, which is contributing 75m euros, and by banks. Alitalia has rarely made a profit in its 67-year history, and in the first half of this year, it lost 294m euros. The Italian government says there will be an overhaul of the business.

एलिटालिया में शेयरधारकों ने संघर्षरत एयरलाइन को दिवालियापन से बचाने की योजना के हिस्से के रूप में 300 मिलियन यूरो (£255 मिलियन; $405 मिलियन) के नए शेयर जारी करने के कदम का समर्थन किया है।


Carmarthenshire council set to help Tai Cantref Housing Association

Summary: Carmarthenshire council has confirmed it is interested in taking a stake in running the troubled Tai Cantref Housing Association.

Cantref announced plans in March to seek a partnership after a review by the Welsh Government into its operation and governance. It provides affordable homes and housing services for almost 3,500 people. It rents homes in Powys, Ceredigion, Pembrokeshire and Carmarthenshire. Councillor Linda Evans, executive board member for housing, said the county council has "submitted an expression of interest to be considered as a preferred partner" to the housing association. Chief executive Lynne Sacale resigned in March after 10 years.

कार्मार्थेनशायर परिषद ने पुष्टि की है कि वह परेशान ताई कैंट्रेफ हाउसिंग एसोसिएशन को चलाने में हिस्सेदारी लेने में रुचि रखती है।


Bloodhound diary: Racing at over 500mph

Summary: A British team is developing a car that will be capable of reaching 1,000mph (1,610km/h). Powered by a rocket bolted to a Eurofighter-Typhoon jet engine, the vehicle aims to show its potential by going progressively faster, year after year. Current high-speed trials have seen Bloodhound top 500mph. The next step would be to break the existing world land speed record (763mph; 1,228km/h). The racing is conducted on Hakskeen Pan in Northern Cape, South Africa.

By Andy GreenWorld Land Speed Record Holder Wow, what a month! October started quietly enough. While the car was being shipped 5,500 miles south, most of the team went home and wondered what to pack for our desert adventure. Then we deployed out to the Northern Cape of South Africa and the whirlwind began. The car was quickly unloaded and the workshop set up, ready for our first test runs. First up was a static engine run to prepare the jet for the coming onslaught, followed by a very slow (100mph) check of the wheel brakes, steering and systems. For me, this was the first chance to explore how the car handled on the dried mud surface of our 10-mile-long track, but that wasn't my biggest concern. I can now admit that I've had a recurring fear, for the past 10 years, that we might have chosen the wrong desert. While the surface of Hakskeen Pan is the best I had seen anywhere in the world, it was covered in vast quantities of stones and bisected by an old causeway road, which needed removing and grading to an accuracy that no-one had ever attempted before. What if it proved impossible to repair the causeway? What if we missed some of the 16 million kilograms of stone debris scattered across the surface of the track? I needn't have worried. The 300-strong team from the local communities in this area, supported by the Northern Cape Provincial Government, has done an amazing job and Bloodhound has now proved it. The car is running really well on the surface; I can hardly feel the causeway (even at 500+ mph) and the wheels are barely scratched by the tiny bits of stone remaining on the track surface. A massive 'Baie Dankie!' (Thank You!) to everyone who built this amazing racing surface, by hand, over the past 10 years. It's just brilliant. We're now deep into our test session, with a peak speed of 501 mph to date and faster runs planned. If you want details of each run, we're publishing all the run reports on the Bloodhound website. As expected, we've found lots of minor problems - that's why we're here. First up the jet engine wouldn't start, as the car wasn't feeding it enough fuel. A quick sensor recalibration and the Rolls-Royce EJ200 screamed into life, ready to go. The next couple of test runs worked well, then on our 4th run, accelerating through 150 mph, the jet engine suddenly shut down. Looking at the data suggested that we had suffered a "switch bounce". The vibration in the cockpit made the contacts in the jet engine control switch "bounce" open for less than 10 milliseconds (that's one hundredth of a second). A tiny event, but it was enough to shut the jet down. Joe Holdsworth (our lead systems engineer, a man who dreams in computer code) quickly added some anti-bounce software to filter out momentary events like this, and the engine has been running perfectly ever since. This is what this month's high-speed testing is all about - finding and fixing minor problems, in preparation for attacking the world land speed record next year. Every time the car runs, we're also checking every bit of the structure, chassis, suspension, etc. The detail in these checks has to be seen to be believed, right down to borescope inspections of wheel bearings. In general, the car is standing up amazing well to the battering we're giving it. The bottom edges of the rear suspension, known as the rear "deltas", have suffered more than most, with some bits of panel being peeled back by the debris-laden dust storm coming off the front wheels. A minor bodywork modification (screwing and bonding some heavier gauge patches over the front corners of the deltas) has fixed the problem. As Mark Chapman, our chief engineer, observed, if this is the worst problem we have then he will be delighted. While we're testing the car's structure, systems and performance, I'm also learning how to control Bloodhound at ever-increasing speeds. The theory suggests that as the car accelerates, the wheels will start to "plane" on the surface, like high-speed boat hulls. This will reduce the depth of the wheel tracks and reduce the lateral grip the wheels have on the dried mud surface, which is fairly slippery to start with. Relating this to a normal road car, it might feel like driving off a snowy road and on to sheet ice. We expected that this would happen at around 300-400mph. To my surprise, the predicted change in wheel grip is obvious and quite sudden. Accelerating through 200mph, I can feel the car start to move around underneath me, drifting sideways in any crosswinds. I need to use a surprising amount of steering input (up to 90 degrees of lock) to keep the car running in a more-or-less straight line. The other part of the theory says that as we get faster still, the aerodynamics will take over and help to keep the car straight. I haven't seen much evidence of this so far, but I'm still hoping it will happen in the next couple of runs! The steering inputs are further complicated by the size of the tail fin. Basically, the fin is too big for the car this year, giving a "yaw static margin" (the distance between the centre of gravity and the aerodynamic centre in yaw) that is bigger than we would like. Put more simply, the car is a bit too stable aerodynamically, so it wants to point into gusts of wind. It may sound surprising, but this is a good thing for the car at this point. Next year, when we add the rocket pack, the centre of gravity will move back. We've got the Nammo engineers with us in the desert right now, so I've already seen their first mock-up of the rocket motor (OK, it's only a cardboard cut-out to give an idea of size, but it's still exciting to see). With this extra mass at the back of the car, the centre of gravity will move back and the yaw static margin will reduce. This static margin must remain positive to keep the car stable at very high speeds, so, in simple terms, the fin has to be big enough to guarantee that the car will remain "pointy end forwards" with the rocket installed. In the meantime, having a slightly-too-big fin for high-speed testing this year makes my job a little more difficult, but it will keep the car safe next year, so I'm not going to complain. The other major challenge has been the brake chutes. From previous experience on other vehicles (and dipping into some Nasa papers on chute testing), we know that high-speed drag chutes can be quite unstable. Back in 1997, we spent some time modifying the chutes for Thrust SSC, to make them fly in a stable and controlled fashion behind the car. However, Bloodhound is a different car with very different aerodynamics, so we might not have the same problems. You can guess the next bit. Despite the very different aerodynamics, Bloodhound had exactly the same issue as last time, with the brake chute drifting backwards and forwards across the car's slipstream. This drags the back end of the car from side to side and makes the chute deployment the most exciting (scary) bit of my day. For our first 500mph chute test, Bloodhound's parachute team of Jon Hunt (aka "Jonny Bling") and Frantz Nehammer got the scissors out to implement a simple fix, removing a couple of the concentric rings from the outer edge of the chute canopy. This is a well-proven route to stabilising drag chutes (Nasa did something similar to the Space Shuttle's pilot chute). To my delight it's worked perfectly, so the rest of the high-speed chute tests should be a bit less "exciting". We've got a couple more weeks of testing to do, depending on engineering and weather conditions in the next few days. Overall, we've been lucky with the weather, although it is a little on the warm side. With daytime temperatures up to nearly 40°C, it gets hot for the team and even hotter in the cockpit. I haven't measured the temperature in there when the car is running, in case it puts me off, but at the end of the run when I open the cockpit hatch, the outside breeze (at over 35°C) feels like a lovely cool rush of air. The wind is our other big limitation, with a crosswind limit of 10mph to control the yaw effects of the fin mentioned above. The wind is below this limit on most days, but last weekend we had a sandstorm which blew up in a matter of minutes. If you've never seen one, have a look at the video to get an idea of life in the desert on a windy day. The one thing I can't tell you is what the car looks like when it's running at high speed. I'm told it's amazing to watch. Earlier this week I got a small hint of what it looks like, from our "track cam" buried in the desert surface as the car tears past at almost 500mph. You can see a clip in the daily update video from our 491mph run. Enjoy!

एक ब्रिटिश टीम एक ऐसी कार विकसित कर रही है जो 1,000 मील प्रति घंटे (1,610 किमी/घंटा) तक पहुंचने में सक्षम होगी। एक यूरोफाइटर-टाइफून जेट इंजन के लिए बोल्ट किए गए रॉकेट द्वारा संचालित, वाहन का उद्देश्य साल दर साल उत्तरोत्तर तेजी से अपनी क्षमता दिखाना है। वर्तमान उच्च गति परीक्षणों में ब्लडहाउंड को 500 मील प्रति घंटे के शीर्ष पर देखा गया है। अगला कदम मौजूदा विश्व भूमि गति रिकॉर्ड (763 मील प्रति घंटे; 1,228 किमी/घंटा) को तोड़ना होगा। रेसिंग उत्तरी केप, दक्षिण अफ्रीका में हक्सकीन पैन पर आयोजित की जाती है।


US leaker Snowden both boon and burden for China

Summary: For China, Edward Snowden's sudden arrival in Hong Kong and his explosive revelations about the extent of US cyber-spying activities around the world are both a boon and a burden, a potential propaganda and intelligence gift, but also a diplomatic dilemma.

Damian GrammaticasChina correspondent Beijing has in recent months come in for sustained criticism over its own cyber-spying activities. The US government and private US internet security firms have criticised China for state-sponsored cyber-attacks, targeting everything from US military contractors to corporations in America. Evidence has been produced that purports to show Chinese hackers operating from military facilities targeting US media firms and private companies. US President Barack Obama was sitting down to tell Chinese leader Xi Jinping that US patience had run out and China had to rein in its cyber-spies, just as Edward Snowden's claims that America 's National Security Agency had been collecting vast amounts of information about internet users around the world were gaining attention. What's more, Mr Snowden now says the US was hacking hundreds of targets in Hong Kong and China, including private individuals, academics and students too. China has long said it is a victim of hacking. Here was a contractor for American intelligence who had fled to Hong Kong saying he wanted to expose US "hypocrisy"; China's claims, he said, were true. Treacherous waters So it is unsurprising that China's state-controlled media has leapt on the opportunity. The China Daily on Thursday said "the massive US global surveillance programme... is certain to stain Washington's overseas image and test developing Sino-US ties". It quoted Li Haidong, a researcher at the China Foreign Affairs University, who said that "for months Washington has been accusing China of cyber-espionage, but it turns out that the biggest threat to the pursuit of individual freedom and privacy in the US is the unbridled power of the government". The Global Times, which is produced by the Communist Party's People's Daily group, added, "in the last year or two, the US has kept posing as a victim to accuse China of hacker infiltration. Many people speculate that this is the US' cover for its own cyber-warfare. [Edward] Snowden's whistle-blowing has confirmed this speculation." Tao Duanfang writing in the Beijing News says "this is also probably just the tip of the iceberg. In other words, who can guarantee that the privacy of government, legislative and judicial organs has not also been spied on quietly by the eyes of intelligence agencies? "Since the US government and intelligence agencies reject transparency, how can one guarantee that they have not transgressed boundaries?" But Beijing's schadenfreude only goes so far, because these are treacherous waters for China to tread in. China's own controls on the internet, the activities of its own cyber-police, spying on China's own citizens - these practices are the most intrusive and extensive in the world. Pointing out US hypocrisy is a risky move for China. In Hong Kong itself, the Beijing-backed Ta Kung Pao paper used the opportunity to gloat that "the 'Prism programme' leaked by US renegade spy Snowden has torn off the US' glorious mantle as a world-class 'human rights defender', and once again let the international community witness its other ugly face... "It is hoped that the US government will no longer avoid differentiating between home and abroad, making peremptory calls on others to do things that even it is unwilling to do." Fly in the ointment But others have pointed out how hazardous the whole issue is for China and the armies of paid internet opinion pundits, known as the 50 Cent Party, who have been praising Edward Snowden on Chinese websites. In an editorial, Hong Kong's independent Apple Daily wrote that "no matter how China's cyber-50 Cent Party praises Snowden for betraying the Central Intelligence Agency and how they drag the US down with mud-slinging tactics, it can neither change the fact that China is abusing cyber-monitoring to violate human rights and serve a one-party dictatorship, nor build up theoretical grounds for China to continue to abuse cyber-monitoring without any checks and balances whatsoever... "Snowden will always be a hero who China's 50 Cent Party cannot afford to love. If the 50 Cent Party hails Snowden as a hero, they will be calling for the birth of Snowden-style heroes in China." And the same dilemma applies to China's own government. Edward Snowden's sudden arrival in Hong Kong, and the fact he will probably now seek to prevent any deportation to the US through Hong Kong's courts may look like an opportunity to Beijing, but it really is a headache that China's leaders did not want right now. Xi Jinping's summit with Barack Obama in California was meant to set the tone for the coming years. Substantive issues - from North Korea to the territorial disputes in the South and East China Seas, from cyber-spying to trade, technology and investment frictions - were all up for discussion. There was talk of a new, co-operative relationship. Edward Snowden is a new fly in the ointment. David Zweig, a professor the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, says: "I think the big issue for China in his being here is it's a big pain in the butt. I think that the last thing they really wanted is for him to come here. They have just spent a lot of time and energy trying to improve Sino-American relations. "So I don't see that they get much from getting the Americans angry at them by protecting him if the Americans want him to go back. I don't see anything positive in that." Intelligence value? With his intimate knowledge of America's spying capabilities and the work of the National Security Agency, Edward Snowden could have some intelligence value for China, says Mr Zweig, but it is limited. "The only thing that could be useful is that if the Hong Kong police arrest him, then his computer might fall into their hands and then that intelligence could then fall to China. But I don't think that China really wants him. He doesn't bring much." So, on balance, David Zweig says, there are far more serious issues at stake for China. "Xi Jinping, the leader of China, is much more interested in improving relations and resolving key practical problems that exist between the United States and China, not in having to deal with some guy falling down from heaven, jumping into Chinese territory and saying: 'Save me, save me from the wicked United States'." China's leaders then would rather wash their hands of the whole issue. That may be why Regina Ip, a former member of Hong Kong's government, whose opinions are often thought to reflect those of Beijing, has suggested Mr Snowden would do best to leave Hong Kong of his own accord. Unfortunately, from China's point of view, it seems he is intent on staying and fighting his case through Hong Kong's courts.

चीन के लिए, एडवर्ड स्नोडेन का हांगकांग में अचानक आगमन और दुनिया भर में अमेरिकी साइबर-जासूसी गतिविधियों की सीमा के बारे में उनके विस्फोटक खुलासे एक वरदान और बोझ, एक संभावित प्रचार और खुफिया उपहार, लेकिन एक राजनयिक दुविधा भी हैं।


Man who poured petrol inside Blackpool bank surrenders

Summary: An 80-year-old man in a mobility scooter who sparked a 12-hour stand-off with police after going into a bank and pouring petrol inside has surrendered.

Emergency services were called to the Halifax Bank on Church Street, Blackpool just after 14:00 BST on Monday. The man gave himself up at 02:00 and was detained under the Mental Health Act, Lancashire Police confirmed. He surrendered after negotiations with officers, the force said. A spokesman said: "A cordon will remain in place around the bank while investigators attend. " Why not follow BBC North West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram? You can also send story ideas to northwest.newsonline@bbc.co.uk

मोबिलिटी स्कूटर में सवार एक 80 वर्षीय व्यक्ति, जिसने बैंक में जाकर अंदर पेट्रोल डालने के बाद पुलिस के साथ 12 घंटे तक गतिरोध पैदा किया, ने आत्मसमर्पण कर दिया है।


Firefighters put out large blaze at derelict Denbigh hospital

Summary: A large fire at the derelict North Wales Hospital site in Denbighshire has been put out after five hours.

Firefighters were called to the Grade II-listed building outside Denbigh at 16:28 GMT on Monday. Four appliances and an aerial ladder platform were used to tackle the blaze and crews will remain there for some time, damping down. The building's roof collapsed in September, prompting police to label the site "dangerous". The former psychiatric hospital has been at the centre of a long-running dispute over its future. It was also the target of arson attacks in 2016.

डेनबिघशायर में परित्यक्त नॉर्थ वेल्स अस्पताल स्थल पर लगी आग को पांच घंटे बाद बुझा दिया गया है।


What happened to Trump's promise on gun control?

Summary: US President Donald Trump said after recent mass shootings that he wanted the country to have stricter gun laws. Now the issue has gone quiet. Here is what happened to the president's plan to end America's gun violence.

By Tara McKelveyMonroe, Louisiana Lateria Moran, 16, was inside her grandparent's house when she heard gunshots. Running outside, she found her cousin Jaquarrious Roberson, also 16, with a bullet in his head. Moran stayed with him until the ambulance arrived. The memory, she says, is searing. "Like a video," she says. "When you go to bed at night, it keeps replaying." On Wednesday, the president visited Moran's hometown of Monroe, Louisiana, to campaign for the Republican challenger in the race for governor. Manufacturing is one of the town's main industries, but Monroe is better-known for its violent crime. It is one of the nation's most dangerous cities, with a violent crime rate of 724.6 per 100,000, according to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting statistics. That's nearly twice the national average of 368.9, and higher than bigger cities like Baltimore and New Orleans. "Homicides and gun violence - it's kind of like in your backyard", says Nathaniel Ward, who works for a local oil company. After school, Moran went to hear the president speak, hoping that he would address the issue. "I wanted to see what the president says about gun violence and how he's going to change it," she says. "I feel like there's something that can be done." One of America's most dangerous cities 48,291city population 677 violent crimes in 2018 2xthe national violent crime rate Trump did speak about guns at the rally. Yet he did not describe efforts to end the violence. Instead he spoke about protecting the rights of gun owners and implied that Democrats were trying to take them away. "They're after your Second Amendment," he said, referring to the right to bear arms. It was a marked shift in tone from just a few weeks earlier. After two mass shootings, one in El Paso, Texas, and one in Dayton, Ohio, in August, the president shared the nation's dismay over the violence and said he wanted tighter background checks on gun buyers. He said he planned to release a proposal for new laws in the autumn. "Very meaningful things can happen," he promised. At the time, he was responding to a demand for stricter gun laws. Most people in the US believe the laws should be tougher in order to combat the violence, according to Pew Research. The issue has been a major concern throughout his presidency, which has coincided with some of the worst mass shootings in US history - Las Vegas, Sutherland Springs, Parkland and El Paso. He brought Republican lawmakers to the White House last year after the shootings at a Parkland, Florida, high school, saying he would work with Congress: "It's time that a president stepped up." But then this September, Nancy Pelosi, the Democratic speaker of the US House of Representatives, announced an impeachment inquiry, saying the president had betrayed his office by trying to pressure the Ukrainian leader into opening an investigation and further Trump's political goals. After the inquiry began, the president lost interest in gun laws, and his plan to combat the violence was shelved. The president's aides say Trump is not planning any announcements on gun legislation in the near future. One White House official says they simply cannot go forward because impeachment has got in the way. "There was clear momentum to see meaningful action against gun violence," says the official, looking sombre in a West Wing office. "But the speaker of the house [Nancy Pelosi] took the wind out of the sails." Republican analysts say there are political reasons for the president's change of heart. They say that while Trump has spoken in the past about gun laws, now he needs the support of ultraconservatives to win re-election. "There's no political will for it, and it kind of falls out," says Amy Swearer, a senior legal policy analyst at a conservative think-tank, Heritage Foundation, referring to the president's plan for background checks and other legislation. "From our perspective, that isn't a bad thing." In Louisiana, like others across the US, ultraconservatives were pleased to hear Trump defend the rights of gun owners at the rally. "Sometimes you got to give certain things a rest," says Clayton Kelley, a painter who was wearing a T-shirt that had a picture of an assault rifle on it along with the phrase: "I will defend my rights against all enemies - foreigners and Democrats". Chelsea Parsons, a vice-president at the progressive think tank Center for American Progress, says the president has approached the issue "from a position of bad faith", supporting gun control when people were outraged about mass shootings, and dropping it when attention dissipated. She says impeachment is an excuse and that in truth, the president does not see the issue of gun control as important. But for Lateria Moran, who waited outside the rally because it was too full, it is a matter of deadly importance. Her cousin's murder, a suspected drive-by shooting, is still unsolved. "I just want things to get better for my country and for my city."

अमेरिकी राष्ट्रपति डोनाल्ड ट्रम्प ने हाल ही में सामूहिक गोलीबारी के बाद कहा कि वह चाहते हैं कि देश में बंदूक के लिए सख्त कानून हों। अब मामला शांत हो गया है। यहाँ अमेरिका की बंदूक हिंसा को समाप्त करने की राष्ट्रपति की योजना का क्या हुआ।


Can we predict when and where a crime will take place?

Summary: The new crime-fighting weapon of choice for a growing number of police forces around the world isn't a gun, a taser or pepper spray - it's data. But can computer algorithms really help reduce crime?

By Mark SmithTechnology of Business reporter Imagine a gang of bank robbers arriving at their next heist, only to find an armed response unit already waiting on the corner. Or picture walking down a dark alley and feeling afraid, then seeing the reassuring blue lights of a police car sent to watch over you. Now imagine if all of this became possible thanks to mathematics. Ever since the Philip K Dick novel The Minority Report, which was later turned into a Tom Cruise blockbuster, was published in the 1950s, futurists and philosophers have grappled with the concept of "pre crime". It's the idea that we can predict when an offence is going to occur and take measures to prevent it. Now artificial intelligence and machine learning mean this concept has leapt straight from the pages of science fiction into the real world. Tech firm PredPol - short for predictive policing - claims its data analytics algorithms can improve crime detection by 10-50% in some cities. It takes years of historic data, including the type, location and time of crime, and combines this with lots of other socio-economic data, which is then analysed by an algorithm originally designed to forecast earthquake aftershocks. The software tries to predict where and when specific crimes will occur over the next 12 hours, and the algorithm is updated every day as new data comes in. "PredPol was inspired by experiments run by the University of California in collaboration with the Los Angeles Police Department," says PredPol co-founder and anthropology professor Jeff Brantingham. "That study demonstrated that algorithmically driven forecasts could predict twice as much crime and, when used in the field, prevent twice as much crime as existing best practice." Predictions are displayed on a map using colour-coded boxes, each one representing a 500 sq ft (46 sq m) area. Red boxes are classed as "high risk" and officers are encouraged to spend at least 10% of their time there. Prof Brantingham says machine learning allows PredPol to analyse data, draw conclusions and make connections between large amounts of data that human analysts simply could not cope with. Sceptics say this is pseudoscience, because crunching crime data to make informed decisions on police deployment is nothing new. Many forces have traditionally used "hot spot analysis", where past offences are recorded and overlaid onto a map, with officers concentrating on those areas. But PredPol and others working in this space, such as Palantir, CrimeScan and ShotSpotter Missions, say that traditional hot spot analysis is just reacting to what happened yesterday, not anticipating what will happen tomorrow. AI and machine learning can spot patterns we've never noticed before. "Machine learning provides a suite of approaches to identifying statistical patterns in data that are not easily described by standard mathematical models, or are beyond the natural perceptual abilities of the human expert," says Prof Brantingham. Alexander Babuta, of the National Security and Resilience Studies group at the Royal United Services Institute, agrees, saying: "Retrospective hotspot mapping does not distinguish between two types of 'risky' locations, those that simply experience a high volume of crime over time because they are more attractive to criminals, such as insecure car parks and busy shopping areas, and areas where the likelihood of crime has been temporarily increased due to crime events that have recently occurred. "But machine learning predictive policing technology does." Police forces certainly seem to be buying in to the idea. More than 50 police departments across the US use PredPol software, as well as a handful of forces in the UK. Kent Constabulary, for example, says street violence fell by 6% following a four-month trial. "We found that the model was just incredibly accurate at predicting the times and locations where these crimes were likely to occur," says Steve Clark, deputy chief of Santa Cruz Police Department. "At that point, we realised we've got something here." But predictive policing has its critics. Frederike Kaltheuner, data programme lead at civil rights group Privacy International, wonders whether it will also be used to predict police violence and white collar crime, or simply used against communities that she says are already marginalised. "We're moving away from innocent until proven guilty towards a world where people are innocent until found suspicious by opaque and proprietary systems that can be difficult, if not impossible, to challenge," she says. There are also concerns about racial and other biases hidden within the datasets. The Los Angeles Police Department, which has been working with Palantir for its predictive policing project, has attracted criticism from local activist groups worried about threats to civil liberties and racial profiling. Rand Corporation, a policy research institution, has produced a number of studies looking at predictive policing. More Technology of Business Rand analyst John Hollywood says recent advances in analytical techniques have produced only "small, incremental" improvements in crime prediction; results that are 10-25% more accurate than traditional hot spot mapping. "Current technologies are not much more accurate than traditional methods," he says. "It is enough to help improve deployment decisions, but is far from the popular hype of a computer telling officers where they can go to pick up criminals in the act." More data, from surveillance cameras equipped with image and behaviour recognition, and sensors detecting gunshot and intrusion, should help improve the accuracy of predictive techniques, he argues. Citizens need to decide whether a reduction in crime is worth the potential assault on our civil liberties should such technology be misused or abused by those in power.

दुनिया भर में पुलिस बलों की बढ़ती संख्या के लिए पसंद का नया अपराध से लड़ने वाला हथियार बंदूक, टेसर या काली मिर्च का स्प्रे नहीं है-यह डेटा है। लेकिन क्या कंप्यूटर एल्गोरिदम वास्तव में अपराध को कम करने में मदद कर सकते हैं?


Barack Obama: Memoir praises India opposition leaders

Summary: Former US president Barack Obama's memoirs have already caused a minor stir in India - his frank, unflattering description of Rahul Gandhi, the leader of the main opposition Congress party incensed the latter's supporters and amused his detractors.

By Soutik BiswasBBC News, Delhi A Promised Land, the first volume of Mr Obama's account of his political career which released on Tuesday, is a vivid and racy read. In it, he spends some 1,400 words writing of his first visit to India in November 2010 when the now-opposition Congress party was in power - and his impressions of then prime minister Manmohan Singh and party president Sonia Gandhi. On Manmohan Singh Mr Obama recalls that when he met Manmohan Singh, he had told him that he feared "rising anti-Muslim sentiment had strengthened the influence of Hindu nationalist BJP", the main opposition party at the time. Mr Singh had resisted calls to retaliate against Pakistan after gunmen attacked the financial capital Mumbai leaving 166 dead. But "this restraint had cost him politically," Mr Obama writes. "In uncertain times, Mr President, the call of religious and ethnic solidarity can be intoxicating. And it's not so hard for politicians to exploit that, in India, or anywhere else", Mr Singh had told him. Mr Obama agreed, recalling a conversation he had with the Czech Republic's first president after the Velvet Revolution, Vaclav Havel, during a visit to Prague "and his warning about the rising tide of illiberalism in Europe". "If globalisation and historic economic crisis were fuelling these trends in relatively wealthy nations - If I was seeing it even in the United States with the Tea Party - how could India be immune?" Mr Obama writes. During a dinner party hosted by Mr Singh on Mr Obama's first evening in Delhi, Mr Singh "spoke openly about the clouds he saw on the horizon". Mr Singh mentioned the slowing economy - the 2007 subprime mortgage crisis in the United States had developed into a full-blown global crash by this point. The Indian prime minister, Mr Obama writes, was also concerned about the continuing tensions with nuclear-armed rival and neighbour Pakistan. "Then there was the problem of Pakistan, and its continuing failure to work with India to investigate the 2008 terrorist attacks on hotels and other sites in Mumbai had significantly increased tensions between the two countries, in part because Lashkar-e-Taiba, the terrorist organisation responsible, was believed to have links to Pakistan's intelligence service." He describes Mr Singh as the "chief architect of India's economic transformation" and "wise, thoughtful, and scrupulously honest". Mr Singh was a "self-effacing technocrat who'd won the people's trust not by appealing to their passions but bringing about higher living standards and maintaining a well-earned reputation for not being corrupt", Mr Obama observes. "While he would be cautious in foreign policy, unwilling to get out too far ahead of an Indian bureaucracy that was historically suspicious of US intentions, our time together confirmed my initial impression of him as a man of uncommon wisdom and decency," Mr Obama writes. On Sonia Gandhi Mr Obama described Sonia Gandhi, the then president of the Congress party, "as a striking woman in her sixties, dressed in a traditional sari, with dark, probing eyes and a quiet, regal presence". "That she - a former stay-at-home mother of European descent - had emerged from her grief after her husband was killed by a Sri Lankan separatist's suicide bomb in 1991 to become a leading national politician testified to the enduring power of the family dynasty," he writes. Italian-born Sonia Gandhi's husband Rajiv Gandhi who was once prime minister, was killed by a suicide bomber at a rally in Tamil Nadu state in 1991. At a dinner, Mr Obama writes, Ms Gandhi listened more than she spoke, "careful to defer to [Mr] Singh when policy matters came up, and often steered the conversation toward her son". "It became clear to me, though, that her power was attributable to a shrewd and forceful intelligence." On Rahul Gandhi Mr Obama said Rahul Gandhi "seemed smart and earnest, his good looks resembling his mother's". "He offered up his thoughts on the future of progressive politics, occasionally pausing to probe me on the details of my 2008 campaign," Mr Obama writes. "But there was a nervous, unformed quality about him, as if he were a student who'd done the coursework and was eager to impress the teacher but deep down lacked either the aptitude or the passion to master the subject." (These remarks about Mr Gandhi, which appeared in an early review of the book in the New York Times by author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, angered some Congress party supporters, with one party leader saying he had "un-followed" Mr Obama on Twitter in protest.) On the future of India Modern day-India, Mr Obama writes, was a "success story, having survived repeated changeovers in government, bitter feuds within political parties, various armed separatist movements, and all manner of corruption scandals". But despite the thriving democracy and the freer economy, India still "bore little resemblance to the egalitarian, peaceful, and sustainable society Gandhi had envisioned". Inequality was rife, and violence "remained an all-too-pervasive part of Indian life". Mr Obama writes that after leaving Mr Singh's residence on that November evening he wondered what would happen when the then 78-year-old prime minister left office. "Would the baton be successfully passed to Rahul, fulfilling the destiny laid out by his mother and preserving the Congress Party's dominance over the divisive nationalism touted by the BJP?" he wonders. "Somehow, I was doubtful. It wasn't Singh's fault. He had done his part, following the playbook of liberal democracies across the post-Cold War world: upholding the constitutional order; attending to the quotidian, often technical work of boosting the GDP; and expanding the social safety net. "Like me, he had come to believe that this was all any of us could expect from democracy, especially in big, multiethnic, multi-religious societies like India and the United States." But Mr Obama also found himself "asking whether those impulses - of violence, greed, corruption, nationalism, racism, and religious intolerance, the all-too human desire to beat back our own uncertainty and mortality and sense of insignificance by subordinating others - were too strong for any democracy to permanently contain. "For they seemed to lie in wait everywhere, ready to resurface whenever growth rates stalled or demographics changed or a charismatic leader chose to ride the wave of people's fears and resentments." Mr Obama's question was answered in 2014, when Narendra Modi led the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to a sweeping victory. Mr Obama visited again in 2015 when Mr Modi was prime minister, becoming the first US president to visit India twice while in office. But the first half of the former president's memoirs ends with the death of Osama Bin Laden in 2011. The second part is likely to include his impressions of Mr Modi.

पूर्व अमेरिकी राष्ट्रपति बराक ओबामा के संस्मरणों ने पहले ही भारत में एक मामूली हलचल मचा दी है-मुख्य विपक्षी कांग्रेस पार्टी के नेता राहुल गांधी के बारे में उनके स्पष्ट, अस्पष्ट वर्णन ने उनके समर्थकों को नाराज कर दिया और उनके विरोधियों को खुश कर दिया।


Arrests after 18 deer shot dead in Wyre Forest field

Summary: Three men have been arrested after a herd of 18 deer were shot dead in a field, West Mercia Police said.

The deer were discovered on farmland on the edge of the Wyre Forest in Worcestershire on 4 August. A 59-year-old from Highley, Bridgnorth, a 35-year-old from Cleobury Mortimer and a 22-year-old from Kidderminster were arrested on Friday on suspicion of offences under the Deer Act. They have been released under investigation while inquiries continue.

वेस्ट मर्सिया पुलिस ने कहा कि एक खेत में 18 हिरणों के झुंड की गोली मारकर हत्या करने के बाद तीन लोगों को गिरफ्तार किया गया है।


Alderney States urges residents to help tidy the island

Summary: Alderney residents have been urged by their government to help tidy up the island ahead of the tourist season.

The States of Alderney and the Alderney Wildlife Trust have begun a campaign called Our Island, Our Home, which asks people to help collect litter. Three clean-up events have been planned for islanders to get involved with. A spokesman for the Alderney Wildlife Trust said these would allow people who love the island to take "direct action" in the face of growing concern. The events are planned for 24 March, 7 July and 6 October.

एल्डर्नी के निवासियों से उनकी सरकार ने पर्यटन के मौसम से पहले द्वीप को साफ करने में मदद करने का आग्रह किया है।


Coronavirus: Romance scams, the Yahoo boys and my friend Beth

Summary: You may well think you'd never fall for a romance scam, that they're cheesy, inauthentic and very obviously after your cash. But security experts have warned that there's been an increase in all sorts of online fraud during the coronavirus pandemic.

By Zoe KleinmanTechnology reporter, BBC News It happened to my friend Beth. One day she mentioned that she had met a man online who was in the military. She thought it was a neat coincidence, because my partner is also in the armed forces. But the more she told me, the louder the alarm bells rang. Despite being deployed on a "top secret mission" in a highly dangerous part of the world, "Alexander" managed to message Beth all the time. He was handsome, charming and affectionate. When she showed me a photo, my heart sank. Alexander's uniform and rank didn't match the role he said he had or the unit he said he was in. There was no reason for him to be in the place where he claimed to be. He was almost certainly not the man in the photo. 'He could be anyone, anywhere' Telling Beth was hard. "It made me shake," she said. "You start thinking this could be someone that you could have the chance to meet and see if there's any potential to see how it goes... then straight after that is the shock that you've been talking to someone who is not the person he said he was, and who could be anyone, anywhere in the world." If it hadn't been for the coincidence of our joint military connection, Beth probably wouldn't have mentioned him to me or anyone else - he had already spun a web of secrecy around his job. In fact, telling someone else is probably your best chance of not getting sucked in. Alexander contacted Beth on a dating platform, but he very quickly asked her to switch to a messaging app. Cyber-security expert Prof Alan Woodward says scammers much prefer to operate within a private environment, away from the chance of being seen by others - whether that's a direct messaging platform or a locked social media account. "Effectively you're giving them a bit of camouflage," he says. "There isn't going to be somebody who can see publicly that the same person who might have been trying to scam them is now trying to scam you." I noticed myself that, after making my own Instagram account private, I was deluged with follow requests and private messages, all apparently from men, many of them claiming to have military positions. The military represents "authority, trust, romance" for many people, says New York Times reporter Jack Nicas, who made a documentary about romance scammers and their victims. "For many, particularly women in middle America, the military guy is the 'ideal man'," he says. Faking it I wondered how the real people in the photos the scammers were using would feel if they knew, and I then got a small taste of it myself when someone set up a fake Instagram account using my pictures, and started messaging people - mainly men I believe - saying it was my "secret" space. I only found out when people started messaging me to ask what was going on. It was sickening, alarming and infuriating. I'll probably never know exactly what the "fake me" said and to whom. It was all in the form of private messages from an account bearing my name and my face. Instagram deleted it when I complained, but declined to tell me whereabouts in the world it had been registered. Perhaps it was even Alexander, finding me via Beth's followers. The platform said impersonating a person or organisation is against its guidelines, and that such accounts are deleted once it is made aware of them. A quick search reveals that there are plenty out there though. For scammers it's worth the risk, as the pay-out can be huge. Horror stories There are people who work to try to help romance scam victims, and they hear plenty of horror stories. One is Lisa Forte, from Red Goat Cyber-Security, who was contacted by a British lawyer in her 40s who had given $350,000 to a scammer in South America - which she got by re-mortgaging her house. Wayne May, who runs the group Scam Survivors, told us of a man in Russia who gave $250,000 to a man he believed he was having a secret relationship with. And Jack Nicas interviewed Renee Holland from Florida, who transferred her life savings to a man pretending to be in the US military. She was later killed by her husband. The money, particularly if sent by wire transfer, is generally gone forever. Mr Nicas tracked Ms Holland's scammer down to Nigeria - where romance scammers are rife. There young men work sometimes in groups, sometimes individually, and pretend to be both men and women online. He interviewed a man called Akinola Bolaji, a 35-year-old Nigerian who said he had once been a "Yahoo Boy", as romance scammers are colloquially known. Mr Bolaji said finding victims was a numbers game. "You may message thousands [of women]," he told the New York Times. "Only a few will respond. Five will comply. Out of the five, three may not have money. Two will have. Out of two, one may not be able to spend money. But one will surely send." He confessed to feeling guilty about the practice. "But poverty will not make you feel the pain because you need the money," he said. Mr Bolaji claims to have stopped romance scamming because he is now in a genuine relationship with a lady in the US state of Georgia. We only have his word for it. The long game In the few weeks that Alexander was messaging my friend Beth, he did not ask for any cash. That is not surprising, says Mr Nicas. "You don't even start asking for money until maybe a few weeks or a few months in," he said. "You have to earn their trust first, because if you on the first day say, 'I need money', they're going to know that you're a scammer." Beth is adamant that she would not have sent any - but scammers are super-persuasive, says Ms Forte. "They build a rapport and they slowly take you on this journey from being cautious all the way to re-mortgaging your house. I think we're all vulnerable to it in the right situation." Where to go for help

आप सोच सकते हैं कि आप कभी भी एक रोमांस घोटाले के झांसे में नहीं आएंगे, कि वे भद्दे, अप्रमाणिक हैं और बहुत स्पष्ट रूप से आपकी नकदी के पीछे हैं। लेकिन सुरक्षा विशेषज्ञों ने चेतावनी दी है कि कोरोनावायरस महामारी के दौरान सभी प्रकार की ऑनलाइन धोखाधड़ी में वृद्धि हुई है।


Prince Charles visits Northern Ireland

Summary: Prince Charles is in Northern Ireland for a two-day visit.

The Prince has been visiting Queen's University's cyber security unit at the Science Park in Belfast's Titanic Quarter. Among the cyber security on show is a system that prevents hackers from accessing water and electricity supplies. Prince Charles will be joined by the Duchess of Cornwall on Tuesday. Among those who met Prince Charles during his visit to the cyber security unit were First Minister Arlene Foster, East Belfast MP Gavin Robinson and Deputy Lord Mayor Guy Spence. The Prince was accompanied by Lord Lieutenant Fionnuala Jay O'Boyle and Secretary of State Theresa Villiers.

प्रिंस चार्ल्स दो दिवसीय यात्रा पर उत्तरी आयरलैंड में हैं।


How Punjab governor's killer became a hero

Summary: In January 2011, the governor of Pakistan's Punjab province, Salman Taseer, was killed by one of his own bodyguards, who was subsequently sentenced to death. Now Mumtaz Qadri is appealing against his sentence and some people believe he could yet hold office himself.

By Owen Bennett JonesBBC News, Pakistan As Salman Taseer was sitting in an Islamabad restaurant having lunch with a friend on 4 January, Mumtaz Qadri was considering his angles. Already on three occasions that day Qadri had tried to line up a clear shot on Taseer and failed, but as Taseer moved from his lunch table through a leafy market towards his car, Qadri made his move. Shouting "God is great", the guard shot Taseer 27 times (it took just three or four seconds) then put his hands up in the air and said to his fellow guards (the governor moved with more than 20 armed men) "Don't shoot - arrest me." They did. He has subsequently been sentenced to death, but going on the past performance of the judicial system in Pakistan and the particular circumstances of this case, few expect that sentence to be carried out. Democracy campaigner Salman Taseer was a larger-than-life, domineering, self-made millionaire. As a hard-up accountancy trainee in London in the swinging 60s, he was a croupier in the Playboy club and, by all accounts, knew some of the bunny girls pretty well. In fact, by some accounts, he knew all of them quite well. Back in Pakistan, under the country's harshest military dictator General Zia ul Haq, he took to politics and was thrown into solitary confinement for campaigning for democracy. He was always cracking jokes. Hillary Clinton once visited him in Governor House in Lahore, which is a hangover from the colonial era, a huge white building replete with columned arcades and tall, stiff-backed attendees wearing red tunics and starched turbans. Inside there are huge ceremonial halls and wide corridors with parquet flooring and portraits of former governors on the walls. "Mrs Clinton, I should probably let you know that when I lived in London I used to throw rocks at the American embassy in Grosvenor Square", Taseer said. "Don't worry, Mr Governor," she replied, "so did I." When she was leaving they looked out on the acres of perfect, flat lawns (and this right in the middle of the city of Lahore). "I am sorry Mrs Clinton," he said. "We used to ask distinguished visitors such as yourself to plant trees in the lawns of Governor House here. Even the Queen planted one." "The tradition has stopped?" she replied. "Well, Idi Amin planted one - but then he ate the gardener," was his response. To his great delight he later heard that she had giggled all the way back to Lahore airport. Support for killer So why did his bodyguard kill him? Taseer - who had a record of protecting minority communities in Pakistan - was campaigning on a blasphemy case, that of a Christian woman called Asia Bibi. Some Muslim women in her Punjab village accused her of defiling their well by drinking out of it and they demanded that she convert. She refused and they accused her of blasphemy. When he heard about the case Taseer decided he would try to get her a presidential pardon. He called a few journalists and visited her in prison and there he criticised the blasphemy law. The blasphemy laws in Pakistan mean that anyone accused of denigrating the Koran or the Prophet is subject to immediate imprisonment. In fact that is often a protection. Many of those accused of blasphemy have been killed by violent mobs. Taseer believed the law was being misused by people who had petty disputes in order to get their enemies locked up. But when he said that he himself was accused of blasphemy and that is why his bodyguard decided Taseer should die. After a week in Pakistan asking people about the Taseer case, I left believing that more Pakistanis have sympathy for the murderer Mumtaz Qadri than for his victim Salman Taseer. The issue is so sensitive in Pakistan that no senior lawyer would take on the state's case against Qadri. Eventually a Lahore lawyer did agreed to do it and I met him in his home where he now has two armed guards at the gate. This is what he told me: "No lawyer would do it. My name was suggested. When I told my friends they said, 'Don't do it! Don't do it!' If the religious people here are annoyed with somebody they do not let them live. "But Qadri's death sentence has to be maintained. If it is reduced to life, I tell you he will end up being released. "And then he will become a member of parliament or even a minister because he is a hero, not only of the normal people but also very well read people, including ex-judges and serving judges. Very, very highly placed people are making him out to be a hero." And that is true. I went to see Mumtaz Qadri's brother at their sprawling home in Rawalpindi, where no fewer than 72 close relatives live in pretty cramped conditions. Qadri's father was a brick-layer and his siblings have various low-paying jobs. "You can't imagine what my brother has done," Qadri's eldest brother said. "People who before used to refuse to even shake our hands now come up to us and kiss our hands. "We are just grateful that God chose a member of our family to protect the reputation of the Prophet." How to listen to From Our Own Correspondent: BBC Radio 4: A 30-minute programme on Saturdays, 1130. Second 30-minute programme on Thursdays, 1100 (some weeks only). Listen online or download the podcast BBC World Service: Hear daily 10-minute editions Monday to Friday, repeated through the day, also available to listen online. Read more or explore the archive at the programme website.

जनवरी 2011 में, पाकिस्तान के पंजाब प्रांत के राज्यपाल सलमान तासीर की उनके ही एक अंगरक्षक ने हत्या कर दी थी, जिन्हें बाद में मौत की सजा सुनाई गई थी। अब मुमताज कादरी अपनी सजा के खिलाफ अपील कर रहे हैं और कुछ लोगों का मानना है कि वह अभी भी पद पर बने रह सकते हैं।


The personal cost of China's one-child policy endures

Summary: China's long-standing one-child policy is no more. Its impact, however, has affected generations. Two Chinese people tell us their stories - one who grew up without siblings, and a mother who could not give her daughter any.

'Everyone knew the rules' By Juliana Liu, Hong Kong Correspondent, BBC News When experts estimate that about 400 million babies have been lost as a result of the one-child policy, I sometimes wonder if my two younger siblings have been counted among them. After I was born in 1979, when the policy was introduced, my parents were forbidden from having any more children. They were the first in their families to become salaried employees in the big city. Violating birth planning regulations would have got them sacked. They would have had to return to the countryside, to the back-breaking agricultural work that their ancestors had done for millennia. Everyone knew the rules. Yet, like so many others, my parents longed for more children, for the kind of large, boisterous clan that Chinese culture, with its rural roots and tradition of ancestor worship, still values so highly. When my mother became pregnant twice again, she had no option but to abort both of them. Today, as a mother myself, I cannot imagine what it is like to have to end the life of a deeply loved, wanted child. But ours was not a unique story. Nearly every family in China has been touched by the one-child policy. Growing up in my parent's work unit, none of my playmates had any siblings. We were spoiled, pampered. We got the best that our parents could give. At the same time, even from a young age, each of us knew very well that we, alone, carried the expectations of both sides of our families on our tiny shoulders. It was, at times, difficult not to feel crushed by the weight of those expectations: to excel at school, to be well-behaved, to be filial, to have a prestigious career, to marry the right person - in short, to be perfect enough to justify the fact that there is only one of you. I am sure some of my friends felt differently, but all through my own childhood, I longed for at least one sibling to share the burden, the responsibility, and the occasional fun of being an only child. The feeling has become only more acute as my parents approach old age. That is why I was overjoyed to hear that the one-child policy would be replaced by the two-child policy. It is far from perfect. The government still controls what should be deeply personal, family decisions. But it is clearly an improvement on the existing policy. My years in China would have been enriched immeasurably by the presence of a sibling. I know my parents still grieve for their unborn children. I mourn them too. From five to one By Yuwen Wu, BBC Chinese Many young Chinese people say they may not be ready to take up the offer of having a second child, as they mull over the prospect. Lucky them. At least they have the choice. Millions of my generation didn't. The one child policy was in full swing by the time I was contemplating parenthood, with a deafening propaganda campaign. I was teaching at Peking University. We all wanted careers, and everything had to be right for that one chance of motherhood. The university needed to be informed and give approval; the neighbourhood committee was told; and you chose a hospital for the birth. I was thrilled at the birth of my beautiful daughter. She seemed so much more precious because she would be my only child. We all supported the policy. We understood that China needed it so it could continue to support the already huge population. Some personal sacrifices were worthwhile. But deep down, we were all bitter at crude restrictions on our basic rights, especially when we know that the government could have acted long ago. China's first census under Communist rule, in 1953, showed a population of over 600 million - growth of 100 million in the previous four years. Ma Yinchu, president of Peking University at the time, was concerned that the birth rate was too high, the growth rate too fast. He conducted field research, and even spoke before Chinese leader Mao Zedong himself about the need to control the population. Mao did not like this at all. He branded Ma's work as challenging the party's authority. Ma was sacked and lived under house arrest for many years afterwards. No action was taken. The prevailing thought was more population meant more manpower and was good for socialism. People were encouraged to have big families and women who had had a lot of children were even given awards. I was the fifth and youngest child in my family, a typical size at that time. Having a sister and three brothers ensured that I was well looked after, and had many fun things to do. But we each had only one child. We tried our best to nurture good relationships among the cousins, but it was not the same. "How can things be this different from one generation to the next?" we wondered. My mother said she would have accepted a two-or- three child limit - but nobody asked her. My brothers would always tease me, "then you wouldn't be here". I am grateful I am here, but I feel angry that political leaders didn't respect science decades ago. We have suffered the consequences. Growing up alone, my daughter learned to make friends and have good judgement. She is independent and hard working. I am very happy she turned out the way she has, but in my heart, I know how much I wished I could give her a sibling. History doesn't allow "what if" scenarios. I just hope that today's policy makers monitor the situation and listen to science, so another generation doesn't have to make sacrifices on such a basic human issue.

चीन की लंबे समय से चली आ रही एक बच्चे की नीति अब नहीं रही। इसके प्रभाव ने, हालांकि, पीढ़ियों को प्रभावित किया है। दो चीनी लोग हमें अपनी कहानियाँ बताते हैं-एक जो भाई-बहनों के बिना बड़ा हुआ, और एक माँ जो अपनी बेटी को कुछ भी नहीं दे सकती थी।


Has the time now come for internet voting?

Summary: The use of internet - or electronic - voting in elections is growing. But there are still plenty of concerns about reliability, safety and privacy. Will electing your government via the tap of a smartphone ever catch on?

By Gabriella MulliganTechnology of business reporter Next month people in the UK will vote in a general election, heading to polling stations at schools, libraries and other public buildings to put a cross on a piece of paper. In the digital era, it all seems quaintly archaic. Bad weather can put people off going to vote, while others forget to register or might be away on holiday and not have arranged a postal vote. Couldn't technology remove some of these barriers to democratic involvement? Estonia certainly thinks so. About 14 countries have used some form of online voting, but Estonia was the first to introduce permanent national internet voting. The small Baltic state began using online voting in 2005, and i-voting has served in eight elections. In the 2005 local elections, only 1.9% of voters cast their ballot online, rising to more than 30% in the most recent parliamentary election. "I-voting has become massive, and statistically there is no such thing as a typical i-voter," says Arne Koitmae, deputy head of Estonia's Electoral Office. "All voters, irrespective of gender, income, education, nationality and even computer skills, have the likelihood of becoming an i-voter," he says. Online voting is a good way to engage with younger voters, busy workers, and even Estonians living abroad, Mr Koitmae says. "In 2015, Estonians living in 116 different countries participated in the elections using internet voting." However, it does not seem to have increased the total number of people voting, he says. Rather, people have changed their preferred method of voting. Encryption Since Estonia's i-voting began, there have been no serious security issues, Mr Koitmae says. The technology and processes used are updated regularly based on technical advances and experiences from each election. A crucial part of Estonia's system is that online voting is linked to the country's state-of-the-art electronic identity cards - carried by every citizen and resident. Digital ID cards allow for the secure authentication of the owner online, and enables a digital signature to be linked to the account. Newer cards include an electronic copy of the owner's fingerprints. Estonian voter Igor Hobotov says the ID-linked i-voting system makes him feel a lot more secure when voting than a paper-based method. In fact, he says he might not vote at all if the online option was not available to him. "I have e-voted multiple times, in local elections and parliament elections. Mostly I've been at home, but once I even voted on holiday from Cape Town. I prefer to e-vote because it is more convenient and more secure - we have a digital ID card with [strong] encryption, which is really, really hard to hack," Mr Hobotov says. "I can vote without any hassle, just sat at the computer. I would probably never vote if I had to go somewhere to do it." More Technology of Business Facebook's tentacles reach further than you think How Cuba's growing internet is fuelling new businesses How DNA-testing kits are becoming big business 'You can tell by the way I use my walk...' Seeing the light: How India is embracing solar power Australia's state of New South Wales allows voters with impaired vision, other disabilities, those in rural areas, and those not present in the state on election day to vote online or via telephone in state general elections. A few municipalities in Canada allow for online voting in municipal elections, but the government has specifically decided against it for federal elections. Norway tested i-voting in parliamentary elections in 2011 and 2013, but decided to discontinue online voting due to political disagreement and voters' concerns. And France previously allowed citizens living abroad to cast their vote online in legislative elections, but has disallowed this for the upcoming June legislative elections amid cyber-security concerns. Privacy Would Estonia-style i-voting work in the UK? Recently, a special report by the Digital Democracy Commission recommended that by 2020, secure online voting should be an option for all voters. UK voter Matthew Burton says he definitely wouldn't switch the paper and pen vote for an online system. "Voting is an important activity, and something people have died for and continue to die for. It should be more important than pressing a button on a smartphone on your way to work or when you're out with friends," he says. Not only could i-voting trivialise the process, he says, there may also be security concerns - not just over voter fraud, but also ballot secrecy. Would some people be scared to vote knowing it might not be 100% secret, he wonders. Stephen Schneider, professor in security for the department of computer science at the University of Surrey, says the success of Estonia's system lies in the fact it was built from the ground up, supported by a solid infrastructure including the digital identification system. "Their digital ID cards underpin the whole thing," Prof Schneider says. "Without it, it would be like building [a voting system] on sand." To make i-voting work in the UK, several changes would be needed, including introducing electronic ID cards. The technical ability for digital identification is certainly already here. One company is even trialling smartphone-based selfies for voter authentication. The real risk However, Prof Schneider says the necessary changes pose more of a societal challenge, as many people are uncomfortable with registering personal data, such as with ID cards. Prof Schneider says the main security threat to online voting would be from malware on personal computers, which could potentially change votes cast via the internet. Similarly, the use of internet-enabled voting machines in polling stations is "not really very secure", he says. Many older machines, some used in the US, are "more easy to subvert". However, security software company Symantec says individual voters are not at any real risk, and it has not seen a single incident of external attackers interfering with voters. Symantec believes large-scale attackers - including state-sponsored hackers - prefer to target political systems more generally, for example, the cyber-attack on the US Democratic Party in 2016. "State-sponsored attack groups are not interested in affecting individual voters. What they are interested in is affecting the outcome of these election events," Dick O'Brien, threat researcher at Symantec says. Politicians and political parties are the "low-hanging fruit" for attackers, he says, because of the often chaotic nature of communications within these organisations. And with a number of elections coming up across Europe, he says, it is not the individual voter who must remain vigilant, but politicians and political parties.

चुनावों में इंटरनेट-या इलेक्ट्रॉनिक-मतदान का उपयोग बढ़ रहा है। लेकिन विश्वसनीयता, सुरक्षा और गोपनीयता के बारे में अभी भी बहुत सारी चिंताएं हैं। क्या स्मार्टफोन के माध्यम से अपनी सरकार का चुनाव करना कभी पकड़ पाएगा?


Health tech: When does an app need regulating?

Summary: There was a time - almost forgotten now - when your phone was something you simply made calls on.

By Fiona GrahamTechnology of business reporter, BBC News These days you've got more computing power in your pocket than was available to astronauts on the Apollo 8 as it headed for the moon in 1969. Among the many things your phone can do, apparently, is look after your health. Apple's new Healthkit has punctuated the fact that this tech has gone mainstream. You can measure steps, calories, and heart rate, and this is just for starters. Kickstarter and Indiegogo are filled with devices - many seemingly trying to avoid the longer road last week's Portuguese start-ups have taken to get their devices certified, by adding a disclaimer in the small print - 'this is not intended to be used as a medical device'. But is that enough? Where does the line between glorified pedometer and healthcare technology lie? If you found yourself pressing your smartphone to your face in the belief that the light waves from the app would cure your acne you're probably already familiar with the problem. And the makers of those (absolutely useless) apps were subsequently fined. So I asked three lawyers for their take on what makes something a medical device - and what you should be doing if your brand new app is one - whether using the CE mark in the EU, or complying with Food and Drug Administration (FDA) guidelines in the US. Beverley Flynn, Stevens & Bolton Putting a disclaimer that your product is not a medical device is simply not effective [if it is used for patient treatment.] If it is a medical device you have to register [in the UK] with the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) [or their equivalent in other EU countries]. [The law] all stems from an EU Directive. Sometimes you have to provide them with clinical data, and there is a post surveillance obligation. If there is an adverse reaction, then you have to report that and keep in place reporting procedures. The obligation to decide whether or not it is a medical device falls on the manufacturers. When is an app a medical device? A medical device is 'any instrument, apparatus, appliance, software, material or other articles, whether used alone or in combination, including the software intended by its manufacturer to be used specifically for diagnostic and/or therapeutic purposes and necessary for its proper application intended by the manufacturer to be used for human beings for the purpose of: MHRA guidance So, if you are a company that commissioned a developer to prepare an app for you, and if you have the idea for the app and it is going to go on the market in your name, then you are the manufacturer for the purposes of the legislation, not the developer themselves. They have to have a medical purpose (see the box). When you get new technologies such as the bands on your arm, where you just input your information… [so] you know much exercise you have done, how much food that you have eaten that week, it is not actually telling you what to do as a result. That is unlikely to be a medical device. But if it is something that actually supports decision-making, where it told you it is time to take your next piece of medicine, or it is calculating what your heart rhythm is - that's more likely to be. It can go to the value of the investment, when other investors come in and they find it to be a medical device, that needs to be registered, and it can also [affect the company's reputation]. Once you have a device CE marked in one country, it does enable you to pass the medical device around the EU relatively simply. Getting the CE mark is like your passport to the rest of the European Union. [In the event that something goes wrong] the fact that you haven't registered correctly will show that you haven't putting in place the appropriate systems. If you haven't followed the processes applicable to a medical device, then it will be more difficult to argue any defence on the product liability side, because you certainly haven't followed the correct steps. Ed Vickers, Taylor Wessing There is European legislation that governs all of this and which sets out what a medical device is. What's important is, whether the software has a medical purpose of some sort. So that might be to help with diagnosis of a disease or monitoring of a disease or treatment of a disease in some way. And as you can imagine, there is lots of potential for grey areas. When you see a device with a CE mark on it, you should be able to comfort yourself with the thought that they have demonstrated that it is sufficiently safe, and meets all of the quality criteria that the legislation provides for. If it doesn't meet the criteria, it is not allowed to be put on the market until you have got it CE marked. If you should have one, and it comes to the attention of the relevant authorities, they can require you come off the market, and take steps to remove your medical device from the chains of commerce. There are apps that are essentially just medical dictionaries. And that's just simply presenting information, it is not processing any specific data about a particular patient, so generally speaking you wouldn't consider those to be within the regulatory framework of medical devices. It is really once you start to take in data from a particular patient and then do something with it, in order to make some recommendation or to give a doctor the ability to make some kind of diagnosis, that you get closer to the border line. An example might be putting a patient's height and weight into an app and generating a body mass index. That is close to the borderline, and you might imagine that is probably just the right side of the border line. Once you do a bit more complicated analysis perhaps, and particularly if it is in order to aid a doctor in making a diagnosis or a choice about a treatment, then that sort of processing is falling probably on the other side of the dividing line, and will be considered to be a medical device. There are pros and cons to taking either approach. The benefits to being a medical device and having a CE mark [are] it is sort of badge of security, and you can be comforted that you will be able to market your product throughout Europe. On the other side, if you don't want to have to jump through those regulatory hoops, keep yourself on the right side of the dividing line. Neil O'Flaherty, OFW Law In the US, the FDA regulates medical devices. There's not a new law [but] what the FDA has done is issued a guidance document which basically provides their interpretation of how they want to apply existing US laws to mobile medical apps. What does the FDA consider to be a mobile medical app that they want to regulate? Well, the first thing is that it meets the definition of a "device" under the Federal Food and Drug and Cosmetic Act. (See box) Then the next question is, is the app acting as an accessory to a traditionally-regulated medical device, or is it transforming a mobile platform like your smartphone into what would be a traditionally-regulated medical device. For instance, allow you to use your smartphone as a thermometer, or as a blood glucose reader. If you fall in the mobile medical app category, what the FDA is doing, is setting up criteria by which they apply already-existing medical device controls to various categories of mobile medical apps, depending on their characteristics and what they do. Definition of a medical device - Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act A "device" is "an instrument, apparatus, implement, machine, contrivance, implant, in vitro reagent, or other similar or related article, including a component part, or accessory which is - •recognized in the official National Formulary, or the United States Pharmacopoeia, or any supplement to them, •intended for use in the diagnosis of disease or other conditions, or in the cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of disease, in man or other animals, or •intended to affect the structure or any function of the body of man or other animals, and which does not achieve any of its primary intended purposes through chemical action within or on the body of man or other animals and which is not dependent upon being metabolized for the achievement of any of its primary intended purposes." Some have more regulation than others, but it's all based on already-existing regulatory controls for medical devices. If you are a regulated mobile medical app, then all of a sudden in the FDA's eyes you become a traditional medical device manufacturer, with the obligations that go along with that. For instance, let's say your app requires you to go to the FDA and get a marketing authorisation, a lot of devices in the US that need marketing authorisation go through something known as the 510(k) submission process. So, let's assume that applies to you, and you don't bother to do that 510(k) submission process, you don't get a 510(k) clearance from the FDA, you are marketing your product in the US, that then opens up the various enforcement tools. If your device is misbranded for instance, the agency can say: well, under our laws, it's illegal for you to ship in interstate commerce a misbranded medical device. And so… not fulfilling your requirements opens you up to the FDA taking enforcement action against you. It depends also what the public health risk involved is. [Getting FDA approval is a long process] - the most stringent is known as the premarket approval process or PMA process, for the highest risk devices which is Class III here in the U.S. You basically have to independently demonstrate the safety and effectiveness of your product. The vast majority of devices that require some type of FDA marketing authorisation go through that 510(k) process I referred to before. If you're talking of a PMA, you know you can be looking at approximately two years from start to finish. A 510(k)s, you can easily be looking at six months. By not doing things the right way from an FDA regulatory perspective, I think you set yourself up for vulnerabilities down the road, if you end up in product liability litigation because it will be easy for a plaintiff's attorney to make an argument that it's negligence. In my experience, most people out there want to do the right thing. They either don't understand that there is some regulatory scheme that applies to their product, or they realise there is a regulatory scheme but they just don't have the background to appreciate the significance and ramifications of what they need to do.

एक समय था-अब लगभग भुला दिया गया-जब आपका फोन कुछ ऐसा था जिसे आप बस कॉल करते थे।


Jersey unemployment numbers fell by 100 in December

Summary: The number of people without a job in Jersey fell over Christmas.

There were 100 fewer people registered with the Employment and Social Security Department than in November, which put the total at 1,210. It is at its lowest total for six months but is still 90 people higher than the previous December. The latest figures show almost two thirds of those on the department's books were getting Income Support, a total of 840 people. A quarter of those defined as actively seeking work were teenagers aged between 16 and 19. Of the 320 teenagers, 140 were on the Advance to Work Scheme. But the Skills Executive is encouraged by the figures and says almost half of those who came off the register in December were aged between 16 and 24. Overall about a third of those out of work are in what are known as Elementary Occupations. Those include farm workers, postal staff, those in catering and hospitality and cleaners.

जर्सी में बिना नौकरी वाले लोगों की संख्या क्रिसमस पर गिर गई।


Worcestershire Acute Hospitals Trust 'sees deficit double'

Summary: The predicted budget deficit has nearly doubled for this financial year at a trust running Worcestershire hospitals.

A deficit of £27.6m has been forecast, compared to £15m previously, a report presented to a Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust board meeting said. The report said the position had worsened partly due to "operational pressures" affecting staffing costs. The trust runs Worcestershire Royal Hospital, Kidderminster Hospital and Alexandra Hospital in Redditch It blamed an increase in elderly patients, increased attendance at A&E and bed-blocking.

वॉरसेस्टरशायर अस्पताल चलाने वाले एक न्यास में इस वित्तीय वर्ष के लिए अनुमानित बजट घाटा लगभग दोगुना हो गया है।


What is May Day and how do we celebrate it?

Summary: Morris men, 'Obby 'Osses and Jack-in-the-Green have been out in force for May Day.

A celebration marking the first day of summer, the day's traditions are rooted in pagan festivals. What is celebrated today is believed to be a consolidation of three earlier festivals: Beltane fires - to celebrate the return of summer and fertility of the land; Walpurgisnacht - the eve of the Christian feast day of Saint Walpurga; and Floralia, which was held in ancient Rome in honour of the goddess Flora. People across the UK been celebrating May Day in unique ways. .

मॉरिस पुरुष, 'ओबी' ओस्सेस और जैक-इन-द-ग्रीन मई दिवस के लिए बाहर हो गए हैं।


Accident and Emergency: A look behind the scenes on one day

Summary: As A&E departments attempt to deal with over a million more patients than three years ago, BBC ONE's Inside Out was given access to 10 different A&E departments on the same day.

Ahead of a review being carried out by NHS Medical Director Prof Sir Bruce Keogh about the future of emergency provision in hospitals, the BBC was given day-in-the-life snapshot of A&E services in England. HEARTLANDS HOSPITAL, BIRMINGHAM JAMES PAGET HOSPITAL, GREAT YARMOUTH QUEEN ELIZABETH HOSPITAL, GATESHEAD WIGAN INFIRMARY QUEENS MEDICAL CENTRE, NOTTINGHAM ADDENBROOKE'S HOSPITAL, CAMBRIDGE CROYDON UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL, LONDON THE ROYAL CORNWALL HOSPITAL, TRELISKE DONCASTER ROYAL INFIRMARY DO NURSES LEARN ENOUGH ABOUT BASIC HOSPITAL CARE? CAN LOCAL DOCTORS TAKE THE PRESSURE OFF A&E?

ए एंड ई विभाग तीन साल पहले की तुलना में दस लाख से अधिक रोगियों का इलाज करने का प्रयास कर रहे हैं, उसी दिन बीबीसी वन के इनसाइड आउट को 10 अलग-अलग ए एंड ई विभागों तक पहुंच प्रदान की गई थी।


What Theresa May did and didn't reveal in CBI speech

Summary: There were no hecklers this year, more a respectful silence as the gathered audience listened to the big name. And despite her talent for saying very little, and indeed, the prime minister's determination to give hardly anything away on her plans for Brexit, this morning at the CBI she did in the end say rather a lot.

Laura KuenssbergPolitical editor@bbclaurakon Twitter No surprises, when it comes to the big picture, the prime minister was abundantly clear (again) that she won't be pushed into giving more details of her plans for how we leave the EU and life afterward. That was despite the fact that she took to the stage moments after the CBI President who could not have been any clearer in making the organisation's demand for more information. It is five months since the referendum this week, but despite the growing pressure from business and in Westminster, she is not budging. The CBI, a lobby as powerful as they get, basically said, "please, please, tell us what is going on". Theresa May in response minutes later essentially said, "not a chance". But she did give some things away. While Downing Street denies it's a U-turn, the prime minister scotched any suggestion (including her own) that the government might make companies have workers sitting on their boards. One of the first proposals she made when she launched her bid to lead the country was "If I'm prime minister, we're going to change that system - and we're going to have not just consumers represented on company boards, but employees as well." You wouldn't have been a fool for concluding that she meant that big firms would therefore have to have staff members on their boards. Not now, according to Downing Street. She said this morning that she never meant that firms would have to appoint workers directly to boards, although some companies may wish to do that. But there is no coincidence that the policy has undergone what you might politely call an evolution, after business was alarmed. Unions this afternoon have poked fun at what they see as a U-turn, the TUC General Secretary Frances O'Grady saying "If Mrs May says Brexit means Brexit, surely workers on boards means workers on boards". The government is consulting on its plans. I understand the likely option is company boards to have one director whose sole responsibility is representing workers' views - we'll know in due course. The prime minister did recommit the government to the target of making British corporation tax - the tax on company profits - the lowest in the G20. It is scheduled to come down to 17 per cent in any case by the end of this Parliament. The trouble with her repeating the previous promise is that since it was made Donald Trump has emerged, with his promise to cut federal corporation tax to 15 per cent. It is not a direct comparison. But having said last night that the prime minister had to be taken at face value as she made that commitment, government sources today slapped it down with accusations of "pure speculation". But business leaders will have no doubt filed that promise away. Whether May meant it or not, she is on the record as making that promise, a fact not lost on the previous Chancellor, George Osborne, who made the 15 per cent proposal previously and was enjoying its re-emergence today. But what Theresa May did hint at today, and we are in the business of hunting for hints, was the possibility that there will be an interim agreement with the European Union to run after we leave, but before a final deal can be struck. This would risk the wrath of the Brexiteers. But while the specifics of a transitional agreement have not been discussed in Cabinet, one minister explained "a reality check has started to happen" and they suggested that a temporary deal "may have to happen - it's a practical option". No 10 sources are playing down the significance of today's comments with their familiar refrain - they're not ruling anything in, or anything out. But like the promise on corporation tax, that hint will be filed away by politicians on both sides - those who are looking to keep our ties to the EU as tight as possible, and those arguing for a fast, clean exit. The relationship that Theresa May will have with the business community is one of the most important that she will have, particularly at a time of enormous political and economic uncertainty. Although business has welcomed her support and promises of extra government spending on research and development and infrastructure, they know that she is willing to criticise too - calling again for a minority of businesses who behave badly to get in line. One cabinet minister suggested that just as Tony Blair was willing to take on the unions, a Labour leader seeking to appeal to the centre by taking on his party's traditional supporters, Theresa May is keen to do the same, taking on business, a well of traditional Tory support. But these are early days, and probably not the last time Theresa May will stand on the CBI platform. So far there's a sense that they don't quite know what to make of her. And perhaps, she doesn't know quite what to make of them.

इस साल कोई हंगामा नहीं हुआ, और अधिक सम्मानजनक खामोशी थी क्योंकि एकत्रित दर्शकों ने बड़े नाम को सुना। और बहुत कम कहने के लिए उनकी प्रतिभा के बावजूद, और वास्तव में, ब्रेक्सिट के लिए अपनी योजनाओं पर शायद ही कुछ देने के लिए प्रधान मंत्री के दृढ़ संकल्प के बावजूद, आज सुबह सी. बी. आई. में उन्होंने अंत में बहुत कुछ कहा।


Ten years of the Fringe's funniest jokes

Summary: Swedish comedian Olaf Falafel has won this year's Funniest Joke of the Fringe award.

Each year comedy channel Dave names its top gag from the Edinburgh festival, which is chosen by a panel of critics and then voted on by the public. Without spoiling any of the punchlines, here are the winners over the last decade:

स्वीडिश कॉमेडियन ओलाफ फलाफेल ने इस साल का सबसे मजेदार जोक ऑफ द फ्रिंज पुरस्कार जीता है।


Bishop of Lincoln Christopher Lowson suspended from office

Summary: The Bishop of Lincoln, Christopher Lowson, has been suspended.

The Archbishop of Canterbury acted saying it was in relation to a safeguarding children inquiry. Justin Welby added that "if proven" he would consider the bishop "would present a significant risk of harm by not adequately safeguarding children and vulnerable people". Bishop Lowson said he was "bewildered" by the suspension and would co-operate fully. In a statement, the archbishop continued: "I would like to make it absolutely clear that there has been no allegation that Bishop Christopher has committed abuse of a child or vulnerable adult." 'Swift conclusion' Bishop Lowson said: "I am bewildered by the suspension and will fully co-operate in this matter. "For the sake of the diocese and the wider Church I would like this to be investigated as quickly as possible to bring the matter to a swift conclusion." The Bishop of Grimsby, David Court, will take on the leadership of the diocese. "It should be noted that suspension is a neutral act and nothing further can be said at this stage while matters are investigated," the archbishop added. As part of Operation Redstone, Lincolnshire Police has been investigating historical sex abuse cases. A spokesperson for the force said: "The investigation is continuing into wider safeguarding issues and management decisions within the diocese." 'Turned blind eye' In April, a BBC Panorama investigation found clergy and staff from the diocese were referred to police in 2015 over allegations church leaders "turned a blind eye" to claims of child abuse. Lincolnshire Police and the Lincoln Diocese investigated 25 people over alleged abuse from a list of 53 names passed to officers, with three cases leading to convictions. The programme claimed some of the names could have been referred years earlier as part of the Church of England's national Past Cases Review, which examined tens of thousands of Church records in 2008 and 2009 to discover whether abuse cases had slipped through the net. Paul Handley, editor of the Church Times, said the suspension had "cast a cloud" over the bishop and his colleagues. However, he said: "I think what people need to take from this is the Church is taking safeguarding seriously, and nobody is beyond reproach if something is discovered that needs investigation." The Diocese of Lincoln covers Lincolnshire, North Lincolnshire and North-East Lincolnshire, making it the largest diocese in England by area. Follow BBC East Yorkshire and Lincolnshire on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Send your story ideas to yorkslincs.news@bbc.co.uk.

लिंकन के बिशप क्रिस्टोफर लॉसन को निलंबित कर दिया गया है।


Queen's Speech 2010: How it affects Scotland

Summary: The new UK government's first legislative programme has been unveiled with a list of 20 bills - more than three quarters of which apply to Scotland, either in part or in full. Here is a look at how the proposals affect Scotland.

Scotland Bill The most significant area for Scotland in the Queen's Speech. This piece of legislation, likely to be brought forward in the autumn, will provide new powers for the Scottish Parliament, as recommended by the Calman Commission review of devolution. The Calman Commission, established with the support of Labour, Tory and Lib Dem MSPs, recommended new powers should be devolved from Westminster to Holyrood, including responsibility for raising half of Scotland's income tax. It also recommended the Scottish Parliament should control national speed limits, drink-driving laws and airguns legislation. But First Minister Alex Salmond, who has called for full fiscal powers for Scotland, said the proposals had been overtaken by the UK government's plan to pay for a rise in the income tax allowance with personal increases in National Insurance, under which money would go straight to the Treasury. Budget Responsibility Bill Will provide a "statutory underpinning" to a new Office of Budget Responsibility, which will provide borrowing and economic growth forecasts for the Treasury. The main elements of the proposed bill "have yet to be decided upon" and there has been no mention of reforming the remit of the National Audit Office, which was predicted in advance media coverage. Energy Security and Green Economy Bill The Scottish government has forged ahead with its own programme to boost renewable energy and set emission-cutting targets, while continuing its opposition to new nuclear power stations. Energy policy is essentially a matter for Westminster, and this bill aims to promote enhanced energy efficiency and the roll-out of smart meters. Equitable Life Payments Scheme Bill Will secure compensation for nearly a million policy holders hit by the near collapse of the insurer Equitable Life. European Communities (Amendment) Referendum Lock Bill Will mean a referendum must be held to approve any future treaties handing powers to the European Union. Financial Services Regulation Bill The banking crisis hit some of Scotland's most successful businesses, including the Royal Bank of Scotland, HBOS and the Dunfermline Building Society. This bill will shift responsibility for macro-regulation of the banking system from the Financial Services Authority to the Bank of England. Despite earlier reports, there is no mention of a levy on the profits of UK banks. Freedom (Great Repeal) Bill Will adopt the system on DNA introduced in Scotland and will limit the amount of time that DNA profiles of innocent people can be held on a national database. The bill also tightens regulation on the use of CCTV cameras and removes limits on right to peaceful protest. Identity Documents Bill The Scottish Parliament has previously voted to symbolically reject ID cards, and the UK government has now brought forward a bill to do exactly that, as well as scrap the National Identity Register introduced by Labour. The next generation of biometric passports will also go. National Insurance Contributions Bill Will block next year's 1% rise in NI contributions by employers. UK-wide. Parliamentary Reform Bill Measures will be introduced to establish fixed-term elections for the UK parliament, held every five years. Will require 55% of MPs to vote for a dissolution of parliament between scheduled elections, under which 59 members have Scottish seats, and will give constituents the right to "recall" corrupt MPs between elections. The bill will also cut the number of MPs by about 50. Review of reform of the House of Lords may be included in a separate draft bill later in the year. A bill will also be introduced for a referendum on changing the voting system to the Alternative Vote. Pensions and Savings Bill Will legislate for the phasing out of the default retirement age and set a timetable for raising the state pension age, depending on the outcome of a review. Will also restore the link between earnings and the state pension from 2012. Postal Services Bill Will allow injection of private capital into the Royal Mail, address its pension deficit, guarantee the post office network remains in public hands and seek to improve staff relations with management. Welfare Reform Bill Will create a single welfare-to-work programme and make benefit payments more conditional on willingness to accept work. Police Reform and Social Responsibility Bill Policing is wholly devolved to Scotland, but the bill plans to establish a dedicated border police force, as part of a refocused Serious and Organised Crime Agency, which would be a matter for Westminster.

ब्रिटेन की नई सरकार के पहले विधायी कार्यक्रम का अनावरण 20 विधेयकों की सूची के साथ किया गया है-जिनमें से तीन चौथाई से अधिक स्कॉटलैंड पर लागू होते हैं, या तो आंशिक रूप से या पूर्ण रूप से। यहाँ एक नज़र है कि प्रस्ताव स्कॉटलैंड को कैसे प्रभावित करते हैं।


Gruffalo joins Julia Donaldson on Hay Festival stage

Summary: Children's author Julia Donaldson has been presented with a poetry medal to mark 20 years since the publication of The Gruffalo.

The iconic character was brought to life on stage during the opening weekend of the 10-day annual Hay Festival in Powys. Julia Donaldson first published The Gruffalo in 1999, with the characters drawn by Axel Scheffler. The festival also includes appearances by Stephen Fry and Ian McEwan. Characters from The Gruffalo joined Julia Donaldson on stage, where the author performed songs and read stories. Other children's book characters appearing over the weekend include Elmer the elephant, who is celebrating 30 years since being published in English with giant Elmer sculptures around the field.

बाल लेखिका जूलिया डोनाल्डसन को द ग्रुफैलो के प्रकाशन के 20 साल पूरे होने के उपलक्ष्य में एक कविता पदक से सम्मानित किया गया है।