What do donkeys and Trump have to do with this Indian election?

Summary: It's election season in India's most populous state.

Whoever wins the polls in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh will, for the next five years, rule a population that's larger than the combined size of Britain, France, Germany and Sweden. The stakes are high and in their desperation to grab the eyeballs of the 222 million plus people, some of India's top politicians are indulging in mudslinging and name calling, some of which are very, well, creative. The BBC's Geeta Pandey in Delhi compiles a list of bizarre barbs and rants the political leaders are throwing at each other. A very 'grave' matter Earlier this week, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's speech at an election rally in Fatehpur took a macabre turn when he brought up graveyards and cremation grounds. "If land is given for a cemetery in a village, it should also be given for a cremation ground. If there's electricity during Ramadan, it should be supplied during Diwali too. If there's electricity on Holi, it should be there on Eid also. There should be no discrimination," he said. The comment was meant to be a criticism of the state government led by Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav whom Mr Modi has accused of trying to appease the Muslim minority community. But it was played and replayed on television news channels with his political rivals and many commentators accusing the prime minister of trying to divide voters along religious lines. His supporters defended him - they said his speech was misunderstood and all that he was trying to say was that discrimination must end. Animal crackers For those not familiar with the Uttar Pradesh politics, they would be forgiven if they walked into a rally of Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav and thought they had stumbled into a conference about animals. The elephant has been a recurring theme at his election rallies from day one. The pachyderm is the election symbol of his biggest regional rival, the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), led by Dalit icon Mayawati who is a four-time chief minister of the state. During her last term in power from 2002 to 2007, Ms Mayawati spent more than a billion dollars building concrete parks where scores of elephant statues were erected. "For seven years, I've been watching these elephants. Those which were sitting, are still sitting. And those which were standing, are still standing," Mr Yadav says at every election rally, pointing out the "wasteful expenditure". But on Monday, he mentioned a new animal - the donkey. Without naming anyone, he talked about an advertisement by Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan to promote a Wild Ass Sanctuary in Gujarat, the prime minister's home state. "I request the century's biggest superstar, please don't do any ad campaigns for Gujarat's gadhas (donkeys)," he said. His comments were immediately described as an "outrageous dig" at PM Modi with many wondering if the public discourse could get any more pungent. Well, on Tuesday, it did - when colourful politician Laloo Yadav called BJP chief Amit Shah a genda (rhinoceros). Post script: He also called PM Modi a eunuch. Acerbic acronyms In this season of name calling, Ms Mayawati, popularly known as Behenji (Hindi for older sister), also has a new name for Mr Modi. An icon to millions of Dalits (formerly untouchables), she said the initials in his name Narendra Damodardas Modi actually stood for "Mr Negative Dalit Man". "I have defined the prime minister's name taking into consideration his work, behaviour and policy," she said. The name game, however, was started by Mr Modi who earlier said that her Bahujan Samaj Party, which loosely translates as "party of the majority of people", has turned into the Behenji Sampatti Party (Behenji Assets party). Ms Mayawati said Mr Modi was "indulging in cheap things and petty talk" because he was "perturbed by the rising popularity of her party". ... And Donald Trump? India's Water Resources Minister Uma Bharti, who is campaigning for PM Modi's BJP, recently told a gathering in the backward Bundelkhand region that [Donald] Trump and [Vladimir] Putin were watching the Uttar Pradesh (UP) elections. According to a report in The Indian Express Ms Bharti said: "Trump and Putin are watching; that if India has to become a great power then UP should not be backward." She also invoked the names of [Karl] Marx and [Vladimir] Lenin while praising the recent government decision to ban high value currency notes to curb corruption. "One of the biggest economic revolutions in the world was brought about by Marx and Lenin. But their revolution was a bloody one. The one that PM Narendra Modi has brought through demonetisation is a bloodless economic revolution." Now, Bundelkhand is among the most backward regions in the state and people here are barely literate. No wonder then, as the Express reported, "Her references to Marx, Lenin, Trump and Putin left many flummoxed in the crowd". And us too.

यह भारत के सबसे अधिक आबादी वाले राज्य में चुनाव का मौसम है।


Downton Abbey: The sole survivor of a stately home air disaster

Summary: Highclere Castle is the setting for the blockbuster TV series Downton Abbey, but the English stately home has had its share of real-life drama. During World War Two its grounds were the scene of several plane crashes - including one from which a single airman would miraculously survive.

By Michael RaceBBC News Disorientated and barely conscious, Technical Sgt Leonard J Nitti was found slumped up against a cedar tree by gamekeepers and other estate staff. The 21-year-old radio operator had apparently been thrown clear of a US bomber, the wreckage of which was burning fiercely in the distance. "There was a flash in front of me," the US airman would recall years later. "I felt as if somebody hit me in the back and took my breath away." He and his six comrades from the United States Army Air Force 326th Bombardment Squadron had already completed 33 missions and were waiting for orders to return home at the time of the crash. Their B-17 Flying Fortress - named Fort Worth Jailhouse - was on a short non-operational flight to the airbase at nearby Greenham Common and, in bad weather and poor visibility, circled around Highclere Castle before flying off south. The course proved fatal as the bomber clipped some trees on a large hill and crashed down in the grounds of the stately home. The other crew members - close friends of T/Sgt Nitti - all died. The date was 5 May 1945, just three days before the end of World War Two in Europe. As a war-ravaged continent celebrated VE Day, Len Nitti was recovering from his injuries, which included a broken back and badly burnt hands. Months later, he was transported home to the US to return to civilian life. He met his wife Joan in 1948, they married four years later and went on to have five children. Mr Nitti became a mechanical engineer and settled with his family in Chicago, where he had been born and raised. As was common among those who served in World War Two, the former airman rarely spoke of his wartime experiences, nor of the psychological impact of being the only man who took off on that day in May 1945 to survive the experience. Joan Nitti, who is now 88, said her husband "never talked" about the crash. "He was a very quiet man, he was a very humble man," she said. "The only ones that talk about it are the ones that weren't there. But the guys that were really in the thick of it, they would never really talk about it." Years after he had returned home from war, Mrs Nitti recalls attending a military reunion in Texas with her husband. As the couple entered a tent, a former comrade stood up, "turned white" and said: "My God, Nitti, you're alive! I thought you were dead." It transpired that some of his fellow airmen had flown over the crash site the following day and assumed the entire crew of the B-17 had been killed. "They were misinformed," said Mrs Nitti succinctly. Len Nitti might well have assumed he would never return to the UK as he went home to the US late in 1945 - much less to the exact spot where he'd been found so badly injured months earlier. But in 1990, he came back to Britain - and to Highclere. Mrs Nitti said the closer she and her family got to England, "the tenser he got in that aeroplane". It was a trip that caused the memories and emotions of the disaster to resurface, feelings the father of five had largely kept to himself. "I gave him a lot of credit because on that flight back to England, he had white knuckles," his wife said. On arrival at the Hampshire stately home, which is about 60 miles south-west of London, Mrs Nitti said an elderly gardener came straight up to her husband "with tears in his eyes". "He said 'we heard the crash and I was one of the first ones that ran up the hill'. "I don't know how the heck he ran up the hill because that's a long run, but he said he found Ned (as he was known to his family) slumped up against the tree." As the family retraced the stages of the B-17's crash, Mr Nitti - without any guidance - walked up to the cedar tree where he had been found injured more than four decades earlier. "The look on his face," said Mrs Nitti. "I can't imagine what he was thinking about." Their daughter, Mary Nitti, said: "Dad really needed that closure. He needed to go back and face that demon. "I think it helped him in a lot of ways." In a family video shot on the 1990 trip - which captures Mr Nitti recovering a fragment of the stricken B-17 - her father recalled having had a "feeling something was going to happen" moments before the plane struck the trees of Sidown Hill. "I grabbed my chute. I stood up and there was a flash in front of me," said Mr Nitti, who was in the back of the plane while the rest of the crew sat up front in the cockpit. "The last I remember is that there was a tree. I think the plane split in half." But how exactly did the young radio operator survive? "The weather was pretty bad, with low cloud, rain and poor visibility," said historian and former Concorde pilot Stephen Bohill-Smith. "We think the aircraft overshot Greenham Common by a mile or two. The gamekeepers said they heard the bomber circling over the top of the castle, go round the castle twice and then set off in a southerly direction." A 266-metre (873ft) hill suddenly appeared before the pilots' eyes. "They saw it at the last minute, gunned the engines, pulled up, but unfortunately they clipped the top of the trees and the aircraft came down and crashed down on the other side of the hill," said Mr Bohill-Smith. He said the radio operator was probably thrown from the plane on impact, before the wrecked bomber came down the hill, because he was found quite a distance from the B-17. The airman was "thrown backwards inside the tail section and he came down and that's what saved his life", said Mr Bohill-Smith. Roger Mills, who is one of the pilots of Europe's last airworthy B-17, told the BBC that the sheer size of the bomber and its "very basic" flying controls and instruments would have contributed to the crew being unable to avoid clipping the hilltop trees. "You need visual sighting to make any manoeuvres and, as the sighting came too late, there was nothing they could do about it," he said. "Having seen the hill ahead of them, there would have been a lot of adrenaline. There would have been a call for full power and then a lot of muscle to pull the nose up. "I think they realised it was going to be too late and they were going to hit the hill." Len Nitti died aged 94 on 21 January 2018, days after he learned of plans by the owners of Highclere Castle, the Earl and Countess of Carnarvon, to honour the airmen who lost their lives on the estate. "He had this silly grin on his face," said Mrs Nitti. "He was so delighted. Those guys were really close friends. "He looked at me and he had tears in his eyes - and my husband never cried. "It meant an awful lot to him and I'm glad he got to hear it." In September, a sculpture of an airman carved out of a cedar tree was unveiled at Highclere Castle to mark the sacrifice of the men who died in the B-17 crash, and the 13 others who were killed in different air accidents in the grounds of Highclere during World War Two. "My dad didn't talk much and he didn't toot his own horn," Mary Nitti said. "It really was not until we had the event at Highclere, [we realised] how important it was he survived. "To know what he represented is quite amazing." Related Internet Links Highclere Castle

हाईक्लेर कैसल ब्लॉकबस्टर टीवी श्रृंखला डाउनटन एबे के लिए सेटिंग है, लेकिन अंग्रेजी आलीशान घर में वास्तविक जीवन के नाटक का अपना हिस्सा रहा है। द्वितीय विश्व युद्ध के दौरान इसका मैदान कई विमान दुर्घटनाओं का दृश्य था-जिसमें से एक विमान चमत्कारिक रूप से बच जाएगा।


Scotland's reputation ranked in international survey

Summary: Scotland is included in a survey of 50 countries, measuring how their reputations compare. Improvement is one of the targets for Scottish government ministers. The measures have held steady, but slipped one place on the league table, while the UK has improved to second place, and the US's reputation has slumped. The survey results, published by the Scottish government last week, also measure what Scots think of their own country. There's only one count on which Scots rate themselves badly.

Douglas FraserBusiness/economy editor, Scotland Events at Holyrood have sparked some discussion of whether Scotland's reputation is at risk, or merely that of some of its politicians. It's impossible to know. Brands and reputation are intangible assets, and notoriously hard to pin down. In the law of defamation, a reputation is judged against the "estimation of a right-thinking member of society generally". Some claim to be able to put a value on reputation. Brand consultants make a good living out of doing so. While Apple sits atop global brands, followed by Amazon, Google, Microsoft and Samsung, Scotland's strongest commercial contender is Johnnie Walker, making it just inside Interbrand's world top 100. What about nations, though? Whose nation is best? Many places have their own way of voicing the Scottish brag: 'wha's like us?' (The traditional response: 'Damn few, and they're a' deid.') We learned this week that 16 nations can claim to answer that question: 'We are - only better, and we have survey evidence to prove it'. This is the Anholt-Ipsos survey of 50 nations, asking how they rate on a number of metrics. The Scottish government takes a close interest to find out how it's faring, as the nation's international reputation is one of the outcomes on which Scottish ministers measure themselves. For six pulses of the survey over the past decade, it seems that Scotland's reputation as the place for tourism, investment mixed with immigration, culture, governance, people and exports is holding up, but not quite keeping pace with others. The survey results released last week show it slipping one place, to number 17 out 50. The survey showed Scotland scored best as a tourist destination, and was in the top 20 for five of the six categories of reputation. That at least suggests consistency is one of its strengths. It fell into a lower ranking only for its exports. Stereotypes and scenery How is this measured? A weighted survey of more than 20,000 people across 18 nations. Neither knowledge nor expertise seem to be required. It's probably harder to get firm opinions about Panama, Botswana, Qatar or Taiwan, so they start with that disadvantage. For its size, Scotland punches well above its weight simply for being known, even if it's often for stereotypes, its scenery, whisky, Nessie and Auld Lang Syne. It is larger nations which do better in this reckoning. Last year's survey found Germany came top for the fourth time in a row. We're told that "global citizens have positive feelings about buying German products, the employability of the German people, and the appeal of investing in German businesses, placing Germany first in all three categories for 2020". The UK moved up from fourth to second place, while Canada remained in third. Japan moved up to fourth, France dropped to fifth, its lowest ranking so far. Italy and Switzerland moved up one place each to sixth and seventh positions. Australia moved from 10th to 8th slot, the highest position it has reached, and Sweden remained at number nine. Reputation Top Trumps Being big and well-known, with desirable consumer products, is no guarantee of a strong reputation: the US last year dropped, on this count, from number six to 10. Americans previously held the top spot on seven occasions since 2009, but they have taken a dive in their global reputation. Maybe it was just coincidence that this followed the 2016 presidential election. China also suffered a decline down the rankings last year, from 23rd to 35th place. What was going right for the UK, for it to move up to second position behind Germany? After being third or fourth for several years, it scored strongly for its exports, attitudes to immigration and investment, and it enjoyed an improved perceptions of its governance, culture, people, and tourism. (Please don't complain to me if you disagree: instead, take your evidence to the 20,000 people questioned. This is, you'll note, about their perceptions rather than evidenced reality.) Failure to qualify The survey, carried out every two years, also tracks Scots' view of themselves. Over a decade and six surveys, Scots view of their country fell below number one only in 2016, when it was beaten by the UK and Canada. Hmm... what might have been happening between 2014 and 2016 to explain that? Answer that one according to your political taste. Regaining that top spot in 2018, it was confirmed in the most recent, 2020 survey. The one area in which Scots take a particularly dim view of themselves and their country is that of 'excellence in sport'.

स्कॉटलैंड को 50 देशों के एक सर्वेक्षण में शामिल किया गया है, यह मापने के लिए कि उनकी प्रतिष्ठा की तुलना कैसे की जाती है। सुधार स्कॉटिश सरकार के मंत्रियों के लिए लक्ष्यों में से एक है। उपाय स्थिर रहे हैं, लेकिन लीग तालिका में एक स्थान खिसक गए हैं, जबकि यूके दूसरे स्थान पर सुधार कर गया है, और अमेरिका की प्रतिष्ठा गिर गई है। पिछले सप्ताह स्कॉटिश सरकार द्वारा प्रकाशित सर्वेक्षण के परिणाम यह भी मापते हैं कि स्कॉटिश अपने देश के बारे में क्या सोचते हैं। केवल एक गिनती है जिस पर स्कॉट्स खुद को बुरी तरह से मूल्यांकन करते हैं।


Water voles reintroduced at Ffrwd Farm Nature Reserve

Summary: Water voles are being reintroduced at a Carmarthenshire nature reserve.

The project at Ffrwd Farm Nature Reserve, Pembrey, is part of a wider ongoing water vole strategy for south Wales. Natural Resources Wales said the creatures had suffered a huge decline in recent decades as a result of habitat loss, habitat fragmentation and predation by American mink. It is the second release of water voles in the area.

कार्मार्थेनशायर नेचर रिजर्व में वाटर वॉल को फिर से पेश किया जा रहा है।


First work to start on A9 average camera system

Summary: Work to build the infrastructure needed for a system of average speed cameras on part of the A9 will begin on Monday.

The construction project could last for about four months. Transport Scotland said some lane closures would be required during the work, but added that this should not cause significant delays. The new system between Inverness and Perth is opposed by campaign group A9 Average Speed Cameras Are Not the Answer. It has called for action to tackle bad overtaking.

ए9 की ओर से औसत गति कैमरों की प्रणाली के लिए आवश्यक बुनियादी ढांचे के निर्माण का काम सोमवार से शुरू होगा।


Election 2019: Who is the young SNP MP who beat Jo Swinson?

Summary: In Thursday's election, a first-time SNP candidate unseated Liberal Democrat leader Jo Swinson, taking the biggest scalp of the night. So who is Amy Callaghan, the 27-year-old who took on one of the UK's highest-profile MPs?

By Claire DiamondBBC Scotland News She campaigned hard on protecting the NHS - an issue very close to her heart. Twice she says it has saved her life from cancer. Amy Callaghan has promised to be a "local, accountable MP" for East Dunbartonshire, in it "for the people, not the profile". She had intended to become a teacher after university, but after her cancer diagnosis she decided she wanted to get involved in politics - a decision she made during a gap year she had to take for treatment. It gave Amy her first-hand experience of the NHS. Cancer diagnosis Her cancer journey started when she was 17, when she noticed a mole on her cheek - which she'd had since she was a child - was changing. Her doctor sent her home, and put it down to a young girl being concerned with her image. She had it removed anyway. A few years later, she felt a lump on the inside of her cheek. Doctors told her she had developed skin cancer. It had spread to her bone, nerves and muscle. She had to have surgery on her face, which included removing nerves and a chunk of bone. Then, at 21, she relapsed. She credits the NHS with saving her life for a second time. Cancer had a "monumental impact" on her life. Not long out of school, Amy was "flying" through her politics course at Strathclyde University when she was diagnosed. "It hit me like a tonne of bricks," she said. "Your whole life changes overnight [with a cancer diagnosis]." "People are quick to say 'Now that you've had the all-clear, you should go back to normal', but normal doesn't exist after a cancer diagnosis - no matter what age you are." Now cancer-free for five years, one of her key priorities is to protect the "vital and precious" health service. "It's a lifeline to me and so many people... it needs to be protected at all costs," she said. Amy plans to use her profile as an MP to make sure people know the signs of skin cancer. She also hopes to work with the Teenage Cancer Trust. For a nationwide breakdown of results, see our results page. If you can't see the look-up click here. Or you can browse the A-Z list. The result in East Dunbartonshire was close - Jo Swinson lost her seat by 149 votes - but the implications were huge. Nicola Sturgeon praised Amy's "brilliant campaign", which she had won "against all the odds". Her election team knew the result would be tight - but she describes the confirmation from the returning officer as a "euphoric" moment. "Hearing the result... was completely monumental, it was amazing," she said. Later on Friday, she was so tired that the night out she had planned was ditched in favour of "a curry in my pyjamas with a gin". It wasn't until Saturday that Amy was able to enjoy some family celebrations, before thinking ahead to her first day at Westminster on Monday. Although from Clydebank herself, she is used to working in East Dunbartonshire. Until her election, she was working as the office manager to local MSP Rona Mackay. And in her free time she has served on the children's panel. She said it had shown her the "devastating" reality of poverty and austerity. She's not the Commons' youngest MP - it is currently 23-year-old Labour MP Nadia Whittome - but she is certainly younger than most of her colleagues. One of the closest to her in age in the SNP is Mhairi Black, 25, who was the youngest MP in 300 years when she was elected at the age of 20 in 2015. To have won such a victory so young has won her praise from the highest level in the SNP. A video of Ms Sturgeon enthusiastically celebrating the East Dunbartonshire result drew a lot of attention. The SNP leader described her as "a young woman who has overcome a lot of personal adversity in her own life... who deserved to win that election". "She was one of the stars of the campaign," Ms Sturgeon added. "I predict she'll be one of the stars of the next House of Commons." The newly-elected MP said her party leader had encouraged her to keep being herself. And does she have her own leadership ambitions? She says her focus is solely on her constituents. What about Jo Swinson? It's not the first time Ms Swinson has lost her seat - she was defeated by the SNP's John Nicolson in 2015, but won it back in 2017. The Lib Dem leader started the campaign claiming she could be prime minister but was swiftly forced to step down as party leader. But in her constituency, the SNP candidate criticised her voting record from when her party were in coalition with the Tories, saying she was an "austerity architect". Amy Callaghan says she sympathises with the Lib Dem leader's position, but points to the East Dunbartonshire constituents, calling Ms Swinson a "pop-up" MP. She says: "I've been there for this community and she hasn't. "If you're there for the community and standing up for their interests then you're best person for the job." She said the candidates were introduced on the evening of the count, and afterwards they exchanged congratulations and commiserations. The pair don't agree on much, but share common ground in that both want to champion young women in politics. Amy said it is "certainly something to work on that [Jo Swinson] has left a legacy of". What was the election result in Scotland? What are your questions about the general election? You can let us know by completing the form below. In some cases your question will be published, displaying your name and location as you provide it, unless you state otherwise. Your contact details will never be published. Please ensure you have read the terms and conditions. If you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question.

गुरुवार के चुनाव में, पहली बार एस. एन. पी. के उम्मीदवार ने लिबरल डेमोक्रेट नेता जो स्विंसन को हराकर रात की सबसे बड़ी जीत हासिल की। तो 27 वर्षीय एमी कैलाघन कौन हैं, जिन्होंने यू. के. के सर्वोच्च प्रोफ़ाइल सांसदों में से एक का मुकाबला किया?


I found out my dad was cheating on my mum - but I couldn't tell her

Summary: What's it like when you think one of your parents is having an affair? Radio 1 Newsbeat's been chatting to a 25-year-old who spent years suspecting his dad was cheating on his mum - going through feelings of anger, denial and sadness. He's decided to tell his story, anonymously, to try and help others who're going through the same thing.

The phone on the bath I was 19, and had just got back from a festival. I went into the bathroom and saw a phone on the side of the bath. I knew it was my dad's - it was the same phone I'd noticed in his car years before, when I was in my early teens. Back then I was too young to think anything of it. But now, I was suspicious. I picked it up - there was no passcode. As I started looking through, I saw texts from a woman. I almost couldn't take any of it in, because I was so angry. Everything started unravelling in front of my eyes. But I felt there wasn't enough evidence of an affair - none of the texts were that suggestive. I had a shower, calmed down a little bit, then went into my room. I heard my dad coming up the stairs, so I called him in, and showed him the phone. His initial reaction was: "I don't know what you're talking about." He took the phone and went downstairs. Then he came back up with the dog lead and said: "Right, let's go for a chat then." On the walk, I was nervous. I didn't really confront him very hard. He basically passed it off as a friend from work who was helping him go through a hard time at work. "I haven't got many friends, and I didn't think your mum would understand if it was a woman," he said. In my head at the time, I was basically trying to justify what he was saying. I had to take his word for it. He thanked me for reacting well to it, and that was it. Amos Fast forward two years, and I still had it in the back of my head. My dad was helping me move into a new flat. He'd just got a new iPhone, and took a photo of me and sent it to someone. Later on I texted my mum, asking if he'd sent the photo of me to her. She was like: "What? I didn't get a text from dad." That triggered something in my brain. I walked back to him, and saw he was texting someone called Amos. I knew it was a disguised name, because I would know if he had a friend called Amos. Dad was staying at mine for the night and I knew I had to get hold of his phone. So in the middle of the night, I did a Matrix-style crawl across the room, grabbed it and started to go downstairs. My dad came out of the room and said: "Can I have my phone back please?" He'd absolutely busted me. I just made up an excuse about needing it to set up an alarm call. The next morning, we went for breakfast and then he left - nothing was mentioned. It was really weird. Dad's birthday Another six months passed, with everything bubbling away in my head. It was my dad's birthday. I was walking to the restaurant with mum and dad. We were going to meet my younger sister - but she was running late and dad was getting impatient. He turned around and started to storm off back home. I was getting really angry, and followed after him, shouting, calling him a coward. Suddenly it just came out of me: "Who's Amos?" He turned around, and his face was totally white. He basically kept ignoring the question, saying: "Stop talking about this." Back at the house, neither of us had a key to get in. It was so awkward and I just burst into tears and gave him a hug. I didn't know what to do. He knew that I knew something was going on - but we still didn't talk about it. My mum and sister thought we'd just had an argument. I felt like I couldn't tell my sister because she was still at school. I had it all on my shoulders. Alison Cooper, Relationship Counselling Service Feeling alone and carrying a burden is awful. If you're in a similar position, you can access relationship counselling for support. Seeing a GP is an option if someone is feeling anxious or panicky. If you're still at school, college or university, it's worth confiding in a teacher. They would then understand if your behaviour or studies changed during that time. You could try approaching another family member such as an aunt or uncle and ask them to speak to the parent. Ultimately I feel having someone you could talk to who would help normalise all those feelings which are associated with loss, would help navigate an incredibly difficult time and help accept that this was not your responsibility. And then my sister found out About two years later, I got a text from my sister saying: "Can I give you a call?" She was absolutely bawling her eyes out. "Oh my God, dad's cheating on mum," she said. Like me, she'd got suspicious about his phone and seen the texts to "Amos". At that point, I felt almost relieved to hear it. I decided to confront him over the phone. "Me and my sister both know," I said. "You need to tell mum, otherwise it's going to be very difficult for me to have any kind of relationship with you." He was just totally silent. Then at the end of the call he said: "Thanks for telling me." And that was it. The note He didn't speak to my mum straight away. He didn't even talk to my sister about it, who lived at home at the time. After three months, he still hadn't told her. I was at the point where I really wanted to punch my dad. He was driving me to the train station once, and I just went off on one in the car. That night, he sent me a text: "I'm leaving tonight, I've left a note in the wall clock. I've asked your sister to get it out on Friday." I kind of resent him for doing it that way. But after three months of my sister having to live in a house with them both, I just didn't really care how he did it. By the time I got to the house, mum had already opened the letter. And that was it. It's a pretty horrible way to find out after 25 years of marriage. The aftermath I don't really have any regrets about how it unfolded. I think that weirdly, I did everything I could. I didn't want to be the one that told my mum. She's not angry with me for knowing all that time - in fact, she was mortified by the fact I'd had to go through that. My advice I have two main pieces of advice for people going through this. Firstly, take a step back before doing anything rash. There were a couple of times where the red mist descended for me - doing things like taking a shower just help me calm things down. Second, it really helped me to be able to speak to someone privately. Me and my sister still get on each other's nerves, but it's definitely made our relationship stronger. The hard thing is how dad's behaved since mum found out. He'd not been paying her the maintenance and things like that, making life extremely difficult for her. Little things like demanding my mum return a computer that he'd been given by her parents once for Christmas. I rang him and told him to stop - my sister got involved too. The next day, he sent us both a text saying he thought it was best we don't stay in touch. Mum and dad are getting divorced - and I think he's with the other woman. I'm still working on what relationship we might be able to have in the future. If you need any help with family relationships, you can click the BBC Advice pages. Follow Newsbeat on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. Listen to Newsbeat live at 12:45 and 17:45 every weekday on BBC Radio 1 and 1Xtra - if you miss us you can listen back here.

यह कैसा लगता है जब आपको लगता है कि आपके माता-पिता में से किसी का अफेयर चल रहा है? रेडियो 1 न्यूजबीट एक 25 वर्षीय व्यक्ति से बात कर रहा है, जिसने कई साल तक संदेह किया कि उसके पिता अपनी माँ को धोखा दे रहे हैं-गुस्से, इनकार और उदासी की भावनाओं से गुजर रहे हैं। उसने गुमनाम रूप से अपनी कहानी बताने का फैसला किया, ताकि दूसरों की मदद करने की कोशिश की जा सके जो एक ही चीज़ से गुजर रहे हैं।


Plymouth 'storm chasers' defend UK coastline

Summary: They call themselves the "storm chasers".

By Jonathan MorrisBBC News, Plymouth But they are not the Hollywood-style whirlwind worriers of the 1996 film Twister. They are Plymouth University's Rapid Coastal Response Unit (RCRU) - ready to visit the beach at the drop of an extreme weather forecast. They aim to record and assess the damage to coastal defences, in response to predictions of sea level rises and climate change. The idea for the RCRU came from the university's School of Marine Science and Engineering, which wanted a fast response to extreme weather. Professor Gerd Masselink said: "It usually takes three to four days to put our kit in place, by which time the storm could have passed. "We needed to change the way we worked." Two years ago, his team put a proposal to the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council and has now won a £550,000 grant to study coastal erosion over three years. A van, kitted out with cameras, a laser, GPS and a quad bike is ready to go anywhere in the UK that a storm has been forecast. The RCRU has a squad of about 15 lecturers and students, including a number of surfers for whom studying waves is something they do every day. Professor Paul Russell, twice European surfing champion, said: "Measuring beach change during storms remains very challenging, but is absolutely necessary to understand better how coastlines respond to extremely large waves and high water levels." In November, the team headed to Porthleven in Cornwall where waves of (23ft) 7m were predicted. A 9ft-high scaffolding tower holds two video cameras, while another holds a laser that sweeps the beach and the waves, recording movement of the gravel, a vital defence against the sea. The RCRU is thought to be the only unit of its kind in Europe. Professor Masselink accepts we will never be able to "turn back the tide, King Canute-style". "But, with proper information we could make our sea defences the most efficient and cost-effective," he said. For instance, the team's research has raised questions about the efficiency of bulldozing gravel up a beach to bolster defences. Prof Masselink said: "In the past when coastal managers have found a gravel barrier is vulnerable, they will get a couple of bulldozers and shove it to the top. "That can make it more vulnerable because it makes it a really thin high barrier and you have weakened the structure. "A proper computer model will help you manage these things." The RCRU has also been involved with Liverpool University in assessing sea defences around Sizewell and Sellafield nuclear power stations, "ensuring the long-term viability of the sites". With the information about exact wave heights, money can be saved by not over-engineering solutions. "Coastal protection is very expensive," said Prof Masselink. "The lower a sea wall, the cheaper it is. "What we are about is better coastal management." The first storm of the season has successfully been chased, in Porthleven. Average wave heights peaked at nearly 18ft (5.4m), with the biggest wave recorded at an incredible 30ft (10.2m). Until the next big storm, the team goes back to scanning the weather charts.

वे खुद को "तूफान का पीछा करने वाले" कहते हैं।


Pontypool man, 70, in court charged with woman's murder

Summary: A 70-year-old man has appeared in court charged with the murder of a woman in Pontypool.

Linda Maggs, 74, was "found unresponsive" at an address in Sebastopol at about 09:20 GMT on Saturday. She was pronounced dead by paramedics. David John Maggs, 70, from Sebastopol, Torfaen, appeared before Newport Magistrates Court on Monday morning. He was remanded in custody to appear before Newport Crown Court on Tuesday. Related Internet Links Gwent Police

पोंटीपूल में एक महिला की हत्या के आरोप में एक 70 वर्षीय व्यक्ति अदालत में पेश हुआ है।


Port Talbot steel job losses: How town's fortunes have mirrored works

Summary: Steelworkers in Port Talbot, south Wales, find out this week if they are among 750 at the plant to lose their jobs. As the works - once fondly known to locals as "treasure island" - suffers its latest setback, what does the future hold for the town whose fortunes have mirrored the plant for generations?

By Nicola BryanBBC News June Foley, 79, has seen Port Talbot at its highs and lows. She has lived in the same terraced house on Gwendoline Street since her parents moved there when she was a baby in 1937. June was a teenager in the town at a time of huge expansion. In the early 1950s large areas of dunes were cleared at Sandfields and 900 houses were built specifically to house steelworkers. June spent much of her youth on the town's Aberavon Beach. "We were four friends together. We'd just hang around really, looking for boys I suppose," she remembers. And it was on the same beach that in 1953, a 17-year-old June met 21-year-old steel works fitter Ted. "My father died when he was 43. A day or so later my mother told me 'why don't you go out for a walk'. So I went out on my own... and I met Ted." June and Ted would go to dances, occasionally visit one of the town's five cinemas or spend time on the then vibrant beach: "People used to come down from the valleys on the train - in their thousands. There was a funfair, stalls, you could have a cup of coffee or a cup of tea or an ice-cream." June and Ted married in 1958. In the same year, 20-year-old Betty Wright, now 79, took a job as a shorthand typist at the plant. Betty worked at the steel works for four years before leaving to have children. Her husband Bernard worked at the plant from the age of 16 to 60 and "loved" the job as well as the socialising at local dance halls and clubs. "The money was good but you had to put up with the rest of it mind…the smoke from the works. Where there's muck there's brass, they say, and that's true." The 1950s and 1960s were the "boom years" for Port Talbot, says Bleddyn Penny, a Swansea University PhD student who has interviewed more than 40 former steelworkers for his thesis on the history of Port Talbot steelworks. A labour shortage after the war meant good wages with generous benefits were being offered to entice workers in. At its peak the works employed almost 20,000. "Port Talbot steelworkers were the best-paid manual workers in Great Britain," he says. "If you look at press reports at the time there's a sense of envy of a supercilious nature at the big money Port Talbot steelworkers made and spent on flash cars." June remembers: "Oh, it was lovely. There were an awful lot of food shops, clothes shops, pubs, you name it, everything." In 1963, Ted became a foreman at the plant and was on "good money" enabling them to take their three children on holidays. "Butlins, Pontins, Porthcawl, not extravagant holidays," remembers June. The Afan Lido was opened by the Queen in 1965 and there was a sense Port Talbot was really on the up. 'Silly' strikes But despite the prosperity, there were hard times too. Ted was on strike for six months in the 1960s without pay: "Everyone wanted duffle coats, but the works wouldn't give them duffle coats so we went on strike. We had hundreds of silly strikes. "We had no money. His mother used to give me £2 every Friday so I could go and buy bits and pieces." Bleddyn says almost all the former workers he spoke to had fond memories of the industry, despite the dangers. "I asked them what it was like on the first day in the steel works and a lot of them said things like 'it was like stepping into hell' or 'frightening,' yet you ask them if they enjoyed their job and all would go back tomorrow. [There's a] camaraderie being a steelworker." 'So dirty' When meeting former steelworkers in the town, Bleddyn was struck that the works are almost always visible: "No matter where you were in Port Talbot - Margam, Sandfields, Taibach, Baglan - from everyone's house you can see the steel works. "And think of the people in Margam who regularly have to clean dust off their cars and windows." Marion Bowerman, 79, who lives in Margam, knows this first hand. "When we built our house we put in white windows, but when they were renewed we put in brown ones. They just got so dirty", she says. But former steelworker and local councillor Tony Taylor is more pragmatic. "If you're from Port Talbot you can't afford to worry about that," he says. "I had white double glazed windows put in. My wife said, 'What's that red dust on them?' and I said 'that's what paid to put them in in the first place'." 'Treasure island' Tony had the first day of what would be a 44-year career at the plant in 1973. By now the workforce had been reduced to about 13,500, but it was still a great place to work, he says. "The steelworks was treasure island. It paid high wages and you didn't need any qualifications... you just turned up, filled your forms in and they took you on." Bleddyn says many former steelworkers tell the same story: "I'm paraphrasing, but someone said to me 'it didn't matter if you left school and couldn't read or if you had a degree - there was a job for you in the works'. All educational abilities were catered for." 'Giro city' But the 1980s saw a change in fortune for the steel town. "The Thatcher government came in, the plant wasn't being productive and we had to slim down," says Tony. "1980 was a watershed moment for the Port Talbot steel industry," says Bleddyn. "It was the first year when people realised the works seriously might close." About 6,000 jobs were lost in 1980 and the impact on the town was felt almost immediately. "That's when the town was labelled 'giro city' - synonymous with people signing on the dole," says Bleddyn. "The look and feel of the town always mirrors what's going on in the works." Looming large from the town's now dilapidated Plaza cinema are the faces of the big three local stars - Richard Burton, Sir Anthony Hopkins and Michael Sheen. To many local people, the boarded-up building serves as a monument to Port Talbot's decline. Prof Angela Vaughan John, who grew up in Margam, has written a book about Port Talbot's acting phenomenon, The Actors' Crucible, and has identified 50 actors from the town. She says there are several reasons for this phenomenon: the amateur tradition has strong links to the professional; Port Talbot, despite "feeling like a valleys town" is "brilliantly connected"; and the community has great "educators, teachers and promoters of drama" who have propelled young actors to success. "I also think emulation is important," she says. 'Drama and steel' "Rob Brydon [from Baglan] said to me: 'It's not like one person came from the town. You feel maybe I can do something.' That fact that two enormous superstars came from the area [Burton and Hopkins] meant it was possible." And she spotted a "remarkable synergy" between the town's steel and acting heritage when Michael Sheen appeared on BBC's Newsnight to debate the job cuts with business minister Anna Soubry. "[They invited] an actor from Port Talbot, not a politician or an industrialist. He is emerging more and more and an effective community spokesperson," she says "That fusion of drama and steel was in one sense exemplified and encapsulated through that programme." Sheen's father Meyrick, a former Jack Nicholson impersonator and founder of the Port Talbot and District Amateur Operatic Society, says his son gets his passion for the town from the community. And he gets inspiration from the sight of the steel works at night, his father says: "He loves to go to the mountains and look over at the steelworks... he has this inspiration coming through to him, I'm sure." On a Wednesday evening in a building tucked behind Taibach's library, the amateur operatic society's youth theatre meets for rehearsals. But despite the singing and laughter, these local children have a lot on their minds. Nine-year-old Naeve is worried about her dad's job at the steel works: "He doesn't know [if he's lost his job] yet, but if he does it's going to be really hard for us. My mother works, but part-time. I'm a bit sad," she says. And 15-year-old James is scared his dad could lose his home: "Since my parents divorced that's the house he's been in for 14 years. It's a big deal for the family. I'm not good with change." And Ethan, 15, is concerned how the job cuts will impact his generation's career prospects: "There are people about my age and in five years they'll be finishing university and they'll have less opportunities for work." His parents have a window cleaning business. "It's a luxury to have your house cleaned so that's one thing people are going to have to cut back on," he says. But despite the uncertainty in the town, Ethan plans to become a nurse and work locally. In fact, most of the children in the group hope to remain in the town long-term. Regardless of salaries starting at about £30,000, none of the children see the steel works as a career option. Instead, they want to be teachers, actors, writers and lawyers. But what of Port Talbot's future? Has the town lost a grip on its own destiny? Is there a future for this once prosperous town? James is not optimistic: "There will be hundreds laid off and it will affect their lives massively. It's hard to say if they'll recover from it. I don't think they will." The same concerns are shared by the older generation. June and Ted are concerned for their family's jobs. Despite the fact Ted retired from the steel works in the early 1990s, it runs in the blood. Two of their sons and one of their grandsons also went on to work at the plant. June also worries Port Talbot would be "dead" without the steelworks. "I think the town is horrible now to be honest with you. [Without the works] it would be a ghost town. People won't have the money to spend."

पोर्ट टैलबोट, साउथ वेल्स में स्टील श्रमिकों को इस सप्ताह पता चलता है कि क्या वे अपनी नौकरी खोने वाले संयंत्र में 750 लोगों में से हैं। जैसा कि काम-जिसे कभी स्थानीय लोग प्यार से "खजाना द्वीप" के रूप में जानते थे-को अपने नवीनतम झटके का सामना करना पड़ता है, उस शहर के लिए भविष्य क्या है जिसकी किस्मत ने पीढ़ियों से संयंत्र को प्रतिबिंबित किया है?


Coronavirus doctor's diary: Karen caught Covid - and took it home

Summary: Everyone has heard about doctors and nurses catching Covid-19 but some of the worst affected hospital staff have been cleaners and porters. Dr John Wright of Bradford Royal Infirmary tells the story of a cleaner who became ill, and is now stricken with guilt for taking the virus home.

The first person I see early each morning when I arrive at the hospital is our cleaner, Karen Smith. During 10 months of uncertainty, Karen has been the one constant, apart from a few weeks in spring, when she was ill with Covid-19. Usually Karen cleans the offices of the hospital's Institute for Health Research, but in the first wave of the pandemic she was called to the Covid wards. It was a frightening time for everyone, but Karen volunteered for an extra shift on Good Friday as there was a staff shortage - and on that day she thinks she was infected. We know that working in hospitals increases your risk of infection by a factor of three, but this risk is not evenly spread. Antibody tests carried out in many NHS hospitals over the summer showed it was not the ICU consultants or infectious "red zone" clinical staff who had the highest rate of infection, but porters and cleaners working in those areas. Their risk of infection was double that of their clinical colleagues. This heightened risk for hospital staff also applies to their household contacts. As she cleaned the hospital in April, Karen was scared not for herself, but for her family. She and her husband, Mal, had moved into a caravan in Mal's parents' garden, while his mother was ill with cancer - and they stayed on after she died, to support Mal's 80-year-old father, Malcolm. Mal, a hospital porter, was shielding because he has chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and Malcolm senior was clearly vulnerable because of his age. Stopping work, however, was not a luxury Karen could afford. And unlike some hospital staff who were housed in hotels to protect their families, she went back home every night. She became ill towards the end of April, followed by Mal at the beginning of May. The weather was hot, she remembers, as they coughed and wheezed in the caravan. "It was like being in a tin box," she says. "I got Covid and couldn't get over it properly. And then Mal got it and his was on another level compared to mine - and then his dad got ill, and that was a different ball game altogether." Front-line diary Prof John Wright, a doctor and epidemiologist, is head of the Bradford Institute for Health Research, and a veteran of cholera, HIV and Ebola epidemics in sub-Saharan Africa. He is writing this diary for BBC News and recording from the hospital wards for BBC Radio. The couple had to go inside the house to cook and to use the bathroom but did their best to keep away from the elderly Malcolm, who would go into a different room whenever they entered. "We tried so, so hard not to give it to him - but then he got ill and he just went to his bed. Honestly, he was just like a little child, under the quilt looking all bewildered. He started with the shivers and we rang 111. They said to bring him to Accident and Emergency to get him tested, and we couldn't believe it when it came back positive," Karen says. Later, he was brought into hospital. I have fond memories of meeting Malcolm on the ward after he was admitted, acutely struggling with symptoms of cough and shortness of breath from his Covid infection. He was a kind and gentle man, stoical and patient. He was adamant that he had been careful to keep his distance from Karen and Mal in the house, but admitted wandering over to show them articles in the Telegraph and Argus - Bradford's daily newspaper - whenever I was mentioned in it. I felt strangely culpable that I might have been the cause of the transmission. Malcolm made a good recovery and was eager to be discharged. But Covid is an unpredictable illness, and it can happen that improvements in a patient's condition are followed by a sharp deterioration. And this is what happened with Malcolm soon after he arrived home. "He didn't want to go back into hospital - he said to get him some Tunes because they would help him breathe," says Karen. "But nothing could help him, he was so, so ill. We had to say to him, 'No, you've got Covid and you need proper medical care.' He was such a lovely man, bless him." Malcolm was readmitted after two nights at home and died on 28 May. Karen returned to work. But like many people who have had this illness, she has been suffering the after-effects, both physically and mentally. She's now on an inhaler for breathlessness, can barely taste anything seven months later, and is constantly tired. She is also receiving medication for anxiety because of the fear that she will have to return to the Covid wards, where potentially she could get ill again. And in her case there is the added pain of having lost a loved one, mixed with feelings of guilt. "When I start to think about him the tears come and sometimes I'll be crying almost all day - cleaning and crying. If I'm having a bad day, I won't be able to talk," she says. "The guilt is always there, as I'll never know for sure where he picked it up. Mal's dad didn't set foot out of the door, and so in my head I feel such guilt, because we had to go into the house, we didn't have any choice. I go over it all but it's hard to escape from, because I got it, Mal got it and then his Dad got it. Deep down I think that's what's happened, and it will take time to come to terms with." Karen has been referred for counselling, but there is a long waiting list. Both Karen and Mal also had to wait for the vaccine, though both had it on Wednesday. This was a huge relief for Karen, as anything that reduces her chance of reinfection also helps her cope with her anxiety. If NHS trusts are serious about following the science then arguably they should be vaccinating cleaners and porters first. The fear of transmitting the virus to our loved ones at home is the ghost that haunts all front-line staff. Many went into isolation during the first wave, but this was never a sustainable approach, and with a virus that is so contagious and an environment in which it is so prevalent, transmission to family members is unfortunately common. Karen and Mal personify this occupational risk, and its potential deadly impact. Follow @docjohnwright and radio producer @SueM1tchell on Twitter

सभी ने डॉक्टरों और नर्सों के कोविड-19 से संक्रमित होने के बारे में सुना है, लेकिन सबसे अधिक प्रभावित अस्पताल के कर्मचारियों में से कुछ सफाई कर्मचारी और कुली हैं। ब्रैडफोर्ड रॉयल इन्फर्मरी के डॉ. जॉन राइट एक सफाई कर्मचारी की कहानी बताते हैं जो बीमार हो गया था, और अब वायरस को घर ले जाने के लिए अपराधबोध से ग्रस्त है।


Coronavirus lockdown: Why garden centres reopened first

Summary: Garden centres have become the first businesses allowed to reopen to the public - first in Wales and from today in England - since the government shut down non-essential shops. But why were they singled out and how will they cope with business in the pandemic?

By Joseph LeeBBC News For gardeners at home, it's been a frustration not to be able to plant during one of the most beautiful springtimes the UK has seen in years. "As an industry we have missed probably the best spring that any of us can remember," says Boyd Douglas-Davies, president of the Horticultural Trades Association (HTA) and director of British Garden Centres, a 57-branch chain. What that means behind the scenes for many of the UK's growers has been devastating. Mr Douglas-Davies says one shared an image of 50,000 Scabiosa "Butterfly Blue" flowers in a greenhouse, timed to bloom for Easter and destined never to reach customers. Millions of lost plants "They flowered their hearts out, it was just gorgeous, stunning - you know when you look at a lavender field and go wow? The sheer scale of it," he says. Mr Douglas-Davies says another grower, who commands about half of the market in young plants, had to throw away 450 million of them in the first six weeks of lockdown. "Some of the public thought we could just put plants outside the gate with an honesty box but when you look at the sheer scale of the plants produced in the UK and sold through garden centres, that was never going to happen," he says. The impact has been "catastrophic", he says, and the loss of much of the spring season's income means one in three growers face financial difficulties: they can't replace lost business later in the year. That is one reason why the HTA was working with governments in Wales and England to get garden centres to reopen, successfully arguing that the open spaces meant transmitting coronavirus was less likely and it was easier to maintain social distancing. Content available only in the UK Garden centres remain closed in Northern Ireland and Scotland. Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has suggested that an announcement on the reopening of garden centres could be made this coming weekend, while Northern Ireland will reopen garden centres in the first stage of its plan to ease lockdown but there is no date for this. At Carmarthen Garden Centre, which opened when the Welsh government gave the go-ahead on Monday, customers are met in the car park by a staff member in PPE and directed to a queue, with markings 2m apart. At the entrance, they are handed a trolley - which has been sanitised - then guided down a one-way system. Mr Douglas-Davies says people have been carefully observing the social distancing rules, although demand has been high enough for some to wait in the car park before opening time. What they find inside is also a little different. Mr Douglas-Davies says there is only about 25% of the usual seasonal plants. They have no tomato plants in Carmarthen, for instance, because growers couldn't take the risk of planting them three weeks ago. "We can't just flick a switch and the factory comes back on," he says. "Some plants will be in short supply and some plants just won't appear this spring. There will be a different look to gardens this summer." Over 20m people in the UK say they are interested in gardening, according to the HTA, and almost nine out of 10 British homes have gardens. Another argument that swayed the government was that enabling people to work on their gardens would encourage them to stay at home, Mr Douglas-Davies says. Gardening presenter Alan Titchmarsh thinks "it's putting a bit of brightness back into our lives". "Thank goodness we haven't been delayed another month otherwise it would have been pointless and most stuff would have been dumped," he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme. But now, Mr Titchmarsh says, you can plant "virtually anything" as long as you remember to water it and watch out for frost on the weather forecast. 'A nation of gardeners' The stresses of lockdown mean that many people are rediscovering the appeal of gardening, says Damien Newman from Thrive, a charity that uses gardening to promote physical and mental health. "Nurturing plants is a proven way to divert our attention from the stresses of life," he says. "Lockdown has placed limitations on us but growing and looking after plants helps us look forward with hope of better days to come." Some studies have shown that just looking at plants can relieve feelings of stress, he says, meaning people with just a window box or a balcony can benefit too. That's one reason that Mr Douglas-Davies is expecting Wednesday's reopening of garden centres in England to be a popular move. "We're a nation of gardeners and garden centres have been the heart of that for 30-plus years. We're part of the cultural landscape."

उद्यान केंद्र जनता के लिए फिर से खोलने की अनुमति देने वाले पहले व्यवसाय बन गए हैं-पहले वेल्स में और आज से इंग्लैंड में-जब से सरकार ने गैर-आवश्यक दुकानों को बंद कर दिया है। लेकिन उन्हें अलग क्यों किया गया और वे महामारी में व्यवसाय का सामना कैसे करेंगे?


Police move to ground World Cup thugs

Summary: England fans might be more worried about Rio's replacement or who is going to play up front with Rooney. But at more than a dozen British airports, the authorities now have their eyes on the bigger picture - possible troublemakers flying out to South Africa.

By Jim ReedNewsbeat reporter Police expect between 25,000 and 40,000 fans to make the 11-hour trip to Johannesburg or Cape Town before first round matches kick off on 11 June. This week sees the start of Operation Mulse. Thousands of travellers will be pulled aside by specialist officers armed with portable scanners linked to the police national computer. The extra checks are meant to stop any of the 3,143 fans with football banning orders, who haven't already handed over their passports, from making it to South Africa. Police also have the power to stop anyone they suspect of planning to cause trouble and, based on their criminal record, prevent them from leaving the country. "The vast majority of supporters are going to South Africa to have a great time and enjoy themselves," said Bryan Drew, the director of the Football Policing Unit. "You can never be 100% confident, but we have made as many preparations as possible to prevent organised violence and we hope that even if England win all their matches and progress, then the celebratory behaviour is kept within reasonable limits." Banning orders Football banning orders are now one of the main weapons the courts use to try to stop people from causing trouble both at domestic matches and when England play abroad. Fan talks about living with a banning order They prevent people from setting foot in any domestic football stadium or leaving the country when England are playing away. Most of the 3,143 people on an active banning order had to surrender their passports by 2 June and will not be able to fly overseas without special permission until the end of the World Cup on 11 July. They also have to appear in person at a local police station on the day of each England game to prove they haven't skipped abroad on false documents. Officers from the Football Policing Unit say that the "vast majority" of passports were handed in by the deadline and they are now working with local police to track down the rest. The penalty for ignoring an order is a maximum of six months in prison, a £5,000 fine and an extension of the ban. "It's a preventative measure to stop a repeat of that behaviour for between three and 10 years," said Bryan Drew at the Football Policing Unit. "At recent England matches there have been no incidents and no arrests. In fact our supporters are often praised for their behaviour as opposed to a source of national disgrace as they were before." Others though reckon banning orders might work in the domestic game but are less effective at stopping trouble abroad. "Most of those people wouldn't have wanted to go to an England game in the first place," said Dr Clifford Stott from Liverpool University, who advises the government and police forces on crowd dynamics. "The main factor is the nature of the police response. When it is proportional and legitimate then we see a decline in the overall level of violence." Research from Liverpool University found that 97% of the 965 fans arrested at the Euro 2000 tournament in Holland and Belgium were not known hooligans. "They were in place in Germany but there were still more than 800 arrests. Clearly there is an issue there because it hasn't stopped the problem." Police say they are not complacent. Anyone caught causing trouble in South Africa will face a possible banning order when they return to the UK stopping them from setting foot in any domestic stadium for at least two years. Twelve officers from across the UK are also being sent to South Africa to support travelling supporters, spot potential trouble makers and advise local police on how to deal with England fans.

इंग्लैंड के प्रशंसक रियो के प्रतिस्थापन के बारे में अधिक चिंतित हो सकते हैं या जो रूनी के साथ खेलने जा रहे हैं। लेकिन एक दर्जन से अधिक ब्रिटिश हवाई अड्डों पर, अधिकारियों की नज़र अब बड़ी तस्वीर पर है-संभावित परेशानी पैदा करने वाले जो दक्षिण अफ्रीका के लिए उड़ान भर रहे हैं।


'Somebody answered my dead brother's number'

Summary: When a loved one dies, it is often hard to let go and many people try to maintain a connection any way they can. For some, it can be by visiting a grave, posting on a Facebook memorial page or even texting them.

By Dhruti ShahBBC News, Washington DC For six months, Ruth Murray had been finding comfort in text messaging the phone number belonging to her brother Mike - it was a way of staying close to him after he died suddenly. The 36-year-old from Minneapolis never expected a response but it was just her way of staying connected to her older sibling. So in late September, when her phone buzzed with a message from the number she had for years labelled "brothaboo", her stomach dropped. She had texted him just hours previously saying: "I just miss you so much. God. What the hell". But the stranger - Amber Leinweber, 32, of Oshkosh, Wisconsin - has turned out to be a godsend for grieving Ruth. When Amber found out what Ruth was going through, she told her to "text anytime you need to", adding: "I know we don't know each other, but [I] don't mind being a sounding board." She had, by coincidence, been assigned Mike's old number when her bosses gave her a work phone, and had at first thought that the texts she kept receiving were for a lost phone. Ruth said: "My brother Mike overdosed on heroin in March. He had struggled with addiction for 12 years and although he had been clean for three months, he relapsed and passed away aged 37. "We were really close and would text every day. He called me sisterboo. If I had a joke to tell him or a memory I wanted to share or I just wanted to reach out to him, I'd message him in the same way as before he died." She said she never expected his number to be reassigned so quickly and when Amber first messaged, Ruth had to leave the room she was in and find somewhere to cry. However, when Ruth posted the exchange on Reddit, she was shocked by how much it resonated, with more than 80,000 upvotes and 800 comments. People from all over the world admitted to how they too would contact their loved ones via text, Snapchat, Facebook and more. Camille Sharrow-Blaum from Michigan was among those who responded. She posted that her friend Jenny had died from cancer last year aged 27 but despite this Camille's network continued to reach out to her. "Her husband keeps paying for her cell phone and number so that we can all text it. He keeps it charging in a drawer and never looks at the messages, but he knows there are five of us in a group chat and we can't bear to start a new one without her." She told the BBC the group still felt Jenny was a key part of their lives and they wanted to share milestones with her, adding: "It just feels right for our conversations to continue with her in the group chat - it makes it feel like a direct line to Jenny. It helps us remember her, no matter how long she's been gone." 'Small things' Jaclyn Schwartz from Texas also continued to pay for her husband Jason's phone line following his death from multiple organ failure in 2017. It allows her to text him, see the images he took and the conversations he has with people. "It makes him seem not so far away when I really miss him," she said. "It's something that was such an ordinary part of his day, using that phone. And when you lose someone the little things can disappear so fast with time. How his hair smelled or the way he walked a little wonky in flip flops or the way he drove me crazy by never deleting any emails, even junk mail. "I don't want to lose the small things. I'm in no rush to shut it off." And Jessica Allen, of London, Ontario, told Redditors: "We buried my brother with his phone, so that we could text him. My parents paid for it for a few months then stopped. Eventually a year later someone got the number." Jessica told the BBC her brother Brad killed himself aged 18 in 2007. She said it had been important to the family to maintain that connection through the phone. When the number was reassigned, Jessica admits it was difficult as it marked another loss. Andrea Warnick is a psychotherapist in Toronto specialising in grief counselling. She is unsurprised by the need for people to stay in touch with deceased friends and families through their phones and social media: "There is a profound human need to stay connected to the dead." She said that historically this would be where religious and spiritual institutions would step in and offer rituals. "Most of the people who engage in this are not expecting a response. It's just a means of communicating. Many of us don't have the rituals or traditions that used to be the guiding force in these times." She says it was perfectly healthy to want to stay in touch however, when the numbers were reassigned by third parties, there was a risk of it feeling like an additional death. She added it was important for those grieving to make room for death in their lives. Ruth says she felt comforted by the reaction and she wanted to meet Amber to thank her in person, especially after discovering this one-time stranger's husband once played in the same poker circles as her brother. Amber, 32, said: "I truly believe I was supposed to get that number. It's more than a coincidence that I was given it. The more we talked over messages, the more we realised we had so much in common. She is a little puzzled why it "blew up" on Reddit like it did. "When did being a compassionate human being become something exceptional? "It didn't cost me anything to respond. People get hung up on trying to say the right thing in these types of situations but sometimes people just need to be able to vent or say what they need and move on. "They don't need advice on how to grieve. They just need space. It takes nothing to lend your ear."

जब किसी प्रियजन की मृत्यु हो जाती है, तो अक्सर इसे छोड़ना मुश्किल होता है और कई लोग किसी भी तरह से संपर्क बनाए रखने की कोशिश करते हैं। कुछ लोगों के लिए, यह कब्र पर जाकर, फेसबुक स्मारक पृष्ठ पर पोस्ट करके या उन्हें संदेश भेजकर भी हो सकता है।


Sean Quinn case: legal action against Central Bank and finance minister

Summary: Lawyers for the family of Sean Quinn have begun a court action in the Republic of Ireland to add the Irish Central Bank and the department for finance to a £2.4bn euro (£2bn) case, against the former Anglo Irish Bank.

They say the bank and department were aware that Anglo was funding the family's share dealings in the bank. The family claims they should not have to repay the bank's loans to them. Mr Quinn, now bankrupt, was once Ireland's richest man. An earlier court hearing had heard that between October 2005 and July 2007 Sean Quinn had built up a 28% stake in the former Anglo Irish Bank using contracts for difference, a financial instrument used to gamble on the bank share price. When senior executives at the bank learnt of this "colossal interest" in September 2007, a system was set up whereby money was loaned to the Quinn group to support this gamble. Share dealings On Wednesday, lawyers for the Quinn family accused the Central Bank and the Irish department of finance of conspiring to get the former Anglo Irish Bank to commit an illegal act, then to commit that act, and thereby to engage in market abuse. The Quinns claim that the financial regulator, who was based in the Central Bank, and the department of finance were aware that Anglo was secretly funding the family's ill-fated share dealings in the bank. Lawyers for the family claim the officials purpose was to protect Anglo's falling share price. Three senior bank executives are due to go on trial next year charged in connection with the alleged market abuse. The Quinn's full case against the bank will not be heard until the trial of former chairman Sean FitzPatrick and two other Anglo executives is completed. Anglo Irish was the first Irish bank to seek a government bail out. It ran into trouble after lending tens of billions of euros to property developers before the collapse of the property market. A government rescue package eventually cost Irish taxpayers 30bn euros ($39.4bn; £25bn). The bank was nationalised in 2009 and its affairs were taken over by the IBRC. The banking crisis led to Ireland having to ask the International Monetary Fund and the European Union for a 85bn euro (£72.4bn) bail out in 2010. At the height of his success, Sean Quinn was the 12th richest man in the UK and the richest in Ireland.

सीन क्विन के परिवार के वकीलों ने आयरलैंड गणराज्य में आयरिश सेंट्रल बैंक और वित्त विभाग को पूर्व एंग्लो आयरिश बैंक के खिलाफ £ 2.4bn यूरो (£2bn) के मामले में जोड़ने के लिए एक अदालती कार्रवाई शुरू की है।


Marine-friendly sea walls for Cornwall proposed

Summary: A three-year project is under way in Cornwall to design sea walls which can be colonised by marine life such as mussels and barnacles.

Staff and students at Cornwall's university want to produce rough and patterned concrete walls as habitats. Traditionally, many harbour walls and breakwaters are constructed with smooth surfaces. University College Falmouth said it was looking for a harbour where experiments could be conducted. Daniel Metcalfe, a PhD student involved in the project, said: "The idea is that the concrete pattern has meaning for marine life, so it is protected from predators and the waves." The research also involves the universities of Exeter and Plymouth and a Cornish concrete company.

कॉर्नवॉल में समुद्री दीवारों को डिजाइन करने के लिए तीन साल की परियोजना चल रही है, जिन्हें समुद्री जीवन जैसे मसल्स और बार्नाकल द्वारा उपनिवेशित किया जा सकता है।


Rotherham abuse: Hussain brothers 'were infamous'

Summary: For the three Hussain brothers - Arshid, Basharat and Bannaras - Rotherham was their personal playground and the young girls they abused were merely their toys. The men groomed and raped children for nearly 20 years. Now they have been convicted, charities say the brothers should have been prosecuted 15 years ago.

By Bethan BellBBC News The trial centred on a group of young girls who each believed they were girlfriends of the Hussain brothers. In reality they were being used, abused and traded as sexual commodities. Arshid and Basharat have now been found guilty of a total of 38 offences, including rape, indecent assault, abduction, actual bodily harm and forcing their victims to have sex with others. Bannaras pleaded guilty before the trial to 10 charges, including two counts of rape and six of indecent assault. The brothers' uncle, Qurban Ali, was found guilty of conspiracy to rape but cleared of other charges of rape, indecent assault and procuring a girl for unlawful sex. Known around the South Yorkshire town by their nicknames of Mad Ash, Bash and Bono - the three brothers were drug dealers who ruled the roost using violence and fear, their trial heard. They were also superficially charming, and knew how to pick their vulnerable victims. The grooming took place across Rotherham; in houses, lock-up garages, churchyards and public spaces, including Clifton Park. The victims were forced to perform sex acts, often on several men at a time, and also forced to store guns and drugs for the gang. Some were as young as 11 but, according to an unpublished Home Office report in 2002, South Yorkshire Police and Rotherham Council regarded them not as grooming victims but youngsters who had made a lifestyle choice. Jessica's story Jessica* was 14 when she was first abused by the then 24-year-old Arshid Hussain. "At first he was really nice, he paid me compliments and took me to nice places. But then he started being very controlling, he isolated me and I wasn't allowed to do anything without his permission. "It became that the only person in my world was him. "I remember my family was really trying to get me out of it - but I just thought they were against me. [Hussain] said it was because they were jealous and they didn't want us to be together. "I believed him. "There were times when I actually thought he was going to kill me - that became on a daily basis. There were lots of people scared of the Hussains, not just children like myself. "The police didn't help - they just saw me as a child with an attitude problem. I was being mentally, physically and sexually abused. And they just left me with him." *Jessica's name has been changed to protect her identity An independent review carried out by Professor Alexis Jay in 2014 found "at an operational level, the police gave no priority to child sexual abuse, regarding many child victims with contempt and failing to act on their abuse as a crime". She said if the Home Office report had been "treated with the seriousness it merited at the time by both the police and the council, the children involved then and later would have been better protected and abusers brought to justice". While the girls were initially charmed by their "boyfriends", affectionate words and generous gifts were soon replaced by beatings, humiliation and enforced prostitution. According to one victim, who believed she was "in a relationship" with Basharat Hussain when she was 15, the brothers had influence over some officers at South Yorkshire Police. She told Sheffield Crown Court: "Bash said he used to pay this person in CID, and this person would say what's happening with me and he'd also tell him when he was going to get busted." These claims are now being investigated. But in at least one case in the early 2000s, a victim's abuser seemed to be aware she was at a police station, waiting to make a complaint against him. The Home Office researcher behind the 2002 paper, Adele Gladman, described this particular case as "the final straw". The young girl had been repeatedly raped and had tried to escape her perpetrators but was terrified of reprisals. They had allegedly vandalised the parental home and attacked her brother "to send a message". At that point, the child agreed to make a complaint to the police. Ms Gladman took her to the police station office. While there, the girl received a text from the main perpetrator. He had with him her 11-year old sister. He said repeatedly to her "your choice…". The girl did not proceed with the complaint, telling Ms Gladman: "You can't protect me". These details were found to be accurate by the 2014 Independent Review. Ms Gladman said that by October 2001, 54 young women had been linked to the brothers. Of those, 18 had identified Arshid Hussain to project workers as their "boyfriend". He repeatedly raped one girl at the home of Karen MacGregor after the girl had been befriended by MacGregor and Shelly Davies. One witness compared MacGregor's home to the witch's house in Hansel and Gretel. The grooming activities of the Hussains were widely rumoured, according to Jayne Senior, who set up outreach service Risky Business to work with young people being abused through prostitution. By the late 1990s, Risky Business had identified vulnerable girls and young women on the streets who reported they were being abused. Ms Senior said there was enough information to launch a criminal investigation "in the early 2000s". But it later emerged some of the information had gone missing. The former chief executive of Rotherham Council, Martin Kimber, told MPs the files had "disappeared" from the authority's archives, while director of children's services Joyce Thacker said the material did not appear to have been referred to in any existing council minutes. Asked whether there had been a "deliberate attempt to suppress information", she said she could not answer. Ms Gladman said files containing data on "who the perpetrators were, what cars they were using, their grooming methods, their offending methods, and what I was also collecting, information on professional responses" were stolen from her office. She said there were no signs of a forced entry to the key-coded and locked security doors. Another person who believed himself to have been ignored by the authorities is Jim Stevens who, between 1985 and 2010, ran a hostel for young vulnerable people in the town. He said the Hussains had come up in conversation as abusers since 2001. He said his staff would speak to girls staying at the hostel who described the brothers as violent and controlling. "The general impression we got was that if the Hussains wanted anything or wanted to meet a girl, then they got what they wanted. "If they sent someone round or phoned a mobile they gave the girls, the girls didn't have the confidence to say 'no'. And given the reputation of the Hussains for violence and the way they treated people - it's understandable that's what they would do. "The Hussains were violent, ruthless and had no respect for anyone, individuals or organisations. They were extremely frightening and threatening characters." In 2003, Arshid Hussain and Bannaras Hussain were found guilty of aggravated burglary, grievous bodily harm and witness intimidation. Arshid Hussain was left paralysed from the waist down after being shot in a gangland incident in 2005. Mr Stevens said when he and his staff had multi-agency meetings, any mention of sexual exploitation was recorded and passed to the police. "But at the time, the police only had one dedicated officer for sexual exploitation and she made it clear to us that the information should be passed to Risky Business rather than directly passed on by us. "So that's what we did." Fleur Strong, from the charity Parents Against Child Sexual Exploitation (Pace), which was working in Rotherham at the same time as Ms Gladman, said the young girls being exploited were seen as individuals who chose to be prostitutes. "We were saying: 'This is incorrect. These are children who are being abused'." The issue of child sex abuse in Rotherham first came to light in November 2010 when five Asian men were jailed for sexual offences against underage girls. The town's former Labour MP, Denis MacShane, claimed police had kept the abuse secret from politicians. "The Rotherham police exposed, arrested and broke up an evil gang of internal traffickers who were sent to prison," he said. "But it is clear the internal trafficking of barely pubescent girls is much more widespread." It emerged that "at least" 1,400 children were sexually exploited in Rotherham and the local authority was found to be "not fit for purpose". Ms Gladman said she heard about the Hussain brothers as soon as she started her research - but the response from the council and police "was one of disbelief, that there was maybe something flawed with the information I had". "I think the victims were even more vulnerable to being abused because the reaction from the authorities reinforced the message from their abusers that nobody was interested in them, nobody was going to believe them, nobody was going to help them and that the abusers had all the power and control." Ms Gladman said she is still "confounded" by the failure of authorities to protect the girls. Her report followed a Home Office research pilot set up to find out the most effective approaches to street prostitution and child sexual exploitation. "The council had signed up to the Home Office pilot. I don't know quite what they thought it was going to find, but the fact that they didn't support it, they didn't take on board those findings is… unforgiveable." Ms Strong said: "We knew the victims and from that we built up information and intelligence about [people] who were then called pimps but we now call perpetrators. "The Hussain brothers were infamous. They were plying girls with alcohol and drugs, they were raping them and sexually abusing them and exploiting them. We knew exactly what was happening." The charity went to the police and the local authority and also wrote to the Home Office. But Ms Strong said she felt the police did not want to know. "It was an experience of basically being blocked, being shut down and not listened to. When you're a tiny charity, you can only do so much shouting. "When every institution you are trying to tell will not listen to you, it's very difficult to know where to go next. "They were more interested in protecting the reputation of their own organisations than face up to the fact they had children who were being exploited and abused in the town. It was known about and it was ignored." Chris Read, leader of Rotherham Council, acknowledged its past failings as "a catalogue of errors". "A culture that was wrong within the council...meant that these women were not heard", he said. He added: "The way we respond to child sexual exploitation is very different now to how it was in the past." Ch Supt Jason Harwin, district commander for Rotherham, said: "We recognise we've made mistakes and I'm sorry for those mistakes. "We [now] understand better the needs of victims and survivors and the support they require."

तीन हुसैन भाइयों-अर्शीद, बशारत और बनारस-के लिए रोथरहैम उनका निजी खेल का मैदान था और जिन युवा लड़कियों के साथ वे दुर्व्यवहार करते थे वे केवल उनके खिलौने थे। पुरुषों ने लगभग 20 वर्षों तक बच्चों को तैयार किया और उनके साथ बलात्कार किया। अब उन्हें दोषी ठहराया गया है, दानदाताओं का कहना है कि भाइयों पर 15 साल पहले मुकदमा चलाया जाना चाहिए था।


Charges over Jersey drugs offences after £250,000 worth seized

Summary: Three men have been charged in connection with importing and supplying Class A drugs.

They were charged after Jersey Police and the Customs and Immigration Service said it had seized drugs valued at £250,000. Three men were detained at Gorey Harbour and two were later arrested in St Helier. Officers said three of them, all from Liverpool, had been charged. They are expected to appear in court on Monday. Related Internet Links Royal Court of Jersey

क्लास ए दवाओं के आयात और आपूर्ति के संबंध में तीन लोगों पर आरोप लगाया गया है।


Views sought on Hinkley Point C nuclear power station

Summary: People living near the site of the proposed Hinkley Point C nuclear power station in Somerset are being asked for their views on the plans.

The first of four Planning Inspectorate public meetings is taking place in the village of Cannington. EDF Energy submitted plans for the plant to the Infrastructure Planning Commission (IPC) last October. Further meetings are due to take place in Otterhampton, Bridgwater and Stogursey later this month. It is the first opportunity for the Planning Inspectorate to hear the views in person of local people. The planning application is being reviewed by the IPC which deals with large scale projects. It will recommend whether permission should be granted but the final decision rests with the government. If built, the new power station could open in 2020.

समरसेट में प्रस्तावित हिंकले पॉइंट सी परमाणु ऊर्जा केंद्र के स्थल के पास रहने वाले लोगों से योजनाओं पर उनके विचार पूछे जा रहे हैं।


Tahirul Qadri - Pakistan's latest political 'drone'?

Summary: A prime-time ad on the electronic media in Pakistan these days shows Dr Tahirul Qadri, a Canada-based Islamic scholar of Pakistani origin, goading the public into joining his "long march" on the capital Islamabad on Monday.

By M Ilyas KhanBBC News, Islamabad "If you fail to come out, if you fail to strengthen my arms, then [future] generations will rue this day," he thunders in his typical furious style as the star and crescent of the green Pakistani flag flutters in the background. Last month, Mr Qadri descended on Pakistan rather suddenly, nearly seven years after he moved his hearth and home to Canada. His arrival was heralded by another expensive television ad campaign touting the slogan "save the state, not your politics" - an apparent broadside at the major political forces who are readying for elections due in May. The campaign promised a long march on Islamabad to achieve two objectives: get rid of the "corrupt" government and pave the way for electoral reforms under an interim government of "honest" people. For many, the message was clear - derail the democratic system on the pretext of cleaning up the mess, an exercise which the country's military has conducted several times in Pakistan's brief history. His subsequent stress on a role for both the military and the judiciary in choosing an interim government has sparked rumours that he probably had the backing of the military establishment. Fringe player Soon afterwards, on 23 December, he addressed what many observers here describe as a huge political rally at Minar-e-Pakistan, the independence monument in Lahore city, indicating that he had the street power to destabilise Islamabad. This threat was magnified when the Karachi-based MQM party threw its weight behind him, declaring in another public meeting on 1 January that it would participate in the long march. But can Mr Qadri sustain the momentum? A law graduate from the University of Punjab, Mr Qadri has waded in many waters during his career. He established himself as an academic, an Islamic scholar and orator, a charity worker, a politician and a parliamentarian. But at no point has he been able to graduate from a fringe player to a charismatic leader of the masses - something which his critics say he is still trying to achieve. Since the 1980s, he has travelled extensively around the world, delivering lectures and organising communities under the banner of his Minhajul Quran International, an educational and charity network he founded in 1981. He launched a political party in 1989 but was able to win a parliamentary seat only in the 2002 elections that were widely seen as tailored by the then military ruler, Gen Pervez Musharraf, to suit his own political aims. After memo-gate Since 2005, he has been living in Canada from where he says he can better manage his global network that, he says, extends to more than 80 countries. In the West, he did manage to be taken seriously by some circles, due mainly to his unorthodox views on religion, his stress on inter-faith harmony and his support for democracy. But many in Pakistan liken his sudden return to the country as a drone that is out to upset the country's nascent democracy. At least in the initial days after his arrival, he appeared to pose the most serious threat to the system since the "memo-gate" affair - a dubious scandal built around a controversial Pakistani memo that allegedly requested American intervention to cut the Pakistani military down to size. The scandal, which broke in late 2011, caused both the judiciary and the military to menacingly gang up on the civilian government but dissipated when some of the ensuing criticism started to turn against these two institutions. Ebbing support Like memo-gate, Mr Qadri too has come in for widespread criticism over his motive to strike at a time when the elections are just four months away, and over the sources of his funds. He has been dismissed as an "agent of anti-Pakistan and anti-democracy forces" by almost all the political parties, secular as well as religious. The storm of speculation forced the army spokesman, and even the US ambassador in Islamabad, to deny any association of the military or the US with Mr Qadri's campaign. Last week, Mr Qadri's only political ally, the MQM, announced it would pull out of the march, leaving him completely isolated. But he continues to press on with the march, which analysts say may end up in one of two scenarios. First, he manages to press the "pause" button on democracy. This scenario presupposes that he can paralyse Islamabad for several days running, or a bloody attack of some sort takes place, and the military is willing to use this mayhem as a pretext to force a change of government. Second, he gradually slides back off the centre-stage and passes into oblivion, like so many before him in this country of underhand deals and palace intrigues.

इन दिनों पाकिस्तान में इलेक्ट्रॉनिक मीडिया पर एक प्राइम-टाइम विज्ञापन में दिखाया गया है कि पाकिस्तानी मूल के कनाडा स्थित इस्लामी विद्वान डॉ. ताहिरुल कादरी सोमवार को राजधानी इस्लामाबाद में अपने "लॉन्ग मार्च" में शामिल होने के लिए जनता को प्रेरित कर रहे हैं।


New bench to hear Fonseka's appeal

Summary: The appeal against the verdict of the first court martial by former Army Commander Sarath Fonseka will be heard under a new panel of judges.

This follows the withdrawal of one of the judges of the two member bench, D.S.C.Lekamwasam who wanted to pull out due to personal reasons. The president of the panel is Judge Sathya Hettige. Objections The prosecuting lawyers appearing for former Army Commander, Sarath Fonseka said that the petitioner had objected to Judge Sathya Hettige’s sitting in the case. The Appeal Court considering these facts had ordered that the petition be heard under a new panel of judges on October 15. Former Army commander challenging the verdict of the first court martial requested the court to overturn the decision that stripped him of military rank. The first court martial found Sarath Fonseka guilty for involvement in politics while in service.

पूर्व सेना कमांडर शरत फोंसेका द्वारा पहले कोर्ट मार्शल के फैसले के खिलाफ अपील की सुनवाई न्यायाधीशों के एक नए पैनल के तहत की जाएगी।


Paralysed woman to tackle marathon on robot legs

Summary: Six years ago, professional horse-rider Claire Lomas was told that she would never walk again but now she is attempting to walk more than 26 miles (42km) at Sunday's London Marathon thanks to a pair of "robot legs", which have transformed her life.

By Deirdre FinnertyBBC News When Claire was told she would spend the rest of her life in a wheelchair after a spinal injury, she wanted to get back on her feet as quickly as possible and regain her independence. For the past three months she has been training intensively for the marathon using a robotic walking suit to prove she is just as determined as in her sporting days. When Claire sets out with participants on Sunday she knows that most will aim to finish in hours. For her, it will take about three weeks. A former event-rider who had competed at the highest level, Claire thought that the Burghley Horse trials, a four-star horse-riding event for top-class riders in Stamford, Lincolnshire, would be her greatest test. "I didn't think I'd ever get to that level. But the marathon is a bigger challenge. I was wrong." In the beginning she could only take two steps. Just a few weeks ago, she could only walk 30, making the marathon a near impossible feat. But Claire's sporting background has provided her with the resilience she needs to keep going. Following gruelling training sessions three times a week at a Yorkshire clinic, she can now cover longer distances of up to a mile in one session. It takes at least two-and-a-half hours for her to complete a mile but she hopes to improve her speed as the weeks pass, staying in a hotel at night-time and starting afresh every morning from the point where she left off the night before. In 2006, Claire's horse Rolled Oats clipped his shoulder, flinging her from the saddle into a nearby tree. The fall broke her neck, back and ribs and left her paralysed from the chest down. Claire first saw the "robot legs", or ReWalk bionic walking device, while researching her condition on the internet. She jokingly likens the device to Wallace and Gromit's "wrong trousers", and with the help of her friends and family raised the £43,000 necessary to get them. But walking in "techno trousers" is not as quite as easy as in the Nick Park animation - while the "wrong trousers" walk on their own, Claire's require patience, perseverance and intense effort. She says: "Not feeling my body makes it so hard. I don't know what my feet are doing." Claire relies on motion sensors to help her move and lift her legs and one of the most difficult things for her has been simply learning to stand on two feet again. "To start with I just had to find my balance without wobbling." The London marathon is not the only race Claire is competing in, as she and her one-year-old daughter, Maisie, are battling it out to see who will be the first to walk unaided. "We've had this competition all along so we'll see. She can do 10 steps on her own now. I'm as wobbly as her." Claire hopes to raise more than £50,000 for Spinal Research, a charity which funds medical research to develop treatments for paralysis. Former rugby player Matt Hampson, who was paralysed after a rugby accident, will provide moral support for part of her marathon journey, as will retired tennis player Tim Henman and former champion British equestrian Lucinda Green. "There's a lot of people who are worse off than me and haven't got the support I've got, so I want to raise as much as I can." But, when the marathon is over, Claire thinks that for the first time in six years, she will be delighted to return to her wheelchair.

छह साल पहले, पेशेवर घुड़सवार क्लेयर लोमास को बताया गया था कि वह फिर कभी नहीं चलेंगी, लेकिन अब वह रविवार की लंदन मैराथन में "रोबोट पैरों" की एक जोड़ी की बदौलत 26 मील (42 किमी) से अधिक चलने का प्रयास कर रही हैं, जिसने उनके जीवन को बदल दिया है।


Nokia and Microsoft - winners and losers

Summary: It is a shock - but hardly a surprise.

Rory Cellan-JonesTechnology correspondent@BBCRoryCJon Twitter Two years after Nokia's Stephen Elop told his company it was leaping off the "burning platform" of its Symbian operating system and switching to Windows Phone, the relationship with Microsoft is becoming a marriage. With Nokia the only company making Windows Phone handsets its first priority, it was inevitable that Microsoft would want full control. After all, its whole strategy for playing catch-up with Google, Apple and Samsung in the new world of the mobile internet depends on finally getting some impetus behind Windows Phone. So who wins and who loses from this deal? Nokia shareholders may be breathing a sigh of relief. Yes, they are only getting $7bn for a business that had a market capitalisation of $150bn in 2007. But the 40% rise in the share price this morning shows they feel this is a far better outcome than they might have expected after years of decline. As for Microsoft, it will be a while before we know whether Steve Ballmer's last big gamble as CEO has paid off. He sees this deal as the final piece in the jigsaw, in his strategy to turn the software company into a devices and services business. He told me this morning he was keeping on driving ahead while the board looks for a successor - and defended his record as CEO: "We've done a great job for shareholders," he said. But even the presentation about the deal at the Helsinki press conference talked of beating Blackberry for third place in the mobile phone market - and Microsoft's investors may find that number three is not a very profitable place to be. For Finland and for Europe as a whole, this must be seen as a sad day. It is hard to remember just how recently Nokia was Europe's technology superstar, with a 40% share of one of the world's fastest growing industries and a proud record of innovation. Now, the day after another European telecoms giant Vodafone gave up on its American ambitions, the US is swallowing up Nokia. Europe set the pace in the early stages of the mobile phone revolution - now it is American and Asian companies which are shaping its future.

यह एक सदमा है-लेकिन शायद ही कोई आश्चर्य।