Getting to know Dilma over dinner

Summary: She loves British television costume dramas and longs for the ordinariness of a "normal" life. She's also proud to show guests around the place she calls home - surely one of the finest buildings ever designed by the Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer - and even admits to once riding around Brasilia on the back of a friend's moped for an hour because she had the urge.

Wyre DaviesRio de Janeiro correspondent Dilma Rousseff is also very defensive and passionate about how Brazil has organised and prepared for the 2014 Fifa World Cup. Invited, with a handful of other foreign correspondents, to dinner with Brazil's president, I arrived at the Alvorada Palace to meet the elected leader of 200 million people and the world's sixth biggest economy, not really knowing what kind of person to expect. Ms Rousseff rarely gives media interviews and much less so to the foreign press. But these are important times for Brazil, a country that finds itself in the global spotlight, and not all of the attention it is getting is positive. With barely a week to go before the opening game of the World Cup kicks off in Sao Paulo, the first thing Brazil's president asks me is: "Don't you think it's going to happen?" The question is rhetorical. "Of course it's going to happen, and everything will be ready," she fires back. Ms Rousseff's government has been stung by relentless criticism, from commentators at home and abroad, about the vast sums of public money being spent on building new stadiums and the delays or cancellations to promised infrastructure projects. "Everywhere in the world these big engineering projects always go down to the wire," the president told our small group as we stood overlooking the Alvorada's exquisite gardens, unsure of how formal this meeting was going to be or how much a normally reticent leader would open up. Her government has been repeatedly accused of not finishing numerous public transport and other infrastructure projects in time for the Cup. "You can't finish a metro in two years - at least not in Brazil - perhaps only in China," retorts the president. "Anyway," she goes on, "these jobs will be finished eventually because they're essential projects for the whole country, not just for the World Cup". Informal Agreeing to differ on whether all will be forgotten once the tournament begins on 12 June, we move into the dining room and Dilma (as everyone in Brazil knows their president) opens up. As journalists tuck into steak or a Bahian prawn stew, she goes for a modest pasta dish and doesn't touch a drop of alcohol all night. She plays down "scare stories" in the press about transport problems during the Cup, the safety of stadiums and is especially dismissive of some media reports that Brazil is in the midst of a dengue fever epidemic. Her informality with people she is meeting for the first time is engaging. Her grasp of detailed policy issues - especially macroeconomics - is impressive and persuasive. You get the feeling that while, like every Brazilian, she will always give the impression of being absorbed by the four-week-long football festival, her real concerns and passions are for the longer-term challenges her country faces. "In Brazil we don't have small projects - we have to resolve our problems with big, macro solutions," says the president as she outlines in some detail how the energy needs of millions of Brazilians living in the north of the country are being addressed. Not swayed If, as currently looks likely, Dilma Rousseff is re-elected later this year for a second presidential term, the question for many is whether she will relax Brazil's heavily protectionist economic policies. From what I heard over Brazilian stew and rice tonight, the lady is not for moving when it comes to her economic principles and what she says is being achieved. "We're not going to risk increasing unemployment or recession," President Rousseff says pointedly. The centre-left leader is clearly not swayed by the arguments of some commentators, especially in the financial press, who are forever pleading with her to relax import duties, make Brazilian industry more competitive and reduce the burden on the state. President Rousseff is proud of a welfare record that has brought 30 million Brazilians out of poverty and is no fan of those who urge her to adopt a tariff-free, market-led approach when "there are improvements in public services and especially education" to achieve first. She concludes a lengthy passage about her economic strategy by saying, "the redistribution of income and resources is an important part of our policy and we defend the right to continue doing that". A second Rousseff term would almost certainly have to be more engaged on the international scene. One of the reasons that we in the foreign media rarely get close to her is that foreign policy is such a small part of her overall political platform. Top of that agenda, surely, is repairing relations with Washington after Ms Rousseff controversially cancelled a state visit to the US last year over allegations of NSA spying on Brazilian politicians and companies. "I think that what is needed is a strong signal that it can never be repeated," she says when asked what it would take to get relations with Washington back on track. "We have a strong, strategic partnership with the US and I have a lot of respect for [President] Obama. We only have a pause in our relationship, it is not paralysed," she says. There is much speculation that gesture may be made during a forthcoming visit to Brazil by US Vice-President Joe Biden. "Biden's a seducer," says our host. "We're not yet married but we're sort of dating. It'll happen eventually," adds President Rousseff, in a tongue-in-cheek assessment of the relationship between Brasilia and the White House. Right trajectory Conversation inevitably returns to the Cup and all it encompasses. Without prompting, Ms Rousseff addresses the issue of anti-government and anti-World Cup protests that plagued Brazil this time last year and which, say some observers, could return to the streets of Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro for the World Cup. "Those who want to protest will be allowed to do so 100%," begins the president. But then, she adds: "The vast majority of Brazilians will be supporting the Cup and protesters will not be allowed to interfere or disrupt the tournament.". Unlike the events of June 2013, her government now seems determined the protests will not gain momentum. How the thousands of extra police and soldiers being deployed on the streets of Brazil react will be closely watched. President Rousseff is proud of her country's ever-stronger democracy and, despite concerns about chronic rates of violence and criminality in the big cities, she is convinced Brazil is on the right trajectory. She cuts across a question about politics and the World Cup - whether her government is trying to "use" the tournament for political ends. "I was in prison during the 1970 World Cup. There was a brutal, tough dictatorship in this country. They tortured many of their victims and some people questioned whether to support the team was to support the dictatorship," said the woman who back in 1970 was a student leader who suffered for her beliefs. "It's different now. Yes, the government helps to organise the Cup but I don't see a political relationship between the two." Reveal more Our evening with the president ended with anecdotes about how she would love to walk the streets unnoticed and her great passion for reading. Dilma Rousseff is in her mid-sixties but shows no sign of slowing. Despite falling ratings in the polls over the state of the economy and handling of the World Cup, she shows no suggestion whatsoever that she might even lose October's elections. A woman who says the six hours' sleep she gets each night are "nowhere near enough," she still has time to show straggling foreign journalists around the Niemeyer building and pose with us for photographs. It has been a useful public relations exercise for a president who is expected to reveal much more of herself on the international stage if she is re-elected to a second term in office. For me, it was an equally valuable few hours spent in the company of arguably one of the world's most powerful but least understood leaders.

वह ब्रिटिश टेलीविजन वेशभूषा नाटकों से प्यार करती है और एक "सामान्य" जीवन की सामान्यता के लिए तरसती है। उसे उस जगह के आसपास के मेहमानों को दिखाने पर भी गर्व है जहां वह घर बुलाती है-निश्चित रूप से ब्राजील के वास्तुकार ऑस्कर निमेयर द्वारा डिजाइन की गई सबसे अच्छी इमारतों में से एक-और यहां तक कि एक बार एक दोस्त के मोपेड के पीछे एक घंटे के लिए ब्रासीलिया के चारों ओर सवारी करना भी स्वीकार करती है क्योंकि उसे इच्छा थी।


Italian film director Franco Zeffirelli dies at 96

Summary: Italian film director Franco Zeffirelli has died aged 96.

The Florence native directed stars including Elizabeth Taylor in the 1967 film Taming of the Shrew and Dame Judi Dench on stage in Romeo and Juliet. Italian media said Zeffirelli died after a long illness which had grown worse in recent months. The two-time Oscar nominee also served in the Italian senate for two terms as a member of Silvio Berlusconi's Forza Italia party. He is perhaps best known to many as the director of the 1968 adaptation of Romeo and Juliet – starring a then-unknown Leonard Whiting and Olivia Hussey. It was viewed by generations of school students studying the Shakespearean drama. The illegitimate son of a merchant, his mother gave him the surname "Zeffiretti" – meaning "little breezes" – which was misspelled on his birth certificate. The original meaning came from a Mozart opera – and Zeffirelli would go on to become a prolific creator of opera himself, staging more than 120 during his career in London, Milan and New York. "Franco Zeffirelli, one of the world's greatest men of culture, passed away this morning," tweeted Dario Nardella, mayor of Florence. "Goodbye dear Maestro, Florence will never forget you." Zeffirelli initially studied architecture at the University of Florence, but his education was interrupted by the outbreak of World War II. During the conflict, he fought for Communist partisan forces against Mussolini's Fascists and the occupying Nazis. After being captured by Fascists, he was saved from execution when his interrogator turned out to be a half brother whom he'd never known. His half brother arranged for his release. When the war was over, he continued his studies but said he became inspired to pursue a career in theatre after seeing Laurence Olivier's Henry V (1944). In 1945, he started work as a set designer at Florence's Teatro della Pergola, and concentrated on theatre throughout the 1950s and 1960s. At the Pope's request, in 1970 Zeffirelli staged "Missa solemnis" in honour of the 200th anniversary of Beethoven's birth. His first film was a Shakespeare adaptation, The Taming of the Shrew. While initially intended to star two Italian actors, it was heavily funded by Hollywood couple Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor, who eventually assumed the two leading roles. Another notable adaptation of the bard's plays would come in 1990s Hamlet – starring Mel Gibson in the title role, with Glenn Close and Helena Bonham Carter among the supporting cast.

इतालवी फिल्म निर्देशक फ्रेंको ज़ेफिरेली का 96 वर्ष की आयु में निधन हो गया है।


Man rescued after 3am boat trip from Eastbourne beach

Summary: A man has been rescued off a Sussex beach by a lifeboat crew after setting off in a boat at 03:00 BST.

The Eastbourne lifeboat was called at 06:00 after coastguards received a call from a man in difficulty. The RNLI said the man had set out in an inflatable kayak to row to the wreck marking ship, Galatea, which was anchored off the pier. He became exhausted after rowing against the tide and had called coastguards from his mobile phone.

03:00 BST पर एक नाव में सवार होने के बाद एक व्यक्ति को लाइफबोट चालक दल द्वारा ससेक्स समुद्र तट से बचाया गया है।


Uncovering secrets of mystery civilization in Saudi Arabia

Summary: A team of researchers is carrying out the first in-depth archaeological survey of part of Saudi Arabia, in a bid to shed light on a mysterious civilisation that once lived there. The Nabataean culture left behind sophisticated stone monuments, but many sites remain unexplored.

By Sylvia SmithBBC News, Saudi Arabia The rock-strewn deserts of Al Ula in Saudi Arabia are known for their pitch-black skies, which allow stargazers to easily study celestial bodies without the problem of light pollution. But the region is becoming even more attractive for archaeologists. A long-lost culture known as the Nabataean civilisation inhabited the area starting from around 100 BC and persisted for some 200 years. While the Nabataeans ruled their empire from the stunning city of Petra in Jordan, they made Hegra (the modern Mada'in Saleh) in Al Ula their second capital. Now, archaeologists are planning to carry out the first in-depth survey of a chunk of land here that's roughly the size of Belgium. The large international team of more than 60 experts has started work on an initial, two-year project to survey the core area of 3,300 sq km in north-western Saudi Arabia. This is the first time such a large area of more or less scientifically uncharted territory has been systematically investigated. The Nabataeans Excavations have been carried out in and around Mada'in Saleh and other recognised Nabataean sites for some time by a group of Saudi archaeologists including Abdulrahman Alsuhaibani, a lecturer at the King Saud University in Riyadh. "I have focused on the earlier Dedanite and Lihyanite civilisations," he explains. "Now that the Royal Commission for Al Ula is involved there will be greater scope for deeper understanding of how early societies evolved." The involvement of the Royal Commission ensures that cutting-edge technology is at the disposal of archaeologists experienced in the field. While Google Earth and the trained eye can often distinguish natural and man-made features, it is light aircraft equipped with specialist cameras that offer the most detailed imagery of the territory - which includes the Al Ula wadi and its feeder valleys. This can capture hitherto unknown archaeological features. According to Rebecca Foote, the American archaeologist in charge of the survey for the Royal Commission for Al Ula, previous efforts have concentrated on excavation, because a systematic survey on this scale requires time and resources that are only now available. She believes that the scope of the undertaking will put Saudi Arabia on the ancient history map. "A great deal is known about the first to third millennium BC and we're well informed about ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia," she acknowledges. "Yet comparatively little about the Arabian peninsula in ancient times has been discovered. Exactly how our findings will impact on understanding of ancient history, we don't yet know. But it is likely to reshape the world view of earlier periods." Foote spent many years working in Petra, the ancient city in Jordan that remains the best known monument left by the Nabataean civilisation. She says aerial archaeology will be key to exploring the culture's funerary architecture, standing stones and more unusual sites that would otherwise take years to investigate. "The technology now provides a reliable and comprehensive overview," she explains. "Nothing like this has been done before on this scale." While earlier French-led excavations revealed a loosely controlled incense trading network running up the western side of Arabia and passing through Al Ula, Rebecca Foote is keen to build on this and learn more about the role water played in the area's prosperity. She comments: "We can guess that they had a successful agricultural economy, but was there a tax on incense? How did they manage their water?" With the hydrology study about to start, answers should begin to come in thanks in part to the work of the aerial archaeology team, which helps pinpoint specific locations. Flying at between two and three thousand feet, the integrated survey group led by Oxford Archaeology's Jamie Quartermaine has already covered half the anticipated 11,500 sites. Often known as preventative surveys, this work is usually carried out to ensure that no future building work will come near archaeological sites. "We've learned from the mistakes of other countries and we're taking the time to prevent any damage here," he says. "Being accessible to the general public, as is planned for the future, doesn't mean a free-for all." The survey also helps provide answers for specialists in fields such as rock art. "Even five years ago GPS just wasn't accurate enough," Jamie Quartermaine explains. "Today we are using several different methods of photography including drones, cameras suspended below the body of light aircraft and cutting-edge aerial orthophotography." Providing an adjusted image every two to three seconds, the thousands of pictures measure true distances - having been adjusted for topographic relief. Specialist software combines these into a high-resolution, detailed model of the landscape. The cameras are set at a 45-degree angle and so far have found burial sites, Bronze Age funerary landscapes and burial structures. Additionally, drones are used with cameras set at the same angle. "This allows us to view not only the horizontal plane, but to some extent the vertical," he continues. "We're forewarned as to the likelihood of finding rock art in particular locations." The final stage of the survey sends specialist team members, such as rock art expert Maria Guagnin, out into the field on foot. Having spent five years in northern Arabia, Maria is impressed by the huge database being created that covers all periods. "For the first time, we're looking at every aspect of the archaeological landscape," she points out. "Our knowledge of the prehistoric distribution of animal species is so far largely dependent on the location of excavated archaeological and palaeontological sites. "Many species have been assumed to have been absent from the Arabian peninsula, but rock art panels have shown otherwise." The presence of previously undocumented mammal species in Al Ula provides new information regarding their distribution, as well as the types of habitat and vegetation that were available in prehistoric landscapes. Animal depictions also help with dating. It is considered unlikely, for example, that horses or camels with riders existed before 1,200 BC. Domesticated cattle, sheep and goats were introduced to the Arabian peninsula between 6,800 and 6,200 BC. They were domesticated in the Levant and brought to Saudi Arabia. That provides a way of dating rock art, because prior to that date it's unlikely domesticated animals were in the area. The vast amount of information being collated by the Al Ula international team is likely to be of use to sites such as Petra, including revealing likely routes between Petra and Mada'in Saleh (Hegra). Abdulrahman Alsuhaibani has been excavating for some years at Dedan, a site holding evidence of a civilisation that pre-dates the Nabataeans. He says the scope of the work is such that it will take generations to get to grips with the results: "What makes this work so important on the world stage is that it will provide an account of not just Mada'in Saleh and Petra but earlier civilisations that are largely unknown to us." One of Abdulrahman's roles is training students from the King Saud University in Riyadh, which has a small outpost in Al Ula. "They are learning in the context of one of the most extensive surveys and subsequent excavations," he says. "Today's students may well make discoveries that we can't even imagine today."

शोधकर्ताओं की एक टीम सऊदी अरब के एक हिस्से का पहला गहन पुरातात्विक सर्वेक्षण कर रही है, ताकि एक रहस्यमय सभ्यता पर प्रकाश डाला जा सके जो कभी वहां रहती थी। नबाटियन संस्कृति ने परिष्कृत पत्थर के स्मारकों को पीछे छोड़ दिया है, लेकिन कई स्थल अभी भी अज्ञात हैं।


Shrinking to Zero: The Raspberry Pi gets smaller

Summary: It was launched in February 2012 with modest ambitions to give young people a small cheap programmable device - and has become Britain's most successful homegrown computer. Now Raspberry Pi is getting smaller and cheaper.

Rory Cellan-JonesTechnology correspondent@BBCRoryCJon Twitter The latest edition is the Raspberry Pi Zero. It is slower than the full-size version (though faster than the original Raspberry Pi) and has fewer ports, but its main selling point is that it is so cheap. The Zero, which like its predecessors is being manufactured in Wales, will sell for £4 or $5. And subscribers of the Magpi, a Raspberry Pi magazine, will find a Zero attached to the cover of the magazine - possibly the first time that a computer has been a free giveaway. "We still meet people for whom cost remains a barrier to entry," says Eben Upton, the man behind the whole project. He says driving down the cost of hardware has always been a key aim of the project, and he now expects more people to be able to get involved in computing. But it looks more likely that existing users will snap them up as extra components in computing projects. Upton sees it being used in "internet of things" or robotics projects, where a smaller device may be needed, or as a media player. Throughout its history, Raspberry Pi has found a bigger audience amongst middle-aged hobbyists rather than the school children who were its original target. That is likely to be the case at first with the Zero, though school computing clubs may may find it a useful addition to their projects. With more than seven million Raspberry Pis sold so far, and 270,000 in October alone, there is no doubt that it has been a commercial success. The challenge for those behind the project is to keep on remembering that the aim is to enthuse and inspire young people about computing, not to maximise profit. By putting Eben Upton in charge of the commercial operation and appointing Philip Colligan as chief executive of the charitable foundation, the hope is that the whole project can be clear about its mission. Meanwhile however, there are rival cheap computing devices, from the Arduino to Beagle Black, which also seek to get young people interested in coding. And the Raspberry Pi Zero has raced ahead of the BBC's Microbit device, which will now be delivered to all Year 7 pupils in the UK early next year. The Raspberry Pi was the right device at the right time, catching a wave of enthusiasm for improving understanding of computing. Now, in an increasingly crowded field, it will have to keep on innovating - while making sure that schools, teachers and children retain their enthusiasm for all things Raspberry Pi.

इसे फरवरी 2012 में युवाओं को एक छोटा सा सस्ता प्रोग्राम करने योग्य उपकरण देने की मामूली महत्वाकांक्षाओं के साथ लॉन्च किया गया था-और यह ब्रिटेन का सबसे सफल घरेलू कंप्यूटर बन गया है। अब रास्पबेरी पाई छोटा और सस्ता होता जा रहा है।


Hinterland: TV crime drama to be broadcast in US

Summary: Crime drama series Hinterland is to be broadcast in the US.

Senior series producer Ed Thomas made the announcement at an event organised by Aberystwyth University for former students in New York. The drama is already shown on Netflix but will be screened on TV there from 30 June. The programme, filmed in Ceredigion and featuring Richard Harrington as Det Ch Insp Tom Mathias, is set to return for a third series on S4C in October 2016. 'Raising the profile' It is shot in English and Welsh and called Y Gwyll for the bilingual version. S4C said distributor All3media International had sold the series to American Public Television (APT). Ian Jones, S4C chief executive, said: "The popularity of Y Gwyll keeps on growing and it has become a huge export for both S4C and Wales - raising the profile of the country and the talent we have here."

अपराध नाटक श्रृंखला हिंटरलैंड का प्रसारण अमेरिका में किया जाना है।


British Army pair arrested in Berkshire over ammunition offence

Summary: Two British Army soldiers have been arrested on suspicion of possessing ammunition and conspiracy to steal.

The men, who both serve with the Coldstream Guards, were detained earlier at two residential addresses in Berkshire. The Met Police said the arrests were made by officers from the Flying Squad as well as by the Royal Military Police and Ministry of Defence Police. The suspects, who are aged in their 30s and 40s, remain in custody. The BBC understands the arrests follow an investigation into the disappearance of an unspecified quantity of 9mm ammunition, which is used for British Army issued pistols. Related Internet Links Metropolitan Police

ब्रिटिश सेना के दो सैनिकों को गोला-बारूद रखने और चोरी की साजिश रचने के संदेह में गिरफ्तार किया गया है।


US and Russia's diplomatic spat: Carving out an uncertain path

Summary: Russia's decision to significantly reduce the number of US diplomatic staff marks the end of any immediate hope for a fresh start between Moscow and Washington. Indeed, it could usher in a new and uncertain period of competition between the two capitals.

Jonathan MarcusDiplomatic correspondent@Diplo1on Twitter Russia's President Vladimir Putin seized upon US President Donald Trump's election victory as offering the potential for a very different relationship. Mr Putin appears to have misjudged what was on offer. Relying upon clear signals from the Trump campaign that a reset in the US relationship was both possible and desirable, Moscow intruded into the US campaign to an extent which US intelligence agencies believe was unprecedented. (Quite how far Russia intruded into the US campaign in actually backing candidate Trump is currently under investigation and this, of course, provides an important element of the backdrop to the worsening diplomatic relationship.) Russia, of course, denies this but it is clear that they had high hopes of the new political maverick in Washington. Russia hoped for a change in the climate; one where the lifting of many of the western sanctions imposed after its annexation of Crimea might become possible. But more than this, it wanted a new deal between the US and Russia that would acknowledge Moscow as an equal diplomatic player and indeed as a partner in trouble spots, such as Syria, and in the wider struggle against Islamist terror. These hopes have now come to nothing. Russia seems to have placed unrealistic hopes in what President Trump might achieve. Did Mr Putin see him as a forceful like-minded character, or as a political and diplomatic lightweight that might be manipulated and dominated? Either way, Russia's own actions in intruding into the US political space and the subsequent investigations have precluded any fresh start. Russia perhaps failed to understand the Congressional hostility to its activities, mistaking the Trump insiders' lack of concern for the predominant view of the president's supporters on Capitol Hill. So where does this leave things now? Well, relations between Washington and Moscow were already not good and all these expulsions do is to confirm that they are not going to get better any time soon. This clearly has implications for the Ukraine crisis; for the conflict in Syria and so on. It means that Moscow is likely to step up its information campaigns and cyber activity against the West and especially against smaller countries whose infrastructure and political systems are seen as more vulnerable. Russia will continue the modernisation of its strategic nuclear arms - but then the US has ambitious plans here too. But this is no simple reprise of the original Cold War. Russia is simply not the global power that the Soviet Union was. However, there are grounds for concern. Its ideology - a kind of authoritarian state capitalism - is seen as attractive, even by politicians in some Nato countries. But there are limitations on Russia's behaviour too. One is the fact that there is only so much mileage in being a spoiler. Diplomatic influence requires engagement too - that's why, for example, Russia remained a key player in efforts to agree an Iranian nuclear deal even when its relations with the Obama administration were souring. Indeed, Russia's decision to reduce US diplomatic representation is a relatively mild response, suggesting that Moscow is perhaps hoping to keep doors open to the Trump administration. Secondly, Russia's misjudgement of the Trump administration's ability to deliver a reset is a salutary lesson for Moscow. With a weakened State Department and a White House increasingly dominated by Trump loyalists with little wider diplomatic experience, the US - as seen from Moscow - looks increasingly unpredictable. And that - as the first Cold War showed - is not a good thing for anyone.

अमेरिकी राजनयिक कर्मचारियों की संख्या को काफी कम करने का रूस का निर्णय मास्को और वाशिंगटन के बीच एक नई शुरुआत की किसी भी तत्काल उम्मीद के अंत का प्रतीक है। वास्तव में, यह दोनों राजधानियों के बीच प्रतिस्पर्धा की एक नई और अनिश्चित अवधि की शुरुआत कर सकता है।


In quotes: Gay marriage debate

Summary: MPs have been debating whether to allow same-sex couples to get married. Here are some key quotes from the debate:

Minister for Women and Equalities Maria Miller "Marriage is one of the most important institutions we have, it binds society and families together, it is a building block that promotes stability. This bill supports and cultivates marriage." Shadow minister for women and equalities Yvette Cooper "Call us hopeless romantics, call it the triumph of hope over experience - most of us think when people love each other and want to make that long-term commitment, that is a wonderful thing. So why would we stop a loving couple getting married just because they are gay?" Stephen Gilbert, Liberal Democrat "We have come a long way in a short space of time but it is absolutely right we take the next step and delivers full legal equality for lesbian, gay and bisexual people in our country. This view is one that is borne of a hatred of discrimination and prejudice of all types, whether it's about gender or skin colour or religion." Robert Flello, Labour "True Christians are not bigoted and this is actually not a matter of equality, no matter how often it is referred to as equal marriage. Civil partnerships are equal to marriage - they might not have the same name but they are equal." Tim Loughton, Conservative "Who are we, this government or this country, to redefine the term marriage that has meant one man and one woman across cultures, across ages, across geographical barriers since before state and religion themselves? Is not the problem a lack of equality in the law that we need to address, but a lack of equality in some people's eyes in society, and just changing the name of a ceremony will not address that." Roger Gale, Conservative "It is not possible to redefine marriage. Marriage is the union between a man and a woman, has been historically, remains so. It is Alice in Wonderland territory, Orwellian almost, for any Government of any political persuasion to seek to come along and try to re-write the lexicon. It will not do. "There is a way forward. It's been suggested, but it's been ignored. I don't subscribe to it myself, but I recognise the merit in the argument, and that is this: if the government is serious about this, take it away, abolish the civil partnerships bill, abolish civil marriage, and create a civil union bill that applies to all people regardless of the sexuality, or their relationships, and that means brothers and brothers, and sisters and sisters, and brothers and sisters as well. That would be a way forward. This is not." Sarah Wollaston, Conservative "Our sexuality is fundamental to who we are, surely the crux of this debate is whether or not we accord equal right and respect and esteem to people regardless of their sexuality." Jim Dobbin, Labour "Having a traditional view of marriage should not be seen as discriminatory, unfortunately the bill has promoted this notion. It has not created tolerance and has highlighted division." Gerald Howarth, Conservative "I am not a Tory moderniser for I believe marriage can only be between a man and a woman. I shall not surrender my principles. I believe this bill is wrong. The consultation process was a complete sham. It is opposed by the established church. It has caused deep and needless divisions within the Conservative Party. There is no mandate for it. There are huge potential consequences... and the nation faces much more serious challenges which the government needs to address" Edward Leigh, Conservative "Marriage I believe, and many millions of our fellow citizens believe, is by its nature a heterosexual union. It is the bringing together of one man and one woman. It is not just a romantic attachment, which can exist between any two people. It is not just a sexual relationship. It is the act of marriage which, by its very definition, requires two people of opposite sexes. If you take that basic requirement away, what you are left with is not marriage. "We should be in the business of protecting cherished institutions and our cultural heritage otherwise what, I ask, is a Conservative Party for? Indeed we are alienating people who have voted for us for all their lives, leaving them with no one to vote for." Steve Reed, Labour "This measure strengthens rather than weakens marriage by extending it to more people. If you don't like gay marriage, then don't marry someone who is gay, but please don't deny that right to loving and committed gay and lesbian couples." Margot James, Conservative "We may have gone two steps forward, but I fear we may have gone one step backwards. The modernisation of the Conservative Party is not yet complete. Having been different for most of my life, I can assure you that being treated equal is very welcome indeed and we still have some way to go, not just in the area of gay people but in other areas. I believe my party should never flinch from the requirement that we must continue this progression." Nick Herbert, Conservative "If marriage hadn't been re-defined in 1836, there wouldn't be any civil marriages; if it hadn't been re-defined in 1949, under 16-year-olds would still be able to get married; if it hadn't been re-defined in 1969, we wouldn't have today's divorce laws - and all of these changes were opposed. I know that the signal we send today about whether the law fully recognises the place of gay people in our society will really matter. Above all, I think of two people, faithful and loving, who simply want their commitment to be recognised, as it is for straight couples, and that in the end is what this bill is about." Mike Freer, Conservative "I am a member of this Parliament. I sit alongside you in committees, in the bars and in the tea rooms. I queue alongside you in the division lobbies. But when it comes to marriage, why are you asking me to stand apart and to join a separate queue? I ask my colleagues: if I am equal in this House, give me every opportunity to be equal. "I ask my married colleagues - did you get married for legal protections? Did you go down on one knee and say 'Darling, please give me the protections marriage affords us?' Of course you didn't. My civil partnership was our way of saying to my friends and my family this is who I love, this is who I am, this is who I wish to spend the rest of my life with. I am not asking for special treatment. I am simply asking for equal treatment." Michael McCann, Labour "Whilst civil partnership legislation unequivocally broke the back of unlawful discrimination this bill doesn't end any discrimination whatsoever and has the potential to open up a can of worms of Olympian magnitude." David Lammy, Labour "It is the end of an organic journey from criminality to equality for the gay community that began over a half century ago. This change is right, this change is necessary and the time is now. "There are still those who say this is all unnecessary. Why do we need gay marriage when we already have civil partnership, they say. They are the same - separate but equal - they claim. Let me speak frankly - separate but equal is a fraud. Separate but equal is the language that tried to push Rosa Parks to the back of the bus. Separate but equal is the motif that determined that black and white people could not possibly drink from the same water fountain, eat at the same table or use the same toilets. It is an excerpt from the phrasebook of the segregationist and the racists. This is not separate but equal it is separate and discriminated, separate and oppressed, separate and brow beaten, separate and subjugated. Separate is not equal so let us be rid of it." Stewart Jackson, Conservative "This is a Pandora's box, for endless litigation, for division in society setting one group against another, and we must for that reason, for community cohesion, resist this bill." Stewart Andrew, Conservative "For me the points that have been raised have reflected the many personal battles in my life. Some of the most troubling and dark times in my life. Many have spoken and written about deeply held religious beliefs. From an early age I developed those beliefs, going to church without the support of my family. This faith was something that grew over time, but in my adolescence I began to realise that I was gay, and being gay in a small Welsh village really was like being the only gay in the village. "I believe in personal freedom and equality but I also hold dear the principle of religious freedom." Ian Paisley, DUP "Whether members care to admit it or not, there is a natural, a biological, and indeed a scriptural order to life. Marriage begat children, by and large, children begat family, by and large, and families are the root of society; they form society. It's a simple observation of life, a timeline, but it goes right to the root of what we are discussing today in debating in this House. "This Parliament can tweak all it wants with laws and legislation but it cannot pretend that marriage of same-sex couples is even close to being on a par with marriage of mixed-sex couples, because of nature itself. It is a fraud for the frontbench, it is a deceit for this House to pretend that it has embarked upon something for the most pathetic of reasons." Bob Blackman, Conservative "I believe that marriage is between a man and a woman, and I stand by that commitment. For saying that publicly, I have been subjected to vilification, abuse, threats to my physical well being, and threats to my office. "I have received about five letters of support for a change to the arrangements of marriage, and 1,000 supporting my stance." Guy Opperman, Conservative "This is one of the finest debates that I have ever had the privilege of listening to, with outstanding contributions on both sides. This House, I suggest, is on a journey, and it is a journey that can be traced back many years. A hundred years ago there were the suffragettes and the opportunity for women to have the vote. In 1922 women were entitled to be MPs. Fifty years ago we had the civil rights movement and in 1967 homosexuality was made legal. Approximately 10 years ago civil partnerships were made legal. "We are all changing. The House must change with it, and so must the country. That is why I will support the bill tonight.

सांसद इस बात पर बहस कर रहे हैं कि समलैंगिक जोड़ों को शादी करने की अनुमति दी जाए या नहीं। यहाँ बहस के कुछ प्रमुख उद्धरण दिए गए हैंः


Missing Vinny Derrick: wife campaigns for law change

Summary: A woman whose husband disappeared after a night out in Manchester eight years ago is campaigning for a change in the law on missing persons.

Vinny Derrick, from Partington, went missing in August 2003. His wife Vicky struggled financially when she was unable to sort out her affairs which were all in joint names. She is speaking at a select committee in a bid to change the law so people like her can get a death certificate, presuming their missing are dead. The Justice Select Committee is holding its first evidence session later in its inquiry into presumption of death. Mr Derrick was 28 when he went missing while on a work night out on 30 August, 2003. He was last seen leaving a nightclub and police believe he took a taxi to go his boss's house, but never arrived.

एक महिला जिसका पति आठ साल पहले मैनचेस्टर में एक रात के बाद गायब हो गया था, लापता व्यक्तियों पर कानून में बदलाव के लिए अभियान चला रही है।


Stamp to celebrate Greg Rutherford's long-jump gold

Summary: The Royal Mail is producing a stamp to celebrate long-jumper Greg Rutherford's victory - winning Britain's 13th gold medal of the 2012 London Games.

On Saturday, Milton Keynes-born Rutherford, 25, became the first Briton since Lynn Davies in 1964 to win the Olympic long-jump title. The Royal Mail will also paint one of its postboxes in Rutherford's home town of Milton Keynes to mark the victory. It will be the 13th gold medal stamp to be issued by Royal Mail. The stamp is due to be on sale from lunchtime.

रॉयल मेल लॉन्ग-जम्पर ग्रेग रदरफोर्ड की जीत का जश्न मनाने के लिए एक डाक टिकट का उत्पादन कर रहा है-जिसने 2012 के लंदन खेलों में ब्रिटेन का 13वां स्वर्ण पदक जीता था।


Coronavirus: 'Why I hate working from home'

Summary: It was fun for a week or two - a welcome change from the stresses and strains of the daily commute. But almost six months have now passed since many of us began working from home, and for some, it feels like it will never end.

By Sam Proffitt & Francesca GillettBBC News Four people explain why they're finding home-working unbearable. Tara Hudson hates working from home. "At first it was fun because we were all in this together, we have got to do it to keep everyone safe," says the local council worker. But she says the lack of space and proper equipment in the one-bedroom East London flat she shares with her husband makes it unbearable. After five months of working from home, she says her back was "in absolute agony" from sitting hunched over her laptop without a proper desk. Both she and her husband work from home. They only have one fold-out table in the living room and have to alternate who gets to work on the table. It's often "whoever gets it first". "We did try and bring in the garden table, but it's not really big enough," she says. "We both have jobs where we need to speak about confidential information. Sometimes I'm sitting on the floor in the hall because he's in the living room." She often end up sitting on her bed. "There will be a whole generation of people who are working on their bed who will have spinal problems because of coronavirus," she says. Although both her and her husband's employers have offered them home equipment, Tara says there's nowhere to put it. She says: "It's depressing - work, sleep and play in all in one room." Tara was allowed to go back to the office for the first time earlier this month, after mentioning how hard she was finding home-working. "It was so nice to have an office chair. You know correctly having your feet, having two monitors. I was so much more productive." Lily O'Hagan has had enough. The 26-year-old works for the claims department for a car insurance company in Cardiff and lives in a house-share with four men. Three of them are also working from home. "My room is right next to the front door, so it's almost my unsaid duty to answer it when we get deliveries," she says. It has begun to get frustrating and the house has got messier. Initially they struggled with the WiFi, as everyone tried to use it at once. "We had to get the landlord to get business broadband set up to make the WiFi faster as it was awful." Lily works with customer's confidential information so she feels she can't use shared spaces in the house. "Where I am living at the moment there is a bit of a communal area but it's like a staff room. I don't want other people to be able to hear me, so I can't work in there". And she misses her colleagues. "If I need help we can talk more easily in the office. IT issues make communicating and asking questions much harder". Her company has said they will eventually let people to return to their buildings, but Lily will be one of the last back as she has asthma. So she has taken things into her own hands. "I'm moving into a house with more girls - because they're tidier." Gemma Shaw is still working at 10pm. She says she is trying to "juggle" home schooling and doing her job from home. "I feel like a failing parent and a failing professional," she says. The 38-year-old from Lincolnshire, is head of fundraising for a charity. She says she finds the creative part of her job much more difficult at home. "I had the opportunity to work from home occasionally before lockdown started, but I rarely did. I work in a very creative team and it's best to be together to help the creativity. Working alone on projects is hard." Gemma and her husband have also struggled to home-school their two children while they have been maintaining full-time jobs. "A child nudging you when you're trying to do something important, like write a press release, means you're not getting any work done but you're not educating them either," she says. They've also had to use their annual leave, taking two weeks off work separately to cover four weeks of the school summer holidays. "That's not family time that's just holding things together," she adds. "I work after the kids have gone to bed," she says. "So from 8pm to 10pm at night. My husband and I take shifts working and looking after the children during the day, but I still need to finish all my hours. It's so stressful". Paul feels unmotivated. He lives in Newcastle and works in IT. He resisted working from home as long as he could. "We were given the option to work remotely but I held on for another week until we were instructed to go home" says Paul, which is not his real name. And he says it has affected his mental health. "I'd been on antidepressants and by March I was feeling like there was light at the end of the tunnel," he adds. "But being in lockdown makes me anxious and I get distracted by anything around me. "The biggest thing for me is the lack of social interaction. I have some good friends at work and we go for a run in our lunch break. Not having that exercise and interaction is difficult." Paul says he has lacked motivation to complete his daily tasks. "I don't like my job, so staying engaged can be hard. "Work at the moment is way down on my priority list - if I was in the office the support network around me would help make it not so bad." And he says getting the right equipment has been difficult. "I need two monitors to do all the comparisons I need to do and I only got the second one recently." Paul's company is now offering bookable hubs for employees to work from instead of returning to the office. But for him, like so many others, working from home could become the new normal. And that's not something he is happy about. "Why should my dining room become their office space?"

यह एक या दो सप्ताह के लिए मजेदार था-दैनिक आवागमन के तनाव और तनाव से एक स्वागत योग्य बदलाव। लेकिन अब लगभग छह महीने बीत चुके हैं जब हम में से कई लोगों ने घर से काम करना शुरू किया है, और कुछ के लिए, ऐसा लगता है कि यह कभी खत्म नहीं होगा।


Whisky tourist site gets the green light at former Frasers store in Edinburgh

Summary: Plans to open a "world-class" whisky tourist destination in one of Edinburgh's most prominent empty buildings have been approved by councillors.

Drinks giant Diageo's will transform the former House of Fraser building at the west end of Princes Street into the Johnnie Walker whisky experience. It's part of Diageo's £150m investment in the Johnnie Walker brand. The council's development management sub-committee approved the plans. The Diageo Johnnie Walker whisky experience could create up to 180 new full-time jobs and would include an "immersive visitor experience" across three floors of the vacant building. Under the plans, it will be adapted to provide an events space for staging music, theatre and community events along with a bar academy, while retail space will be created on street level. The iconic cantilevered clock will remain as part of the plans.

एडिनबर्ग की सबसे प्रमुख खाली इमारतों में से एक में "विश्व स्तरीय" व्हिस्की पर्यटन स्थल खोलने की योजना को पार्षदों द्वारा मंजूरी दी गई है।


Brexit: GB package to NI had international customs label

Summary: I experienced a small Brexit first this week.

By John CampbellBBC News NI Economics & Business Editor A package delivered from a company in England arrived at my house in Belfast with a customs label attached. The Post Office explains the purpose of the CN22 label saying that "CN22 are customs forms, used when sending goods internationally." So, as far as one courier firm is concerned, sending parcels from one bit of the UK to another is now an international transaction. The label also said: "Customs officials can open the item if they need to inspect the contents." Strictly speaking, there was no need for the customs label. Grace period In December, the UK government announced a grace period for parcels meaning no new processes are required for most GB-NI parcel transactions until at least April. But that announcement came just hours before the Brexit transition period ended. By that stage, some GB companies and their delivery firms had already taken the decision that they would be using customs processes for their NI parcels. That is understandable given that Northern Ireland is still enforcing EU customs rules at its ports, due to its special post-Brexit deal known as the Protocol. Apart from taking much longer to arrive than usual, I had no hassle with my parcel. But for many small businesses in Northern Ireland, the last two weeks have been nothing but hassle. "Still waiting on pallet of oat milk from England - 10 days & counting," tweeted Belfast coffee shop owner Orla Smyth. "Our whole food supplier in Glasgow can't deliver at all until they sort haulage issues." This is typical of the problems facing independent food businesses in Northern Ireland - though a problem which will hopefully be eased next week. Complex issue The central issue has been the type of haulage known as groupage. This is when goods from different suppliers for different customers are grouped together on one lorry. It's commonly used by small businesses in NI who only need to bring in a pallet load of goods from GB rather than a trailer full. This has now become a much more complex transaction, particularly for food products. NI is still part of the EU single market for goods and so EU food safety processes apply on food arriving from GB, with certificates required for all products of animal origin. A groupage movement could involve picking up food products from several different warehouses with loads potentially moving from one lorry to another along the way. This means trailer seals having to be broken, goods being certified and re-certified with seals reapplied multiple times. This is proving complex, time consuming and prone to error. Therefore, many hauliers have been refusing to transport groupage food loads. Talks involving industry representatives and senior officials at the Departments of Agriculture in Belfast and London took place last week to thrash out a solution. That will involve individual pallets being sealed by methods such as being wrapped in plastic with the lorry trailer only being sealed when the final pallet is loaded. Tariffs on steel? Some operators are confident it will allow them to restart deliveries next week. But this is just one issue which needs an urgent fix. Also on the agenda is the possibility that steel imports to NI could be clobbered with a 25% tariff. On top of that, there is the cumbersome processes for moving organic food products from GB-NI. Some senior DUP figures are insisting that all this shows that the Protocol is unworkable in its present form. They're calling on the UK government to use Article 16 of the Protocol which would allow some of the Irish Sea border processes to be temporarily dropped. So far the government has given no indication that it's seriously considering that, describing the problems as "teething troubles" which can be solved.

मैंने इस सप्ताह पहली बार एक छोटे से ब्रेक्सिट का अनुभव किया।


Will China ever be a wine superpower?

Summary: When the European Union raised tariffs on Chinese solar panels earlier this year, China said it would investigate complaints from Chinese wine producers about the "dumping" of European wine on the Chinese market. For many it was news that China made wine at all. But it does - of widely varying quality.

By Celia HattonBBC Beijing correspondent "Like cough syrup." "Disgusting!" "It coats the teeth." Fifteen years ago, a group of Beijing expats tested a selection of Chinese, Californian and French wines. "The Chinese stuff can't be that bad, can it?" they asked each other. The answer was a resounding "Yes". Unanimously, the panel ranked the Chinese wines at the bottom of the bunch. The Chinese wine was by far the cheapest, but it showed. How things have changed. Though the Chinese market is still flooded with wine that would have rivalled the cough-syrup vintage from 1998, a growing number of Chinese wines are winning acclaim on the world stage. Jia Bei Lan, a tiny winery in China's northern Ningxia province, famously beat a host of French rivals in 2011 to collect an international gold medal for its Bordeaux-style Grand Reserve wine from 2009. At the time, sceptics started a rumour that Jia Bei Lan had substituted another vineyard's wine for its own. However, its fan base continues to grow. Last year, respected wine critic Jancis Robinson named the Grand Reserve 2009 as one of the two "most promising" wines she tasted on a trip to the region. Aspiring Chinese winemakers could also look to a small winery in China's central Shaanxi province for inspiration. In a corner of China better known for coal production, Grace Vineyard's range of wines has also attracted a mountain of international awards and critical attention. Grace's owner, Judy Leissner, took over the winery from her father 10 years ago, when she was just 24. Judy is ethnically Chinese, but she married a German man and adopted his last name. From her base in Hong Kong, she travels regularly to check on her vineyards, which produce a wide assortment of grapes, from merlot and shiraz to chardonnay and riesling. Things did not start well for the young entrepreneur. Even though Judy employed a French winemaker to help with her first vintage, it tasted so awful that her attempts to sell it were "horrible, if not a disaster", she recalls. "We had a million bottles, but we only sold 20,000. And out of 20,000, half of those we gave away for free." Now she has the opposite problem. The two million bottles a year she produces have sold out every year since 2008, leaving her to allocate cases of wine between her distributors. "For years, you're begging people to buy your wine. You get so used to running after people and then suddenly, they say, 'You don't need to beg anymore. You've sold out.'" But don't expect bottles of high-quality Chinese wine to flood your supermarket shelves anytime soon. China has a shortage of quality wine grapes, explains Jim Boyce, a Beijing-based wine aficionado who writes the blog, Grape Wall of China. And that means that a lot of Chinese wine contains low-end grapes that aren't sweet enough to produce interesting wine flavours. "Most of the wine produced here is very thin, it's dry and tannic," Jim explains. "So, it's just not very good quality." Fongyee Walker, a British woman who runs a wine-tasting school in Beijing, blames China's geography for the shortage of good wine grapes. "Most people assume that China is so big, that there must be a place where grapes can thrive, but that's not true," she sighs. Areas in China that are dry enough to allow grape vines to grow without succumbing to mould and disease are also extremely cold in winter, Walker explains, forcing farmers to bury their vines to protect them from plummeting temperatures. That process makes wines more expensive and shortens the lifetime of the plants. Drinkable Chinese wines sold outside China will become a "cool oddity", Walker says, but China will never able to produce quality wine on a global scale. Others are more optimistic. China's top three vineyards, Great Wall, Dynasty and Changyu, own half of China's domestic wine market, and blogger Jim Boyce believes that inevitable comparisons between the three are compelling them to raise their standards. "Traditionally, Chinese wineries have sold wine based on nice labels, and big commercials and sponsoring and that all works," Boyce says. "But at a certain point, you'll be judged on quality and you'll be pushed by very inexpensive Italian, Spanish and Chilean wine coming into the market and you'll be pushed to improve." Some luxury labels are also wagering millions on the belief that it is possible to produce top-notch wine on Chinese soil. Domaines Barons de Rothschild, the owners of the famous French wine estate, Chateau Lafite, have joined with a Chinese corporation, CITIC, to establish a vineyard in southern China's Yunnan province. The Chateau has yet to confirm what kind of wine the venture will produce. Moet Hennessy, the wine and sprits wing of the French luxury giant, LVMH, is also entering the ring. The group has staked out a large patch of land in the country's northern Ningxia region, with hopes of producing the first Chinese wine made following French methods. For China's increasingly sophisticated wine drinkers, these developments can't come soon enough. Fongyee Walker has been surprised by the increase in the number of people who sign up for her advanced wine-tasting courses, just for the love of all things red, white and bubbly. Most of those people, she admits, still reach for French wine when they want to sip something special. Wine from Bordeaux is, by far, the most fashionable beverage among China's elite. But eventually, Chinese wine enthusiasts may be convinced to pop open a bottle from a place much closer to home. There is already some Chinese wine that can stand comparison to European, Australian or American output, and if the optimists are right, the days of Chateau Cough Syrup are numbered. You can follow the Magazine on Twitter and on Facebook

जब यूरोपीय संघ ने इस साल की शुरुआत में चीनी सौर पैनलों पर शुल्क बढ़ाया, तो चीन ने कहा कि वह चीनी बाजार में यूरोपीय शराब के "डंपिंग" के बारे में चीनी शराब उत्पादकों की शिकायतों की जांच करेगा। कई लोगों के लिए यह खबर थी कि चीन शराब बिल्कुल भी नहीं बनाता है। लेकिन यह व्यापक रूप से अलग-अलग गुणवत्ता का है।


The coming of the glacier men

Summary: When climbers go missing on high mountains it can be decades before their frozen remains are found in the snow and ice. But around the world, mountain ice is now receding. Does the rise in global temperatures provide hope to families who never had a body to say goodbye to?

By Imogen FoulkesBBC News "I'm always looking for things, or colours, that don't belong in nature, and you can see that quite often, crampons, rucksacks," says Alpine rescue pilot Gerold Biner. "The east face of the Matterhorn is covered in stuff. I always say you could open a mountain shop with what's up there." But two years ago, as he delivered concrete to a mountain hut in need of repairs, he noticed something different at the foot of the Matterhorn glacier on the mountain's north face. "I thought I saw something, and went for another look," he says. "And on the second fly-past I realised this must be a human being, exposed as the glacier was melting back." It was the body of missing British climber Jonathan Conville, who disappeared on the mountain in 1979. In the 34 years that followed, Conville's body had travelled gradually downhill inside the glacier - and it appeared at the bottom edge of the glacier, where the ice melts into water. September, coming at the end of the months of summer heat, is when ice cover is at its lowest, and it was in September last year - roughly a year after Biner's discovery of Conville's body - that the remains of two more climbers were found at the foot of the Matterhorn glacier, this time by another mountaineer. After DNA testing they were identified last month as Masayuki Kobayashi and Michio Oikawa, both from Japan, who had gone missing in a snowstorm in 1970, nine years before Conville's death. "More and more regularly the receding of glaciers permits the discovery of missing climbers after dozens of years," police said in a statement after the identities were made public. The body of a French mountaineer, Patrice Hyvert, who had disappeared in bad weather near Mont Blanc in 1982 had been found a few weeks before the Japanese climbers, while the body of a Czech hiker, killed in an avalanche in 1974, was found in another part of the Swiss Alps a few weeks later. All sorts of things have been retrieved from Alpine snow and ice over the years, from the remains of a crashed World War Two American bomber, to a cache of emeralds, rubies and sapphires being carried on an Air India flight which came down on Mont Blanc in 1966. But over the last two decades the glaciers have retreated more rapidly, says Martin Grosjean, a glacier specialist at the University of Berne's Oeschger Institute. Even ice which has been permanent for thousands of years has started to melt, giving rise to a new scientific discipline - glacial archaeology. As well as Oetzi, the mummified ancient man found near the border between Austria and Italy in 1991, 5,000-year-old items of clothing and household utensils have been found in the mountains south of Berne, shedding light on a Bronze-Age Alpine civilisation that was far more sophisticated than originally thought. Hundreds of Roman shoe nails have emerged from the ice too. "That is really interesting," says Grosjean. "Each shoe nail has a kind of a bar code, showing the year it was made, where it was made, and whether these shoes were used for military troops for the Roman army, or for civilian shoes." All this raises the question whether an effort should be made to find climbers who went missing and whose bodies were never found. Rather than relying on hikers to report chance findings, or leaving it to the sharp eyes of air rescue pilots as they carry out their other duties, might it not make sense to carefully examine the foot of all Alpine glaciers in September, and the areas where ice is known to have been receding? The number of people who have gone missing on the Matterhorn is dwarfed by the number who have died on it since 1865 - about 20 compared with 500 or 600. But that is just one mountain in the Alpine range. The number is 40 if you include other peaks around the resort of Zermatt, and 270 in the surrounding Swiss canton of Valais, the majority of them climbers, skiers, or hikers. Lacking a body to mourn can add to relatives' distress by making it harder to accept that a loved-one isn't coming back. "My mother would say, 'Oh, he didn't really die,'" remembers Jonathan Conville's sister, Katrina Taee. As time went on Katrina says she began to hope her brother would not be found. "I felt it was a really lovely resting place for him, on a mountain. That would be bliss for him," she says. But her sister, Melissa, always wanted to find him. Arriving in Switzerland to give DNA samples the sisters were able to hold their brother's mummified hand 34 years after his death, an experience Katrina has described as "bittersweet but wonderful". One family still hoping to locate the body of a relative missing on the Matterhorn is that of Lord Francis Douglas, who was a member of the first team to conquer the peak in 1865, but among four who tragically fell to their deaths on the descent. All the bodies were quickly found, except that of Douglas, the son of the Marquess of Queensberry. The current Marquess of Queensberry, the renowned designer David Queensberry, says the possibility his great-great-uncle might be found has "been in my mind all my life". "My family has always thought there might be a chance he might pop out some day," he says. Queensberry's 15-year-old grandson, Tybalt Peake, has plans to scale the Matterhorn next year with 78-year-old British climber Eric Jones, and is keen to search for Lord Douglas's body. But Martin Grosjean argues that the chances of finding him are slim, because of the movement of the glacier at the base of the Matterhorn over the last 150 years. "Glaciers advance and retreat naturally," he says. "So at the top it's cold, snow falls. And then lower down, the ice melts. The glaciers flow naturally downhill, which means that everything that falls into a crevasse… later it appears in the glacier tongue." The normal time span for anything trapped in an Alpine glacier to be washed out is, he suggests, between 20 and 50 years, though it can take up to 100 years. The recent examples of Conville, Kobayashi and Oikawa are broadly line with this - it was 34 years in one case, and 44 in the other. "Well, we always have room for surprises," he says. "But, will we find Lord Douglas? I don't think so. If he was washed out it would have been about 1900." Any organic matter is likely to have quickly decayed. When glacial archaeologists recover ancient bodies or artefacts from the mountains it's usually in areas where the ice is not moving, either because the ground is not steep enough, or the ice patch is not large and heavy enough. There have been exceptions though. Martin Callanan of the Norwegian University of Science and Technology has written about Bronze Age arrow shafts that were recently recovered from a static part of a moving glacier. "On the side of it was a small tongue that was not flowing, where the arrows were preserved and recovered almost complete," he says. "The icy world up there is terribly complex - just as complex as the landmass under with all its ridges, gulleys and crevices. We simply never know where and when ancient frozen remains are going to appear." As melting advances, the bodies of missing climbers, he suggests, could also emerge from parts of a moving glacier that have, for whatever reason, remained static. But the idea of searching more systematically for climbers who went missing years ago gets little support from Gerold Biner or Katrina Taee. Biner points out that the skies above the Alps are now busy with helicopters, and his hunch is that most bodies emerging from the ice are spotted. And as Taee sees it, searching for human remains is of little importance, compared with searching for the living. "At first of course you are desperate for them to found alive," she says. "But you know anytime anyone goes up the Matterhorn it is very risky. Personally I wouldn't want anybody putting themselves at risk for my brother. "Why risk lives for those who are long dead?" More from the Magazine It's a plot line that wouldn't be out of place in a Tintin comic - a French mayor, an Alpine climber, a historian, a wealthy Jewish stone merchant from London, and their tenuous connections to a bag of lost jewels discovered on the peak of Mont Blanc. The mystery of Mont Blanc's hidden treasure (March 2014) Subscribe to the BBC News Magazine's email newsletter to get articles sent to your inbox.

जब पर्वतारोही ऊँचे पहाड़ों पर लापता हो जाते हैं तो उनके जमे हुए अवशेष बर्फ और बर्फ में मिलने में दशकों लग सकते हैं। लेकिन दुनिया भर में, पहाड़ों की बर्फ अब कम हो रही है। क्या वैश्विक तापमान में वृद्धि उन परिवारों को आशा प्रदान करती है जिनके पास कभी अलविदा कहने के लिए शरीर नहीं था?


Wicksteed Park: Will theme park see its 100th birthday?

Summary: The operator of Wicksteed Park, one of the UK's oldest theme parks, went into administration last month, citing difficulties caused by the coronavirus pandemic. The attraction has been much-loved by families for generations, but can it be saved?

By Kate ScotterBBC News In 1921, the inventor and playground manufacturer Charles Wicksteed decided to put into practice his belief that all children, no matter how rich or poor, should have somewhere safe and fun to play outdoors. Set in acres of parkland in Kettering, Northamptonshire, which he had purchased eight years previously, Wicksteed wanted the attraction to provide a new and exciting element to public open spaces. He designed and installed some of his playground inventions, such as the Witch's Hat, and modern slides and swings. Almost a century later, the park is still a place for all to play, relax and enjoy the thrill of a ride, just as he had hoped. But it is facing a fight for survival. The financial burden of maintaining it, to a tune of £110,000 a month, has proven difficult to sustain. Although the park is owned by a charitable trust, the trading company went into administration last month, resulting in the loss of 48 permanent staff and 67 part-time and other jobs. Yet, a month on, its future is already looking brighter. Members of the public have helped raise £140,000 and it has received £247,000 from the National Lottery Heritage Fund (NLHF). After Wicksteed Park Limited went into administration, a new company, Wicksteed Trading Limited, was set up. It has been able to buy most of the park's assets and is working on securing the rest. The charitable trust said it aimed to keep funding the park and, when lockdown rules allow, reopen the pavilion for events. So far, the park has been able to reopen its cafe, playground and ice cream parlour. Rides and attractions are yet to reopen, due to the need for scheduled maintenance and inspection, along with social distancing measures. Three workers made redundant have also been able to return. Lee Scragg, managing director of Wicksteed Trading Limited, says the fundraising "just shows what a special place Wicksteed Park is and how important it is to many people". Unlike most other theme parks, Wicksteed Park's visitors have free access to the 147-acre (59-hectare) site, but can buy wristbands for the rides and attractions. These include the classic carousel and a water chute, installed in 1926 and thought to be among the oldest in the world. Away from the cacophony of the fairground rides, families can take a rowing boat across the lake, see meerkats pop up from their burrows, or simply enjoy a picnic in the grounds. Last year, its Edwardian pavilion, central piazza and original cottages were renovated. "It's beautiful and so well-maintained, with an old-worldly feel to it - it's our gem," said Lucy Elliott, 36, who has lived nearby all her life. Mrs Elliott's memories of family and school visits were so happy she decided to have her wedding reception there. She now has children of her own who she frequently takes there and is keen to see it remain open. As soon as she heard it had gone into administration, she set up a fundraising page and raised £4,800. "I felt like I just had to spread the word," she said. "I felt like I needed to do something. "It's made a lot of people go 'oh, we've got this special thing on our doorstep and we've taken it for granted'." She now spends most weekends there with daughters Annabelle, 10, and Amelia, eight, and even though they live in walking distance, they pay for an annual parking pass to support the park. While fundraising was "going in the right direction" she said "it's going to be a bit of long haul to get the park back open in the way we know it". Cafe worker Holly Simms is pleased to be back. "It was really heartbreaking that I lost my job, I love it here so much," she said. "Once I applied for this job and got accepted, I was over the moon, I couldn't wait to get back." Mr Scragg said he hoped to bring back more staff as attractions - such as the train and carousel - and the campsite reopened. A new streamline company, Wicksteed Trading, has been set up and Mr Scragg said the funds raised and the NLHF grant "surpassed all of our expectations". The park aims to reopen fully in Easter 2021 and host a programme of centenary events. "Next year is a massive year for the park and we want to be in a position where we can really celebrate not only the park but also Charles Wicksteed," said Mr Scragg. "We are in a better place than we were a month ago and I'm confident we will be able to keep the park open. "We are looking at all different types of business modelling to make sure we have a sustainable future and a park that can survive the next 100 years." Find BBC News: East of England on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you have a story suggestion email eastofenglandnews@bbc.co.uk

ब्रिटेन के सबसे पुराने थीम पार्कों में से एक, विकस्टीड पार्क के संचालक ने पिछले महीने कोरोनावायरस महामारी के कारण होने वाली कठिनाइयों का हवाला देते हुए प्रशासन में प्रवेश किया। यह आकर्षण पीढ़ियों से परिवारों द्वारा बहुत पसंद किया जाता रहा है, लेकिन क्या इसे बचाया जा सकता है?


Man charged over death of Falkirk pensioner

Summary: A man has been charged in connection with the death of a 73-year-old man in Falkirk.

Alastair Gray was found with fatal injuries and pronounced dead at the scene at a property in Grahams Road on Tuesday morning. The emergency services had attended following a report of concern for one of the occupants. A 49-year-old man is expected to appear at Falkirk Sheriff Court in connection with the incident.

फाल्किर्क में एक 73 वर्षीय व्यक्ति की मौत के मामले में एक व्यक्ति पर आरोप लगाया गया है।


Ipswich Town to appeal after losing policing charge case

Summary: Ipswich Town plans to appeal against a High Court ruling over policing costs outside its Portman Road stadium on match days.

The club claimed Suffolk Police "unlawfully" charged it £200,000 for policing between 2008 and 2013. It said the force should not have charged it for keeping order on the streets around the ground. But the High Court said Suffolk Police was entitled to recover the costs of policing the ground outside the club.

इप्सविच टाउन मैच के दिनों में अपने पोर्टमैन रोड स्टेडियम के बाहर पुलिसिंग लागत पर उच्च न्यायालय के फैसले के खिलाफ अपील करने की योजना बना रहा है।


Skegness mayor criticises "embarrassing" ad campaign

Summary: A series of adverts which promote Skegness by showing unflattering images of rival resorts have been described as "embarrassing" by the town's mayor.

The campaign, which started last month, features photographs of graffiti close to Blackpool Tower and Brighton beach. Mark Anderson said he was ashamed of the adverts, and felt East Lindsey District Council should have consulted him before launching them. The district council said the campaign had helped to raise Skegness's profile. 'Dirty tricks' Mr Anderson said that the adverts reflected badly on the resort. He said: "I believe East Lindsey has over-stretched itself in its conduct. The way they feel they can control my town and its townspeople brings itself into question." The adverts also drew criticism from Stay Blackpool which described it as a "dirty tricks" campaign. East Lindsey District Council said the adverts were "a bit of friendly rivalry" and estimated they had created media exposure worth more than £300,000 to the resort.

प्रतिद्वंद्वी रिसॉर्ट्स की अस्पष्ट छवियों को दिखाकर स्केगनेस को बढ़ावा देने वाले विज्ञापनों की एक श्रृंखला को शहर के महापौर द्वारा "शर्मनाक" बताया गया है।


Arrest after Belgrave Middleway hit-and-run death

Summary: A man has been arrested after a pedestrian died following a hit-and-run crash on a road in Birmingham.

A 23-year-old man was struck early on Sunday in Belgrave Middleway. He was taken to hospital with serious injuries and later pronounced dead. A 36-year-old man, from Birmingham, has been arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving and failing to stop. He handed himself into a police station, West Midlands Police said.

बर्मिंघम में एक सड़क पर हिट-एंड-रन दुर्घटना के बाद एक पैदल यात्री की मौत के बाद एक व्यक्ति को गिरफ्तार किया गया है।


Lib Dem reshuffle: Letters exchanged over Moore sacking

Summary: Liberal Democrat Party leader Nick Clegg has told Michael Moore that he would no longer be Scottish secretary. The MP for Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk will be replaced by follow Lib Dem Scot Alistair Carmichael. Here, are two letters, one from Mr Clegg to Mr Moore, the other from Mr Moore to Mr Clegg.

Dear Mike, I want to thank you for the vital role you have played as Secretary of State for Scotland over the past three years. You became Scottish Secretary in 2010 at a critical time in Scotland's relationship with the rest of the United Kingdom and you have managed the challenges of the situation with great skill and effectiveness. Not only have you successfully piloted through legislation to enable Scotland to take a major step towards the party's long held goal of 'Home Rule'. but you have also ensured that the referendum next year will give the Scottish people a clear and decisive question on which to cast their vote. It should be recognised that you secured both the Scotland Act and the Edinburgh Agreement in the context of a majority SNP government at Holyrood, and against a backdrop of an external political narrative that often suggested the legislation would fail and a referendum agreement could not be secured. You have achieved all of this while working ceaselessly for the interests of the Scottish people within the United Kingdom. As we discussed when we spoke on Friday, I believe we now need to draw on different experience in the final year running up to the referendum itself and I am keen that just as we have benefited from your formidable skills over the past three years that we take advantage of other experience within our ranks during this period. I am immensely grateful for all the work you have done at the Scotland Office and for the very significant contribution you have made to the first coalition government in 70 years. I have no doubt that there will be an opportunity for your talents to be deployed in government in the future. Yours sincerely, Nick Clegg Dear Nick Thank you for your letter. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to be part of the cabinet. Putting Liberal Democrat policies into practice in government has been our party's ambition for a very long time and I have valued the chance to play a key role in it. This has been, and will continue to be, a hugely important time in Scottish politics and that has made it a challenging and rewarding time to be Secretary of State for Scotland. Taking the Scotland Act through Parliament and negotiating the Edinburgh Agreement have been the highlights of my time in office, as well as, more recently, making the case for Scotland to stay part of the United Kingdom. However, I have also valued the chance to get out and about around Scotland week after week to listen to the challenges facing people and make sure those are understood by colleagues elsewhere in government. I am glad that there are now early signs of economic recovery, but we must not lose sight of the huge difficulties many people still face. Over the last few years I have worked with a superb team of civil servants and advisers in the Scotland Office, and other government departments, in very challenging circumstances. I do not think the support teams for ministers always get the credit they deserve: I am very grateful for the support they have given me. In leaving the Scotland Office I am pleased that Alistair will be succeeding me. As a good friend and long time colleague, I believe he will do a superb job. I wish him all the best. Yours sincerely, Michael Moore

लिबरल डेमोक्रेट पार्टी के नेता निक क्लेग ने माइकल मूर से कहा है कि वह अब स्कॉटिश सचिव नहीं रहेंगे। बरविकशायर, रॉक्सबर्ग और सेल्किर्क के सांसद की जगह फॉलो लिब डेम स्कॉट एलिस्टेयर कारमाइकल लेंगे। यहाँ, दो पत्र हैं, एक श्री क्लेग से श्री मूर को, दूसरा श्री मूर से श्री क्लेग को।


Paranoia 'reduced with virtual reality'

Summary: Virtual reality has been used to help treat severe paranoia.

Fergus WalshMedical correspondent Patients who suffered persecutory delusions were encouraged to step into a computer-generated Underground train carriage and a lift. The simulations allowed the study's 30 patients to learn social situations they feared were actually safe. The research at Oxford University, published in the British Journal of Psychiatry, was funded by the Medical Research Council. Members of one group of patients were told to use their normal defensive behaviour, such as avoiding eye contact. The rest of the patients were encouraged to lower their defences and try to learn they were safe by approaching computer characters (avatars) and standing toe-to-toe or staring at them. 'Paranoia melts away' This group, who fully tested out their fears, showed the biggest reduction in their paranoid delusions. More than half of them no longer had severe paranoia at the end of the testing day. The first group, who used their defences, also saw some reduction in the level of severe paranoia. The study was led by Prof Daniel Freeman, a clinical psychologist at Oxford University's Department of Psychiatry. He told me: "At the heart of paranoia is the unfounded belief that people are under threat. "With virtual reality we can help the person to re-learn that they are safe, and when they do that, the paranoia melts away." The Oxford team estimate that around 1-2% of the population have severe paranoia at some point in their lives, typically associated with a mental health disorder such as schizophrenia. Patients have such a strong sense of mistrust that they avoid contact with people and may rarely leave home. The study was small and the patients had just one half-hour session of virtual reality with no long-term follow-up. However, Prof Freeman said the results were "exceptionally good". He added: "I think this a glimpse into the future of mental healthcare. There is a revolution underway in virtual reality with many headsets becoming available. "As these become more affordable we will see them used not just in clinical settings, but in people's homes." Toby Brabham, aged 45, was diagnosed with schizophrenia more than 20 years ago, and has experienced severe paranoia. He told me: "I used to experience persecutory voices - they would be having a go at me. I would avoid going out and when I did it was with my head down so I avoided eye contact. It was very isolating." Toby is now being successfully treated, and agreed to test out the virtual reality system for the BBC. 'Exciting to see' Afterwards he said: "If I go on a Tube train or lift now I will certainly remember the virtual reality experience and I think it will be helpful in reducing any feelings of anxiety that I may have." Dr Kathryn Adcock, head of neurosciences and mental health at the Medical Research Council, said: "Virtual reality is proving extremely effective in the assessment and treatment of mental health problems. "This study shows the potential of its application to a major psychiatric problem." Brian Dow, at the charity Rethink Mental Illness, said: "It's exciting to see cutting-edge technology used innovatively to treat what can be an extremely frightening and disruptive symptom for some people experiencing mental illness. "

आभासी वास्तविकता का उपयोग गंभीर व्यामोह के इलाज में मदद करने के लिए किया गया है।


Your pictures of Scotland 5 - 12 February

Summary: A selection of your pictures of Scotland sent in between 5 and 12 February. Send your photos to scotlandpictures@bbc.co.uk. Please ensure you adhere to the BBC's rules regarding photographs that can be found here.

Please also ensure you follow current coronavirus guidelines and take your pictures safely and responsibly. Conditions of use: If you submit an image, you do so in accordance with the BBC's terms and conditions. Please ensure that the photograph you send is your own and if you are submitting photographs of children, we must have written permission from a parent or guardian of every child featured (a grandparent, auntie or friend will not suffice). In contributing to BBC News you agree to grant us a royalty-free, non-exclusive licence to publish and otherwise use the material in any way, including in any media worldwide. However, you will still own the copyright to everything you contribute to BBC News. At no time should you endanger yourself or others, take any unnecessary risks or infringe the law. You can find more information here. All photos are subject to copyright.

स्कॉटलैंड की अपनी तस्वीरों का चयन 5 और 12 फरवरी के बीच भेजा गया है। अपनी तस्वीरें scotlandpictures@bbc.co.uk पर भेजें। कृपया सुनिश्चित करें कि आप यहाँ पाई जाने वाली तस्वीरों के संबंध में बीबीसी के नियमों का पालन करते हैं।


Welsh Assembly votes at 16 plans pass first hurdle

Summary: Plans to reduce the voting age to 16 for assembly elections and rename the institution a Welsh Parliament have moved a step closer.

Assembly members backed plans for a new law making constitutional changes to how the assembly operates. The vote means the assembly can prepare legislation which would then need 40 of the 60 AMs to approve to become law. The Assembly Commission, which runs the institution, is still considering what the new name for AMs will be.

विधानसभा चुनावों के लिए मतदान की आयु को घटाकर 16 करने और संस्थान का नाम बदलकर वेल्श संसद करने की योजना एक कदम और आगे बढ़ गई है।


The men, like Gene Cernan, who made footprints on the Moon

Summary: US astronaut Gene Cernan has died at the age of 82.

He was the last man to leave a footprint on the lunar surface, on the Apollo 17 mission in 1972 and was one of only three people to go to the Moon twice. The final words Captain Cernan spoke there were: "We leave as we came and, God willing, as we shall return with peace and hope for all mankind." But who were the other 11 men who made their footprints on the Moon? Neil Armstrong (1930 - 2012) and Edwin 'Buzz' Aldrin (b 1930) Armstrong is most famous for the words: "That's one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind." Buzz Aldrin was just behind him. While on the moon Neil and Buzz planted a US flag and left a sign saying, "Here men from the planet Earth first set foot upon the Moon July 1969, AD. We came in peace for all mankind." Charles 'Pete' Conrad (1930 - 1999) Apollo 12 launched during a lightning storm which knocked out the power shortly after lift-off. When Conrad finally stepped onto the moon he shouted: "Whoopee! Man, that may have been a small one for Neil, but that's a long one for me." Alan L Bean (b 1932) Bean is the only artist to have left our planet, so his paintings of the lunar environment are pretty authentic. Alan Shepard (1923 - 1998) Shepard famously knocked a couple of golf balls with a six-iron attached to his sample-collecting tool. Thanks to the moon's lower gravity, he could drive further than any professional golfer on Earth. Edgar D Mitchell (1930 - 2016) Mitchell was the first to transmit colour TV from the lunar surface and he helped collect 94lb (43.5kg) of lunar rock and soil samples to bring home. David Scott (b 1932) Scott became famous for his stamps. Without Nasa's permission, he took postage stamp covers to the moon with the plan to sell them afterwards. He never flew again. James B Irwin (1930 - 1991) While Irwin was on his mission, the team back on Earth noticed he was having heart trouble. But, since he was breathing 100% oxygen and was under lower gravity than on Earth, mission control decided he was in the best place for his condition. Irwin's heart rhythm was normal when he returned to Earth, but he had a heart attack a few months later. John Young (b 1930) John Young is the longest serving astronaut in Nasa history, so far. He once smuggled a corned beef sandwich onto the flight - Nasa bosses were not happy. But Young went on to complete a total of six space missions. Charles M Duke Jr (b 1935) Duke made history by catching German measles during training in the backup crew for the Apollo 13 mission. He exposed the crew and caused one astronaut to be replaced. Harrison 'Jack' Schmitt (b 1935) Schmitt was the first scientist in outer space. On the Apollo 17 mission, he spent three days on the Moon with Gene Cernan. He threw their one and only geology hammer off into the distance and left his measuring instruments behind. Find us on Instagram at BBCNewsbeat and follow us on Snapchat, search for bbc_newsbeat

अमेरिकी अंतरिक्ष यात्री जीन सर्नन का 82 वर्ष की आयु में निधन हो गया है।


St Brelade get Jersey's first public allotments

Summary: Jersey's first public allotments are being created at Les Creux Country Park in St Brelade.

Planning consent has been given to the St Brelade allotment trust under new laws which enable a non-profit making charitable trust to provide the plots. It is hoped the St Brelade allotments will be the first of several similar developments in the island. The idea to create a trust came from the late Jersey advocate and former Senator Chris Lakeman. The St Brelade Allotment Trust will be chaired by Jeff Hathaway.

जर्सी का पहला सार्वजनिक आवंटन सेंट ब्रेलेड के लेस क्रेक्स कंट्री पार्क में बनाया जा रहा है।