Bangladesh: Lurching from secularism to sectarian terror?

Summary: The recent killings of atheist bloggers in Bangladesh have raised concerns about freedom of speech and shrinking space for secularist thoughts. But increasingly, Bangladesh appears to be heading down a new and even more dangerous road.

By Sabir Mustafa Editor, BBC Bengali Recent attacks on Shia Muslims and death threats against Christian priests have raised the spectre of sectarian terror, which was unthinkable in this largely Muslim country with a tradition of social harmony. Thursday's attack on a Shia mosque in Bogra, in the north of the country, left one dead and several wounded. The death toll is small compared to the carnage Shia in Iraq and Pakistan have suffered in recent years. But it sent shockwaves through Bangladesh - which has secularism enshrined in its constitution. This is the first time assailants have walked into a mosque in Bangladesh and shot people dead. A line has been crossed. ''We have never seen in our entire history an incident where people have been killed inside a mosque,'' said retired general AMM Muniruzzaman, President of the Bangladesh Institute of Peace and Security Studies. The killing comes less than a month after a bomb attack on a traditional mourning procession of Shia at Hoseni Dalan shrine in Dhaka, which left two people dead. Lived together peacefully The shrine has hosted the Ashura procession for more than 400 years without incident. Bangladesh has sheltered itself for years from the kind of sectarianism that has ripped through the social fabric of Pakistan. The Sunni Muslim majority has very little quarrel with the small Shia population. Children grow up learning Shia folklore as their own. Large number of Sunnis participate in the Shia Ashura procession. ''We have lived in this area for generations and never had any problems with others," Abu Zafar, director of the Shia mosque in rural Bogra, said. Mr Zafar said although they had become cautious after the Hoseni Dalan attack, they never thought anyone would kill people at prayer inside a mosque. 'Clear pattern' A more subtle but ominous campaign has also started against the country's tiny Christian population. A number of priests have been sent text messages, threatening them with death. On Wednesday, the head of a Baptist Church in Rangpur, 60 miles (100km) north of Bogra, received a letter, asking him to have his "last supper". ''We will kill those who spread Christianity one by one… the government of Bangladesh will then understand the presence of Muslims in this country'', the letter sent to Revd Barnabas Hemrom said. The minister told the BBC the letter was addressed to him but also had names of ten other priests working in the area. Security analysts see a clear pattern emerging, where the targets are ordinary people from different faith and sects. ''Attacks on Shia and threats against Christians are evidence of efforts to create a sectarian, religious divide in Bangladesh,'' Gen Muniruzzaman said. The pattern bears hallmarks of the Islamic State organisation which has already claimed responsibility for the attack on Shia and the killing of two foreigners. The most recent issue of the militant organisation's magazine hails the spate of attacks as the "revival of jihad in Bengal" and urges its followers to target foreigners, Shia and Christians in Bangladesh. The magazine claimed various groups in Bangladesh have buried their differences and come together to follow the IS leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. Government in denial This new development will worry the Bangladeshi government. The terror network that has been killing bloggers since 2013 can be broken up, and the killers brought to justice. More than a dozen suspects are already in police custody. But if sectarian hatred is allowed to take root, then it can take on a life of its own. Any link-up between local extremist groups and IS could also see the pattern of violence becoming even more bloody. The government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina continues to deny the existence of IS in Bangladesh, preferring to blame home-grown jihadi groups such as the Jamiatul Mujahideen Bangladesh or JMB for the attacks. The JMB achieved notoriety in the early years of this century through public lynching of left-wing militants and assassinations of judges. Eleven years ago they shocked the country by near-simultaneous bomb attacks in all of the country's 64 districts. Its top two leaders were arrested soon afterwards and hanged in 2008. Since many of the JMB militants are alleged to be former activists of Bangladesh's biggest Islamist party, the Jamaat-e-Islam, the government believes all the attacks are their handiwork, claimed under different names and designed to destabilise Bangladesh. Nearly all of Jamaat's top leaders have been tried and convicted on charges of crimes against humanity committed during the country's independence war in 1971. Three of those have already been hanged. For three years they tried to force the government to change course through violent and often bloody agitation. They failed, leaving many of their cadres dead in clashes with police. But the government is yet to win the argument. Jamaat-e-Islam happens to be a key component of the opposition alliance, which the government has been busy trying to dismantle. As a result, the government's denial of IS's presence in Bangladesh and claims of Jamaat links to the killings are often greeted with scepticism. However, the apparent launch of a sectarian terror campaign against Shia and Christians may force the government to take the IS claims seriously. Analysts believe an urgent crack down on the re-emerging militants is necessary to protect vulnerable minority communities as well as the secular character of the Bangladeshi state.

बांग्लादेश में नास्तिक ब्लॉगरों की हालिया हत्याओं ने अभिव्यक्ति की स्वतंत्रता और धर्मनिरपेक्ष विचारों के लिए जगह सिकुड़ने के बारे में चिंता जताई है। लेकिन तेजी से, बांग्लादेश एक नए और उससे भी अधिक खतरनाक रास्ते पर जा रहा है।


The women keeping peace... in the deadliest place

Summary: The United Nations wants to recruit more women as peacekeepers, but only a small proportion of its Blue Helmets are female. In Mali, Jennifer O'Mahony meets some of women trying to bring stability to the region.

Superintendent Catherine Ugorji is settling in for another 24-hour shift monitoring UN patrols in the troubled Malian city of Gao. This formidable Nigerian policewoman cracks jokes with colleagues from Burkina Faso and Tunisia in fluent French, and scans her computer screen for the evening's planned routes. As a woman, she is a highly unusual presence on the sprawling UN base here, where the prefabricated buildings, mess hall and football field are all full of men. It doesn't seem to bother her much. "I like action. Whatever they say a man does, I like doing it," she says. She is one of just 477 female police and military working for Mali's 15,000-strong peacekeeping mission, and the UN would like to recruit more. But the job is a difficult sell. The Mali mission has the grim distinction of being the deadliest active peacekeeping deployment in the world, with 106 blue helmets murdered so far by hostile forces and dozens more killed by accidents and illness. Ugorji is used to working in challenging environments, however. She cut her teeth as a beat cop on the mean streets of Lagos, Nigeria's largest city and a place legendary in West Africa for the inventiveness of its criminals. Her time chasing drug dealers and scammers around Lagos makes her work as a peacekeeper in this jihadist enclave seem "very easy", she beams. "Lagos is a very tough town. I worked as a divisional police officer and crime officer," she says. "I would work around the clock... In the night is when all the bad people move." In her time off, she catches up with her husband and three children via WhatsApp, or heads to the gym for what she says is typically a two-hour workout. The UN deployed peacekeepers here in 2013, once French forces had driven out al-Qaeda-linked jihadists who had taken over the city. The jihadists had occupied Gao for several months and imposed a strict interpretation of Islamic law that included amputating the limbs of thieves and forcing women to cover their faces. But the presence of the departed fighters is still keenly felt. The city was hit by a suicide attack in July, and improvised explosive devices (IEDs) have killed hundreds of civilians on country roads. The jihadists have actually been expanding their territory. Al-Qaeda militants in northern Mali have been joined by Islamic State in central Mali, making use of porous borders to escape into neighbouring countries, and tapping into sympathetic elements in the local population. The only way for the UN to stay ahead is through better intelligence, and this is precisely where more women could make the difference. Jayci Jimenez, a US Air Force captain and intelligence adviser to the UN mission, says that in Gao, local women cannot be seen talking to men who are strangers for cultural reasons - but they might chat freely with a policewoman like Ugorji and let slip some information about unusual movements in their neighbourhood. Yet despite the obvious value of women on patrol, there is still significant internal opposition to the not-very-secretly codenamed "Operation Female Outreach". One Senegalese commander was hesitant to allow one of the few women serving in his unit to go on patrol, Jimenez says. "Imagine the negative publicity if something were to happen to them outside the wire," he told her, especially after he himself had pushed so hard to have women recruited in the first place. Mali's peacekeeping operation is not unusually male-dominated, either. According to UN figures, about 4% of military staff and 10% of police personnel in UN peacekeeping missions around the world are women. Death or injury are not the only risks they face. At the Gao base, I witness an awkward moment. "You are beautiful, like a rose," a Burkinabe soldier says to a female civilian staff member, while she looks at the floor with an air of discomfort. At night, the walk to the shared bathroom is pitch dark, and alcohol flows freely at the on-site bar. Find out more A scandal broke this year at the UN when several female staff who reported sexual harassment or assault in 10 different countries told the media they had been forced out of their jobs or threatened with the termination of their contracts. Their alleged harassers and abusers remained in place. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres pledged zero tolerance of harassment, and has hammered home the need for more women in the ranks. But this isn't universally accepted in Gao. "I think there's no difference between women and men in capacity but unfortunately we have a narrow-minded mindset here," says Capt Ahlem Douzi, a Tunisian army engineer who spends her days promoting gender equality on the base. Any change in the numbers of women would also require national armies and police forces, which feed into peacekeeping missions, to recruit a critical mass of women with enough training to join a UN unit, she points out. But the prevalence of outdated attitudes won't stop Catherine Ugorji from attending to the task in hand. At the patrol desk, she is brewing another coffee for the long night ahead. "When the rest time comes I will rest, but now is working time," she says. Join the conversation - find us on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Twitter.

संयुक्त राष्ट्र शांति रक्षकों के रूप में और अधिक महिलाओं की भर्ती करना चाहता है, लेकिन इसके ब्लू हेलमेट का केवल एक छोटा अनुपात महिलाएँ हैं। माली में, जेनिफर ओ 'महोनी कुछ महिलाओं से मिलती हैं जो इस क्षेत्र में स्थिरता लाने की कोशिश कर रही हैं।


Coronavirus: Businesses urge decision on restrictions

Summary: As the clock ticks towards midnight on Friday - which was promised to herald the end of the existing Covid-19 shutdown for Northern Ireland's hospitality sector - there is widespread confusion about what happens next.

Stormont ministers have spent days debating whether to extend four weeks of forced closures but have yet to decide what to do. Business owners have no idea whether they can pull up the shutters on their premises Saturday. And with fresh stock to order and staff to be called in, some traders say it's far too late for them to bother reopening this weekend. They want the executive to make a decision either way. Many businesspeople say they will respect whatever answer they get, but are not happy the "constant uncertainty" is making a difficult time worse. 'Clowning around' Bill Wolsey, who founded the Beannchor Group which runs high-profile hotels and bars in Belfast, said the process was "an absolute shambles". Some of his city centre venues posted on Facebook that they would open on Friday if politicians failed to reach an agreement about the restrictions. There had been confusion about whether restrictions would end on Thursday or Friday at midnight. However since his statement the BBC has learned that ministers have received revised legal advice that the deadline for the current restrictions on hospitality and close contact businesses is midnight on Friday. "It appears [politicians] just went into the lockdown and nobody gave any thought to... how we can open," Mr Wolsey told BBC Radio 5 Live. "So here we are, as happens in Stormont regularly, at the eleventh hour with no decision made. "What I feel about the politicians is the exact way I feel about track and trace - not fit for purpose. "They are clowning around [and] can't come to any decision when you consider the amount of people who depend on a decision." Peter McCleery, who runs a restaurant in Comber, County Down, said the sector needs a clear message from Stormont. "We don't need an eleventh hour decision as not only do we have staff, we have suppliers who are all waiting with bated breath as well," he said. "Not trading is difficult but if it's for a greater good we could possibly survive - I'm sure there are businesses out there who will not." Londonderry café owner Declan Moore was also critical of the executive, saying: "I don't see why they're dithering - it's bizarre. "It really seems like there's a bit of a political football getting kicked around." 'Reopening is off the table' Belfast restauranteur Martin Murphy said he and others in his trade have been "left in limbo". "There's no way we could open on Friday - regardless of what the executive decides it's still off the table for us," he said. "We are still paying our staff, we are still paying our bills and it's become a real sense of frustration now. "We are starting to wonder when we come out the other side of this." Belfast hairdresser Lynette Murray said she still did not understand why her business was forced to close. "I would have assumed there would have been some sort of risk assessment but everyone was put in the same category - it's really unfair," she said. "We are in the position where we don't have the luxury of getting paid if we don't go to work." She said she applied for grants but has yet to receive any money. Paddy Burns, a barber from Derry, said he had clients ringing to book an appointment but he could not give them an answer. "Even if they say we will close us for another fortnight, we would've accepted that," he added. "I have got to the end of my tether and am dealing with a lot of anxiety." The Department for the Economy estimated that the past four weeks of restrictions had cost the Northern Ireland economy £400m.

जैसे-जैसे घड़ी शुक्रवार की आधी रात की ओर बढ़ती है-जिसे उत्तरी आयरलैंड के आतिथ्य क्षेत्र के लिए मौजूदा कोविड-19 शटडाउन के अंत की घोषणा करने का वादा किया गया था-आगे क्या होगा, इस बारे में व्यापक भ्रम है।


£8.2m for 90 new Welsh Ambulance Service vehicles

Summary: Investment totalling £8.2m is to be spent on 90 new vehicles for the Welsh Ambulance Service.

The Welsh Government cash will fund 18 emergency ambulances, 67 non-emergency patient transport service vehicles and five specialist hazardous response team vehicles. Health Secretary Vaughan Gething said the service "continues to experience a growing demand" every year. It currently has more than 700 vehicles in its fleet across Wales. Ambulance operations director Richard Lee said: "It's vital that we have a modern fleet capable of responding to everyone's needs."

वेल्श एम्बुलेंस सेवा के लिए 90 नए वाहनों पर कुल 8.2 करोड़ पाउंड का निवेश किया जाना है।


Sunderland death: Four held after man found dead at house

Summary: Four people are being held by police after a man was found dead in a house in Sunderland.

The man, who has not been named, but is in his 40s, was found at the property in Kemble Square on Saturday night and had suffered "significant injuries". A Northumbria Police spokeswoman said detectives were treating the death as "unexplained". A cordon remains in place around the property, which is in the Downhill area of the city. Related Internet Links Northumbria Police

सुंदरलैंड में एक घर में एक व्यक्ति के मृत पाए जाने के बाद पुलिस ने चार लोगों को गिरफ्तार किया है।


How will blue collar France vote?

Summary: Hayange is not a place of metaphors, but the relics of its shuttered steel furnaces seem to signal something unresolved. They stalk the landscape around France's north-eastern villages, looming over a new political age.

By Lucy WilliamsonBBC News, Hayange, France This was once the thriving heart of France's steel industry. In the past decade, unemployment has risen by 75%, and around a quarter of the working population now crosses the border to Luxembourg each day for work. This was once staunch left-wing country; communists and socialists ran this place together. But the past few years have seen left-wing votes shrivel, while those for the National Front (FN) have more than doubled, pushing it into the lead. In the market, there are many who are happy to say they vote FN, though not always to give their name. "I'm for the National Front. I'm not afraid to say it," one woman told me. "I'm not totally in favour of them but it's my way of saying that I'm not happy with today's politics. "I think we've left the door open to too much immigration. Employment is in decline. We give, we give, we give to everyone. And I think that's why you chose Brexit, and I absolutely approve of that." The National Front is promising France its own referendum on "Frexit" or exit from the EU, if it wins power in May. It's also promising to clamp down on immigration and give French people priority when it comes to jobs and housing. The National Front has never managed to win power at the regional or the national level, but now controls a dozen towns in France, including Hayange. And the man elected as FN mayor here, Fabien Engelmann, was once himself a union man from the far left. The party presents itself as defending France's "forgotten ones" - against crime, immigration, and economic change. "The left betrayed its voters, betrayed the workers, the middle class, the shop owners," Mr Engelmann told me. "There's also mass immigration today, and I think that after a while you can't welcome the poor from across the world. We have to stop this immigration and take care of our own." France election: Far-right's Le Pen rails against globalisation Emmanuel Macron: France's ambitious man 'on the move' Fillon payment inquiry: What you need to know But the election of Mayor Engelmann has been divisive here, partly because political loyalties themselves are dividing more sharply. After years of trying to boost the economy by pushing through liberal reforms, the Socialist Party is deeply unpopular with many blue collar workers, who say they feel abandoned and ignored, as industries close and jobs become less secure. It didn't help that, before he became president, Francois Hollande visited Hayange during his election campaign to promise that the blast furnaces here wouldn't close. They did. After that, votes for the Socialist Party began to plummet, as supporters turned towards the political margins for answers - both the far left, and the far right. Patrice Hainy was one of those converts. Fed up with the attitudes of France's more established parties, he responded to a National Front leaflet pushed through his door, and ended up joining the party, as a deputy mayor. Patrice lives on one of the old steel-workers' estates, built here in the 19th Century by the wealthy family who built the industry from scratch. According to local historians, it was part of a new vision back then to provide workers with everything they might need from cradle to grave: hospitals, schools, canteens, even holiday camps. Now Patrice, living in a relic of that industrial heyday, says it's the sense of being ignored that leaves left-wing voters open to the FN. "I was attracted to them because the other parties don't listen to the people, and I believed the FN was listening to me," he explained. "It attracts weak members from the left. I was from the left and I was angry with our politicians who are sacrificing French people." But within a year of joining the party, Patrice had left, disillusioned by what he describes as the National Front's "repression", and anti-Muslim views. He's planning to vote for a left-wing candidate in the presidential elections this year, but says voters should not underestimate the appeal of FN leader Marine Le Pen. "I think she might have a chance, because what is happening at a national level is what's already happened in my town," he said. "The FN voters go and vote, the others don't because they're so disgusted with politics." The FN's fiercest critics, like nurse Gilles Wobedo, are trying to draw together opposition voices, to protest against what they see as divisive and partisan policies by the mayor. "The National Front attacks democracy in this town," he told me. "For the past three years, they have divided people: young against old, Muslims against Catholics, workers against the unemployed. The mayor has divided the population and maintains his grip with a small majority." But, he says, it's hard to build momentum because the opposition parties here are so divided - each hoping to win back power for themselves. Not too dissimilar to the problems the left is facing at the national level, with left-wing votes divided between three different figures in the presidential campaign: the socialists' Benoit Hamon, the far-left leader Jean-Luc Melenchon and the independent centrist Emmanuel Macron. One relic of Hayange that has survived is its boxing club. A place for its young men to forget France's politicians, and learn how to win - and lose - for themselves. One of the boxers there, Frank, says a vote for the FN is still a vote of protest and desperation for many people here. "On the left, we've had the Socialist Party in the past; but it doesn't work," he said. "So now, we would like to try something different. I think it's a last solution." What if that solution also fails, I ask him? He shrugs. In the ring, it's easy to judge promises against performance. In politics, it's often past performance that loses elections; and promises that win.

हयांगे रूपकों का स्थान नहीं है, लेकिन इसकी बंद इस्पात भट्टियों के अवशेष कुछ अनसुलझे संकेत देते हैं। वे फ्रांस के उत्तर-पूर्वी गांवों के आसपास के परिदृश्य का पीछा करते हैं, जो एक नए राजनीतिक युग पर मंडराते हैं।


Newmains Community Trust project gets £2m Lottery grant

Summary: A village in North Lanarkshire has been given £2.34m lottery funding to build a new community hub.

The grant for Newmains Community Trust is one of the largest ever awarded by the Big Lottery Fund in Scotland. It will pay for a new facility in the former mining village which can offer space for young and older people and outreach services for careers advice. The lottery funding is from the Our Place scheme which aims to help five communities in the west of Scotland.

उत्तरी लनार्कशायर के एक गाँव को एक नया सामुदायिक केंद्र बनाने के लिए £ 2.34m लॉटरी फंडिंग दी गई है।


The 'making stuff' boom - here’s why it matters

Summary: It is unlikely you will have heard of Brandauer.

Kamal AhmedEconomics editor@bbckamalon Twitter It is one of those small manufacturing businesses that are the backbone of the UK economy. From its base in Birmingham, it makes high-precision metal tools and components for the car, household, aerospace and medical sectors and it employs more than 60 people. If you have a kettle, it almost certainly relies on a small piece of Brandauer kit - more than 90% of the switch mechanisms in all the kettles in the world (and, yup, that's billions of them) are manufactured by the firm. This is a small but significant British success story. Brandauer's chief executive is Rowan Crozier. And he knows all about the manufacturing boom reported on Wednesday by the Office for National Statistics. I asked him what had led to the bulging order books of the last year which have resulted in more workers hired, in sharp contrast to the six months following the referendum in 2016 when a downturn in business confidence led Brandauer to cut costs and lay off staff. "Initially it was the weaker pound, as a company we export 70% of what we make," Mr Crozier explained. "[But then] global economic growth very much set us up for future growth in 2018, our customers are doing well and technology demands are ever increasing, which means as a net result we will do well." For many manufacturing firms which have a clear strategy, invest in new kit (Brandauer's new Swiss high-tech manufacturing machines are the only ones in the UK) and export to the rest of Europe, Asia and North America, this is something of a sweet spot. British manufacturing is riding high on two big trends - a weaker currency and global growth. Sterling's fall in value following the Brexit referendum has made UK exports more competitive. And for the first time since the financial crisis, the three main engines of global growth - the US, China and Europe - are performing strongly at the same time. That has led to car exports, for example, rising rapidly - contributing to a narrowing of the trade deficit with the rest of the world. That's the difference in value between what we import and what we export. Domestically, the economic picture is more subdued, with growth still sluggish. The weak construction figures are testament to that. But, helped by that positive world outlook, Britain's manufacturing sector has not seen such buoyancy since April 2008 and the financial crisis. And is enjoying its strongest run of growth since 1997. Yes, manufacturing is only a relatively small part of the economy and is dwarfed by our services sector which makes up 80% of our national wealth. But, if it does well, it is a sign of increasing confidence in the UK. On Wednesday, the National Institute of Economic and Social Research predicted that growth for the final three months of 2017 could hit 0.6%, up from 0.4% for the July to September period. The forecasts are certainly becoming more bullish. And Wednesday's manufacturing figures will do nothing to dampen them.

यह संभावना नहीं है कि आपने ब्रांडॉयर के बारे में सुना होगा।


Heavy snow buries parts of Glencoe Mountain ski centre

Summary: Parts of a Scottish ski centre have been almost completely buried under snow following six weeks of snowfalls.

Staff at Glencoe Mountain said the depths "massively exceeded" those experienced in the winter of 2009-10, one of Scotland's best ski seasons. The resort's ski patrol shed, which is a log cabin, is one of the areas at the site which has been buried. Glencoe Mountain is one of the five snowsports centres in Scotland hoping for a good winter season this year.

छह सप्ताह की बर्फबारी के बाद एक स्कॉटिश स्की केंद्र के कुछ हिस्से लगभग पूरी तरह से बर्फ के नीचे दब गए हैं।


Man in court after girl, 3, fatally injured in A34 crash

Summary: A man has appeared in court charged with causing the death of a three-year-old girl by dangerous driving in a crash involving eight vehicles.

Thomas Hunter, 58, of Mansfield Road, Mansfield, was arrested after the crash on the A34 at Hinksey Hill, Oxford, on 25 August. Isla Wiggin, of Fleet, Hampshire, was in another car and died two days later. Mr Hunter has also been charged with causing serious injury to a 31-year-old woman by dangerous driving. He appeared earlier at Oxford Magistrates' Court and has been released on bail to appear at Oxford Crown Court on 14 February. A lorry and seven cars were involved in the accident which closed the northbound carriageway for almost 10 hours.

आठ वाहनों की दुर्घटना में खतरनाक तरीके से गाड़ी चलाकर तीन साल की बच्ची की मौत के आरोप में एक व्यक्ति अदालत में पेश हुआ है।


Celebrity Big Brother 2015: The recipe for who goes in

Summary: The 16th series of Celebrity Big Brother's about to begin.

By Steve HoldenNewsbeat reporter Since switching to Channel 5, the show has been broadcast twice a year. Names being mentioned this year include X-Factor contestants Stevi Ritchie and Chloe Jasmine, former Atomic Kitten singer Natasha Hamilton and model Janice Dickinson. Even though the line-up is never confirmed until transmission, you can normally have a good guess at who's in it. So here is the definitive "recipe" for a classic Celebrity Big Brother. The reality star They're used to having their lives micro-managed on TV so getting an already established reality star to go on CBB is usually no trouble. TOWIE, Made In Chelsea and Geordie Shore have all been well represented in recent years. The alumni list includes Mario Falcone, Kirk Norcross, Lauren Goodger and Ollie Locke. There are rumours that this year it could be James Hill from the Apprentice. The Loose Woman Celebrity Big Brother LOVES getting a Loose Woman panellist to take part, presumably in the knowledge they're a little bit gobby. Carol McGiffin, Nadia Sawalha, Denise Welsh and Coleen Nolan have all taken part before. This year's representative could be Sherrie Hewson, who also used to be in Coronation Street. The random US actor CBB's US stars aren't exactly known for their A-list blockbusters. Instead, they're best remembered for their retro TV and straight-to-DVD films (although they're often dressed up as the "star billing"). For Series 12, producers got Dustin Diamond who used to play Screech in Saved By The Bell. Diamond is currently facing a different type of confinement - he's been charged with stabbing a man in a bar fight on Christmas Day. Meanwhile, on CBB series 5 it was Dirk Benedict from The A Team representing the US. Verne Troyer (Mini-Me in Austin Powers), Michael Madsen and Gary Busey all fitted that bill too. This year could be filled by Daniel Baldwin, who is best known for Homicide: Life on the Street. That person from the tabloids There's a formula for this one. Normal person gains infamy, notoriety or racks up the column inches in the tabloids. After weeks in the headlines, Celebrity Big Brother comes around and said person goes into the house. Deirdre "White Dee" Kelly appeared after getting everyone's attention on Benefit Street. Katie Hopkins was on the last series and former boxing promoter Kellie Maloney got signed up soon after she revealed herself to be transsexual. The 90s pop star If you're too young to remember the days of Top Of The Pops and Smash Hits then don't worry because CBB likes to remind you of the stars who were HUGE in the pop world when you were playing with Lego. Claire Richards from Steps, Abz Love from 5ive, Edele Lynch from B*Witched and Ben Adams from A1 have all taken part. Last time round it was 90s singer Kavana. The glamour model Putting a glamour model into the Celebrity Big Brother house means certain tabloids can plaster pictures of the model into into their papers for weeks. Usually, when they're announced the biggest reaction is: "Who? unless you're a regular reader of lads' mags. Recent signings include Lacey Banghard, Casey Batchelor, Nicola McLean and Cami Li. The buzz this year is a few of models are going in, including Tila Tequila. Follow @BBCNewsbeat on Twitter, BBCNewsbeat on Instagram and Radio1Newsbeat on YouTube and you can now follow BBC_Newsbeat on Snapchat

सेलिब्रिटी बिग ब्रदर की 16वीं श्रृंखला शुरू होने वाली है।


Cambridgeshire flood warnings still in place

Summary: Two flood warnings remain in place in north Cambridgeshire as heavy rain is predicted this weekend.

The Environment Agency has warned that water from the River Nene is continuing to rise at the B1040 Thorney to Whittlesey Road. Its second warning is for North Bank Road near Peterborough and west of the Dog in a Doublet sluice. Water levels at the River Great Ouse from St Neots to Earith have stabilised and a flood alert is in place. The Met Office is predicting heavy rain overnight, but said it should clear up by dawn on Sunday.

उत्तरी कैम्ब्रिजशायर में बाढ़ की दो चेतावनियां बनी हुई हैं क्योंकि इस सप्ताह के अंत में भारी बारिश की भविष्यवाणी की गई है।


Canton fire engine crash: One person taken to hospital

Summary: One person has been taken to hospital after a fire engine crashed in Cardiff.

Wales Air Ambulance said its medics administered critical care treatment at the scene on Lansdowne Road in Canton on Monday afternoon. It said it sent a rapid response vehicle and helicopter and the casualty was taken to the city's University Hospital of Wales by road ambulance. South Wales Fire and Rescue Service said one of its appliances had been involved in a single-vehicle crash.

कार्डिफ में फायर इंजन के दुर्घटनाग्रस्त होने के बाद एक व्यक्ति को अस्पताल ले जाया गया है।


Coronavirus: What a shrinking economy means for Luton

Summary: The UK economy shrank by a record 20.4% in April as England spent its first full month in lockdown because of the coronavirus pandemic. What does this number mean for a town such as Luton, which largely relies on the movement of people?

By Phil Shepka & Sarah JenkinsBBC News 'I can't wait to get back to normality' Nakotey Jackson Odjidja was made redundant from a footwear company when lockdown began. "For me personally I'm losing my spirit a little bit with not working and being forced to stay home," the 39-year-old, from Luton, said. "I can't wait to get back to normality." Mr Odjidja has signed up with a recruitment agency to help him find work, but he lives in a town that his council says is one of the most vulnerable to the financial impact of coronavirus. "Most people here work in warehouses or factories in the town. When I moved here from London in 2012 I was shocked just how many of the people here work in those kind of jobs. "Things are gradually starting to open up in the town and there are a few shops open in The Mall [shopping centre] now, so the mood is starting to pick up but I think there will be a lot of suffering after all of this." What is the jobs market like in Luton? In normal circumstances, April would have seen countless holidaymakers flock to the town as a gateway to their Easter break destination of choice. Luton Airport is the UK's fifth busiest airport - with more than 18 million users in 2019 - and any loss of travellers inevitably causes ripples to be felt in the local economy. About 40% of the area's employment relies on a fully functioning airport, says Luton Borough Council. Travel firm Tui, which has a base in Luton, has warned 8,000 jobs would go as it tries to cut costs by 30% in a major restructuring. The airline EasyJet has its headquarters in the town, and has said it will cut up to 30% of its workforce - about 4,500 jobs - as it struggles with a collapse in air travel caused by the virus pandemic. An employee for the airline, who was furloughed at the start of lockdown, said it had been a "difficult time" with "reduced pay on furlough and then redundancies". "Friends and colleagues are affected and we are all going through some pain," he said. The employee said despite the situation, EasyJet have been "very good" and "tried to support as much as they can through furlough top up payments and enhanced voluntary redundancy options". In 2017, Luton lost another big employer when the airline Monarch collapsed. Last year the airline's engineering arm, which was based at London Luton Airport, went into administration - leading to the loss of 408 jobs. The EasyJet worker, who wanted to remain anonymous, said: "We lost Monarch recently and whilst I am confident EasyJet and Tui will survive there will be some short term damage to people. "I hope the desire to sit on a beach and go on holiday helps the industry to recover quickly, although projections are not as optimistic." Suresh Pulandaran works for the airport in security and operations "making sure the whole airport runs smoothly". The 51-year-old said that his team have gone down from having 50-70 staff on each shift to a "skeletal staff" of about 20. He has also seen jobs within the airport being lost including baggage handlers, aircraft cleaners and check-in staff. Mr Pulandaran said the whole situation has left him feeling "very, very sad" and he likened it to when planes were grounded in 2010 because of a volcanic eruption in Iceland. "I've been in love with the airline industry since a young age. "The industry taking a hit like this is very surreal, looking up to the sky and not hearing a plane flying or taking off from Luton was very unreal." In what could be seen as a further blow to the airline economy, from Monday, people travelling to the UK have faced a fine of up to £1,000 if they do not quarantine for 14 days. Airlines British Airways, EasyJet and Ryanair have launched legal action against what they call a "flawed" policy, claiming it would have a "devastating effect on British tourism and the wider economy". What has been the wider impact? Recent analysis by the Centre for Cities found that Luton, with a population of more than 200,000, was in the top 10 in the UK for places where jobs are most at risk of furloughing. Government figures show that more than 25,000 people in Luton have been placed on the furlough scheme. And it is not just those in the airline business that have been affected. Vehicle company Vauxhall halted production at its Luton plant - which employs 1,600 - for about two months before restrictions imposed to tackle the coronavirus pandemic were loosened. The Recruitment and Employment Confederation has also found the number of active job postings in Luton has been decreasing steadily for the past few weeks, by about 1-2% per week. What will happen next? To help fund its local services, Luton Borough Council uses profits from the airport, which it owns, but has projected a £37m drop in airport revenue amid a "catastrophic" drop in passenger numbers. That has contributed to what the council calls a "massive" £49m shortfall in its finances, leaving it needing to make £22m in cuts in an emergency budget. Finance portfolio holder Andy Malcolm called the position "stark" and acknowledged the cuts were "not going to be pleasant". The council's Labour leader, Hazel Simmons MBE, has said the authority have lobbied the government "relentlessly to understand the dire situation" the town is in. She pleaded with government to "give us the support we need to avert catastrophe in Luton". A Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government spokesman said: "Luton Council has received £11.26m of emergency funding to tackle the pressures they have told us they're facing while their core spending power rose by over £8.9m this financial year even before the additional funding was announced. "We recognise some councils with strategic investments, such as airports, are put in an exceptional position by this crisis. "We'll continue to work closely with Luton Council to help them navigate through this difficult situation, so they can continue to serve their local community."

ब्रिटेन की अर्थव्यवस्था अप्रैल में एक रिकॉर्ड 20.4% से सिकुड़ गई क्योंकि इंग्लैंड ने कोरोनावायरस महामारी के कारण अपना पहला पूरा महीना लॉकडाउन में बिताया। ल्यूटन जैसे शहर के लिए इस संख्या का क्या अर्थ है, जो काफी हद तक लोगों की आवाजाही पर निर्भर करता है?


Trains are stopped in Ruabon area after track death

Summary: Rail services have been stopped in the Ruabon area of Wrexham after a man died when he was struck by a train.

British Transport Police said the man was pronounced dead at the scene after the collision at around 10:15 BST on Monday. Officers said the incident was currently not being treated as suspicious. A spokesman said inquiries to establish the man's identity were ongoing and a report would go to the coroner.

ट्रेन की चपेट में आने से एक व्यक्ति की मौत के बाद रेक्सम के रुआबोन इलाके में रेल सेवाओं को रोक दिया गया है।


Man charged after pig's head left on police car

Summary: A man has been charged after a pig's head was left on a police officer's car in south-west London.

The pig's head was found on the car of a British Transport Police (BTP) officer in Hackbridge on Thursday morning. Tye Farrar, 19, was charged with intentionally causing harassment, alarm or distress. Mr Farrar, from Cheam, Sutton has been granted bail and is due to appear at Croydon Magistrates' Court on 30 April.

दक्षिण-पश्चिम लंदन में एक पुलिस अधिकारी की कार पर सुअर का सिर छोड़ने के बाद एक व्यक्ति पर आरोप लगाया गया है।


Christchurch shootings: Why Turkey's Erdogan uses attack video

Summary: It begins with dramatic music, edited in for effect.

By Mark LowenBBC Turkey correspondent, Istanbul Then stills of the manifesto posted by the gunman in New Zealand before his terror attack, highlighting and translating the sections targeting Turkey. The video streamed live by the attacker comes next, shooting his way into a Christchurch mosque, before blurred images with the sound of automatic gunfire. And then a cut to Turkey's opposition leader, Kemal Kilicdaroglu, talking of "terrorism rooted in the Islamic world". The crowd boos wildly, galvanised by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who has now shown the footage during at least eight election rallies. "Mr Kemal is hand-in-hand with terrorists!", the president thunders at one. At another, he turns to the Christchurch attacker. "You will pay for this. If New Zealand doesn't make you, we will," he says, before urging New Zealand to reinstate the death penalty. "This is not an isolated event, it's something more organised," he roars, later accusing the West of "preparing" the killer's manifesto and "handing it to him". Erdogan defiant For many, the leader of a Nato member appearing to exploit New Zealand's grief, repeatedly playing footage that's been condemned around the world and removed from 1.5 million Facebook sites is at once baffling and galling. New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters called it "unfair" and warned it could damage his country's nationals abroad. And yet Mr Erdogan has continued - and gone further. At a rally this week, coinciding with a commemoration of the 1915 Gallipoli campaign - when Ottoman soldiers defeated British-led forces, including those from Australia and New Zealand - he warned those coming to Turkey with anti-Muslim sentiments: "Your grandparents came here and returned in coffins", he bellowed. "Have no doubt: we will send you back like your grandfathers." That prompted Australia's prime minister to summon the Turkish ambassador and review travel advice to Australians travelling here. So what is Turkey's president playing at? This is, in fact, vintage Erdogan. He likes to portray himself as the leader of the Muslim world, despatching his deputy and foreign minister to New Zealand shortly after the shootings. The attack, whose alleged perpetrator targeted Turks in part of his manifesto, has been a perfect opportunity for a proudly Islamic president, who has long railed at the West for its treatment of Muslims, denouncing among other issues the term "Islamist terrorism". And Mr Erdogan thrives on creating an enemy, depicting Turkey as under threat and himself as its saviour. Never more so than before an election. Facing local polls this month which could pose a serious challenge to his party, amid high inflation, unemployment and a tumbling currency, he has gone into classic diversionary attack mode. Before a referendum he fought two years ago, Germany and the Netherlands became the target, after banning Turkish ministers from holding rallies there. President Erdogan labelled them "Nazis" and "fascists" - and that became virtually the entire focus of the campaign. In previous rallies, he has called out media outlets including the BBC, turning his supporters' sights on foreign reporting about Turkey. Other regular targets are the United States, Israel, the UN - and of course an array of domestic enemies, including Kurdish militants and those behind the 2016 failed coup. It feeds the conspiracy theories of a nation taught from school of how the West tried to dismember Turkey, a well-known motto being "the only friend of a Turk is a Turk". And most of all, it plays directly to his conservative, pious support base, who lap up his strongman rhetoric. His half of the country is, after all, the only one he needs for electoral success yet again. The other more pro-Western and secular side of dangerously polarised Turkey is, as ever, dismayed, the opposition spokesman decrying "point-scoring" by showing the Christchurch video. New Zealand's foreign minister is coming to Istanbul this week on Turkey's request, and has promised to "set the record straight." But as other governments have found time and again, dealing with Turkey's combative leader is no simple game - and he's mastered the art of winning his own.

यह नाटकीय संगीत के साथ शुरू होता है, जिसे प्रभाव के लिए संपादित किया जाता है।


Drink-driving arrest as car crashes into River Wallington in Fareham

Summary: A woman has been arrested on suspicion of drink-driving after her car left a road and plunged into a river.

The Vauxhall Astra was found fully submerged in the River Wallington, in Fareham, Hampshire, shortly before 03:00 BST. The 38-year-old driver, from Gosport, escaped from the vehicle uninjured, police said. She remains in custody. Police said the car was recovered at low tide after the crash off Wallington Way near the Delme Roundabout.

एक महिला को शराब पीकर गाड़ी चलाने के संदेह में गिरफ्तार किया गया है, जब उसकी कार सड़क से निकलकर नदी में गिर गई।


Seeking asylum: Facing pirates, storms and gunfire to flee Vietnam

Summary: The stories of five people who fled persecution in their own countries and found sanctuary in Wales are being told via a virtual reality exhibition in Cardiff. Hanh Tran was one of thousands of Vietnamese people who escaped by boat once Communist forces took over the country. Here is the story of his voyage to safety

When Hanh Tran waded through deep estuary mud towards a waiting boat on a dark night in July 1979, he could not have imagined the ordeal that was about to begin. He was part of a mass movement of 800,000 people boarding boats of all sizes to flee a country ravaged by years of conflict and instability. They became known as the Vietnamese Boat People. When the North Vietnamese Army marched into Saigon in April 1975 some were uncertain about what their new rulers had in store, but Hanh was not. His father had left the communist north many years before, and knew what to expect. "We were certain of what was going to happen," said Hanh. "We were very scared of the Communists. If you said one wrong word you would be invited to the police station and never return." Forced conscription of young men into the army was common, so Hanh and one of his brothers went into hiding. That kept them safe for a while, but the long-term solution was to get out of the country, and so Hanh joined the many boats leaving in 1979. He found himself crammed into an 11-metre long boat with 86 other people, including his younger brother. Hanh was violently seasick and spent the first two days in a daze. When he recovered, the boat was now in open water with no land in sight. Then four bigger boats came into view, sparking celebrations. "Everyone was so happy, because we thought they were coming to rescue us," he said. They weren't. The boats were manned by Thai pirates, who surrounded the refugee boat, pointing guns at the terrified people on board. Younger men like Hanh were separated from the others. His wedding ring was stolen, and he began to fear the worst. "That was the most frightening moment of my life. When they separated us we thought they were going to kill us - no doubt about it," he said. The pirates didn't kill them however, robbing the boat people but allowing them to continue their journey. That night the refugees realised the men with guns still had plans for them. Around midnight they saw lights ahead. The closer they got, they realised it was the pirate ships waiting for them. Hanh later heard many stories of people being killed or abducted, and believes the pirates were going to to attack again under the cover of darkness. "Everyone went quiet on our boat and we turned the lights and engine off. As soon as we did that the lights ahead started moving. They knew we had realised who they were, and they were looking for us." They managed to avoid the pirates, and the following day the Malaysian mainland came into view, along with two military boats, who immediately began firing warning shots. "The closer we got to them, the more they shot at us," recalls Hanh. "So we turned the boat around." Rejected by Malaysia, their next hope for salvation came in the form of an oil rig. As they bobbed in the water next to the structure, some on the boat discussed deliberately sinking their vessel, forcing the oil rig workers to save them. The plan was abandoned, but proposed again the next day when, as they approached Singapore, the path was blocked by military boats and helicopters. The Singapore navy towed the refugee boat away from the mainland for seven hours to make sure they didn't return. Stormy waters Nature then turned against the refugees as a huge storm turned the ocean into a mass of churning water. Hanh recalls: "During the storm you could see the water was four metres above the boat, and then the next minute the boat would be high on top of a wave. "Everyone was thinking it was the end. I thought of my wife and daughter, who was just eight months old. "I said to God that's it, all yours. You can do whatever you want. As I passed out in the boat I heard the people praying." When he came to, the storm had passed. Nobody had been lost overboard, and there were even dolphins swimming alongside them. It was a brief moment of celebration. "We were getting close to Indonesia," said Hanh. "Two very big ships came towards us and started shooting. You could see the bullets hitting the water and hear them flying over our heads." Washed ashore Rejected once again, this time Hanh and his fellow boat people were in luck as the current took them towards a nearby deserted island. "We were very, very happy to reach land," said Hanh. "The boat was destroyed so we could not be forced to get back into it." When the owners of the island arrived ten days later to harvest coconuts, contact was made with the mainland and Hanh's journey to a new life in the UK began. As he was travelling west, he was given the glad news that the rest of his family had made it to Singapore after also escaping from Vietnam. Finding sanctuary in Newport In April 1980 Hanh was living along with the rest of his family in a refugee centre in Hastings, Kent. Because Vietnamese families like to stay together, Hanh, his nine siblings and his parents were offered a large house in Newport, south Wales. "The first time I saw Newport I felt like I was in the countryside," said Hanh. "It was so green and lovely and peaceful. "There wasn't as much development back then, so it felt like a small town. People were so nice and helpful. Even though there was a language barrier, you got help as soon as you left the house." His siblings gradually left over the years but Hanh stayed the longest, raising a family in Newport. He now lives in London, part of a Vietnamese community where he continues to keep alive the stories of those who took their chances on the ocean 40 years ago. The Freedom 360 exhibition with the Welsh National Opera will run from 7 to 30 June at the Wales Millennium Centre in Cardiff. Visitors will be able to experience the stories of persecuted people from across the world who have found sanctuary in Wales.

अपने ही देशों में उत्पीड़न से भागकर वेल्स में शरण पाने वाले पांच लोगों की कहानियों को कार्डिफ में एक आभासी वास्तविकता प्रदर्शनी के माध्यम से बताया जा रहा है। हान ट्रान उन हजारों वियतनामी लोगों में से एक थे जो कम्युनिस्ट बलों के देश पर कब्जा करने के बाद नाव से भाग गए थे। यहाँ सुरक्षा के लिए उनकी यात्रा की कहानी है।


Hawick swimming pool reopens after CO2 issues

Summary: A nationwide shortage of CO2 has been blamed for the temporary closure of a swimming pool in southern Scotland.

The facility at the Teviotdale Leisure Centre in Hawick said it was shutting due to an "unforeseen supplier issue". Paul Cowan, property manager for Live Borders who runs the site, said it was down to the gas shortage. The swimming pool was closed for a time but a statement confirmed it was scheduled to reopen for lessons at 15:45 on Thursday. Mr Cowan said many others were being affected by the issue and facilities like hospitals were "currently taking priority". Many swimming pools use CO2 in order to control the pH level of the water.

दक्षिणी स्कॉटलैंड में एक स्विमिंग पूल के अस्थायी रूप से बंद होने के लिए कार्बन डाइऑक्साइड की राष्ट्रव्यापी कमी को जिम्मेदार ठहराया गया है।


Election 2015: Your interactive video guide to Wales

Summary: Only available on iPad and desktop sites not available on the BBC app.

By Carl RobertsBBC Wales political reporter Your browser does not support this interactive video. The general election is only a few weeks away and the campaign for Downing Street has already begun. Using the interactive video above, click on the links pointed out to you by BBC Wales' Carl Roberts to find out all you need to know about the next few weeks. Whether it is reports from our political correspondents, how to access our Twitter feed or where to get latest news from the election - everything you need is here. Easy to use and easy to follow, try out the interactive video to get all the latest on the election and how it unfolds in Wales. Click on the links below if you are unable to access the interactive content above.

केवल आईपैड और डेस्कटॉप साइटों पर उपलब्ध है जो बीबीसी ऐप पर उपलब्ध नहीं है।


Samantha Barks 'proud' to be part of Les Miserables

Summary: Musical star Samantha Barks said she was "proud" to be a part of Les Miserables, after making her debut at the film's world premiere in London.

The Isle of Man actress, who shot to fame on the BBC talent show I'd Do Anything, plays Eponine in the film adaptation of the hit musical. She said: "I feel so proud and overwhelmed to be part of it." The 22-year-old stars alongside Russell Crowe, Anne Hathaway and Hugh Jackman. She thanked all the fans who had braved the cold to support the film's premiere. The film is based on the long-running stage musical that has been seen by 60 million people worldwide. The London production, which opened in October 1985, has gone on to become the world's longest-running musical. Three thousand guests watched the premiere in two of Leicester Square's largest cinemas.

म्यूजिकल स्टार सामंथा बार्क्स ने लंदन में फिल्म के वर्ल्ड प्रीमियर में अपनी शुरुआत करने के बाद कहा कि उन्हें लेस मिजरेबल्स का हिस्सा बनने पर "गर्व" है।


Seal pup towel plea by Tynemouth Blue Reef Aquarium

Summary: Tynemouth's Blue Reef Aquarium is appealing for old towels to care for sick and injured rescued seals.

Donations of towels are urgently needed to keep pups warm and nurse them back to full health. Staff at the centre said recent bad weather has led to its centre being full since November with hundreds of extra pups. More than 2,000 grey seals have been born on the Farne Islands, off the coast of Northumberland, this winter. A spokesman for the centre said: "With the recent bad weather this has caused some of these seal pups to get separated from their mothers or become injured in the rough seas." The Blue Reef team works alongside the RSPCA and the British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR).

टाइनेमाउथ का ब्लू रीफ एक्वेरियम बीमार और घायल बचाए गए मुहरों की देखभाल के लिए पुराने तौलिए की अपील कर रहा है।


Bristol Arena: Should it be built with taxpayers' money?

Summary: A financial plan for funding the building of a £91m indoor entertainment arena has been approved by Bristol City Council's cross-party cabinet. Mayor George Ferguson said the council would need to take out a loan to help build the arena, but added that the City Deal and rent paid by the venue operator should cover the cost. The decision has prompted debate about whether building an arena is a good move for the city and whether taxpayers in Bristol should be footing some of the cost.

Bristol-based concert promoter Conal Dodds "Every big British act will have played in Bristol, it was just that their ceiling would have been the Colston Hall or Bristol Academy. "If you want to play a much bigger venue, an arena, you had to go to Cardiff, that was the next biggest place. "When an act gets beyond Colston Hall level, generally they've crossed over into the mainstream and lots more people want to go and see them. "Bands like Coldplay, for example, have played in Bristol but can't play here anymore unless it's some low key show because they have to go where the demand is. "If you can play to 12,000 people in Bristol, as opposed to 2,000 people, they're much more likely to come here. "There isn't a big arena in the south west of England. The nearest place you can go [in England] is Birmingham or London." "We do promote in Bristol but we are limited to about a 1,500 capacity. "We're currently trying to negotiate Lee Haskins to box for a world title and we've got nowhere in the city to host it. "The city is letting down our best sporting talents because they can't host them to feature in these big events. Bristol is the largest city in the UK without an arena. "We are just a million light years behind and the council and whoever was responsible over the last 10 to 15 years - when every other city leapt on to it and built their arenas - it's a shambles and they should be ashamed that we've been left behind. "George Ferguson has been left to pick up the pieces and I'm hoping George, with his background, will be able to deliver this for Bristol." "It just seems such a huge amount of money. I just see it as one of George Ferguson's vanity projects. "Local pollution is going to increase, more carbon emissions... air quality is going to be affected. "All this and George Ferguson maintains that Bristol is a green city. "How can that be still possible when we've got all this in the short-term? "Also in the longer term people will be affected. Bristol is already congested and this is going to be worsened by this. "I just don't see the need for an arena because there are other venues - Ashton Gate, Colston Hall - why aren't they putting money into them to spruce them up?" "We can't afford not to have an arena. "Our experience of working on these projects elsewhere is that it does drive further corporate investment, further jobs, further employment, and the spin-off that we get over the years will pay back the investment. "We are a top core city and we've got second division facilities. Actually we've got very few facilities in truth. "Nottingham, Cardiff and Exeter, they've all got arenas and it does give spin-off. "It does put cities on the map and we need to be in that environment." Garf Locke on Facebook: "Even Leeds have opened one now and our lot are still talking, at least funding has been agreed, Lets see if it gets any further than that." Nickey Packer on Twitter: "Yes it is definitely needed. Why is Bristol lagging behind other major cities? It's an embarrassment! Oh & also, fed up of driving to Cardiff or Birmingham for concerts. Bristol City Council - just do it!" Tony Wilkins on Twitter: "Fantastic! Bands,live shows,sports events!!All the reasons why we need a arena!! Job creation,money what else do you need! #cantwait" Steve Tilley on Twitter: "I have travelled to Cardiff to see REM & Pet Shop Boys; B'ham to see Peter Kaye & Faithless. Build Arena. Massive Attack to open it." Russ King on Twitter: "Bristol is lagging behind without one. 200 mile trips to Birmingham for concerts plus exhibitions and other events. Only need to look at New Leeds and Glasgow Hydro to see success for them. If well managed can promote city to world" Chris Mountford on Twitter: "considering Bristol's size, it's valid. But it will need proper managing & be a venue bands want to play"

ब्रिस्टल सिटी काउंसिल के क्रॉस-पार्टी कैबिनेट द्वारा 91 मिलियन पाउंड के इनडोर मनोरंजन क्षेत्र के निर्माण के वित्तपोषण के लिए एक वित्तीय योजना को मंजूरी दी गई है। मेयर जॉर्ज फर्ग्यूसन ने कहा कि परिषद को क्षेत्र के निर्माण में मदद करने के लिए एक ऋण लेने की आवश्यकता होगी, लेकिन उन्होंने कहा कि सिटी डील और वेन्यू ऑपरेटर द्वारा भुगतान किए गए किराए में लागत शामिल होनी चाहिए। इस निर्णय ने इस बात पर बहस छेड़ दी है कि क्या एक क्षेत्र का निर्माण शहर के लिए एक अच्छा कदम है और क्या ब्रिस्टल में करदाताओं को कुछ लागत चुकानी चाहिए।


Ronald dela Rosa: 'The Rock' behind Duterte's drugs war

Summary: It might have fallen away from international headlines, but state-sanctioned drug war killings continue in the Philippines. As the former chief of police tells the BBC's Howard Johnson in Manila, it's provided a cover for anyone wanting to kill with impunity.

Since the Philippine government launched its all-out campaign on drugs in July 2016, it says more than 4,000 suspected drug users and dealers have died in police operations. Urged on by President Rodrigo Duterte, the police swept through predominantly poor communities targeting suspects on "drug lists" compiled by local community leaders. Nightly images of bloodied bodies splayed across roads and alleyways were broadcast around the world. Rights groups now put the number of dead at more than 12,000. They say many of the killings, including those by vigilantes, were extra-judicial and therefore illegal. The police argue that all of the killings were made in self-defence after the suspects resisted arrest. 'We did not shy away' The man behind the campaign, the then Chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP) General Ronald dela Rosa, told the BBC the campaign had not been "perfect", but that he was "proud" of his record. "I can say we attacked the problem head-on," he said when we met in Manila. "We did not shy away from the problem. The drug problem is very, very big in the Philippines." Nicknamed The Rock, Gen dela Rosa was widely considered the chief enforcer of Mr Duterte's punitive anti-drug campaign. The two men had worked closely together before, when Mr Duterte was mayor of Davao city. As the city's police chief between 2012 and 2013 Mr dela Rosa implemented his "Oplan Tokhang" - "knock and plead" - anti-drug campaign that saw police officers scour neighbourhoods to apprehend suspected drug dealers and users. In July 2016, shortly after Rodrigo Duterte became president, Gen dela Rosa was appointed director general of the PNP. He went on to apply the same strategy - deploying undercover stings known as "buy-bust" operations - on a national scale. So was he given a shoot-to-kill mandate? "No, I would like to make it clear to the whole world," said Gen dela Rosa. "President Duterte did not give me an order to to kill. Anyone. He just told our policemen that if your life is in danger you have to protect yourself so it's better that the criminals are killed rather than you." At the start of the drug war President Duterte was widely criticised by the international community for a number of statements that appeared to encourage the police to kill with impunity. In September 2016 he said: "If [drug suspects] pull out a gun, kill them. If they don't, kill them still, son of a whore, so it's over, lest you lose the gun. I'll take care of you." This was just hyperbole, said Gen dela Rosa, designed to put fear into the minds of criminals. Pushed on whether it is responsible for a head of state to make such statements Gen dela Rosa said there had always been "some unexplained killings" in the Philippines, so "why attribute that to the language of the president?" But he did admit that the war on drugs provided the perfect cover for hit men, who could kill without fear of being investigated. Paid killers could kill someone in public, then place a cardboard sign on the body alleging involvement in drugs to cover up the true motive behind their killing. That way, the community "will not be so hot on the solution of the case" he said. Carlos Conde of the campaign group Human Rights Watch said that while it "may be true that criminals are taking advantage of the 'drug war', that's a lame explanation for the thousands of deaths encouraged and enabled by the government from the top down". "There are credible accounts by witnesses and families of victims, by human rights groups and even media, of police actions that indicate the killings are government policy. "But even if we just zero in on the more than 4,200 who died during police operations because they allegedly fought back - that claim begs for an investigation." From the streets to the prison Nevertheless, Ronald dela Rosa is popular in the Philippines. He regularly appears on Filipino TV shows and enjoys posing for photos with the public. He even featured in a controversial iPhone game that shows him and Mr Duterte shooting criminals. The game was later removed from the Apple app store. He became a household name in the Philippines after he cried during a senate hearing into the death of a provincial mayor while in police custody over alleged illegal drug possession. Fighting back tears, he told senators he couldn't blame the public for losing trust and confidence in the police because he himself no longer knew "whom to trust". Under his watch the war on drugs was temporarily suspended twice because of miscarriages of justice. In October 2016 a South Korean businessman was kidnapped and murdered by officers at the national police headquarters in Manila under the pretence of a drug-war arrest. Then in September 2017 a 17-year-old student was killed during an anti-drug operation. Amid huge protests, police officers later admitted they had no evidence Kian delos Santos was involved with drugs. The PNP resumed control of the drug war in November 2017, but a few months later Gen dela Rosa was moved from PNP police chief to become the director general of the Bureau of Corrections. As the head of prisons, he has made it his goal to wipe out the drug trade inside the country's main detention centre, New Bilibid Prison, home to many of the country's top drug lords. According to Gen dela Rosa, past inspections revealed inmates were "living like kings" - some cells were furnished with "jacuzzis" and "recording studios". "They can't do it any more," said Gen dela Rosa "On the very first day in office I told them: 'Right here, right now, I'm the boss. You're not the boss'." Then, referencing the Netflix series Narcos, in which Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar controlled a prison nicknamed The Cathedral, Mr dela Rosa added: "Bilibid is not your cathedral any more." 'We're not hiding anything' In February this year the International Criminal Court (ICC) said it had begun a preliminary examination of claims filed by a Filipino lawyer that the government had committed crimes against humanity during its handling of the drug war. Mr Duterte responded by saying he wants to remove the Philippines from the jurisdiction of the ICC, accusing it of violating due process. But Gen dela Rosa said he would welcome ICC investigators. "We're not hiding anything. We are open," he insisted. "What is difficult is if they are just hearing reports coming from the anti-Duterte critics who are bringing those reports to them. Then they will be blinded by false reports or 'fake news'." Such is Gen dela Rosa's popularity many are tipping him to run for senator in 2019. Recent opinion polls suggest he would stand a good chance of being elected if he were to stand. But he says he is waiting for the approval of President Duterte before he makes a decision to enter politics. If he gets the green light, he said he would campaign to introduce the death penalty for drug offenders and to bring in a nationwide ID card system. Asked if he had aspirations of becoming president himself one day he said: "I'll leave that to God. Destiny, destiny. My becoming the chief of the PNP is destiny already."

हो सकता है कि यह अंतरराष्ट्रीय सुर्खियों से दूर हो गया हो, लेकिन फिलीपींस में राज्य द्वारा स्वीकृत नशीली दवाओं के युद्ध की हत्याएं जारी हैं। जैसा कि पूर्व पुलिस प्रमुख ने मनीला में बीबीसी के हॉवर्ड जॉनसन को बताया, यह किसी को भी दंड से मुक्त करने के लिए एक कवर प्रदान करता है।


Brexit vote: What are MPs doing on Friday?

Summary: Today should have been the day the UK officially left the EU.

But Parliament still hasn't come to an agreement on the best way forward for Brexit. On Thursday, the Commons Leader, Andrea Leadsom, revealed the government would give MPs another vote. But what on this time? Here is what we know... What is the plan? The government tabled a motion to be debated in the Commons on Friday about Brexit. But unlike previous occasions, where MPs have been talking about the entirety of Theresa May's deal, this time it is just the one of two elements. Part one is the withdrawal agreement - the legally binding document that sets out the terms of the UK's departure from the EU. This includes a settlement, details of a transition period for after we leave and protections for citizens' rights. It also includes the controversial backstop, or the insurance policy that aims to prevent a hard border returning to the island of Ireland. Part two is the political declaration - non-legally binding document that outlines plans for the future relationship between the UK and the bloc after exit day. The government will only put part one - the withdrawal agreement - to the Commons for a vote. Why has this plan come about now? Mrs May has put her whole deal to Parliament twice in what were called "meaningful votes" to secure her deal, but both times her plan has been voted down by historic margins. After it became clear the government would not be able to pass the deal and complete all the legislation by the original Brexit date of 29 March - today - Mrs May asked the EU for an extension. They said that if the withdrawal agreement was agreed by MPs by 29 March, the UK could then have until 22 May to sort out the paperwork. If not, the UK would only have until 12 April to come up with an alternative or face leaving the EU without a deal. Then the Speaker, John Bercow, warned the government they could not bring back the deal for a third meaningful vote unless it had changed substantially - seen by some as torpedoing a quick return to the Commons. Ministers have been trying to win MPs over to back the deal and this culminated in Mrs May offering to resign to allow someone else to lead the next set of negotiations with the EU - on the proviso they voted for it when it came back to the House. By splitting the withdrawal agreement from the political declaration, the government would adhere to the rules set out by the EU of agreeing that section by the 29 March - meaning the extension of 22 May would stand. How is the day in Parliament unfolding? MPs only sit on a Friday to debate private members' bills - but they more usually use the day to carry out work in their constituencies. But they are sitting today for this debate and vote. Proceedings began at 09:30 GMT, with votes expected at about 14:30 GMT. The government has tabled a motion on the withdrawal agreement to allow MPs to debate it. It is an amendable motion, which allowed MPs to put forward their own changes to it. Three amendments were tabled - on revoking Article 50, giving Parliament more say over the future relationship and giving the devolved legislatures in Scotland and Wales a say over future Brexit policy - but none of those were chosen for debate by the Speaker. Once the debate is finished, MPs will vote on the motion itself. What could be the outcome? If MPs approve the withdrawal agreement on Friday, they will have met the requirements to push exit day back to 22 May. But under current law, it would not be enough to ratify the whole deal because only one part would be approved. The government would either have to pass part two of the deal - the political declaration on the future relationship - at a later date, or change the law so that it is not needed to ratify the treaty. If the withdrawal agreement does not get approved, ministers will have until 12 April - the date by which the UK would have to indicate whether it would stand candidates in the European Parliament elections in May - to "indicate a way forward". The EU's chief negotiator Michel Barnier said the choices will be leaving without a deal or a having a longer extension - involving taking part in the elections. It would also be expected that the EU would hold an emergency summit to decide if the conditions for a longer delay are met.

आज वह दिन होना चाहिए था जब ब्रिटेन ने आधिकारिक तौर पर यूरोपीय संघ छोड़ दिया था।


Meet India's dam-building grandmother

Summary: It is easy to underestimate Amla Ruia.

By Aamir Rafiq PeerzedaBBC Innovators, Rajasthan, India But at 71, this mild-mannered Mumbai matriarch is one of the most prolific dam builders in the world, and at the forefront of India's fight against drought. Each year more than 300 million people in India have to battle severe water shortages. In recent years when the monsoon rains have been disappointing the government has been forced to deliver water to farms and villages by trains and tankers. People have died from dehydration because of the distance they had to travel in order to get to the nearest well. India's biggest state, Rajasthan, is also one of the driest, and it's here that Amla Ruia and her Aakar Charitable Trust have been working. Over the past 10 years they have built more than 200 "check dams", transforming the lives and livelihoods of more than 115 villages, and affecting another 193. An ancient system The trust works with local communities to find parts of the landscape that can capture water, like a reservoir. Instead of building man-made reservoirs from scratch, they use the natural contours of the hilly landscape, building slopes, and shoring up spaces, to catch and keep water in these semi-natural basins or check dams. When the monsoon comes, the check dams fill up and replenish the water table which has dangerously degraded over time. The aquifers and wells near the villages retain the water for the dry season. They are cost effective, and unlike major dams and reservoirs, there is no mass displacement of people when they are built. "This is not a new solution, this was practised by our ancestors," says Amla Ruia. "The structures we make have a concrete wall only in the middle, so when the water level increases it can easily overflow from this side," says Aakar Charitable Trust engineer Drigpal Singha. "Other walls are made from earthen bunds, and the bed is just normal soil, so as you can see, it's all soil. "When it gets filled up the water directly seeps into the soil and recharges the water table, and brings up the water level in all the nearby wells." he says. Trust distrust The trust provides 60% of the resources for each check dam, and they ask the local community to provide the remaining 40%. The BBC's Innovators series reveals innovative solutions to major challenges across South Asia. Learn more about BBC Innovators. Because the check dams need to be maintained they say that this level of community investment makes the villages and farmers take ownership of the dams, and so when the trust moves on, the benefits remain. "The villagers were not ready to believe in us. They thought we had some ulterior motive," Amla Ruia says about the days when they were first starting. The trust claims the impact on lives has been dramatic. Where they were taking deliveries of water from tanks to survive, farmers are now growing up to three crops and keeping cattle. Amla Ruia says young girls are able to go to school instead of having to stay home because their mothers have to go long distances to find water. Each year Aakar Charitable Trust, along with local communities are building an average of 30 dams, but Amla Ruia wants to triple this to 90 builds a year. She also wants to spread the word about check dams around the world. But it's not a solution for everyone, as local water activist Prafull Kadam points out. "These check dams will be very beneficial for locals here, and in future it will help the seasonal crops. "But it has limitations also. This innovation can't be applicable for the whole of India because India has different geography," he says. But that's not stopping Amla Ruia. "I told my husband once that I will continue to look after my check dams till I am 90. He said 'what will you do for the next 30 years? You are going to continue to work until you are 120'."

अमला रुइया को कम करके आंकना आसान है।


Why Kashmir's militants have become 'heroes' again

Summary: For the first time in more than 25 years of conflict in Indian-administered Kashmir, the Jammu and Kashmir police on 18 February issued what would seem like an obvious security advisory - asking people to stay away from battles being fought between armed forces and militants.

By Shujaat BukhariEditor, Rising Kashmir, Srinagar "(They) should not venture out as they can get hit by stray bullets. Residents are also requested not to come out of their houses or peep out of windows," a police spokesman said, adding that they had requested village elders and headmen to warn people as well. It would be easy to think that the advisory was in response to the deaths of two young students killed by stray bullets in south Kashmir's Pulwama district on 14 February, but this is not the only reason. In a strange departure from the past, when gun battles between militants and armed forces had civilians fleeing for cover, authorities are seeing more people, mainly youth, flocking to battle sites. This was most recently seen in Pampore earlier this month, where a 48-hour-long battle killed nine people, including two captains from India's security forces. Renewed sympathy The present mood can be compared to the early 1990s when armed rebellion broke out in Kashmir with the popular support of people. This renewed sympathy may be a temporary phase but it signals a change of mood on the ground which did not happen overnight. It has been prompted by a complete breakdown of all government measures that indicated any urge or desire to deal with Kashmir politically. Militant groups in Kashmir actually suffered setbacks in the mid-90s, mainly due to internal rebellion and the birth of the pro-army Ikhwan, categorised as "renegades" by the separatists. As a result, they came to be dominated by foreigners, largely Pakistanis. This, along with a reconciliatory process between India and Pakistan - as well as Srinagar and Delhi - helped consolidate "peace". However, the hanging of Afzal Guru in 2013, along with a growing sense of despondency and frustration, began changing the mood. This has been exacerbated by media narratives that have been perceived as being "anti-Kashmir". Some analysts say that the decision of the regional People's Democratic Party (PDP) to ally with India's Hindu nationalist BJP could also be a factor. The PDP campaigned for the 2014 state polls on an anti-BJP plank, which mobilised youth in south Kashmir in particular, but ultimately allied with them to form the government. With the federal government showing little intent of politically engaging with Kashmir in any meaningful manner, its youth seem to be drawn towards militant violence. Recently, 21-year-old Burhan Wani from south Kashmir's Tral area has been dominating social media with videos that incite youth to take up arms. Heroes farewell But official figures suggest that the attraction towards militancy among Kashmiri youth began much earlier. They indicate that 60 civilians joined militant groups in 2014 and 66 in 2015, up from 28 in 2013. Local militant group Hizbul Mujahideen is also making a comeback - earlier the scene was dominated by Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed. Increased activity means more militants have started getting killed. But in a very significant change, large crowds have begun attending their funerals. The funeral of a Lashkar-e-Taiba commander Abu Qasim - a Pakistani - was attended by more than 30,000 people, and two villages actually fought over where he would be buried. There were far fewer people at the funeral of state chief minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed who died in office on 7 January. Funerals of other militants have also seen large turnouts and that explains why the police opted to quickly dispose of the bodies of the three Pakistani militants killed in Pampore. The people of the area had, in fact, been aggressively asking for the bodies. So how have militants become heroes in Kashmir again? With little development on the political front, the involvement of local youth in militancy could be one factor. Also, many believe that the new breed of Kashmiri militants is "harmless". This is seen in the context that unlike in the 90s, today's militants do not make the life of a common citizen difficult. They don't indulge in local disputes, don't interfere in the functioning of the government, nor do they resort to extortion. The larger problem though is the government's continuous refusal to recognise that the concerns of Kashmir are rooted in a political dispute and refusal to address them politically, which has left a fertile space for extremism to grow.

भारत प्रशासित कश्मीर में 25 से अधिक वर्षों के संघर्ष में पहली बार, जम्मू और कश्मीर पुलिस ने 18 फरवरी को एक स्पष्ट सुरक्षा परामर्श जारी किया-जिसमें लोगों को सशस्त्र बलों और आतंकवादियों के बीच लड़ी जा रही लड़ाई से दूर रहने के लिए कहा गया।


A1 closes overnight for new bridge

Summary: A major road in North Yorkshire will be closed overnight and for most of Sunday morning as a new bridge is installed.

The section of the A1 is being upgraded to motorway standard between Leeming and Barton. The northbound carriageway will be closed between junction 50 (Baldersby) and Scotch Corner. Southbound will be closed between Scotch Corner and junction 51 (Leeming). The closure will be from 20:00 until 11:00 BST.

उत्तरी यॉर्कशायर में एक प्रमुख सड़क रात भर और रविवार की सुबह के अधिकांश समय के लिए बंद रहेगी क्योंकि एक नया पुल स्थापित किया गया है।


Japanese Emperor Akihito's address in full

Summary: Japan's Emperor Akihito has made a televised address to the nation, to say his declining health means it is difficult to continue in his role. While he stopped short of saying he wanted to abdicate, he suggested it might be wise to hand over his responsibilities at some point.

Under current laws there is no provision for him to abdicate, but PM Shinzo Abe has said the government will "seriously" look into that. Here is the official translation of the speech. Emperor Akihito's speech A major milestone year marking the 70th anniversary of the end of World War Two has passed, and in two years we will be welcoming the 30th year of Heisei (the era beginning when the previous emperor died). As I am now more than 80 years old and there are times when I feel various constraints such as in my physical fitness, in the last few years I have started to reflect on my years as the Emperor, and contemplate on my role and my duties as the Emperor in the days to come. As we are in the midst of a rapidly aging society, I would like to talk to you today about what would be a desirable role of the Emperor in a time when the Emperor, too, becomes advanced in age. While, being in the position of the Emperor, I must refrain from making any specific comments on the existing Imperial system, I would like to tell you what I, as an individual, have been thinking about. Ever since my accession to the throne, I have carried out the acts of the Emperor in matters of state, and at the same time I have spent my days searching for and contemplating on what is the desirable role of the Emperor, who is designated to be the symbol of the State by the Constitution of Japan. As one who has inherited a long tradition, I have always felt a deep sense of responsibility to protect this tradition. At the same time, in a nation and in a world which are constantly changing, I have continued to think to this day about how the Japanese Imperial Family can put its traditions to good use in the present age and be an active and inherent part of society, responding to the expectations of the people. It was some years ago, after my two surgeries that I began to feel a decline in my fitness level because of my advancing age, and I started to think about the pending future, how I should conduct myself should it become difficult for me to carry out my heavy duties in the way I have been doing, and what would be best for the country, for the people, and also for the Imperial Family members who will follow after me. I am already 80 years old, and fortunately I am now in good health. However, when I consider that my fitness level is gradually declining, I am worried that it may become difficult for me to carry out my duties as the symbol of the State with my whole being as I have done until now. I ascended to the throne approximately 28 years ago, and during these years, I have spent my days together with the people of Japan, sharing much of the joys as well as the sorrows that have happened in our country. I have considered that the first and foremost duty of the Emperor is to pray for peace and happiness of all the people. At the same time, I also believe that in some cases it is essential to stand by the people, listen to their voices, and be close to them in their thoughts. In order to carry out the duties of the Emperor as the symbol of the State and as a symbol of the unity of the people, the Emperor needs to seek from the people their understanding on the role of the symbol of the State. I think that likewise, there is need for the Emperor to have a deep awareness of his own role as the Emperor, deep understanding of the people, and willingness to nurture within himself the awareness of being with the people. In this regard, I have felt that my travels to various places throughout Japan, in particular, to remote places and islands, are important acts of the Emperor as the symbol of the State and I have carried them out in that spirit. In my travels throughout the country, which I have made together with the Empress, including the time when I was Crown Prince, I was made aware that wherever I went there were thousands of citizens who love their local community and with quiet dedication continue to support their community. With this awareness I was able to carry out the most important duties of the Emperor, to always think of the people and pray for the people, with deep respect and love for the people. That, I feel, has been a great blessing. In coping with the aging of the Emperor, I think it is not possible to continue reducing perpetually the Emperor's acts in matters of state and his duties as the symbol of the State. A Regency may be established to act in the place of the Emperor when the Emperor cannot fulfil his duties for reasons such as he is not yet of age or he is seriously ill. Even in such cases, however, it does not change the fact that the Emperor continues to be the Emperor till the end of his life, even though he is unable to fully carry out his duties as the Emperor. When the Emperor has ill health and his condition becomes serious, I am concerned that, as we have seen in the past, society comes to a standstill and people's lives are impacted in various ways. The practice in the Imperial Family has been that the death of the Emperor called for events of heavy mourning, continuing every day for two months, followed by funeral events which continue for one year. These various events occur simultaneously with events related to the new era, placing a very heavy strain on those involved in the events, in particular, the family left behind. It occurs to me from time to time to wonder whether it is possible to prevent such a situation. As I said in the beginning, under the Constitution, the Emperor does not have powers related to government. Even under such circumstances, it is my hope that by thoroughly reflecting on our country's long history of emperors, the Imperial Family can continue to be with the people at all times and can work together with the people to build the future of our country, and that the duties of the Emperor as the symbol of the State can continue steadily without a break. With this earnest wish, I have decided to make my thoughts known. I sincerely hope for your understanding.

जापान के सम्राट अकिहितो ने राष्ट्र को एक टेलीविजन संबोधन दिया है, यह कहने के लिए कि उनके बिगड़ते स्वास्थ्य का मतलब है कि उनकी भूमिका को जारी रखना मुश्किल है। हालांकि उन्होंने यह कहना बंद कर दिया कि वह त्याग करना चाहते हैं, उन्होंने सुझाव दिया कि किसी समय अपनी जिम्मेदारियों को सौंपना बुद्धिमानी हो सकती है।


Red phone box reopens as tourist information centre

Summary: A red telephone box in a south-east Cornwall village has been reopened as a tourist information centre.

The box, at Crafthole, was bought for a token £1 by the local community shop. The work was undertaken after many holidaymakers came into the shop and asked questions and about attractions and services around the Torpoint area, Sheviock Parish Council said. The box contains information boards, leaflets, brochures, footpath maps and cards from local businesses.

दक्षिण-पूर्व कॉर्नवाल गाँव में एक लाल टेलीफोन बॉक्स को पर्यटक सूचना केंद्र के रूप में फिर से खोल दिया गया है।


Myanmar coup: What protesters can learn from the '1988 generation'

Summary: Student activists lead a movement to bring an end to a widely-hated military government in Myanmar. It grows into a nationwide uprising, a general strike, which is met with savage brutality by the armed forces. 2021? Or 1988?

By Jonathan HeadSouth East Asia correspondent The 1988 uprising remains one of the defining moments of Myanmar's modern history. A regime which had used extreme levels of violence to hold onto power, suddenly found itself facing massive protests over its calamitous mishandling of the economy. By 1988 Burma, as the South East Asian nation was then known, had been ruled for 26 years by the secretive and superstitious General Ne Win, who seized power in a coup in 1962. He was commander of the armed forces - known as the Tatmadaw - which had been fighting insurgencies in several parts of Burma since independence in 1948, and viewed civilians as incapable of holding the country together. General Ne Win cut Burma off from the outside world, refusing to take sides in the Cold War divisions then afflicting Asia. Instead he implemented an eccentric one-party system under his Burma Socialist Programme Party, in which the army played a dominant role, and led to Burma becoming one of the world's poorest countries. The political drama which culminated in the mass rallies of August and September 1988 actually began one year earlier, with Ne Win's sudden decision to demonetise all existing banknotes. This had a catastrophic economic impact, in particular on students who had saved up their tuition fees. 'The 88 generation' The confrontations with the military government escalated from that point, with soldiers using increasing levels of lethal force, to the point where they killed thousands in late 1988. The violence used against unarmed civilians since last month's coup has been shocking, but it's not at that level - yet. To this day the so-called "88 Generation" of students, who led that uprising, have a special status in Myanmar. Many of them spent up to two decades in prison, where deprivation and ill-treatment robbed them of their health, but not their fighting spirit. Some have even been out in today's protests. But they are no longer young - the best known 88 Generation leader Min Ko Naing is 58 years old - and the protest environment has been dramatically transformed by technology, allowing every confrontation to be filmed and uploaded immediately, and many of the abuses by the security forces to be recorded. Social media v pamphlets So today, people even in the farthest-flung parts of Myanmar are instantly aware of what's happening anywhere in the country as news of protests and crackdowns appear on Facebook and Twitter there almost as quickly as those in the big cities. Back in 1988 however, the students relied on crudely-printed pamphlets and word of mouth to communicate; Burma had very limited access to television or even old-fashioned telephone landlines. The scratchy, short-wave broadcasts of BBC World Service were a lifeline, both for Burmese and English speakers. Christopher Gunness, the young BBC reporter who was one of the few foreigners who managed to report from there for a short time during the tumultuous events of August, became a folk hero, as his broadcasts helped spread the word about the general strike called for 8.8.88 - where hundreds of thousands came out to protest before a bloody crackdown. And it was the 26 years of economic isolation and wretched poverty which motivated protesters in 1988, not a sudden power grab after 10 years of democratic rule, as now. In 2021 those leading the protests want to preserve economic possibilities and access to the world that, in the past decade, have been far in excess of what their parents had. "The 1988 uprising started more because of unhappiness with the socialist system in Myanmar," says Ye Laung Aung, a civil servant now active in the Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM). "When that collapsed the military took over. But in 2021 the military seized power by force from an elected National League for Democracy government. That is the big difference. We have joined the CDM because we recognise only the elected NLD government. In 1988 civil servants stopped going to work largely because of public disorder and violence. Today we refuse to work because we do not want to be part of a coup administration." Aung San Suu Kyi v thousands of leaders 1988 also saw the emergence of a clear leader of the opposition movement in Aung San Suu Kyi, who was in the country at that time originally only to care for her ailing mother. She formed the National League for Democracy, a highly centralised and top-down organisation, together with former senior military officers like Aung Gyi and Tin Oo. By contrast, today's movement is often called "leaderless", but in fact has thousands of leaders, all responsible for organising their local part of this loose and flexible structure. Lessons from the past Where 1988 can serve as a useful reference point for today's generation of activists is in the lessons they can learn. In 1988 protesters were too quick to celebrate the installation of a notionally civilian leader, and too slow to organise themselves into a unified movement. Ne Win had resigned in July, and his successor, General Sein Lwin, called the "Butcher of Rangoon" for his part in the 8.8.88 suppression of demonstrations, lasted only 17 days. But divisions within the movement over which direction to take, and growing lawlessness in an increasingly fearful population as local administration disintegrated in the power vacuum, set the scene for a military coup on 18 September. That ushered in more than 20 years of harsh, authoritarian rule, with Aung San Suu Kyi, the symbol of hope for that generation, destined to spend most of those two decades under house arrest. There was little co-ordination, even communication, in 1988 between the student protest movement and the many ethnic minorities who had been fighting for a less centralised, more federal system of government since independence. Mistrust between the ethnic Burman majority and Myanmar's sizeable minorities endures to this day. However, younger activists in the CDM are now openly demanding a more inclusive and representative form of politics, and apologising for their past neglect of the terrible abuses suffered by the Karen, the Kachin and the Rohingyas. No return to the status quo "While everyone agrees on the enemy - the military - they are also increasingly aware that things cannot return to the status quo: merely respect the vote and so forth, putting Aung San Suu Kyi back in that uneasy power-sharing relationship with the military," says Elliot Prasse-Freeman, assistant professor in Sociology/Anthropology at the National University of Singapore, who has written extensively on Myanmar. "And so, ironically, the military has forced this reckoning, in which mainstream liberals are now forced to confront the reality that the so-called democracy of the last 10 years was merely that: so-called." The experience of military rule after the 1988 uprising, when the generals enriched themselves through corrupt business deals, has robbed the armed forces of the grudging respect they once had in the wider population as guarantors of the country's unity. Now they have also broken the pledge they made, back in 1988, to allow a move towards democracy, albeit on their own chosen timescale and conditions. And they have forced a realisation on the people of Myanmar that, whatever they say, they will never willingly give up the grip they have had on the country for most of its 73 years of existence. This helps explain why so many are now risking their lives to try to stop this coup, unlike previous coups, from succeeding. "The generals could always say, with a certain if strained plausibility, that they eventually fulfilled their promise, post-1988, for a democratic transition," says Elliot Prasse-Freeman. "They can no longer say that, and the entire apparatus has now become, in the eyes of most people, nothing more than a terrorist organisation - this is the term used on social media in both English and Burmese [akyan-pet thama]. In daytime the police and other security officials beat and kill peaceful protesters; at night, videos are circulating in which they smash cars, destroy trishaws, and randomly shoot at civilians. "The military has long seen civilians as enemies. But these actions, so desperate and inhumane, demonstrate how vast the gap between them has become." Myanmar in profile

छात्र कार्यकर्ताओं ने म्यांमार में व्यापक रूप से घृणित सैन्य सरकार को समाप्त करने के लिए एक आंदोलन का नेतृत्व किया। यह एक राष्ट्रव्यापी विद्रोह, एक सामान्य हड़ताल में बदल जाता है, जिसे सशस्त्र बलों द्वारा क्रूर क्रूरता का सामना करना पड़ता है। 2021? या 1988?