Fake festivals: Why more music fans are tuning in

Summary: While music fans struggle to get tickets to the likes of Glastonbury, Reading and the Isle of Wight festivals, many are turning to so-called "fake" versions of these music events featuring tribute acts to get their live fix.

By Anna BaileyRadio 4 reporter Over the past five years, ticket sales for Glastonbudget, Tribfest and The Big Fake Festival have seen a healthy increase, according to The Entertainment Agents' Association, and there are now more than 30 outdoor music festivals in the UK showcasing tribute acts, such as Coldplace, Antarctic Monkeys, Guns2Roses, Stereotonics and Blondied. Like Glastonbury, fake music festivals present live acts on multiple stages alongside camping, glamping, food stalls and face painting. The big draw is "price and accessibility", says Neil Tomlinson from the Entertainment Agents' Association. "The price is right, at the top end the quality's right and it's family friendly," he tells Radio 4's You and Yours. "If you love the Killers but they're touring or having two years off you can see The Killerz who'll play all the songs you love, hit after hit after hit!" The idea is to get people into the "festival mood" and "to try and replicate the real thing," says Paul Higginson, who regularly performs as Liam Gallagher in the band Oasish. The former welder can play two or three festivals a week during the summer to crowds of 1,000 to 10,000 plus. 'Just a bit of fun' "The feeling you get when you step onto the stage is uplifting and exciting. Your shoulders go back and the chest goes out, all of a sudden the swagger arrives and I pick up the tambourine and you think, 'This is what it must have felt like for them'. I feel like a rock god!" When he's not playing in Oasish, Higginson is a session guitarist for Chesney Hawkes and is also Kelly Jones for the Stereotonics. "It's just a bit of fun," he says but admits they take Oasis's music "very seriously". "We're doing well out of it and I'm dreading the day Noel Gallagher knocks on my door asking me for commission!" Tribute acts have come a long way since first performing in social clubs in the 1960s, impersonating the likes of Chuck Berry and Elvis Presley. With advances in lighting, stage make-up and sound technology, musicians can pretty much "look and sound like the real thing", says Tarquin Shaw-Young, managing director of Stagecoach Talent Agency UK. He says the biggest markets are in America, Germany and the UK, particularly for outdoor festivals. "The industry generates £20m to £30m each year," he adds. For the organisers of The Big Fake Festival the most exciting bands are those that can fill entire stadiums and don't have to rely on backing tracks or lipsyncing. These include acts such as Green Date for Green Day, New2 for U2 and Flash for Queen, whose lead singer "Freddie" is an Italian former opera singer. He regularly flies to the UK to perform at one day fake festivals in places like Leeds, Reading and Chelmsford, which all have their own established real festivals. 'Cheap thrill' But are imitation bands any good? And can fake festivals compete with the real ones? Broadcaster and music journalist Paul Morley says what you're getting is "a cheap thrill" and an "Aldi cut-price version of the real thing". He believes audiences are experiencing "the intense diluted version of the iconic properties of the pop star when they were at their heights". "If you're nostalgic for it you're just as likely to go to the tribute version as you are the real thing. "My way of establishing the good from the bad now is their names and I know that Oasish is the real deal in that world." But he warns of fake reviews and believes the industry could benefit from specialist critics. "I should be 'Paul Nearly' reviewing them because you're applying different standards. It's a bit like a mainstream theatre critic reviewing a pantomime." Yet rather than hinder the reputation of real bands, tribute bands can actually "enhance them", according to Jez Lee, co-founder of Fake Festivals. "When people come to Fake Festivals and listen to Queen's greatest hits they're reminded of how good they are and will go back home to their local supermarket and buy that CD. It's like a badge of honour having a tribute band. "You're no-one until you've got one and it's a bit of a compliment." He reveals that tribute band Kazabian were given a drum kit by the real Kasabian because they wanted them to sound authentic. Jon Bon Jovi has performed with the Bon Jovi Experience and some cover acts have gone on to form bands that are commercially successful such as The Rolling Stones (who started out as a blues cover band). "There's also Queen + Adam Lambert," says Lee, "a part real, part tribute hybrid". Tribute bands are now becoming super brands in their own right like the Bootleg Beatles and Bjorn Again, who have been paying tribute to Abba longer than Benny, Bjorn, Frieda and Agnetha were together. They also play at real festivals such as Glastonbury and Reading alongside the likes of Cher, Kylie and Metallica. "Given that a lot of our musical heroes are no longer with us, they'll be more tribute festivals in the future," says Rod Stephens, co-founder of Bjorn Again. "People want that live experience, they want to see and feel what it's like to watch The Beatles or Pink Floyd up on stage." When Stephens set up the band in the late 1980s Benny and Bjorn invited them to help promote their album Abba Gold, which is still in the charts. Even if Abba got back together it wouldn't be curtains for the tribute act, according to Carla Winters who plays Agnetha. "I think it would complement our business because every time Abba do something or there's a Mamma Mia movie people have the need for Bjorn Again - and again and again!" You and Yours is on BBC Radio 4 weekdays 12:15-13:00 BST. Listen online or download the programme podcast, Smart Consumer.

जबकि संगीत प्रशंसक ग्लास्टनबरी, रीडिंग और आइल ऑफ वाइट त्योहारों की पसंद के लिए टिकट प्राप्त करने के लिए संघर्ष करते हैं, कई लोग अपने लाइव फिक्स प्राप्त करने के लिए श्रद्धांजलि कृत्यों वाले इन संगीत कार्यक्रमों के तथाकथित "नकली" संस्करणों की ओर रुख कर रहे हैं।


'Pussyhat' knitters join long tradition of crafty activism

Summary: Donald Trump is causing a yarn shortage in the United States, where many Americans just can't get their hands on worsted fuschia pink - because many of the world's knitters are using it to protest against the incoming president.

When Donald Trump wakes up in the White House for the first time, he'll be facing the first major protest of his administration. And a global group of loose-knit activists want to make sure that when he looks out at the Women's March on Washington, he sees thousands of bright pink "pussyhats". Pink in protest The brightly coloured wool hats - complete with cat ears - aren't just going to keep ears warm. The name - pussyhats - references Donald Trump's controversial 2005 comments, when he said "you can do anything" to women - including "grab them by the pussy". The pussyhat project launched in November, with the goal of knitting a hat for every single marcher in Saturday's protest - one at a time. "Knitting circles are sometimes scoffed at as frivolous 'gossiping circles' when really, these circles are powerful gatherings," the founders - Krista Suh and Jayna Zweiman - wrote in their mission statement. Knitting and handicrafts have a long history in protesting, but the pussyhat project has already been particularly successful. They've received thousands of hats from all over the globe - from as far away as Britain, Austria, and Japan. Many are learning to knit for the first time, just to take part. The project has caught the imagination of people all over the world - but "craftivism" isn't a new idea. Revolution and yarn In Canada, there's the Revolutionary Knitting Circle, which first made headlines for their protest at the 2002 G8 summit. Australia has the Knitting Nannas, who protest about environmental issues by holding "knit-ins". In the UK, activists from Wool Against Weapons knitted a seven-mile-long pink "peace scarf" to protest against the country's Trident nuclear weapon programme. Then, a year later, they repurposed it into thousands of blankets for those in need in warzones and developing nations. But down in Chile, it's the hombres tejedores (knitting men) who break down stereotypes and teach other men to embrace the creative hobby. And in cities across the world, "yarn bombing" reclaims urban spaces with a pair of needles, covering everyday items in brightly coloured knits. Like other forms of graffiti, yarn bombing can convey a message of protest - or it can just be street art for the sake of art. Knitting for change is a global activity. In the 1980s, anti-nuclear protesters in Britain - mainly women - set up a peace camp at Greenham Common, and turned an air force fence into a work of art with their knitting and material crafts. In fact, knitting's association with political dissent goes back hundreds of years - to the grim days of the the French revolution. Women known as les tricoteuses (knitting women) famously sat by the guillotine in Paris during the "reign of terror" - and were later immortalised by Charles Dickens in the sinister character of Madame Defarge in A Tale of Two Cities. They would watch the executions calmly - knitting the symbolic red "liberty cap" between deaths, according to some stories. Those bonnets rouges are a symbol still worn by the figure of Marianne, the embodiment of France. The United States adopted that patriotic-yet-productive spirit during its own revolution, when women knitted clothing for soldiers during the war of independence - a wartime tradition that continued into the twentieth century. But craftivism has come a long way, and is more likely to be hot pink than blood red. Mainstream movement Today, Instagram and Twitter are awash with tens of thousands of #pussyhatproject posts. Punk icon Patti Smith, comedian Amy Schumer, and actress Krysten Ritter have all been seen wearing the recognisable shape, and the hosts of US television programme The View closed Wednesday's show wearing them. The response, one workshop organiser says, has been overwhelming. Diana Kane, a feminist and boutique owner in New York, started making and selling the hats for those who don't knit themselves - with the proceeds going towards a pro-choice political fund. "We hit capacity a week ago - all volunteer labour," she said. "I've been turning people away for days." "I think women have been able to channel their frustration and anger into something communal, creative and productive. It feels good. "And it's given women who otherwise won't be able to participate in the marches a way to contribute and voice their anger." It's not yet clear just how many people will attend the Women's March on Washington - perhaps as many as 200,000. The Washington DC metro is opening early and putting extra trains on to cope with demand, and hundreds of buses have registered to park in the city. It will certainly be a large demonstration - but at least there'll be a warm hat for every marcher, and a country's supply of pink wool on show.

डोनाल्ड ट्रम्प संयुक्त राज्य अमेरिका में धागे की कमी का कारण बन रहा है, जहाँ कई अमेरिकी सबसे खराब फ्यूशिया गुलाबी रंग पर अपना हाथ नहीं रख सकते हैं-क्योंकि दुनिया के कई बुनकर आने वाले राष्ट्रपति के खिलाफ विरोध करने के लिए इसका उपयोग कर रहे हैं।


Elvis fan Gerrie Lawrie leaves £500,000 in will

Summary: An Aberdeenshire Elvis fan who died on a trip to Memphis has left almost £500,000 to her family in her will and instructed her memorabilia be sold.

Gerrie Lawrie, 41, was reported missing after failing to catch her flight home in August last year. Police found her in her apartment. Papers from Glasgow Sheriff Court show £495,000 of assets were left behind to her sons and parents. She also requested her antiques and Elvis memorabilia be sold at auction. This is except for four "life-size famous mannequins" which have to be displayed in a museum. Tributes were paid on a special Facebook page after her death with people expressing their condolences. And Ms Lawrie's friend John Helms said: "I'll remember Gerrie as a beautiful, happy, friend who loved life and the people around her."

एक एबरडीनशायर एल्विस प्रशंसक, जिसकी मेम्फिस की यात्रा के दौरान मृत्यु हो गई थी, ने अपनी वसीयत में अपने परिवार के लिए लगभग 500,000 पाउंड छोड़े हैं और अपनी यादगार वस्तुओं को बेचने का निर्देश दिया है।


River Bure swimmer 'caught boat propeller' and bled to death

Summary: A swimmer bled to death in a boating accident, having caught his leg on the vessel's propeller, the BBC understands.

An inquest heard Simon Houlder suffered a serious cut to his leg in the River Bure in Norfolk and died the day before his 30th birthday. His cause of death on 15 September was a haemorrhage caused by severe blood loss, the hearing was told. It was opened and adjourned for a full inquest on 16 December. The RNLI crew had told the BBC Mr Houlder's leg was thought to have caught the propeller of the vessel. The 29-year-old, from Selby in North Yorkshire, was airlifted to hospital by the Coastguard helicopter and later died at Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge.

बी. बी. सी. समझता है कि एक नौकायन दुर्घटना में एक तैराक की खून बहने से मौत हो गई, क्योंकि उसने पोत के प्रोपेलर पर अपना पैर पकड़ लिया था।


The Fed's four radical moves to save the economy

Summary: As policymakers from America's central bank prepare to meet - virtually - this week, they will be looking to see if the extraordinary steps they have taken to confront the world's most severe economic crisis since the Great Depression are working.

Since March, the Federal Reserve has pledged to pump more than $4tn (£3.2tn) into the financial system, slashing interest rates, relaxing banking rules, and dramatically expanding its lending. The Fed's moves, which have increased its balance sheet by more than $2.2tn so far, have been replicated to some degree by many other central banks, including the Bank of England. The responses, which typically complement massive new government spending packages, are an effort to keep money flowing despite the near-freeze on business activity during the pandemic. "They've taken basically what they did in the global financial crisis and now it's on steroids," says Frederic Mishkin, a professor of banking and financial institutions at Columbia Business School. 1. The Fed rushed dollars to foreign countries and financial firms The financial system was under strain this spring, as investors pulled funds out of a collapsing stock market, companies tapped credit lines in anticipation of lockdown losses and people in other countries looked to hold dollars for stability. Responding to the rush, the Fed used emergency powers to advance funds to major financial institutions. It also made it easier for foreign central banks to exchange their own currencies for dollars through so-called "swap lines". The Fed was able to respond quickly, since it had developed the programmes during the 2007-2009 financial crisis, says Alan Blinder, professor of economics and public affairs at Princeton University. But at that time, the Fed was trying to shield the wider economy from risky bank behaviour, whereas now the Fed is working to protect the financial system from the bigger economic crisis. "That's not because they care about the bankers," Prof Blinder says. "It's because if the financial system started to implode, which it had started to do, that's going to reverberate back onto the real economy and make things that much worse." 2. The Fed offered to buy debt from big companies But the Fed has gone beyond simply shoring up the financial system. Fearing a wave of bankruptcies, as shutdowns create holes in company budgets and worried banks refuse to lend, the Fed in March said it would work directly with big companies on loans and bond offerings. It pledged up to $100bn to the effort, and within weeks had expanded its potential commitment to $750bn. It has also said it would buy up to $100bn of other kinds of debt, including credit card debt, car financing loans, student loans, commercial mortgages and "leveraged" loans. The list is so extensive, some financial industry commentators on Twitter joked the bank would be buying baseball cards next. The US Treasury is backing the programmes with $85bn - a sign that unlike most of its actions in 2008, the Fed is worried about losses. Others have warned the bank's actions could encourage future risky borrowing. "Markets work best when participants have a healthy fear of loss," Oaktree Capital Management co-founder Howard Marks wrote. "It shouldn't be the role of the Fed or the government to eradicate it." Many economists say those kinds of fears are overblown, given the unique nature of the current coronavirus-triggered crisis - which has created cash-flow problems even for firms on a solid financial footing. "I think this is such a large external shock, that I think it is appropriate for the central bank to come in to provide liquidity and try to prevent some of the costs [to society]," says economist Nellie Liang, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and a former director of financial stability at the Fed. 3. The Fed is also lending to small businesses directly The Fed has announced it would launch its own "Main Street" lending operation, dedicating up to $600bn to fund low-cost four-year loans worth $1m-$25m for mid-sized firms - something it has never done before. The Treasury Department has put $75bn to the plans, which were announced after the government's small business aid programme was overwhelmed by demand. "It's a big step for the Fed, but I think this crisis is unusual," says Ms Liang. "The issues are not just market liquidity they're also liquidity for smaller firms that don't often have access to the market so to the extent that the Fed can provide some support here, it seems important." But, she adds: "The Fed has to think really carefully about how to design the Main Street programme to help borrowers and not just increase their debt load." Indeed, many of the current economic problems can't be solved by lending, Prof Blinder warns, pointing to the need for the government to increase spending on items like healthcare and unemployment benefits. "Will these activities help the economy weather the storm? The answer is yes, but the operative word in that sentence is help - the Fed cannot do this by itself," he says. 4. The Fed is also helping local governments. The increased costs of healthcare and social programmes, combined with plunging tax revenue, have created huge problems for local governments. Ordinarily, they could borrow money by issuing bonds. But that market seized up earlier this year, as the enormity of the crisis made investors wary about repayment. So, the Fed said it would buy up to $500bn in new bonds issued by states, cities and counties of a certain size - something else it has never done before. The Treasury Department is backing the effort with $35bn. The Fed's promise alone has appeared to re-set demand and help bring down the cost of borrowing, says Michael Belsky, executive director of the Center for Municipal Finance at Chicago University's Harris School of Public Policy. "This is a godsend," he says. "For the most part, I think it's a very creative and appropriate thing to be doing." But the Fed must guard against creating the expectation that it will be there to backstop cash-strapped local governments in the future, encouraging imbalanced budgets even in ordinary times, says Frederic Mishkin, professor of banking and financial institutions at Columbia Business School. "Although providing fiscal stimulus was the right thing to do, they've got to make very clear how unusual this is," he says. After all, the Fed has had difficulty dialling back its activity after the 2008 financial crisis. While many hope the current economic shock will be short-lived, the powers the Fed has assumed may well prove long-lasting.

जैसा कि अमेरिका के केंद्रीय बैंक के नीति निर्माता इस सप्ताह मिलने की तैयारी कर रहे हैं-वस्तुतः-वे यह देखने की कोशिश करेंगे कि महामंदी के बाद से दुनिया के सबसे गंभीर आर्थिक संकट का सामना करने के लिए उन्होंने जो असाधारण कदम उठाए हैं, वे काम कर रहे हैं या नहीं।


Sabarimala: The Indian god who bars women from his temple

Summary: The Sabarimala temple in the south Indian state of Kerala this week opened its doors to women of all ages for the first time after a historic Supreme Court ruling. However no women devotees have yet entered as violent protesters have blocked their way.

Two women - journalist Kavitha Jagdal and social activist Rehana Fathima - managed to reach the main temple premises on Thursday. More than 100 policemen protected them from stone-throwing protesters as they walked the last 5km (3-mile) stretch to the temple. But they had to return after a stand-off with devotees metres from Sabarimala's sanctum. The protesters have also included many women - they have participated in rallies, blocked roads and checked vehicles heading towards the temple to see if any women of a "menstruating age" - deemed to be those aged between 10 and 50 years - were trying to enter. The temple attracts millions of devotees from across the country every year. Why are protesters so angry? Part of the violent opposition to the Supreme Court order to reverse the temple's historical ban on women is because protesters feel the ruling goes against the wishes of the deity, Lord Ayappa, himself. Hinduism regards menstruating women as unclean and bars them from participating in religious rituals. But while most Hindu temples allow women to enter as long as they are not menstruating, the Sabarimala temple is unusual in that it was one of the few that did not allow women in a broad age group to enter at all. Hindu devotees say that the ban on women entering Sabarimala is not about menstruation alone - it is also in keeping with the wish of the deity who is believed to have laid down clear rules about the pilgrimage to seek his blessings. Every year, millions of male devotees trek up a steep hill, often barefoot, to visit the shrine. They also undertake a rigorous 41-day fast, abstaining from smoking, alcohol, meat, sex and contact with menstruating women before they begin the journey. What is the legend of Lord Ayappa? Every god in the vast Hindu pantheon has his or her own personality, complete with a unique legend, and Lord Ayappa is no different. According to the temple's mythology, Lord Ayyappa is an avowed bachelor who has taken an oath of celibacy. There are several stories about why this is the case. According to one legend, Ayappa was born out of a union between two male gods which gave him the ability to defeat a she-demon who had been unstoppable until then. Upon defeating her, it was revealed that she was really a young woman who had been cursed to live the life of a demon. She fell in love with him and asked him to marry her, but he refused, saying he was destined to go into the forest and answer the prayers of his devotees. She persisted, so he said he would marry her the day new devotees stopped coming to seek his blessings. That never happened. The legend says that she waits for him at a second temple, which lies on the way to the main Sabarimala shrine. Women do not visit either temple - the belief is that to do so would insult both the deity and the sacrifice of the woman who loved him. According to another legend, Lord Ayappa was a prince who saved his kingdom from an Arab invader named Vavar. Following the battle, Vavar became a devout follower of the prince - there is also a shrine dedicated to him near Sabarimala. He is said to protect the pilgrims who come to Sabarimala to seek blessings. In this version of the story, Lord Ayappa eventually took a vow to answer the prayers of every devotee who came to him, and shunned all worldly desires including contact with women, which is why women are not permitted inside his temple. There could also be other legends associated with the deity and why women are not allowed inside. What are protesters saying? "There is no jubilation among Hindu women devotees; on the contrary, they are distressed," author Vineetha Menon wrote in the Organiser - a publication run by the Hindu nationalist Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), which has been at the forefront of protests. Ms Menon argues that women do not enter the temple "owing to the Lord's bhava [wish]". Some male devotees have said that they will not return to the temple if the court ruling is enforced. "We have been coming to temple for the last 30 years. But we may not come back because women entering the temple will spoil our belief system and sacred rituals," Murugan, a devotee, told BBC Hindi's Imran Qureshi. The issue also divided the five-judge bench that gave the verdict. Indu Malhotra, the only woman judge on the bench, disagreed with the majority verdict. "Issues of deep religious sentiments should not be ordinarily interfered by the court... Notions of rationality cannot be invoked in matters of religion," she said in her dissenting opinion. Women have been demanding entry into the temple for decades. But in 2016, a controversial statement by the temple's chief gave fresh impetus to the protest. Prayar Gopalakrishnan said that he would allow women to enter only after a machine was invented to detect if they were "pure" - meaning that they weren't menstruating. Petitioners who appealed before the Supreme Court to lift the ban cited his statement, saying the temple's rituals violated equality guaranteed under India's constitution. They added that it was prejudiced against women and their right to worship. Correspondents say that clashes between protesters and police may escalate in the coming days as more women are likely to attempt to enter the temple.

दक्षिण भारतीय राज्य केरल में सबरीमाला मंदिर ने इस सप्ताह सुप्रीम कोर्ट के ऐतिहासिक फैसले के बाद पहली बार सभी उम्र की महिलाओं के लिए अपने दरवाजे खोल दिए हैं। हालाँकि हिंसक प्रदर्शनकारियों ने उनका रास्ता अवरुद्ध कर दिया है, इसलिए अभी तक किसी भी महिला श्रद्धालु ने प्रवेश नहीं किया है।


Flooding and snow closes Isle of Man roads

Summary: The Mountain Road is one of a number of roads closed owing to snow and localised flooding in the Isle of Man.

The road will remain shut between the Ramsey hairpin and the Creg-ny-Baa until 08:00 GMT Thursday. With heavy rain forecast well into the evening the island's Met Office has issued a level two flood warning across the island. A comprehensive list of road closures is available on the Isle of Man Constabulary Facebook page. Police have advised motorists to "watch out for standing water and drive with care".

माउंटेन रोड आइल ऑफ मैन में बर्फबारी और स्थानीय बाढ़ के कारण बंद की गई कई सड़कों में से एक है।


CityJet to run flights from Jersey to Cardiff Airport

Summary: CityJet, part of the Air France airline group, is to begin running direct flights between Jersey and Cardiff.

The new service will start on 30 March and the company promises five weekly return flights during the summer period and four per week during April, May, September and October. Flybe already runs flights from Jersey to the Welsh capital. Christine Ourmières, CityJet chief executive, said: "We are confident our schedule will be a success." "We're expanding our network and are focused on offering choice for both business and leisure travellers, and providing the service the community wants and needs."

एयर फ्रांस एयरलाइन समूह का हिस्सा सिटीजेट जर्सी और कार्डिफ के बीच सीधी उड़ानें शुरू करने वाला है।


Madagascar's forests plundered for rare rosewood

Summary: Rosewood traders turn up in villages on the Masoala peninsula with cash and rice. They want local people to help them find precious rosewood trees in the dense forest, and then to haul the heavy logs out.

By Linda PresslyBBC Radio 4, Crossing Continents The illegal trade is irresistible to poor communities. Local people used to make money from tourists who came to see the lemurs - primates found only in Madagascar. This was a national industry worth more than $400m (£256m). But last year's military-sponsored change of government has frightened off all but the most intrepid international travellers. In March 2009, Marc Ravalomanana was forced into exile and replaced as president by Andry Rajoelina, a 36-year-old former mayor of the capital, Antananarivo. The international community deemed this a coup and refused to recognise the new regime. Large donors like the World Bank, the European Union and the United States withdrew all but humanitarian aid from President Rajoelina's government. This has had a dramatic impact as more than half of Madagascar's budget had come from international donors. Illegal logging on the rise Since the political crisis began, the forests of Madagascar have been plundered. In 2009, loggers took an estimated 100,000 rosewood and ebony trees from the national parks of north-east Madagascar. Rosewood grows slowly, taking more than 100 years to reach maturity. Logging this rare species is unsustainable. The exploitation of rosewood was banned in 2000 in Madagascar. Since then, government orders have occasionally allowed logging, but never at the levels seen recently. Poverty, corruption, an economy in free-fall and a lack of political will have all contributed to the trade. In a village close to the Masoala National Park, a headman who did not want to be identified because logging is illegal, said that all the young men in the village make money from rosewood. "Since the political crisis began life is very hard. Rice is expensive, and this village doesn't have enough to feed everyone all year. We are all making a big effort just to survive. So we have no choice - we have to work in the rosewood business." He said the men who do the back-breaking work dragging the logs out of the forest are paid $2.50 a day. Merchants pay $50 (£32) for a log that is 3m long. That same timber will fetch more than $1,300 (£832) at the main Madagascan port of Toamasina. "We make a tiny amount of money from this business. Everything is illegal. Everything is corrupt." And this is a very lucrative business. It has been estimated that rosewood worth $220m (£141m) was exported from Madagascar last year. Most of it was destined for China, where demand is fuelled by a growing middle-class with a desire for imperial-style furniture. In June this year, alone, 79 containers of rosewood were shipped out - cargo worth some $16m (£10.2m). Environmental damage Loggers fell many other trees to ease access to the rosewood, creating a real threat to Madagascar's unique wildlife. "The loggers go a long way into the forest to find the rosewood," says Armand Marozafy, who has been guiding in Masoala for more than 15 years. "They only carry rice with them. But that's not enough to eat, so they make traps for the lemurs. Sometimes they even shoot them." The Director of the Masoala National Park, Haja Salava, is shocked by what is happening. "There was always rosewood logging in the park, but since 2009 it's the worst thing I've ever seen. The only thing we can do is identify where it's happening and inform the forestry service or the police. We need a sustainable solution, and a political one." The administration of Andry Rajoelina has recently become more proactive, and officials have raided properties where rosewood logs were hidden. "Logging licences were issued before the transitional government came to power last year," says Serge Rainaivo, a close political ally of the president and a minister in the transitional government. "Protecting the environment is one of our top priorities. We are tackling this problem - it's prohibited to log and export rosewood." The port of Maraonsetra is a hub for the transit of illicit rosewood. And at a time of severe economic hardship in Madagascar, it has provided a business bonanza for many of the local cargo boats. Armand Marozafy has witnessed the shipments coming and going: "Normally I see around two big boats a week. That's at least 100 tonnes of rosewood that has been lost from the forest."

रोजवुड व्यापारी मसौला प्रायद्वीप के गाँवों में नकदी और चावल लेकर आते हैं। वे चाहते हैं कि स्थानीय लोग घने जंगल में कीमती रोजवुड के पेड़ खोजने में उनकी मदद करें, और फिर भारी लट्ठों को बाहर निकालें।


Local Elections 2021: Cycling in Peterborough 'needs to be safer'

Summary: Cycling has seen a boost in popularity during the coronavirus pandemic, which has also led to more people asking questions about how places such as Peterborough can be made safer. With plans for a new university in the city, how would the candidates for Mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough cater for cyclists?

As a designated new town, Peterborough has a network of cycle paths, but people still have to pedal on roads some of the time. Soraya Royker, who took up cycling in adulthood and is part of a Muslim women's cycling group, said some of the roads "can be daunting" due to the amount of other traffic. "In most university towns, cycling for students plays such an important role for transport," she said. "This is something that the people in power should have planned." ARU Peterborough, the city's first university is due to open next year and by 2030 it is expected it will have 12,500 students. Transport policy is one of the remits of the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority, and elections for its leader, the mayor, will take place on 6 May. In alphabetical order, we asked the candidates for mayor to set out their plans for cycling. Nik Johnson, Labour "People are revaluating how they get to work and so I would absolutely want to keep people cycling and keep them safe. As a doctor I've seen far too many accidents with children falling off, it's dangerous if not managed in the right way," he said. "We have to try to take traffic off the roads. One idea would be by encouraging people to use better buses. "When it comes down to it, it's road design. "I'm a doctor - I would be looking how to work with the county council in terms of road design and specific cycle lanes which are safe and which are encouraging people, because we want good air quality. "I can see the argument for more electric bikes for hire." James Palmer, Conservative "There is already an electric bike scheme in Peterborough and Cambridge and we're bringing it into all the market towns that have railway stations, they're going to have electric bikes too and there's no reason they have to stop there," said Mr Palmer, who was elected as the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority's first mayor when it was created in 2017. "When it comes to cycling we learnt quite a lot during lockdown about the implementation of new cycle lanes across the county. "We were given money by the government to improve cycling opportunities and there is a massive fund of £2bn which we will be bidding into for more cycle routes across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough. "It is about road layout, it is about creating proper, safe cycle lanes, but also making sure people can move around the cities alongside those cycle lanes." Aidan Van de Weyer, Liberal Democrat "We need to be investing in better cycling infrastructure, making it feel much safer, so everyone can feel happy to cycle wherever possible," he said. "Peterborough is a great example, because it has got some fantastic cycling lanes in different areas, but they're not joined up and in particular not joined up to the city centre, so that's where investment needs to be put. "It will result in many more people cycling when you get a really good network and know you can get around easily and safely." A special programme featuring all three candidates - called A Mayor for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough - will be broadcast at 14:20 BST on Sunday on BBC One in the East. Related Internet Links Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority

कोरोनावायरस महामारी के दौरान साइकिल चलाने की लोकप्रियता में वृद्धि देखी गई है, जिसके कारण अधिक लोग यह सवाल पूछने लगे हैं कि पीटरबोरो जैसे स्थानों को कैसे सुरक्षित बनाया जा सकता है। शहर में एक नए विश्वविद्यालय की योजना के साथ, कैम्ब्रिजशायर और पीटरबोरो के महापौर के लिए उम्मीदवार साइकिल चालकों की जरूरतों को कैसे पूरा करेंगे?


Weather warnings issued for Scotland

Summary: Yellow weather warnings have been put in place for Scotland as the country braces itself for a fourth weekend of storms.

Storm Jorge is set to bring rain, gales and snow - with warnings stretching from Cornwall to the north of Scotland. The Met Office warnings for Scotland warn of snow, particularly in the Highlands and Southern Uplands. Met Office forecaster Emma Salter said there could be up to 30cm (12in) in places. Strong winds are likely to affect the south of Scotland until 12:00 on Sunday.

स्कॉटलैंड के लिए पीले मौसम की चेतावनी दी गई है क्योंकि देश तूफान के चौथे सप्ताहांत के लिए खुद को तैयार कर रहा है।


Andover murder suspect found dead a week after arrest

Summary: A man has been found dead nearly a week after after being arrested on suspicion of murdering a 33-year-old woman.

Her body was found by ambulance workers at a property in Bridge Street, Andover, at about 15:45 BST on 14 April. The 25-year-old suspect, who has not been named, had been released on police bail. Police said his death was not being treated as suspicious and a file was being prepared for the coroner. Detectives said the woman's death was still under investigation while they awaited further results from a post-mortem examination. Related Internet Links Hampshire Constabulary

एक 33 वर्षीय महिला की हत्या के संदेह में गिरफ्तार किए जाने के लगभग एक सप्ताह बाद एक व्यक्ति मृत पाया गया है।


Ursula von der Leyen: First woman to lead the EU

Summary: "For me, it's like coming home," said Ursula von der Leyen of her new job as president of the European Commission. Brussels born and bred, she is a former German defence minister, a long-term ally of Chancellor Angela Merkel, and the first woman to head the EU's powerful executive.

Mrs von der Leyen replaced Jean-Claude Juncker in the EU's top job on 1 December 2019 and part of her role is overseeing Brexit. She has warned that ending 2020 without a trade deal with the UK would be "a cliff-edge situation", which "would clearly harm our interests", but would "impact more the UK than us". "We are not ready to put into question the integrity of our Single Market - the main safeguard for European prosperity and wealth," she said. She was not the first choice for the EU's most powerful job. She was not especially popular in her previous role among Germany's armed forces, and only emerged from the shadows as a candidate for Commission chief when initial compromise deals collapsed. Eventually she was nominated by EU member states and then backed by the European Parliament, after a political stalemate over other contenders. Her responsibilities include proposing new EU laws, enforcing the bloc's rules and handling trade deals. Mrs von der Leyen has a reputation as a workaholic. Her decision to sleep in a bedsit adjoining her office at the Commission HQ rather than making a home in Brussels has also raised eyebrows. Where does she stand on the big issues? She set out her values both before and after assuming office: What's her background? Ursula von der Leyen was born in Brussels in 1958, and attended the European School - a multilingual elite school for the children of diplomats and EU bureaucrats. A few years later, in the 1970s, Boris Johnson attended the European School, as his father was an official in the then European Economic Community (EEC). Mrs von der Leyen's father Ernst Albrecht was a senior Commission official in Brussels in the 1950s, before entering German domestic politics - he was in the conservative Christian Democrats (CDU), today led by Chancellor Merkel. He became premier of the state of Lower Saxony in 1976. He came from a privileged family of merchants. Her mother had a university doctorate and academic success was much encouraged, journalist Ben Judah has written in a study of Ursula von der Leyen. With her parents and five siblings she moved to Germany aged 13. Family life was comfortable, on a farm near Hanover - Ursula came to love horse-riding - and the children performed in home plays and concerts, sometimes in front of politicians. Later she studied economics at London's LSE and medicine in Hanover before going into politics. In London she went by the name Rose Ladson - at the time German politicians were being targeted by Red Army Faction leftist militants. Her family nickname had been Röschen - "little rose". She enjoyed partying and rock concerts. She told Germany's Die Zeit daily that "London was for me then the epitome of modernity: freedom, the joy of life, trying everything". Later in Germany she met Heiko von der Leyen, a doctor, at medical school and they got married in 1986. Fluent in English and French, she has been a member of the CDU since 2005. She said her father always told his children that when countries traded, they built friendships and did not shoot each other. Now 62, Mrs von der Leyen is the mother of seven children, highly unusual in a country where the average birth rate is 1.59 children per woman. She is seen as a staunch integrationist, backing closer military co-operation in the EU and highlighting the "potential Europe has to unify and to promote peace". Her appointment as German defence minister in 2013 was unexpected and followed three months of coalition talks between the CDU and the centre-left Social Democrats (SPD). As defence minister in the EU's most industrialised and populous country, she argued for Germany to boost its military involvement in Nato. However, her tenure in the defence post was not without incident. What was her record as defence minister? In recent years, a litany of stories have exposed inadequacies in Germany's armed forces, from inoperable submarines and aircraft to shortages of personnel. A report published in 2018 highlighted the shortfalls, saying they were "dramatically" hindering Germany's readiness for combat. It said that no submarines or large transport planes were available for deployment at the end of 2017. While her appointment was initially seen as a fresh start for a German ministry beset by problems, Mrs von der Leyen was questioned as part of an investigation into spending irregularities. Her defence department was accused of awarding questionable private contracts to consultants that were said to be worth millions of euros. She later admitted that a number of errors were made in allocating contracts and that new measures were being implemented to prevent it happening again. That period of her career has not gone away. In December 2019, German MPs accused the defence ministry of deliberately deleting key data from her office mobile phone in an attempt to obstruct their investigation.

यूरोपीय आयोग की अध्यक्ष के रूप में अपनी नई नौकरी के बारे में उर्सुला वॉन डेर लेयेन ने कहा, "मेरे लिए, यह घर आने जैसा है।" ब्रसेल्स में जन्मी और पली-बढ़ी, वह एक पूर्व जर्मन रक्षा मंत्री हैं, चांसलर एंजेला मर्केल की दीर्घकालिक सहयोगी हैं, और यूरोपीय संघ की शक्तिशाली कार्यकारी का नेतृत्व करने वाली पहली महिला हैं।


Funding given to Moray over RAF base futures

Summary: Funding of £300,000 to help ease the impact of the planned closure of RAF Kinloss in Moray has been announced by the Scottish government.

The money will be used to create training and development opportunities for people facing redundancy. The Moray Task Force, set up to fight the loss of MoD jobs in the area, said it would help to cushion the blow for some of the families affected. The future of neighbouring RAF Lossiemouth is also in doubt. It was announced earlier this year that RAF Kinloss would shut after ministers cancelled orders for the new Nimrod MRA4 surveillance aircraft. The decisions stem from the strategic defence review.

मोरे में आरएएफ किनलोस के नियोजित बंद होने के प्रभाव को कम करने में मदद करने के लिए स्कॉटिश सरकार द्वारा 300,000 पाउंड के वित्त पोषण की घोषणा की गई है।


Park Geun-hye: More jail time for South Korea ex-leader

Summary: Disgraced former South Korean President Park Geun-hye has been jailed for a further eight years for corruption, on top of the 24 she is already serving.

A court in Seoul sentenced Park to six years for illegally accepting funds from the country's spy agency, and two years for interfering in elections. She received her earlier sentence in April for abuse of power and coercion. Park, the country's first female president, has boycotted court hearings, maintaining her innocence. She says her trials have been politically motivated and that the judiciary and prosecution are biased against her. The prosecutions brought to light the longstanding close ties between South Korea's political elite and the chaebols, or family-run conglomerates, which dominate its economy.

अपमानित दक्षिण कोरियाई पूर्व राष्ट्रपति पार्क ग्यून-हे को भ्रष्टाचार के लिए और आठ साल की जेल हुई है, 24 के अलावा वह पहले से ही सेवा कर रही हैं।


A-level results: 'My future has been set back completely'

Summary: For students across England, Northern Ireland and Wales the wait is finally over for A-level and vocational qualification results. But with exams cancelled because of the coronavirus pandemic, many have seen their teacher-predicted grades lowered, leading to disappointment and confusion.

"My future has been set back completely," says Abbi Fitzgerald. The student at Wilberforce Sixth Form College in Hull got a Distinction* in her engineering BTec - the highest grade possible - but for her A-levels she got Ds in maths and art and an E in physics, after the results predicted by her teachers were downgraded. "When I opened them I had a bit of a cry," she tells the BBC. This year, schools submitted predicted grades to exam boards and ranked pupils based on who they thought would do best. The exam boards then took into account data from previous years to adjust the marks, with the aim of ensuring consistency. But headteachers have spoken of "volatility" in the results, with some saying lowered grades seem to be unfair. For Abbi, this means she misses out on a place at Durham University to study engineering, and she says she is now considering sitting her exams later in the year or finding a place at another university through clearing. "I had my heart set on Durham and it's now not an option for clearing because there's no clearing for my course," she adds. Abbi says the grading system seems "unfair". Vocational qualifications like BTecs often have continuous assessments throughout the course, but many A-level subjects rely primarily on exams at the end of the year, making it harder to predict grades. "It goes to show that the ones I was supposed to do exams in that I didn't get to, I got awful grades, I got downgraded," she says. "And the one that reflects all the work I've done over the past two years, I got the highest grade that I could possibly get." She says she is angry her results have been affected by something out of her control, adding: "I would have happily sat the exams but it was up to the government." For Maimuna Hassan, from Acton in west London, her results also came as a "complete shock". After being predicted A*A*A by her teachers, she was only awarded A*AB, meaning she missed her university offers to study engineering at Cambridge and Imperial College London. Maimuna believes her results were downgraded because of the historically lower grades at her comprehensive school in Chiswick, which has twice been rated as "requires improvement" by Ofsted inspectors. "They didn't take individual circumstances into account," she adds. Born in Switzerland and the eldest child of Somali immigrants, English is her third language and Maimuna says she had to work harder than most to achieve top grades throughout her school career. She now feels "let down" by the system and says she has little faith in the appeals process which could allow her mock results of A*A*A to be used instead. On Wednesday, the Department for Education announced that for pupils in England, if their results day grades are lower than their mock exams they can appeal - but this will have to be through their school, with the terms for approving appeals to be decided by regulator Ofqual. They also have the option of taking a written exam in the autumn, giving them the chance to secure a higher grade. But with just two months to prepare Maimuna worries she would not fulfil her potential. "I'm going to start revising tomorrow just in case," she adds. Toby Newton, from Hillingdon in west London, was on track to achieve his dream of studying medicine, with predicted grades of A*A*A. However, his plans have been put on hold after he was only awarded BBC. "It was incredibly disheartening," he says, adding that many of his school friends are in a similar situation. "I feel like the government have let us down and I'm hoping they'll reconsider the points and how they are being rewarded." Toby now plans to appeal to see if his mock results of ABB can be used instead and is looking at the option of studying at a European university. "I've always wanted to be a doctor and I still want to be a doctor, so it hasn't put me off," he says. Not everyone is disappointed, though. Overall results across England, Northern Ireland and Wales show record highs for A* and A grades at A-level. Caitlyn Foley, a student at Merthyr College in south Wales, says she is "very pleased" after being awarded an A* and three As. "It's been a bit weird having to deal with all the changes so last minute," she says. "I was nervous, just because I knew I worked hard all throughout the year, and I was disappointed because I couldn't perform and do my exams and prove it to myself." Others have benefitted from the last-minute changes. Fellow student Tom Bush was awarded an A and two Bs but this will be upgraded to two As and a B, after ministers in Wales promised students' A-level result this year would be no lower than what they achieved at AS-level the previous year. However, he says he still found the uncertainty leading up to results day "frustrating". "I know things happen but we've had quite a long time to prepare for this and it seems to just have all gone up in the air a couple of days before."

इंग्लैंड, उत्तरी आयरलैंड और वेल्स के छात्रों के लिए ए-स्तर और व्यावसायिक योग्यता परिणामों के लिए इंतजार आखिरकार खत्म हो गया है। लेकिन कोरोनावायरस महामारी के कारण परीक्षा रद्द होने के साथ, कई लोगों ने अपने शिक्षक-अनुमानित ग्रेड को कम होते देखा है, जिससे निराशा और भ्रम पैदा हुआ है।


Cancer mum denied disability cash

Summary: A single mother with stage four cancer has been denied disability benefit.

Roisin McWilliams, from west Belfast, was diagnosed with Hodgkins Lymphoma on Christmas Day last year. Due to her illness, Miss McWilliams had to leave her £1,300-a-month job as a chef because "she couldn't breathe" after fracturing her rib from coughing. In April, the 28-year-old applied for Personal Independence Payment after receiving financial support from her family. Miss McWilliams now lives on £125 Employment Support Allowance a week, but PIP payments could almost double that amount. What is PIP? PIP benefit is replacing Disability Living Allowance (DLA) as part of a wider reform of UK welfare for people aged between 16-64. The payment is made to those who have a disability or long-term illness, with the amount based on how the condition impacts someone's life. The weekly rate for the daily living part of PIP ranges from £57.30 to £85.60, while those given the mobility part can take home between £22.65 and £59.75 more. Miss McWilliams' story emerged as it was revealed that more than 40% of Disability Living Allowance (DLA) claimants in Northern Ireland had their benefit either cut or stopped when they were reassessed for PIP. According to figures from the Department of Communities, 72,000 DLA claimants were reassessed between June 2016 and May 2018. Of those, 24% had their payment cut and 19% had it reduced. 'Heartbreaking' Her father, Tom McWilliams told the BBC's Stephen Nolan Show the situation was "soul destroying". Upon learning the news that her PIP application had been rejected, Roisin said it was "heartbreaking". She added: "It was as if the stranger who came out to assess me was telling me that I just wasn't sick enough and that hurt." Miss McWilliams has recently learned she is immune to chemotherapy and that she will need immunotherapy treatment and a stem cell implant. However, in order to receive the treatment, her consultant must apply for finance. Tom McWilliams told the Nolan Show the PIP application process was "humiliating" for Roisin. He added: "To go through that process when you're suffering with an illness is absolutely demoralising. I am disgusted and so angry". The Department of Communities confirmed it would be "reviewing the case in light of any additional information provided". Kevin Higgins from Advice NI said it was clear the issue was adding "unnecessary stress on the family". "It's my view that if the system was working well this should not be happening," he said. "People are very daunted by the PIP process and very often these are already vulnerable people with significant health problems and illnesses. He said Advice NI sees issues with PIP on a daily basis. "It's an incredibly important benefit. When [people] apply and get turned down it can have devastating impact on households," he added. Help and advice is available from the independent Welfare Changes Helpline on 0808 802 0020.

चौथे चरण के कैंसर से पीड़ित एकल माँ को विकलांगता लाभ से वंचित कर दिया गया है।


West Row firm faces HSE prosecution over lorry driver death

Summary: A haulage firm is to face prosecution after an HGV driver died when he became crushed between two lorries, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) said.

David Brown, 57, of Littleport, Cambridgeshire, died after the incident at BCJ Taylor Haulage in West Row, Suffolk, on 13 March 2017. The HSE said the company will face a charge under the Health and Safety at Work Act. No date has been set for BCJ Taylor Haulage's first court appearance. An inquest heard Mr Brown died from crush injuries to his chest and pelvis. The jury at the hearing in Ipswich concluded his death was a result of an accident. Related Internet Links Health and Safety Executive Suffolk Coroner Service: Inquests

स्वास्थ्य और सुरक्षा कार्यकारी (एच. एस. ई.) ने कहा कि दो ट्रकों के बीच कुचलने से एक एच. जी. वी. चालक की मौत के बाद एक ढुलाई कंपनी को अभियोजन का सामना करना पड़ रहा है।


Guernsey's Mont Cuet landfill site could last longer

Summary: Guernsey's landfill provision should last until 2021, two years longer than previously estimated, the Public Services Department has said.

It said the new estimate was due to the amount of rubbish being dumped halving in the past 10 years. The department said the level of waste entering Mont Cuet remained similar to 2009 and if this was maintained the site would remain in operation longer. Deputy Minister Scott Ogier said it was a result of campaigns to reduce waste. He said: "Through the commitment to recycling and the range of schemes and facilities now available we continue to make good progress, which is in line with our goal of reducing the amount of waste going to Mont Cuet. Islanders are doing a great job."

लोक सेवा विभाग ने कहा है कि ग्वेर्नसे का लैंडफिल प्रावधान 2021 तक चलना चाहिए, जो पहले के अनुमान से दो साल अधिक है।


Coronavirus: The US has not reduced its Covid-19 death toll to 6% of total

Summary: The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says it has been deluged with queries about false rumours the official tally of Covid-19 deaths is drastically lower than the publicised headline figure of about 185,000.

By Christopher Giles and Olga RobinsonBBC Reality Check Social-media posts making this bogus claim have been circulating widely on the internet. And one re-tweeted by President Trump was removed by Twitter for breaching its guidelines. What exactly is the claim? The claim, being amplified by supporters of QAnon conspiracies and others, is only 6% of the total number of people with coronavirus on their death certificate actually died from the virus. This is misleading and not true. It's correct to state of all the death certificates in the US that mention Covid-19, only 6% mention no other illnesses. However, 92% of the total clearly state Covid-19 as the underlying cause of death. So while a patient may have had lung problems or diabetes referred to on their certificates, coronavirus has been given as the main cause of death. The CDC also says the death certificates may include conditions caused by coronavirus, such as respiratory issues. This information on death certificates has featured for months on CDC's website, with regular updates. Most people who die from coronavirus are elderly or have had existing health problems. Having underlying health problems makes patients more vulnerable to becoming seriously ill from coronavirus, just as it makes them more vulnerable to becoming very sick from other viruses. But this doesn't detract from the fact the virus is their primary cause of death. It's also the case that early on during the pandemic, when testing was not widespread, people died of Covid-19 without it being noted on their death certificate. In England and Wales, of deaths involving coronavirus between March and June 2020, there was at least one other condition in just over 90% of cases. How has the claim spread? Variations of the claim, promoted by those looking to downplay the extent of the pandemic, have been circulating on Twitter since at least mid-June. But the allegations went seriously viral only at the end of August, when shared by a number of influential accounts, including President Trump's. Some Twitter users have since even changed their names to include "6%". The claim has also been widely shared on Facebook by some conservative news pages, Trump supporters and others seeking an end to coronavirus restrictions. Some of the most popular posts have gathered more than 10,000 shares. In the past few days, claims have also featured in adverts circulated on Facebook and Instagram, dismissing the coronavirus pandemic as a "hoax". This is not the first time CDC data has been used to promote misleading claims about the coronavirus death toll in the US. In May, posts on social media cited figures based on death certificates to suggest the Covid-19 death toll was significantly inflated. They pointed out these numbers were much lower than elsewhere, ignoring the CDC disclaimer saying these death counts were delayed and "may differ from other published sources". Read more from Reality Check Send us your questions Follow us on Twitter

यूएस सेंटर फॉर डिजीज कंट्रोल एंड प्रिवेंशन (सीडीसी) का कहना है कि यह झूठी अफवाहों के बारे में प्रश्नों से भरा हुआ है कि कोविड-19 से होने वाली मौतों की आधिकारिक संख्या लगभग 185,000 के प्रचारित शीर्षक आंकड़े से काफी कम है।


Lloyds announces 650 UK job cuts

Summary: Lloyds Banking Group is to cut 650 jobs in the UK.

Insurance and back office-based staff in Nottingham and Chester would be hardest hit, the bank said. It will also close its network of Halifax-branded agencies, largely based in solicitors and estate agencies, as they are "no longer integral to its business model". This will hit more workers, who are not employed directly by Lloyds. Unions said 1,850 jobs would be affected. "The scale of this cuts is extreme, the bank's recovery plans are already well on course to deliver 30% higher than forecast savings," said Cath Speight, national officer at the Unite union. Lloyds bought the Halifax business as part of its rescue of HBOS in 2008. The group, which is 41% state-owned, has forecast that it would make a profit this year, despite making an operating loss of £6.3bn on bad loans in 2009. Lloyds also said it had struck a deal to allow Halifax customers to pay in cash and cheques at the 12,000 Post Office branches. The 265-strong network of Halifax agencies compares with the 475 that operated in 2005.

लॉयड्स बैंकिंग ग्रुप ब्रिटेन में 650 नौकरियों में कटौती करेगा।


Nigeria's Goodluck Jonathan: Five reasons why he lost

Summary: Nigerians are so used to the idea that an incumbent should win presidential elections that President Goodluck Jonathan's failure to beat Gen Muhammadu Buhari needs some explaining. Here are five reasons why the opposition won:

By Damian ZaneBBC News 1: Harder to rig Past elections have been marred by serious irregularities and suspicions of rigging. In 2007 observers said the presidential poll was not "credible". In 2011 the vote was considered to be better run but observers said that rigging and fraud still took place. This time the electoral commission took more steps to prevent rigging, including new biometric voters cards. Also President Jonathan's party, the People's Democratic Party (PDP), had lost control of some key states which meant it could not control the electoral process there. 2: Boko Haram and security The election took place against the background of an Islamist insurgency in the north-east of the country. The Boko Haram militant group has killed 20,000 people and forced some three million others from their homes and President Jonathan was criticised for not getting to grips with this. The poll was delayed for six weeks to give time for the security situation to improve, but even though most areas controlled by Boko Haram were recaptured, it seems to have come too late for many people. 3: United opposition, crumbling PDP The PDP has been described as an election-winning machine. When it was created it united a northern elite with leading politicians from the south, but that alliance has broken up and the party lost some key figures. Even former President Olusegun Obasanjo came out against Mr Jonathan. At the same time, the opposition managed to unite under the All Progressives Congress (APC) banner. The last six weeks of desperate and dirty campaigning, in which the APC responded in kind, was not enough to turn the tide. 4: Economy Nigeria is Africa's biggest oil producer and its largest economy, but many fail to feel the benefits with nearly half the population living below the poverty line. Continued corruption is seen as partly being to blame. National income is due to grow by more than 5% this year and next year, but people did not seem in the mood to thank Mr Jonathan for this. 5: Time for a change APC supporters chanted "change" wherever they went and it seems to have caught the mood. The PDP has been in power since the end of military rule in 1999, and 2015 is the year that Nigerians decided that someone else should have a go at sorting things out. President-elect Buhari now has to prove he really can change things.

नाइजीरियाई लोग इस विचार के इतने अभ्यस्त हैं कि एक पदधारी को राष्ट्रपति चुनाव जीतना चाहिए कि राष्ट्रपति गुडलक जोनाथन को जनरल मुहम्मदु बुहारी को हराने में विफलता के लिए कुछ स्पष्टीकरण की आवश्यकता है। यहाँ विपक्ष के जीतने के पाँच कारण दिए गए हैंः


Teen charged after Wolverhampton 'claw-hammer' attack

Summary: A 17-year-old boy has been charged with attempted murder after a teenager was attacked with a claw-hammer.

Police said the 17-year-old victim was attacked after an argument in Bilston Street, Wolverhampton, on Thursday. He suffered serious head injuries and remains in a critical condition in hospital after emergency surgery. The charged teenager, who cannot be named because of his age, was one of two teenagers arrested. The other has been released on bail. The charged boy is due to appear before magistrates in Walsall on Monday.

एक किशोर पर पंजे के हथौड़े से हमला करने के बाद एक 17 वर्षीय लड़के पर हत्या के प्रयास का आरोप लगाया गया है।


Reading bus firm wins award for improving

Summary: Reading Buses has been given an award for improving its services.

The company has bought 31 hybrid double-decker buses to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and added extra buses at peak times. Its use of information screens and colour coded timetables were highlighted by judges at the National Transport Awards ceremony in London. The firm has also reduced fares and introduced savings for groups on certain routes.

रीडिंग बसों को अपनी सेवाओं में सुधार के लिए पुरस्कार दिया गया है।


Man's sudden death in Trowbridge was 'medical episode', say police

Summary: The sudden death of a man in Trowbridge is being treated as "a medical episode" by police and is not believed to be suspicious.

Wiltshire Police officers were called to Orchard Court at about 12:15 GMT following the report of the death of a man in his 50s. The property was evacuated for safety reasons, following a report of the smell of gas at the block of flats. The building has since been confirmed as safe and residents have returned. A police spokesman said the man's next of kin have been informed .

ट्रोब्रिज में एक व्यक्ति की अचानक हुई मौत को पुलिस द्वारा "एक चिकित्सा प्रकरण" के रूप में माना जा रहा है और इसे संदिग्ध नहीं माना जा रहा है।


Virgin Money appoints new chairman Glen Moreno

Summary: Virgin Money, the UK challenger bank partly owned by entrepreneur Richard Branson, has announced that it has appointed a new chairman.

Glen Moreno, chairman of the publisher Pearson, will replace David Clementi in mid-2015. Mr Moreno is a former director with Lloyds Banking Group. The bank reported strong first half profit growth, with a pre-tax profit of £59.7m. Profits were up £13.1m on the year previous.

उद्यमी रिचर्ड ब्रैनसन के आंशिक स्वामित्व वाले यूके चैलेंजर बैंक वर्जिन मनी ने घोषणा की है कि उसने एक नया अध्यक्ष नियुक्त किया है।


UKIP: Is the party coming to an end?

Summary: The last time I was here - at the party conference in Doncaster - I was surrounded by jubilant UKIP supporters. Some were waving flags and whooping their leader Nigel Farage out of the auditorium. Others were taking photos of each other on stage. All because of the man who'd just been snuck into Doncaster racecourse in a blacked-out car.

By Robin BrantPolitical Correspondent, BBC News The then Tory MP Mark Reckless defected to UKIP at the end of its conference a year ago. At the time I reported that it felt like being among the fans of the winning team at an FA Cup final. It seemed the 'tremors' ahead of the much promised "earthquake" were shaking the ground in Yorkshire. But it turned out that was the high. On the day of the general election, Mark Reckless was rejected by the people of Rochester, Nigel Farage failed for the seventh time to become an MP and all that talk of the "people's army" taking over in Boston, Grimsby and Thurrock came to nothing. UKIP was left with a single representative in parliament. The leader resigned and then "un-resigned". A brief period of civil war ensued. There was, though, much for the party to be positive about. It picked up almost four million votes and a slew of portentous second places in dozens of seats across Labour's heartland in the north of England. Most of all the Tory win ensured that the UK will get a referendum on membership of the European Union - the event that UKIP has been fighting for since its inception. But UKIP has big decisions to make and big problems to face. Is it a broad political party? UKIP has considerable pockets of support across the country but there was no break-out at the last election. Does that remain its ambition, to broaden its base in line with party chairman Steve Crowther's 2020 strategy and get more MPs? The next test is elections across the nations next year and the London mayoral race. Senior UKIP figures point to Wales, where they've high hopes of making inroads into the assembly. That's a boost they need. Or is UKIP a one-issue movement? The reality now is that it's all hands on deck for the EU referendum. Nigel Farage has always denied he leads a one-issue party yet that is what it will look like from now on. He's made no secret - in fact it's been a major selling point - that he believes only UKIP can provide the backbone for an effective "leave" campaign. As this conference beckoned, he told me they are "raring to go" with their "raison d'etre ahead". What about Nigel Farage? He is probably the most prominent - and arguably the most effective - proponent of leaving the EU. His national tour is under way, across the UK, with numerous public meetings planned to spread the word. But he knows that neither of the established "no" campaigns want him to lead their efforts, or the unified campaign that most expect to emerge next year. He also knows that there are prominent members of his party, people he trusted to run the general election campaign he is so proud of, that agree with that assessment. For now though he doesn't care. There's a vacuum - he's filling it. But could he, should he, take a step back? Does UKIP have a shelf life? 'The party's nearly over' A prominent UKIP donor told me, privately, last month that the party will be over in a few years' time. And this person wasn't talking metaphorically. This individual, who has given considerable sums of money to the party, and placed much stock in Nigel Farage, believes its work is done. Irrespective of whether it's "leave" or "remain" by 2017, they think UKIP is "dead". The party leader doesn't see it like that, but there's no escaping the fact that his talk of the approaching "raison d'etre" does have an air of finality about it. I'm expecting a reflective but emboldened Nigel Farage in Doncaster this year. He's told me he'll use his main speech on Friday to reflect on some aspects of the general election campaign and on "one or two things" that people said afterwards. He'll bash the SNP, again. Expect him to renew his attacks on an electoral system that gave the party 12.6% of the national vote but just one MP. UKIP members are very angry about that. But there won't be a reset. He doesn't think one is needed. In fact he was emboldened by much of the campaign and in particular what's followed. The UKIP leader believes events on the beaches of Greece and the border of Hungary have vindicated his predictions of 'biblical' migration to an EU which can't control who comes in. He also believes his claim that so-called Islamic State would use the mass movement as cover for exporting terrorists to Europe is something that mainstream politicians are now repeating. He thinks it's been proven that his party was utterly right on migration. Most of all he - and the vast majority of the audience I suspect - will be relieved and very glad that it is him, once again, at the rostrum giving the leader's speech. But there will be some in the room, and more beyond, who increasingly worry that Nigel Farage as the prominent face of the campaign to leave the EU could be holding UKIP back from achieving its ultimate aim. And it's not a good sign when one of your most prominent supporters, and donors, believes the high point has passed and the party could, quite literally, be over in a few years' time.

पिछली बार जब मैं यहां आया था-डॉनकास्टर में पार्टी सम्मेलन में-मैं यू. के. आई. पी. के खुश समर्थकों से घिरा हुआ था। कुछ लोग झंडे लहरा रहे थे और अपने नेता निगेल फराज को सभागार से बाहर निकाल रहे थे। अन्य लोग मंच पर एक-दूसरे की तस्वीरें ले रहे थे। यह सब उस व्यक्ति की वजह से था जो अभी-अभी काली कार में डॉनकास्टर रेसकोर्स में घुसा था।


In the hunt: Stoke Central by-election for all parties

Summary: Farewell to the only Tristram in Stoke. "He's not from round here". That was how many Potteries people greeted the news that Tristram Hunt had landed in Stoke-on-Trent Central with the aid of the proverbial parachute, during the run-up to the 2010 general election.

Patrick BurnsPolitical editor, Midlands And by way of an epitaph, that was also the word on the streets on Friday the Thirteenth when he announced his decision to resign his seat in favour of his "dream job" as Director of London's Victoria and Albert Museum. He was a celebrated television historian and author long before he was a politician and his new job carries double his salary as an MP. But it has still come as a significant shock to the body politic that someone with his obvious talents and long-term potential should see little point in persevering despite the frustrations with life under Jeremy Corbyn, no matter how distinguished that 'V & A' role. A post-Blairite fish out of water he may have seemed, but he rapidly established himself as a committed and articulate advocate of Stoke's ceramics industry. It is fitting that the 'V & A's' outstanding Wedgwood collection is displayed at Barlaston so he will not be severing his links with the city altogether. But he will be remembered chiefly as a popular and polished Shadow Education Secretary in Ed Miliband's Shadow Cabinet, one of the poster boys on the Right of the Parliamentary Labour Party: but also, perhaps, as the man who muffed his lines when they mattered most. In the immediate aftermath of Labour's 2015 election defeat other potential leadership candidates set to work marshalling their campaign teams and preparing their manifestos. But Mr Hunt, with donnish circumspection and caution, called for the party not to lurch into a divisive leadership election but for a period of sober reflection, and a thoroughgoing inquiry into the party's failings. He who hesitates.... He may have been right: "You don't select the lead singer before you've decided what you're going to sing," he told me. But for good or ill, that's not how our politics works. Add to this the likelihood that Mr Hunt would have faced a de-selection battle if and when Stoke's three seats become two under the forthcoming review of Parliamentary boundaries. It is hardly surprising that he should be accused of jumping before being pushed. What is not in dispute is that his departure sets up a fascinating by-election. It will be our first in this part of the country since 2004, when Terry Davis stood down in Birmingham Hodge Hill to become Secretary General of the Council of Europe. So this is not the first time that the lure of a top job has proved more attractive than Westminster politics. With speculation rife that 15 to 20 Labour MPs may be considering following Tristram Hunt's lead, the question is whether or not weary resignation could develop into real resignations. One joke already doing the rounds is that it's the head-hunters who pose the biggest danger to the party now. The Brexit factor Beyond this, there are apparent similarities between Hodge Hill and Stoke Central. Both have large concentrations of social and economic deprivation and both have long been considered rock solid Labour seats. But in this fast-changing world of post-referendum politics there is no such thing as conventional wisdom. There may also be no such thing as a safe Labour constituency. Stoke recorded one of the highest proportion of Leave votes anywhere in the UK, just under 70%, in defiance of Labour's official policy to Remain in the European Union. On the defining issue of our times, a significant wedge has been driven between the Labour Party and large areas of traditional 'core' support. Even before Brexit, they had seen their majority in Stoke Central fall from 20,000 in 1997 to barely 5,000 in 2015. We all know by-elections have a rich and colourful pageantry, behaving very differently from general elections. But there is more than the usual amount of pressure on Labour to demonstrate that they are still in touch with voters here. A defeat would certainly be entered as a significant debit in Jeremy Corbyn's leadership ledger. But so soon after his emphatic re-election he had no trouble dismissing out of hand the suggestion by Andrew Marr that he would be "toast" if Labour lose this, and the by-election in Copeland. Labour are the clear favourites. But all the other main parties have something genuinely worth fighting for. UKIP finished second here in 2015 and can be expected to throw everything they have at this campaign. They need to prove that they are not a busted flush now that their over-arching ambition on Brexit has been accomplished and Nigel Farage is no longer the leader. No wonder speculation is rife that his successor, Paul Nuttall, is set to be adopted as UKIP's candidate there. We'll know for sure on Saturday morning. The former leader Stoke City Council Mohammed Pervez is thought to be a possible Labour candidate. The Conservatives, meantime, will point out they they were pipped to second place by UKIP last time by only the narrowest of margins. Both parties achieved just a tick short of 23% of the vote. As Theresa May starts to signal a more emphatic EU departure than many had expected, they will be vying with UKIP for that Brexit vote. It will also be an important test of her party's appeal to disaffected Labour supporters with her commitments on "burning injustice" and her messages to those "just about managing". If the Liberal Democrats are to recover from their present low point, not even they would expect significant encouragement in Stoke. As we have seen, it is the most enthusiastic city for Leave and therefore just about the last place to deliver a repeat of Richmond. But with Labour under so much strain, UKIP squabbling with the Conservatives squabbling over rival interpretations of Brexit, the Lib Dems will do their best to conjure-up whatever support there may be for an unambiguously anti-Brexit campaign. Our political reporter Kathryn Stanczyszyn will be finding out if Stoke-on-Trent Central really does offer something for everyone. See what she discovers there in this weekend's Sunday Politics Midlands. With me in the studio will be senior figures from the three biggest parties which have most at stake in this by-election: Philip Dunne, the Health Minister and Conservative MP for Ludlow; Jess Phillips, the outspoken Labour MP for Birmingham Yardley; and one of our three West Midlands UKIP MEPs, Jim Carver. And I hope you can join us too, in our usual 11.00 slot on BBC One this Sunday morning, 22nd January 2017.

स्टोक में एकमात्र ट्रिस्ट्राम को विदाई। "वह यहाँ के आसपास के नहीं हैं।" इतने ही कुम्हार लोगों ने इस खबर का स्वागत किया कि ट्रिस्ट्राम हंट 2010 के आम चुनाव के दौरान पैरासूट की मदद से स्टोक-ऑन-ट्रेंट सेंट्रल में उतरा था।


NHS management - the retailer's view

Summary: There has certainly been a blizzard of announcements from the Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt - including reform of consultants' contracts, a new single hospital trust regulator and a buddying scheme linking a leading US hospital to five NHS trusts.

Hugh PymHealth editor@bbcHughPymon Twitter He spelled out in some detail his vision of a patient-centred, transparent NHS providing a full seven-day-a-week service. With rather less fanfare, a report on the leadership of the NHS in England was made available to MPs and put up on the Department of Health website. This is the work of a leading figure in the business world, Stuart (now Lord) Rose who once ran Marks & Spencer. Early last year he was given the task of reporting on how to develop potential top managers in the health service and how strong leadership might help deliver reform where required in hospitals. The Rose report was delivered at the end of last year. He was then asked by Jeremy Hunt to update it to take account of the Five Year View produced by Simon Stevens and other NHS leaders in England. A new version was duly delivered in the spring. But nothing more has been heard of it till now. Labour claimed the report was too sensitive to be published during the election campaign and tried to put pressure on ministers to get it out. Government sources argued that it wasn't deliberately shelved and that time ran out before parliament was dissolved. Beefed up Cynics might wonder why it has taken till the last week before the summer recess and on the day of a series of other health announcements for it to see the light of day. Lord Rose is not directly critical of government policy. But implicit in his analysis is the view that successive NHS reforms, including the controversial Health and Social Care Act changes implemented in 2013, have not exactly helped managers go about their work. He says the level and pace of change in the NHS remains "unsustainably high" and that the bureaucratic and regulatory burden is "fast becoming insupportable". In effect he says the NHS does not have enough experienced managers to deal with the major changes which have been launched. Some of the problems, argues Lord Rose, are "chronic" and have not been addressed by different governments in recent years . Lord Rose has come up with a series of recommendations aimed at improving training and mentoring of managers and future leaders. He wants the current NHS Leadership Academy to be beefed up, and more effort made to encourage recruitment from outside the health sector. The former M&S boss says there are great opportunities for the NHS during a period of "extraordinary and rapid change". But he adds that there are "shortcomings in the management of staff and …..a lack of local strategic oversight". 'Space to lead' He talks of "change fatigue" and "constant fire-fighting" and concern over "many and varied messages sent from the centre of government". Managers are distracted, he argues by demands for data and targets monitored by regulators and inspectors. Lord Rose takes the view that NHS has what's needed to be "an extraordinary organisation", but says it requires the right leaders with the "space to lead". His analysis of the pressures on NHS management is a reminder of the scale of the challenge facing the service in delivering unprecedented efficiency savings by 2020 as well as the seven-day-a-week working demanded by ministers.

स्वास्थ्य सचिव जेरेमी हंट की ओर से निश्चित रूप से घोषणाओं का एक तूफ़ान आया है-जिसमें सलाहकारों के अनुबंधों में सुधार, एक नया एकल अस्पताल न्यास नियामक और एक प्रमुख अमेरिकी अस्पताल को पांच एन. एच. एस. न्यासों से जोड़ने वाली एक मित्र योजना शामिल है।


Coronavirus: Ten defining days since case number one

Summary: After almost 700 negative tests, Scotland's first positive case of coronavirus was officially confirmed on 1 March. A Scottish government press release, sent out shortly before 19:30, announced the patient had recently travelled home to the Tayside area from northern Italy. First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said the country was "well prepared for a significant outbreak" but few could have imagined what lay ahead over the next two months. BBC Scotland looks back at ten defining days since case number one.

By Paul O'HareBBC Scotland 11 March The first case of Covid-19 transmitted within the community was detected by the national surveillance system. Until this point positive tests had been traced to people who had travelled to countries where he virus had spread since it was first detected in Wuhan, China. The development was announced on the day the World Health Organization (WHO) labelled the outbreak, a pandemic. At Westminster, Chancellor Rishi Sunak used his Budget speech to unveil a £30bn package to support the UK through the crisis. Mr Sunak warned of a "significant" but temporary disruption to the economy but vowed: "We will get through this together." 13 March An elderly patient with underlying health conditions became the first person in Scotland to die after testing positive for Covid-19. This was also arguably the day when the mood music changed and the sheer enormity of the global crisis began to hit home. The Scottish football season was postponed indefinitely, the morning after almost 47,500 fans watched Rangers play Bayern Leverkusen at Ibrox. That afternoon further cancellations included the Edinburgh Marathon, Radio 1's Big Weekend in Dundee and the Tartan Day parade in New York, which would soon become the epicentre of the outbreak in the US. Since then major events in the second half of the year have also been called off, including the Edinburgh festivals and the UN's COP26 climate summit in Glasgow. 16 March The extraordinary impact the pandemic would have on our daily lives was detailed in two bombshell briefings in London and Edinburgh. Prime Minister Boris Johnson said everyone in the UK should avoid "non-essential" travel and contact with others to curb the spread of the virus. Mr Johnson also said people should work from home where possible while people in at-risk groups would be asked within days to stay indoors for 12 weeks. First Minister Nicola Sturgeon later warned "life will change significantly" and as she emphasised the need for every citizen to reduce all non-essential social contact. Households were also told to self-isolate for 14 days if one member had symptoms - either a new cough or fever. At a Scottish government briefing earlier in the day it emerged mass gatherings could be off for up to four months. 19 March The day after it was announced schools and nurseries across the country were to close the education secretary confirmed there will be no exams this summer. John Swinney told MSPs the move was the first of its kind since the system was set up in 1888. He said the unprecedented decision "reflected the gravity of the situation" and was necessary to prevent the spread of the virus. Grades for qualifications, including Highers and National 5s, will now be based on estimates by teachers and will be awarded by 4 August. 20 March An astonishing week ended with the prime minister announcing all pubs and restaurants must close - except for take-away food - to tackle the pandemic. Boris Johnson used his daily briefing to announce all the UK's nightclubs, theatres, cinemas, gyms and leisure centres had also been told to close "as soon as they reasonably can". In a separate development, the UK government announced it would pay the wages of employees unable to work due to the virus. The chancellor said the government would meet up to 80% of the salary costs for staff kept on by their employer, covering wages of up to £2,500 a month. The following week Rishi Sunak outlined a package of financial support for the self-employed and told them: "You have not been forgotten". Meanwhile, the first minister urged people to follow social distancing advice to save lives and reduce pressure on the NHS. Among those she addressed in a moving message were grandparents. Nicola Sturgeon said: "To older people - we are asking you to stay away from your grandkids, from the people you love. That's hard. But it is for your protection - so you can stay around to see them grow up." 23 March In a historic broadcast Prime Minister Boris Johnson told the nation: "You must stay at home." Mr Johnson - who was later diagnosed with Covid-19 and admitted to intensive care - announced people will only be allowed to leave their home for very limited purposes. First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said the incredible measures were necessary to slow the spread of Covid-19, ease pressure on the NHS and save lives. She said: "Let me blunt. The stringent restrictions on our normal day to day lives that I'm about to set out are difficult and they are unprecedented. They amount effectively to what has been described as a lockdown." "I am not going to sugar coat it in any way. Coronavirus is the biggest challenge of our lifetime." 30 March The first minister announced the Scottish Event Campus (SEC) in Glasgow could be in operation as a temporary hospital within two weeks. The £43m NHS Louisa Jordan, named after a hero Scots nurse, opened on 20 April but has yet to admit any patients. Nicola Sturgeon also confirmed several cancer screening programmes - including breast, cervical and bowel - had been suspended, so staff can further concentrate on the battle against Covid-19. Fears had been raised that one of the domino effects of the pandemic would be to put people coming forward with symptoms unrelated to the virus. Three weeks later it emerged there had been a 72% reduction in urgent suspected cancer referrals by doctors. Despite the challenges of the lockdown there has been countless uplifting examples of community spirit, from the response to the Ready Scotland volunteer campaign to the weekly Clap For Carers. 5 April A Scottish Sun investigation revealed Scotland's chief medical officer had brazenly flouted her own regulations by visiting her second home on the Fife coast. Dr Catherine Calderwood apologised during the daily press briefing but revealed she had also travelled from Edinburgh to Earlsferry the previous weekend. As pressure mounted the chief medical officer was cautioned by Police Scotland and, after further talks with First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, it became clear her position was untenable. Dr Calderwood announced her resignation shortly before 22:00 and was replaced the following morning by her deputy, Dr Gregor Smith. That same day nurse Janice Graham became the first NHS worker in Scotland to die from coronavirus, less than 48 hours after it claimed the life of care worker Catherine Sweeney. Meanwhile, the Queen described the challenge posed by the pandemic as unlike anything the country has faced before. In a rare speech, watched by 24 million, the monarch said: "We should take comfort that while we may have more still to endure, better days will return: we will be with our friends again; we will be with our families again; we will meet again." 8 April A more complete picture of Scotland's Covid-19 deaths emerged for the first time. Data from the National Records of Scotland said that 354 deaths had been linked to the virus by 5 April. The weekly NRS report includes deaths outside of hospital and those where the coronavirus is a "suspected" cause. On the day the figures were published BBC Scotland revealed medical professionals had written to the Scottish government to express "grave concerns" about the personal protective equipment they had been given. The letter was sent after new guidance on PPE was issued following an urgent review of current protocols. The most recent NRS statistics, recorded 2,272 deaths in Scotland by 26 April, including 11 health and care workers. Of the weekly total 52% took place in care homes, increasing the sector's share of the overall figures to 39%. On a positive note, 98-year-old Daphne Shah was released from Dundee's Ninewells Hospital after recovering from Covid-19. Her son Wesley admitted: "When she left in the ambulance, I honestly never thought I'd see her again." 23 April The first minister announced the lifting of the lockdown is likely to be phased - with some measures remaining in place into next year, "or beyond". Nicola Sturgeon said gatherings in pubs and at public events were likely to be banned or restricted for some time to come. She was speaking as a new 27-page document, outlining the basis of a lockdown exit strategy, was published. Since then Ms Sturgeon has admitted Scotland could do things differently from the rest of the UK and recommended people cover their faces while in some enclosed public spaces, such as shops and public transport. The month ahead will see a greater focus on testing, growing pressure to support the embattled care sector and the possible lifting of some restrictions in a bid to reboot the economy. But governments on both sides of the border will be all too aware that, while the peak may have passed, the UK must be prepared for a second wave of infections.

लगभग 700 नकारात्मक परीक्षणों के बाद, 1 मार्च को स्कॉटलैंड में कोरोनावायरस के पहले सकारात्मक मामले की आधिकारिक रूप से पुष्टि हुई। एक स्कॉटिश सरकार की प्रेस विज्ञप्ति, जो 19:30 से कुछ समय पहले भेजी गई थी, ने घोषणा की कि रोगी ने हाल ही में उत्तरी इटली से टेसाइड क्षेत्र में घर की यात्रा की थी। प्रथम मंत्री निकोला स्टर्जन ने कहा कि देश "एक महत्वपूर्ण प्रकोप के लिए अच्छी तरह से तैयार था" लेकिन कुछ लोग कल्पना कर सकते थे कि अगले दो महीनों में आगे क्या होगा। बीबीसी स्कॉटलैंड पहले मामले के बाद से दस परिभाषित दिनों को देखता है।


Glasgow Airport has busiest June in five years

Summary: Glasgow Airport enjoyed its busiest June for five years.

There was a surge of travellers to sunshine destinations including the Balearics, Canary Islands, Portugal and Turkey as tourists escaped poor weather at home. International traffic was up 5.2% while domestic business also rose by 5.7%. Managing Director Amanda McMillan said: "It is an exciting time for Glasgow Airport with news of further passenger growth." Also contributing to the overall 5.4% increase in travellers on 2012 was a rise in demand for Virgin Atlantic's direct flights to Florida, Canadian Affair's Toronto service and the twice daily Emirates service to Dubai. From Glasgow, 30 airlines serve more than 100 destinations. Aberdeen Airport also recorded solid growth in June, with travellers up 8% on 2012 to just over 300,000. Edinburgh Airport reported record-breaking figures earlier this week after its busiest ever June with more than 950,000 travellers, up 8.4% on 2012.

ग्लासगो हवाई अड्डे ने पांच वर्षों के लिए अपने सबसे व्यस्त जून का आनंद लिया।


Cooking the world's oldest known curry

Summary: Everyone eats. But what if you were told that 4,000 years ago they ate almost exactly what you ate last night? That re-heating it in the microwave was the only real advantage you had over an average Harappan home cook.

By Soity BanerjeeFood writer In other words, had you been washed ashore four millennia ago on the banks of the now lost river of Saraswati and hitched a bullock cart ride to Farmana in the Ghaggar valley near modern-day Delhi, here's what you might have eaten - a curry. For in 2010, when advanced science met archaeology at an excavation site in Farmana - southeast of the largest Harappan city of Rakhigarhi - they made history, and it was edible. India on a plate This is the second article in a BBC series India on a plate, on the diversity and vibrancy of Indian food. Other stories in the series: Why India is a nation of foodies Archaeologists Arunima Kashyap and Steve Webber of Vancouver's Washington State University used the method of starch analysis to trace the world's first-known or "oldest" proto-curry of aubergine, ginger and turmeric from the pot shard of a bulbous handi (pot). Extracting starch molecules from 50 different surfaces - including pots, stone tools, and the dental enamel of humans and domesticated cows, often fed leftovers - they identified the molecular thumbprints of vegetables, fruits and spices, and studied the effect of heat, salt and sugar on them. Soon, mangoes and bananas made their mark under the microscope as did dates and gourds. Roasted and boiled, they were each mapped for clues in a lab. Readings of such plant "microfossils" also undercut the dependence on macro-botanical evidence like carbonised seeds and grains in traditional archaeology. But mostly, they celebrated the building of a new, scientific highway to Harappa. A trapdoor to its kitchens. The 'original' curry Serves 1-2 While the proto-curry that was discovered in Farmana only had aubergine, turmeric, ginger and salt in it, we've taken the liberty to combine them with a few other ingredients that were available at the time. Cook it in earthenware, if you can. 6-7 small aubergines, washed and slit 1-inch piece of ginger, ground 1 fresh turmeric, ground, or ¼ tsp turmeric powder Salt 1tbsp raw mango cut into cubes 2-3tbsp sesame oil ¼ tsp cumin Dehydrated sugarcane juice to taste A few leaves of sweet basil (optional) Method: Wet grind the ginger, turmeric and cumin seeds. Heat sesame oil, add the paste and cook for a couple of minutes. Tip in the aubergines, add some salt and give it a good stir. Cover and cook until the aubergines are nearly cooked through; add some water, if need be. Now, stir in the mango and dehydrated cane juice. Simmer for a few minutes or until the mango is cooked. Check seasoning and serve with bajra roti (pearl millet flatbread). Soity Banerjee live on Facebook The frugal curry from Farmana was a fine dish - as long as you forget that while someone was stirring the pot of curry here, the Egyptians were drawing elaborate scenes of bread making at Luxor and brewing buckets of cloudy beer. But what the humble Harappan curry lacks in glamour, it makes up for in substance. It proves, for instance, what the late food historian KT Achaya had suspected all along - that aubergine is a wild native of the subcontinent, and its Sanskrit names vartaka or vrntaka predate the language (they have Munda roots). Or that ginger or adraka first grew in the region too, as did turmeric or haridra, a word with "aboriginal connotations". In short: the turmeric latte that Instagram and you "discovered" this season may have existed before iron was first smelted! But really, must one know the antecedents of a curry to enjoy it with a pint of beer? Yet, the history that is caught between the covers of a textbook, divvied up by kings and kingdoms, battles and conquests, pottery styles and the size of granaries and baths, rarely takes into account the people who lived through it. People who may have enjoyed their aubergine curries and mango chutneys before a mighty river dried up and the monsoon winds went rogue. People who emptied out of towns and cities in search of better lives and better food. And at least one person who forgot to wash the dishes one night, about 4,000 years ago.

हर कोई खाता है। लेकिन क्या होगा अगर आपको बताया जाए कि 4,000 साल पहले वे लगभग ठीक वैसा ही खाते थे जैसा आपने पिछली रात खाया था? इसे माइक्रोवेव में फिर से गर्म करना ही एकमात्र वास्तविक लाभ था जो आपको एक औसत हड़प्पा घरेलू रसोइये की तुलना में था।