High stakes for all players in Uttar Pradesh poll

Summary: The styles of the contending campaigners are contrasting, but the goal is the same - the capture of power in India's most populous state of Uttar Pradesh, where multi-stage elections could hold the key to national polls in 2014.

By Amit BaruahEditor, BBC Hindi A lot is at stake for Rahul Gandhi, the fourth-generation scion of the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty; Mulayam Singh Yadav, the old warhorse of Uttar Pradesh politics; and Ms Mayawati, a champion of India's oppressed Dalit underclass and currently chief minister of the state. As Rahul Gandhi's helicopter descends from the skies at one of his many campaign stops, several thousand people are waiting to see this aspirant for India's top job in the 2014 parliamentary elections. But, here, in Morava village, just outside the state capital of Lucknow, Mr Gandhi is fighting a semi-final battle to the big game in 2014. Even a moderate success in the Uttar Pradesh elections would mean that a tottering Congress party, which has been out of power in the state for more than 20 years, is seen flying its flag again. Clad in a flowing white tunic and white pyjamas, Rahul is constantly rolling up his sleeves, signalling that he is in the thick of political battle. His speech is direct, to the point and is aimed at Ms Mayawati, accusing the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) leader of pilfering money sent by the Congress-run government in Delhi for the poor in Uttar Pradesh. "Where has all the money gone?" he asks the audience. He then answers his own question - the money from the central scheme has been eaten up by the "hathi" or elephant, the electoral symbol of the BSP. He scorns former chief minister and Samajwadi (Socialist) Party leader Mulayam Singh Yadav's promise of providing electricity to every household in this power-starved state. There is the positive as well. The central government in Delhi has ensured that every unemployed person will get 100 days of employment a year at 120 rupees ($2.40, £1.54) per day. The Congress party has also introduced a food security bill in parliament which, if passed, will provide 35kg of grain to every poor family in the country. He repeatedly refers to the women at the rally. Clearly, he is confident that women will play a crucial role in how his party fares. Many in the audience tell me that they are seeing Mr Gandhi for the first time. Others say they have come to not just see him but to hear him out. But merely being present at the rally of a political leader does not mean that a vote for the party is guaranteed. 'No comment' From the direct message of Rahul Gandhi, the scene in Chhibramau, Kannauj district, where Mulayam Singh Yadav is to speak, is quite different. Local leaders heap praise on this veteran politician, and full-throated slogans in support of the party are the flavour of the day. Unlike in Rahul Gandhi's rally, where security was heavy, Mr Yadav's rally is quite relaxed. In his brief speech, the Samajwadi Party leader promises not just electricity but free treatment for those suffering from heart, kidney and liver-related illnesses. And, to loud cheers, Mulayam Singh Yadav says he always implements what he promises. Red-capped party supporters rush towards the man, only to be pushed back by the police. Just before he boards the helicopter, I manage to ask him what he thinks about Rahul Gandhi and his campaign. "No," he says firmly, "I don't want to comment." I persist with my question, but he refuses to answer. Careful politician that he is, Mr Yadav does not want to personalise the election especially since there is a possibility of the Congress and the Samajwadi Party forming an alliance government after the elections. A warning The third day of this election tour is reserved for a Mayawati rally. She is an unlikely woman politician who has risen to be chief minister. Unlike the other two, Ms Mayawati reads from a prepared text. It sounds more like a sermon than a speech. She is speaking to her underclass Dalit electorate, which makes up 18% of the state's population. Ms Mayawati is speaking in Etawah, considered to be a stronghold of her political rival Mulayam Singh. After a frontal attack on the central government for not providing her state with funds, Ms Mayawati does what Indian politicians do not often do. She sounds a warning - telling her flock that if they are misled by the propaganda of other parties they would be responsible for her defeat. In a country, where politicians usually go around begging for votes, she is certainly different. Her supporters, often at the receiving end of upper caste anger, are also told that their women and daughters would not be safe if Ms Mayawati and party do not return to power. Ms Mayawati is unfazed by the allegations levelled against her; and her confidence in her support base appears supreme. The crowd is large, many of them poor. Unlike in Mr Mulayam's rally in Chhibramau, there are many more women here in Etawah. Much more than the fortunes of any party or individual leader are at stake here in India's most politically crucial state. The results of these elections could well set the course for the country's national politics for the next five years.

प्रतिद्वंद्वी प्रचारकों की शैली विपरीत है, लेकिन लक्ष्य एक ही है-भारत के सबसे अधिक आबादी वाले राज्य उत्तर प्रदेश में सत्ता पर कब्जा, जहां 2014 में राष्ट्रीय चुनावों के लिए बहु-चरणीय चुनाव महत्वपूर्ण हो सकते हैं।


Rotherham child abuse scandal: What next for a council in limbo?

Summary: A damning report into the Rotherham child sex abuse scandal branded the town's council "not fit for purpose". Its leader has left and confidence in its ability to protect children remains low. Where does the town go from here?

By Dan JohnsonNorth of England correspondent, BBC News Rotherham Council is in limbo. It is currently without a leader following the resignations in the wake of the Casey report's damning criticism. It will take at least two weeks for the government to appoint its commissioners to take over and the council has admitted it needs help. In the meantime, the deputy leader and the interim chief executive are making the decisions. The council has stressed the day-to-day running of services will not be disrupted. The bins are being emptied, the streets are being cleaned. But people's faith in the authority has been undoubtedly diminished. They already knew their council was failing to protect young people from abuse. Now they have been shocked by the "culture of denial" and cover up, the lack of action and the skewed sense of political correctness. People are upset the reputation of their town has been dragged so low by the actions of a small group of abusers and a failure of leadership by a handful of politicians. Shopkeepers say the town centre is quiet and there are few visitors. Some people even deny they are from Rotherham, telling others they live the other side of the M1 in Sheffield. A new cabinet, the group of senior councillors in charge, will have to be selected. A new leader must be found. But their decisions will be subject to approval by the five commissioners who will need to review, from top to bottom, the way services are run. Their priority will be making sure young people are properly protected. They must make the rest of the council "fit for purpose". When a team was sent in to turn around neighbouring Doncaster Council in 2010, it was four years before local politicians took back control. The hope is that services in Rotherham can be handed back gradually as they are brought up to standard. In May 2016 every councillor will face re-election - the fresh start the report states is needed. Rebuilding reputations and restoring confidence could take much longer. "Suddenly everyone has heard of Rotherham and they've only heard of it for bad things," said Andrew Blakeley, a social strategist at advertising agency Tribal Worldwide. Rotherham: Timetable of a scandal September 2012: The Times publishes an investigation revealing that a confidential 2010 police report had warned thousands of child sexual exploitation crimes were being committed in South Yorkshire each year by networks of Asian men. August 2014: Professor Alexis Jay's report into child sexual exploitation in Rotherham is published, revealing that up to 1,400 young girls had been exploited. September 2014: South Yorkshire's Police and Crime Commissioner Shaun Wright resigns. Mr Wright was head of children's services in Rotherham between 2005 and 2010. November 2014: The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) says it is to investigate 10 South Yorkshire Police officers over the handling of child sexual exploitation in Rotherham. February 2015: A report by Louise Casey says Rotherham Council is "not fit for purpose" prompting Eric Pickles to announce plans to hand control of the council to a team of five commissioners. Rotherham abuse victims tell their stories Read more about key points in the scandal Mr Blakeley is proud to be from the town and even though he now works in London, he's set up a Twitter account, @UnitedRotherham, to share positive stories. "If you want to change people's perception about a brand or a product you have to appeal to their emotions, you can't just present them with rational argument or facts, you have to move them," he said. "For me, Rotherham needs to tell all the positive human stories that real people are living day to day to make the town a better place. "It's a long and difficult slog to turn around such negativity." Mr Blakeley is hopeful a new generation of motivated local leaders will emerge from the anger of the current mess and offer a better future. It's not just the council that has let people down. The police and other agencies have questions to answer too. There are more investigations to be concluded. Criminal charges could follow. And amid all the calls for accountability and improvement the victims must not be forgotten. They want justice. They also want reassurance that it can never happen again. The road ahead is long and challenging. Much is still to be worked out. Rotherham's rehabilitation is only just beginning.

रोथरहैम बाल यौन शोषण घोटाले की एक शर्मनाक रिपोर्ट ने शहर की परिषद को "उद्देश्य के लिए उपयुक्त नहीं" करार दिया। इसके नेता ने छोड़ दिया है और बच्चों की रक्षा करने की अपनी क्षमता में विश्वास कम है। शहर यहाँ से कहाँ जाता है?


Joy division: Rankin on splitting time between Edinburgh and Highlands

Summary: Author Ian Rankin is to appear at the final Loopallu festival in Ullapool. So what better chance to catch up with Scottish literature's "frustrated rock star" and quiz him about writing, music and his love of the Highlands?

By Steven McKenzieBBC Scotland Highlands and Islands reporter This month will see the staging of the 13th, and last, Loopallu after the organisers were unable to secure the continued use of the event's site. Those involved in the festival hope it goes out with a bang with headline acts that include The View, Glasvegas, The Pigeon Detectives and The Vatersay Boys - and the book tent slot filled by Rankin. The Fife-born, Edinburgh-based writer is famed for his John Rebus detective stories, and also for his love of music which has seen him appear on Desert Island Discs and also write lyrics for a group that rose to prominence in the 1990s. "I am a frustrated rock star," says Rankin, who in his teens fronted a short-lived punk rock band. "I'd love to be playing the main stage at Loopallu, no question about it. "But I had my attempt at music when I was 17-18 and got nowhere," he adds. "But I will be the only writer at the festival with a top five album," says Rankin, referring to lyrics he wrote for a track for 90s indie band The Charlatans' new album Different Days. "Through my writing - I write about music and bands in my books and use song lyrics in titles for books - I have still been able to be part of that world. "I have been able to meet some of my heroes by writing about music," adds Rankin, whose wide-ranging tastes includes the sounds of Jamaican musicians Dave & Ansell Collins, the post-rock tunes of Mogwai, jazz music and the post-punk of Joy Division. 'No TV' The author is looking forward to his trip to Wester Ross for Loopallu. "It will be my first time at Loopallu. Sadly it is being held for the last time," he says. "The great thing about festivals is it is like grazing. You can go round a festival finding bands you know nothing about and enjoying their music." While it will be his first visit to Loopallu, Rankin is no stranger to Ullapool - Loopallu is the village's name backwards. "I've been to Ullapool's book festival and have been up on other visits. "My wife is interested in weaving and textiles and we've often travelled up to Ullapool from a house we have in Cromarty to go to textiles exhibitions." In Ullapool, Rankin has also been able to slake his thirst for music after stumbling upon a gig in a bar by Martin Stephenson, of folk/rock/pop group Martin Stephenson & The Daintees. Cromarty, a village on the Black Isle and about an hour and half's drive from Ullapool, provides an important base for Rankin. "In the house there is no mobile reception and no TV," he says. "So it is somewhere I can get peace and quiet to write the early stages of a book. "I can get the first 100 pages written there. Once I have got those written I know I can go back to the city and finish the book. "Also in Cromarty, if I'm struggling to write, I can just go out and have a walk along the sea front and collect my thoughts." 'Dodgy suspect' Rankin's stories are filled with references to the Highlands. They include Rebus' daughter living in Tongue on Sutherland's north coast. "People asked me to put the Black Isle in one of my books," he says. "So, I did. I had a murderer who came from the Black Isle. "Folk were then asking me why I was so horrible to the place. You can't please everyone," he adds with tongue firmly in cheek. "I'm not sure how friendly the reception will be for me at Loopallu," he adds. "I had Rebus go up to Ullapool to interview a dodgy suspect." The last Loopallu is being held on 29 and 30 September.

लेखक इयान रैंकिन उल्लापूल में अंतिम लूपल्लू उत्सव में दिखाई देंगे। तो स्कॉटिश साहित्य के "हताश रॉक स्टार" से मिलने और लेखन, संगीत और हाइलैंड्स के प्रति उनके प्यार के बारे में उनसे पूछताछ करने का इससे बेहतर मौका और क्या हो सकता है?


Marco Pierre White hotel in Wiltshire investigated over 'noisy' guinea fowl

Summary: A hotel owned by celebrity chef Marco Pierre White is being investigated over claims its flock of guinea fowl are a noise nuisance.

Neighbours of the Rudloe Arms in Corsham have complained to Wiltshire Council about the noise the birds make. They claim the 30 birds are waking them up at 06:00BST, roosting in trees and covering their properties in droppings. The hotel, owned by the Michelin-starred chef, is now being investigated by environmental health officers. A spokesman for the council said: "We have had complaints from neighbours about loud noise from birds on the hotel premises. "We are currently in discussion with the management of the hotel and together we are looking to resolve this issue as quickly as possible." The hotel, which is part of the chef's Wheeler's of St James brand, declined to comment.

सेलिब्रिटी शेफ मार्को पियरे व्हाइट के स्वामित्व वाले एक होटल की इस दावे पर जांच की जा रही है कि उसके गिनी मुर्गों का झुंड शोर-शराबे का कारण है।


Kezia Dugdale quits as Scottish Labour leader

Summary: Kezia Dugdale has resigned as leader of Scottish Labour, saying it is time to "pass on the baton" to someone else.

The Lothians MSP has previously criticised UK leader Jeremy Corbyn, and has faced criticism from left-wing members of her own party. She insisted she was leaving the party in a much better state than she had found it. But she said a new leader was needed with "fresh energy, drive and a new mandate". Ms Dugdale is the third Scottish Labour leader to have resigned since the 2014 independence referendum, with predecessors Johann Lamont and Jim Murphy both having stood down. She said she wanted to give her successor the "space and time" to prepare for the next Scottish Parliament election in 2021. And she strongly denied suggestions that she was leaving now in order to avoid being pushed out by supporters of Mr Corbyn. In an exclusive interview with BBC Scotland's political editor, Brian Taylor, she said she had taken over the leadership when the party was "on its knees" in Scotland. Ms Dugdale, who is leaving with immediate effect, said she had devoted "every waking moment of my life" to improving Labour's fortunes in Scotland, with a lot of progress being made and the party now ready for someone else to take it on the next stage of its journey. 'Precious thing' She added: "I have thought long and hard about this. I care deeply about the Labour Party - I love it and I have devoted my adult life to serving it in a number of different capacities. "And I have just come to the conclusion that the best thing for it, the Labour Party, this precious, precious thing that has done so much good in our country, and indeed for me, is to pass that baton on." Mr Corbyn thanked Ms Dugdale for "the important role she has played in rebuilding the party in Scotland". "Kezia became Scottish leader at one of the most difficult times in the history of the Scottish Labour Party, and the party's revival is now fully under way, with six new MPs and many more to come," he said. "I want to thank Kez for her tireless service to our party and movement." Ms Dugdale's deputy, Alex Rowley, has become interim leader, with Scottish Labour's executive committee due to meet on Saturday 9 September to agree the timetable and process for a leadership election. Former Labour leader Ed Miliband tweeted that Ms Dugdale had given her "heart and soul to leading Scottish Labour". He added: "Thank You. You deserve to get your life back. Enjoy." SNP leader and First Minister Nicola Sturgeon was among political rivals to pay tribute to Ms Dugdale She wrote on Twitter: "We may be opponents, but @kezdugdale led her party with guts and determination and I admired her for that. "I wish her well for the future." And Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson tweeted: "Leadership can be tough and @kezdugdale deserves the thanks of her party for putting in the hard yards. I wish her well." 'Mounting pressure' Ms Dugdale replaced Jim Murphy as Scottish Labour leader in August 2015, after the party lost all but one of its Westminster seats in Scotland to the SNP. Under her leadership, Labour finished third behind the SNP and Scottish Conservatives in last year's Scottish Parliament election - but went on to win seven seats in the snap general election in June. Ms Dugdale backed Owen Smith to replace Mr Corbyn in last year's leadership contest, arguing at the time that: "I don't think Jeremy can unite our party and lead us into government." Labour's stronger-than-expected performance in June's election has seen pressure mount on her from supporters of Mr Corbyn, who believe the party's improvement in Scotland was down to him rather than Ms Dugdale. Mr Corbyn recently completed a five-day tour of Scotland, when he appeared alongside Ms Dugdale at events in Glasgow. Analysis by Brian Taylor, BBC Scotland political editor Kezia Dugdale was elected to Holyrood in 2011, after working for the former Labour MSP Lord Foulkes. She was Jim Murphy's deputy as Scottish party leader - and replaced him in the top job when he stood down after the party's calamitous defeat in the 2015 UK general election which left Labour with only one Westminster seat in Scotland. Initially highly critical of Jeremy Corbyn, she has since argued for party unity. However, that has not prevented elements of the left in Scotland from arguing that she should stand down or face a challenge. There is no recrimination or name-calling in her departure. Rather, she pledges to continue to work for Labour as a list MSP. But there is an oblique reference in her resignation letter to the tensions at the top, when she says that "being leader has always been a difficult but fulfilling challenge". She adds it was a challenge that "until now" she had enjoyed. Speculation will now centre upon her likely replacement. Contenders on the left might be Neil Findlay, Richard Leonard and the current deputy Alex Rowley. Other names mentioned include Anas Sarwar, Jackie Baillie, Jenny Marra and James Kelly. Ms Dugdale's resignation takes immediate effect. Her deputy, Alex Rowley, will serve as acting leader - unless he decides to resign from his post to contest the leadership himself. Ms Dugdale insisted she was not leaving now in order to avoid a possible challenge to her leadership from a more left-wing rival. And she said Mr Corbyn has her full support, and that she expects him to become prime minister. She said: "On a personal level we continue to get on extremely well, and I wish him every success for the future". In her resignation letter, Ms Dugdale also referred to the death earlier this year of her close friend Gordon Aikman, a Labour Party activist who died at the age of 31 after a battle with Motor Neurone Disease. Ms Dugdale - who celebrated her 36th birthday this week - said his example taught her "how precious and short life was and never to waste a moment." Ms Dugdale recently announced that she was dating SNP MSP Jenny Gilruth after splitting with her long-term partner Louise Riddell. She said she had thoroughly enjoyed her time as party leader, and believes she still has a lot to offer public life in Scotland - but stressed that would not always be in the Scottish Parliament, although she will remain as a backbench MSP for now. And she admitted that the "immense" period in Scottish politics over the past three years, which has included the independence and EU referendums alongside two general elections and a Holyrood election, had taken its toll on her. Ms Dugdale added: "Of course it is tough - it should be tough. It is important decisions you are taking all of the time, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. "I have taken on some of the big battles of our time, whether that be around the constitution or making the case for progressive taxes. "I have delivered two sets of diverse candidates, 50% men and 50% women, and I have guaranteed the autonomy of the Scottish Labour Party. "Nobody has ever told me what to do in this job - it is not something dictated from London any more, that is beyond all doubt." Full text of Kezia Dugdale's resignation letter: Dear Linda, As Chair of the party, I am writing to you today to resign as Leader of the Scottish Labour Party. It has been an honour and a privilege to have served this party in a leadership position for the last two and a half years, covering four national elections and one referendum. I have worked with many great people, not least the staff in our HQ led by Brian Roy and those in the Scottish Parliament, whose boundless energy, expertise and good humour has guided our party through some dark hours and difficult times. I'd like to thank my shadow cabinet for their efforts, and in particular Iain Gray for his unflinching love and support and James Kelly for the thankless but crucial job he does so well as our Business Manager. Earlier this year I lost a dear friend who taught me a lot about how to live. His terminal illness forced him to identify what he really wanted from life, how to make the most of it and how to make a difference. He taught me how precious and short life was and never to waste a moment. Being leader has always been a difficult but fulfilling challenge. One that until now I have enjoyed, driven by a clear guiding purpose and goals, many of which I have achieved. I am proud of the fact that I've demonstrated how the parliament's powers can be used to stop austerity with progressive taxes and the creation of new benefits. Proud to have advanced the call for federalism across the UK. Proud to have delivered real autonomy for the Scottish Labour Party and a guaranteed voice for Scotland and Wales on the NEC. Educational inequality is the number one issue in Scottish politics after the constitution because Scottish Labour under my leadership put it there. I am proud to have delivered 50/50 slates of amazing and diverse candidates in both the Scottish and U.K. Elections and equally proud to have invested in the next generation of labour activists and parliamentarians with leadership programmes. These have already furnished us with two of our magnificent seven MPs. With that re-established Scottish Labour group at Westminster, and a talented and effective group in Holyrood, Scottish Labour has a bright future. A marker of success for me was to leave as leader with the party in better shape than I found it and I have done that. Emerging from the challenging times following the 2014 referendum, and the 2015 UK election, we now have a solid platform on which to build towards success, and government. I have given the task of achieving this all that I have. But with nearly four years now until the next Scottish Parliament elections, I am convinced that the party needs a new leader with fresh energy, drive and a new mandate to take the party into that contest. I will continue as a Labour MSP for the Lothians and am already looking forward to spending more time with constituents and on constituency issues. Too often our leaders leave in a crisis, with scores to settle. I love this party too much for that to be my way. There will be no press conference and no off the record briefing in my name. I choose to stand down because I believe it is best for me and best for Scottish Labour, at a time when we can be positive and optimistic about our future. I remain in awe of all those party activists who devote their time to this movement without pay or reward. I thank them for their belief in me. Yours in solidarity, Kez Dugdale

केज़िया डुगडेल ने स्कॉटिश लेबर के नेता के रूप में इस्तीफा दे दिया है, यह कहते हुए कि यह किसी और को "बैटन देने" का समय है।


Loopallu music festival sells out for 11th year

Summary: Ullapool's Loopallu music festival has sold out for an 11th year in a row.

This year's headline acts include The Temperance Movement and Reverend & The Makers. The event on 25 and 26 September will also feature The Damned, Skipinnish, Skerryvore, Little Mammoths and The Supernaturals. Ullapool Pipe Band will also be making its traditional appearance at the music festival.

उल्लापूल का लूपल्लू संगीत समारोह लगातार 11वें वर्ष बिक चुका है।


Hope fades for Syrians one year after chemical attack

Summary: It was 02:30 on a hot summer night in Damascus.

By Lina SinjabBBC News The sound of rockets landing was nothing new. At least six of them exploded, one after the other, in the north-eastern districts of Zamalka and Ein Tarma. Majed, a 26-year-old civil society activist in nearby Douma, was trying to get some sleep when the calls for help started arriving. The law student regularly documented incidents for the Violation Documentation Centre (VDC), an organisation that keeps track of the tens of thousands of deaths and disappearances in Syria. But Majed was not prepared for what he saw on 21 August 2013 in the eastern Ghouta, the agricultural belt around the Syrian capital. Chaos "There was chaos everywhere. People were running from one place to the other and shouting, screaming: 'Gas! Gas! They hit us with gas!'," he recalls. "At that point no-one had realised what was going on. People did what they usually do when there was an attack. They went to the basements, women and children first. "They sought shelter in the most dangerous place when there is a chemical attack. The gas concentrates in lower areas and that's where the highest number of victims died." UN chemical weapons inspectors have confirmed that the rockets that landed in Zamalka, Ein Tarma and the western suburb of Muadhamiya, contained sarin. Sufficient exposure to the nerve agent, the vapour from which is heavier than air, can lead to death via asphyxiation within minutes. Beyond comprehension Majed rushed around the suburbs of the eastern Ghouta - from Irbin to Zamalka to Hammuriya - going to field hospitals and mosques to count the dead and take photos as evidence. Before that night, the most bodies he had documented after one attack was 27. What he witnessed was beyond comprehension, he says. "In one single room at a field hospital, there were 600 bodies lying on the floor. One child after another; boys and girls who had their eyes open and white liquid coming out of their nose and mouth." Graphic photos posted by activists in the hours following the attack showed dead children, women and men. Each was later wrapped in a white shroud and given a number. In many cases, they were not identified. Majed wanted to take a wide-angle photo of the scene at the field hospital, thinking that he would be able to show all of the bodies in one frame. But no matter how far stepped back, he could not. "People would come in to field hospitals and be forced to walk up and down between the bodies looking for members of their family." But Majed says one scene is etched in memory. One father arrived looking for his children, he recalls. After finding the body of his eight-year-old daughter, he picked her up and burst into tears. "Holding her in his arms, he kept on looking and soon discovered his younger daughter," Majed says. "But he completely lost it when he found his third little girl also dead. He dropped the three bodies on the ground and collapsed." 'World's shame' It has been difficult to establish the precise death toll from the attacks, owing to the chaos resulting from the large number of casualties and the lack of any large hospitals in the affected areas. Many cases went undocumented as mass graves were dug and victims buried without being counted. However, estimates on the number killed range between about 350 and 1,500. In some areas, no-one was left alive. In others, entire extended families perished. Even medics who rushed to help the victims died after inhaling sarin lingering in the air. US President Barack Obama subsequently accused the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad of crossing a "red line" by using chemical weapons on its own people. Mr Obama was on the verge of launching punitive air strikes against Mr Assad's forces when Russia came up with a proposal to avert them. The UN-backed deal led to Mr Assad handing over Syria's arsenal of chemical weapons but also left his supporters free to continue using conventional weapons against rebel forces and civilians, angering many Syrians. "People hoped that the West was finally coming to save them," says Majed. "But instead, they gave Assad a green light to kill more, using other types of weapons." "It is to the world's shame that it witnessed such a massacre and remained unmoved. We don't seem to matter to anyone. This issue about human rights and democracy is only a lie that the West and UN use when it suits their interests." 'No-one cares' A year on, the war in Syria continues to rage and has spilled over into neighbouring states. The death toll is now approaching 200,000, according to activists. The hope of salvation has now vanished for many Syrians. Majed, an advocate of civil disobedience and opponent of armed rebellion, has left Syria. He continues his work to help people inside his homeland but worries that things will only get worse. "The world has failed the Syrian people," he says. "After the chemical attack I saw many men around me turn to extremism. The disappointment caused by the West's inaction created a fertile recruiting ground for extremist groups, who told those who had lost their loved ones that they were their only hope." "People want a way out of the violence Assad is inflicting on them." Many other Syrians feel the same. "No-one cares about us," is a complaint you often hear, as is: "They even stopped calculating the number of dead or refugees amongst us." The readiness of the US to launch air strikes against Islamic State fighters in neighbouring Iraq to protect members of the Yazidi religious minority has caused further disappointment to those who once took to the streets calling for freedom and are now left suffering atrocities carried out by both Assad's forces and IS.

यह दमिश्क में एक गर्म गर्मी की रात थी।


Man accused of murdering baby

Summary: A man has pleaded not guilty to the murder of a three-month old baby.

Paul Rich appeared before Bristol Crown Court charged over the death of Patrick Bradley in Swindon in March 2017. The 52-year old from Shrivenham, Oxfordshire, also faces two charges of causing grievous bodily harm with intent in relation to the infant. It is understood he is not the boy's father. Mr Rich, who was remanded in custody, denies all the charges. He will face trial on 4 June.

एक व्यक्ति ने तीन महीने के बच्चे की हत्या के लिए खुद को दोषी नहीं माना है।


Why are there so few ethnic minority MSPs?

Summary: MSPs have hit out at the lack of ethnic minority representation at Holyrood as the Black Lives Matter movement continues to reshape politics. But why has Holyrood had so few members from minority backgrounds, and how could this change in 2021?

The Black Lives Matter movement has been debated in the Scottish Parliament, but it has also raised questions about why there are only two MSPs from ethnic minority backgrounds to take part in such debates. In five Holyrood elections since 1999, each electing 129 MSPs, Holyrood has had a total of four members from black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) communities - all of them men of Scots-Pakistani heritage. One of the four - Justice Secretary Humza Yousaf - said that a record of "no black MSP ever, no female BAME MSP ever" was "frankly a failure of all of us, regardless of party". In a recent speech he also pointed out that the director general of every Scottish government department and the chair of every public body is white, saying "that is not good enough". With parties now working on their candidate lists for the 2021 elections, what needs to change? With many MPs and MSPs beginning their careers in local politics, the issue extends to Scotland's councils too. Soryia Siddique is a Labour councillor in Glasgow, and stood for the party in the last Holyrood election in 2016. She told BBC Scotland's The Nine programme that she has had to deal with racism, sexism and Islamophobia, saying that people would frequently mix her up with a colleague who also wore a hijab, with even council officials apparently "not being able to differentiate between us". She said: "When I stood in 2012 as a Muslim woman of colour, some of the comments I heard were 'she's unelectable', 'she needs to be more modernised'. "That hurt - you would hear people saying I don't come across as being Scottish enough because of the way I choose to dress. "In 99% of the meetings I go to I'm the only woman of colour at that meeting. In policy decisions and in terms of policy shaping, it's not acceptable. "I know there's no lack of talent, no lack of aspiration or lack of ambition. There has to be a recognition that something is happening before people get to that stage. "Children from a BAME background don't see themselves for example in a senior management role, as senior teachers, or as policy makers and these things have an impact, without a doubt." Fatima Zahra Joji - an SNP activist from Aberdeenshire - said more has to be done by political parties "that claim they are progressive and inclusive", but have not delivered results. She said that "diversity is key in terms of societal progression, and if you look at today's Scottish society, we have failed in that aspect". She said: "If you look at our black and minority ethnic population, we've got 1% who are black and if you include Asian and minority ethnic it's about 5%. "It might seem small, but if you look at 5% of 5.5 million, you're talking about hundreds of thousands people. That's hundreds of thousands of people that you're ignoring. "I think we need to look at our Scottish history, and how our society is rooted in systemic racism and oppression and unconscious bias, to the point where we don't even realise we're doing it. "You need the diverse experience, the lived experiences if you want to make a society that you claim is representative and progressive, and when many people are held back it's going to affect people who claim they are not." Efforts are being made to get more young people to at least get a taste of life at Holyrood. The John Smith Centre - a think tank at the University of Glasgow - has recently doubled the number of recruits to its parliamentary internship programme, with the aim of half of them being taken up by students from BAME backgrounds. Rafe Uddin is a student who went on one of these internships, and said that "the moment you walk into Holyrood, it's quite obvious that you're one of a few people in parliament from an ethnic minority background". He said too often the onus is put on people from ethnic minority backgrounds to fix the problem themselves - that they are "sort of burdened with having to find the solution to problems that are very much out of their control". Rafe said having candidate shortlists that deliberately promote black and Asian women could help boost representation. He said: "All-women shortlists have been incredibly effective in the Labour party in particular, it's reshaped the composition of that party and put more women in politics and actually at the fore of politics too. "You can have ethnic minority shortlists as well, and there's nothing to say you couldn't have shortlists with black women and Asian women in particular to actually help both with gender composition and ethnic minority representation." What are the parties doing? The SNP said Holyrood needs to "better reflect our population", saying the first job was to "encourage many more BAME members to come forward" as candidates. A party spokesman said legislation might prevent them from "addressing this in the same way that we did to increase the number of women being elected", but said they would "be taking steps to make sure that BAME candidates are involved in selection contests in as many seats as possible" The Scottish Conservatives have set up a commission led by former MEP Nosheena Mobarik which aims to get more women and ethnic minority candidates elected. A spokesman said the party has "a vibrant and diverse range of members, activists and staff from all backgrounds that are now working through the ranks", and that the best way to improve representation was "removing barriers that are stopping people from standing". Meanwhile, the Lib Dems are considering plans to put candidates who are women, disabled or from minority ethnic backgrounds forward in their "most winnable" seats in 2021.

एम. एस. पी. ने होलीरूड में जातीय अल्पसंख्यक प्रतिनिधित्व की कमी पर प्रहार किया है क्योंकि ब्लैक लाइव्स मैटर आंदोलन ने राजनीति को नया रूप देना जारी रखा है। लेकिन होलीरूड में अल्पसंख्यक पृष्ठभूमि के इतने कम सदस्य क्यों हैं, और 2021 में यह कैसे बदल सकता है?


Who are Nigeria's Boko Haram Islamist group?

Summary: Nigeria's militant Islamist group Boko Haram - which has caused havoc in Africa's most populous country through a wave of bombings, assassinations and abductions - is fighting to overthrow the government and create an Islamic state.

Boko Haram promotes a version of Islam which makes it "haram", or forbidden, for Muslims to take part in any political or social activity associated with Western society. This includes voting in elections, wearing shirts and trousers or receiving a secular education. Boko Haram regards the Nigerian state as being run by non-believers, regardless of whether the president is Muslim or not - and it has extended its military campaign by targeting neighbouring states. The group's official name is Jama'atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda'awati wal-Jihad, which in Arabic means "People Committed to the Propagation of the Prophet's Teachings and Jihad". Resisting British rule But residents in the north-eastern city of Maiduguri, where the group had its headquarters, dubbed it Boko Haram. Loosely translated from the region's Hausa language, this means "Western education is forbidden". Boko originally meant fake but came to signify Western education, while haram means forbidden. Boko Haram at a glance Islamic State strengthens ties with Boko Haram Is Islamic State shaping Boko Haram media? Jihadist groups around the world What is jihadism? Recruiting ground Since the Sokoto caliphate, which ruled parts of what is now northern Nigeria, Niger and southern Cameroon, fell under British control in 1903, there has been resistance among some of the area's Muslims to Western education. Many still refuse to send their children to government-run "Western schools", a problem compounded by the ruling elite which does not see education as a priority. Against this background, charismatic Muslim cleric Mohammed Yusuf formed Boko Haram in Maiduguri in 2002. He set up a religious complex, which included a mosque and an Islamic school. Many poor Muslim families from across Nigeria, as well as neighbouring countries, enrolled their children at the school. But Boko Haram was not only interested in education. Its political goal was to create an Islamic state, and the school became a recruiting ground for jihadis. In 2009, Boko Haram carried out a spate of attacks on police stations and other government buildings in Maiduguri, capital of Borno state. This led to shoot-outs on Maiduguri's streets. Hundreds of Boko Haram supporters were killed and thousands of residents fled the city. Nigeria's security forces eventually seized the group's headquarters, capturing its fighters and killing Mr Yusuf. His body was shown on state television and the security forces declared Boko Haram finished. But its fighters regrouped under a new leader, Abubakar Shekau, and stepped up their insurgency. In 2013, the US designated it a terrorist organisation, amid fears that it had developed links with other militant groups, such as al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, to wage a global jihad. Facial marks Boko Haram's trademark was originally the use of gunmen on motorbikes, killing police, politicians and anyone who criticised it, including clerics from other Muslim traditions and Christian preachers. The group then began to carry out more audacious attacks in northern and central Nigeria, including bombing churches, bus ranks, bars, military barracks and even the police and UN headquarters in the capital, Abuja. Amid growing concern about the escalating violence, the government declared a state of emergency in May 2013 in the three northern states where Boko Haram was strongest - Borno, Yobe and Adamawa. It draws its fighters mainly from the Kanuri ethnic group, which is the largest in the three states. Most Kanuris have distinctive facial scars and when added to their heavy Hausa accents, they are easily identifiable to others Nigerians. As a result, the militants operate mainly in the north-east, where the terrain is also familiar to them. Foreign links The deployment of troops and the formation of vigilante groups drove many of them out of Maiduguri, their main urban base and they retreated to the vast Sambisa forest to the south and the Mandara Mountains, close to the border with Cameroon. From there, the group's fighters launched mass attacks on villages and towns, looting, killing, abducting women and children and conscripting men and boys into their army. In April 2014, Boko Haram drew international condemnation by abducting more than 200 schoolgirls from Chibok town in Borno state, saying it would treat them as slaves and marry them off - a reference to an ancient Islamic belief that women captured in conflict are considered war booty. And it switched tactics, starting to hold on to territory rather than retreating after an attack. In August 2014, Mr Shekau declared a caliphate in areas under Boko Haram's control, with the town of Gwoza its seat of power. "We are in an Islamic caliphate," said Mr Shekau, flanked by masked fighters and carrying a machine gun. "We have nothing to do with Nigeria. We don't believe in this name." Later, Mr Shekau formally pledged allegiance to the Islamic State (IS) group, turning his back on al-Qaeda. IS accepted the pledge, naming the territory under Boko Haram's control as the Islamic State of West Africa Province and as being part of the global caliphate it was trying to establish. Chronic poverty But by March 2015, Boko Haram had lost all the towns under its control as a regional coalition - made up of troops from Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad and Niger - was formed to fight it. Once again, Boko Haram retreated to the Sambisa forest, where the Nigerian military pursued it, freeing hundreds of captives. In August 2016, the group apparently split, with an IS video announcing that Mr Shekau had been replaced with Abu Musab al-Barnawi, believed to be a son of Boko Haram's founder. Mr Shekau disputed this, insisting he was still in charge. And in a big surprise, 21 of the Chibok girls, seen as prized assets for Mr Shekau, were freed in October 2016 following talks involving the militants, the Nigerian and Swiss governments and the International Committee of the Red Cross. But with Amnesty International saying that some 2,000 children remain in captivity, many more are still to be freed. And while many fighters have been killed and weapons seized, some analysts say it is too early to write off Boko Haram. Boko Haram has outlived other militant groups in northern Nigeria, and has built a presence in neighbouring states where it has carried out attacks and has recruited fighters. It has a force of thousands of men - CIA officials have estimated around 9,000 - and cells that specialise in bombings. Through its raids on military bases and banks, it has gained control of vast amounts of weapons and money. So, the chances of it being routed anytime soon - despite Mr Buhari's claim that it had been "technically defeated" - are slim, with the region's chronic poverty and poor education system helping it gain new recruits.

नाइजीरिया का उग्रवादी इस्लामी समूह बोको हराम-जिसने बम विस्फोटों, हत्याओं और अपहरणों की लहर के माध्यम से अफ्रीका के सबसे अधिक आबादी वाले देश में तबाही मचाई है-सरकार को उखाड़ फेंकने और एक इस्लामी राज्य बनाने के लिए लड़ रहा है।


Who are the Kurds?

Summary: Between 25 and 35 million Kurds inhabit a mountainous region straddling the borders of Turkey, Iraq, Syria, Iran and Armenia. They make up the fourth-largest ethnic group in the Middle East, but they have never obtained a permanent nation state.

Where do they come from? The Kurds are one of the indigenous peoples of the Mesopotamian plains and the highlands in what are now south-eastern Turkey, north-eastern Syria, northern Iraq, north-western Iran and south-western Armenia. Today, they form a distinctive community, united through race, culture and language, even though they have no standard dialect. They also adhere to a number of different religions and creeds, although the majority are Sunni Muslims. Kurdistan: A State of Uncertainty Why don't they have a state? In the early 20th Century, many Kurds began to consider the creation of a homeland - generally referred to as "Kurdistan". After World War One and the defeat of the Ottoman Empire, the victorious Western allies made provision for a Kurdish state in the 1920 Treaty of Sevres. Such hopes were dashed three years later, however, when the Treaty of Lausanne, which set the boundaries of modern Turkey, made no provision for a Kurdish state and left Kurds with minority status in their respective countries. Over the next 80 years, any move by Kurds to set up an independent state was brutally quashed. Aiming to change the outcome of World War One Why were Kurds at the forefront of the fight against IS? In mid-2013, the jihadist group Islamic State (IS) turned its sights on three Kurdish enclaves that bordered territory under its control in northern Syria. It launched repeated attacks that until mid-2014 were repelled by the People's Protection Units (YPG) - the armed wing of the Syrian Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD). An IS advance in northern Iraq in June 2014 also drew that country's Kurds into the conflict. The government of Iraq's autonomous Kurdistan Region sent its Peshmerga forces to areas abandoned by the Iraqi army. In August 2014, the jihadists launched a surprise offensive and the Peshmerga withdrew from several areas. A number of towns inhabited by religious minorities fell, notably Sinjar, where IS militants killed or captured thousands of Yazidis. In response, a US-led multinational coalition launched air strikes in northern Iraq and sent military advisers to help the Peshmerga. The YPG and the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which has fought for Kurdish autonomy in Turkey for three decades and has bases in Iraq, also came to their aid. In September 2014, IS launched an assault on the enclave around the northern Syrian Kurdish town of Kobane, forcing tens of thousands of people to flee across the nearby Turkish border. Despite the proximity of the fighting, Turkey refused to attack IS positions or allow Turkish Kurds to cross to defend it. In January 2015, after a battle that left at least 1,600 people dead, Kurdish forces regained control of Kobane. The Kurds - fighting alongside several local Arab militias under the banner of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) alliance, and helped by US-led coalition air strikes, weapons and advisers - then steadily drove IS out of tens of thousands of square kilometres of territory in north-eastern Syria and established control over a large stretch of the border with Turkey. In October 2017, SDF fighters captured the de facto IS capital of Raqqa and then advanced south-eastwards into the neighbouring province of Deir al-Zour - the jihadists' last major foothold in Syria. The last pocket of territory held by IS in Syria - around the village of Baghouz - fell to the SDF in March 2019. The SDF hailed the "total elimination" of the IS "caliphate", but it warned that jihadist sleeper cells remained "a great threat". The SDF was also left to deal with the thousands of suspected IS militants captured during the last two years of the battle, as well as tens of thousands of displaced women and children associated with IS fighters. The US called for the repatriation of foreign nationals among them, but most of their home countries refused. In October 2019, US troops pulled back from the border with Turkey after the country's president said it was about to launch an operation to set up a 32km (20-mile) deep "safe zone" clear of YPG fighters and resettle up to 2 million Syrian refugees there. The SDF said it had been "stabbed in the back" by the US and warned that the offensive might reverse the defeat of IS, the fight against which it said it could no longer prioritise. Turkish troops and allied Syrian rebels made steady gains in the first few days of the operation. In response, the SDF turned to the Syrian government for help and reached a deal for the Syrian army to deploy along the border. The Syrian government has vowed to take back control of all of Syria. What has Kobane battle taught us? Raqqa: The city fit for no-one Why does Turkey see Kurds as a threat? There is deep-seated hostility between the Turkish state and the country's Kurds, who constitute 15% to 20% of the population. Kurds received harsh treatment at the hands of the Turkish authorities for generations. In response to uprisings in the 1920s and 1930s, many Kurds were resettled, Kurdish names and costumes were banned, the use of the Kurdish language was restricted, and even the existence of a Kurdish ethnic identity was denied, with people designated "Mountain Turks". In 1978, Abdullah Ocalan established the PKK, which called for an independent state within Turkey. Six years later, the group began an armed struggle. Since then, more than 40,000 people have been killed and hundreds of thousands displaced. In the 1990s the PKK rolled back on its demand for independence, calling instead for greater cultural and political autonomy, but continued to fight. In 2013, a ceasefire was agreed after secret talks were held. The ceasefire collapsed in July 2015, after a suicide bombing blamed on IS killed 33 young activists in the mainly Kurdish town of Suruc, near the Syrian border. The PKK accused the authorities of complicity and attacked Turkish soldiers and police. The Turkish government subsequently launched what it called a "synchronised war on terror" against the PKK and IS. Since then, several thousand people - including hundreds of civilians - have been killed in clashes in south-eastern Turkey. Turkey has maintained a military presence in northern Syria since August 2016, when it sent troops and tanks over the border to support a Syrian rebel offensive against IS. Those forces captured the key border town of Jarablus, preventing the YPG-led SDF from seizing the territory itself and linking up with the Kurdish enclave of Afrin to the west. In 2018, Turkish troops and allied Syrian rebels launched an operation to expel YPG fighters from Afrin. Dozens of civilians were killed and tens of thousands displaced. Turkey's government says the YPG and the PYD are extensions of the PKK, share its goal of secession through armed struggle, and are terrorist organisations that must be eliminated. Turkey's fear of a reignited Kurdish flame Profile: The PKK What do Syria's Kurds want? Kurds make up between 7% and 10% of Syria's population. Before the uprising against President Bashar al-Assad began in 2011 most lived in the cities of Damascus and Aleppo, and in three, non-contiguous areas around Kobane, Afrin, and the north-eastern city of Qamishli. Syria's Kurds have long been suppressed and denied basic rights. Some 300,000 have been denied citizenship since the 1960s, and Kurdish land has been confiscated and redistributed to Arabs in an attempt to "Arabize" Kurdish regions. When the uprising evolved into a civil war, the main Kurdish parties publicly avoided taking sides. In mid-2012, government forces withdrew to concentrate on fighting the rebels elsewhere, and Kurdish groups took control in their wake. In January 2014, Kurdish parties - including the dominant Democratic Union Party (PYD) - declared the creation of "autonomous administrations" in the three "cantons" of Afrin, Kobane and Jazira. In March 2016, they announced the establishment of a "federal system" that included mainly Arab and Turkmen areas captured from IS. The declaration was rejected by the Syrian government, the Syrian opposition, Turkey and the US. The PYD says it is not seeking independence, but insists that any political settlement to end the conflict in Syria must include legal guarantees for Kurdish rights and recognition of Kurdish autonomy. President Assad has vowed to retake "every inch" of Syrian territory, whether by negotiations or military force. His government has also rejected Kurdish demands for autonomy, saying that "nobody in Syria accepts talk about independent entities or federalism". Will Iraq's Kurds gain independence? Kurds make up an estimated 15% to 20% of Iraq's population. They have historically enjoyed more national rights than Kurds living in neighbouring states, but also faced brutal repression. In 1946, Mustafa Barzani formed the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) to fight for autonomy in Iraq. But it was not until 1961 that he launched a full armed struggle. In the late 1970s, the government began settling Arabs in areas with Kurdish majorities, particularly around the oil-rich city of Kirkuk, and forcibly relocating Kurds. The policy was accelerated in the 1980s during the Iran-Iraq War, in which the Kurds backed the Islamic republic. In 1988, Saddam Hussein unleashed a campaign of vengeance on the Kurds that included the chemical attack on Halabja. When Iraq was defeated in the 1991 Gulf War, Barzani's son Massoud and Jalal Talabani of the rival Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) led a Kurdish rebellion. Its violent suppression prompted the US and its allies to impose a no-fly zone in the north that allowed Kurds to enjoy self-rule. The KDP and PUK agreed to share power, but tensions rose and a four-year war erupted between them in 1994. The parties co-operated with the US-led invasion in 2003 that toppled Saddam and governed in coalition in the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), created two years later to administer Dohuk, Irbil and Sulaimaniya provinces. Massoud Barzani was appointed the region's president, while Jalal Talabani became Iraq's first non-Arab head of state. In September 2017, a referendum on independence was held in both the Kurdistan Region and the disputed areas seized by the Peshmerga in 2014, including Kirkuk. The vote was opposed by the Iraqi central government, which insisted it was illegal. More than 90% of the 3.3 million people who voted supported secession. KRG officials said the result gave them a mandate to start negotiations with Baghdad, but then Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi demanded that it be annulled. The following month Iraqi pro-government forces retook the disputed territory held by the Kurds. The loss of Kirkuk and its oil revenue was a major blow to Kurdish aspirations for their own state. After his gamble backfired, Mr Barzani stepped down as the Kurdistan Region's president. But disagreements between the main parties meant the post remained vacant until June 2019, when he was succeeded by his nephew Nechirvan. Iraqi Kurdistan: State-in-the-making? Iraqi Kurdistan profile

तुर्की, इराक, सीरिया, ईरान और आर्मेनिया की सीमाओं पर फैले पहाड़ी क्षेत्र में 25 से 35 मिलियन के बीच कुर्द रहते हैं। वे मध्य पूर्व में चौथा सबसे बड़ा जातीय समूह बनाते हैं, लेकिन उन्होंने कभी भी एक स्थायी राष्ट्र राज्य प्राप्त नहीं किया है।


Belarus: The secret executions in Europe's 'last dictatorship'

Summary: When the guards come, these inmates never know if it is for the last time. On death row in Belarus, the only country in Europe that still uses the death penalty, they are never told when they will be executed. And when it happens, it is all kept as a state secret.

By Hugo BachegaBBC News For the 10 months he spent on death row, Gennady Yakovitsky could only tell whether it was day or night by the dim light filtering through the protective cover on the window of his cell, where the white lamps stayed on even while he slept. It was easy to lose sense of time. He was held in isolation, any walk outdoors was forbidden. Visits were tightly controlled and, other than lawyers, only close relatives were allowed to see him, once a month. On those days, Yakovitsky would be taken from his cell and escorted, hands cuffed behind his back, with guards forcing his face down. He, like all the others, was never told where he was going, said his daughter, Alexandra. They were kept guessing: "Is it to meet their relatives? Lawyers? To be shot?" Father and daughter saw each other through a glass window, always closely watched by guards. "We didn't talk about the case, it was forbidden. We could only talk about family things." On one of her eight visits, Alexandra, then 27, complained to him about the long time it was taking to receive a new passport. "The guards said sarcastically: 'You still have a little time left'." Often described as "Europe's last dictatorship", Belarus is the only country in Europe and the former Soviet Union still to use the death penalty, and the process is shrouded in secrecy. Executions are carried out by a shot in the head, but the exact number is unknown: more than 300 are thought to have happened since 1991, when Belarus became an independent country. Two executions were carried out there last year, according to Amnesty International, and, currently, at least six men are believed to be on death row - under the country's laws, women cannot be sentenced to death. Those convicted, usually for homicides with aggravating circumstances, are kept in one of the high-security cells in the basement of Pre-trial Detention Centre 1, a jail set up in the building of a 19th Century castle, now partially collapsed, in the centre of the capital Minsk. Activists and journalists are rarely given any access. There they face gross human rights violations, including "psychological pressure", with agents often using "torture and other cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment", a report by Viasna, a local human rights group, said in 2016. Inmates are not allowed to lie or sit on the beds outside the designated sleeping hours, a former prison worker told the group, and spend most of their days walking around their cells. Even their right to send and receive letters is often said to be disrespected. "The conditions are appalling," said Aisha Jung, Amnesty's campaigner on Belarus, who worked for a decade on the country's executions. "They're treated as if they're already dead." Gennady Yakovitsky, who lived in Vileyka, a town about 100km (60 miles) from Minsk, had been accused of killing his 35-year-old partner in their flat after two days of drinking with friends in July 2015, according to reports by human rights groups. After an argument, in which he allegedly struck her several times with his fists, they went to a separate room, where Yakovitsky fell asleep. What happened next he said he could not remember. When he woke up, he found her already dead, with a broken jaw and partially naked. He dressed her in her jeans that contained bloodstains that had not been there before, the reports claimed, and alerted the police. Three days later, he was arrested. Activists said that Yakovitsky faced psychological pressure during his first interrogation and that the people who were in the flat at the time gave contradictory testimony. "Some witnesses were drunk in court," his daughter said. "[Later] they said they couldn't remember what happened. No evidence was provided". Yakovitsky had already been sentenced to death for murder in 1989, but this was commuted to a 15-year jail term. Alexandra said the court in Minsk had used this as "the main proof" against her father. In January 2016, he was found guilty of a second murder, which he denied, and sentenced to death. On execution day, prisoners are told by a public prosecutor that their appeal for a presidential pardon has been rejected. Aleh Alkayeu, former head of the prison where the executions are carried out, told Viasna: "They trembled either from cold or from fear, and their crazy eyes radiated such a real horror that it was impossible to look at them." The inmates are blindfolded and taken to a specially-arranged room where access is restricted only to those allowed by the prosecutor: never a member of the public, according to accounts from former agents. They are then forced to their knees and shot dead. The whole procedure is said to last some two minutes. Only weeks or even months later are their relatives informed. In some cases, this happens when a box is sent by mail with some of the convict's personal belongings. The bodies are never returned to the families and the locations where they have been buried remain a state secret, a violation of the human rights of the inmates and their relatives, UN special rapporteur Miklós Haraszti said in 2017. This, he added, amounted to torture. In a referendum in 1996, 80% of Belarusians were against abolition of the death penalty. The result was not recognised internationally because, as with any other vote in Belarus, there were claims of widespread violations. The government of President Alexander Lukashenko, in power since 1994, still uses this result to justify its policy and has made any change conditional on another popular vote. Meanwhile, a group in parliament is now discussing what can be done, but observers say it may take some time before any decision is taken. Until then, Belarus is likely to remain the only European country outside the Council of Europe, the continent's top human rights watchdog. "Ultimately Belarus will have to choose the way it's going to abolish the death penalty," said Tatiana Termacic, from the Council's Human Rights and Rule of Law Directorate. "It's on the way towards abolition and we hope it'll be sooner rather than later." Yet, she said, it was a "black stain" on a continent almost totally free of the death penalty. Recent polls in Belarus suggest public support for capital punishment has fallen as campaigns have raised awareness. There was an outcry of sorts in 2012, when two men were put to death for a deadly bomb attack on the Minsk metro a year earlier. Nevertheless, between 50% and two-thirds of people are believed to still favour the practice. "More and more people are speaking against the death penalty," said Andrei Paluda, co-ordinator of the campaign Human Rights Defenders against the Death Penalty in Belarus. "But the government is using the fact that it's the last European country where the death penalty is applied in order to force European countries to negotiate." The president's office did not respond to a series of BBC requests for comment. Read more about Belarus Gennady Yakovitsky's lawyer appealed to the Supreme Court against his conviction, arguing the trial had not been fair and his guilt had not been unequivocally established. He was quoted as saying vital evidence had been omitted, including a forensic examination that had found traces of unidentified blood under the victim's nails. But the court upheld his sentence and, in November 2016, Yakovitsky was executed, at the age of 49. A month later, his family received a letter by post confirming that the sentence had been carried out. "I didn't receive his personal belongings, we didn't see the body," said Alexandra who now campaigns against the death penalty in Belarus. "I had given him photos," she said. "I got nothing back." .

जब गार्ड आते हैं, तो इन कैदियों को कभी पता नहीं चलता कि यह आखिरी बार है या नहीं। बेलारूस में मौत की सजा पर, यूरोप का एकमात्र देश जो अभी भी मौत की सजा का उपयोग करता है, उन्हें कभी नहीं बताया जाता है कि उन्हें कब फांसी दी जाएगी। और जब ऐसा होता है, तो यह सब राज्य गुप्त के रूप में रखा जाता है।


Great Yarmouth car stopped with guttering sticking out of window

Summary: A driver has been stopped by police for having several feet of guttering sticking out of the car window, overhanging the pavement.

The BMW was pulled over in North Quay, Great Yarmouth, on Wednesday morning. Norfolk and Suffolk Road Policing tweeted a photograph of the car and said "4m of guttering does not fit in a 2 door saloon. #RoadSafety". On Friday, a car was stopped in Great Yarmouth with a wardrobe strapped to the roof with bubble wrap. Police are yet to comment further on the latest incident but are deciding whether to prosecute the driver using a "clearly very dangerous" method to transport furniture. Sgt Chris Harris tweeted an image and said the thin plastic was "not sufficient to secure a wardrobe to a car roof".

एक चालक को पुलिस ने कार की खिड़की से कई फुट की नाली चिपकने और फुटपाथ पर लटकने के लिए रोक दिया है।


New Les Beaucamps High School 'not bigger than planned'

Summary: Guernsey's environment minister has denied claims the new Les Beaucamps High School does not resemble the original plans.

Some Castel parishioners have complained about the height of the steel framework put up on the site. Deputy Peter Sirett said it was the same height as in the plans and the finished school would be something the island could be proud of. He said: "Once it's clad it's not going to stand out like it does." Deputy Sirett said: "It's what it is, it's what it's been designed as, it's going to be a superb building when it's finished."

ग्वेर्नसे के पर्यावरण मंत्री ने इन दावों का खंडन किया है कि नया लेस ब्यूकैम्प्स हाई स्कूल मूल योजनाओं से मिलता-जुलता नहीं है।


London mayoral race: Conservative candidate profiles

Summary: After facing criticism for being slow off the mark ahead of the 2016 mayoral race, the Conservatives have been quicker with their shortlist of candidates for 2020 London Mayoral Election. But who are the three left on the shortlist...

By Georgia RobertsBBC Political Research Unit Shaun Bailey Born: North Kensington, London Age: 47 Current residence: Romford Position on EU: Leave Known for: London Assembly member, former special advisor to David Cameron, former youth worker. Background: Mr Bailey grew up in the Ladbroke Grove area of West London, on the Bracewell Road estate. His family are of Jamaican origin. He was brought up by his mother after his father, a lorry driver, left the family - although he went on to rebuild his relationship with his father. Mr Bailey, who is married with two children, worked as a security man at Wembley and London's Trocadero Centre to help finance his way through his time at university. In 2008, Mr Bailey was branded "future home secretary" by society magazine Tatler and was subsequently dubbed one of five "Tatler Tories" whose parliamentary bids were unsuccessful in 2010. He was elected to the London Assembly in May 2016. He is currently deputy leader of the Conservative Greater London Authority Group. Mr Bailey has cited a Public Enemy Song, "She Watch Channel Zero?!", as influential on his decision to enter politics. In 2005, he published a document for the Centre for Policy Studies (of which he remains a research fellow), No Man's Land, in which he criticised liberalism and the state of inner-city neighbourhoods: "The more liberal we have been, the more our communities have suffered." He was particularly citing the Ladbroke Grove area of London. In 2006, Mr Bailey helped establish My Generation, where he worked as a youth worker for almost twenty years. The charity aimed to combat drugs, teenage pregnancy and encourage self-help before it was dissolved in 2012. Mr Bailey ran as a parliamentary candidate for Hammersmith, west London, in 2010 - a key marginal seat, but he failed to get elected. He was one of Cameron's 100-strong "A list" candidates for the then leader's "changing faces of the Conservative Party" campaign. Only 38 of these ended up getting elected in 2010. He's said of David Cameron: "He's very sharp, and for someone from Eton he has a real understanding." Mr Bailey also stood in Lewisham West and Penge in the 2017 election, coming second. Following the 2010 general election, he served as a special adviser for David Cameron between 2010 and 2013. He was appointed as the ambassador for David Cameron's big society agenda in 2011, before he was made a special advisor on youth, crime and welfare issues. He also went on to serve in advisory roles in the Cabinet Office and the Department for Education. Mr Bailey has said poor communities "need a bit more right-wing politics". He has spoken of his hatred of what he claims is an oversized welfare state in Britain, blaming this "liberalism", for the dependency culture he says it has produced among the British black population. Mr Bailey told the Telegraph in 2008 part of his value to the Conservatives is as a "social translator", explaining to the middle classes how people on estates think. 2020 Mayoral Pledge: "My family first came to London in the fifties as part of the Windrush generation. They came to work hard and contribute to the country. I want to continue that tradition by making London an even better place to work, and a better place for your family. "Sadiq Khan is a mayor who has constantly broken his promises to Londoners. He is far more interested in promoting his image and pursuing PR opportunities than he is in showing leadership on tackling knife crime or building the homes London needs. Londoners deserve better." Joy Morrissey Born: United States Age: 37 Current residence: Ealing Position on the EU: Leave Known for: Ealing and Acton councillor Background: Ms Morrissey was born in Indiana, in the United States. Her father is a church leader from Ohio, earning her the media nickname "the other vicar's daughter" (alongside Theresa May). She has been a British citizen for around ten years, having originally come to the capital to study for her Masters in European Social Policy at the London School of Economics. She's married with one daughter. Ms Morrissey joined the Conservative Party in 2008 and was elected to Ealing Council in 2014. She worked as an actress under the name Joy Boden before entering politics, starring in films such as Geek Mythology (2008), and Only One Can Play (2009). She told Ealing Today: "After deciding not to go back to work in the film industry after having a child I actually looked at going back to get my PhD in international development but got involved with the local Ealing Conservatives. One thing has led to the other and here we are." As a councillor, she is the current Conservative policy forum champion for social housing tenants. Since 2016 she has also worked for the Centre for Social Justice. Ms Morrissey was a Conservative parliamentary candidate in the 2017 general election for the Ealing Central and Acton constituency, which at the time was an ultra-marginal seat - Labour had slipped through in the 2015 election with a 274 vote majority. The councillor threatened legal action against the constituency's sitting Labour MP Rupa Huq, and pulled out of hustings for what she described as lies in Labour campaign leaflets (in particular, claims she supported the closure of Ealing Hospital and that she was a "Hard Brexit Activist"). Ms Huq went on to hold the seat, with a vote increase of about 12%. Ms Morrissey has made the case for "compassionate" Conservatism that places social action and initiatives for disadvantaged communities at the heart of policy. She advocates locally-driven initiatives as opposed to state-led intervention. Ms Morrissey also believes Conservative policy on the housing crisis should focus on market-based solutions, and believes cutting "suffocating red tape" will give police officers better scope for tackling crime. 2020 Mayoral pledge: Ms Morrissey says her campaign will focus around three main issues; tackling London's crime rate, social justice and affordable housing. She told Conservative Home: "Like a lot of Londoners, I wasn't born here. I moved here as an immigrant and I fell in love with this vibrant city which is now my home and the place I'm raising my family. "I have shared the journey of frustration that many Londoners experience when it comes to trying to get on the housing ladder. Addressing this struggle, that so many face, must be one of our top priorities." Andrew Boff Age: 60 Current residence: Barking Riverside Position on EU: Leave Stance on key policies: Supports legalisation of cannabis Known for: London Assembly member, bids for mayoral office over the years Background: Mr Boff was born in Hillingdon to a mother who was an NHS worker and local councillor from east London. His father was a policeman from west London. He was active in Conservative Youth branches in the 1970s, founding a branch himself whilst at school. He is the nephew of Roy "Little Legs" Smith, who allegedly worked for notorious London gangsters the Kray brothers. A former Hillingdon councillor and European election candidate in the 1990s, Mr Boff, who now works as an IT consultant, will be a familiar face to many Londoners. He ran for the Conservative nomination in 2000, 2004 and 2008 - coming second in both the latter years. He's reportedly described his attempts at the mayoral candidacy as a "tradition". He also came second in both attempts to become the mayor of Hackney in 2002 and 2006. Mr Boff ran again for the mayoralty in 2010, coming third. In 2008, Mr Boff was elected to the London Assembly. He was subsequently re-elected in 2012 and 2016. He served as leader of the Conservative Party in the London Assembly from 2012 to 2016. Mr Boff has written and spoken extensively on his libertarian principles. He supports the legalisation of cannabis to end "the violence and misery brought about by prohibition". He has also called for a London trial of a "managed street prostitution area" as a way to provide better protection for street sex workers. 2020 Mayoral pledge: Violent crime, housing and changes to the Hammersmith and City underground line have been identified as key priorities for Boff. He told Conservative Home: "I want a plan for London that respects this city's different parts, that enhances them rather than just trying to make them the same. "I reject Khan's thinly-veiled war on the suburbs which aims to turn outer London into inner London. I also reject the idea that Central London is some kind of theme park, hostile to people who want to bring up families."

2016 के महापौर पद की दौड़ से पहले धीमी गति से होने के लिए आलोचना का सामना करने के बाद, कंज़र्वेटिव 2020 के लंदन महापौर चुनाव के लिए अपने उम्मीदवारों की सूची के साथ तेजी से आगे बढ़े हैं। लेकिन शॉर्टलिस्ट में तीन कौन बचे हैं...


Missing boa constrictor prompts 'shut your door' warning

Summary: A boa constrictor has gone missing from its home, prompting police to issue a warning to people in the area.

The 5ft (1.5m) long black and silver reptile slithered away from an address in Cwmgiedd, near Ystradgynlais, Powys. Ystradgynlais police tweeted a warning to people, urging them to keep windows and doors shut and their pets indoors. Boa constrictors are non-venomous ambush predators that kill by squeezing the life out of their prey and can reach up to 3m (10ft) in length. Dyfed-Powys Police urged anyone who spots the animal to call 101.

एक बोआ कन्स्ट्रिक्टर अपने घर से लापता हो गया है, जिससे पुलिस को क्षेत्र के लोगों को चेतावनी जारी करनी पड़ी है।


'Dog bite' seal pup rescued from Anglesey beach

Summary: An injured seal pup, thought to have been bitten by a dog, has been rescued from a beach on Anglesey.

The three-week-old was found close to a public footpath at the back of the beach at Rhosneigr and has since been transferred to a rehabilitation centre. RSPCA has urged people to keep their dogs away from seal pups. Inspector Mike Pugh said: "Dog walkers should also be vigilant if they walk their dogs near seal hotspots."

एक घायल सील पिल्ला, जिसके बारे में माना जाता है कि उसे एक कुत्ते ने काटा था, को एंग्लेसी के एक समुद्र तट से बचाया गया है।


Interstellar epic tests brain and stamina

Summary: Director Christopher Nolan's films have made more than £2bn worldwide, while the themes of his directing - time, memory, non-linear storytelling - have maintained his reputation as an auteur with films such as Memento and Inception.

By Emma Jones Arts and entertainment reporter, BBC News His reworking of Batman - the Dark Knight trilogy - has also earned him a popular fanbase. The British film-maker seems to be able to do no wrong in Hollywood so can his latest release Interstellar help him sustain that lofty status? Interstellar is a three-hour space epic, set both in distant galaxies and on a devastated Earth. It stars Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain and a Nolan regular, Sir Michael Caine, marking the sixth time the pair have worked together. As Hollywood's most commercially successful director since Steven Spielberg and James Cameron, Nolan, whose production company Syncopy is still based in Britain, was handed a budget of £100m to make Interstellar - with almost no studio input into the final product. As on past productions, the director co-wrote the original screenplay with his brother Jonathan, and produced it with his wife Emma Thomas. Anne Hathaway, who also worked with Nolan on 2012's The Dark Knight Rises, says "this is treatment that very few directors receive these days. But Chris Nolan, to me, is the perfect marriage of blockbuster and independent film-making. "There was a large amount of money behind us, but there was no waste. Every choice that was made was intelligently and carefully considered by Chris and Emma. "There were no extra frills, we all had to share trailers, and nobody got luxury accommodation when we went to shoot on location in Iceland. "Chris has his own way of doing things, there's no green screen, he builds sets instead; he prefers to shoot on IMAX film and doesn't care for digital; but every dollar he's given ends up on screen. "In the end, we wrapped on Interstellar two weeks early and I believe he came in under budget. Who else does that?" McConaughey, who won the best actor Oscar earlier this year for The Dallas Buyers Club, says Nolan's independent film-making background has stood him in good stead. Before he was chosen to make Batman Begins in 2005, the director, who studied film in London in the 1990s, made indie cult hits such as 1998's Following and Memento in 2000. His first film that was studio funded was 2002's Insomnia, a thriller starring Al Pacino and Robin Williams. "He's earned his stripes and he knows how to deliver bang for his buck," says McConaughey. "It's a rare skill. "I'd say Christopher has a healthy ego and an incredibly ambitious mind. His reach is always exceeding his grasp and he gets obsessed with every film he does, like it's the only one he'll ever do. It's wonderful to see." Nolan's mass appeal seems more extraordinary given the difficult subjects he tackles - and in Interstellar, they involve complicated astrophysics. When the earth is devastated by an agricultural crisis, the last spaceships are used to find new habitats for humankind, after a wormhole is discovered which allows different dimensions of time and space to be explored. McConaughey's character Cooper must choose between his mission to save the planet and missing his two children growing up. The director, who rarely gives interviews, has described Interstellar's main theme as "the relationship between a father and his children. "It's all about being a father to me, and what it means to be one - I have four children. I just like to contrast it with the cosmic scale of the universe around us". McConaughey says "the film manages to be deeply personal, despite its grandeur" but admits he still grapples with concepts like relativity, gravity, five dimensional time, wormholes and black holes - terms which pepper nearly all his lines. "I am a complete beginner at this," he says. "I wouldn't dare to describe myself as an intermediate, even after shooting the movie. "But Chris's worlds are very original and it's not just abstract theories that he's coming up with, they are based on scientific fact. It's not condescending to audiences." Jessica Chastain, who plays an astrophysics genius in the movie, admits her ignorance too of the concepts she speaks of, and calls Nolan "one of those people that if you have a conversation with him, you feel inadequate - he knows so much". Reviewers have noted the complexity of Interstellar, and compared it - mainly favourably - to another hit set in space, Alfonso Cuaron's Oscar-winning Gravity, released a year ago. McConaughey says, despite its complexities, working on Interstellar "has made me think that the backyard is bigger than I thought it was. Chris has made me more curious about the practicalities of heading out into space, and what's out there. I look up a lot more now". Michael Caine has different opinions: "I'd do anything for Chris," he says. " I'll work with him on any project he wants me to, it's literally a family atmosphere on set. But I won't actually ever contemplate going into space for him. I prefer gardening." Interstellar is released in the UK on 7 November.

निर्देशक क्रिस्टोफर नोलन की फिल्मों ने दुनिया भर में 2 अरब पाउंड से अधिक की कमाई की है, जबकि उनके निर्देशन के विषयों-समय, स्मृति, गैर-रैखिक कहानी कहने-ने मेमेंटो और इंसेप्शन जैसी फिल्मों के साथ एक लेखक के रूप में उनकी प्रतिष्ठा को बनाए रखा है।


Flood warnings and travel affected in Wales

Summary: There are two flood warnings in place with several roads closed due to localised flooding across north and mid Wales.

Two people were rescued from their car in flood water near Welshpool, Powys, by Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue. Rail services have been affected in Conwy county, Powys and Ceredigion, said Arriva Trains Wales. On Saturday, the Met Office said up to 6cm (2in) of rain could fall. At Capel Curig in Snowdonia there were gusts of nearly 70mph (112km/h). The flood warnings by Natural Resources Wales cover the Lower Dee Valley in Wrexham and the River Severn at Pool Quay, north of Welshpool.

उत्तरी और मध्य वेल्स में स्थानीय बाढ़ के कारण कई सड़कों को बंद करने के साथ दो बार बाढ़ की चेतावनी दी गई है।


Feeding the 5,000: Edinburgh event to highlight food waste

Summary: Feeding up to 5,000 people in a day is no easy task but a team of chefs and volunteers are hoping to do just that in Edinburgh on Saturday to highlight the issue of food waste. They will be creating free meals using ingredients which might otherwise not have been used.

By Gillian SharpeBBC Scotland Scottish households throw away 566,000 tonnes of food waste every year, according to Zero Waste Scotland. In the small kitchen of an Edinburgh restaurant preparations are under way for lunchtime service. Freshly baked sourdough bread comes out of the oven, meanwhile the chef is examining lobsters, mussels and potatoes from their allotment. "I dug these up on Sunday," says Neil Forbes, chef director at Café St Honore. "These are a variety called pink fir apple potatoes, which are just sensational, look how nutty and knobbly they look. Incredible." 'Business hat' He is passionate about kitchen traditions, but on Saturday he will be swapping his own kitchen for a marquee as he oversees the cooking by a team of other chefs of up to 5,000 meals. He believes the issue of food waste is crucial. "You have to put your business hat on sometimes and think well if I could sell that and there's nothing wrong with it, why would I throw that away if it's perfectly edible and good to eat. "It may not be attractive to look at, it may be a wonky carrot or a misshapen courgette but there's nothing wrong with it taste-wise, so by the time you've cut it up or made it into a pot of soup or a stew, then surely it's just madness to throw it away." The most wasted foods are fresh fruit and vegetables, salads, bread and cakes, with the average Scottish household throwing out something like £430 worth of food a year "In Scotland we throw away 566,000 tonnes of food waste every year from our homes, that's the equivalent of 38,000 double-decker buses," says Ylva Haglund of Zero Waste Scotland. "Three quarters of this could have been avoided if we managed our food a little bit better, for example using it up in time or not over-cooking and ending up throwing out food afterwards." But is that message getting through? "I'm pretty good at using what I buy," says one woman shopper in the centre of Edinburgh. Another woman, hurrying along with bags under her arms, admits she is rather less efficient: "Vegetables that I haven't got through, stuff that's in the fridge, after a week, you just clear it all out. "I should really watch what I buy." The vegetables being used to cook up Saturday's meals are mainly ones which might not meet the specifications for retail in supermarkets and could go to other parts of the food chain or even cattle feed. The Scottish Retail Consortium says the major grocery retailers "have been at the forefront of ensuring that EU fruit and vegetable marketing regulations were relaxed so that the strict marketing conditions on 26 types of fruit and vegetables were loosened so that more 'wonky' fruit and vegetables could be sold in dedicated value ranges. "They are also working with farmers to make more of the crop by, for example, using 'wonkier' fruit and vegetables in basic lines or using it in processed products." It also says it is working to reach targets "agreed with the Scottish government to reduce food waste in the supply chain and help consumers reduce household waste." Saturday's event, organised by the group, Edible Edinburgh is also trying to touch on wider issues of food sustainability in the city and the public will be asked for their views on developing a strategy to advance that. "The amount of food that we waste in the north, the developed world is more than the amount of food people eat in sub-Saharan Africa," says Pete Ritchie, director of the group Nourish Scotland. He is also a member of the Edible Edinburgh project. "It's pretty poor, it shows how disconnected we've become from the value of food." One of the dishes on offer on Saturday will be a vegetable curry, cooked with a glut of coriander and tomato puree nearing its use by date. "I'm hoping we will have created discussion and debate," says Charlie Cornelius, the chef-proprietor at Iglu restaurant in Edinburgh. He will be in charge of that curry kitchen which could turn out about 830 meals. "That people will have had fun coming out, coming together through food, creating community through food. There's nothing more important than that."

एक दिन में 5,000 लोगों को खाना खिलाना कोई आसान काम नहीं है, लेकिन रसोइयों और स्वयंसेवकों की एक टीम शनिवार को एडिनबर्ग में भोजन की बर्बादी के मुद्दे को उजागर करने के लिए ऐसा ही करने की उम्मीद कर रही है। वे उन सामग्रियों का उपयोग करके मुफ्त भोजन तैयार करेंगे जिनका अन्यथा उपयोग नहीं किया गया होगा।


Vote for Britain's best new building: Newport Street Gallery

Summary: The Newport Street Gallery is one of six UK buildings up for the 2016 Riba Stirling Prize for architecture. A select line-up of judges will decide the winner, but the BBC, in partnership with Riba, is inviting you to vote for your favourite. Find out about the other buildings here .

If you are viewing this page in the BBC News app, tap here to vote. What is it and where? Artist Damien Hirst's new gallery houses more than 3,000 pieces of art from his personal collection. Designed by Caruso St John, the gallery occupies a row of converted and extended former industrial buildings in Vauxhall, south London. How much did it cost? Confidential, but reported to be £25m. What was the vision? To link together the ground and upper floors of the five buildings, so the space can be used flexibly for different exhibitions. The two levels are connected with two (much praised) new spiral staircases. The proportions of the three Victorian workshops, with their low-level windows and high blank walls, are echoed in the design of the two new buildings bookending the former industrial units. What have people said about it? "It's a sturdy yet finely crafted building on a tough site." Hank Dittmar, Building Online, August 2016 "Its location is rather uncool. Still - it is very, very Caruso St Johnny. Lovely staircase. Nice brickwork. Tasteful all round." Rory Olcayto, Archinect, July 2016 "It may be the creation of a multimillionaire artist with his own agenda to pursue, but it has a real and generous public spirit." Rowan Moore, Guardian, July 2016 Explore the other buildings on the shortlist BBC Riba Stirling home page Find out more about the BBC Riba Stirling Prize partnership Credits: Video by Richard Kenny and Dave O'Neill Artworks © Jeff Koons and © Damien Hirst and Science ltd. All rights reserved, DACS 2016, gallery images © Victor Mara Join the conversation - find us on Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and Twitter.

न्यूपोर्ट स्ट्रीट गैलरी वास्तुकला के लिए 2016 के रिबा स्टर्लिंग पुरस्कार के लिए ब्रिटेन की छह इमारतों में से एक है। न्यायाधीशों की एक चुनिंदा पंक्ति विजेता का फैसला करेगी, लेकिन बीबीसी, रिबा के साथ साझेदारी में, आपको अपने पसंदीदा के लिए वोट करने के लिए आमंत्रित कर रहा है। यहाँ अन्य इमारतों के बारे में पता करें।


England's unclaimed dead and the people trying to give them a name

Summary: Without a name, they are referred to by the clothes they died in or some other distinguishing feature. The lady in the Afghan coat and a woman who may have been a sex worker known as The Duchess are just two of the hundreds of unidentified body cases reported to the National Crime Agency (NCA) each year. Half will be identified and returned to their loved ones. But what happens to the rest?

By Laurence CawleyBBC News "I feel I know her, I really do, because I know so much about her," says Det Ch Insp Andy Guy. He knows what she ate (a lot of seafood), where she came from (probably Denmark), that she was right-handed and had given birth. What he does not know is her name, or the whereabouts of her head. The unidentified woman, whose decapitated body was found bound and covered in a dustsheet off a rural path in Cockley Cley, Norfolk 41 years ago, is one of about 1,500 cases registered with the National Crime Agency. Some are complete bodies, some just body parts. Sometimes the gender and a rough age of the remains can be determined, other times they cannot. About 150 unidentified body cases are reported each year. Most are found by dog walkers, joggers or mushroom foragers, and usually in autumn or late winter, when the foliage has died back. The oldest case on the NCA's database is that of a man, possibly a vagrant in his 40s, whose decomposed body was found in a derelict house in east London. This year is the 50th anniversary of the discovery. After London, the areas with the most unidentified people cases are Sussex, with 52, Kent with 31, Essex, with 29 cases and Devon and Cornwall, with 28. But why would Devon and Cornwall, an area with 1.65m people, have three times as many unidentified cases as somewhere such as West Yorkshire, with its population of 2.2m? The answer, says Louise Vesely-Shore at the NCA, is the coastline. Bodies not only wash up on the shore, she says, but they also tend to be harder to identify because of the effects of sea water. "We aim to reconcile 50% of the 120 to 150 cases that come in each year," says Ms Vesely-Shore. A significant number of unidentified body cases relate either to people who have lost contact with family - and are therefore not reported missing - or foreign nationals who die on UK soil. Roughly one in 10, says the NCA, is crime related. Coroners decide what happens to the bodies and although most are buried, some are kept in morgues. The importance of DNA profiles The body of a newborn baby was found in a water-filled pit at Weasenham St Peter in Norfolk in June 1988. For more than a quarter of a century, nobody knew who the baby's mother was or the circumstances of his death. But in April 2014 the body was exhumed and a DNA profile was taken. Using that profile, Norfolk Police managed to track down the infant's mother. What emerged was a sad story of a young woman who had hidden her pregnancy from family and friends and who delivered a stillborn baby alone. Initially arrested on suspicion of infanticide, the woman - whose identity has not been revealed - was later released without charge. Det Ch Insp Guy said of the case: "One can only feel for the lady involved who has had to carry this enormous burden in secret for all this time." Ms Vesely-Shore said there were no currently agreed procedures dictating what should happen when a body is found. She said the NCA "encourages" police and coroners to take samples, fingerprints and DNA, record dental information, and bury in a marked single grave, in case exhumation is needed in future. In those cases in which the bodies have been cremated, she said, no DNA profile will ever be gleaned. And bodies buried in multiple graves make finding the "right" body "challenging". Some of these cases, she warns, will now never be solved. "It is sad. And because we have contact with families who are searching, we can see the impact it has on them. Families do not stop searching." And nor do those officers tasked with trying to solve what are sometimes seemingly impossible cases. Det Ch Insp Guy, of Norfolk Police's cold case unit, took over the Cockley Cley case in 2007. Having reviewed the original investigation he brought modern forensic techniques to bear on the case. These revealed she had consumed water found in an area of Scotland and ate a diet heavy in fish and crabs. Armed with her DNA profile, they managed to rule out 555 of the 590 active missing women cases. One line of inquiry being pursued came from a truck driver about a woman known only as The Duchess. She is understood to have worked as an escort around the Great Yarmouth docks area in the mid 1970s. Her clients were often truck drivers. She was in her late 20s or early 30s, came from Denmark and travelled repeatedly across the North Sea between East Anglia and Denmark. Could the Cockley Cley body have been The Duchess? Norfolk Police hope to find out. Not all breakthroughs yield results. Hertfordshire Police are continuing to investigate the case of a young woman who suffered horrific injuries on the A1 in February 1975. Wearing no shoes, she was hitch-hiking for a lift into London and spoke to both a lorry driver and a milkman, taking a yogurt from the rear of the latter's float. She wore an Afghan-style coat and spoke with a "foreign accent". A short while later the woman, aged between 23 and 25 and about 5ft 4in tall (1.62m), was run over by a number of vehicles. In 2010, the force's cold case team garnered her DNA profile and commissioned the University of Dundee to create a post-mortem depiction of how she probably looked. The image was seen by a family in Stotfold, Bedfordshire, who thought she could be a young woman who had stayed with them for a few months during the mid 1970s to study English. Her name, though the spelling is uncertain, was Odile Ludic. The cold case unit focused in on Ms Ludic and found that she drank locally in Stotfold and had worked for a local company. They also learned she was most likely from northern Paris. But then the trail went cold. A man believed to have been her former boyfriend is now dead. "So far it (the suggested name) hasn't really taken us anywhere," admits Mick Flavin, from the force's cold case unit. "But we do still hope to solve this case." Inside Out will be broadcast on BBC One in the east of England at 19:30 GMT on Monday and available on iPlayer afterwards

बिना किसी नाम के, उन्हें उनके मृत कपड़ों या किसी अन्य विशिष्ट विशेषता से संदर्भित किया जाता है। अफगान कोट पहने महिला और एक महिला जो एक यौनकर्मी हो सकती है जिसे द डचेस के नाम से जाना जाता है, हर साल राष्ट्रीय अपराध एजेंसी (एन. सी. ए.) को रिपोर्ट किए गए सैकड़ों अज्ञात शरीर के मामलों में से सिर्फ दो हैं। आधे की पहचान की जाएगी और उन्हें उनके प्रियजनों को वापस कर दिया जाएगा। लेकिन बाकी का क्या होगा?


Isle of Man food park gets Tynwald funding

Summary: Funding to further develop a food park in the west of the Isle of Man has been granted by the Manx parliament.

The island's Environment Minister Phil Gawne applied to the June sitting of Tynwald for £915,000 to complete work on a fish processing centre in Peel. Mr Gawne said the project, which has already cost £2m, will provide a "valuable boost" to the Manx economy. About 70 jobs have already been created at the park and it has been estimated the figure could rise to 125. The government said the money will be used to develop an additional 1,220 square metres of industrial units. Work will also be done to improve utilities and roads within the established park.

आइल ऑफ मैन के पश्चिम में एक खाद्य उद्यान को और विकसित करने के लिए वित्त पोषण मैनक्स संसद द्वारा प्रदान किया गया है।