Cask Conditioned

Summary: High productivity in the whisky industry looks good because it reflects on the relatively small number of people employed. It raises the question of whether the Scottish economy gets a fair share of the economic value generated by Scotch. Competitors would like to break the global dominance of Scotch. In the USA, that starts with challenging the definition of whisky. Would it harm, or possibly help, the Scotch distilling sector if lower quality products, matured for less than three years, were to enter the market.

Douglas FraserBusiness/economy editor, Scotland Raising productivity is one of the top priorities for the Scottish and British economies. So surely we should be celebrating one of the most productive industries of all? Scotch whisky, according to the industry's figures published on Tuesday, is immensely productive, delivering caskfuls of value per worker in the industry. But hang on. Where does that value go? To those workers? Well, er, no. Being one of the tiny number of people required to run the average distillery is a quality job, with good prospects, but it's not an obvious way to get rich. Nor is driving one of the distillers' trucks, or turning the casks in the whisky bonds. For all that this industry generates £5.5bn of gross value added, and £4.7bn of export value last year, it directly employs 10,500 people in Scotland. There are those doing nicely out of supplying the barley, the copper stills, the packaging and, increasingly, the distillery tours. Water tax The more valuable jobs within the distilling industry tend to be in the marketing operations, which tend, in turn, to be outside Scotland. And the profits from these operations are largely distributed to foreign corporations. Around 80% of the industry is controlled from outside Scotland, so that's where the profits go. It's what you get with an open economy. The same can be said of the (also very highly productive) oil and gas industry. That's not to say it's a bad thing. It's better to have a high productivity distilling industry than a low one. But it's not necessarily the kind of productivity that the economy needs. And perhaps inadvertently, it brings back the question of whether Scotland gets as much value from Scotch as it could or should. I asked the question for a documentary more than five years ago, in which former bank and economic agency boss Sir George Mathewson, said there should at least be some consideration given to a tax on the water used by the industry, without which it couldn't use the valuable "Scotch" brand. The industry's response: why on earth would anyone take such a successful product and undermine its success? "Unwarranted" The Scotch Whisky Association, representing the major distillers, is also keen to point out that having unique provenance in Scotland may be valuable, but don't think there aren't competitors eager to grab market share, or to undermine Scotch's global dominance. Among them are the big American distillers. The owner of Jim Beam has become a significant investor in Scotch. But in Kentucky and Tennessee, they would like to tackle one of the non-tariff barriers to trade that Scotch enjoys. By lobbying fiercely in Brussels, it has got the European Commission to ensure protection for its branding is locked in across many markets around the world. And if you want to sell a product called whisky or whiskey in Europe - and by extension, other markets such as Russia and Israel - you're going to have to mature it for at least three years. The European Commission, on evidence so far, has been pretty robust in forcing trading partners to accept that definition. It's biggest trading partner, and rival for market share, the United States of America, thinks it is "unwarranted". It said so in a document recently published by the US Trade Representative - the agency that negotiates on trade on behalf of President Trump. This document is a regular publication entitled the National Trade Estimate Report on Foreign Trade Barriers. It runs to more than 500 pages, covering every national and supra-national trade partner, listing the items where Washington wishes to break down tariffs and non-tariff barriers, notably including government procurement practices. For anyone still thinking trade deals can be done easily and quickly, it's well worth a scan, if only for a reality check. Grievances The European Union merits 41 pages. Its approach to food production gets lengthy attention. Airbus subsidies get special emphasis, and there is close interest in proposed measures to police the internet. One of very few paragraphs with a particularly British flavour is the one on whisky. And because it's only one paragraph, here it is in full: Distilled Spirits Aging Requirements The EU requires that for a product to be labeled "whiskey" (or "whisky"), it must be aged a minimum of three years. The EU considers this a quality requirement. U.S. whiskey products that are aged for a shorter period cannot be marketed as "whiskey" in the EU market or other markets that adopt EU standards, such as Israel and Russia. The United States has a long history of quality whiskey production, particularly by micro-distillers, which has not entailed minimum aging requirements, and views a mandatory three-year aging requirement for whiskey as unwarranted. Recent advances in barrel technology enable U.S. micro- distillers to reduce the aging time for whiskey while producing a product commensurate in quality. In 2017, the United States continued to urge the EU and other trading partners to end whiskey aging requirements that are restricting U.S. exports of whiskey from being labeled as such. The EU and US are about to lock horns once more on getting to a free trade deal. Across the range of US grievances with EU non-tariff barriers to trade, this one may not feature all that prominently. But cast your mind forward to Dr Liam Fox's plans to get a speedy deal with the USA for a post-Brexit UK. As this is one of few specifically UK issues raised by the US Trade Representative, it's likely to feature high on the list of demands from Robert Lighthizer, the UK trade secretary's opposite number in Washington. Will London give in, in the interests of securing more important gains? That's up to the negotiations. As we've already seen in Brexit talks, these are rarely evenly balanced. The US will be in a much stronger negotiating position. Will it be a disaster for Scotch whisky if the international definition is weakened? Well, possibly not, if it results in some whiskies coming to the international market with significantly poorer quality - meaning the "Scotch whisky" branding becomes all the more important to signify longer-matured quality. After all, the law would surely still require whisky produced in the UK to stick to the current definition.

व्हिस्की उद्योग में उच्च उत्पादकता अच्छी लगती है क्योंकि यह अपेक्षाकृत कम संख्या में कार्यरत लोगों पर प्रतिबिंबित होती है। यह सवाल उठाता है कि क्या स्कॉटिश अर्थव्यवस्था को स्कॉच द्वारा उत्पन्न आर्थिक मूल्य का उचित हिस्सा मिलता है। प्रतियोगी स्कॉच के वैश्विक प्रभुत्व को तोड़ना चाहेंगे। संयुक्त राज्य अमेरिका में, जो व्हिस्की की परिभाषा को चुनौती देने के साथ शुरू होता है। क्या यह कम गुणवत्ता वाले उत्पादों, जो तीन साल से कम समय के लिए परिपक्व होते हैं, के बाजार में प्रवेश करने पर स्कॉच आसवन क्षेत्र को नुकसान पहुंचाएगा या संभवतः मदद करेगा।


Coronavirus: Two Americas in the nation's capital

Summary: Amid political pressure to reopen America from the White House, the nation's capital city itself still isn't ready to do so - and Washington DC offers a diverse snapshot of how Americans are responding to the crisis.

By Barbara Plett UsherBBC State Department correspondent It's a gloriously sunny afternoon, and a rare opportunity to enjoy a live performance from a world-class musician. Residents of Washington's Capitol Hill district are still under orders to shelter at home. But they're taking a break from the pandemic, sitting on front steps and in socially distanced lawn chairs, listening to a neighbour in search of an audience after he had to cancel a tour. Just down the road at the Capitol building itself, lawmakers are gradually returning to work, to deal with matters less lyrical. "There can be no doubt that this will be one of the strangest sessions of the United States Senate in modern history," said Minority Leader Chuck Schumer when it opened at the beginning of the month. Members wearing masks sit in chambers that feel more empty than occupied. But while political pressure to open up the country is mounting in the capital, the city itself isn't ready yet for business. You just need to drive 10 minutes to see it's still on emergency footing. In DC's majority-black neighbourhoods like Anacostia, the virus has laid bare longstanding social and racial divides. I caught up with local councillor Trayon White, who's campaigning for re-election in Ward Eight, Washington's poorest. He's hard to miss - wearing a florescent yellow track suit and surrounded by a team of young men in blue and white camouflage outfits with matching blue surgical gloves. They're distributing bags with bleach and toilet paper while the councillor hands out masks with his name on them and takes selfies with constituents. But behind the smiles for the camera is a disturbing reality. The pandemic is killing black people at an alarming rate, including Mr White's own grandmother. Eighty percent of the city's Covid-19 deaths are African Americans, even though they're less than half its population. "We have some of the highest health disparities per capita in the country in this community," he says. "From high blood pressure to diabetes, to asthma, you name it we have it. So we're fighting two monsters at the same time. You are talking about the people that are already at the bottom and have been pushed down even further." The city has increased testing in predominantly black and Latino neighbourhoods and recruited former First Lady Michelle Obama to record calls to spread the word. And just this week the mayor, Muriel Bowser, opened a 437-bed field hospital in the convention centre. It's empty, but she called it an insurance policy. She said the number of confirmed cases was less than initially predicted, but still climbing. Her cautious approach to reopening, however, means she could be headed for a collision with the capitol region's largest employer, the federal government. Especially as its most famous resident, President Donald Trump, is pushing to get the nation back to work. "I hope that the President is right…that we will recover," Ms Bowser said recently. "All of us want to get open, we just want to do it in a safe way. The last thing we want is to be back here in the fall, having lost all of the gains of social distancing." Mr Trump is eager to return to normal, but just around the corner from the White House is the new normal: a venerable Washington institution is serving its own servers, handing out meals to its laid-off employees. The Ebbitt Grill is the oldest operating restaurant in DC, a favourite watering hole for politicians, now running a bare bones takeaway business. It can't go on like that for long but it's wary about reopening. David Moran, one of the Grill's senior directors, says areas of the country that "unfortunately" reopen quicker than recommended by guidelines set by the Centers for Disease Control could provide a "roadmap of what works and what doesn't work". "Just because the politicians or the government tell you that you can open doesn't mean you have to open that day," he says. "I think we're going to do what's right by our guests, right by our employees, and right by our integrity." Back on the streets of the Capitol Hill neighbourhood, musician Frederick Yonnet is still captivating the curbside crowd. He's a harmonica player who's performed with the likes of Prince, Stevie Wonder and Ed Sheeran. Now his stadium is his house, and his audience is his neighbours. "Thanks to this we are meeting more neighbours than I've ever met since I moved here," he says. "We've discovered that some guy over here is an astronaut, another one works for a news network. Music is a universal language and it needs to be spoken, especially in difficult times like this." It's a brief moment of harmony on the Hill, as this tug of war between the need to reopen and the desire to stay safe, plays out beyond them.

व्हाइट हाउस से अमेरिका को फिर से खोलने के राजनीतिक दबाव के बीच, देश की राजधानी शहर अभी भी ऐसा करने के लिए तैयार नहीं है-और वाशिंगटन डीसी एक विविध स्नैपशॉट प्रदान करता है कि अमेरिकी कैसे संकट का जवाब दे रहे हैं।


Plotting and scheming afoot as PM's options narrow

Summary: It's seemed almost hard to move anywhere without running into a minister on a mission - tasked to promote a Brexit plan that's widely judged to be doomed to defeat in the Commons on Tuesday.

John PienaarDeputy political editor@JPonpoliticson Twitter Meanwhile, the bars and the tea rooms in Parliament have been quietly humming with the sound of plotting and scheming. For some, about how to take control of Brexit. For others, how to grab the keys to Number Ten. While no-one can be sure of anything just now, none of the outcomes being discussed by MPs look anything but grim for the prime minister and her plan. Some MPs are wondering: might a narrow defeat next week mean she could try to squeeze more out of Brussels? She might try, but the signs are the EU's all out of big concessions. Would she even get the chance to try before she's forced out by her party? Labour's hope of forcing an election seems a little remote. There's more respect than support for Mrs May among Tories. Some senior Conservatives say, privately, the answer could be to choose a caretaker prime minister to carry on in some fresh direction. Meanwhile, rival leadership contenders are quietly getting ready to run - even to the point of promising jobs. One senior Tory told me he'd been offered a senior cabinet post by TWO of them in exchange for his support. And you can bet he's not the only one. There's still a chance the government pulls out of the big vote and, by so doing, buys a bit more time. There's another proposal by Labour MP and Brexit select committee chairman, Hilary Benn, to rule out a no-deal Brexit, and rule in a soft version. That would reunite some Brexiteers and Mrs May and maybe even limit the scale of any defeat. Yet more speculation, obviously. The prime minister will be mulling her options and her future this weekend. But those options, and maybe her time in office, could be running out.

एक मिशन पर एक मंत्री से मिले बिना कहीं भी जाना लगभग कठिन लग रहा है-एक ब्रेक्सिट योजना को बढ़ावा देने का काम सौंपा गया है जिसे व्यापक रूप से मंगलवार को कॉमन्स में हार के लिए अभिशप्त माना जाता है।


Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi: What his death means for IS in Syria

Summary: The death of Islamic State (IS) group leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in a US military raid has been announced with great fanfare by President Donald Trump. Dr Lina Khatib, director of the Middle East programme at the international relations think-tank Chatham House, explains what is likely to happen next.

The killing of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi does not mean the automatic end of IS. But the immediate future of IS depends more on local dynamics in Syria than on whether it still has a leader or not. Baghdadi was a powerful tool for IS, especially at a time when the organisation was planning to establish a so-called state. Considering that there could not be a caliphate without a caliph, IS put Baghdadi in the public eye to give its supporters around the world an identifiable figurehead. Despite the military defeat of IS in Syria and Iraq, its supporters still saw in the presence of Baghdadi hope of restoring the caliphate one day. His statements mobilised sympathisers, even if only rhetorically, as noted by journalists and aid workers who interviewed the wives and widows of IS fighters in al-Hol camp inside Syria. In the run-up to the Turkish invasion of northern Syria, the military capacity of IS had been greatly reduced but the organisation was still active. Sleeper cells would conduct opportunistic attacks in the north-east, mainly against civilians. Some miles away westwards, in the huge Sokhna desert near Homs, east of Palmyra, IS fighters would sporadically attack Syrian army and Russian targets. In the north-west, many former IS fighters had joined one of the jihadist groups in the region rather than remaining under the IS banner. The group closest to IS in Idlib is al-Qaeda affiliate Hurras al-Din, which despite being militarily active is limited in numbers and popularity among local residents. The nucleus of IS activity in Syria is the greater region of Deir al-Zour in the north-east, particularly the areas extending south of Bosaira towards Diban. The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) control the area but have struggled to gain acceptance there because the SDF is Kurdish-dominated while the area is populated by Arab tribes that reject not only the SDF but also the Syrian army and Iran-backed militias who are present in surrounding towns. Those tribes have recently been staging demonstrations against the Syrian regime and Iran. Before the Turkish invasion of northern Syria, tensions between the tribes in Deir al-Zour and the SDF were regularly followed by an increase in IS activity. A few months ago, an SDF checkpoint shot at an Arab passerby. For the following two weeks, there was an increase in sleeper cell attacks in the Deir al-Zour area, facilitated by some members of Arab tribes. This pattern of tension followed by an increase in IS attacks continues, though the attacks are mainly based on improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and are limited in scale. Since the Turkish invasion, IS has tried to take advantage of the decrease in the SDF presence in Deir al-Zour as SDF leaders left to go to the front lines to confront Turkey. This has also resulted in an increase in IS activity. However, it has not attempted to retake geographical areas. This, coupled with the use of IEDS, signals that its military capacity is greatly reduced. The presence of the anti-IS international coalition in Deir al-Zour - to protect the oilfields there, according to the US administration - has also been a significant deterrent to IS. IS is likely to use the death of Baghdadi to rally its supporters in the name of revenge. However, the days of its militants fighting till the last breath appear to be over. Its leader in Syria, Abu Ayman al-Iraqi, had to deploy to the front lines accompanied by only six fighters during his final battle. They abandoned him, leaving him to be killed by the SDF. In its heyday, IS would not have needed commanders of this seniority on the front lines. IS is likely to choose a successor to Baghdadi, but what is more significant for its operations is the situation in the north-west and the north-east of Syria. President Trump said Baghdadi was in Idlib - where he was killed - because he was trying to rebuild IS there. The Hurras al-Din jihadist group in Idlib, which splintered from Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) to stay loyal to al-Qaeda, is likely to have hosted Baghdadi. Although HTS is trying to build its own administration in the area, and although HTS collaborated with Hurras al-Din against the Syrian army in the battlefield, there is widespread popular resistance to the IS brand in Idlib, which makes it unlikely that the province will become the new capital of an IS caliphate. As for the north-east, the Syrian army is spreading its presence in the area but its capacity there is limited not just because of decreased soldier numbers and lack of equipment, but also because it is dealing with infighting in Daraa in southern Syria as well as preparing for a campaign on Idlib in the north-west. It is Kurdish fighters who are still in control in the north-east, even if they have recently started flying the Syrian flag following the entry of the Syrian army into the area. Only if the international anti-IS coalition leaves Deir al-Zour is IS likely to target the area, helped by members of Arab tribes who reject the SDF. But President Trump clearly said the coalition was not budging from protecting the oilfields there. The situation in the north-east underlines that even if the international anti-IS coalition regards the killing of Baghdadi as a symbolic victory, local tensions are the main fuel for IS resurgence, while the ground presence of coalition forces remains the greatest IS deterrent.

अमेरिकी सैन्य छापे में इस्लामिक स्टेट (आईएस) समूह के नेता अबू बकर अल-बगदादी की मौत की घोषणा राष्ट्रपति डोनाल्ड ट्रम्प ने बड़ी धूमधाम से की है। अंतर्राष्ट्रीय संबंधों के थिंक-टैंक चैथम हाउस में मध्य पूर्व कार्यक्रम की निदेशक डॉ. लीना खतीब बताती हैं कि आगे क्या होने की संभावना है।


Heavy showers and thunderstorms warning in Wales

Summary: More heavy showers and thunderstorms could lead to flooding on Sunday, according to the Met Office.

Places could see up to 40mm (1.5in) in an hour and up to 90mm (3.5in) in a few hours in some areas on Sunday. Monday's thunderstorms may be accompanied by large hail stones, frequent lightning and gusty winds, it said. Thunderstorms have brought flash flooding and power cuts to parts of Wales throughout the week.

मौसम कार्यालय के अनुसार, रविवार को और अधिक भारी बारिश और गरज के साथ बारिश होने से बाढ़ आ सकती है।


HIV drug 'gave me the confidence to trust again'

Summary: An HIV-preventative drug has been the subject of a legal battle over which organisation should pay for it. As campaigners win their High Court case against the NHS, one man tells how taking the medication has changed his life.

By Dominic HowellBBC News To look at, pre-exposure prophylaxis (Prep for short) is a small, blue pill - but it's caused a big controversy. The drug is not currently available on the NHS - and an NHS England decision to that effect has caused a well-documented outcry from charities and campaigners alike. However, about 500 homosexual men in England - who form part of a trial called Proud - have been taking it for years while experts monitor its effects. Harry Dodd is one of those men. He was invited to take part in the trial after doctors identified him as a "high risk" sexually active gay man. However, as he explains, the requirements for being judged as such were, in his words, "surprisingly low". "They asked me if I'd had sex without a condom within the last three months, I said 'yes' and then they asked me if I was likely to have sex in next three months and again I said 'yes' - and that's all it takes to be 'high risk'," he said. And so, in 2013, Harry started taking Prep and he has remained HIV negative ever since, despite having unprotected sex. Taking Prep protects cells in the body, which are then able to stop the HIV virus from multiplying - should they be exposed. Critics of Prep claim that allowing the drug to be freely available on the NHS would promote promiscuity and leave people more vulnerable to other sexually-transmitted infections. But Harry - who in the past has had near misses with HIV - vehemently disagrees with this view. The 25-year-old says the drug has allowed him to grow in confidence and he goes further, believing it could bring the gay community closer together and stop discrimination against those who are HIV positive. "People need to understand the visceral fear HIV invokes," he explains. "I remember when I was younger going for an HIV test and at the time I was living in a tower block. The thought fleetingly crossed my mind 'well at least I can chuck myself off the balcony if it's the wrong result'. "I've seen the panic on the face of previous boyfriends when they are awaiting their results - it's a huge fear and it affects everything you do. "To be able to have sex without having that fear hanging over you all the time is huge." Taking Prep means the chances of contracting HIV, even if you sleep with someone who is HIV positive, are greatly reduced. There are more than 100,000 people living with HIV in the UK and, statistically, gay men are the most at-risk group. The average HIV prevalence in the UK is 2.3 per 1,000 population. However for gay men the rate jumps to 48.7 per 1,000. Black African women are the second most at-risk group with a prevalence rate of 43.7 per 1,000. Latest figures show there were 6,151 new diagnoses made in 2014, up from 6,032 the previous year, according to Public Health England. And in London, one in eight gay men has HIV. 'I kept it to myself' Harry, who works for a town planning consultancy in London, can recall a time when he believes he came perilously close to getting HIV. "On Christmas Eve 2012, I was getting off the train in Liverpool to visit my family. "The night before I'd slept with someone I'd been seeing, he was someone I trusted. "But for the first time we didn't use a condom. As I approached the station he messaged me asking about my status. "I informed him I was negative and in response he said I should go to A&E - he was positive and recently diagnosed. "I kept it to myself, filled with overwhelming anxiety, fear and shame. How could I tell my friends and family the truth? It would disappoint them. "That situation filled me with mixed emotions... anger both at myself for not insisting on using protection and at him that he hadn't told me before the event, but also relief and thanks that he had told me at all. "I was confused over whether to blame, empathise or comfort him. Emotions that tore our friendship apart, tore me apart and continue to tear communities apart." Harry swiftly took himself to A&E, where he was given drugs to treat exposure to HIV and fortunately tested negative for the virus subsequently. But the threat for gay and bisexual men is very real and the results from the Proud trial - in which Harry is a participant - are promising. Early results The trial took about 500 "high risk" gay men and split them into two groups. The first group took Prep straight away, while the second acted as a control group and waited for 12 months before taking the drug. In that control group, 20 people contracted HIV during those 12 months. But in the immediate Prep group only three people contracted HIV and in each case the reason for contracting the virus can be explained. One person was found to already have HIV before the trial started and the other two people both stopped taking the drug for a considerable amount of time. The early results were so significant that Prep was given to all participants before the end of the 12-month period on ethical grounds. "The results from the trial are proof that this drug is working," says Mitzy Gafos, who is a social scientist working in the clinical trials unit at University College London. However, she also said that early indications from the trial's relatively small sample size show those taking the drug were more inclined to have different sexual partners, although the incidence rate of sexual infections was not increasing. But despite these results, the route to getting Prep available on the NHS has also been fraught with controversy. In the 18 months up until March, NHS England had been following a process to decide whether the drug should be available to people at high risk of HIV, on the NHS. But in March there was uproar from charities and campaigners when NHS England said it was abandoning this process and HIV prevention was not its responsibility. After initially saying it would "consider" its position in May it confirmed it would not be commissioning Prep, arguing that it does not have the legal power to do so. The charity the National Aids Trust launched a judicial review against NHS England's decision, and the court found in the charity's favour. Harry believes everyone should have access to Prep - which costs around £450 a month to buy privately. The Proud trial is also drawing to a close in the coming months and the men who are on it, who have been used to taking the drug for three years, now face the prospect of having to buy it privately from other sources - chiefly pharmaceutical companies in India. Harry says taking Prep has still not become socially acceptable. "Too many people seem to think it will encourage a hedonistic lifestyle, but for me this is about saving lives," he says. "People reacted with cynicism when the contraceptive pill for women was first introduced. "Taking Prep has helped me to trust again, have relationships and build bridges and that shouldn't be taken away." His view is also one shared by leading health officials. Jim McManus and Dominic Harrison, both directors of public health, recently wrote a joint piece in the British Medical Journal calling for Prep to be made available to all. They described NHS England's decision not to, as "an incoherent national approach to HIV prevention". NHS England has said it will provide £2m over the next two years to research how Prep "could be commissioned in the most clinically and cost effective way".

एच. आई. वी.-निवारक दवा एक कानूनी लड़ाई का विषय रही है कि किस संगठन को इसके लिए भुगतान करना चाहिए। जैसे ही अभियानकर्ताओं ने एन. एच. एस. के खिलाफ अपना उच्च न्यायालय का मामला जीता, एक व्यक्ति बताता है कि कैसे दवा लेने से उसका जीवन बदल गया है।


Home care helps children 'breathe easy'

Summary: Looking after a sick child can be a challenge for families, even with the highest level of support. A scheme in South Africa is helping parents - who don't have that support - to look after their children themselves.

By Hewete HaileselassieBBC News Two-year-old Shamim has spent much of her life in hospital after experiencing recurrent chest infections. Her condition has meant she has needed a tracheostomy - where surgeons create an artificial opening into the windpipe that is held open by a tracheostomy tube - and has been put on a ventilator to help her breathe. Shamim's treatment left her weak and she had difficulty breathing. Normally, a little girl as sick as Shamim would need to remain in hospital - with access to specialist care - for the foreseeable future. But she is one of hundreds of children who have benefitted from a scheme which teaches parents how to look after their sick children at home. The 'Breatheasy' programme, run by Sister Jane Booth at the Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital in Cape Town, trains parents to take over the care for their technology-dependent children from the medical team at the hospital. The programme is specifically designed for children who have tracheostomies or need to be on ventilators. Sister Booth believes that these children are better off to returning home to their families and communities, rather than remaining in hospital. But this can be dangerous, given the children's delicate medical condition. She says: "This is a very unique programme, where a very, very complicated medical condition needs to be de-medicalised and simplified so that normal families are able to know and understand all of the procedures and be able to do everything for their own child so they can take them home." Mum 'has the patience' In more developed countries, if a child as sick as Shamim were to be sent home, nurses would visit regularly to carry out the tracheostomy changes and check the patient was well. But Cape Town's health services simply cannot afford to fund such aftercare, so this programme makes sure parents can cope with their child on their own at home. Sister Jane said it's much better for the child. "The amazing thing about parents is once they start doing the procedures they actually go better than when us nurses do them, because you know some mums can coax their children into lying still and letting mummy just do it and mum has the patience to do that." Four-year-old Pamela is one of the children who has benefited from this programme. She was very sick and under the care of the intensive care unit for several months. Her parents Sam and Shermaine Ntanga were put on the training programme and told they could take Pamela home if they learnt how to look after her. It wasn't easy, Shermaine was very nervous and remembers the first time she tried to change the tracheostomy. "The first time was not good at all ... I actually ran away and I left Sister Jane alone with Pamela. "But she calmed me down and said it's okay Shermaine, tomorrow we'll try it again." Pamela's parents eventually came to grips with the training and were able to take her home with a tracheostomy, fully ventilated and unable to walk. Some months later the tracheostomy was removed. She now breathes without the ventilator and is able to walk unaided. 'A new dimension' "It was just such a wonderful thing to have her living at home because that is where she really started to improve," says Sister Jane. "Pamela's parents were really very, very nervous in the beginning and it took us a few weeks to calm them down and once they started to engage with us, learning to look after her they took to it like a duck to water and they learnt to do all the procedures around Pamela." Pamela's father, Sam Ntanga, agrees that being at home has contributed to her recovery, especially being around her older siblings. "It worked wonders because she was around Theo, her big brother. Every time when she sees him she lightened up. She's very happy to be around him all the time because they play a lot. "Her sister also assisted in a lot of things like eating and walking and being more active. She started following her sister what she was doing and that helped her to recover." Sister Jane says that sending the children home is essentially about restoring their quality of lif.: "Life takes on a new dimension out of the hospital, and it really is about giving children back their childhood and allowing them to enjoy their lives even though they have a life threatening condition and we don't know how long they might live. "But the life they have we have to give them the best life that we can and that's the whole point of the programme for me, that children can enjoy their lives as much as is possible for them." The hope is that the Breatheasy scheme can be expanded to help children with other illnesses, such as those who have diabetes or who are on dialysis. Med in Africa is a brand new eight-part series showcasing health innovations across Africa and what these might mean for the future of healthcare on the continent and beyond.

एक बीमार बच्चे की देखभाल करना परिवारों के लिए एक चुनौती हो सकती है, यहां तक कि उच्चतम स्तर के समर्थन के साथ भी। दक्षिण अफ्रीका में एक योजना माता-पिता की मदद कर रही है-जिनके पास वह समर्थन नहीं है-अपने बच्चों की देखभाल करने के लिए।


John Magufuli: Tanzania's 'bulldozer' president

Summary: John Pombe Magufuli, the son of a peasant farmer who became Tanzania's president in 2015, has died aged 61. Once praised for his no-nonsense approach, he went on to become a controversial leader, especially over his response to the coronavirus pandemic.

He was elected for a second term in 2020 amid opposition accusations of fraud and intimidation. Before he was president he acquired the nickname "the bulldozer" for driving a programme to build roads as minister for works, and later was hailed for his anti-corruption stance and his distinct dislike for wasting money. As president he was also accused of cracking down on dissent and curtailing certain freedoms, but following his death reflections on his time in power will be dominated by his idiosyncratic handling of Covid-19. 'Coronavirus is the devil' When Covid-19 arrived in Tanzania, President Magufuli did not believe in people staying at home. He wanted them to get into the churches and mosques to pray. "Coronavirus, which is a devil, cannot survive in the body of Christ... It will burn instantly," Magufuli, a devout Christian, pronounced from the altar of a church in the capital, Dodoma. Since June 2020, when he declared the country "Covid-19 free", the president, along with other top government officials, mocked the efficacy of masks, doubted if testing worked, and teased neighbouring countries which imposed health measures to curb the virus. There was little testing and no plans were made for a vaccination programme, leaving the country as an outlier. But when he was sworn in as president in October 2015, Magufuli seemed to be the sort of person Tanzania needed - an efficient, incorruptible leader. 'Bulldozer' gets to work His results-oriented actions were also framed as applicable to other African countries - a dose of what the continent needed to deal with its governance issues. On the very first day of his presidency, he sent a stark message that he would not tolerate the country's chronic absenteeism in its civil service, when he visited the finance ministry offices, asking for the whereabouts of those not at work. He also purged thousands of so-called "ghost workers" - essentially non-existent employees - from the public payroll, and fired officials considered corrupt or under-performing, in public. Sometimes this was even done live on television. And he clamped down on what he saw as extravagant spending, cancelling Independence Day celebrations for the first time in 54 years. Instead, he ordered a public clean-up, getting his own hands dirty by picking up rubbish outside State House. He also banned all foreign trips for public servants. In the first year of Magufuli's presidency, this approach earned him a great deal of praise, inspiring the Twitter hashtag: #WhatWouldMagufuliDo. While some posts mocked the president's austere policies - for example: "Was about to buy myself an oven then I asked myself #WhatWouldMagufuliDo" with a photo of a saucepan suspended over candles - others called for more African leaders to emulate his leadership style. In 2017, a Kenyan professor went so far as to call for the "Magufulication" of Africa during an address at the University of Dar es Salaam. But from the outset, it was also clear there was a darker side to his leadership - that a number of his initiatives would slowly chip away at the country's democratic space. John Magufuli at a glance In January 2016, barely two months into his term, his administration announced that state TV would no longer broadcast live parliamentary proceedings, officially as a cost-cutting measure. The opposition saw this as censorship as it was among the few ways it could hold the government to account. It planned demonstrations against the ban, but the government responded by banning all protests. Another example of such censorship was Magufuli's response to a 2017 song by popular Tanzanian rapper Nay wa Mitego. Less than a day after its release, Mitego found himself in police custody. He was accused of insulting the president and maligning the government for his song which included the prescient lyrics: "Is there still freedom of expression in this country?" the raspy-voiced artist, whose real name is Emmanuel Elibariki, had rapped. "What if I speak and later find myself at Central [Police Station]?" "Are there leaders who make stupid decisions? There are!" The fear he sang about had come true - he was indeed detained at the Central Police Station in Dar es Salaam. Although President Magufuli ordered Nay wa Mitego's release just a day later, he advised that the song should be reworked to include lyrics about other problems in the society, such as tax cheats. In 2017, opposition MP Tundu Lissu, who three years later ran against Magufuli for the presidency, was shot and seriously injured outside his home. Mr Lissu accused the state of trying to kill him and he was charged with hate speech for calling the president a dictator. The government denied any involvement in the attack. In what was seen by human rights groups as curbing press freedom, the president's administration suspended newspapers. Amnesty International also said that journalists feared being targeted. Huge tax bill Magufuli's administration continued to roll out a cocktail of bold and unusual directives, introducing new laws intended to increase revenue from multinational mining firms. In 2017, Acacia Mining, a subsidiary of Canadian parent company Barrick Gold, was slapped with an incredible $190bn (£145bn) tax bill over royalties the government said it owed, though it denied any wrongdoing. As part of the settlement, Barrick eventually agreed to pay $300m after buying out Acacia, and a new operating company, Twiga Minerals, was formed with the government owning 16% of the joint venture. Barrick and the Tanzanian government also agreed to the sharing of unspecified future economic benefits from the mines on a 50-50 basis. Then there was his highly contentious scuppering of an attempt to overturn the stipulation that pregnant schoolgirls be expelled. And in 2018, Tanzania passed a law to punish anyone questioning official statistics, making the state the sole custodian of data. The World Bank said the changes were "deeply worrying". But even his critics agree that Magufuli contributed to Tanzania's development, investing in several large infrastructure projects such as the creation of a standard gauge railway to connect the country with its regional neighbours, the expansion of major highways, and the construction of a bus rapid transit system in the commercial hub of Dar es Salaam. He also increased electricity production to the grid which reduced the need for power rationing. And he revived the state-run national airline, Air Tanzania. He styled his governance after Tanzania's first president, Mwalimu Julius Nyerere, who was always fiercely independent. And this appeared to inform his approach to coronavirus. "Our founding father was not someone to be directed to be told what to do… Those who devise these kinds of rules [lockdown] are used to making these directives that our founding father refused," Magufuli said, referring to Nyerere's habit of rejecting advice coming from Western nations, who the committed socialist distrusted. 'I know what it means to be poor' Magufuli grew up under Nyerere's rule in a village in north-western Chato district along the shore of Lake Victoria, and says his modest background has inspired his own desire to work for the Tanzanian public. "Our home was grass thatched, and like many boys I was assigned to herd cattle, as well as selling milk and fish to support my family," he said during his 2015 campaign. "I know what it means to be poor. I will strive to help improve people's welfare," he added. After school he worked for a year as a senior school maths and chemistry teacher before returning to further education. He worked for a few years as an industrial chemist before resigning in 1995 to run for the parliamentary seat in his own Chato constituency. After taking that seat, he quickly rose through the ranks to be appointed deputy minister for public works. The department's senior minister, Mama Anna Abdallah, says his no-nonsense style, focused on efficiency and results, was quickly evident. In his first year in the job he succeeded in steamrolling through the building of a long-delayed road. By 2015, Magufuli wanted to run for the presidency. He is said to have been considered a consensus candidate for the Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party - which had been in power for 54 years in one form or another. The elections were the tightest in the country's history, but Magufuli pulled ahead to win with 58% of the vote. He won his second term with 84% of the vote, but the main opposition parties denounced the result as fraudulent. Calls for other regional leaders to emulate Magufuli's style diminished as he faced criticism from political opponents, civil society and Western countries, who said he was oppressing the opposition, curtailing press freedom and holding foreign companies to ransom. But as a president who often styled himself as an African nationalist and devout Catholic waging war against foreign powers seeking to exploit the East African nation, he was not perturbed by such censure. This may have steered his attitude towards dealing with the pandemic, an attitude that will forever colour the way Magufuli will be viewed.

2015 में तंजानिया के राष्ट्रपति बने एक किसान किसान के बेटे जॉन पोम्बे मगुफुली का 61 वर्ष की आयु में निधन हो गया। एक बार उनके मूर्खतापूर्ण दृष्टिकोण के लिए प्रशंसित होने के बाद, वह एक विवादास्पद नेता बन गए, विशेष रूप से कोरोनावायरस महामारी के प्रति उनकी प्रतिक्रिया को लेकर।


Flint town redevelopment plans go on show

Summary: Plans for the redevelopment of a Flintshire town centre show a new layout of houses, roads, public spaces and buildings.

The county council started demolishing the maisonettes in Flint in 2012 as part of its masterplan to unlock space. A community consultation highlighted the "poor physical appearance" of the grey brick 1970s homes and the need to make the town "better connected". A 3D model goes on show on Monday revealing the new proposals. A council spokesperson said: "The proposals aim to develop Flint as a viable and attractive town that better serves the needs of the existing community and also has the ability to attract people from outside the town." The plans can be viewed at the Old Court House between noon and 19:00 GMT.

फ्लिंटशायर टाउन सेंटर के पुनर्विकास की योजनाओं में घरों, सड़कों, सार्वजनिक स्थानों और इमारतों का एक नया खाका दिखाया गया है।


The broken survivors of Sri Lanka's civil war

Summary: The Sri Lankan civil war - which claimed 100,000 lives - ended in 2009 when government forces finally crushed a near-40-year-long insurgency by the Tamil Tiger rebel group. The final months were especially brutal and survivors will not easily forget what happened to them.

By Frances HarrisonFormer BBC Sri Lanka correspondent It was not hard to spot her. The house on the outskirts of Dublin, Ireland, was full of plump Sri Lankan Tamils, joking loudly and overloading the table with dishes of steaming biryani for Sunday lunch. In the corner, reluctant to come forward, stood a skeletal gaunt-faced woman with dark circles under her eyes, a tell-tale sign of sleepless nights. When her brother stood next to her it was impossible to see any family resemblance because she was so physically different after months of starvation and trauma. She looked like the figure in Edvard Munch's famous Scream picture come to life. I call her Sharmila but that is not her real name. Nobody who escapes Sri Lanka wants to be identified when they tell their stories for fear of what might happen to their extended families back home. Sharmila more so than others because she left behind a husband and two children. A farmer's wife inside rebel-held areas of northern Sri Lanka, Sharmila was one of hundreds of thousands of Tamil civilians caught up in the final phase of the war as the government crushed the Tamil Tiger rebels once and for all. A UN investigation said it was possible up to 40,000 people were killed in those five months alone. Others suggest the number of deaths could be even higher. As European tourists sunned themselves on Sri Lanka's southern beaches in 2009, at the other end of the island Sharmila was cowering on a squalid overcrowded beach as scores of rockets from multi-barrelled launchers pummelled the area. Doctors were forced to amputate children's legs without anaesthetic, using butchers' knives in a series of makeshift hospitals that repeatedly came under direct fire. Human rights' groups counted 35 attacks on hospitals in those months - too many to be purely accidental. It is a story of atrocities that was not fully told at the time - journalists and aid workers were barred from the war zone. Three years on, most of the Sinhalese - the majority of Sri Lankans - simply choose not to ask what their troops did in the name of victory. The government still denies accusations that it committed war crimes. Sharmila though cannot forget how she used a shovel to collect up the body parts of her neighbours, blown to pieces by shells. She is haunted by all the people she saw die: a man as he took his son to the toilet, two small children nearby, hundreds queuing under a tree for food. Her own daughter narrowly missed being hit by a shell and a bullet whizzed past her cheek when she went to a Hindu temple to pray that if they were going to die, it would at least be all together, rather than one by one. If the indiscriminate shelling by the government was not enough, there was the added threat of the rebels who needed cannon fodder. Sharmila's daughter was 14 years old and at risk of being snatched. It had long been compulsory for every family to give one child to the rebels to fight. As the war drew to a close they returned for the others. It happened to Sharmila's sister as they camped on the beach. Her first son died fighting so the rebels came for the second, then the third, only 16 years old. "Kill us first, we have already given you two children," screamed Sharmila's sister, but the Tigers just pushed her aside and snatched the boy. That was the last they ever saw of him. Years later Sharmila is still a shattered woman. As she told her story in Dublin, she twisted her sweating palms in anguish and her chair started wobbling. Then I noticed the curtain behind her was quivering too - her whole body physically trembling so much with the effort of remembering that it made everything around her vibrate. I have never seen a person so literally shaken by what they had experienced, many months after the event. Sharmila is typical of the survivors I have interviewed, many of whom are now suicidal, broken people coming forward to tell their stories for the first time. A brave doctor who served in the makeshift clinics saving thousands of lives can no longer stand the sight of blood. A photographer cannot look through a camera lens without seeing dead children. And a Catholic nun struggled to keep her faith in a loving God after everything she had seen. How to listen to From Our Own Correspondent: BBC Radio 4: A 30-minute programme on Saturdays, 11:30 BST. Second 30-minute programme on Thursdays, 11:00 BST (some weeks only). Listen online or download the podcast BBC World Service: Hear daily 10-minute editions Monday to Friday, repeated through the day, also available to listen online. Read more or explore the archive at the programme website.

श्रीलंका का गृहयुद्ध-जिसमें 100,000 लोगों की जान गई थी-2009 में समाप्त हुआ जब सरकारी बलों ने आखिरकार तमिल टाइगर विद्रोही समूह द्वारा लगभग 40 साल लंबे विद्रोह को कुचल दिया। अंतिम महीने विशेष रूप से क्रूर थे और बचे हुए लोग आसानी से नहीं भूलेंगे कि उनके साथ क्या हुआ था।


Cornwall police officer in court over misconduct charge

Summary: A police officer has appeared in court charged with misconduct in public office.

Christopher Wilson, 43, from Saltash, Cornwall, is accused of performing "an abuse of the public's trust" in December 2018 at Launceston. The officer, who is currently suspended from Devon and Cornwall Police, did not enter a plea at Exeter Magistrates' Court. He is due to appear at Exeter Crown Court on 27 November.

एक पुलिस अधिकारी सार्वजनिक कार्यालय में कदाचार के आरोप में अदालत में पेश हुआ है।


A 'goodbye kiss' to Cassini

Summary: It has been making discoveries at the ringed planet for the past 13 years, but the Cassini space probe's epic journey is nearly at an end.

This week, the spacecraft flew to within 120,000km of the Titan moon in order to nudge its trajectory enough to send it on a collision course with Saturn. Nasa referred to this manoeuvre as a "goodbye kiss", as it will melt into Saturn's atmosphere on 15 September. Its destruction is expected to take only a matter of seconds. TAP HERE TO SEE WHAT CASSINI SAW ON ITS MISSION Image subject to copyright

यह पिछले 13 वर्षों से वलयाकार ग्रह पर खोज कर रहा है, लेकिन कैसिनी अंतरिक्ष जांच की महाकाव्य यात्रा लगभग समाप्त हो गई है।


Iris Owens: Son admits Ystrad Mynach murder of mother

Summary: A son has admitted the murder of his 75-year-old mother at her home in Caerphilly county last May.

Robert Owens, 47, pleaded guilty to killing Iris Owens, in Ystrad Mynach, near Caerphilly. He appeared via videolink from Cardiff prison for the hearing at the city's crown court. He is due to be sentenced next month. Judge Eleri Rees ordered him to be seen by a psychiatrist "because of the peculiar nature of the case".

एक बेटे ने पिछले मई में कैर्फिली काउंटी में अपने घर पर अपनी 75 वर्षीय मां की हत्या को स्वीकार किया है।


The 2018 economy: What to watch

Summary: Global stock markets are closing out a blockbuster year.

In the US, the S&P 500 topped 2,670, rising more than 400 points or about 19% over the year. Japan's Nikkei also gained nearly 20%. Even the UK's FTSE indexes hit record highs, ending the year more than 7% ahead. As Morgan Stanley analysts put it, for shareholders at least, the year has been "absurdly good". So what drove the growth and will it continue? Here are some factors to consider in 2018. Global boom A major driver of stock market growth in 2017 was a booming global economy that surpassed expectations. Will the growth continue? Forecasters say basically, yes. The OECD is predicting 3.7% growth in 2018, up from 3.6% this year. IHS Markit expects growth of about 3.2%, while the forecasts of Bank of America Merrill Lynch and Goldman Sachs are a bit rosier at 3.8% and 4%, respectively. One boost will come from the US, where many economists expect new tax cuts to provide a temporary economic jolt, with forecasts for GDP growth of about 2.5%. The increase is expected to translate into stock market gains, although less than in 2017. Morgan Stanley predicts the S&P 500 will reach 2,750 in 2018. Bank of America Merrill Lynch expects it could hit 2,800, while Goldman Sachs forecasts a rise to 2,850 as corporate profits climb. "While there are potential pitfalls in store for 2018, the weight of the evidence as we move toward the New Year remains bullish," Baird analysts wrote in a December report. In some regions, however, it may prove hard to beat the prior year. Economists expect growth in China to slow, and say it will be difficult for Europe to match its 2017 expansion, which was the fastest in a decade. In the UK, PwC predicts GDP growth will slow to 1.4%, while Moody's Analytics predicts 1.3% growth. US tax changes In the US, one factor boosting stocks in 2017 was optimism that Republicans would deliver corporate tax cuts - and they did, passing the most significant overhaul of the US tax code in a generation. In 2018, we'll start to see how companies and consumers respond to the cuts. Will excess cash lead to a flurry of corporate mergers or new investment? Will multinationals adopt different tax strategies? Will revenue declines caused by the cuts lead politicians to slash US welfare programs, exacerbating the gap between rich and poor and stirring political tension? Some analysts worry the stimulus will cause the economy to overheat, and lead the Federal Reserve to raise rates more aggressively than planned. Such a move, which comes as banks in other countries are also removing stimulus, could raise the risk of triggering a recession. But most economists aren't anticipating that will happen in 2018. "With robust growth momentum and no major economic imbalances or other key recession risk indicators flashing red, we see no obvious reason why the expansion needs to end any time soon," Goldman Sachs analysts wrote this month. Trade fights The election of US President Donald Trump sparked fears of trade wars and increased protectionism. He took some steps in that direction in 2017, withdrawing the US from the Trans-Pacific Partnership and ramping up some disputes with Canada. It should become clearer in 2018 how much of his rhetoric will turn into reality, as negotiations over the North American Free Trade Agreement (Nafta) come to a head. President Trump continues to threaten to scrap the deal, but he faces opposition from within his own party, as well as powerful business associations. "There are extensive trade ties among the three North American economies, and an abrupt end of the agreement would impart adjustment costs on many businesses in the three countries," Wells Fargo analysts wrote. Officials hope to wrap up the discussions this spring before election campaigns in Mexico and the US get underway. Also pending is an investigation of intellectual property theft in China. Tech stocks Technology giants - including big names such as Facebook, Amazon, Netflix and Google - powered US stock markets this year, while shaking up traditional sectors including car-makers, department stores, grocers, media giants, banks and advertisers. The tech firms, which are becoming increasingly global, are likely to remain strong stock picks in 2018, said Jill Hall, an equity strategist at Bank of America Merrill Lynch. But the digital behemoths are also facing backlash over their increasing dominance, a groundswell spurred in part by concerns about crippling cyber breaches and the proliferation of fake news on the social media platforms. Will 2018 be the year when US regulators take action? In Europe, authorities have already stepped up enforcement of tax, privacy and competition rules. Scott Kessler of CFRA Research predicts additional action in Europe and possibly the US, yielding at least one more multi-billion dollar fine in 2018.

वैश्विक शेयर बाजार एक ब्लॉकबस्टर वर्ष समाप्त कर रहे हैं।


Coronavirus: Should I start taking vitamin D?

Summary: There are mounting questions about whether vitamin D can help fight coronavirus.

By Michelle RobertsHealth editor, BBC News online The Scientific Advisory Commission on Nutrition and the health watchdog the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE) have done a rapid review of the evidence. What is the advice? With more people staying indoors during the pandemic, some may have been deprived of vitamin D. Normally, many of us get it by spending time outside. Our skin makes it when exposed to the sun. The NHS says people should consider taking 10 micrograms of vitamin D a day if they are spending a lot of time indoors. Scottish and Welsh governments and Northern Ireland's Public Health Agency issued similar advice during lockdown. Before the pandemic, people in the UK were already advised to consider taking supplements from October to March. Public Health England recommends vitamin D throughout the year if: People with dark skin may also not be getting enough, even if they spend time outdoors, and should consider an all-year-round supplement. There is evidence that black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) people have a higher risk of getting seriously ill with coronavirus. Why do we need vitamin D? Vitamin D is important for healthy bones, teeth and muscles. A lack of it can lead to a bone deformity illness called rickets in children, and a similar bone weakness condition called osteomalacia in adults. There are also suggestions that vitamin D boosts the immune system and helps fight off infections. Some studies suggest adequate vitamin D levels help when we have common colds and flu, for example. But evidence from research is inconsistent. The Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN) says studies on using vitamin D for treating or preventing chest infections showed insufficient evidence to recommend it for this. Can it stop coronavirus? A review of research by NICE suggests there is no evidence to support taking vitamin D supplements to specifically prevent or treat coronavirus. But experts think that it may have some broader health benefits during the pandemic to keep people as nutritionally fit as possible. Some researchers have suggested that vitamin D deficiency might be linked with poorer outcomes if someone catches coronavirus. But other underlying risk factors, such as heart disease, are common in these patients too, making it hard to draw conclusions. Prof Jon Rhodes, Emeritus Professor of Medicine at the University of Liverpool, says vitamin D has anti-inflammatory effects, and some research suggests it may dampen down the body's immune response to viruses. This could be relevant in very ill coronavirus patients, where severe lung damage can result from an inflammatory state in response to the virus, he says, although much more research is needed. Should I take lots of it? No. Although vitamin D supplements are very safe, taking more than the recommended amount every day can be dangerous in the long run. If you choose to take vitamin D supplements: Higher doses may sometimes be recommended by a doctor for patients with proven vitamin D deficiency. Some people with certain medical conditions, such as kidney problems, cannot safely take vitamin D. Where can I buy it? Vitamin D supplements are widely available from supermarkets and chemists. They may be just vitamin D or part of a multivitamin tablet. The ingredient listed on the label of most Vitamin D supplements is D3, the one made by your skin. Vitamin D2 is produced by plants. Vitamin drops are available for babies. What about diet? Although eating a well-balanced diet can help ensure the normal functioning of the immune system, no individual nutrient, food or supplement is going to "boost" it beyond normal levels. It's difficult to get enough vitamin D from food alone. Eating a well-balanced diet is important for good health and is advisable even outside a pandemic. It can include vitamin D-rich foods like oily fish and eggs. Some breakfast cereals, margarines and yoghurts are fortified with vitamin D. Should I sunbathe? Although you cannot overdose on vitamin D through exposure to sunlight, strong sun burns skin so you need to balance making vitamin D with being safe in the sun. Cover up or protect your skin with sunscreen to prevent burning and damage. What about children, babies and pregnant women? The advice is: The dose for adults (10 micrograms a day) applies to pregnant and breastfeeding women. A higher dose may be recommended for pregnant women with dark skin or with high-risk pregnancies.

इस बारे में सवाल उठ रहे हैं कि क्या विटामिन डी कोरोनावायरस से लड़ने में मदद कर सकता है।


Leopard surprises Indian holiday couple

Summary: A leopard broke into a hotel room in northern India over the weekend giving its occupants a nasty shock, local media have reported.

The PTI agency said Sumit Rathore and his wife Shivani were asleep when the leopard broke a window and climbed into the room early on Sunday. The couple eventually managed to lock the animal inside the bathroom and raise the alarm. Officials believe that the leopard had been chased by dogs. It later escaped from the room and ran off into the jungle. The hill town of Nainital in Uttrakhand state, where the hotel is located, is no stranger to late-night visitors from the forest. The incident comes weeks after a Himalayan black bear broke the window pane of a hotel room in the same region.

स्थानीय मीडिया ने बताया है कि एक तेंदुआ सप्ताहांत में उत्तर भारत में एक होटल के कमरे में घुस गया, जिससे उसमें रहने वालों को एक बुरा झटका लगा।


First London hire bike crash victim was Frenchwoman

Summary: The first person to be killed riding a hire bike in London was a 20-year-old Frenchwoman, it has emerged.

Philippine Degerin-Ricard was struck by a lorry on Cycle Superhighway 2 outside Aldgate East station in east London, at 18:30 BST on Friday. It was the first fatal crash since the "Boris bike" scheme began in 2010. A post-mortem examination earlier found she died of multiple injuries. An inquest will open and adjourn on Wednesday at Poplar Coroners Court.

यह सामने आया है कि लंदन में किराए की बाइक पर सवार होने वाले पहले व्यक्ति की हत्या एक 20 वर्षीय फ्रांसीसी महिला ने की थी।


Registration closes for Big Weekend

Summary: Applications for free tickets to this year's Radio 1 Big Weekend in Bangor, north Wales have now closed.

Those who have applied for tickets will be notified whether they have been successful or not via email by midday on Friday 7 May. Acts such as Cheryl Cole, JLS and Rihanna have lined-up to play this year's 40,000 capacity event held at Faenol Park on 22 and 23 of May. Organisers have reminded those who don't have a ticket not to turn up on the day, and that tickets are not on sale through any outlets.

उत्तरी वेल्स के बांगोर में इस साल के रेडियो 1 बिग वीकेंड के लिए मुफ्त टिकट के लिए आवेदन अब बंद हो गए हैं।


Firefighters rescue four-year-old girl from Hull house fire

Summary: A four-year-old girl has been taken to hospital after being rescued by firefighters from a burning house.

Crews wearing breathing apparatus rescued the child from an upstairs bedroom in the property in Oldstead Avenue, Hull, just after 11:00 BST. Humberside Fire and Rescue Service said the girl's mother, who had escaped from the house before fire engines arrived, was also taken to hospital. The pair are suffering from the effects of smoke inhalation. A fire service spokesman said their medical condition was "unknown". Follow BBC East Yorkshire and Lincolnshire on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Send your story ideas to yorkslincs.news@bbc.co.uk.

एक जलते हुए घर से अग्निशामकों द्वारा बचाए जाने के बाद एक चार वर्षीय लड़की को अस्पताल ले जाया गया है।


Dubs or subs? Parasite renews debate on how to watch foreign films

Summary: The South Korean dark comedy film Parasite had a historic awards season sweep - and in the process, reignited the debate over whether subtitles or dubbing is the best way to watch a movie that isn't in your native language.

By Ritu PrasadBBC News As director Bong Joon Ho accepted the first-ever best foreign language picture Golden Globe for a South Korean film, he said: "Once you overcome the one-inch tall barrier of subtitles, you will be introduced to so many more amazing films." Fast forward a month, and he was making history again, accepting the best picture award once more at the Oscars. Parasite's Oscar win introduced it to a broad US audience - but not everyone was in favour of watching the award winner in its original language. Dubbing takes the stress out of enjoying a foreign film, some argued, and performances are meant to be heard, not read. The angered response from subtitle fans ranged from accusations of racism to pointing out the needs of deaf viewers. How you watch a foreign film is a clearly personal matter, tangled in pet peeves and accessibility. But as foreign flicks are gaining more screen time before American audiences, here's a deeper dive into how we got here, and where the industry is headed. In the early days of film, on-screen text was far from a "one-inch barrier" - it was the only way to express dialogue. Title cards were the precursor to subtitles, and they, too, were controversial in a way that mirrors the modern debate. Stage actors would try to hide their work in silent film as many felt the lack of sound diminished the quality of the performance, Professor Marsha McKeever of the undergraduate Film and Television department at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts, told the BBC. But when conversations took place through cards instead of sound, adapting films to other languages was straightforward. As "movies" turned into "talkies", subtitling emerged as a way to hold onto a lucrative foreign market. It has since become the preferred way for film critics and connoisseurs to view foreign language features. NYU faculty, for example, would be unlikely to show a dub in class, the university's graduate film department said. For Prof McKeever, who is also a sound and picture editor, much of enjoying a movie boils down to what you hear. "We react so emotionally to sound. That's why films are scored, that's why dialogue is important." If a dub has sub-par voice acting or doesn't properly sync with what you see on screen, it can negatively affect your perception, Prof McKeever says. With subtitles, the audience both sees the original performance and hears the original emotion. "Your brain is so used to hearing emotion in language that it will get the meaning behind the subtitle through the performance by the actor in the original language. You hear if they're sad, if they're happy." Regardless of what film purists say, however, dubbing is on the rise. For that, you can blame Netflix. In October, Netflix reported it had more subscribers outside the US - nearly 100 million - than domestically, where just over 60 million pay for the service. The streaming giant is driving the dubbing business by producing content around the world and localising it for a number of markets, says Jeff Howell, a vocal coach and director who works with Netflix. To "localise" a production, the original studio hires professionals to analyse scenes and translate them to a new language. Mr Howell has worked both as a vocal director and an "adapter" who works on casting and direction. "We spend quite a bit of time casting, sometimes we have to read-to-picture to make sure the voice sounds like it's coming out of that mouth," he says. Dubbing has a bad reputation because, for years, it was badly done, he says - there was a lack of attention to detail to the voice acting and post-production processes. But today, professionals are focusing on ways to make it better, carefully interpreting scripts and taking into consideration things like "lip flap" - when the mouth movement and dubbed-over voice do not sync up. Dubbing defenders say that modern viewing habits make it superior to subtitles. Mr Howell argues that dubbing is better for audiences as they increasingly view films and series on small, portable screens. "You can't read subtitles on a phone or iPad, really," he says. And dubbing is easier on the brain. Getting information from a caption requires eye movements across a screen, cognitive input to interpret the words while also paying attention to the action on the screen. An educated US adult can do all three fluently, says Prof Charles Perfetti, a cognitive science professor at the University of Pittsburgh, but a less skilled reader will find it taxing. For viewers with visual impairments, those cannot read or have conditions like dyslexia, dubbing is the only way they can enjoy media in non-native languages. Outside the English-speaking world, dubbing has been less controversial. Much of Europe opts for dubbing in lieu of subtitles, though the latter is cheaper. Germany, Italy and France have dubbed foreign films since the 1930s - even as early critics blasted the process as "witchcraft" and an "amputation" of the original. China has also dubbed films into Standard Mandarin. Netflix's dubbing efforts seem to be converting some Americans to the cause. Most US viewers preferred the dubbed versions of its most popular foreign shows, the streaming service told the New York Times. As a dubbing director in this new streaming-heavy world, Mr Howell emphasises that he works to respect the original content - "to protect it", not change it- though he admits some alterations are unavoidable. "There are cultural nuances in language that we can't possibly recreate," he says. "We can have the greatest adaptation and it could line up almost perfectly but there are going to be subtle differences that don't translate. "It's not 100% but I'd say we get as close as we possibly can, directing it in such a way that we're protecting the creative integrity of the culture that created the material." And to be fair, alterations happen with subtitles too - language can be simplified to allow for quick reading in time with the action on screen. Debates aside, outside of the streaming realm, foreign-language films still struggle to reach US markets. As of 2020, only 12 have ever been released in more than 1,000 American theatres, according to data viewed by Quartz. Before Parasite, the last was Jet Li's Fearless in 2006. When it debuted in October, the 2020 Best Picture Oscar winner was screened in only three theatres. Yet, as its awards success has shown, a good film will captivate audiences no matter in what language. Subtitled films have rarely grossed over $100m (£77m), but Parasite has already surpassed $200m worldwide. The biggest foreign language film to find success in the US to date is the Chinese drama Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, which grossed $128m in 2000 and won the Oscar and Golden Globe awards for best foreign language film. "What it speaks to more than anything is we're looking at filmmaking as the craft, not being bogged down in where it's made and who is saying what in what language," says Prof McKeever. "Is it a good story, is it done well, are we there emotionally with the actors? "Regardless of language, that's the heart of moviemaking."

दक्षिण कोरियाई डार्क कॉमेडी फिल्म पैरासाइट ने एक ऐतिहासिक पुरस्कार सीज़न में जीत हासिल की-और इस प्रक्रिया में, इस बहस को फिर से शुरू किया कि क्या उपशीर्षक या डबिंग एक ऐसी फिल्म देखने का सबसे अच्छा तरीका है जो आपकी मूल भाषा में नहीं है।


Stagecoach sells 'rival' Preston Bus Ltd for £3.2m

Summary: Transport company Stagecoach has sold its "bus war" rival after being ordered to do so by the Competition Commission.

Perth-based transport group Stagecoach bought out its competitor Preston Bus Ltd in January 2009. In November 2009, the commission concluded the sale reduced competition and was not in passengers' interests. Stagecoach was instructed to sell Preston Bus "to a company capable of competing with it". Birmingham-based Rotala plc paid £3.2m for the company. At the time a Stagecoach spokesman described the decision as "a perverse and irrational contradiction of competition law and common sense."

परिवहन कंपनी स्टेजकोच ने प्रतिस्पर्धा आयोग द्वारा ऐसा करने का आदेश दिए जाने के बाद अपने "बस युद्ध" प्रतिद्वंद्वी को बेच दिया है।


Islay shakes in minor earthquake

Summary: Residents of a Scottish island experienced a small earthquake of 2.6 magnitude during the early hours.

Islanders on Islay reported that windows and doors were rattled during the tremor at about 05:35. However, no structural damage was reported and no-one was thought to have been injured . The last UK earthquake recorded as "significant" by the British Geological Survey struck Lincolnshire in 2008. It had a magnitude of 5.2. Another small tremor, of magnitude 1.9, was reported on Islay on 5 February.

एक स्कॉटिश द्वीप के निवासियों ने शुरुआती घंटों के दौरान 2.6 तीव्रता के एक छोटे से भूकंप का अनुभव किया।


Hopkins apologise over 'badly-timed' Scottish joke

Summary: The Apprentice star and Sun columnist Katie Hopkins has apologised after making a joke about Scots just hours after the Glasgow helicopter crash.

She had tweeted: "Life expectancy in Scotland based 07/08 birth is 59.5. Goodness me. That lot will do anything to avoid working until retirement." Thousands of people signed a petition calling for her to be banned from TV, and protest Facebook pages were set up. Ms Hopkins apologised and said it had been "bad timing". In a later tweet, she said her comments had referred to a government article on health. The Clutha pub had been packed with more than 100 people when a police helicopter crashed into it at 22:25 on Friday, killing nine people.

अप्रेंटिस स्टार और सन स्तंभकार केटी हॉपकिंस ने ग्लासगो हेलीकॉप्टर दुर्घटना के कुछ ही घंटों बाद स्कॉट्स के बारे में मजाक करने के बाद माफी मांगी है।


Gyles Brandreth: 'Prince Philip would have been touched by public reaction'

Summary: Writer and broadcaster Gyles Brandreth reflects on the public reaction to the Duke of Edinburgh's death, and how next weekend's low-key funeral will be a poignant moment in the life of the Royal Family and the nation.

I think the Duke of Edinburgh would have been pleasantly surprised by the reaction to his death. He was very much somebody who didn't really think about himself very much. In fact, he made it a policy not to talk about himself, and he was quite dismissive of how he was seen, and I don't think he gave it much thought. I think he couldn't have failed to be touched by it, particularly by the extraordinary international response. It's been striking that leaders from across the world have responded in the way they have. In a sense it's a reward for the fact that he travelled to more countries than any other member of the Royal Family ever. Although he didn't take compliments well and he was always wanting no fuss, saying let's keep this low key, he would have been gratified. The public reaction to the Duke's death reflects a couple of things. One is the people's affection for the Queen. In a sense what has struck people is the sudden realisation that the Queen is alone. She met Prince Philip in the 1930s, they fell in love in the 1940s, and were married in 1947, which is longer than most people have been alive, and now she is alone. So it's partly a sense of affection for the Queen and her loss. But this is also someone who has lived 100 years - he has been there all our lives, so people can pause and reflect on a whole century that has gone by. This is the phenomenon of someone who has always been there, and people have stopped to think that he always did what he was asked to do. He was asked to support the Queen and he did, and he turned up in the right uniform on the right day at the right time without fail, for more than 70 years. It reflects the success of the Duke of Edinburgh's Awards Scheme too. My grandson, when he heard the news yesterday, happened to be working for a charity in order to get his Duke of Edinburgh's Gold award. So the Duke of Edinburgh meant something to him, even though he's only 16. And the award scheme means that children and young people understand what he was about even though they could only see him as a very old man. I think it's surprised people seeing all the tributes, because he's been retired for three years. But people have also seen the news footage, and discovered a) how dynamic he was b) how good-looking and c) how active he was in so many areas over so many years, and that will have surprised many younger people. Another trait that has come to light is his wicked sense of humour. Some of his jokes would probably now seem politically incorrect, but of course it was the humour of somebody of his generation. My favourite joke of his - and I heard him say this - was: Whenever you see a man opening a car door for his wife, it's either a new car or a new wife. He could also be quite disconcerting to be with. I remember being at the last fundraising event I did with him at Buckingham Palace nearly 10 years ago when he was already in his 90s. I was speaking and he kept interrupting me, saying this is boring, heard that story before. But he did like to make people laugh and he succeeded on the whole. He knew he ran risks, that if he told too many jokes, once in a while one was bound to go wrong. But he was himself, and he'd say - there's not a lot I can do about it. A public man, but not a public occasion As regards the funeral, in normal times we would have expected something a lot more elaborate. But he was really not looking forward to the fuss there would have been on his 100th birthday. So the pandemic has in a way come to his rescue, and it will be a much quieter, small-scale affair. It'll be more poignant, though, because it will remind us that although he was a public man it won't be a public occasion. There would have been 800 people there, representing many of the charities with which he was involved. But that won't happen now - there will be 30 people, principally members of his family. He said to me more than once: "We are a family." That's what it is, it's just a group of people when all's said and done, so it will very poignant, of course, to see the Queen alone and to see her children and grandchildren mourning the loss of a father and grandfather. In a way it makes it more powerful, as something people can relate to because it's a family gathering just like any other. There's a realisation that if we regard the Queen's reign as a success, and most people do, he is the joint author of it. People were interested in what Barack Obama was saying about the value of the monarchy - in a world where presidents and prime ministers come and go, to have had this couple there for all our lives is a phenomenon, and it's unsettling when it changes.

लेखक और प्रसारक गिल्स ब्रैंड्रेथ ड्यूक ऑफ एडिनबर्ग की मृत्यु पर सार्वजनिक प्रतिक्रिया पर प्रतिबिंबित करते हैं, और कैसे अगले सप्ताहांत का कम महत्वपूर्ण अंतिम संस्कार शाही परिवार और राष्ट्र के जीवन में एक मार्मिक क्षण होगा।


Andrea Leadsom's bullying inquiry losing staff support

Summary: The fix is in. A whitewash is coming. That is the view of House of Commons clerks, a week on from Newsnight's expose of the problem of bullying and harassment by MPs. Andrea Leadsom, Leader of the House of Commons, has proposed an inquiry into what we found. But, we now know, it is likely to be a partial one.

Chris CookPolicy editor, Newsnight@xtophercookon Twitter On Monday, when she first suggested an inquiry, Ms Leadsom said: "the House Commission next meets on Monday 19 March and I have given notice to my fellow members that I will be recommending a short, independently led inquiry by the House Commission looking into allegations of systemic bullying of parliamentary staff." She continued: "I will propose that the inquiry should hear from past and current staff members about their experiences and help to provide them with closure wherever possible." Her wording was a little vague. It is also the case that the House of Commons Commission, the panel that runs the House, would decide on the terms. But she said she wanted an inquiry would take up the issues raised by our report and offer closure to victims. Some clerks took this as a hint that individual bullying and harassment cases would be therefore be opened - or reopened. Yesterday, though, Ms Leadsom made clear that would not happen. Speaking in Parliament, she said: "I can give him a specific reassurance: the inquiry into the bullying of House staff that I will propose to the House of Commons Commission on Monday 19 March will not be carrying out investigations into individual cases." She added: "That is exactly why I expect it to attract the Commission's full support." In short, she did not think that a full inquiry would get the support of the Commission. It may be this or nothing. Drawing conclusions But this leaves her in a curious position. She explicitly says: "There are existing avenues open to anyone wishing to raise specific grievances, and individuals coming forward will be advised to use those where they apply, but the inquiry will look at whether they are functioning properly." But as Woman D, a former clerk who was a witness to bullying by MPs, said: "How on earth can you make a new policy - or improve an existing one - without examining how it has affected individuals in the past. How can you possibly learn lessons without investigating failings?" Hannah White, a former clerk now at the Institute for Government, said: "Andrea Leadsom's proposed inquiry will be seen as a whitewash if it does not examine how effective the Respect Policy [the existing bullying and harassment policy] has been to date in dealing with individual cases". Ms White is an incoming member of the board of the Chamber and Committees Team, the part of the House that employs clerks in MP-facing roles. The fudge It may be that the inquiry will take on real examples, but then not publish conclusions about the cases. Parliament could end up in the odd situation of spending public money collating information about elected politicians bullying public employees, spending more money analysing those cases - and then not acting directly against individuals that they believe have behaved poorly. It would be a curious response to the cases Lucinda Day and I published last week - on TV and online - as well. We named three MPs as being the subject of serious bullying allegations - John Bercow, Paul Farrelly and Mark Pritchard. All deny it. An independent inquiry could clear their names against what Mr Farrelly said was our "very one-sided, selective" reporting. The Leadsom proposal, however, could have one unpleasant side-effect. It could mean that MPs benefit from a "let bygones be bygones" policy. If the inquiry does not allow review of old cases, it is not clear whether anything more will happen. Ms Leadsom wants clerks to be covered by a new HR policy, which is soon to be rolled out. But it is unlikely that it will be possible to use it to bring forward cases that have happened under old anti-bullying and harassment regimes. That was a feature of the inquiry into Mr Farrelly from 2012 after a complaint was raised against him: his case was brought when an HR policy was 8 months old - and that meant only 8 months of evidence could be admitted. As a consequence, the House discarded evidence from two women stretching back eight years. Mr Farrelly denies any bullying. The clerks Woman D said: "I'd like to know what reasons are being used to justify this stance, because from where I am sitting it looks like a deliberate attempt to silence people who have made complaints against Members in the past that have not been satisfactorily dealt with, through a policy that all parties finally acknowledge was not fit for purpose." Woman Q, a serving clerk who has made complaints about bullying by a member, said: "Until members are prepared to come to terms with what has happened in the past, they will not be able to design a system fit for the future." "As a victim of this behaviour, I have absolutely no confidence that the member who bullied me will ever be properly sanctioned. He... will be able to do it again because neither his party nor the House authorities have the courage to tackle him." Ms Leadsom is sympathetic to these concerns. There may be ways of fixing this: perhaps a parallel or subsequent process. Perhaps this inquiry could publish enough narrative details of cases that the political parties could act against sitting MPs. But any process that wins the confidence of the clerks will need to make sure that MPs who have harassed or bullied staff in the past can face the consequences.

हल आ गया है। एक सफेदी आ रही है। यह हाउस ऑफ कॉमन्स क्लर्कों का विचार है, न्यूज़नाइट द्वारा सांसदों द्वारा बदमाशी और उत्पीड़न की समस्या के उजागर होने के एक सप्ताह बाद। हाउस ऑफ कॉमन्स की नेता एंड्रिया लीडसम ने हमें जो मिला है उसकी जांच का प्रस्ताव दिया है। लेकिन, अब हम जानते हैं, यह आंशिक होने की संभावना है।


Call for effective investigation on Eknaligoda disappearance

Summary: The World Organisation against Torture (OMCT) has urged President Mahinda Rajapaksha carry out a prompt and, effective investigation into the disappearance of journalist. Prageeth Eknaligoda.

One month after his disappearance, his whereabouts remain unknown. The OMCT says that police has so far failed to make any inquiry findings public and is concerned with the reluctance of the Homagama police to record a complaint regarding the disappearance. President Rajapaksa has been urged to conduct investigations into the disappearance of Eknaligoda, in accordance with international human rights standards. OMCT also has drawn attention to Eknaligoda’s health condition since he has a serious diabetic condition and needs to have two daily insulin injection as well as specific medication following an open heart bypass surgery. Speaking to BBC Sandeshaya Police spokesman Prishantha Jayakody said that two police teams are investigating in to the disappearance and details have been made available to courts.

यातना के खिलाफ विश्व संगठन (ओ. एम. सी. टी.) ने राष्ट्रपति महिंदा राजपक्षे से पत्रकार प्रगीत एकनालिगोडा के लापता होने की त्वरित और प्रभावी जांच करने का आग्रह किया है।


Paradise Papers: Ukraine crime gang hid proceeds in luxury London flats

Summary: A Ukrainian crime gang used offshore firms in British tax havens to secretly invest millions of pounds in the UK, a BBC Panorama investigation has found.

By Paradise Papers reporting team BBC Panorama The gangsters, and in some cases family members, bought luxurious property in prime London locations, including a £12.5m flat. The daughter of a man dubbed the "Don of Odessa" is the registered owner of three homes in one expensive block. Many of the revelations come from the Paradise Papers data breach. The gang were from the Black Sea port of Odessa and made money in the oil industry. They came on to the police's radar in the late 1990s when they were suspected of drugs and arms smuggling. In the chaos following the collapse of the Soviet Union the gang branched out into Europe, using Italy as a base. But police were on to them. For four years specialist anti-mafia officers tracked their movements across the continent. They tapped their phones and what the men discussed was chilling, police said. "They described murders that were particularly cruel. 'I kept hitting his head until it broke... I killed him with many blows,'" recalls Italian state police Deputy Commissioner Nunzia Savino. "They were extremely violent." The gang was organised along strict mafia lines with each member assigned a role. Among them were: Despite evidence from the phone taps, most of the gang members were never charged because their crimes were not committed in Italy. Eventually, the anti-mafia investigation was wound up. Mr Trukhanov returned to Odessa to begin his political career, Mr Angert settled in London while Mr Fomichev is believed to have moved to Belgium. Offshore shell companies Like many other investors looking for a solid return on their capital, the gangsters saw a promising opportunity for their cash in the London property market. The men kept their names off public records by using offshore companies registered in the British Virgin Islands (BVI), where it was possible to be an anonymous owner. Mr Angert controlled a company called East Corner Properties set up in the BVI. It bought an apartment in an expensive Victorian block in Kensington where the poet TS Eliot once lived. Riverside apartments In 2001 another offshore firm, Matelot Real Estate Incorporated, paid just over £1m for a flat in a shiny new tower block on the River Thames across from Chelsea Harbour, which it sold in 2006. We don't know who was originally behind it because when it was set up Matelot had nominee directors and an anonymous owner. But thanks to the huge Paradise Papers data breach, we do know in 2010 the ultimate beneficial owner of Matelot was Nickolay Fomichev, a member of the gang. In a joint investigation with the Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project, Panorama has delved into documents from Appleby, the offshore services provider at the heart of the Paradise Papers. The documents were originally obtained by German newspaper Suddeustche Zeitung, which shared them with the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, the BBC and nearly 100 other media partners. In December 2015, the Appleby Group's offshore fiduciary and administrative service business separated from its legal division to form a group of new companies called Estera. Appleby and Estera are now separately owned businesses. As well as revealing Mr Fomichev's connection to Matelot, the Paradise Papers show two other flats in the building were owned by another offshore company linked to the gang. Aspiring film-maker and the £12.5m flat Mr Fomichev's name crops up in connection with more property a couple of miles north of the river in one of the world's most affluent areas. Number 199 Knightsbridge resembles an expensive hotel, with security and staff manning the entrance. Two apartments in the building were bought by offshore companies called Brightside Properties Number 3 and 4. The numbers don't relate to the flat numbers. Documents show by 2010 both companies were owned by Mr Fomichev, who is now believed to be dead. Source document In 2015 Brightside sold the flats to a young budding film-maker named Anya Angert. She is the daughter of the Don of Odessa. The purchase price for just one of the flats was £12.5m. It is unclear how Ms Angert was able to afford it, but she now owns a total of three flats at 199 Knightsbridge. Source document We have also discovered that a fourth flat in the block was linked to the gang. Donald Toon, director of the National Crime Agency, said the case "certainly gives me cause for suspicion... that there is money laundering taking place". "What we need to do in these circumstances is to be able to be clear how much of that material is capable of being used in court as evidence as it stands," he added. The professionals Establishing offshore companies needs help from professionals. London accountant Alexander Popivker, working from an office in Finchley, set up and administered dozens of offshore companies - known as the Rubicon Group - with the help of Appleby. Some of these companies were used by the gang from Odessa. To guard against money laundering international firms like Appleby are required to carry out rigorous checks on all their clients. But they can allow other professionals to conduct due diligence checks for them. They made Mr Popivker an "eligible introducer", which meant he could bring new businesses into the Appleby fold and vouch for their owners. It is legal. But for the system to work the introducer has to be thorough and independent. Mr Popivker is married to the sister of mafia boss Alexander Angert. The accountant and the mayor Money laundering checks should be especially thorough when a company is owned by politicians or politically exposed persons (PEPs). The Paradise Papers show Gennadiy Trukhanov had a major stake in four offshore firms that were administered by Appleby. For years, Appleby seemed unaware that he had become a PEP. When it asked Mr Popivker about the money, he told Appleby "Gennadiy Trukhanov is unknown to us". But documents in Appleby's own files suggest this was not true. When Panorama caught up with Mr Popivker, he denied dealings with the mayor, saying he had "never dealt with him in any capacity". Mr Popivker later told us: "At no time and under no circumstances did my company or I personally engage, either historically or currently, with a client or group of clients where the clients' integrity, activities, sources of their funds or the nature of proposed transactions were in any doubt as to their legitimacy of legality." Mr Trukhanov is currently under criminal investigation in Ukraine. Last October his home and offices in Odessa were raided. In February he was arrested and accused of embezzlement in Odessa but was allowed to carry on as mayor. "We suspect the mayor of Odessa of stealing money from the city of Odessa," said Nazar Kholodnytskiy, Ukraine's special anti-corruption prosecutor. Mr Trukhanov denies the allegations. He also denied all of Panorama's claims, saying the programme was putting out false information which "undermines his honour, dignity and reputation". Financial regulators Appleby has been in the firing line in the past. For almost 10 years, the offshore service provider's BVI office failed to notice it was setting up and administering some companies that were being used by gangsters to launder money. In February 2009 a compliance manager pointed out that Appleby BVI was not running adequate checks on companies. Source document The same report pointed to a company set up by Mr Popivker as an example of where proper checks had not been carried out. In 2011, an Appleby employee noticed serious problems in the record keeping for Mr Popivker's companies. Local regulators also picked up on problems in Appleby's BVI office. In 2012 the BVI Financial Services Commission (FSC) found there was missing compliance documentation. In 2013 the commission wrote to the group managing partner of Appleby about "continued and significant regulatory deficiencies" and in 2014 concluded Appleby BVI had broken money laundering rules. Appleby says that "whilst it is correct that the 2014 FSC Report identified certain areas of improvement, Appleby had by that time already taken a number of corrective actions." It says the documents we are using were stolen. Appleby BVI finally parted ways with Mr Popivker in 2015 after the BVI's Financial Investigation Agency demanded to know who was behind one of the companies he was acting for as part of a money-laundering inquiry. Appleby says it was legally entitled to rely on Mr Popivker to carry out due diligence and stopped using eligible introducers in 2015. In the same year the 60-plus companies in the Rubicon Group were moved to a different offshore provider. The UK's reputation Transparency International, which assisted in the investigation, says it is far too easy for criminals to bring dirty money into the UK. "Corrupt individuals cannot steal public funds unless they have a getaway vehicle and then a safe place to stash their stolen loot," said its head of advocacy, Rachel Davies Teka. "And anonymous companies are the getaway vehicle and UK assets, such as property, are the safe haven." Shadow chancellor John McDonnell says the UK has become the money laundering capital of the world. "Our reputation is being damaged by it... There's been too many examples over years of dirty money coming into the city and by allowing this to happen we are almost aiding and abetting these criminals," he said. The government has promised to introduce a public register to reveal the true owners of UK properties owned by offshore companies. Security and Economic Crime Minister Ben Wallace said he is determined to stop money laundering. "We will come for them, for their assets and their money. I am determined that we use all the powers we have, including the new powers in the Criminal Finances Act, to counter the threat from illicit funds." The powers include unexplained wealth orders, which allow assets to be seized where the source of funds is suspicious. The National Crime Agency said the orders could potentially be used to seize some of the London flats linked to the Ukrainian gang. Panorama - Gangsters' Dirty Money Exposed will be broadcast on BBC One on Monday 23 April, at 20:30 BST, or watch later on BBC iPlayer Find out more about the words and phrases found in the Paradise Papers. Your browser does not support this Lookup Your guide to financial jargon The Paradise Papers is huge data breach mostly from the former offshore services provider Appleby, along with corporate registries in 19 tax jurisdictions, which reveal the financial dealings of politicians, celebrities, corporate giants and business leaders. The 13.4 million records were passed to German newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung and then shared with the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ). Panorama has led research for the BBC as part of a global investigation involving nearly 100 other media organisations, including the Guardian, in 67 countries. The BBC does not know the identity of the source. In a statement on the Paradise Papers, Appleby said it was a law firm which operates in jurisdictions regulated to the highest international standards and "advises clients on legitimate and lawful ways to conduct their business".

बीबीसी पैनोरमा की एक जांच में पाया गया है कि एक यूक्रेनी अपराध गिरोह ने ब्रिटेन में गुप्त रूप से लाखों पाउंड का निवेश करने के लिए ब्रिटिश कर पनाहगाहों में अपतटीय फर्मों का इस्तेमाल किया।


MGMT confirm second LP details

Summary: MGMT have confirmed release details for their forthcoming second album.

Congratulations, the follow-up to the duo's 2008 debut Oracular Spectacular will be made available on 12 April. Produced by Sonic Boom [Pete Kember] the nine-track album was recorded throughout last year in upstate New York, Malibu, and Brooklyn.

एम. जी. एम. टी. ने अपने आगामी दूसरे एल्बम के रिलीज़ विवरण की पुष्टि की है।