Elections 2021: Mental health needs 'not met in many communities'

Summary: Mental health support is a key service provided by councils in England - and in the West Midlands, spending varies widely. But for some, accessing help is harder than ever, with cultural taboos and language barriers stopping many people getting what they need.

By Stephanie MiskinBBC News, West Midlands Two mental health organisations set up to help young people from non-white communities say many are falling through the cracks. Ash Ali, director of Al aafiya, which was set up to challenge the stigma of mental health in South Asian communities, said: "[Mental] health services are being delivered, but they're not meeting the hard-to-reach communities that they need to reach." Meanwhile, online therapy service Heal Hub, which supports 16-25 year olds, said it was providing stop-gap therapy while some people wait more than 16 weeks for an appointment. As voters go to polling stations on Thursday, how much councils spend on adult social care will be an important issue for many. Al aafiya Mental Health Services was founded by a group of friends who work in the medical profession. They have seen demand soar in the past year due a "need for mental health support within the diverse communities" in the wake of Covid. 'You're mad' Iqbal, from Bordesley Green, Birmingham, said he had suffered with his mental health since moving to the UK from Pakistan more than 25 years ago. He has been sectioned five times against his will after applications by family members and says the stigma of mental health is "enormous" in his community. "People say to me, 'you're mad' all the time. I am not mad," he told the BBC. "It is hard to even have a debate with someone because of the fear that I'll be sectioned again." He was able to get help through Al aafiya, and for the first time in his life, said he did not feel judged. "I feel relaxed now when I speak my mind. I don't get put off," said the 46-year-old. He doesn't speak to his family about his feelings now, and instead uses the Al aafiya group as a way of airing his problems in a "safe space". Mr Ali said many people felt they couldn't pick up a phone and ask for help, or even know where to go - not only because of the language barrier but cultural taboos. "A lot of people have fear of their children being taken into care if they were to access a mental health service," he said. "Mental health is something that's brushed under the carpet and, in particular, suicide. "Often when people take their own life, family members don't like to talk about that… or look for an excuse and say that they passed away because of an illness." Al aafiya is trying to help bridge the gap and signpost people to mainstream services. It now has 100 men in a WhatsApp survivors group as well as support via its social media pages, online mindfulness sessions and helpline. "Our communities have seen a disproportionate amount of deaths in the past year. Friends and families have not been able to grieve together. Not even cry on the shoulder of a loved one so we know that extra support is needed," said Mr Ali. The group hopes to work more closely with mosques and create local hubs for both young and older people. Kit Showande set up online therapy service Heal Hub last year after receiving calls from young people about issues including forced marriage and county lines. The "stop-gap" service, which is self-funded, offers 12 free sessions with a counsellor via online video. Anyone aged under 25 can self-refer and pick their own therapist and what kind of counselling they would like. "Young people don't want to go through their school or a doctor, because sometimes we underestimate how schools are linked with parents," said Mr Showande. "And the stigma in families - they need another pathway. "People with an offending background have a bad relationship with the state so there is nothing worse than having to reach out." 'No practical changes' Mr Showande said some young people he had spoken to had experienced waits as long as 16 weeks after contacting their GP. When emails and phone calls go ignored, they are not necessarily in the right state of mind to follow up their call for help. "Fundamentally we want the young people to constantly be in charge of the conversations," he said. Mr Showande says he hopes in the future to work more closely with other services. "I very much understand everyone's working hard - it's just when we see that there's a gap, we're going to talk about the gap," he said. "The idea is to help the system by taking off a little bit of pressure and then allowing people that need the long-term help to get that." Kelsey, in her final year at a university, contacted Heal Hub after seeing an advert on social media. The 20-year-old, who has suffered with anxiety for several years, said: "There's a lot going on about [mental health] awareness but there's no practical changes. "Mental health awareness is great. It's important being able to talk about, but it's not going to fix it. You need to commit to more infrastructure changes and more physical changes and organisations and funding." Funding for mental health services is provided through the NHS and third-sector organisations as well via councils. Last year, Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced a £500m package to support mental health services in England after increased demand for support during the pandemic. Across local authorities in Birmingham and the Black Country, Walsall Council has seen the biggest decrease in its budgets for mental health expenditure over the past five years. Walsall Council said its fall in spending of £1.8m was "not due to any reductions in service provision but due to a realignment of spending contributions from our health partners". Sandwell has too cut its budget by £41,000 in the past year but said this was a "relatively small percentage". A spokesperson for the council added: "However to give context to the change, during 2019/20, the average cost of mental health residential support was £762 per week. The reduction in expenditure is broadly equivalent to one less residential placement over the year. "A number of council services also support mental health - as part of their day-to-day activities - and the promotion of support services available locally and nationally." Birmingham, Dudley and Wolverhampton councils have all increased their budgets, according to data by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. ENGLAND'S ELECTIONS: THE BASICS What's happening? On 6 May, people across England will vote for new councillors, mayors and police and crime commissioners. Register to vote here. Why does it matter? When parties win control of a council, they decide policies for your area which could affect services ranging from social care to rubbish collection. Find out more about what councils do. Who can vote? Anyone who lives in England, is registered to vote and aged 18 or over on 6 May is eligible. Find your local election here. A modern browser with JavaScript and a stable internet connection is required to view this interactive. More information about these elections Who won in my area? Enter your postcode, or the name of your English council or Scottish or Welsh constituency to find out. Eg 'W1A 1AA' or 'Westminster' Related Internet Links Heal Hub Al aafiya Mental Health Service

मानसिक स्वास्थ्य सहायता इंग्लैंड में परिषदों द्वारा प्रदान की जाने वाली एक प्रमुख सेवा है-और वेस्ट मिडलैंड्स में, खर्च व्यापक रूप से भिन्न होता है। लेकिन कुछ लोगों के लिए, सहायता प्राप्त करना पहले से कहीं अधिक कठिन है, सांस्कृतिक वर्जनाओं और भाषा की बाधाओं के कारण कई लोगों को वह नहीं मिल रहा है जिसकी उन्हें आवश्यकता है।


Venezuela Aid Live: Why is Branson being told to 'back off'?

Summary: To say Venezuela is in the middle of a political crisis would be an understatement. President Nicolás Maduro is locked in a power struggle with Juan Guaidó, an opposition politician and the self-declared interim leader of the country.

By Ashitha NageshBBC News So what better way to make the situation less complicated than to add a spat between one of the world's richest people and the bass player from Pink Floyd? Yes... it's a pretty weird situation. Richard Branson, the British billionaire behind the Virgin group of companies, announced last week that he wanted to hold a concert to raise money for aid for Venezuela - inspired by similar benefits like Live Aid. The concert, Venezuela Aid Live, is happening on Friday in the Colombian border town of Cúcuta, near a bridge that connects it to Venezuela (a bridge, incidentally, that President Maduro has blocked off with shipping containers to prevent US aid getting in). Mr Branson says the concert will be free for people who can go in person, and live-streamed internationally for those who can't. The ultimate goal, Mr Branson says, is to raise tens of millions of dollars through donations, and to get aid through President Maduro's blockades - although how exactly he will do that remains unclear. "Let the music inspire and mobilise you," he adds. "United through music, we can make a huge difference and help bring an end to the needless suffering of millions." In response, Pink Floyd co-founder and bassist Roger Waters released a video telling Mr Branson to "back off". What did Roger Waters say? In a two-minute video posted on Twitter, the musician says Mr Branson's "Live-Aid-ish" concert has "nothing to do with humanitarian aid at all". "It has to do with Richard Branson, and I'm not surprised by this, having bought the US saying: 'We have decided to take over Venezuela, for whatever our reasons may be,'" Mr Waters says. "But it has nothing to do with the needs of the Venezuelan people, it has nothing to do with democracy, it has nothing to do with freedom, and it has nothing to do with aid." He adds that he has "friends that are in Caracas" who claim there is "no civil war, no mayhem, no murder, no apparent dictatorship, no suppression of the press". So who asked Richard Branson to do this? Mr Branson says it was a direct request from Mr Guaidó and opposition leader Leopoldo López. In a social media video posted last week, the billionaire says: "Juan Guaidó, who has been recognised as Venezuela's legitimate president by over 40 nations, and the EU, and Leopoldo López, an opposition leader currently under house arrest in Caracas, have asked us to help organise a beautiful concert, to help bring global attention to this unacceptable, and preventable, crisis." Mr López has been under house arrest since 2014. Who is going to perform? The concert's organisers have released a list of 32 people they have invited to perform, which includes young Latin stars Rudy Mancuso, Juanes and Despacito singer Luis Fonsi, and Swedish DJ Alesso. A few celebrities have also confirmed on social media that they're taking part. Lele Pons, a Venezuelan-American singer and actress who was the most-looped individual on Vine before it shut down in 2016, and Venezuelan singer Danny Ocean have both released videos saying that they will perform. How much money do they want to raise? According to Mr Branson, the goal is to raise $100m (£76.8m) in 60 days through donations on a website. An added goal, organisers say, is to "reopen Venezuela's border so humanitarian aid can finally reach those who need it the most". Which takes us neatly to our next point... How are they going to get aid into the country? This is a much trickier question - and the answer is: we don't know. For context: there is a bridge between Cúcuta and Venezuela, with US military planes and lorries carrying tonnes of humanitarian aid parked on the Colombian side. So, the aid is there. Mr Maduro, however, has blocked the Venezuelan side with shipping containers. Mr Maduro says the aid is part of a plot by the US to invade the country, while his Vice President, Delcy Rodriguez, claims the US aid is contaminated with carcinogens to "poison our populations". The president has said that he's willing to take aid from his allies - Cuba and China, for example - but he has explicitly refused to accept anything from his opponents. Mr Branson, who explicitly blames Mr Maduro for the crisis, would most likely fall under this category. Mr Guaidó has said he plans to get aid into the country on 23 February, by urging Venezuelans to mobilise en masse and form "caravans" and a "humanitarian avalanche" at the borders. Even with this effort, it is uncertain whether or not aid will be allowed in. Please upgrade your browser to view this content. Timeline: Venezuela crisis How the story unfolded Share this chatbot. A spokesman for Mr Branson told BBC News that he was working with the Colombian entrepreneur Bruno Ocampo to organise the concert and sort out the logistics - while Mr Ocampo said their methods for getting aid over the border "remain confidential, to prevent compromising our efforts". He added: "Our plans are well orchestrated and we will soon share more details." How has Maduro responded? This is where it all gets even stranger. As news of Mr Branson's concert came out, the embattled president responded by promising a concert of his own - dubbed "Hands Off Venezuela" - just 300 metres away, on the other side of Las Tienditas Bridge. The government hasn't announced an official line-up, but unconfirmed reports are claiming that about 150 artists will be taking part. Should aid be non-political? This is the view of Mr Waters - and of humanitarian organisations like the United Nations and Red Cross. For example, United Nations spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters earlier this month that "humanitarian action needs to be independent of political, military or other objectives". He added: "What is important is that humanitarian aid be depoliticised and that the needs of the people should lead in terms of when and how humanitarian aid is used." Mr Waters referenced this when he told Mr Branson: "Don't politicise aid. Leave the Venezuelan people alone to exercise their legal right to self-determination." The bass player, however, waded into politically murky waters himself when he confidently proclaimed that there was "no apparent dictatorship" in Venezuela. A spokesperson for Mr Branson told BBC News that the primary aim of the concert was to "raise awareness" and to "create a way for the global community to pledge their support". They added: "While the political context of the crisis is complex, this is purely a humanitarian effort that cannot replace the need for political and diplomatic solutions." Do people still want benefit concerts? Live Aid was arguably the pinnacle of the benefit concert, eventually raising a reported $125m for victims of the famine in Ethiopia in 1985. In fact, it's so legendary that it was recreated in all its glory in the recent Freddie Mercury biopic Bohemian Rhapsody. And announcing that he was hosting Venezuela Aid Live, Mr Branson specifically says he was inspired by the Concert for Bangladesh in 1971, and by Live Aid, and how they both "moved the world to action". But behind the glamour of these concerts were troubling reports that the money raised hadn't quite ended up where it was supposed to. In the case of Concert for Bangladesh, the cash was tied up in a decade-long battle with tax officials in the US, while Live Aid was plagued by unconfirmed reports claiming the money it had raised was actually being used by Ethiopia's leader to amass weapons to crush opposition rebels. There have been similar concerns about subsequent benefit concerts. Huge, high-production gigs have often been followed up with questions about how the money was organised and distributed to the people that needed it. Benefits after the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, for example, are thought to have raised more than $9bn - but these fundraising efforts were later marred by allegations of financial impropriety by musician Wyclef Jean's charity Yele Haiti. Years after the disaster, people in Haiti said their communities were far from being rebuilt. Venezuela Aid Live's organisers, however, tell BBC News that Live Aid and Concert for Bangladesh "helped raise global awareness" and "mobilised unprecedented public support". "It is fair to say that in the decades since [these concerts], co-ordination in the humanitarian sector has improved enormously," they say, adding that the technology involved is better too. "Based on the many lessons learned, the organising team is committed to an approach that is professional, unbureaucratic, efficient, transparent, and accountable." All of the money raised will be transferred to the Colombian NGO Solidaridad Por Colombia, they add, which will hold it in a trust before working with aid experts to distribute it.

यह कहना कि वेनेज़ुएला एक राजनीतिक संकट के बीच में है, एक अल्पोक्ति होगी। राष्ट्रपति निकोलस मादुरो एक विपक्षी राजनेता और देश के स्व-घोषित अंतरिम नेता जुआन गुआइडो के साथ सत्ता संघर्ष में हैं।


The Fox Inn in Loxley: Locals buy village pub

Summary: Nearly 200 people have joined together to buy their local pub.

Residents in Loxley, Warwickshire, are buying The Fox Inn - the village's only pub - amid fears it could be sold to developers and closed down. Donations and shares sold at £200 each helped them raise £250,000. The venue, which residents say will be "a community pub", is set to re-open in March with villagers having "full freedom to do what we want". Brewery Ei Group put the pub up for sale with a £345,000 asking price for the freehold, but agreed a price of £290,000 for the pub's "action group". The residents will raise the £40,000 shortfall through a loan and grant from the Plunkett Foundation which helps communities carry out such projects. The group's chair, Paul Jennings, said he was so passionate about saving the pub that he promised to get a tattoo of its logo if they managed it. "My wife is not overly impressed," he said. The pub was listed as an "asset of community value" by the parish council, giving community groups the option to take it over. "After it was put up for sale, the people looking at it were looking to develop it and the fear was it would close and we would lose it," Mr Jennings said. "It's the only meeting place in the village and that's an important part of keeping the community together. "It's a village pub and that's what we want to keep: the culture and atmosphere of a village pub." As well as being a pub, The Fox Inn will also incorporate a cafe, community space and a vegetable patch to provide for the restaurant. "It's really focussed around the community," Mr Jennings said. Follow BBC West Midlands on Facebook, on Twitter, and sign up for local news updates direct to your phone

लगभग 200 लोग अपने स्थानीय पब को खरीदने के लिए एक साथ शामिल हुए हैं।


Green bicycle mystery: Case 'worthy of Sherlock Holmes'

Summary: It was a murder trial that captivated a nation: a well-spoken former Army officer represented by the most famous barrister of the day stands accused of killing a vivacious, independent young woman.

By Greig WatsonBBC News The body of Bella Wright was found next to her bicycle on the evening of 5 July 1919. She had been shot in the head. For months no progress was made in the case - it was not even established at first that she had been shot - until a green bicycle fished out of a river pointed to the prime suspect, Ronald Light. One hundred years on from the killing, experts in the so-called green bicycle case have been turning their attention from the drama of the trial to the woman who lost her life. Bella was an example of a new kind of woman in the early 20th Century, with an independence and confidence that was hardly conceivable to previous generations. Cycling historian Roger Lovell, who has helped set up a centenary exhibition focusing on her, said: "Everyone was so caught up with Ronald Light, and the headlines of the trial, that Bella was almost forgotten. "She seems to have just been regarded as part of the evidence - her body was, in a way, 'exhibit A'." Mr Lovell said he wanted to show the "real person" at the centre of the case. "She was the daughter of an illiterate agricultural labourer and lived in a rural cottage," he said. "But by early 1919, aged 21, she had a well-paid job, smart appearance, a good social life and the freedom to move around on her own." Key to this independence was her bicycle, which enabled Bella to commute the five miles from her Stoughton home to her job at a rubber factory in Leicester, and to enjoy her free time. On weekends, according to the Leicester Mercury, "She was often to be seen riding alone. She was never really happy except when enjoying the pleasures of the countryside." But in one of those country lanes, as dusk fell near the village of Little Stretton, her bloodied body was found. Author and crime historian Antony Brown said: "The elements of this, the location, the enigmatic clues, make it feel like a case worthy of Sherlock Holmes. "The first person to have a look was a local doctor who, as night fell, decided it was a road accident and had the body moved to a nearby cottage on a milk cart. But the local bobby, PC Alfred Hall, was unhappy with this and returned to the scene early next day. Oddly, there were bloody bird prints where the body had been and there was blood on a nearby gate. "Just 17ft (5.2m) from there, he found a bullet was pressed into the road. He went back to the body and washed the face. Just under the left eye was a bullet hole. "The accident had become a murder." Witnesses agreed Bella had been cycling with a slightly scruffy man that afternoon. All noticed his distinctive pea-green bicycle. As the police worked, Bella was buried on 11 July in Stoughton. Hundreds attended. But extensive appeals failed to trace the man and it appeared the case had gone cold. However, seven months later, on a February morning, a barge snagged something in Leicester's River Soar. It was a pea-green bicycle. While most of the serial numbers had been filed off, one set was still legible. It led straight to Ronald Light. Thirty-four-year-old Light was the troubled son of a wealthy engineer. He had been expelled from school, fired from a job and lost his commission in the Army. His past included allegations of arson, improper conduct with girls and forging military orders - although the jury at his trial did not hear about his murky history. Light initially denied owning the bicycle or meeting Bella, but witnesses identified him as her companion on the day she died. A holster traceable to Light was also pulled from the river. In it were bullets matching the one found near Bella's body. The trial of Ronald Light began in Leicester in June 1920. Mr Brown said: "Despite his very chequered past, public sympathy seemed to be on his side, helped by his well-spoken and calm manner. There was a huge amount of circumstantial evidence against him but he was lucky to be defended by one of the great barristers, Edward Marshall Hall, who took the prosecution case to bits." Marshall Hall did not challenge the witnesses, accepting that Light was the man on the green bicycle. Instead he focused on the lack of obvious motive and absence of witnesses to the death. Marshall Hall also raised doubts over the bullet found near Bella. Mr Brown said: "He suggested it could have come from a rifle. He also suggested it bore marks of a ricochet. Moreover, he pointed out such a large bullet, fired at close range, would have caused a larger wound. This raised the possibility the bullet may have nothing to do with Bella, and also that her death was perhaps a tragic accident." Could Bella have been hit by a bullet from an unknown third person shooting animals in the fields? Unlikely as it seemed, the doubt was enough. On 11 June 1920, Light was found not guilty and slipped away to a new life under an assumed name. Bella's family were left to cope alone. They could not afford a headstone, so the grave was left unmarked until the 1980s. Bella's great-niece Pam Kelly had said: "I know that my mum said her mum, Bella's mum, never got over it. The whole family thought he had done it and got away with it." In a dramatic twist, an apparent confession was recently uncovered in police archives. The typewritten account states that in the days after the trial, Light went into a police station to collect some belongings. There he told an officer with whom he was friendly that he had in fact killed Bella, but insisted it was an accident. He also said he would deny the story if it became public. The officer's notes were filed away. Mr Lovell said: "Reading about Bella you get the impression of a confident, popular lady, whose life was about to take off. "And whatever the guilt or innocence of Light, what happened to Bella was a tragedy." Follow BBC East Midlands on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Send your story ideas to eastmidsnews@bbc.co.uk.

यह एक हत्या का मुकदमा था जिसने एक राष्ट्र को मोहित कर लियाः उस समय के सबसे प्रसिद्ध बैरिस्टर द्वारा प्रतिनिधित्व किए गए एक सुविख्यात पूर्व सेना अधिकारी पर एक उत्साही, स्वतंत्र युवा महिला की हत्या का आरोप है।


World War One: Kenya's forgotten heroes

Summary: Relatives of Kenyans who fought on the British side during World War One feel they have been forgotten. The BBC's Emmanuel Igunza visited the battlefield town of Taveta, 100 years after the war began.

Othiniel Mnene walks slowly towards a grave at one corner of a cemetery that is used by the community here. He criss-crosses a beaten path and then sits down, pointing out a grave. "That is my grandfather's grave. He was never the same after coming back from the war," he tells me. "He kept asking why Africans had been involved in this war that was never theirs." Mr Mnene's grandfather, Jeremiah Folonja, was a British spy in the town of Taveta, but he was a group of Kenyans who were captured by German forces and jailed in neighbouring Tanganyika, now Tanzania, but then a German colony. "Right here in Taveta, there are graves for Germans, British and even Indian soldiers. Where are the Africans graves? Why can't we just have a monument in a place like this for their remembrance?" he says. At least two million Africans are believed to have been involved in the war, which was the longest in East Africa. Many were recruited as soldiers, but the majority worked as porters carrying ammunition, food and other supplies for both sides. Land campaign In Taveta, some 200km (125 miles) from Kenya's coastal town of Mombasa, what is a now large open field was the assembly area for such men. But the history is not well documented by the locals or the Kenyan government. UK national James Wilson, author of Guerillas of Tsavo, says much more needs to done to preserve the memory of Africans who fought in the war. "Together with the local authority and friends from the UK, we are trying to put up a monument in Taveta, to remember Africans who died fighting for either side," says Mr Wilson, who has lived in Kenya since 1947. A short distance from where we are standing at the cemetery in Taveta, there is a big dilapidated house. It was a police station 100 years ago. Now the house is being used as the living quarters for prison warders. Soldiers from across the world Are WW1's international soldiers remembered in Britain? Discover more about the World War One Centenary It is here, 11 days after the declaration of war in Europe, that a British government official fired a shot that killed a German soldier. "In some ways, that shot perhaps signalled the beginning of the land campaign in East Africa," says Mr Wilson. But the campaign had started much earlier - on 8 August 1914 the British bombed Dar es Salaam, which was then the capital of German East Africa. At least 100,000 men died in East Africa due to the war. One of the major battlegrounds on Kenyan soil was the Salaita Hill in Taveta. British and Commonwealth forces tried to take the fortified hill three times, but failed. "This was a key area. It was like the cork on the wine bottle. For the British to taste the wine, in German East Africa, they had to take Salaita Hill," Mr Wilson says. "The fighting here was more skirmishes than battles like what were happening in Europe. The Germans mainly wanted to disrupt the infrastructure in British East Africa; in Kenya, especially the railway," he adds. The hill still has reinforcements, trenches and embankments put up by the German forces. While the history is not well documented by the locals, the curious names of the places echo the past - there is Salaita (derived from slaughter) Hill, nestling between Mt Kilimanjaro and the Pare Mountains. Then there is Maktau (from mark time), which hints at military drills, and Mwashoti (corruption of more shots). Recent finds within the large expanse of short shrubs and acacia, including military hardware, have added to the fascination of the place. Among the discovered items are munitions with the date of manufacture listed as 1914, heavy-duty beer and juice bottles, British army uniforms, buttons and spent cartridges - all estimated to be 100 years old. "So little is known about the war here in Kenya. Yet, it was the longest, continuing even after Armistice in Europe," Mr Wilson says. The German army continued to make advances after the peace deal was signed in France - German commander Lt-Col Paul Emil von Lettow-Vorbeck only received a telegram with news of the German defeat on 14 November 1918 and took another nine days to march his troops to meet British troops and formally surrender himself. Discover more about the international soldiers who fought in the war and the World War One Centenary.

प्रथम विश्व युद्ध के दौरान ब्रिटिश पक्ष में लड़ने वाले केन्या के रिश्तेदारों को लगता है कि उन्हें भुला दिया गया है। बीबीसी के इमैनुएल इगुन्ज़ा ने युद्ध शुरू होने के 100 साल बाद युद्ध के मैदान के शहर तवेता का दौरा किया।


Cardiff River Ely pedestrian and cyclist bridge installed

Summary: A new bridge for pedestrians and cyclists will be put in place over a Cardiff river.

It is hoped the River Ely bridge, separate from the road bridge, will make it easier for people in the area to walk and cycle. It is the second phase of a project to improve accessibility along Cowbridge Road East, Cowbridge Road West and in Ely and Caerau. The £290,000 project is funded by the council and the Welsh Government. Some diversions will be in place over the weekend for the bridge to be installed.

पैदल चलने वालों और साइकिल चालकों के लिए कार्डिफ नदी पर एक नया पुल बनाया जाएगा।


York Community Stadium business plan approved

Summary: A business plan has been approved for a £20m community stadium in York.

The stadium at Monks Cross would be home to York City FC and York City Knights Rugby League Club, and include a health centre and library. City of York Council's cabinet approved the business plan on Tuesday night which, subject to planning permission, would unlock £4m of council funding. The ground is also part of a new shopping development and has been described as a "community hub".

यॉर्क में 20 मिलियन पाउंड के सामुदायिक स्टेडियम के लिए एक व्यावसायिक योजना को मंजूरी दी गई है।


Google unveils its first touchscreen Chromebook Pixel

Summary: Google has unveiled its first touchscreen-enabled laptop.

The Chromebook Pixel runs Google's Chrome operating system and has been "largely built" by the web giant. The laptop has Intel's Ivy Bridge processors, fast 4G LTE connectivity and a high-resolution screen aimed at challenging Apple's Retina Display. Analysts say the move represents a fresh bid to build market share for Chromebooks against machines running Microsoft and Apple operating systems. Unlike PCs that use installed software such as Microsoft Word, Chrome OS computers run their applications through the firm's web browser and store their files in the cloud. The internet giant told the BBC the device was "largely built by Google, with components that are manufactured globally". The laptop's 12.85in (32.64cm) display's resolution is similar to the so-called Retina Display of Apple's MacBook range, aimed to have pixel density high enough for the human eye not to notice pixelation when looking at the screen at a typical viewing distance. "This Chromebook has the highest pixel density (239 pixels per inch) of any laptop screen on the market today," said the company. "Packed with 4.3 million pixels, the display offers sharp text, vivid colours and extra-wide viewing angles. "With a screen this rich and engaging, you want to reach out and touch it — so we added touch for a more immersive experience." Embracing the cloud The first Chrome-powered laptop, built by Samsung, went on sale in June 2011. Chrome laptops that followed were made by Acer, Lenovo and HP. But so far, Chromebooks have had difficulties challenging Windows-powered computers, said CCS Insight analyst Geoff Blaber. "Chromebooks have struggled for relevance to date, stuck between comparably-priced but entertainment-centric tablets - many of which run Android - and more functional PCs," he said. "[The new computer] won't transform its prospects but Google will hope it serves as a flagship device that has a halo effect for the broader portfolio." Windows 8, Microsoft's latest operating system launched last year, has touchscreen capabilities. Mr Blaber said: "Touch is now pervasive across every computing category from phones to high-end PCs. "The challenge for the Chromebook is that computing is shifting towards tablets whilst most consumers lives are not yet fully embracing the cloud versus local storage."

गूगल ने अपना पहला टचस्क्रीन-सक्षम लैपटॉप पेश किया है।


Driver in court over Winchester school bus bridge crash

Summary: The driver of a school bus which had its roof torn off by a railway bridge has appeared in court charged with causing injury by dangerous driving.

Three children were left with "life-changing" injuries and 12 suffered minor injuries when the bus crashed in Wellhouse Lane, Winchester, Hampshire. The double-decker was taking 74 pupils aged between 11 and 16 to Henry Beaufort School on 10 September. Driver Martin Walker appeared at Basingstoke Magistrate's Court. The 36-year-old from Southampton was released on bail and will next appear in court on 5 May. Follow BBC South on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Send your story ideas to south.newsonline@bbc.co.uk. Related Internet Links HM Courts & Tribunals Service

एक स्कूल बस का चालक, जिसकी छत रेलवे पुल से टूट गई थी, खतरनाक ड्राइविंग से चोट पहुँचाने के आरोप में अदालत में पेश हुआ है।


Coronavirus: Parents shamed for back-to-school choices

Summary: As schools prepare to reopen on Monday to children in years one and six, some parents' social media feeds have turned toxic. Kirstie Brewer talks to mothers feeling judged or shamed for their decision to send children back to school - or to keep them at home.

Marsha's WhatsApp group went pinging into overdrive as soon as it was announced that primary schools and nurseries would reopen for some children on 1 June. There was outrage, relief, excitement, anxiety. Everyone seemed to have an opinion. Marsha wrote that she'd be happy to send her son back to school. Then immediately another mum shared a news item about a teacher who'd tested positive for coronavirus. "This is why I will be keeping Rosie safe at home with me - I'm not putting her life at risk," she wrote. A few other parents then sent thumbs-up and shocked-face emojis to show their approval of Rosie's mum's message. "It felt very passive-aggressive," says Marsha, who said she didn't want her real name to be published because she couldn't face "more drama". The WhatsApp group she belongs to is for parents with a child in year one at a school in the Bristol area and is normally a source of useful information. But since the pandemic hit, it's become toxic, she says. "People have been posting lots of screengrabs from Facebook which are full of misinformation about how the virus spreads and the risks to children," she says. "But if you dare to try to correct anything or put things into perspective you get shot down and it is implied you are a bad parent. "I'm trying to hold down a full-time job while also homeschooling two children - I find being judged by other parents on top of that very hard to deal with." Sophia, 25, had a similar experience when she commented on a Facebook group for single mums that her four-year-old daughter would be returning to preschool. She was branded "selfish" by another mum - and then she watched as that damning verdict was endorsed by "likes" from other members of the group. Normally this would be a very positive, empowering community says Sophia, who works full-time as a charity consultant, so it's a sign of how much times have changed. "It showed me how much the lockdown is getting to people," she says. "It feels as if the worst assumptions are being made about someone's reasons for sending their child back to school or nursery." Sophia's daughter has special educational needs and for weeks now she hasn't had access to her usual speech therapy. "She learns a lot by being with other children so being at preschool is the next best thing for her," she explains. "I could have a PhD in children's education and it would still be better for her to be around other children. There is no substitute for that." Parents who have decided to keep their children at home haven't escaped the crosshairs either. Harriet Shearsmith, founder of parenting website Toby & Roo, has an Instagram following of 116,000 and is one of the few "mummy bloggers" to have publicly stated her position on this divisive issue. She won't be sending her children back when the schools reopen in June, but when she explained this decision she was careful to add the caveat that she wasn't criticising other parents. "If you fall into the group of people who are choosing differently to me or you simply don't have a choice, this isn't a judgement of you or a dismissal of your situation," she wrote. Some nonetheless responded witheringly that Harriet obviously didn't care much about her children's education - but as an experienced blogger she is accustomed to dealing with it. "I've had comments, you know, 'You're going to be damaging your children,' or, 'You're just not very intelligent and a terrible mother.' That kind of thing is said, but I largely just ignore it," she says. "Lockdown has made us all much quicker to lose our tempers. We are much more frayed and we are all in very stressful positions, regardless of what those positions might be." Fellow blogger Alison Perry says she has also noticed the ground shifting. "It feels like all the social 'rules' have changed," she says. "Everyone feels very differently about homeschooling and screen time and even just interpreting the government guidelines. I'm usually a very outspoken person but have found myself biting my tongue, because whatever I say, there will be someone there telling me I'm wrong or selfish." Liz, who lives near Cambridge, points to another possible explanation - people now have more time to spend on social media, she says, so any backlash gets amplified. Like Marsha and Sophia, she is planning on sending one of her children back to school on Monday. "It's really difficult to know what the right decision is but we think that the benefits of our son going back to school outweigh the risk of him becoming ill," she says. She has been hurt by judgemental comments from other parents on her Facebook group, some of whom she's known for several years. "Apparently those of us who are willing to send our children back to school when they reopen are sending them back to be 'guinea pigs' or 'canaries', to see if cases are going to rise again," she says. "I said I found it offensive. That does imply that anyone who is happy to send their child back to school is throwing them to the wolves, so to speak, whereas actually we just want some normality for our children, and, you know, education and socialisation." When she made this point in response to a critic on Facebook she says she was accused of "bullying". The issue seems to have caused a deep divide, she notes with regret. She has now minimised her time on social media and advises other parents in her position to do the same. The parents on Marsha's group who are sending their children to school have taken a different approach - they have started avoiding the main group chat and talking among themselves instead. Mumsnet founder and CEO Justine Roberts: A few parents on Mumsnet who've made the decision to send their child back to school say they've felt bruised by the negative responses of family or friends, which seem to be driven by worries about the infection risk. Many people are highly dubious that the youngest children can really be prevented from sharing bugs and carrying them out into the community, and lots of people have picked up on teachers' concerns about whether schools have had enough time to prepare a really safe environment. It seems likely that people's responses are driven by understandable fear and uncertainty, but if you're a parent run ragged by nine weeks of homeschooling while attempting to hold down a job, other people's judgement is likely to be the last thing you need. You may also be interested in: The first rule of self-care is to find time for yourself. But how do you do that when you have to juggle work and family duties? Easy, says Sue Elliott-Nicholls, just steal it. How skiving made me a better parent

जैसे-जैसे स्कूल सोमवार को एक और छह साल के बच्चों के लिए फिर से खुलने की तैयारी कर रहे हैं, कुछ माता-पिता के सोशल मीडिया फीड विषाक्त हो गए हैं। किर्स्टी ब्रेवर माताओं से बात करती हैं जो बच्चों को स्कूल वापस भेजने के उनके फैसले के लिए न्याय या शर्मिंदा महसूस कर रही हैं-या उन्हें घर पर रखने के लिए।


Six teenagers held over stabbing in Mexborough

Summary: Six teenagers have been arrested after a man was stabbed in a South Yorkshire town.

Police were called to Dryden Road in Mexborough at about 22:30 BST on Monday after reports of a 28-year-old man being injured in an "altercation". Two men aged 18 years old, three 17-year-old boys and a 15-year-old boy are being questioned on suspicion of wounding. The victim is in a serious, but stable, condition in a hospital. Related Internet Links South Yorkshire Police

दक्षिण यॉर्कशायर शहर में एक व्यक्ति पर चाकू से हमला करने के बाद छह किशोरों को गिरफ्तार किया गया है।


The entrepreneur stopping food waste

Summary: The BBC's weekly The Boss series profiles different business leaders from around the world. This week we speak to Mette Lykke, co-founder of fitness tracker Endomondo, and chief executive of food waste app, Too Good To Go.

By Adrienne MurrayBusiness reporter, Copenhagen For many people, leaving the stability of a well-paid job to join a start-up might seem daunting. For Danish entrepreneur Mette Lykke, it's a leap she's made not just once, but twice. Back in 2007 she was working for management consultancy firm McKinsey, but decided it was time to change direction. "I was missing the feeling of having a real impact," she says. In a serendipitous twist she was in New York when a stranger came over and handed her a postcard. It read: "Whatever our wildest dreams may be, they only scratch the surface of what's possible." "It was just a nice sign," the 38-year-old recalls. "She gave it to me when I was waiting at a red light, and she just walked away." Mette decided to go for it and partnered with fellow Danes and McKinsey colleagues, Christian Birk and Jakob Jonck, to launch the personal training app Endomondo. "I might have done it anyway," she says. "But it definitely didn't feel like a coincidence at that time." Mette was a competitive horse-rider and for the three sports enthusiasts, launching an app to "make fitness fun" was a logical fit. Making a success of their Copenhagen-based idea was no walk in the park though. At that time - 13 years ago - most phones lacked GPS. In the first few months of Endomondo there were days when no one signed up at all. "It really felt a little bit uphill," she says. Mette says that her upbringing helped prepare her for the hard graft. She grew up alongside her family's timber business in Ringkobing, a small town in Jutland in western Denmark. "I grew up seeing that there are ups and downs," she says. "Most days are just hard work, [but] if I had known back then that I wouldn't see any salary for the next two years, I might have reconsidered," she laughs. "You just don't know." As an entrepreneur, "you're definitely an optimist," she explains. "We always thought next month is going to be different." The game-changer came when the Apple App Store opened in 2008 and smart phone sales boomed. But it still took Endomondo six years to make its first profit. By 2015, the app had 20 million users and caught the attention of American sportswear giant, Under Armour. "They were particularly interested in increasing brand awareness in Europe," says Mette. "We could help with that, with the vast majority of [our] users being based here." The US company bought Endomondo for $85m (£65m). Mette was just 33 at the time, and she and her two co-founders were suddenly multimillionaires. "It's a strange thing to sell a business you were part of creating," she says. "While the deal was a big success from a business perspective and I was happy with the decision, it was still hard to let go of my baby on a personal level." After the sale she continued to work for Endomondo and its new parent, managing teams both in Copenhagen where she was based and also in Texas. It was following a chance encounter on a bus outside Copenhagen in August 2016 that the Dane embarked on her next mission - fighting food waste. She started chatting to a fellow passenger who showed her an app called Too Good To Go. "I was not fully aware of how big of an issue in society food waste really is," recalls Mette. After doing more research she was shocked to learn about its climate impact. "That was mind-blowing to me." Five young Danish entrepreneurs had launched the online marketplace several months earlier. Restaurants and shops post what leftover food they have available, together with a time-slot for collection. Members of the public can then purchase discounted meals or groceries through the app. The surplus food is saved from being thrown away - the firm makes money by taking a cut on meals sold. "The fact that we can help solve such a massive issue and then leave everyone as winners in the process, I thought that was really powerful," says Mette. She found the start-up "so exciting" that she invested. Several months later she left Under Armour and joined Too Good To Go as chief executive. "I wouldn't have jumped into this if I didn't think I could contribute," she says. According to the UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation, one-third of the world's food is wasted. When ranked alongside countries, food waste is the world's third-largest producer of carbon dioxide after the USA and China. In recent years dozens of firms have set out to tackle this, including similar platforms like Olio, Foodcloud and Karma. Alan Hayes, from food and grocery research group IGD, says these apps have "helped to raise awareness of food waste in businesses and in schools" as well as empowering consumers. When it comes to changing behaviour about food waste, Trish Caddy, an analyst at fellow research firm Mintel, thinks consumers respond better to rewards. "The Too Good to Go app is particularly good at normalising eating leftovers by promoting end-of-day food at a discount," she says. Mette has overseen a rapid expansion. The firm now employs 450 people, operates in 13 European countries and is due to roll out in Sweden. "Endomondo took three years to get to the first million users and with Too Good To Go it took 15 months," she says. "It's just a completely different time… the technology is ready." Mette says it is one of Europe's fastest-growing apps with 18 million users and is gaining an additional 45,000 daily. Customers range from bargain-hunting students to environmentally-conscious young families, while women over 50 are another big market. It has also partnered with more than 30,000 food suppliers, from Yo Sushi to Accor Hotels. More The Boss features: Mette describes it as a "social impact" company. "Every time we make a euro in revenue, it's because we did something good." It aims to ultimately be profit making, though Mette says the timeline for delivering returns isn't yet clear. "At the moment, every revenue we make goes back into the business. Just growing it and expanding it to more and more countries. That's our focus." So far the Too Good To Go team reckon they have helped save more than 25 million meals. "I feel like this is just the beginning," says Mette. "It doesn't feel like we're anywhere near the goal line at all. Within the next five years, we want to have saved a billion meals."

बीबीसी की साप्ताहिक द बॉस श्रृंखला दुनिया भर के विभिन्न व्यापारिक नेताओं की प्रोफाइल बनाती है। इस सप्ताह हम फिटनेस ट्रैकर एंडोमोंडो के सह-संस्थापक और खाद्य अपशिष्ट ऐप, टू गुड टू गो के मुख्य कार्यकारी मेट्टे लाइक्के से बात करते हैं।


10 dangerous things in Victorian/Edwardian homes

Summary: The late Victorians and the Edwardians lived through a domestic revolution. Theirs was a bold and exciting age of innovation, groundbreaking discoveries and dramatic scientific changes, many of which altered life at home in profound ways - including some that were terrible and unforeseen, writes historian Dr Suzannah Lipscomb.

Much of their ingenuity was a response to the challenges of living in the newly booming cities - in 100 years, the urban population of Britain had leapt from two million in 1800 to 20 million at the turn of the 20th Century. By 1850, London was the biggest city the world had ever seen, and such enormous concentrations of people posed brand new problems of feeding, watering and housing the masses. In addition, the newly enriched middle classes - whose incomes had risen as mass production meant the cost of necessities dropped dramatically - had more money to spend on luxuries than ever before, and those they purchased were designed to make their homes into comfortable, fashionable havens of domesticity. Yet, many of the products they bought or inventive technological solutions they came up with were not only health hazards, but deadly domestic assassins. They were welcoming hidden killers into the heart of their homes. 1. Bread adulterated with alum When basic staples like bread started to be produced cheaply and in large quantities for the new city dwellers, Victorian manufacturers seized on the opportunity to maximise profit by switching ingredients for cheaper substitutes that would add weight and bulk. Bread was adulterated with plaster of Paris, bean flour, chalk or alum. Alum is an aluminium-based compound, today used in detergent, but then it was used to make bread desirably whiter and heavier. Not only did such adulteration lead to problems of malnutrition, but alum produced bowel problems and constipation or chronic diarrhoea, which was often fatal for children. 2. Boracic acid in milk Bread was not the only food being altered - tests on 20,000 milk samples in 1882 showed that a fifth had been adulterated - but much of this was done not by manufacturers but by householders themselves. Boracic acid was believed to "purify" milk, removing the sour taste and smell from milk that had gone off. Mrs Beeton told consumers that this was "quite a harmless addition", but she was wrong. Small amounts of boracic acid can cause nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and diarrhoea, but worse, it was what boracic acid concealed that was particularly dangerous. Before pasteurisation, milk very often contained bovine TB, which would flourish in the bacteria-friendly environment created by the substance. Bovine TB damages the internal organs and the bones of the spine, leading to severe spinal deformities. It is estimated that up to half a million children died from bovine TB from milk in the Victorian period. 3. Dangerous bathrooms The bathroom as we know it is a Victorian invention, but at first, it could be a dangerous place. Besides horrible cases of scalding in the bath, there are even reports that there were incidents of lavatories spontaneously exploding. The reason this might have been possible was that flammable gases such as methane and hydrogen sulphide, emanating from human waste, built up in the sewers and, in early toilets, could leak back into the home, where they could theoretically be ignited by the naked flame of a candle. Changes to toilets - beginning in the late 18th Century and continuing in the Victorian era - sorted the problem of gas leaking. 4. Killer staircases As houses were thrown up rapidly, one area of design that was often overlooked was the staircase, especially those installed for the use of servants. Made too narrow and too steep, with irregular steps, the servants' staircase was a deadly construction. Add the weight of carrying trays or the complication of long skirts, and the stairs could easily prove fatal. 5. Flammable parkesine An oft-forgotten British inventor is Alexander Parkes, who invented the mouldable material that we today call plastic. He christened it parkesine but it quickly became known by its American name of celluloid. Such early plastics were highly desirable because they allowed everything from brooches and hair combs to billiard balls, previously only available in expensive ivory, to be made cheaply. It was even used to make collars and cuffs that could be easily cleaned. Unfortunately, parkesine is also highly flammable - as it degrades, it can self-ignite and is explosive on impact. Not ideal for a billiard ball. 6. Carbolic acid poisoning Victorians linked cleanliness to ideas of morality and respectability - the idea that it was next to Godliness was deeply ingrained. The new science of microbes only intensified the Victorian preoccupation with tackling germs, which they now knew could lurk out of sight. Chemical cleaning products to eradicate dirt and disease were heavily advertised and highly effective, but their toxic ingredients, like carbolic acid, were contained in bottles and packages that were indistinguishable from other household products. Boxes of caustic soda and baking powder could easily be mistaken. In September 1888, the Aberdeen Evening Express reported that 13 people had been poisoned by carbolic acid in one incident - five died. Only in 1902 did the Pharmacy Act make it illegal for bottles of dangerous chemicals to be similar in shape to ordinary liquids. 7. Radium A magical new element was discovered in the Edwardian era - a source of energy and brightness that delighted and fascinated the Edwardians - radium. It was used, like asbestos, in all manner of products, such as cigarettes, condoms, makeup, suppositories, toothpaste and even chocolate. Above all, there was a craze for glow-in-the-dark watch faces, which were painted by the "radium girls". Yet, as we now well know, radium is a source of radiation poisoning - if ingested, it could lead to anaemia, bone fractures, necrosis of the jaw, and leukaemia. 8. The wonder material Edwardian engineers thought they'd discovered a wonder material- a mineral that was non-flammable, cheap and clean. It was used for just about everything in the early 20th Century home - hairdryers, floor tiles, toys, oven gloves, gutters, insulation, even clothing. However, the wonder material - asbestos - was, as we now know, deadly. Asbestos fibres can enter the lungs to devastating effect. We still don't know the full number of deaths that have resulted from it because it remains a lethal hazard. 9. Fridges Domestic refrigerators began to enter the home in the Edwardian era. They were tremendously useful and exciting new goods, with which the consumer could demonstrate fashionable wealth, but their initial designs were fatally flawed. They leaked toxic gases such as ammonia, methyl chloride and sulphur dioxide, which damaged the respiratory system and could easily lead to death. 10. Electricity The arrival of electricity was an extraordinary innovation. At first, people didn't know how to use it - warning signs advised them not to approach the electric socket with a match. In the early 20th Century, electricity companies sought to interest consumers in electric products beyond lighting. Some of these were obviously flawed - the electric tablecloth into which lamps could be directly plugged clearly didn't go well with a water spillage - but the real danger came from consumers trying to run many appliances from one socket, from trying to fix problems themselves and from un-insulated wires. The newspapers are full of cases of people electrocuting themselves. Follow @BBCNewsMagazine on Twitter and on Facebook Correction: An earlier version of this story wrongly stated that Thomas Crapper's invention of the "siphon valve" tackled the problem of sewer gas leakage in toilets.

इतिहासकार डॉ. सुज़ाना लिप्सकॉम्ब लिखती हैं कि स्वर्गीय विक्टोरियन और एडवर्डियन एक घरेलू क्रांति के दौर से गुजरे थे। उनका युग नवाचार, अभूतपूर्व खोजों और नाटकीय वैज्ञानिक परिवर्तनों का एक साहसिक और रोमांचक युग था, जिनमें से कई ने घर पर जीवन को गहरे तरीकों से बदल दिया-जिसमें कुछ ऐसे भी थे जो भयानक और अप्रत्याशित थे।


Winnie the Pooh censored in China

Summary: Winnie the Pooh has been censored on Chinese social media.

People who comment on the site Weibo with "Little Bear Winnie" - Pooh's Chinese name - are given an error message, while GIFs of the character have been removed from the app WeChat. No official reason has been given, but the bear has frequently been compared to the country's president, Xi Jinping. And there's an important Party conference coming up, with several top government jobs up for grabs. You can see one of the comparison pictures on Twitter here. Social media in China is heavily monitored and, although the companies that run it are private, they have to obey the Communist Party's wishes. As such, there's a long list of banned phrases - ranging from the bizarre ("Little Bear Winnie"), to the even more bizarre ("Three Wristwatches" and "River Crab"). You can see another of the photos here. This isn't even the first time Winnie has fallen foul of the censors - it happened in 2013 and 2014 too. But this is a crucial period for President Xi Jinping. The Communist Party Congress this Autumn will be seen as a test of his grip on power, after he made many enemies in a widespread corruption crackdown. The ban mainly applies to comments on Weibo, an social network similar to Facebook that's used by 340 million people a month. In case you're wondering - that makes it more popular than Twitter. Anyone who references Pooh gets a "comment failed" error message. Similarly, when users search the site for "Xi Jinping Obama Winnie the Pooh", no results are found. Instead they get a message that reads: "According to relevant laws and regulations, the result of 'Xi Jinping Obama Winnie the Pooh' is not shown." Find us on Instagram at BBCNewsbeat and follow us on Snapchat, search for bbc_newsbeat

विनी द पूह को चीनी सोशल मीडिया पर सेंसर किया गया है।


Rayleigh murder probe: Three arrests after man dies

Summary: Three people have been arrested on suspicion of murder after a man died in the early hours of New Year's Day.

The man, who was in his 30s, was found at a house on Worcester Drive in Rayleigh, Essex, at about 01:00 GMT. Paramedics were unable to revive him. A 39-year-old man from Rayleigh and two women, aged 23 and 25, have been arrested. The 23-year-old woman was also arrested on suspicion of assaulting an emergency worker, Essex Police said. Find BBC News: East of England on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you have a story to tell email eastofenglandnews@bbc.co.uk Related Internet Links Essex Police

नववर्ष के दिन तड़के एक व्यक्ति की मौत के बाद हत्या के संदेह में तीन लोगों को गिरफ्तार किया गया है।


Sri Lanka war: I wanted 'my side' to lose

Summary: By his own admission filmmaker Jude Ratnam is a "traitor". A Tamil himself, he blames the Tamil Tigers for many of the atrocities carried out in Sri Lanka's civil war. The director told BBC Asian Network's Nalini Sivathasan why he feels the way he does. Warning: This story contains graphic details that some readers may find upsetting.

"When the war was coming to an end, I wanted the [Tamil] Tigers to lose the fight. I wanted it to end, even if my own people had to be killed," Ratnam says. The war did end in 2009, with the Sri Lankan government - dominated by the Sinhalese majority - defeating the Tamil Tigers. It came at a huge cost though, with the United Nations estimating that 40,000 people, mainly Tamils, died in the final offensive. Nearly a decade on from the end of the war, Sri Lankan filmmakers are tentatively re-examining the 26-year conflict, which killed more than 100,000 people. A critical portrayal Tamil directors, including Nirmalan Nadarajah and Gnanadas Kasinathar have subtly criticised the Sri Lankan government, which was accused of targeting civilians and carrying out extrajudicial killings. But Ratnam goes further. In his film Demons in Paradise, he became the first Tamil filmmaker to openly criticise the Tamil Tigers. "There had been other films… which portray the Tamils as just the victims, which is problematic in a conflict." The Tamil Tigers were notorious for carrying out suicide bombings and recruiting child soldiers, but to many Tamils - both within and outside Sri Lanka - they were heroes. Many saw the rebels as their only protection from violence by Sinhalese mobs and an increasingly nationalistic government which had passed anti-Tamil laws, including one in 1956 that made Sinhala the only official language of the country. But Ratnam's belief is that the rebels committed the most brutality to their own community - the Tamils they were meant to be defending. The film looks at the Tamil nationalist groups which emerged from the 1970s in response to anti-Tamil violence. But these factions started killing each other, with the Tamil Tigers emerging as victors. In one massacre, it reportedly killed hundreds of members of the rival Tamil Eelam Liberation Organisation (TELO). Ratnam follows his uncle, a former fighter for a rival Tamil organisation, as he meets other critics of the Tamil Tigers. In one scene, a man describes the torture meted out by the group. "They took my father in his sleep, with his bed. They tortured him with an iron. They ironed his back and pierced his eye with a needle. They did that to lots of people." Divided reaction Demons in Paradise has received critical acclaim since its premiere at the Cannes Films Festival in 2017. In Sri Lanka, the Sinhalese-dominated press has also praised the film. The Daily Mirror newspaper called it "the most honest, courageous and important piece of art on Sri Lanka done by a Sri Lankan". Most of the Tamil Tiger leaders were killed in 2009, so audiences will never know their response to the allegations in Demons in Paradise. Among the wider Tamil community, however, there has been anger. Athithan Jayapalan, a Norway-based academic who specialises in Tamil identity, doesn't dispute the crimes committed by the Tamil Tigers. However, he thinks the film is misleading for foreign audiences who may be unfamiliar with the civil war. "Sri Lanka has escaped the world's attention for all this time, and then this film comes along... Where is the Sri Lankan state? It's pretty much out of the picture." Mr Jayapalan believes the crimes committed by the Sri Lankan government far outweigh what the Tamil Tigers did. "You could compare this to a film which looked at the black civil rights movement in the United States but only focused on the struggles between the Black Panthers and another rival party - it's not giving you the proper context." Warning for Tamil diaspora Ratnam says his focus on the Tamil Tigers was intentional - to warn the Tamil community, especially those living abroad, about romanticising the group. "In the diaspora you tend to live in a bubble, that you left your homeland and you have this nostalgia about it… whereas the truth is that even back at home things change. Those who faced the brunt of the war, they would probably welcome this film more." But Sri Lanka-based human rights lawyer Mathuri Thamilmaran disagrees. She saw Demons in Paradise in the capital Colombo, and asks why Ratnam has avoided screening the film in Tamil areas of the country. "Ironically this film is about Tamil people but it hasn't been shown to Tamil people and I'm suspicious of that." Healing wounds? In the past decade, a semblance of peace has returned to Sri Lanka. But the reaction to Demons in Paradise is another example that Sri Lanka is still very much divided along ethnic lines. Jude Ratnam says he is not surprised by the backlash but insists his film can help foster reconciliation between the Tamil and Sinhalese community in Sri Lanka. "Acknowledging the vice in our [Tamil] community, is how we can get away from it. If you keep denying it and play the victim card all the time, then you invariably return to it."

उन्होंने खुद स्वीकार किया कि फिल्म निर्माता जूड रत्नम एक "गद्दार" हैं। वह खुद एक तमिल हैं और श्रीलंका के गृहयुद्ध में किए गए कई अत्याचारों के लिए तमिल टाइगर्स को दोषी ठहराते हैं। निर्देशक ने बीबीसी एशियन नेटवर्क की नलिनी शिवथासन को बताया कि वह ऐसा क्यों महसूस करते हैं। चेतावनीः इस कहानी में ग्राफिक विवरण हैं जो कुछ पाठकों को परेशान कर सकते हैं।


Africa's Sahel becomes latest al-Qaeda-IS battleground

Summary: West Africa's Sahel region has become the latest scene of jihadist in-fighting, after Islamic State group (IS) revealed it is engaged in fierce clashes with al-Qaeda militants in Mali and Burkina Faso.

By Mina Al-LamiBBC Monitoring IS made the revelation on 7 May in a detailed report in its weekly newspaper al-Naba. It blamed al-Qaeda's Sahel affiliate, Jamaat Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), for starting the fight and mobilising large forces to attack IS positions in the two countries. The scenario is familiar. IS and al-Qaeda affiliates have already locked horns in other jihadists hotspots, such as Yemen, Somali and Syria, competing for influence, recruits and resources. The IS article contradicts mainstream reports from earlier this year that suggested the two groups were collaborating in the region. The in-fighting could have an impact on jihadist operations against local and foreign troops in the Sahel, where both groups have significantly stepped up attacks since last year. What did IS say? In its report, IS decried recent al-Qaeda attacks on IS militants in Mali and Burkina Faso, where both groups are active. It said JNIM, on the orders of its leaders Iyad Ag Ghaly and Amadou Koufa, had amassed big forces to target IS on a number of occasions in both countries since April. It also complained that JNIM was blocking fuel supplies from reaching IS militants and detaining locals suspected of supporting IS. This JNIM move, IS said, coincides with an upscale in operations against IS by regional African and French troops in the Sahel. JNIM, IS claimed, used these conditions as an opportunity to target IS at this particular time. It alleged that IS was the only obstacle facing JNIM today, since the latter has agreed to hold talks with the Mali government and has allegedly made peace with all pro and anti government forces and tribes in northern Mali, including "the pagan" Dogon self-defence militias. IS has previously sought to use JNIM's willingness to open dialogue with Malian authorities as a means to undermine the al-Qaeda group's jihadist credentials. Why now? It is not clear why IS and JNIM have not publicly discussed the clashes until this latest IS report, especially given that, according to IS, there has been heavy fighting since 17 April. The IS revelation, however, follows an unverified statement attributed to JNIM and shared online on 5 May by unofficial jihadist accounts, in which the al-Qaeda group firmly rejected a purported IS ceasefire proposal. If the statement is authentic, it may explain why IS decided to go public with the story now. The alleged JNIM statement came in response to an unverified audio message shared online in April and attributed to an IS Mali commander identified as Abdel Hakim al-Sahraoui. The purported IS message proposed a truce if JNIM agreed to pay blood money for slain IS fighters and to release IS prisoners. Neither group has officially referred to the unverified messages attributed to them. The latest IS revelation finally confirms what local media have been reporting for weeks regarding hostilities between the two groups in Mali and Burkina Faso. It also puts to rest mainstream media reports citing military officials earlier in the year that warned that IS and JNIM were collaborating and that this increased the jihadist threat in the Sahel. These reports, however, were never supported by messaging or propaganda from either group. You may also be interested in: Al-Qaeda-IS rivalry The IS-JNIM clashes are the latest episode in years of in-fighting between IS and al-Qaeda. The reasons are similar: IS accuses al-Qaeda of going soft and deviating from core jihadist principles, while al-Qaeda portrays IS members as blood-thirsty ultra-extremists who violate Sharia law and give "the mujahidin" a bad name. To reiterate its stance against al-Qaeda, IS recently put out a lengthy "documentary" video listing all the reasons that allegedly made al-Qaeda and its branches, including JNIM, "apostates". The group used the video to urge al-Qaeda members to defect to IS. IS's latest complaint about coming under heavy attack from JNIM in Mali and Burkina Faso is reminiscent of its claims in November 2018 bemoaning al-Shabab attacks on its positions in Somalia. This came shortly before the two engaged in active fighting and threatened to wipe each other out. The latest Sahel fighting also coincides with heightened IS rhetoric against al-Qaeda's branch in Yemen, AQAP. The two groups have been fighting since July 2018. In both Mali and Yemen, IS accuses its al-Qaeda rivals of secretly collaborating with either "secular" or government-linked forces and militias to fight IS. IS is also engaged in fighting against the Taliban in Afghanistan. IS has used the Taliban peace talks with the US, and JNIM's readiness to talk to the Mali government as key arguments to undermine these groups, in the hope of winning over their hardline members. What next? Jihadists have significantly stepped up their attacks in the Sahel countries since last year, prompting additional regional and international alliances and military campaigns in an effort to tackle the growing threat. JNIM has certainly emerged as one of two of al-Qaeda's deadliest branches, along with al-Shabab in Somalia. Meanwhile, IS in the Sahel - which officially calls itself "West Africa Province" but is widely known as Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (ISGS) - has quickly established a firm foothold in the Sahel countries despite only revealing activities there in March last year. The group has claimed a number of attacks with large death tolls on the armies of Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso. The latest jihadist infighting may distract the two groups and affect their ability to continue to plan and stage attacks against local armies and their foreign backers. The IS report painted a picture of serious IS-JNIM clashes involving deadly attacks and large numbers of fighters. It also suggested that IS was at a numerical disadvantage to JNIM. The in-fighting may also undermine both groups' jihadist reputation and their ability to win recruits in the region. It is harder to convince locals to join a fight against fellow jihadists rather than government or foreign troops. Jihadists themselves often largely blame the weakening of the jihadist efforts in Syria on the in-fighting between the various groups. This may be another reason why both IS and JNIM have not publicly spoken about the fighting until now. BBC Monitoring reports and analyses news from TV, radio, web and print media around the world. You can follow BBC Monitoring on Twitter and Facebook.

इस्लामिक स्टेट समूह (आईएस) द्वारा माली और बुर्किना फासो में अल-कायदा के आतंकवादियों के साथ भीषण झड़पों में शामिल होने का खुलासा करने के बाद पश्चिम अफ्रीका का साहेल क्षेत्र जिहादी अंदरूनी लड़ाई का नवीनतम दृश्य बन गया है।


What is happening in your area?

Summary: As councils around Wales try to balance the books for 2014/15 after a reduction in their funding, how is your local authority planning to cope with less money? Here is a brief overview of some of the steps being taken.

ANGLESEY Anglesey council's web link BLAENAU GWENT Blaenau Gwent council's web link BRIDGEND Bridgend council's web link CAERPHILLY Caerphilly council's web link CARDIFF Cardiff council's web link CARMARTHENSHIRE Carmarthenshire council's web link CEREDIGION Ceredigion council's web link CONWY Conwy council's web link DENBIGHSHIRE Denbighshire council's web link FLINTSHIRE Flintshire council's web link GWYNEDD Gwynedd council's web link MERTHYR TYDFIL Merthyr Tydfil council's web link MONMOUTHSHIRE Monmouthshire council's web link NEATH PORT TALBOT Neath Port Talbot council's web link NEWPORT Newport council's web link PEMBROKESHIRE Pembrokeshire council's web link POWYS Powys council's web link RHONDDA CYNON TAF Rhondda Cynon Taf council's web link SWANSEA Swansea council's web link TORFAEN Torfaen council's web link VALE OF GLAMORGAN Vale of Glamorgan council's web link WREXHAM Wrexham council's web link

जैसा कि वेल्स के आसपास की परिषदें अपने वित्त पोषण में कमी के बाद 2014/15 के लिए पुस्तकों को संतुलित करने की कोशिश करती हैं, आपका स्थानीय प्राधिकरण कम धन से निपटने के लिए कैसे योजना बना रहा है? यहाँ उठाए जा रहे कुछ कदमों का संक्षिप्त अवलोकन दिया गया है।


Woman charged with murdering pensioner in Aldershot

Summary: A woman has been charged with murdering a 75-year-old man and with attempting to murder a woman on the same day.

Sun Maya Tamang, 50, is accused of killing Man Limbu, who was found unconscious at a flat in Victoria Road, Aldershot, on Friday. She is also accused of attempted murder, aggravated burglary and false imprisonment relating to an incident at a property in Grove Road. Ms Tamang, of Victoria Road, is due at Basingstoke magistrates on Tuesday. Police said Man Limbu was discovered at 17:30 GMT on Friday and was later pronounced dead at the scene. Detectives said the alleged attempted murder, burglary and false imprisonment related to a 47-year-old woman.

एक महिला पर उसी दिन एक 75 वर्षीय व्यक्ति की हत्या करने और एक महिला की हत्या करने का प्रयास करने का आरोप लगाया गया है।


Eurozone stress tests that stress investors

Summary: BBC business editor Robert Peston on the stress tests for European banks

The European Union's attempt to reassure investors that European banks are in reasonable health - by undertaking so-called stress tests on them - is shaping into a bungled exercise that may sow alarm rather than calm. The names of the 100-odd banks being tested were supposed to be published today, along with details of the endurance tests to which they would be subjected. The idea is that banks would have to demonstrate that they could remain solvent, even if eurozone economies continue to weaken and in spite of difficulties that some eurozone governments may have in paying their debts. But investors' fears would only be allayed if the test results are published, if they are conducted in an open and transparent way, and if the stresses to which the banks would be subjected are realistic, not optimistic. The tests are due in just over two weeks. But the German finance minister Wolfgang Schaeuble confirmed that individual banks may choose not to disclose the results. And what may trouble investors even more is that the details they were expecting to receive this afternoon on the scope and substance of the tests, well none of that has been published, for reasons that have not been disclosed. It would not be at all surprising if - in the coming 24 hours - the anxieties of banks' investors and creditors were to increase, with the damaging effect for eurozone banks that it may become harder and more expensive for them to raise finance. UPDATE 19:34 At the eccentric hour of 7pm in Britain and 8pm on the continent, the Committee of European Banking Supervisors has published some of what was expected on the scope and scale of stress tests for European banks. It says that 91 banks will be tested over the coming fortnight, representing 65 per cent of the EU banking sector. What will reassure investors is that they include the Spanish and German savings banks which are deemed to be most fragile. However bank investors and creditors may feel that the notional stresses to which the banks will be subjected are not described in enough detail - and some may also complain that the theoretical shocks which the banks have to withstand should be more severe. The 91 banks will have to demonstrate that they would remain both solvent and liquid if the following adverse conditions were to pertain: 1) a 3 percentage point deviation from the expected course of GDP over the coming two years; 2) worse conditions in the government bond market than the pretty ropey conditions of early May. Also for different countries, there would be different scenarios for the possible paths of GDP, unemployment and inflation. On a superficial level, these tests don't look ludicrously easy to pass. That said, the UK's Financial Services Authority thinks the tests are less difficult to pass than what it has forced on British banks. And as if to prove the point, it says it is already 100 per cent confident that Royal Bank of Scotland, HSBC, Barclays and Lloyds have all passed the European tests. Also, the EU tests sidestep the issue that probably matters most to investors and creditors: what would happen to the banks if a Greece, or a Portugal or a Spain actually defaulted on what they owe? It's all very well to tell banks that they need to assess the impact on their capital of a fall in the market price of Greek government debt, or Portuguese debt, or Spanish debt. But if a bank doesn't use mark-to-market valuations for all or some of their government bond holdings, then this would be an irrelevant test. As I noted earlier, I fear that the way the EU is going about these tests will unsettle rather than reassure the banks' creditors and investors. You can keep up with the latest from business editor Robert Peston by visiting his blog on the BBC News website.

यूरोपीय बैंकों के लिए तनाव परीक्षणों पर बीबीसी के व्यापार संपादक रॉबर्ट पेस्टन


Norwich sex attack: Man exposed himself and assaulted woman in her 70s

Summary: A woman in her 70s has been subjected to a sexual attack by a man who exposed himself on a path near a city centre.

It happened as the woman was walking on a river path between Wensum Park and Marriott's Way in Norwich just after 11:00 GMT on Wednesday. She was touched inappropriately by the man, police said. Police described the suspect as white, in his late 20s, wearing a navy hooded waterproof anorak with grey tracksuit bottoms, and he had no front teeth. An appeal has been issued for witnesses or anyone with information to contact Norfolk Police. Find BBC News: East of England on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you have a story suggestion email eastofenglandnews@bbc.co.uk

70 के दशक में एक महिला पर एक व्यक्ति द्वारा यौन हमला किया गया है, जिसने शहर के केंद्र के पास एक रास्ते पर खुद को उजागर किया।


Batley murder inquiry: Man killed in baseball bat attack

Summary: A murder inquiry has been launched after a man was battered to death with a baseball bat.

The 31-year-old suffered fatal head injuries in the attack in Town Street, Batley, West Yorkshire, at about 22:00 BST on Friday. A 35-year-old man from Dewsbury was arrested on suspicion of murder after he went to hospital with stab wounds. Det Ch Insp Ian Scott said it was an isolated incident and officers were not looking for anyone else over the death.

बेसबॉल बैट से एक व्यक्ति की पीट-पीटकर हत्या करने के बाद हत्या की जांच शुरू की गई है।


'High level' of preferred school places in Bristol offered

Summary: Some 96% of Bristol families will receive an offer of a place for their child at a preferred school - the highest level for three years.

Families across Bristol are to receive notifications of a secondary school place as part of National Offer Day. The service covers Bristol's 21 secondary schools, which include academies and free schools. Bristol City Council's Clare Campion-Smith said she was "pleased" to be able to offer preferred school places. In 2011, according to the council, 94% of applicants received an offer of a place at their preferred school and in 2010 it was 91%. Information on how places were allocated at all oversubscribed schools is published on thecouncil website.

ब्रिस्टल के लगभग 96 प्रतिशत परिवारों को अपने बच्चे के लिए पसंदीदा स्कूल में जगह का प्रस्ताव मिलेगा-जो तीन साल के लिए उच्चतम स्तर है।


Maidstone murder charge after woman found dead

Summary: A man has been charged with the murder of a 19-year-old woman who was found dead on Christmas Day.

Kent Police and South East Coast Ambulance Service were called to an address in Maidstone at about 13:18 GMT. Mohammad Qoraishi, 27, of London Road, Maidstone, has been charged with murder. He has been remanded in custody and will appear at Medway Magistrates' Court on Friday. Mr Qoraishi and the victim, who has not been named, were known to each other, police said. Related Internet Links HM Courts & Tribunals Service

क्रिसमस के दिन मृत पाई गई 19 वर्षीय महिला की हत्या का आरोप एक व्यक्ति पर लगाया गया है।


Sudanese men found near M25 Clacket Lane services

Summary: Two suspected illegal immigrants have been found walking along the M25 on the border of Kent and Surrey.

Police stopped the pair near Clacket Lane services after receiving a report of the two men just before 09:30 BST. The men, who were from Sudan, were arrested on suspicion of illegally entering the UK and will be handed over to immigration officials. Surrey Police said the pair told them they had arrived by lorry, but there was no trace of it at the scene. Related Internet Links Surrey Police

दो संदिग्ध अवैध अप्रवासी केंट और सरे की सीमा पर एम25 के साथ चलते हुए पाए गए हैं।


How Sri Lanka's arrack coconut spirit went upmarket

Summary: Distilled from the sap of the coconut flower, Sri Lankan arrack has been a local favourite for centuries. But now its makers are trying to take the spirit global, writes the BBC's Ayeshea Perera in Colombo.

It's served in some of London's most fashionable restaurants, like Dishoom and Hoppers. And the late food and travel writer Anthony Bourdain described it as tasting like "a marriage of bourbon and rum, but with a stronger, burning kick and a mysterious bouquet". Yet the makers of Sri Lankan arrack - best described as a dark coconut rum - believe it is still punching far below its weight when it comes to international recognition and appreciation. For years, arrack was considered too "low class" to be taken seriously as a premium alcohol, even in Sri Lanka, whose elite in the capital Colombo preferred Scotch whisky, wine or rum. Arrack's makers have also had to survive multiple Sri Lankan governments who have taken the view that while necessary for revenue, the local alcohol industry is a terrible influence on society, rather than a business that ought to be nurtured. Distilleries are therefore subject to heavy taxes, and advertising spirits is prohibited by law. Despite these impediments, attempts to raise the quality and profile of the drink at home and overseas appear to be paying off. Premium versions of arrack have found lucrative markets both in Sri Lanka and other countries, where it is marketed as a smooth, artisan spirit that can be either drunk neat, or used in cocktails. Amal de Silva Wijeyeratne, the managing director of the country's oldest arrack producer Rockland Distilleries, is at the forefront of these efforts. He passionately points to the fact that quality arracks are made from just two ingredients - coconut flower sap (known locally as toddy) and water. And for him, it's in his blood. His great grand uncle, JBM Perera, is credited with completely changing the way the drink was distilled and blended, when in 1924, he accepted a British government contract to produce arrack on a commercial scale. His innovations, including the procurement of a custom-made still from a French company, helped transform arrack from a crude liquor into a smoother and more sophisticated drink. Mr Wijeyeratne says he is trying to continue that legacy of innovation. Part of this was his company's introduction of an upmarket, barrel-aged blend called Ceylon Arrack, which he says has been made to appeal to drinkers around the world. And it is making some significant inroads in the global market. First introduced in the UK back in 2002, which Mr Wijeyeratne calls the "toughest liquor market in the world", he says that Rockland now sells more Ceylon Arrack to British buyers than those in its home market. The brand is now also sold in countries like Singapore, Germany and Japan. And there are plans to launch it in India this year. Singaporean bar Native uses Ceylon Arrack in one of its cocktails, and its owner and head bartender Vijay Mudaliar says it has been a bestseller ever since they introduced it. "Arrack is a beautiful spirit. The taste profile is very fresh and clean. Aged arracks are definitely a viable choice for any dark spirit drinkers." There is no way of really knowing how long Sri Lankans have been drinking arrack, but it is believed to be one of the oldest spirits in the world. According to Mr Wijeyeratne, that's because "God has already taken care of the fermentation process". What he means by this is that the toddy ferments of its own accord, because it contains both natural sugars and yeasts. As soon as it is collected from the trees, it's a sweet, slightly tangy white liquid. But the fermentation process is rapid and its alcohol percentage increases in just hours to around 6%. It is then distilled like whisky or brandy to an alcohol level of more than 60%, before water is added to bring that back down to 40%. Global Trade More from the BBC's series taking an international perspective on trade: However, collecting the coconut sap is not for the faint hearted. In a process that has remained unchanged for generations, men known as "toddy tappers" twice a day shimmy up the unnervingly tall coconut palms - a fully grown tree can reach 60m (200ft) - to collect toddy from the unopened flowers. Sri Lanka's four major arrack producers - DCSL, IDL, Mendis and Rockland - employ hundreds of tappers on their vast coconut estates. With each tapper given a group of trees to look after, they stay high above the ground for hours, using crude rope bridges to move between trunks. Together the four firms produce about 60 million litres of arrack a year, in different grades and mixes. The price and quality of arrack has a lot do with the percentage of actual toddy in it. While the premium versions are made from 100% distilled sap, cheaper blends - which are somewhat erroneously called "Extra Special Arrack" - are usually also made from molasses, a form of treacle. Some of the most basic versions of arrack can actually contain as little as 3% toddy. Although lower grade arrack still accounts for almost 70% of sales in Sri Lanka, the premium versions are making Sri Lankans feel that they can take pride in the drink. "Many Sri Lankan CEOs I meet tell me that they don't travel without a bottle of arrack as a gift for their high profile international clients," says Mr Wijeyeratne. He adds that changing the perception of the drink continues to be a slow but rewarding process. "It takes years and years. You have to be willing to go for the long haul." "It's still going to be a long time before arrack gets the attention and recognition it deserves."

नारियल के फूल के रस से आसुत, श्रीलंकाई अरैक सदियों से एक स्थानीय पसंदीदा रहा है। लेकिन अब इसके निर्माता इस भावना को वैश्विक स्तर पर ले जाने की कोशिश कर रहे हैं, कोलंबो में बीबीसी की आयशिया परेरा लिखती हैं।


'Going shopping is a nightmare for me'

Summary: Researchers have found evidence of widespread failure by UK shops and restaurants to cater for disabled customers. Accessibility information providers DisabledGo visited more than 30,000 premises and say a fifth of High Street businesses are inaccessible to wheelchair users and two thirds of retail staff have no training in how to help disabled customers.

At least two BBC News website readers with experiences of running businesses have suggested they have run into difficulties in making their premises more accessible to disabled people because of inflexible council planning laws. But what kind of day-to-day experiences do disabled people actually have? John, 52, from Derby, describes coming across lifts that can accommodate his wheelchair but where access is blocked by boxes of stock. He also talks of the difficulties in struggling past in-store railings and reaching counters and changing rooms, even if he is using his walking sticks. "Going shopping is a nightmare for me," he says. "Shops that have a men's department will have it upstairs even in new build shopping arcades. When I remonstrate with the managers they say 'Just ask and we will bring whatever you want'. How do I know what stock they have until I have seen it?" "I do a lot more shopping now online, but... sometimes you just want to go into town to be sociable." The findings of DisabledGo are also not a surprise to Kim Cordell and his wife Selma from Pinner in north-west London, whose 24-year-old daughter uses a motorised wheelchair. They say almost every week they come across examples of businesses who appear to be flouting the law on disabled access, many in central London. Public attitudes "It's just, just outrageous," says Mr Cordell. "But more often than not you just give up and go to other shops or restaurants. I don't think we have ever been out without some incident or other." He adds: "Whenever we have tried to make an issue in a shop we have been looked at as if our complaints are highly misguided or with a look of pity." The family say they have made attempts to complain to local authorities about shops or restaurants, but have not seen even once that their efforts resulted in improvements being made. Mr Cordell suggests "there is a combination of unwillingness and ignorance" that makes central London in particular "very unfriendly" towards wheelchair users. Portable ramps are a low-cost way of providing access but many shops do not have them, while some businesses are "theoretically accessible" but particularly difficult for powered wheelchairs to enter, he says. Even where efforts have been made to accommodate disabled people, Mr and Mrs Cordell are able to cite specific problems. These include disabled toilets in restaurants which do not actually have wheelchair access, and theatres which require disabled people to transfer to seating rather than provide spaces for their wheelchairs. Mr Cordell contends that current laws are not powerful enough. "In that sense it is representative of the public attitude that the environment is a bit 'inconvenient' for wheelchair users. In fact, for many wheelchair users, many parts of the environment are utterly impossible to access."

शोधकर्ताओं को विकलांग ग्राहकों की जरूरतों को पूरा करने में ब्रिटेन की दुकानों और रेस्तरां द्वारा व्यापक विफलता के प्रमाण मिले हैं। अभिगम्यता सूचना प्रदाता डिसेबल्डगो ने 30,000 से अधिक परिसरों का दौरा किया और कहा कि हाई स्ट्रीट व्यवसायों का पांचवां हिस्सा व्हीलचेयर उपयोगकर्ताओं के लिए दुर्गम है और दो तिहाई खुदरा कर्मचारियों के पास विकलांग ग्राहकों की मदद करने के लिए कोई प्रशिक्षण नहीं है।


Consultation starts on plans to protect area of seabed

Summary: Public consultation has started on plans to designate an area of seabed off East Mingulay, in the Western Isles, a Special Area of Conservation.

The proposal to give the area such protection was approved by the Scottish government last month. Ministers said the move would help protect a rare coral reef about eight miles (13km) out to sea. Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) said the consultation exercise was expected to run for the next 14 weeks. People are being asked to comment on the scientific justification for the designation. SNH will also gather comments on the social and economic affects of protecting the area. Details of the proposed conservation area are available on SNH's website and in paper form from its office in Stilligarry, South Uist.

पश्चिमी द्वीपों में पूर्वी मिंगुले के समुद्र तल के एक क्षेत्र को संरक्षण का एक विशेष क्षेत्र नामित करने की योजना पर सार्वजनिक परामर्श शुरू हो गया है।


Huddles 'help children's hospital care'

Summary: It's good to talk, we're always told. And now child health expert Dr Peter Lachman says "huddles" - informal meetings of hospital staff - are a simple way of improving children's hospital care.

By Dr Peter LachmanRoyal College of Paediatrics and Child Health A lot can be said for good communication - it's a simple art which if done properly can build and maintain strong relationships, improve efficiency and most of all, improve outcomes. Done badly, it can cause uncertainty and confusion. In healthcare, good communication is essential if we are to ensure best practice and offer patients, regardless of postcode, access to safe, high quality care at the earliest opportunity. Silos Currently, coordination of care across the specialties is difficult and this can contribute to extended hospital stays and repeat admissions. This places increased pressure on the NHS which simply isn't sustainable. I'm not saying there is uncertainty in the health system, but there is still much more that can be done to improve care. In paediatrics, there are many professionals working in silos which is preventing nurses, paediatricians and patients and parents themselves, working together effectively. As a consultant paediatrician, I know the value of working as part of a multi-professional team, drawing on the expertise of a range of colleagues and working in partnership with the child and family members to care for that child. There must be a shift in attitude - from reaction to anticipation, otherwise we'll never dispel extended hospital stays and repeat admissions. An intervention called the 'huddle' is one way of shifting this attitude. It's a model pioneered in Cincinnati Children's Hospital around 12 months ago and one that has been adopted by a number of units in Scotland - to much praise by the Scottish Health Secretary, Alex Neil. So what actually is it and why isn't it being used elsewhere in the UK? Sickest children seen sooner The huddle and situation awareness are new concepts in healthcare and although it sounds simple, it's actually complex to execute - it's a change from the way people think and a change in culture. The huddle is a short exchange of information between all involved in a patient's care. It's a meeting which can be called by anyone, at any time to enhance 'situation awareness,' by offering a platform to openly discuss patient care with colleagues, determine which patients' need to be prioritised and what the best treatment is for them. For example, at the start of my shift there might be 12 patients. The nurse and I call a 'huddle' - three children have just returned to the ward following surgery and another child can actually be discharged. However two other children need urgent attention. As a result, I see the urgent patients before seeing the other 10 children. Not only does this mean the sickest children are identified earlier and subsequently get treated quicker, it also means they can get better and can leave hospital much sooner. It also has huge benefits to the workforce as it allows skills to be enhanced through the sharing of best practice, performance to be sustained and consistent treatment delivered in hospitals regardless of postcode. Better care hope The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, on behalf of the Situation Awareness for Everyone (S.A.F.E) partnership, received a cash injection from the Health Foundation of £450,000 to trial a number of quality improving techniques - including the huddle - at 12 hospital sites up and down the country. Through the development of these techniques and enhanced communication between families, patients and professionals, the project aims to reduce avoidable error and harm of up to 4,000 acutely sick children by 2016 and involve parents and patients more in their care. We estimate that this programme could reduce deterioration of children in paediatric wards by at least 50% and decrease serious outcomes by at least 10%. We also believe that there will be a reduction in serious incidents and a culture shift from reactive responses to proactive prevention of harm. If proven successful, there is scope for this model to be rolled out wider so it not only improves the care of children, but improves the care delivered to adults in the UK and beyond.

बात करना अच्छा है, हमें हमेशा बताया जाता है। और अब बाल स्वास्थ्य विशेषज्ञ डॉ. पीटर लैचमैन कहते हैं कि "हडल"-अस्पताल के कर्मचारियों की अनौपचारिक बैठकें-बच्चों की अस्पताल की देखभाल में सुधार करने का एक सरल तरीका है।