Francois Hollande's 'escapades' - a glossary

Summary: Followers of France's political love story may have been intrigued by some expressions used in the media, writes Hugh Schofield. What, for example, to make of a presidential spokesman's statement that Valerie Trierweiler has succumbed to the blues?

Magazine MonitorA collection of cultural artefacts Le blues means (as in English) sadness or melancholy. To have a coup de blues is to get an attack of the blues, to feel down all of a sudden. Used of Valerie Trierweiler, it underplays the extent of her distress. You would not normally go to hospital with le blues. Some have said that Trierweiler, President Francois Hollande and his alleged new girlfriend Julie Gayet are all from the gauche caviar - the caviar-eating left. This is the French equivalent of champagne Socialists. But because left-wing thinking is very much part of the French establishment, the gauche caviar is an easily identifiable social class. These people may abhor the pursuit of money, but find it normal to have a pied-a-terre in the Rue du Cirque - an exclusive street a stone's throw from the presidential residence, the Elysee Palace. This is where Julie Gayet was lent a flat by actress Emmanuelle Hauck, in order (allegedly) to facilitate the affair. Incidentally, had it been Hollande's flat, it would have been not a pied-a-terre, but a garconniere (bachelor pad). Meanwhile Hollande was indulging in escapades discretes (discreet escapades) - the coy expression used a few weeks ago by L'Express magazine to describe his romantic adventures. L'Express knew what the president was doing, but wouldn't spell it out - it left that to the vulgarians of the presse people (celebrity press) . The French have also learned of the existence of the Grille du Coq. This is the ornate black metal gate surmounted by a large Gallic cockerel, at the end of the Elysee gardens, through which, L'Express says, the president would sometimes s'exfiltrer - smuggle himself out. Other times he went by motorbike - or to be precise by a scooter a trois roues - a powerful scooter with two front wheels and one at the back: a kind of motor-trike. In traffic-clogged Paris, these are now the vehicles of choice for besuited middle-ranking executives on their way to business meetings.

ह्यूग स्कोफील्ड लिखते हैं कि फ्रांस की राजनीतिक प्रेम कहानी के अनुयायियों को मीडिया में उपयोग की जाने वाली कुछ अभिव्यक्तियों से दिलचस्पी हो सकती है। उदाहरण के लिए, राष्ट्रपति के प्रवक्ता के बयान के बारे में क्या कहना है कि वैलेरी ट्रायरवीलर ने ब्लूज़ के आगे घुटने टेक दिए हैं?


The godmother of manga sex in Japan

Summary: A recent UN report weighed into a debate that provokes intense controversy in Japan, by including manga in a list of content with violent pornography. The BBC's Yuko Kato went to meet one of Japan's leading female manga artists, Keiko Takemiya, seen as the woman who opened the floodgates to sexually explicit manga.

Some readers may find some of the sexual details that follow disturbing. In 1976, when she was only 26 years old, Keiko Takemiya began a comic series that proved to be a ground-breaking moment for Japanese manga. Called Kaze to Kino Uta (The Poem of Wind and Trees), it opens with two naked teenage boys in a 19th Century French boarding school lying on top of each other, post-coital. The series centres on one of those boys and another new boy. Gilbert, who was abandoned by his parents but raised by his uncle, has experienced rape and incest, and spends his time as a sex toy for the older boys and staff. He then meets Serge, the dark-skinned son of an aristocrat, and the subject of bigotry. It addressed and broke almost every taboo thinkable when it was published in a weekly girls' manga magazine. "In those days everything was opening up. Freedom was in the air... I wanted to explore and write about love without boundaries, love in different kinds of shapes and forms, whether it was between man, woman, child or an old person," Ms Takemiya says. Until the early 1970s, popular manga for girls in Japan was mainly about ordinary teenagers finding boyfriends, the trials and tribulations of everyday life. It was a time when a heterosexual kiss between consenting adults in manga was considered racy. Anything more intimate was simply hands held on bed sheets, flickering candles. Burgeoning sexuality was a teenager turning beet red when her hands touched the boy of her dreams. Ms Takemiya was one of a pioneering group of female artists who made manga a genre many consider now worthy of literary criticism, heavily influenced by Western authors like Herman Hesse, Bram Stoker, Dumas and Dostoyevsky, drawing on their perennial themes of love, hate, life and death. When asked how she got her editor to agree, she says: "I couldn't.... not for years." She also had to persuade her editors she was popular enough among her teenage readers to be worth the risk and that took years of honing her skills. "I had to earn the right to do Kaze to Kino Uta," she said. At that time girls' manga was still a niche market. In the pre-internet age, teenagers could keep Gilbert and Serge hidden from adult eyes. It depicts, if not graphically or gratuitously, not just physical love between two boys, but rape and incest. At one point in the series the victim is a nine-year-old boy. In doing this, Ms Takemiya herself admits, she may have opened the door to sexual expression in Japanese manga, and it grew from something virtually non-existent to something the UN now considers could be a threat to the welfare of women and children. In 2004, when Japan revised the law against child prostitution and pornography, it was asked if the portrayal of fictional children should be included in the ban. This provoked a fierce debate about sexual expression in manga. When the Tokyo government tried to go down the same path six years later, Ms Takemiya, then dean of the faculty of manga at Kyoto Seika University, of which she is now president, protested vehemently. She called it an attempt to clamp down on freedom of expression and pointed out her book, seen as a classic, would have been banned. Why hasn't Japan banned child-porn comics? It didn't go ahead, but the battle lines were drawn and it persists today. On one side are those who see the regulation of sexual violence in manga as a means to protect the vulnerable, arguing it encourages real life crime. On the other side are those who object to excessive state control over freedom of expression. They say there is no statistical evidence to prove the link. They say the graphic depiction of genitalia, even in fiction, is already banned under Japan's penal code. In March, the UN Special Rapporteur on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography Maud de Boer-Buquicchio, submitted a report to the UN Human Rights Council, citing a US State Department report which calls Japan "a major producer of sexually exploitative representations of virtual children". Whether or not the depiction of "virtual children" in manga is violating an actual human right is the crux of the issue. A lot of the material that draws criticism does not aspire to the literary heights of Ms Takemiya's work and critics say it exists purely for titillation. Many believe that even if it is fiction, it should be regulated. Ms Boer-Buquicchio says she is aware of the importance of striking the right balance for freedom of expression but that the rights of the child should not be "sacrificed at the expense of powerful and lucrative businesses". She points out that "any pornographic representation of a child," real or not, "constitutes child pornography". This is a view Yukari Fujimoto, manga expert and professor at Meiji University, does not share. She feels the UN is targeting manga on false assumptions. She asserts that while the intention may be to protect women and children, the effects will be counterproductive as manga has given women an outlet for their own sexual expression. "A ban on sexual violence in manga would effectively be a ban on the hard-won achievements and expression of female artists. Banning artistic expression will neither change or improve reality." For other observers, it is self-censorship that is the worry as there is precedent for this in Japanese society. Writer Mari Hashimoto, an expert on Japanese classical art, points out that the first major exhibition of the classical erotic shunga (literally, "spring pictures") could be held in Japan in 2015 only after the success of major international exhibitions. In shunga, Ms Hashimoto explains, it was standard to depict a small child next to a couple having sex. It was an expression of normal life in a particular historical context. But with modern notions of seemliness, these pieces were discreetly removed from exhibition catalogues. She says when artists, curators and critics "are made to feel they have to restrain themselves... this will cause culture to atrophy". The public reaction in Japan is divided. Some are passionate about free expression, others draw the line between what they see as artistic quality and what they judge to be purely smut, and others are not interested. There is no national consensus. This may be in part because the debate is framed somewhat differently in Japan. The concept of "kawaii" or "cuteness" dominates Japanese popular culture, from merchandise to pop music, and so the Japanese public could be argued to be less squeamish about the use of child imagery than a Western audience might be. Keiko Takemiya is not apologetic about including troubling portrayals of sexual violence involving children. "Such things do happen in real life. Hiding it will not make it go away. And I tried to portray the resilience of these boys, how they managed to survive and regain their lives after experiencing violence." This was the late 1970s when such things were not talked about in mainstream media, let alone girls' manga. Ms Takemiya recalls receiving a letter from one of her readers who said she had been raped by her father. "She never thought something like that happened to other people, but reading my manga told her that she wasn't alone and that saved her," she recalls. Ms Takemiya doesn't know if the letter was authentic, but she staunchly believes denying human nature is not the answer. "I may have opened a Pandora's box of sexual expression, but the box had to be opened for Hope to come out."

हाल ही में संयुक्त राष्ट्र की एक रिपोर्ट ने एक बहस को तूल दिया जो जापान में तीव्र विवाद को उकसाती है, जिसमें हिंसक पोर्नोग्राफी वाली सामग्री की सूची में मंगा को शामिल किया गया है। बीबीसी के युको काटो जापान की प्रमुख महिला मंगा कलाकारों में से एक, केइको ताकेमिया से मिलने गए, जिन्हें उस महिला के रूप में देखा गया जिसने यौन स्पष्ट मंगा के लिए बाढ़ के द्वार खोले थे।


Caroline Flack: 'Her life was so full of love and laughter'

Summary: Tributes have been paid to Caroline Flack, one year on from her suicide at the age of 40. In an interview with BBC Radio 4 Woman's Hour, Ophelia Lovibond spoke about how she would like her friend to be remembered.

"I met Caroline at another friend's birthday dinner and it was just this immediate connection. You knew when Caroline was in a room, she just emanated this vivacity and she just changed the energy of a room. "I think there are some people that you meet where you just feel an immediate affinity - it was like we'd known each other forever. We found each other mutually hilarious. We just loved making each other laugh and that seemed to be so much of what our friendship was. She was such an enormous person in my life and it's that laughter - you feel that absence very keenly. "Because of the way Caroline died, it is very easy to let that overshadow everything else. But her life counted for so much more than the way she died, and those are the things that I've been thinking about. I've been playing the Supremes, I've been playing Chic and I've been playing Dusty Springfield - all the songs that we would sing at karaoke that she would just belt out. "It's very easy to say this and it sounds like some sort of platitude, but when I do start to feel quite overwhelmed - it's very painful the grief of missing her - one of the things I think about is that she would hate so much for me to be sitting here like this. She would want me to focus on all of the amazing things that you did together and the fun things that we did together. "She had such an impact on so many different people's lives. That's actually strangely been quite a comfort to see what a lovely legacy she's left behind. One of the most common things people talk about is her laughter. If I could bottle it - it was such a bomb. I think it's a nice thing that she's so publicly remembered for her big character. "It's always shocking when someone does this. Whenever you lose anyone it's enormously difficult and I lost a family member to breast cancer and that was a very hard, but this felt very different. I think something that was very interesting to discover was that the grief feels different because it was a complete shock, there was absolutely no way of getting used to the idea or visiting someone in hospital. The suddenness is very hard to comprehend. "We should remember Caroline as someone who loved telling jokes, she loved making people laugh, she loved karaoke more than anyone. She loved leopard print, she loved musicals, she loved going to theatres. Her life was so rich, it was so full of love and laughter and I want people to remember her by the things that she did in her life, not in the way that she went away." How to cope with the grief of losing someone to suicide Sarah Bates from Support After Suicide Partnership - the UK's national network for suicide bereavement - says one of the difficulties of losing someone to suicide is the "shock". "With suicide it's the action of someone having taken their own life and that feeling of guilt that makes makes it so difficult to deal with. "It's so important to talk to people and to your friends. It can be really difficult sometimes, especially if you feel guilty or if you feel that you could have done more. Perhaps you had an argument with that friend before they died. It doesn't mean it's your fault, it just means that you care. "Sometimes it's actually easier to talk to a stranger in that situation, and there's lots of support out there." If you or someone you know needs support for issues about bereavement and emotional distress, these organisations may be able to help.

कैरोलिन फ्लैक को 40 साल की उम्र में उनकी आत्महत्या के एक साल बाद श्रद्धांजलि दी गई है। बीबीसी रेडियो 4 वुमन्स आवर के साथ एक साक्षात्कार में, ओफेलिया लविबॉन्ड ने बताया कि वह कैसे चाहती हैं कि उनकी दोस्त को याद किया जाए।


Chrome steals a march on Windows

Summary: The dramatic slide in sales of PCs continues, but for one new player in this market this is an opportunity. Google has launched another of its Chromebook laptops this week - made by HP in this case - and is poised to grab a bigger share of a shrinking market.

Rory Cellan-JonesTechnology correspondent@BBCRoryCJon Twitter That won't amuse Microsoft whose own mission to expand beyond its PC powerbase isn't making much progress. Google's Chromebooks are quite limited devices that only really function well for web-surfing, email and document writing rather than for more sophisticated applications. Nevertheless, their price is making them attractive to anyone wanting an easy way of getting online and doing some work without going to the expense of buying a tablet whose touch screen interface might not suit them. The latest figures from Gartner, reporting an 8.6% fall in PC sales in the last three months compared to a year ago show that the trend is away from devices like the Chromebook and towards tablets. The volume of sales in the back-to-school quarter were at their lowest level since 2008. Against this background though, the Chromebook is surging ahead. Gartner reckons two million will be sold this year, over five million in 2014, and 12 million by 2016. Now that will still leave the Chrome OS with just over 3% of a PC market where margins will grow ever slimmer and profits will be harder to find. But for Google that's not really the point. Every time someone opens a Chromebook they are signing into a Google account and almost certainly becoming part of the search firm's contextual advertising audience. That, rather than selling hardware, is how the company makes its money - and its reach on PCs, mobile phones and tablets is growing all the time. True, its relationship with manufacturers is increasingly important. Google has already worked with Samsung and Acer on Chromebooks, and now HP, still a huge force despite losing number one spot to Lenovo, is putting its weight behind the Chrome OS. By contrast, Microsoft is going it alone as it tries to build a presence in a mobile world increasingly dominated by Google's Android. Its Windows RT operating system, designed to offer users the benefits of the touch screen tablet experience combined with the familiar Windows desktop, has failed to excite the big manufacturers. Right now, Microsoft's Surface RT - recently revamped - is the only tablet using the OS, with the likes of Samsung, Dell and Lenovo all dropping it in favour of Android or the full-strength Windows 8. Now Microsoft still has much closer and longer relationships with manufacturers than Google, and is making far more in profit from Windows and Office than the search giant makes from advertising. But Microsoft executives who get their hands on the latest HP Chromebook may feel slightly sick if they turn it over and read the message on the back - "Made with Google."

पीसी की बिक्री में नाटकीय गिरावट जारी है, लेकिन इस बाजार में एक नए खिलाड़ी के लिए यह एक अवसर है। गूगल ने इस सप्ताह अपने एक और क्रोमबुक लैपटॉप लॉन्च किए हैं-इस मामले में एचपी द्वारा बनाए गए-और सिकुड़ते बाजार में एक बड़ी हिस्सेदारी हासिल करने के लिए तैयार है।


Armagh attack: 'Explosive devices' thrown at houses

Summary: Damage has been caused to two houses in Armagh city after "explosive-type devices" were thrown at them.

Police said the attack happened at Lisanally Gardens shortly before 19:00 GMT on Wednesday. Damage was caused to the exterior of the properties but no-one was injured. The Police Service of Northern Ireland said the attack "could have had tragic consequences" and officers have appealed for anyone with information to contact them.

अरमाघ शहर में दो घरों पर "विस्फोटक प्रकार के उपकरण" फेंके जाने के बाद उन्हें नुकसान पहुंचा है।


Dublin's housing boom fuels surge in homelessness

Summary: Dublin is undergoing a simultaneous increase in homelessness and a mini property boom. It might seem a contradiction but at the heart of both is Ireland's economic crash of 2008, from which the country is still trying to recover.

By Diarmaid FlemingBBC News, Dublin Rising homelessness and property prices have been driven by a housing shortage for a young and growing population. Building virtually stopped in Ireland's crash of six years ago, and austerity has meant a slump in state-funded housebuilding as well as social welfare cuts. The shortage of accommodation has seen Dublin rents rise - meaning investors are now buying up property, driving the mini-boom. About 2,700 people are officially homeless in Ireland. The state provides emergency accommodation but some - a minority - end up sleeping on the streets. Charity is a lifeline for many. The number of people coming through the doors of the Capuchin Day Centre in the centre of Dublin is up six-fold. Volunteers and staff serve free meals to anyone in need. "Ten years ago it was around 160 meals a day - now it's 600," says one of the chefs. "People have no idea, until they come in here, to see the children coming in here in their school uniforms, they go home with nothing to eat until the next day sometimes. "But now they are looking after them here and they give them a goody bag going home." 'Closest thing to prison' Many of these people had never expected to become homeless, says Angela Skuce, a doctor working in the centre. "A lot of them are entitled to rent allowance as part of their benefits but rents in Dublin have gone up so their rent allowance doesn't pay for that." Lynn Claxton dines with her four children - a break from their small, single room in emergency accommodation. "I've never been to Mountjoy Jail but as far as I can see it's the closest thing to prison. The children can't go outside the room and can't play," she says. "I never thought in my wildest dreams that I'd end up in this situation like the other people here. They're normal everyday people that are trying to make ends meet, with nowhere to go - people with children just trying to survive." 'Unprecedented' demand Many landlords now prefer to take higher cash rents from private tenants, instead of the rent allowance offered by those on benefits. Another young woman at the table says soaring rents made her family of four recently homeless for the first time, despite being able to offer 950 euros (£760) a month for rent. But the high rents have been driving a mini property boom with investors flocking to Dublin, says Robert Hoban of Allsop Space auctioneers. "There's unprecedented demand for suburban family homes, for young couples to buy, to grow families in. Not enough properties have been constructed," he says. "What's selling very, very well are tenanted commercial properties - almost of any size - anything with income at the moment, there's a lot of interest from investors because they see it as a long-term investment." Property prices in Dublin in April were 18% higher than a year ago, according to the Central Statistics Office. While Irish citizens still make up the majority of buyers, Colin Horan of Extra Sales property consultants says Russian, Chinese, American, British and European investors are also in competition. His firm even has Russian-speaking staff to help buyers from the east. "There are two different types of Russians buying - one is the very wealthy Russian, then there's average Russians buying second homes here in Ireland as well for investment. "It is [also] very buoyant from the Chinese perspective. Even the auctions that are happening in Dublin - there are major investors at those and they are bringing the prices up. The type of properties they're buying is like family homes that are from 400,000 euros up to one million," he says. Ghost estates Ireland's Housing Minister, Jan O'Sullivan, has unveiled plans to restart some building and restore disused state properties. But what of Ireland's so-called ghost estates - empty houses from the boom? Many are in remote areas far from Dublin and its hinterland where about a third of Ireland's population live, so the empty houses remain far from the people needing a roof over their heads. Ms O'Sullivan says there is no easy match. "There is an element of a solution in those unfinished estates but the quantity really is not huge. But we will identify those that we can use and have identified a number already. "They are part of the solution but some of them are in places where there isn't a housing demand so they are not suitable in some cases for social housing. But there are others in the greater Dublin area and around our cities that will be suitable," she says. Homeless capital of Europe? Meanwhile, the homeless have taken to Dublin's streets to protest against their plight, which has hit the headlines here. Jesuit priest Father Peter McVerry, who has been a champion of Dublin's homeless, says it is the worst housing crisis in his 40 years working with the city's poorest - but he fears greater disaster ahead. "We need urgently to get back to building social housing. That's expensive but if we don't do it, we are going to have a city here full of homeless people and homeless families living on the street. "We've 100,000 households on the social housing waiting list. Five thousand social houses every year would cost one billion euros - we don't have one billion euros to spend on housing over the next 20 years. The failure to do that will make us the homeless capital of Europe," he warns. Ireland has been praised by its international lenders for following the course of austerity medicine. But for those without a place to live, there is little feeling of economic recovery. For more on this story, listen to Diarmaid Fleming's report on the The World Tonight on BBC Radio Four.

डबलिन में एक साथ बेघरों की संख्या में वृद्धि हो रही है और एक छोटी संपत्ति में उछाल आ रहा है। यह एक विरोधाभास लग सकता है लेकिन दोनों के केंद्र में 2008 की आयरलैंड की आर्थिक मंदी है, जिससे देश अभी भी उबरने की कोशिश कर रहा है।


Wales devolution: The referendum night the BBC almost got wrong

Summary: In about two years time, BBC Wales staff will be packing their bags, and the corridors and studios of Broadcasting House in Llandaff, Cardiff - our home for the past 50 years - will fall silent as we move to our new headquarters in the city centre.

By Vaughan RoderickBBC Welsh Affairs Editor The old building has been the scene of many dramas over the years, but few could match the real life drama in the early hours of 19 September 1997 when Wales narrowly voted in favour of devolution or - if you believed BBC Wales at one stage - when Wales rejected the idea. There were two television programmes coming from BH Llandaff that night - an English language programme, presented by Huw Edwards being broadcast throughout the UK on BBC One, and an S4C programme in Welsh featuring Dewi Llwyd and myself. Our two largest studios, C1 (the then home of the long-running Welsh language soap opera of Pobol y Cwm) and Studio 1 (where the National Orchestra of Wales used to hang out) had been fired up and what were then state-of-the-art computer graphics had been prepared. Everything was ready to go, and with a BBC exit poll suggesting a fairly comfortable win for the Yes side at ten o'clock, we went on air ready for the marathon ahead. Pretty soon it became clear that Welsh voters weren't going to follow the pollsters' script and that it was going to be close. Very close. Cardiff voted No while Swansea voted Yes. The south Wales valleys delivered for Labour's big idea while places such as Deeside and Newport were resolutely opposed. Upstairs, away from the studios, a panel of big brains, political academics, pollsters and the like were under pressure to call it. Time and time again they were asked who had won, and time and time again the answer was the same. It was too close to call. Finally, after the last but one result (a predictable Yes from Gwynedd), the pressure became too much. They had to come down on one side or the other. Heads were scratched, biros were chewed and on screens across the UK the graphic appeared suggesting Wales had said No. In the Welsh studio we weren't so sure. The last county to declare was to be Carmarthenshire, a large county with both a high number of Welsh speakers and industrial valleys - key components of the Yes coalition. So we hedged our bets a bit, suggesting that the fat lady wasn't quite ready to sing until John Meredith, our reporter at the Carmarthen count, more or less confirmed that the Carmarthen result would turn things round for the Yes side. And so it was that, for a few minutes, two different realities existed in Wales. There was an S4C reality where Wales had said Yes and an alternative BBC One reality where we'd probably said No. The result when it came, excruciatingly slowly, from Carmarthen came as a huge relief for most of Wales' political class. As for that panel of experts, well, let's just say it wasn't their finest hour.

लगभग दो साल के समय में, बीबीसी वेल्स के कर्मचारी अपने बैग पैक कर लेंगे, और कार्डिफ के लैंडैफ़ में ब्रॉडकास्टिंग हाउस के गलियारे और स्टूडियो-पिछले 50 वर्षों से हमारा घर-शांत हो जाएंगे क्योंकि हम शहर के केंद्र में अपने नए मुख्यालय में जाते हैं।


Why China's rise exposes Australian vulnerabilities

Summary: Australia and China continue to trade accusations and placations in an escalating row with far-reaching consequences. But amid criticisms of Beijing, Australia has long failed to properly scrutinise itself, writes China-Australia expert Kerry Brown.

Mao Zedong, founder of the People's Republic of China (PRC), reportedly called Australia the "lonely continent". These days, though, going from the recent ups and downs in the bilateral relationship, Australians feel anything but lonely. China supplies to Australia a huge and ever-increasing number of tourists, overseas students, and, since 2010, has been the nation's biggest trading partner. Its investments have also increased exponentially - but posed increasingly probing problems because of fears by Canberra about security and interference. How did we get here? In the past decade, Australia has changed national leader five times. For all their differences, prime ministers from Mandarin speaker Kevin Rudd to today's Scott Morrison have had one thing in common - they have all found that dealing with China is never simple. This is not through lack of trying to find a model that works. Mr Rudd tried the "true friends speak truth to each other". That fell apart on the shoal of accusations by Beijing that he was actually too close to the US, allowing marine troops to rotate in the northern port of Darwin. Julia Gillard tried expanding the canvas to aim for an Asia-wide approach. But the simple fact that China loomed so large in Asia made that hard to implement, and Tony Abbott quickly phased out this approach when he was elected in 2013. He attempted to get closer to Japan. It might have worked - had he lasted more than two years in the brutal atmosphere of Canberra, or, for that matter, had Japan really offered a financial proposition remotely as tempting as Beijing's. For Malcolm Turnbull, early promise from his years of being a high-level lawyer and strategist of a more pragmatic, balanced relationship was scuppered by allegations local and national politicians had been influenced by Beijing. Anti-interference legislation followed. Now Mr Morrison follows the same zig-zag path - tough on China in his language, but needing to accept the brute reality that for the country's future prosperity, China still offers the best potential bet. And as his meeting with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang this week showed, courtesy almost always returns. Why is this such an issue? After all, when China's President Xi Jinping visited the country in 2014, he stood before the parliament in Canberra and said they needed to be more ambitious and adventurous in their vision towards the PRC. And China liked things like the rule of law, and the institutional predictability of Australia. Why would it seek to disrupt these attributes? Part of the problem is simply about size. China's emergence as such a key player, perhaps the key player, for Australia - a nation of a mere 24 million people with vast space around its shores to police, and a navy of only 27,000 - was always going to be disorientating. Add to this mix the ways in which this whole phenomenon brings to the fore some deep, but often concealed, vulnerabilities in Australia's national psyche. This is a country that has never, until recently, had to conceive of itself as an Asian one, despite its geographical location. Europe was the major source of its migration till recent decades, and America of its security and much of its economic growth. Now Australia is receiving large numbers of new citizens whose families come from the region, including many from China. Australian universities are a good case study. Some have many thousands of Chinese students, meaning that these typically liberal institutions are dependent on funding from a stakeholder with very different values. A recent Four Corners documentary from the national broadcaster ABC contained almost paranoid claims that a large number of this cohort posed a security risk through their political interference, and the ways they operated potentially as technology spies. There are cases of some academics feeling under pressure on issues like Taiwan, Hong Kong or Xinjiang. The Chinese government and its agents have sometimes acted in a heavy-handed way. Even so, it is easy to see why some Chinese might feel bewildered that their contribution to the coffers of the country in which they are coming to study and gain new skills is interpreted in such an ominous way. Challenge for Australia The simple fact is that no Australian leader has ever really addressed the other part of the China equation. They have been keen to talk, when it suited them, about the threats posed by this vast and very different new partner in terms of values and world view. But they have been far less keen to talk about the fears of their own country, and the issues it has with itself. Only Mr Abbott offered any real insight into this, when in a moment of unscripted candour he stated, off-camera to Angela Merkel, that the Australian attitude to China was typified by "fear and greed". Australia can eschew investment, students, and opportunities from China, and sometimes does - Huawei is an example. But a wholesale attempt to do this, and seek partnerships in the Indo-Pacific for instance, would mean a big sacrifice, and significant reorientation of its mindset. It seems that at the moment Mr Morrison is following the footsteps of his predecessors, and taking a highly contradictory attitude. That might be for the very simple harsh reality that, for all the confident talk of standing up to the China threat, his administration, and his country, has no other option. Kerry Brown is professor of Chinese Studies and director of the Lau China Institute at King's College, London. From 2012 to 2015 he was professor of Chinese politics and director of the China Studies Centre at the University of Sydney.

ऑस्ट्रेलिया और चीन दूरगामी परिणामों के साथ बढ़ते विवाद में आरोपों और सुलह का आदान-प्रदान करना जारी रखते हैं। लेकिन बीजिंग की आलोचनाओं के बीच, ऑस्ट्रेलिया लंबे समय से खुद की ठीक से जांच करने में विफल रहा है, चीन-ऑस्ट्रेलिया विशेषज्ञ केरी ब्राउन लिखते हैं।


Why The Jeremy Kyle Show was scrapped

Summary: The precise circumstances of Steve Dymond's death are not known. But what is clear, from multiple sources, is that he was troubled and vulnerable before he participated in the show - even though he did so willingly - and that failing the lie detector test was a devastating blow.

Amol RajanMedia editor@amolrajanon Twitter That much was clear on Tuesday morning, when ITV said that they were minded to launch an inquiry and wait for the coroner's verdict. Yet this morning the show was taken off the air permanently. What happened that should cause the sudden change of mind? Two things at least. First, growing evidence of links between that failed lie detector test and Mr Dymond's death. ITV learned significant new information in the past 24 hours. And second, another morning of damaging front page headlines, especially in the tabloids that are still influential and widely read among ITV's heartland audience. That is explicitly not to say that the decision to take the show off air permanently was primarily a commercial one. The driver may have been moral repugnance, at ITV board level, at what has happened. Certainly, if as part of their internal process board members saw footage of Mr Dymond's response to failing the lie detector test on the episode that was never aired, it must have prompted a visceral reaction. Consider the audience But even if you accept that Carolyn McCall and the ITV board made this decision because of revulsion at what one of their shows did, that doesn't discount the commercial and editorial context in which the decision was made. As an advertiser-funded broadcaster, albeit with multiple linear channels and a digital offering, ITV is under pressure. Kevin Lygo, its creative chief, has tried to reinvent the schedule, and with some success. But the feeling at the top of ITV is that Jeremy Kyle's show was a distinct anomaly within the new offering - and therefore not necessarily a good fit as part of its future. It is hard to imagine that the show would have been permanently scrapped if Lygo and other bosses were deeply admiring of it. In reaching millions of people every weekday, many of them of the view that the mainstream media doesn't generally reflect their lives very well, ITV had a solid, regular offer to a big and loyal audience. In today's exceptionally competitive media environment, when the claims on our attention are multiplying by the minute, that isn't something you give up lightly. Especially when you know that whatever replaces Kyle will struggle to achieve its ratings, at least at first. There is, as I mentioned on last night's bulletins, a massive disconnect here: between those who wanted the show off air, who generally don't watch it; and those who do watch it, and feel they can relate to it. These fans, like ITV bosses, might proffer a liberal argument: people who go on the show are consenting, fully informed, capacitous adults who know what they're doing. In the show's 14-year history, thousands of contributors have been on-stage. And this is not a show that has traditionally led to Ofcom being inundated with complaints. The new exhibitionism Several people have said to me that, given two people who appeared on Love Island have taken their own lives, it is inconsistent to leave that show on air, and ITV's decision on Wednesday is partly about protecting that highly lucrative show. ITV resist the latter point strongly, and it is important not to generalise from the specific circumstances of any death - particularly suicide. Moreover, Love Island and The Jeremy Kyle Show occupied very different parts of the schedule, and don't belong in the same category of programme. I wonder, however, if rising concerns about the mental health of participants in all TV programmes may prompt greater investment in after-care, or an expansion of Ofcom's remit to go much further on the duty of care programme makers have toward their contributors. Celebrity culture is as old as culture itself; but the advent of, first, mass media, and now social media, has rapidly expanded the circle of those who can be famous. But displaying, or even parading, private anguish and trauma in a public way can obviously have a disastrous impact on mental health. Whether it be Strictly Come Dancing, Come Dine With Me, or The Jeremy Kyle Show and Love Island, contributors and contestants give up something of themselves, some degree of autonomy, when they become characters in productions whose goal is commercially motivated entertainment. The journey they go on, and which viewers are encouraged to go on with them, can be life-affirming, cultural gold-dust. That is television at its best. But the spectacle can also lead contributors to a dark place. Even if that is not television at its worst, it is television that - for now - ITV believes should not be aired. No matter the ratings. If you're interested in issues such as these, you can follow me on Twitter or Facebook; and subscribe to The Media Show podcast from BBC Radio 4.

स्टीव डायमंड की मृत्यु की सटीक परिस्थितियों का पता नहीं है। लेकिन कई स्रोतों से जो स्पष्ट है, वह यह है कि वह शो में भाग लेने से पहले परेशान और कमजोर थे-भले ही उन्होंने स्वेच्छा से ऐसा किया था-और झूठ डिटेक्टर परीक्षण में विफल होना एक विनाशकारी झटका था।


Janie McCusker appointed new NHS Forth Valley chairwoman

Summary: NHS Forth Valley has appointed Janie McCusker as its new chairwoman.

Ms McCusker, who served with the Royal Air Force for 22 years, is the current chairwoman of the Glasgow Colleges Regional Board. Ms McCusker, who replaces Alex Linkston, will take up the role in March. NHS Forth Valley chief executive Cathie Cowan said she was "delighted" at the appointment, citing Ms McCusker's "strong track record."

एनएचएस फोर्थ वैली ने जेनी मैकस्कर को अपनी नई अध्यक्ष नियुक्त किया है।


Turkey coup attempt: Crowds confront soldiers on Bosphorus Bridge

Summary: During the failed coup in Turkey, the Bosphorus Bridge in Istanbul became the scene of a confrontation between soldiers trying to overthrow the government, and a group of supporters of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

The struggle for this symbolic landmark, which connects Europe and Asia, resulted in fierce fighting between the two sides. A new day dawns in Istanbul, and this man's expression, as he stands on the Bosphorus Bridge on Saturday morning, reflects the determination of many Turkish people to quash the attempted coup. One of the first signs to the outside world that there was unrest brewing in Turkey on Friday evening was when soldiers blocked off the Bosphorus Bridge, a vital part of the city's network. Apart from being strategically important, taking control of the bridge was a significant statement of intent by the coup leaders. Cars were stranded for a time on the bridge, due to the military closing it. President Erdogan urged people to get onto the streets in Ankara and Istanbul, to combat the coup - and many of them flocked to the bridge. The soldiers shot at them and there were some casualties. The crowds confronted the soldiers during the standoff, and were fired upon. People took cover near the bridge's entrance. By dawn, the rebellion had begun to falter and police moved in with a water cannon to disperse the soldiers holding the bridge. Early on Saturday morning, the soldiers surrendered to police. Some of the crowds attacked the soldiers after they laid down their arms. Police attempted to stop the crowds from assaulting the surrendered men - but were not always successful. The police took away the soldiers after their surrender. With the coup now failed, the crowds took to the bridge in large numbers. The people clambered onto the army's tanks, abandoned on the Bosphorus Bridge. The bridge was now back under control of the Turkish government - and these men were able to walk onto it and take a selfie.

तुर्की में असफल तख्तापलट के दौरान, इस्तांबुल में बोस्फोरस पुल सरकार को उखाड़ फेंकने की कोशिश कर रहे सैनिकों और तुर्की के राष्ट्रपति रेसेप तैयप एर्दोगन के समर्थकों के एक समूह के बीच टकराव का दृश्य बन गया।


Bristol Balloon Fiesta is 'confident' of sponsors

Summary: The organisers of the Bristol International Balloon Fiesta say they are confident they will attract enough sponsors despite a slow take-up.

When the event lost its main sponsor in 2009 it sold deals to companies for £2,000 with one having the chance to become the festival's main sponsor. A fiesta spokesman said 35 tickets had been sold with three weeks to go. "We've got a lot of people we're talking to. We're hoping to give it a boost," said organiser Clive Bailey. Last year nearly 50 companies backed the festival after organisers failed to attract a major sponsor. The event takes place between 12 and 15 August at Ashton Court estate.

ब्रिस्टल इंटरनेशनल बैलून फिएस्टा के आयोजकों का कहना है कि उन्हें विश्वास है कि वे धीमी गति के बावजूद पर्याप्त प्रायोजकों को आकर्षित करेंगे।


Guernsey population debate delay move crushed

Summary: A debate on how Guernsey's population will be controlled is going ahead after a move to delay it was heavily beaten.

Deputies John Gollop and David de Lisle called for a year-long delay to allow further public consultation to be carried out. They only convinced one member of the assembly to support them and lost the sursis [blocking motion] vote by 44-3. The proposals suggest the introduction of a new regime to replace the existing housing laws. People's right to return to the island after living elsewhere, the right to work in the island and introducing criminal checks for immigrants are all due to be discussed this week. Besides the 45 proposed changes to the current laws put forward by the Policy Council, 19 amendments have been placed by other politicians.

ग्वेर्नसे की आबादी को कैसे नियंत्रित किया जाएगा, इस पर एक बहस आगे बढ़ रही है क्योंकि इसमें देरी करने के लिए एक कदम उठाया गया था।


Armenia clashes over Russian soldier

Summary: At least 12 people have been wounded in clashes in Armenia between police and protesters demanding the handover of a Russian soldier accused of killing six members of a local family.

The violence erupted when thousands of protesters in Gyumri tried to march on the Russian consulate in Armenia's second-largest city. Valery Permyakov, a soldier at a Russian base in Armenia, is suspected of killing the family on Monday. He is being held at the Russian base. Russia has promised to investigate the shootings, but has so far refused to hand the soldier over to Armenian authorities. Earlier on Thursday, thousands of people attended funerals of the six members of the family - including a two-year-old girl - in Gyumri, about 120km (75 miles) north-west of the capital Yerevan. The incident has raised tensions between Russia and Armenia, a close ally of Moscow in the Caucasus region.

आर्मेनिया में एक स्थानीय परिवार के छह सदस्यों की हत्या के आरोपी रूसी सैनिक को सौंपने की मांग कर रहे पुलिस और प्रदर्शनकारियों के बीच झड़पों में कम से कम 12 लोग घायल हो गए हैं।


Greyfriars Bobby tale is wrong claims Cardiff historian

Summary: For around 150 years, tourists to Edinburgh have taken time out of their trip to visit the bronze statue of Greyfriars Bobby, the Skye Terrier reputed to have kept a 14 year vigil at his master's graveside.

But now a historian at Cardiff University believes he has uncovered evidence that the legend is nothing but a shaggy dog tale. Dr Jan Bondeson looked into Bobby as part of the five-year research for his book, Amazing Dogs, which also looked at Nazi research into what they believed to be super-intelligent canines. However, Bobby's life story revealed itself to be so murky, that Dr Bondeson decided to devote a separate book to debunking the myths. "The entire story is wrong - the account of the dog on the drinking fountain who supposedly kept vigil at his master's grave in all kinds of weather is not accurate," said Dr Bondeson, a social historian, originally from Sweden. "Bobby would go out hunting rats in the church and was kept well fed by the locals. He was not a mourning dog at all - he was a happy little dog." Nuisance Until now it was believed that Bobby had been the pet of Edinburgh constable John Grey, who died of tuberculosis in 1858. His period of mourning reputedly lasted until Bobby's own death in 1872; which was the first aspect of the story to make Dr Bondeson suspicious, as Skye Terriers typically only live 10 to 12 years. As he delved deeper into contemporary sources, Dr Bondeson discovered that there were distinct differences in photos and paintings of Bobby, which fell into two groups, those before 1867 and those after. "I noticed that the two dogs looked quite different. The first Bobby was quite an ugly dog but in later paintings he looks just like the statue on the drinking fountain," Bondeson said. Research into the minutes of meetings at Edinburgh City Council revealed that the truth about Bobby, both mark I and II, was known at the time. But by this stage the legend was attracting so many tourists to the Scottish capital, that councillors chose to ignore it. It appears that the original Bobby had been a stray mongrel which hung around the nearby George Heriot's Hospital. When he became a nuisance there, the hospital gardener dumped him in the grounds of the kirk, where he was adopted by curator of the graveyard, James Brown. Newspaper reports of the time tell of how, for a tip, Mr Brown would beguile visitors with Bobby's Tale. 'Handsome tip' In return for free food for both Bobby and new owner, Mr Brown would then guide tourists in the direction of a local restaurant owned by John Traill. Dr Bondeson believes that, when the first Bobby died, it was Traill's idea to replace him and keep the lucrative arrangement going. "After an article about Bobby appeared in The Scotsman, visitation rates to the graveyard increased by 100 fold," said Dr Bondeson. "They would give James Brown a handsome tip and have lunch in the Traills' restaurant." "But a dead Bobby was no good for business, so they replaced him with a pure-bred Skye terrier who lived for a further five years until 1872. After which time, it did not take long for the fountain to be erected." The story of Greyfriars Bobby has inspired three feature films - including a 1961 Disney version - and several books. Meanwhile, a spokesman for VisitScotland, said: "The story of Greyfriars Bobby is the stuff of legend, and has been the subject of Hollywood movies, television programmes and numerous books. "Separating fact from legend is always going to be tricky but regardless of how much the story has evolved over the years it has done little to deter visitors paying homage to a true Scottish icon. "I'm sure that visitors to Edinburgh will continue to be inspired by Bobby's story and he is worthy of his place in Scottish history."

लगभग 150 वर्षों से, एडिनबर्ग के पर्यटकों ने ग्रेफ्रियर्स बॉबी की कांस्य प्रतिमा देखने के लिए अपनी यात्रा से समय निकाला है, जो स्काई टेरियर अपने स्वामी की कब्र पर 14 साल तक चौकसी रखने के लिए प्रसिद्ध है।


Coronavirus: What do schools look like now?

Summary: There's never been a new school year quite like it.

For many children, the autumn term is about to begin after months of disruption and time at home. They will return to classrooms rather different to the ones they left. As well as planning trigonometry and photosynthesis lessons, schools now have to think about bubbles, how to allow social distancing, and which pupils can use which toilets. Schools have drawn up their own plans. But here's a look at what a day in school could now look like. Getting ready The government wants all pupils, in all year groups, to return to school full-time from the beginning of the autumn term and schools across the UK have been planning for the new term for months. At Alderwoods School, in Aldershot, Hampshire, the distance between tables in a classroom has been measured. Social distancing measures have also been prioritised, meaning the school's corridors have been made one-way - with signs showing which direction pupils should walk in. Cleanliness has been made a priority. At Queen's Hill Primary School, in Costessey, near Norwich, the school's site manager fills bottles of sanitiser to help keep surfaces clean. Heading to school The issue of face masks in secondary schools differs from nation to nation. Secondary school pupils in local lockdown areas in England will have to wear them in school corridors. While in Scotland, they already have to wear them in corridors and communal areas. Northern Ireland recommends wearing them in corridors, and in Wales the decision is being left to head teachers. At St John the Baptist Primary School in West Belfast, principal Chris Donnelly - wearing a face shield - reminded pupils to use hand sanitiser as they entered the building. And pupils on their first day back to school at Charles Dickens Primary School, in London, queued outside school with their parents at drop-off time. In the classroom Many year groups will be in bubbles, and some years will be spending more time in a single classroom, with teachers moving around for lessons. At Westlands Primary School, pupils are given their own work and stationery sets. Pupils are all supposed to face forwards to help stop the spread of infection. Pupils on their first day back to school at Charles Dickens Primary School sat on desks spaced out in the classroom. Drama teacher Geoff Nolan gave a socially-distanced class to pupils at Holyrood Secondary School in Glasgow - being careful not to step over floor markings. At Manor High School in Oadby, Leicestershire, a voluntary policy is in place when it comes to students wearing face coverings. The area came out of a local lockdown last month. A traffic light system was put in place for hand-washing at Kempsey Primary School in Worcester, with green for go, amber meaning it's nearly your turn, and red for stop. (This picture was taken in May, when the school was open for the children of key workers.) Lunch break Breaks and lunch times will mostly be staggered so that class bubbles don't overlap. At the Charles Dickens Primary School, separate areas have been sectioned off for different classes, so the groups don't mix. In Kempsey Primary School, pupils have been sitting apart at lunch, with places carefully marked out so no-one sits directly next to or opposite each other. And at St John the Baptist Primary School, in west Belfast, dinner staff wore personal protective equipment to dispense hot lunches to pupils. Home time School times have been staggered in many places, to allow children to leave at different times. And the playground has been segregated for dropping off and pick-up times so parents don't congregate together. Some schools are changing their entrances and exits, with one way in, and another way out, to keep people apart. At Llanishen Fach Primary School, in Cardiff, children dance on a measured and painted socially distanced circle in the playground as they wait to be picked up by their parents. All images are subject to copyright.

इस तरह का नया स्कूल वर्ष कभी नहीं रहा है।


US hunter knocked unconscious by Canada goose

Summary: A hunter in the US has been knocked unconscious by a dead goose that fell out of the sky.

Robert Meilhammer was hunting in Easton in the state of Maryland, when he was hit by a Canada goose that had been shot by a fellow hunter. The bird weighed between 10 and 14 pounds (4.5-6.5kg), police say. The 51-year-old suffered injuries to his face and head but is in a stable condition in hospital.

अमेरिका में एक शिकारी को एक मृत हंस ने बेहोश कर दिया है जो आसमान से गिर गया था।


Three lives, one message: Stop killing Mexico's transgender women

Summary: Mexico is the second most dangerous country in the world to be transgender, according to human rights groups. Only Brazil has higher rates of transphobia and violence against the trans community. Most attacks go unpunished, including murder. Three women are fighting for change.

By Will GrantBBC News, Mexico City In a small paved patio beneath a bust of the Virgin de Guadalupe, Ariel Hernandez Serrano's lilting voice echoes across her rundown corner of Iztacalco, the most densely-populated borough in Mexico City. Accompanied only by a classical guitarist, she performs a poignant rendition of a Mexican folk song, La Llorona, meaning The Weeping Woman. The music itself originates far from the bustle of the capital, in the south-eastern state of Oaxaca, and Ariel's version includes phrases in the indigenous Zapotec language. Bleached-blonde and invariably smiling, Ariel says she is trying to achieve two things with her music: to help preserve Mexico's fast-disappearing indigenous languages, and to give greater visibility to the country's marginalised trans community. Last year, she became the first transgender woman to perform inside the presidential palace of Los Pinos. "Maybe I can do something positive to educate and sensitise people," she says between songs. "I've realised that art and music can erase prejudice, stereotypes and ignorance." Being transgender in Mexico is far from easy, Ariel says. "This is a poor neighbourhood but it's safe," she explains as we walk the streets near her family home. "Luckily I've never been subject to any physical aggression, although I sometimes receive insults and stares. But most people respect me here." But while her neighbours know and appreciate her, it is a very different story elsewhere in the sprawling city, let alone in rural and less tolerant parts of the country. Ariel is well aware of the risks involved in fighting for greater visibility for transgender people. "I'm not dedicating my life to trans activism," she clarifies, preferring simply to be considered a musician. "But I have great respect for those who do because they put their lives on the line." That is no exaggeration in a patriarchal society like Mexico's. As many as 98% of murders in the country go unsolved and unpunished, and the authorities often show little inclination to investigate the killings of transgender women. One person who is trying to fix that is Kenya Cuevas. Unlike Ariel, she does fully identify as an activist, despite the dangers. When we met outside a metro station, she arrived with a state-appointed bodyguard after receiving death threats for publicly challenging Mexico's entrenched impunity. The back of Kenya's right hand is covered by an intricate tattoo and her nails are painted bright yellow. As she emerges from the car, the sex workers around the station immediately flock to her to ask questions and seek help and advice. She knows these people well. She used to be one of them. Her life story reads like the description of a character from a film by Pedro Almodóvar, the Spanish director who made his name with colourful melodramas on taboo topics. Abused and mistreated as a young boy, Kenya left home aged nine and transitioned as a teenager. On the streets, she was soon led into prostitution and drug abuse. By her twenties she was a drug addict, HIV positive, and incarcerated. But since her release, Kenya has turned her life around to become probably the best-known transgender activist in Latin America. After a friend - another transgender sex worker called Paola Buenrostro - was killed in front of her in 2016, Kenya founded Casa de las Muñecas Tiresias, the only shelter exclusively for transgender women in Mexico. Over the years, she has carried out various health campaigns, from distributing free condoms to sex workers to giving out meals to the homeless. Recently though, her relentless energy has been focused on urging the attorney general's office to reform the penal code to recognise trans-femicide as a hate crime. She says the government of President Andrés Manuel López Obrador has been far more receptive to such changes than Mexico's previous administrations. "Through everything we've done and built, we have achieved greater visibility and more openness among the governments [at state and federal level]," she says. "It's been historic. Through Paola's killing, we found an intersection between ourselves and the authorities to identify the issues we face and then attend to them." The road ahead is still long but getting started on it was the most important thing, says Kenya. For many queer folk, however, any legal reforms come too late. On the phone from Tabasco, the president's home state, Cecilia Flores struggles to explain exactly what happened to her child. She is the mother of Alessa Flores, a transgender woman who was killed a few weeks after Kenya's friend, Paola. "I know it happened in a hotel room," she says of her daughter's murder. "But hotels have cameras, and someone must know who killed her. So far, the police have basically ignored me." If ever given the chance to speak directly to President López Obrador, Cecilia says she would urge him to make the justice system fairer for everyone, regardless of their gender identity: "These girls just aren't treated as equals," she says. You might also be interested in:

मानवाधिकार समूहों के अनुसार, मेक्सिको ट्रांसजेंडर होने के लिए दुनिया का दूसरा सबसे खतरनाक देश है। केवल ब्राजील में ट्रांसफोबिया और ट्रांस समुदाय के खिलाफ हिंसा की दर अधिक है। हत्या सहित अधिकांश हमलों को दंडित नहीं किया जाता है। तीन महिलाएं बदलाव के लिए लड़ रही हैं।


Indian MP Mahua Moitra's 'rising fascism' speech wins plaudits

Summary: A spirited turn at the mic by a first-time female MP in India's parliament, in which she listed the "signs of early fascism", has been hailed as the "speech of the year" on social media.

By Geeta PandeyBBC News, Delhi Mahua Moitra, of the opposition Trinamool Congress Party (TMC), said she had seen a list of the early warning signs of fascism on a poster in the Holocaust Memorial Museum in the US. She said she was reading the points to show that India's constitution was under threat and the country was being "torn apart" by the ruling party's "lust to divide". Ms Moitra began by acknowledging the Bharatiya Janata Party's landslide victory in the recent general elections. In the vote, Indians across the country demonstrated unequivocally they wanted the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi back in power for a second term. The scale of victory stunned the opposition and pundits, who were expecting a much closer race. Ms Moitra, however, said it was "the very nature of the overwhelming-ness of this mandate makes it necessary for the voices of dissent to be heard". Then, in a rebuke to the governing party, she listed these seven "danger signs of early fascism": Ms Moitra spoke for about 10 minutes while MPs from the treasury benches tried to shout her down, but she stood firm and called on the Speaker to rein in the "professional hecklers". Since it came to power, the BJP has been accused of targeting minorities and weakening state institutions under Mr Modi's powerful leadership. It has consistently dismissed such allegations. Her speech in English, which was laced with facts and figures, even included a couple of poems in Hindi. Many people on social media praised her for reciting these as she is not a Hindi-speaker - her mother tongue is Bengali. A former investment banker with JP Morgan, Ms Moitra quit her well-paying job in London in 2009 to return to Indian politics. She has been the TMC's national spokesperson for several years and regularly appears in prime-time TV debates. During the recent elections, the BBC spent two days following her around on the campaign trail in rural Krishnanagar constituency in West Bengal state, where the TMC is in power. Read more from Geeta Pandey In speech after speech, she took direct aim at Mr Modi. She talked about the deadly suicide attack in Kashmir and India's subsequent air raid in Pakistan. She accused the BJP of trying to divide Hindus and Muslims. She said elections in the past were to change the government, but this election was to save the constitution of India. So on Tuesday, when the 43-year-old stood up to address the lower house, I was among those expecting an intelligent speech. But it was more than that. It won her fans and admirers and trended on Twitter for hours. Ms Moitra's speech is significant at a time when one party - Mr Modi's BJP - dominates parliament and the opposition is struggling to be seen and heard. It is even more significant considering politics in India is still very patriarchal. It is dominated by men, and women make up only 14% of members of the house. And although there are some fiery female MPs, there are many who prefer to stay on the sidelines. Ms Moitra, however, is not afraid to ruffle feathers and many will hope her speech inspires more female MPs to do the same. "We are in the opposition, so we have to bring up the issues. We have to speak up and we have to point it out. We will speak up on whatever issues there are," Ms Moitra told the BBC on Wednesday, a day after her speech. "The opposition's job is to highlight the failings of the government and highlight issues that are not being dealt with by the treasury benches. That is my job and I will do that to the best of my ability."

भारत की संसद में पहली बार महिला सांसद द्वारा माइक पर एक उत्साही मोड़, जिसमें उन्होंने "प्रारंभिक फासीवाद के संकेतों" को सूचीबद्ध किया, को सोशल मीडिया पर "वर्ष का भाषण" के रूप में सराहा गया है।


Indonesia's secret nudist community defying the law

Summary: What is it like to be a nudist in a country that prizes modesty and where public nudity is strictly forbidden? Clara Rondonuwu of the BBC's Indonesian service went to meet some members of the country's nudist community to find out.

There isn't a single thread on Aditya's body. As he speaks to me, droplets of hot oil splash on to his bare belly from the large frying pan of sand crabs, eggs and Chinese cabbage. "I love doing everyday things in the buff, including cooking my meals," he says. "I take a great deal of pleasure in being naked anytime I want to. I feel happier and way more comfortable without clothes." Aditya is taking a risk though and therefore doesn't want his full name revealed. Under majority Muslim Indonesia's anti-pornography laws, it is illegal to be naked in public. Yet he meets regularly with four other nudists in private. "We could face jail time if we appeared nude in public," he explains. "Which is the reason why we let it all hang out in private." A closely knit group Aditya has been a nudist in his spare time since 2007. "I was surfing the web, reading articles about nudism and got really into it. It seemed that it was the life path I had been looking for," he says. He made contact with other nudists in the country - they are a small but committed and closely knit group. Jakarta's naturist group now has about 10 to 15 members, both men and women. Aditya feels that being naked gives them a stronger connection and lasting bond. "We can be ourselves. No one body shames you no matter how fat or paunchy you are or because of your flaccid penis, breast size or birthmarks. You are nude." He dreams of travelling to nudist colonies in countries like France, where his lifestyle choice would be accepted as something not unusual. Yet while Indonesia's law doesn't allow for public nudity, this does not mean that there are no opportunities to go bare. The group gets together from time to time, renting a holiday villa, like recently in a mountainous area outside Jakarta. "Within seconds, we disrobe," he says. They just spend a normal day together, with conversations ranging from anything like politics to work life. He tells me he just got back from a beach escape at one of Indonesia's best-kept secret destinations, where he is far from the discrimination he would face elsewhere in the country. It's not a nudist site, but it is "well hidden by the dense foliage," he explains. Even so, he took precautions. "I picked my time carefully, and went for walks really early in the morning." Reckless? Despite the risks, Aditya also posts openly about his lifestyle on nudist websites. Among his many Instagram accounts, there was also a private one where he uploaded his nude pictures. One of them showed him fully nude, standing inside a church. He has since deleted the account as he could be found guilty under Indonesia's anti-pornography law. "My fellow naturists said I was pretty reckless to open up on the internet," he explains. But he thinks all these posts were necessary to change the many misconceptions about his lifestyle. "People here in Indonesia think that nakedness has something to do with sex," he says, pointing out that nudity is not the same as exhibitionism. "If we strip off together they assume it is a sex party. The truth is, there is nothing sexual about it." "People are so hypocritical when they think that being fully clothed is more polite than being open." A difficult lifestyle Another naturist who lives on Borneo does not want to be named, and agrees that being a naturist in Indonesia is a "difficult lifestyle decision". He looks enviously at places like France and Germany, where nakedness is more accepted, and thinks Indonesian businesses could cater more to the nudist market. Their best shot would be Bali, which is less strict than the rest of majority Muslim Indonesia. But he says the existing nudist-friendly resorts "cater to foreigners only". Rewind 40 years and nudity was common in places like Bali - women would often walk around topless, and bathe naked. There are no public nude beaches on the mostly Hindu island, though a number of coastal areas remain popular with nudists because they are protected by rocks. The manager of one resort in Bali says he has two properties which advertise themselves as "clothing optional" and that there are 10 other such resorts in the tourist centre of Seminyak alone. Additionally, "some of the villas do not promote themselves as naturist-friendly, but many foreigners do go naked in there," he says. "Nudism is common for the upper-class people." The hotel manager told the BBC he only accepts foreign guests, but said that other resorts might take Indonesian nudists too. Abused for being different Aditya says he wants to educate society that he and his fellow naturists are human beings just like everyone else. "Most people tend to be overly expressive when they see something unusual to them. Look how aggressive they are to transgender people, they beat them." "What I do is not pornography," he says. "I feel sad when they judge me and think of me as immoral, some even called us animals. I am just being myself, it's nothing grotesque. I don't harm anyone." At times, he explains, he feels like challenging all these misconceptions in social media. Yet then again, he often just doesn't have the energy to engage in what he says are long and useless conversation with internet trolls. "Most people here still cannot deal with nudity."

एक ऐसे देश में एक नग्नवादी होना कैसा लगता है जहां विनम्रता का पुरस्कार दिया जाता है और जहां सार्वजनिक नग्नता को सख्ती से प्रतिबंधित किया जाता है? बीबीसी की इंडोनेशियाई सेवा की क्लारा रोंडोनुवू यह पता लगाने के लिए देश के नग्नवादी समुदाय के कुछ सदस्यों से मिलने गई।


Teesside University's £20m teaching centre construction begins

Summary: Work is under way on a £20m teaching and conference centre being built at Teesside University.

The development, which is at the heart of the university's Middlesbrough campus, is being built opposite the Dickens Inn on Southfield Road. The building will contain offices, teaching spaces and a 200-seat lecture theatre. Prof Graham Henderson said he was "delighted" to see construction on the new building was under way. In recent years the university has invested nearly £200m in its Middlesbrough campus.

टीसाइड विश्वविद्यालय में 20 मिलियन पाउंड के शिक्षण और सम्मेलन केंद्र पर काम चल रहा है।


Coronavirus: Are these targets being hit?

Summary: The UK government has set various targets during its efforts to tackle the coronavirus outbreak.

By Reality Check teamBBC News We have looked at ten of them including ones on testing, hospital beds and ventilators. So, have they been met? 1. Having a contact-tracing app by the middle of May "On the app, we're expecting that to be ready by the middle of May," - Health Secretary Matt Hancock, 28 April Outcome: Health Secretary Matt Hancock announced that there was to be an NHS contact-tracing app on 12 April. Later that month, he said that he was expecting it to be ready by the middle of May. The idea of the app was that it would alert users if they had been in contact with somebody with coronavirus. It was intended to be part of Boris Johnson's "world-beating" test, track and trace operation. Trials of the app began on the Isle of Wight in early May but it had not been rolled on in the rest of the country by the time the rest of the contact tracing system began on 28 May. On 18 June, the government abandoned its app and decided to shift to a model based on technology provided by Apple and Google. It is not clear when that app will be rolled out with contact tracing capabilities. 2. Getting test results back in 24 hours by the end of June "I can undertake to him now to get all tests turned around in 24 hours by the end of June, except for difficulties with postal tests or insuperable problems like that," Boris Johnson, 27 May Outcome: The prime minister told the liaison committee in parliament that coronavirus test results would be received within 24 hours, except for those involving sending tests in the post, which would clearly take longer. We do not yet have figures for the turnaround times until the end of June. The latest data runs up to 24 June. It showed 24-hour turnaround performance of: Alongside these ways of testing, hospitals also test patients. More than nine in 10 of those are processed within 24 hours. 3. Providing 230,000 laptops for poor pupils by the end of June "We said that they would all be distributed by the end of June and we are on target to do that," - Education Secretary Gavin Williamson, 9 June Outcome: In April the government announced it would provide free laptops, tablets and 4G wireless routers for disadvantaged children in England to enable them to access remote learning during the coronavirus pandemic. The devices are available for care leavers, children with a social worker and disadvantaged Year 10 pupils. On 9 June, Education Secretary Gavin Williamson told the House of Commons that 230,000 computers would be given out under the scheme by the end of the month. Department for Education figures showed that as of 30 June 202,212 laptops and tablets had been delivered along with 47,416 4G wireless routers. The statistics show that almost a quarter of laptops and tablets were delivered or dispatched in the last week of June, meaning that many children had waited more than two months from the announcement of the scheme to receive them. 4. 25,000 tests a day by the middle of April "We will massively scale up our testing capacity in the weeks ahead so we hit 25,000 tests a day" - Prime Minister Boris Johnson, 18 March Outcome: This was the first of several testing targets set by the government. On the same day a press release from the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) gave more details of the tests to diagnose coronavirus and said "the increased capacity is expected to be ready within four weeks". But the government did not hit 25,000 tests a day by mid-April. Only 18,665 tests were conducted in the UK (excluding Northern Ireland) on 15 April. In terms of testing capacity - the amount of tests which could theoretically be carried out on any one day - that stood at more than 30,000 by mid-April. 5. 100,000 tests a day by the end of April "I am now setting the goal of 100,000 tests per day by the end of this month" - Health Secretary Matt Hancock, 2 April Outcome: On 1 May, the government said it had reached the target and announced 122,347 tests for the last day of the month (30 April). The testing figure had been averaging about 20,000 a day but increased significantly in the last days of April. When home testing kits were introduced in large numbers towards the end of the month, DHSC began counting those sent out as part of its daily test figures. So, it doesn't mean the test was actually used by someone on that day. Previously, only instances in which the testing swab had been processed through a lab were counted as a test. The 122,347 figure included about 40,000 kits sent out to homes and test centres. Prof John Newton, who leads the government's testing programme, said on 1 May: "That's the way they are counted, have always been counted, and the way we were advised to count them by officials." In a letter to Mr Hancock on 2 June, Sir David Norgrove, chair of statistical watchdog the UK Statistics Authority, was critical of this methodology. "The aim seems to be to show the largest possible number of tests, even at the expense of understanding," he wrote. The devolved administrations in Wales and Scotland also made pledges on coronavirus testing. But Wales's health minister Vaughan Gething announced they were abandoning their promise of conducting 5,000 tests a day by mid-April, blaming problems obtaining testing kits. Likewise, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon admitted at a press briefing on 23 April that Scotland was unlikely to achieve its original target of 10,000 tests per day by the end of April, saying "we are working towards a capacity of 3,500 by the end of April". The Scottish Government announced at the beginning of May that it had reached this reduced target. 6. 200,000 tests per day by the end of May "The ambition, clearly, is to get up to 200,000 a day by the end of this month, and then to go even higher" - Boris Johnson in Parliament 6 May There had been some confusion as to whether the target for testing by the end of May was 200,000 tests conducted or a capacity to do this many tests. Matt Hancock eventually clarified that it would be the capacity for tests, and that it would include antibody tests (which establish whether somebody previously had the virus) and tests being sent out to a random cross-section of society by statisticians, as well as those conducted on people actually displaying symptoms. On 30 May, the DHSC announced that the UK had hit the target, with labs able to process 205,634 tests a day. At 9am on 28 June, testing capacity was 294,258. This included capacity to do 80,000 antibody tests a day. On 1 July they carried out 29,401 antibody tests. When it comes to number of people actually tested for coronavirus on a daily basis, the government has not released this figure since 22 May. The DHSC says the number has been "temporarily paused." 7. All care home staff and residents tested by 6 June "We'll test every resident and every member of staff in our elderly care homes in England between now and early June" - Health Secretary Matt Hancock, daily briefing 15 May Outcome: On 7 June, the government said it had provided 1,071,103 test kits to 8,984 care homes. It said that meant that its target to provide test kits to every care home for elderly people by 6 June had been met. But that wasn't how Mr Hancock described the target in May when he made it clear that every resident would be tested. Test kits might not all have been returned for processing. The government has not said what proportion of the kits delivered have been returned. Although the health secretary was clear that the target was to test every resident, the government's roadmap to releasing the lockdown did say "offered" tests. The National Care Forum, which represents some not-for-profit care homes, had said that as of 2 June, 90% of the care homes they surveyed had been tested. However, they said that almost half of those had received null or inconclusive test results and a number were still waiting for results to return. 8. Recruiting 18,000 contact tracers by mid-May "By mid May, we'll have an initial 18,000 contact tracers in place" - Matt Hancock, 1 May Outcome: On 1 May, Mr Hancock said that the government's testing programme was the "first element" in the wider strategy to "test, track and trace". He added that an "initial 18,000" contact tracing staff would be in place "by mid-May". Their role is to identify individuals that have Covid-19 and then to "track and trace" anyone they've recently been in contact with. Those individuals can then get themselves tested. On 18 May, Mr Hancock told Parliament that 21,000 contact tracers had been recruited in England, of whom 7,500 were healthcare professionals. 9. Increasing NHS capacity to meet demand "Making sure that the NHS always has the capacity to treat patients is also mission critical" - Matt Hancock, 17 April Outcome: The government has met this objective. It says that nobody in need of critical care has been unable to get it due to a lack of beds or equipment. The proportion of critical care beds occupied by Covid-19 patients has been falling gradually since mid-April. The spare capacity reflects the falling numbers of patients requiring intensive care treatment for the virus. On 1 July there were 259 such beds occupied by coronavirus patients, down from a peak of over 3,200. 10. Providing the NHS with 18,000 ventilators "Our goal, instead of the 30,000, is that we need 18,000 ventilators over the coming two weeks" - Matt Hancock, 5 April Outcome: The DHSC told the BBC that, by 5 May, the government had managed to make 10,900 mechanical ventilators available to the NHS across the UK. Mr Hancock's 18,000 target was for this type of ventilator, according to the DHSC. The original UK target had been higher but was reduced, Mr Hancock said, because the lockdown and social distancing measures were working to slow the spread of the virus. A spokesperson for the DHSC said: "Every patient who needs a ventilator has been able to receive this treatment and we are confident that there will be enough ventilators available for everyone who needs one. We continue to keep capacity ahead of demand." This article has been updated to add targets and reflect the latest figures on testing and contact tracers. What claims do you want BBC Reality Check to investigate? Get in touch Read more from Reality Check Follow us on Twitter

ब्रिटेन सरकार ने कोरोनावायरस के प्रकोप से निपटने के अपने प्रयासों के दौरान विभिन्न लक्ष्य निर्धारित किए हैं।


Coronavirus: France's champagne industry goes flat amid pandemic

Summary: It's been an exceptional year in Champagne.

By Hugh SchofieldBBC News, Paris The weather has been near perfect, with plenty of sunshine and rain falling at just the right time to give the vines their necessary oomph. The grapes in this famed French region are bursting with expectation for an early harvest. But never in living memory have market conditions been so poor. A billion bottles have been left idle in cellars. Weddings and business jollies have been cancelled because of the pandemic. Ultimately, who feels like celebrating when there's a potential virus on the lip of every cut-glass flute? These factors have led to plummeting demand and ignited tensions in the hundreds of wine villages around Reims and Epernay of a kind not seen since World War Two. "Covid has left everything reeling," says Bernard Beaulieu, a champagne producer and former head of the CGT Champagne winegrowers union. "The fall in sales is staring us in the face. It's hastened a crisis that, if you ask me, has been a long time coming." These tensions will likely come to a head at a meeting on 18 August, when a decision must be made on how many champagne grapes each of the roughly 15,000 growers is allowed to put on the market. Uniquely in French wine, the champagne region follows a "single-yield" rule. This means all growers, or vignerons, agree to sell only a fixed amount of grapes per hectare. Any surplus is left to rot in the field or is turned into a refrigerated "reserve" for use in case of poor future harvests. There is always haggling between the growers and the négociants - the 300 or so dealers who buy up grapes for the prestigious champagne houses such as Bollinger, Krug and Mumm. But this year things have reached fever pitch. On the one hand the négociants, who are represented by the Union des Maisons de Champagne (Union of Champagne Houses), want a low yield of around 7,000kg per hectare - about 200m bottles - in order to spare themselves the cost of stocking millions more litres of unsold fizz. But the vineries want a bigger yield of around 8,500kg. The union representing them says this is the minimum amount that would allow the growers to stay financially afloat. It is less worried about unsold stocks and says the current exceptional conditions are too good to miss. In the fraught pre-harvest atmosphere neither union is giving interviews. But observers are troubled by the signals that are emerging ahead of the 18 August meeting. For Mr Beaulieu, the crisis lays bare fault lines that have been building for years. "The crisis in demand long pre-dates Covid," he says. "In France, young people are drinking less and less wine and there is growing competition from prosecco and other sparklers. "But the other crisis is the growing imbalance between the big houses and the small producers. By offering high prices, the houses have lured more and more vignerons into selling them all their grapes. "As a result there are fewer independent producers, and at tense times like this it is the rule of the big houses and their financial backers that prevails." Yves Couvreur, an independent producer, is downbeat about the prospect of the crisis resolving itself anytime soon. "Far from finding an arrangement that pleases everyone, it looks like they'll settle on one that pleases nobody," he says. But for all the gloom, in Champagne a sense of historical perspective is always useful. After all, the business has been going strong for around 300 years. It has survived wars, revolutions and depressions - and it is not as if today's champagne has any serious rival as the liquid emblem of joy. If only the world were a little more joyful.

शैम्पेन में यह एक असाधारण वर्ष रहा है।


Met officer charged with six counts of rape

Summary: A policeman has been charged with six counts of rape and one count of indecent assault.

PC Adam Provan, 38, of the Metropolitan force, is accused of assaulting three woman between 2002 and 2016. The count of indecent assault relates to an incident in 2002 with a girl who was 15 at the time. He is also accused of two counts of rape in 2010 with a 16-year-old girl, and four counts of rape in 2016 with a woman aged 20.

एक पुलिसकर्मी पर बलात्कार के छह मामले और अभद्र हमले के एक मामले का आरोप लगाया गया है।


Pilot accused of failing breath test before US flight

Summary: A pilot accused of failing a breath test ahead of a flight to the US has appeared in court.

Glendon Gulliver, 61, from Colorado, made no plea at Paisley Sheriff Court after being charged under the railways and transport safety act. He was held at Glasgow Airport along with another 45-year-old pilot before boarding a flight to Newark, New Jersey, on Saturday. Police Scotland said the 45-year-old had been released after questioning. The incident resulted in the United Airlines flight being cancelled. The case was committed for further examination and Mr Gulliver was released on bail.

अमेरिका के लिए उड़ान भरने से पहले सांस की जांच में विफल रहने का आरोपी एक पायलट अदालत में पेश हुआ है।


Man admits raping girl, three, at Isle of Wight woods

Summary: A man has admitted raping a three-year-old girl at an Isle of Wight beauty spot.

The child was attacked at Fort Victoria Country Park near Yarmouth shortly after 15:00 BST on 31 August. Graham Medway, 62, of no fixed address, pleaded guilty to the rape of a child under the age of 13 at a hearing at Newport Crown Court. He was remanded in custody to be sentenced on 8 January. Hampshire Constabulary said Medway was unknown to the victim. The force previously said an appeal for information following the attack had provoked an "overwhelming response from the public".

एक व्यक्ति ने आइल ऑफ वाइट सौंदर्य स्थल पर तीन साल की बच्ची के साथ बलात्कार करने की बात स्वीकार की है।


Michael Parr admits murdering rapist at Frankland Prison

Summary: A prisoner has admitted murdering a fellow inmate who was jailed for raping a 13-year-old girl.

Mitchell Harrison, 23, was serving an indefinite sentence at Durham's Frankland Prison when he was killed last October. Michael Parr, 32, pleaded guilty at Newcastle Crown Court to the murder and will be sentenced on 12 July. Nathan Mann, 23, is also accused of murder and is due in court on 16 July. He has not entered a plea. Harrison, from Wolverhampton, was serving an indeterminate sentence of at least four-and-a-half years for the rape which happened in Kendal, Cumbria, when he was murdered in a cell.

एक कैदी ने 13 वर्षीय लड़की के साथ बलात्कार करने के आरोप में जेल में बंद एक साथी कैदी की हत्या करने की बात स्वीकार की है।


Man dies after falling off quad bike in Highlands

Summary: A 27-year-old man has died after falling off a quad bike in the Highlands.

The police and ambulance service were called to reports that a man had been injured, near Dulnain Bridge, Grantown-on-Spey, at 17:50 on Tuesday. He was pronounced dead at the scene. A spokeswoman said there were no suspicious circumstances and that a report would be sent to the Procurator Fiscal.

हाइलैंड्स में क्वाड बाइक से गिरने से एक 27 वर्षीय व्यक्ति की मौत हो गई है।


Sport NI boss on leave while grievance cases investigated

Summary: The chief executive of Sport NI, Antoinette McKeown, is on leave while an investigation is under way into a number of grievance cases being made against her.

The cases, which the BBC understands number at least three, involve Sport NI employees, including a non-executive member of the board. Ms McKeown was unavailable for comment. When contacted by the BBC, Sport NI said that Antoinette McKeown "has not left her post". She was appointed as the head of Sport NI, the body charged with encouraging participation in sport, in June 2013. Ms McKeown was the first woman to be Sport NI's chief executive. She was previously the chief executive of the Consumer Council.

स्पोर्ट एन. आई. की मुख्य कार्यकारी एंटोनेट मैककॉन छुट्टी पर हैं, जबकि उनके खिलाफ कई शिकायत मामलों की जांच चल रही है।


Bad weather advice from 999 crews

Summary: Ambulance officials are warning people to take extra care as West Yorkshire looks set to endure cold weather and some snowfall.

The Yorkshire Ambulance Service said bad weather put an additional strain on its resources. Spokesman David Williams said a deterioration in driving conditions meant crews were called to more road accidents. Genuine emergencies should still prompt a call to the ambulance service.

एम्बुलेंस अधिकारी लोगों को अतिरिक्त सावधानी बरतने की चेतावनी दे रहे हैं क्योंकि वेस्ट यॉर्कशायर ठंड के मौसम और कुछ बर्फबारी को सहन करने के लिए तैयार है।


Did Republicans in the House fold on the debt-limit increase?

Summary: On Tuesday night the House of Representatives approved a no-strings-attached increase in the amount the US government can borrow to pay for approved spending - a clean debt-limit expansion, as it's called.

By Anthony ZurcherEditor, Echo Chambers Although the measure was brought to the floor by Republican Speaker of the House John Boehner, it wouldn't have passed without a lot of help from Democrats, with 193 out of 200 voting yes. Only 28 Republicans approved the bill, as 199 voted against. The fact that the measure passed relatively quietly and quickly was in contrast to the pitched battle to extract concessions from President Barack Obama and congressional Democrats that pushed the US government to the brink of default last autumn. According to reports, when Mr Boehner told Republican representatives that he would not allow such brinkmanship this time around, the members of his caucus met his remarks with stony silence. The disillusionment in the measure among hard-line conservatives was reflected in commentary before and after its passage. "When we heard that House leadership was scheduling a clean debt ceiling increase, we thought it was a joke," the conservative Club for Growth writes in a statement. "But it's not. Something is very wrong with House leadership, or with the Republican Party. This is not a bill that advocates of limited government should schedule or support." Romina Boccia of Heritage Action writes: This blank check debt limit bill is very bad news for taxpayers. With it, Congress would abdicate not only its constitutional power to control the borrowing of the U.S. government, but it also signals a return to the destructive days of bipartisan agreements that increase spending and the debt. The editors of Investor's Business Daily contend that Mr Boehner gave up too easily. "Couldn't he have fought just a little?" they ask. By not putting up more opposition, they continue, Republicans are "risking being seen as spineless." "US gold medalist snowboarder Shaun White may not have won a medal this week in Sochi, but he didn't look at the daunting half-pipe course before him and refuse to try," they write (possibly forgetting that White passed on competing in another snowboarding event this week because he considered the course too dangerous). The debt-limit vote has the editors of the Wall Street Journal saying that enough is enough - it's time to do away with the debt limit entirely. "Republicans are never willing to shoot their debt-limit hostage, so the limit has now become Democratic leverage against Republicans," they write. "Why continue the pretense of fighting over a debt limit that doesn't limit debt?" Some conservatives are questioning Mr Boehner's leadership. Daniel Horowitz on Red State blog tells Republicans in the House that it's time to find a new speaker: If you really opposed this deal, it is simply egregious that the sitting Republican leader would pass it with Democrat support. This is the seventh time Boehner has done so over the past year. It only takes about 50 members to call for a leadership election. Now is the time to put up or shut up. Meanwhile Democrats are hailing the vote as a victory for their side. Dan Wright on Firedoglake thinks that Mr Obama's tough strategy paid dividends. "There's no two ways about it, Speaker Boehner conceded because President Obama and the Democrats held the line," he writes. "Apparently, to paraphrase the president, negotiating with 'hostage takers' is the wrong move. And, subsequently, saying you won't play their game can yield some positive results. Better to learn that in 2014 than never?" This is a "step in the right direction", writes former Obama administration economist Jared Bernstein in his On the Economy blog, and Mr Boehner deserves commendations for his action. "So, when an arsonist doesn't burn down the House [sic] do you praise him for self-restraint or just go about your business because, you know, you're not supposed to burn things down?" he writes. "I say you praise. I mean, as an arsonist, he's conditioned to being destructive." With congressional midterm elections looming in November and party primaries just around the corner, Republicans leaders were likely anxious to make the debt limit issue go away. But why did the Tea Party conservatives in Congress not put up more of a fight? According to the Washington Post's Jaime Fuller, it's because they learned the lesson that politics involves compromise. "By the end of their first term, the tea partyers have figured out that politics isn't about winning," he writes. "It's about mutual dissatisfaction. When a bill gets passed, Democrats are supposed to get some of the provisions they want, and so are Republicans. When the White House lays out their policy guidelines for the year, Congress will often concede some points, while leaving others to rot. No side gets every item on their wish list in the final law, but they can be smug about the fact that their opponent didn't achieve total victory either." He writes that this is part of the reason why establishment Republicans are anxious to prevent another wave of Tea Party Republicans from winning primaries and getting elected this year - they'll face the same kind of intransigence on the right flank that presented itself over the past year and a half. Of course wanting to promote establishment Republicans over Tea Party candidates and actually convincing a restive grass-roots base to cast ballots that way are two entirely different things. The question now, it seems, is whether Republican voters will perceive the debt limit back-down as a compelling reason to ignore the establishment's entreaties and embrace more ideologically pure candidates.

मंगलवार की रात को प्रतिनिधि सभा ने अमेरिकी सरकार द्वारा अनुमोदित खर्च के लिए भुगतान करने के लिए उधार ली जा सकने वाली राशि में बिना किसी तार के वृद्धि को मंजूरी दी-एक स्वच्छ ऋण-सीमा विस्तार, जैसा कि इसे कहा जाता है।


Mark Carney hits the reassurance button

Summary: At the last Inflation Report, published in May, you could hunt high and low with little success for the word "positive" when it came to the Bank of England's analysis of the possible fallout from any vote to leave the European Union.

Kamal AhmedEconomics editor@bbckamalon Twitter Mark Carney, the Bank's governor, averred there could be a "technical recession" - that is six months of economic contraction with all that could mean for job losses and real incomes. Sterling could fall sharply, investment dry up and confidence slump. Today, a different tone - nuanced, maybe, but still significant. Although Mr Carney made it clear that the economic risks were still very visible - and indeed some, such as sterling's slump, were beginning to "materialise" - preparation ahead of the referendum was now paying off. And, yes, he actually used the word "positive" for some of the effects seen post the Big Vote. Financial markets had remained stable, government and business borrowing costs - even for the battered banks - had fallen and the decline in the pound had provided a boost for exporters and businesses that earned revenues overseas. Investors may be concerned with profitability and economic growth, Mr Carney said. What they didn't seem so worried about was the resilience of the whole system, which can be a much more toxic issue - as anyone who went through the 2008 crisis will attest. That is not to suggest that the governor thinks anything much different from what he and members of both the Financial Policy Committee and the Monetary Policy Committee believed before the referendum. It is to suggest that the governor is well aware of his new role post the leave vote to provide reassurance, a one-man stability mechanism during this remarkable episode of political and economic volatility. The governor has not only been very visible since the vote on 23 June - today is his third appearance before the cameras - but he has also been keen to say that the Bank is working as it should to provide all the monetary and financial stability support it can during such uncertain times. That has gone a considerable way to calming market jitters. Of course there are significant risks ahead, the Bank says. It has raised fresh concerns about the debt levels being carried by "vulnerable" consumers who might be affected by job losses or a fall in incomes. It says foreign investment in commercial property developments has declined significantly. And, given that 75% of all lending to smaller businesses uses commercial property as collateral, any fall in prices could have worrying knock-on effects for access to credit. Today's announcement that Aviva has followed Standard Life in stopping people removing their money from its property investment fund for fear of a disorderly "rush for the exit" shows that uncertainty in the commercial office and shops market is having a tangible impact on retail investors. Which could have an impact on broader consumer confidence. Housing transactions have also slowed and the share prices of the major home builders have slumped, raising fears about the government's targets for house building. Which were pretty heroic in the first place. Mr Carney also warned that the UK's large current account deficit meant that foreign investors' confidence in the country's economy had to be maintained. The UK relies on the "kindness of strangers" to service that deficit, as the governor memorably put it earlier this year. Mr Carney's tone has softened. No, he doesn't believe there are necessarily sunny uplands ahead. It's just that his job in a world where there is such little visibility politically or economically on the path ahead has changed. From warning mode. To reassurance.

मई में प्रकाशित अंतिम मुद्रास्फीति रिपोर्ट में, जब यूरोपीय संघ छोड़ने के लिए किसी भी वोट से संभावित परिणाम के बारे में बैंक ऑफ इंग्लैंड के विश्लेषण की बात आई, तो आप "सकारात्मक" शब्द के लिए बहुत कम सफलता के साथ उच्च और निम्न की तलाश कर सकते हैं।