What do the people of the world die from?

Summary: Around the world, people are living longer.

By Hannah RitchieOxford Martin School In 1950, global average life expectancy at birth was only 46. By 2015, it had shot up to over 71. In some countries, progress has not always been smooth. Disease, epidemics and unexpected events are a reminder that ever-longer lives are not a given. Meanwhile, the deaths that may preoccupy us - from terrorism, war and natural disasters - make up less than 0.5% of all deaths combined. But across the world, many are still dying too young and from preventable causes. The story of when people die is really a story of how they die, and how this has changed over time. Causes of death around the world About 56 million people in the world died in 2017. This is 10 million more than in 1990, as the global population has increased and people live longer on average. More than 70% die from non-communicable, chronic diseases. These are not passed from person to person and typically progress slowly. The biggest single killer is cardiovascular disease, which affects the heart and arteries and is responsible for every third death. This is twice the rate of cancers - the second leading cause - which account for about one in six of all deaths. Other non-contagious diseases such as diabetes, certain respiratory diseases and dementia are also near the top of the list. Preventable deaths What may be more shocking is the number of people who still die from preventable causes. About 1.6 million died from diseases related to diarrhoea in 2017, putting it in the top 10 causes of death. In some countries, it's one of the largest killers. Neonatal disorders - the death of a baby within the first 28 days - claimed 1.8 million newborns in 2017. The frequency of these deaths varies greatly from country to country. In Japan, fewer than one in 1,000 babies die in the first 28 days of life, compared with just under one in 20 in some of the world's poorest countries. Other preventable deaths are high up the list. Road accidents incur a high death toll in the richest and poorest countries alike, claiming 1.2 million lives in 2017. While many high-income countries have seen significant falls in road deaths in recent decades, globally the number dying on the roads has almost stayed the same. Meanwhile, almost twice as many people around the world died from suicide as from homicide - the killing of one person by another. In the UK, suicide deaths were 16 times higher; it is the leading cause of death for men aged 20-40. What types of death tell us What people die from changes over time and as their country develops. In the past, infectious diseases played a bigger part than they do today. In 1990, one in three deaths resulted from communicable and infectious diseases; by 2017 this had fallen to one in five. Children are particularly vulnerable to infectious diseases. As recently as the 19th Century, every third child in the world died before the age of five. Child mortality rates have fallen significantly since then thanks to vaccines and improvements in hygiene, nutrition, healthcare and clean water access. Child deaths in rich countries are now relatively rare, while the poorest regions today have child mortality rates similar to the UK and Sweden in the first half of the 20th Century, and are continuing to catch up. The decline in global child deaths is one of the greatest success stories of modern healthcare. The number of children dying each year has more than halved in recent decades, as we have got better at fighting contagious and infectious diseases. This has shifted death rates towards non-contagious diseases in elderly people. Many countries have growing concerns about the increasing burden on relatives and healthcare systems as people get older and have longer-term illnesses. More stories like this Unexpected events can throw this steady improvement off course. The 1980s HIV/Aids crisis is a striking example of this. The epidemic was felt across all regions of the world, but the most notable impact on life expectancy was in sub-Saharan Africa. After decades of steady improvement, life expectancy fell substantially across many countries in the region. A combination of anti-retroviral therapy, treatment and education on prevention means global deaths from Aids-related illness have halved in the last decade alone - from 2 million per year down to 1 million. Life expectancy has since began to recover in these countries, but is only now returning to pre-crisis levels. Even in the richest countries, continued progress is not a given. Life expectancy in the US has fallen slightly over the past few years, largely as a result of the opioid drug crisis. Life expectancy for new mothers has also not consistently increased. There are about 10 countries where a young woman today would be more likely to die during or shortly after childbirth than her mother was, including the US. Further to go Today's overall picture is positive: we are living longer lives while fewer people - especially children - are dying from preventable causes. But it's also true that we still have a long way to go. Further improvements in sanitation, hygiene, nutrition, vaccination and basic healthcare are all crucial to this. So too are increased safety measures and mental health provision. Understanding what people die from is crucial if we want this recent progress to continue. About this piece This analysis piece was commissioned by the BBC from an expert working for an outside organisation. Hannah Ritchie is an Oxford Martin fellow, and is currently working as a researcher at OurWorldinData.org. This is a joint project between Oxford Martin and non-profit organisation Global Change Data Lab, which aims to present research on how the world is changing through interactive visualisations. You can follow her on Twitter here. Edited by Eleanor Lawrie

दुनिया भर में लोग लंबे समय तक जी रहे हैं।


Scarborough beach huts fire: Two boys arrested

Summary: Two boys have been arrested on suspicion of arson after a blaze gutted about 20 beach chalets.

Emergency services were called to North Bay in Scarborough shortly after 05:10 BST on Thursday following reports of a fire spreading through several huts. Police said a number of other chalets had also been broken into. The teenagers, aged 14 and 15, have both been detained, with the older boy also being held on suspicion of burglary. Follow BBC Yorkshire on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to yorkslincs.news@bbc.co.uk.

समुद्र तट पर लगभग 20 शैलेटों में आग लगने के बाद आगजनी के संदेह में दो लड़कों को गिरफ्तार किया गया है।


General election 2019: Parties stick to core messages in final days

Summary: There has been, in truth, precious little subtlety in this most remarkable of election contests. Whether in TV debates or in chilly doorstep conversations, the parties have tended to stick to the old political doctrine.

Brian TaylorPolitical editor, Scotland@tannadiceladon Twitter Preview what you're going to say; say it; then sum up what you've just said. In short, leave as little room as possible for doubt and uncertainty. The political leaflets have tended to yell at voters in large font typefaces, rather than cajole in measured prose. I suppose the calculation is that, in these busy, concerning times, there is but a moment to grab the citizen's attention before said leaflet is recycled in obedience to environmental concerns. In these few, final days, any lingering vestige of subtlety has gone. It is time for core messages. In truth, that has been the case from the outset. And that is because so much is at stake. In an election, customarily, the loser can find a micro-quantum of solace in the thought that another democratic contest will be around in a few years. This time, however, there are more fundamental issues at stake. The future of the UK's relationship with the EU - whether as a member or not. Plus, potentially, the future of Scotland. Party leaders in Scotland have more experience than most of coping with blunt, sharp messaging. And so, mostly, they have honed their offers, bringing past experience to bear upon contemporary challenges. Did you catch Nicola Sturgeon on the wireless this morning? I did, not least because I was on just after her to provide analysis. As is her wont, Ms Sturgeon was disarmingly clear. One objective of the SNP in this contest was to "lock Boris Johnson out of Downing Street". In which regard, she advances the notion that a Labour government led by Jeremy Corbyn would be obliged to concede indyref2, were they in need of SNP support in the Commons. En passant, Ms Sturgeon offers a degree of nuance, unfamiliar in this contest, in stressing that this she is no particular fan of Mr Corbyn. It strikes me this is all something of an each way bet by the SNP. It is designed to draw into their corner a combination of opinions. Those who want to Remain in the EU, those who generally favour independence and those who dislike the Tories and/or Boris Johnson. However, what if the cadre of SNP MPs rises in number, but Boris Johnson still retains the key to Number 10, because of the voting pattern in England? Why, then the SNP can argue that Scotland's wishes have again been thwarted. They will, in those circumstances, insist that they made every effort to prevent such an outcome - but that Scottish opinion was over-turned once more. Which leads us to the still more elemental argument adduced by Ms Sturgeon. It is, as I have noted from the outset, a syllogism. This is to the effect that Brexit is bad for Scotland and contrary to Scottish wishes; that this bad thing arises from Westminster governance; that the UK's handling of Brexit and arguable neglect of Scottish concerns demonstrates that the Westminster system more generally is broken; and thus that the answer to a broken Westminster (and Brexit) is independence, via indyref2. QED. This is, to be clear, more than just "Brexit is bad, vote for indy". It is: the system which brought you Brexit is unendurable, vote for the SNP and the option of indy. Pressed on the wireless this morning, Ms Sturgeon made clear - once again - that her pursuit of independence was not solely linked to Brexit and would not, consequently, evaporate in the event of Brexit being abandoned by an incoming UK government, after a referendum. She argued that the desire to give Scotland a further opportunity to choose independence was driven by material need and by her perception that Westminster's treatment of Scotland, as evidenced by Brexit, was high-handed and dismissive. Now, opponents will - once again - argue that this proves the sole objective of the SNP is independence, regardless of other circumstances. Ms Sturgeon will argue that her consistent support for an independent Scotland is scarcely a shock. The SNP's broader objective in this election is, therefore, to make sufficient progress to be able to argue that there is momentum behind the campaign for a second independence ballot, towards the close of next year. Again this morning, Ms Sturgeon made clear that she was only interested in a formal ballot, with the necessary UK sanction, which would be legitimate and attract domestic and international recognition. And the Tories? Their message in Scotland is rather different from their counterparts in England. Or, to be clear, it contains a distinctive emphasis. Boris Johnson and each of his Cabinet colleagues preface virtually every remark, no matter the subject, with a re-statement of the necessity to "get Brexit done". In this, they resemble the Roman Senator Cato who argued, every time he got to his feet, "delenda est Carthago" (Carthage must be destroyed). In Scotland, where folk mostly voted to Remain in the EU, the Tory message is necessarily rather different. Yes, they talk about Brexit. They emphasise the need to move on. But the legend on the front of their Scottish manifesto is "No to indyref2". Indeed, Jackson Carlaw made that distinction clear when he was interviewed by the redoubtable Chief Commissioner Miekelson on Scot Squad (motto: "forget the polls, listen to the polis"). In the same interview, all the leaders were asked to characterise various political figures as "bam or no bam". Invited to categorise Boris Johnson, Mr Carlaw said - no doubt, with tongue firmly in cheek - that he "veers between the two". Actually, maybe he was simply being drolly candid in this most droll of encounters. The Scots Tories know that Mr Johnson is, potentially, a tricky sell in Scotland. So they steer clear of overt evangelism. Instead, they make twin pitches. They have dumped their attempts to mitigate Brexit, explicitly backing Boris on that. And they operate on the basis that Mr Johnson, with a new deal in his pocket, is more likely to carry weight, even with truculent Scots. More generally, it is a whispered aside, an implicit adoption of Scotland's intrinsic attitudes. Look, they are saying, we know you may be none too keen on Brexit. To be frank, quite a few of us campaigned against it. But, hey, we need to move on. We need to get past this. And, instead of agonising over Brexit, what about the threat to the Union? That's a big deal for you, isn't it? Isn't it? Bigger than Brexit? That is why "No to indyref2" is front and centre for the Tories in Scotland. Ahead of Brexit. It is an attempt once again to corral into their corner all voters - Labour included - who prefer the Union to independence. It is an older message, with a new post-Brexit twist. Then there is Labour. They have sometimes struggled with the constitutional issues in this contest, preferring to stick to topics germane to their potential voter base, such as public services and relative poverty. In past elections, sundry parties have disavowed constitutional questions. One thinks of the Tories dismissing devolution as a salient topic - right up to the point when they lost every Scottish Westminster seat in 1997. One thinks of supporters of the Union arguing variously that the SNP have no role in a Westminster contest where, by dint of simple arithmetic, they cannot hope and do not seek to form the UK government. The SNP have sidelined that argument in this contest with their Brexit-linked syllogism. But, more generally, the constitution looms large and dominant in contemporary politics. Brexit must be settled - either by proceeding with it or by reversing it. Plus, in Scotland, the issue of independence is to the fore - from its advocates and its detractors. In vain have Labour occasionally tried to divert focus from these constitutional conundrums. They revive. They resurface. Which has caused Labour transient disquiet. What is their stance on Brexit? A further referendum in which Mr Corbyn hopes to present what he has called a "sensible" renegotiation of the Brexit terms, with the option of Remain also on the ballot paper. And his position in this referendum? He would be "neutral". I can readily understand that. Firstly, he is a life-long critic of the European Union. Secondly, he is trying to retain Labour support among Remainers but also in seats in the north and midlands of England which voted Leave. Sundry potential supporters might not welcome guidance from the Labour leader, either way. However, it leaves him vulnerable to caricature from rivals, including from the Tories who have taken to arguing in favour of "getting Britain out of neutral". A phrase deployed almost as frequently as "get Brexit done" or "no to indyref2". And independence? Labour is agin it. But then notes that it might be prepared to contemplate indyref2 after two years of a Labour UK government. In short, after the next Holyrood elections in 2021. The party's Scottish leader, Richard Leader, has coped valiantly with this. On Brexit, he says the Scottish party would campaign for Remain, despite Mr Corbyn's stance. On indyref2, he says he expects to be first minister after 2021, and so the issue won't resurface. But it has been a challenge. And then the Liberal Democrats. They deliver a firm no to both Brexit and indyref2. Keeping it simple in these most complex of times. Willie Rennie, leader of the Scottish Lib Dems, has restated this dual commitment in all circumstances. It's a no. Twice. Indeed, Mr Rennie has contrived gallantly to keep a straight face as he has argued that his party - the party of PR voting, the party of political reform - wants to get off the obsession with constitutional matters. They have stumbled a little over two related issues. One, the declaration by Jo Swinson, the federal leader, that she was out to be prime minister. Two, the suggestion that they would simply cancel Brexit should they have majority power. To be fair to Ms Swinson, she was disinclined to place early limits on her party's ambitions. Perhaps she might have found a more nuanced way of saying it. "We're standing in seats across GB. And, you know what, if folk vote for us then I could end up PM! What about that, eh?" But some, even in her own party, think that the promise to drop Brexit through revoking Article 50 was a little too courageous, even in this polarised election. Perhaps, some think, they might have been better to stick with the promise of a further EU referendum - with a vigorous Remain campaign. Especially as the revoke message - which allowed critics to pounce - was predicated upon the relatively unlikely scenario of majority Lib Dem power. In practice, they've talked up the referendum, anyway. Scottish Lib Dem strategists insist their stance sets them apart. That folk on the doorsteps or watching telly hear a party which is ineluctably opposed to Brexit - and vigorously in favour of the Union that is the UK. And there's more. The Scottish Greens advocating environmental concerns, with an energetic campaign. The Brexit Party, perhaps less visible in Scotland, advocating what they call a "clear break" departure from the EU, with no extension to the transition period. And the others. All those candidates clamouring for your support in this curious, curious election.

वास्तव में, इन सबसे उल्लेखनीय चुनावी प्रतियोगिताओं में बहुत कम सूक्ष्मता रही है। चाहे वे टीवी बहसों में हों या दरवाजे पर ठंडी बातचीत में, पार्टियां पुराने राजनीतिक सिद्धांत पर अडिग रहने की प्रवृत्ति रखती हैं।


Man and woman found dead in Leicestershire house

Summary: Two people have been found dead at a house in Leicestershire.

Police and ambulance crews were called to Tatlow Road, Glenfield, at 23:50 GMT on Tuesday by a concerned member of the public. The deaths of the woman, 27, and man, 31, are being treated as unexplained but police are not looking for anyone else. Police said a post-mortem examination has taken place and further tests are being carried out. Follow BBC East Midlands on Facebook, on Twitter, or on Instagram. Send your story ideas to eastmidsnews@bbc.co.uk.

लीसेस्टरशायर में एक घर में दो लोग मृत पाए गए हैं।


Sarbjit Kaur death: Husband in court over wife's murder

Summary: A man has appeared in court charged with murdering his 38-year-old wife who was found dead in their home.

The asphyxiated body of Sarbjit Kaur was discovered on 16 February in Rookery Lane, Penn, Wolverhampton. Gurpreet Singh, 42, her businessman husband, appeared before Birmingham Magistrates' Court earlier charged with Mrs Kaur's murder. Mr Singh, of Rookery Lane, will appear before Wolverhampton Crown Court on Monday 14 May. Related Internet Links HM Courts & Tribunals Service

अपने घर में मृत पाई गई अपनी 38 वर्षीय पत्नी की हत्या के आरोप में एक व्यक्ति अदालत में पेश हुआ है।


Grimsby flood alleviation work to start

Summary: Work aimed at reducing the risk of flooding to thousands of properties near the Humber Estuary is about to begin as part of a two-year project.

The first phase of the £20m Grimsby flood alleviation scheme is due to start next week with the construction of a large concrete wave wall. The wall, made from hundreds of pre-fabricated 20-tonne concrete blocks, will be built at Grimsby Docks. Further phases of the scheme are expected to follow in 2014 and 2015. The need for a flood defence scheme in Grimsby was identified as part of the Humber Flood Risk Management Strategy which was given the go-ahead by government in 2008. Mike Dugher, from the Environment Agency, said: "Thousands of homes and businesses would be at significant risk of flooding should these defences fail."

हंबर मुहाने के पास हजारों संपत्तियों में बाढ़ के जोखिम को कम करने के उद्देश्य से काम दो साल की परियोजना के हिस्से के रूप में शुरू होने वाला है।


Nottingham children's home abuser Barrie Pick jailed for six years

Summary: A former council children's care home worker has been jailed for six years for the abuse of a 13-year-old boy.

Barrie Pick, 74, of Nottingham, was convicted at Nottingham Crown Court of two counts of indecent assault and two of indecency with a child. Police said the offences dated back to 1977 and took place at the Beechwood children's home in the city. Pick's case was part of Operation Equinox which looked a historical abuse in Nottinghamshire care homes. He was cleared of a third count of indecency with a child. More stories from across the East Midlands

एक पूर्व परिषद बाल देखभाल गृह कार्यकर्ता को 13 वर्षीय लड़के के साथ दुर्व्यवहार के लिए छह साल की जेल की सजा सुनाई गई है।


King's Lynn death: Reece Hornibrook had severe head injuries after fight

Summary: A teenager assaulted in a street fight involving several people died of severe head injuries, a post-mortem examination has confirmed.

Reece Hornibrook, 17, died in hospital on Tuesday after the disturbance in Saddlebow Road in King's Lynn, Norfolk, just before 03:30 BST on Sunday. Liam Russell, 31, of Metcalf Avenue in the town, appeared in court charged with grievous bodily harm earlier. He is yet to enter a plea and was granted bail at Norwich Crown Court. His next appearance there is due on 7 August. In a statement issued via Norfolk Police after his death, the boy's family described him as a popular gentle giant who would do anything for anyone. A 30-year-old woman arrested in connection with the fight was released on police bail on Tuesday. Related Internet Links HM Courts & Tribunals Service

सड़क पर हुई लड़ाई में कई लोगों के साथ हुए हमले में एक किशोर की मौत सिर में गंभीर चोटों के कारण हुई, एक पोस्टमार्टम जांच ने पुष्टि की है।


Trumplomacy: What's changed between US and N Korea

Summary: After weeks of tough talk and escalating tensions between the US and North Korea, President Donald Trump has referred to the possibility of meeting his opposite number, Kim Jong Un. Let's take a step back and look at how we got here.

By Barbara Plett UsherBBC News What's changed under Trump? The threat perception: The Americans believe that Pyongyang already has the technology to fire nuclear warheads at Japan and South Korea. And they calculate that it will likely be able to hit the United States within a few years. So North Korea is now seen as a threat to US national security, not only a menace to regional allies. Hence the sense of urgency and resolve. The rhetoric: Military options have always "been on the table", sometimes more actively than others. But rarely if ever has a US administration been as blunt or outspoken about it. That is largely a factor of President Trump's style but it's also due to growing concern about the imminence of the threat. The military posturing: Spring is usually a tense time in the Korean Peninsula, because North Korea celebrates a number of patriotic anniversaries that can serve as launch pads for weapons tests, and the US conducts military exercises with Seoul. But this year the Trump administration added to the firepower on display, including a submarine equipped with guided missiles, and an aircraft carrier group. The confusion over the deployment of the latter, however, may have detracted somewhat from its deterrent effect. North Korea: Pyongyang has long held that it needs nuclear weapons to guarantee its security, and has been ready to face down international censure and punishment. But Kim Jong Un has shown particular determination and, unlike his father and grandfather, a disregard for the views of his only major ally, China. "Kim Jong Il for all of his sins at least cared what other people thought and particularly cared what the Chinese thought," the former US negotiator Chris Hill told the BBC. "His son Kim Jung Un doesn't seem to care what anyone thinks." China: China is exasperated by its recalcitrant ally and worried about the growing sophistication of its weapons. It had already begun tightening its implementation of sanctions by following through with the UN's recent ban on coal imports. But it's probably even more worried that Trump's military posturing will escalate tensions, and uneasy about his insistence that Beijing is uniquely positioned to squeeze Pyongyang. In an apparent response to US pressure, Chinese newspapers have published tougher statements about North Korea. There's also been closer coordination between Beijing and Washington. The Secretary of State Rex Tillerson says Beijing has threatened Pyongyang with unilateral sanctions if it carries out a sixth nuclear test. What hasn't changed The options: There are still no good ones. Tillerson says denuclearisation would still be the goal, but he has not been precise about conditions for starting talks. The strategy: Actually, it has sort of changed and sort of hasn't. The administration says it has. But the components - pressing for tighter economic sanctions, urging China to lean on its neighbour, and waiting for North Korea to buckle - look a lot like Barack Obama's "strategic patience". The difference seems to be less patience, a more credible threat of military force, and more coercive diplomacy. Tillerson says the knob on the pressure campaign is at "five or six" right now, with the US "testing" Beijing's ability to influence North Korea, and threatening to sanction parties that violate the UN embargo. Alongside China, the Trump administration is also trying to convince South East Asian nations to isolate North Korea. China: China may be more willing to turn the screws on Pyongyang, but only so far. There is no sign that it has changed its calculation of North Korea as a buffer state. Beijing fears that if the regime collapses the American security umbrella will be extended across the peninsula right to its borders. And while North Korea is a dangerous headache, America is its biggest strategic rival. Tillerson's recent assurance that the US is not seeking regime change was aimed as much at Beijing as it was at Pyongyang. The wild card: Even with a nuclear rogue state, President Trump likes to be unpredictable. And his tactics are those of a deal maker. Nevertheless observers are struggling to interpret the contrast between his hardline rhetoric and his recent suggestion of a meeting with Kim Jong Un - under the "right circumstances" . Barack Obama also said during the 2008 election campaign he'd be willing to meet the North Korean leader. But he did not go on to praise his adversary as did Trump, calling him a "smart cookie" for holding onto power by wiping out his rivals. It's not clear if the president was deliberately dangling a carrot, making another overture among several to a strongman, or simply throwing an offhand comment into the mix.

अमेरिका और उत्तर कोरिया के बीच हफ्तों की कड़ी बातचीत और बढ़ते तनाव के बाद, राष्ट्रपति डोनाल्ड ट्रम्प ने अपने विपरीत नंबर, किम जोंग उन से मिलने की संभावना का उल्लेख किया है। आइए एक कदम पीछे हटें और देखें कि हम यहां कैसे पहुंचे।


Coronavirus: The good that can come out of an upside-down world

Summary: Our world has changed immensely in the last few weeks but amid the upheaval and distress, there are reasons to believe we can emerge from the crisis with some human qualities enhanced, writes Matthew Syed.

A few years ago, Michael Michalko, a former US army officer, came up with a fascinating idea to sharpen creativity. He called it "assumption reversal". You take the core notions in any context, subject, discipline and then, well, turn them on their head. So, suppose you are thinking of starting a restaurant (obviously not possible right now!). The first assumption might be: "restaurants have menus". The reversal would be: "restaurants have no menus". This provokes the idea of a chef informing each customer what he bought that day at market, allowing them to select a customised dish. The point is not that this will turn out to be a workable scheme, but that by disrupting conventional thought patterns, it might lead to new associations and ideas. Or, to take a different example, suppose you are considering a new taxi company. The first assumption might be: "taxi companies own cars". The reversal would be: "taxi companies own no cars". Twenty years ago, that might have sounded crazy. Today, the largest taxi company that has ever existed doesn't own cars: Uber. Now we are living through a disruption (you might even call it a reversal) of unprecedented scale. The coronavirus has turned our lives upside down and, although we hope to return to some version of normality in the coming months, it is probable that nothing will quite be the same again. Many have lost their livelihoods and businesses, and there is no diminishing the difficulties - emotional and financial - this has brought in its wake. But amid the darkness, there are also opportunities. Opportunities to reimagine the world and one's place within it. Reversal techniques are typically used by people working in the creative industries to come up with new products or innovations. I wonder if we can all use it to seek out a silver lining or two amid the grey clouds. Take education. This has traditionally been conceived as a place where children absorb knowledge. In Hard Times by Charles Dickens, Mr Gradgrind says "give me facts, sir!". Education has, of course, moved on since then, but there is still a tendency to see classrooms as forums for imparting formal knowledge. So how about this for a reversal: "Education is not about imparting knowledge." This provokes the idea of helping children develop skills that are not drawn from traditional disciplines. Softer skills. Skills that are important in the real world but which teachers struggle to find time to teach because of the demands of the curriculum. Improvising, for example. Debating. Thinking on one's feet. Working in teams. Most parents (if they are anything like me) will have realised how difficult it is to teach kids at home. But here are some "rebel" ideas that emerge from assumption reversal. Get your kids to walk to the front of the room, pick up a card lying face down, and then turn it over to reveal a topic. Their task is then to turn around to the rest of the room and speak on this topic for 60 seconds. I tried it with my daughter (seven) and the first time, she froze. She had the topic "Paddington Bear" and she managed five seconds before trailing off. But by the second time (the topic was "tennis") she got to the end, albeit in a stumbling way, and by the fourth attempt (on "wildlife"), she was fluent throughout. She is learning the art of improvisation. I also asked her and her brother to write down their biggest failure and what they learned from it. The idea was to shift the concept of failure from something stigmatising to part and parcel of how we grow. We shared stories of famous people who had failed. A JK Rowling quote was very helpful: "Some failure in life is inevitable. It is impossible to live without failing at something, unless you live so cautiously that you might as well not have lived at all - in which case, you fail by default." These are just reversal ideas related to education, but I am sure you can think of dozens of other contexts in which this technique could work. The point of the education example isn't to stop kids imbuing formal knowledge, but to find ways to supplement this with other skills (and have fun at the same time). Innovative schools are already trialling some of these ideas. Another positive that might emerge from this crisis is a surge in kindness. In the UK, more than 700,000 volunteers stepped forward to help the NHS, and the nation showed its appreciation to carers by applauding in unison. Kindness is often considered (particularly by economists) to be a short-lived anomaly. But I wonder if kindness can become a more sustainable part of our societies, particularly when people realise that altruism and self-interest are not so very afar apart. Consider a study of more than 600 medical students, which found that the selfish ones - people who focused on their own progress, and cared little for others - performed very well in their first year. These "takers" were good at extracting information, and by offering little in return they were able to focus on their own progress. Those who were more generous with their time and were willing to offer insights to their fellow students, the "givers", got left behind. But here is the curious thing. By the second year, the kinder cohort had caught up, and by the third year had overtaken their peers. Indeed, by the final year, the givers had gained significantly higher grades. Indeed, a kinder attitude was a more powerful predictor of school grades than the effect of smoking on lung cancer rates. What was going on? The givers hadn't changed, but the structure of the programme had shifted. As the psychologist Adam Grant has written: "As students progress through medical school, they move from independent classes into clinical rotations and patient care. The further they advance, the more their success depends on teamwork and service. Whereas takers sometimes win in independent roles where performance is only about individual results, givers thrive in an interdependent roles where collaboration matters." This is a finding that keeps re-emerging in social science: people with a giving approach are flourishing in a world of interdependency. The evidence also shows that the most successful givers are strategic, seeking out diversity but cutting off selfish people who seek to exploit them. As one researcher put it: "a giving attitude is a powerful asset when allied to social intelligence." I don't wish to diminish the scale of our present difficulties, but neither do I believe that the future is inherently gloomy. A world with more kindness and creativity is one to look forward to. We would be reaching out for new solutions, rebelling against outmoded ideas, but in a spirit of collaboration, helping us to become successful. As one psychologist put it: "According to conventional wisdom, highly successful people have three things in common: motivation, ability and opportunity…. [but] there is a fourth ingredient: success depends heavily on how we approach our interactions with other people. Do we try to claim as much value [for ourselves] as we can, or do we contribute value? It turns out that these choices have staggering consequences for success." Matthew Syed is the author of Rebel Ideas: the Power of Diverse Thinking Drawings by Emma Lynch

मैथ्यू सैयद लिखते हैं, "पिछले कुछ हफ्तों में हमारी दुनिया बहुत बदल गई है, लेकिन उथल-पुथल और संकट के बीच, यह मानने के कारण हैं कि हम कुछ मानवीय गुणों को बढ़ाने के साथ संकट से बाहर निकल सकते हैं।"


Poverty in Bulgaria drives more to make ultimate sacrifice

Summary: In Bulgaria, six people have burned themselves alive in protest at worsening poverty levels since the start of the year. Ahead of parliamentary elections this weekend, the BBC's Tom Esslemont meets some of those affected.

By Tom EsslemontBBC News, Sofia Dimitar Dimitrov did not just want to die. He wanted to sacrifice himself for his country. On 13 March, the unemployed 53-year-old set off from his apartment in the capital, Sofia, and headed for the presidential offices in the city centre. When he arrived, he doused himself in petrol and set himself alight. Presidential guards rushed to put out the flames. After three weeks in hospital and a number of operations to repair his face and limbs, he is home and telling the tale. "It was excruciating. People who have had minor burns will know how bad that pain is," he says. "But they don't know what it is like when your whole body, your flesh, is on fire. Now I realise why the church used to burn people at the stake." Mr Dimitrov still bears the scars. He has several large blisters and the skin on his arms is patchy from the skin grafts used to repair his face. His protest happened weeks after thousands of Bulgarians took to the streets, demanding an end to falling wages and rising energy bills. The demonstrations led to the resignation of the centre-right Prime Minister, Boiko Borisov. Mr Dimitrov wanted the world to understand the predicament of the EU's poorest member. He sees what he did not just as a protest against his own drop in salary, but also as a moment of self-sacrifice for his compatriots. "I believe I achieved what I set out to achieve. I might have been a fool, but I hope it will change things for the better here," he says. Mr Dimitrov is not alone. Rampant unemployment Drive two-and-a-half hours east from Sofia and you get to the town of Radnevo. Rows of concrete apartment blocks welcome you, transporting you back to Bulgaria's communist era. Visually, this town has changed little in the two-and-a-half decades since independence. Coal mining and manufacturing provide some of the few jobs going. Unemployment is rampant. Officially, the national figure is close to 12%. Some analysts say the real tally is much higher. Here, trust in regional and national government has largely broken down. Vechislav Arsenov, from Radnevo, was 53 and unemployed the day he set fire to himself. Handouts from the local authority were drying up. On the day he died, Vechislav Arsenov rang each of his five grown-up children to tell them he was sorry for what he was about to do. Then he went to the mayor's office to ask for money. He insisted that the mayor come and talk to him, shouting to the receptionists that, if no such meeting were granted, he would light a match. Hero "We were desperate," his son, Txumir, explains. "My father had recently lost his job. We could not pay our bills or our debts and he could not afford to buy food for us." Txumir is now trying to keep his impoverished family alive. He, too, is unemployed and relies on summer work as an agricultural labourer. Eleven of the family (six children and five adults) share Txumir's two-bedroom flat. He used to be angry with his father, but now he says he feels his protest was heroic. National tributes were paid to him and the four other Bulgarians who have died, since January, by burning themselves. One of them, Trayan Marechkov, was 26. Another, Plamen Goranov, a mountain climber and photographer, was 36. But what do politicians make of this disturbing pattern of self-harm and suicide? I asked Boiko Borisov who, two months after resigning, is running for parliament once again and hopes to be re-elected prime minister. He is proud of his first term, taking credit for a string of building projects his government completed, including a metro line in Sofia and a new road connecting the capital with the Black Sea. He does not not want to dwell on the subjects of poverty and protest. "We already had a day of grief for the victims of self-immolation. We are very sorry for the people, but changing Bulgaria cannot be done in the space of a few weeks," he says. "During my time in office we have successfully built several new infrastructure projects. I believe these help stabilise our economy." Voice of the people? Back in Dimitar Dimitrov's apartment on the outskirts of Sofia, the evening television news is on. A glamorous woman introduces items on the election and the economy. A few weeks ago, as he lay recovering in hospital, Mr Dimitrov was the main story. "I never thought there would be so much media attention," he says. "Now I see that, having survived setting myself on fire, I can be the voice of those experiencing what I have experienced. I hope that by telling my story I can make more people aware of the situation here in Bulgaria." Back home with his wife and daughter, Mr Dimitrov hopes to return to work as a blacksmith. Weary of earning the lowest wages in the EU, Bulgarian people are hoping whoever wins this weekend's election will put an end to the misery that has tipped those like him over the edge.

बुल्गारिया में, साल की शुरुआत से गरीबी के बिगड़ते स्तर के विरोध में छह लोगों ने खुद को जिंदा जला लिया है। इस सप्ताह के अंत में संसदीय चुनावों से पहले, बीबीसी के टॉम एस्सलमोंट कुछ प्रभावित लोगों से मिलते हैं।


South Korea's strange cyberwar admission

Summary: We usually think of cyberwar as a secretive world, dominated by spooks and shadowy government agencies. So why did South Korea recently admit that it is developing a cyberweapon to cripple the North's nuclear capabilities?

By Joe BoyleBBC News Almost every nation with enough cash is funding its own cyberwar programme. But few nations have made the the details public, and fewer still have openly identified their intended target. South Korea defence chiefs broke those unspoken rules on 19 February by outlining their aim to develop a cyber-tool aimed specifically at knocking out North Korea's nuclear capabilities, according to Yonhap news agency. Their blueprint appears to be a 2010 cyber-attack on Iran, which used software known as Stuxnet to damage nuclear facilities. Although the US and Israel are often accused of launching the attack, neither nation admitted involvement. There are very good legal and political reasons for keeping such activity under wraps. Not least because a cyber-attack could lead to a counter-attack with conventional weapons. In South Korea's case, the North could theoretically now build a legal case for launching missiles over the border. Eric Jensen, a professor at BYU Law School in the US, says that assuming last month's announcement was an official statement of South Korea's intentions, the North could mount a legal argument based on anticipatory self-defence - the same rationale that the US has used to justify its so-called war on terror. "Anything that was playing a significant role in preparing or launching a potential cyber-attack would become a target," he says. The North has utilised anticipatory self-defence arguments before, particularly to argue that the US would be a legitimate target for a pre-emptive nuclear strike. After all, if the US could attack another country simply because it felt under threat, then there was no logical reason why North Korea did not have the same right. It seems unusual, then, for the South to have made such an announcement. Perhaps they wanted to send a message to the North. It must be remembered that over the years the North has regularly threatened to destroy the South, using bloodcurdling language. Caroline Baylon from Chatham House think-tank believes the South was thinking of deterrence, particularly since the North is believed to have launched a series of debilitating cyber-attacks on its neighbour during 2009 and 2013. "South Korea is an extremely wired country, so has a lot to attack. Unfortunately for the South Koreans, North Korea has extremely limited internet connectivity and hence is a target-poor country," she says. "Hence, the only option is [conventional] war - or convincing the North Koreans that they can attack them in cyberspace as well." But it is a dangerous game. Russell Buchan, a law lecturer at Sheffield University, has suggested that the South's threat to use Stuxnet-type software may itself have broken international law's prohibition on using or threatening to use force against another state, as outlined in Article 2 of the UN Charter. "If you think, as I do, that Stuxnet represented an unlawful use of force, then the threat to use a similar weapon is also unlawful. So South Korea is on very shaky ground," he says. There is also always the danger that the North simple ignores the niceties of international law. Sean Watts, a law professor at Creighton University in the US, points out that the South should have considered the possibility of a violent reaction from the North before publicising its intentions. "While my sense is that some international lawyers would regard an operation against [North Korea's nuclear] facilities as lawful given the direct and serious threats the North Korean government makes against the South, the feasibility and likelihood of a wildly disproportionate reaction from the North seems likely enough to give the South serious pause," he says. And there is an added legal headache for South Korea. As the two nations never signed a peace treaty at the end of the 1950-1953 war, they are often said to be "technically at war" with each other. Although this designation has no legal force, it is often used as an excuse by the North to launch attacks. Under the law of armed conflict, the North would be legally allowed to attack "military objects" within South Korea. Those objects are usually regarded as military installations, soldiers, and infrastructure directly involved in the war effort, such as arms factories. In a cyberwar, it is unclear who the defending nation could legitimately target. The people pushing the metaphorical button to launch the virus? The software developers working for private companies helping to develop the virus? The communications networks used to transmit information about the virus? These scenarios might sound far-fetched, but they are being played out by strategists across the world, and studied in a growing body of legal scholarship. If there is any place on Earth where escalation is possible, it is the Korean peninsula. South Korea's Western allies will no doubt be hoping for fewer statements of this kind from the top-brass in Seoul.

हम आमतौर पर साइबर युद्ध को एक गुप्त दुनिया के रूप में सोचते हैं, जिसमें डरावने और संदिग्ध सरकारी एजेंसियों का वर्चस्व है। तो फिर दक्षिण कोरिया ने हाल ही में यह क्यों स्वीकार किया कि वह उत्तर की परमाणु क्षमताओं को पंगु बनाने के लिए एक साइबर हथियार विकसित कर रहा है?


Inside the world’s most ‘impossible’ science project

Summary: Reporting assignments in the Middle East often involve great danger - think of Syria and Gaza. Others run into bureaucratic obstruction. But the Sesame science project in Jordan is so bizarre it presented challenges of a wholly unexpected kind.

David ShukmanScience editor The first was the sheer difficulty of grasping that the story was not the figment of someone's imagination but was actually happening. We had come to get a look at a "synchrotron" facility called Sesame - at its heart, a particle accelerator not unlike Europe's Cern - coming together in Jordan. A news story on the Sesame project explains the science it aims to do, but that is not the striking thing about it. On the scale of surprises that take a very long while to sink in, Sesame is off the scale: common sense would scream at you that it just should not be feasible. At first sight the project to build a shared research centre in the Middle East sounds like a far-fetched and wholly unrealistic fantasy of the kind John Lennon conjured up in "Imagine…" The scenario goes as follows: take one of the world's most unstable regions, pick some of the countries that are most violently opposed to each other and then bring them together under one roof to do science. The list of countries involved looks utterly improbable: it includes Jordan, Turkey, Bahrain and Egypt - so far so normal. But then add Iran and - amazingly - Israel too. And they actually have to meet each other every year to discuss plans including the fraught question of contributions. This is Sesame in a nutshell: an extraordinarily bold idea to plant a world-class science facility - a synchrotron light source - in the heart of the Middle East for researchers from anywhere from Cairo to Tel Aviv to Tehran. So the first obstacle is getting past one's own natural incredulity that anything like this could ever get off the ground. But the fact is that it has. Sesame not only has a rather grand new building, near the village of Allan in the hills northwest of Amman; it also has the first components that will generate and accelerate a flow of electrons. If all goes well, sometime around 2015, the energy from those electrons will be harnessed to help peer into the world of the microscopically small. Diplomatic minefield There are builders hoisting vast concrete blocks into place for the radiation shielding. Scientists are running tests on the first batches of equipment. Administrators are planning budgets and new appointments and all the intricate detail of a highly technical undertaking. And that leads to the second challenge of reporting on Sesame, that of picking a path through the infinite sensitivities of a diplomatic minefield. To give you a few examples of the tensions among participating countries: Turkey and Cyprus do not recognize each other; Iran and Pakistan do not recognise Israel and Eqypt and Jordan face their own internal difficulties. Meanwhile, Iranian scientists have been jailed or assassinated (including two associated with Sesame). This is no ordinary science project. Yet somehow, after a decade of huge uncertainties about funding and endless doubts about who will take part, the people making this project work have found a way of rubbing along. We timed our visit, earlier this month, to coincide with one of the annual rounds of meetings of scientists and officials - but we had no idea whether anyone would welcome the prospect of a television camera in their midst, let alone talk to us. Even the organisers were not sure, and they certainly did not want us barging in with a camera uninvited and risk wrecking everything. As I may have mentioned, this was no ordinary story. Given the hostility felt towards Israel, for instance, would any Arabs or Iranians ever consent to being pictured in the same room as Israeli scientists? If we were seen talking to one, would others boycott us? And, worst of all, would our filming put anyone in danger back home? Not everyone in Iran or Israel or the Arab countries likes the idea of their people fraternising with the other side. Addressing a meeting There was only one way to find out: I offered to stand up at one of the meetings and ask. I was given my chance between a talk on Sesame's potential to examine the nanometre-scale structures of proteins and one on plans for high-powered computing to handle all the data - a journalistic interlude amid high science. In front of me was a sea of nationalities - a few men in suits, the Iranian men characteristically tie-less, women in different styles of head-scarf, some very covered, others less so. We were in the basement ballroom of a hotel, gloomy after the bright sun outside. From the room next door I could hear lively voices; ironically, it turned out to be a medical training session by a British wound-healing company. As I described why I wanted to report on Sesame, and how we planned to do that, I was relieved to see a few heads quickly nodding in approval. But I then asked our most difficult question: whether anyone did not want to be filmed. The room was silent. This was a key moment. Our coverage would be determined by the outcome. Long way to go The conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza had not quite started, but tensions were high over Iran's nuclear programme. Newspaper reports had just revealed that Israel had been ready to bomb Iran's nuclear sites two years ago. And the Iranian government has never withdrawn its pledge to destroy Israel. I asked again, fully expecting at least a handful of people, probably the Iranians, to raise their hands in polite objection. But no-one did. Against every expectation, against all the odds, here was a group of people from a region wracked by hatred and conflict who were not only here for the science but also were proud of it. I nodded to cameraman Matt Goddard and producer Kate Stephens: we were on. Filming could begin. No one was keen to be filmed befriending the Israeli. But everyone was happy to be interviewed. We were holding our breath in disbelief. I'm aware this could all appear ridiculously naive. There are countless scenarios that could kill Sesame before it's complete. Iran and Israel could start a war. Jordan's current unrest could make travel there dangerous. One of the contributors' cheques could bounce. The richest Arab countries, like Saudi Arabia, have always stayed away, presumably because of Israel's involvement. The US sends an observer but no money because Iran is taking part. But somehow, astonishingly, a dream to use science as diplomacy is alive. Enough people are determined to push for it. The world's most impossible science project is really taking shape. 'Open Sesame: science in the desert' will be on BBC Radio 4 tonight at 8pm

मध्य पूर्व में कार्यों की रिपोर्ट करने में अक्सर बहुत बड़ा खतरा होता है-सीरिया और गाजा के बारे में सोचें। अन्य नौकरशाही बाधाओं में भाग लेते हैं। लेकिन जॉर्डन में तिल विज्ञान परियोजना इतनी विचित्र है कि यह पूरी तरह से अप्रत्याशित प्रकार की चुनौतियों को प्रस्तुत करती है।


Can the 'internet of moving things' end traffic jams?

Summary: When you're stuck in a traffic jam wreathed in fumes or squeezed onto a sweltering commuter train, the promised future of a smart, efficient transport system may seem like a utopian dream.

By Matthew WallTechnology of Business editor But optimistic technologists assure us relief from this gridlocked hell is closer than we think. And it's all down to the "internet of moving things" - cars, buses, bikes, trains, and planes laden with sensors beaming data to a big brain in the cloud. The better we know where everything is, the better we can manage traffic flows and optimise routes, avoiding congestion, accidents and natural hazards, the argument goes. Faster deliveries "The internet of moving things is giving us whole new sets of data," says Shiva Shivakumar, chief executive of Urban Engines, a specialist in urban mobility data. "Delivery companies, taxis, travel cards, smartphones, and connected cars are all pushing movement data to the cloud which we can then mash up with real-world maps to create a space/time engine," he says. "Transport providers from Singapore to Sao Paulo can now analyse journeys trip by trip and understand why a bus was late, spot where there is unused capacity or see opportunities for new routes." Mr Shivakumar, a former Google engineer, says his firm has been able to help delivery companies in San Francisco optimise their routes in real time, testing different scenarios based on current traffic flows and weather conditions. This type of analysis has led some companies to experiment with mobile delivery hubs, rather than having all goods stored in one warehouse and making all the journeys from there. Taxi firms now know where the most demand is at each point during the day, even the areas where customers tip the most. "Experience might tell you one thing, but the data might tell you something else," says Mr Shivakumar. And in the not-too-distant future, automated travel advisers on our smartphones with access to real-time data from all forms of transport will tell us the best way to reach our destinations, he believes. Saving lives Mapping firm Here - recently acquired by German vehicle makers BMW, Audi and Daimler - is busy mapping the road networks of major cities around the world using laser technology, or lidar. It has a fleet of hi-tech camera cars much as Google does. This kind of technology can perceive road markings, lane widths, and concrete barriers, says vice-president Aaron Dannenbring, to create a "precise, reference index of the road system globally". "But we also need a dynamic map that reflects everything that's happening on the road. So by connecting other vehicles to our cloud platform we can capture how the traffic situation is changing." And as more vehicles are fitted with sensors and cameras, the more accurate and useful these dynamic maps will be, he believes. "Say a number of cars sense black ice on the road, that data will go to the cloud and be analysed by our algorithms. If a pattern emerges a warning will be beamed down to other cars to inform them. "We think tens of thousands of lives could be saved each year as a result of these systems." This internet of moving things will also be crucial to the success of driverless vehicles. Managing the flow Rail, too, is benefiting from this kind of movement data analysis. For example, indoor location start-up Pointr is tracking how people move around railway stations to offer navigation tips and live train updates. It is taking part in the Hacktrain innovation programme. Such data analysis could aid the design of stations and ticket offices, while the move to digital ticketing and the integration of rail data with other transport data is bringing closer that "magic carpet ride ideal - gently wafting through stations without any barriers or friction," says Mark Holt, chief technology officer of rail ticketing website, Trainline. More Cloud Computing features from Technology of Business All this data is also helping government agencies manage transport networks more efficiently. For example, in Los Angeles congestion improved by 10% after the authorities experimented with traffic light timings at busy times of the day. And in Seattle, the government has introduced toll-based charging to manage traffic flows. In time, says Bryan Mistele, chief executive of traffic intelligence specialist Inrix, this type of decision-making will become automated as computers learn traffic patterns and respond to changing conditions. Inrix collects real-time data from more than 275 million vehicles and devices in 60 countries, including anonymised population movement data gleaned from mobile phone masts. Of course, problems in one type of transport can affect the rest of the network. This is why the UK's Gatwick airport is using cloud analytics firm Splunk to predict how incidents could affect peak performance four hours ahead. For example, motorway pile-ups can lead to passengers being late for their planes, causing delays that then affect turnaround times and the number of slots for take-off and landing. Such early warnings could help airport managers decide on staffing levels to prevent huge queues and grumpy passengers. Standards, standards The fly in the ointment for this vision of a unified transport intelligence, however, is that it presupposes common data standards - all moving things accessing and understanding every piece of useful information. But rival manufacturers don't have a very good track record when it comes to openness and sharing. "We've proposed an open standard for data exchange so that any manufacturer could receive this type of data," says Mr Dannenbring. And it is significant that three automotive rivals banded together to buy Here, suggesting that the industry is realising co-operation would be to the benefit of all. But will a tech giant like Apple, rumoured to be developing its own car and known for creating its own closed ecosystems, be willing to share data so readily? There are other issues around data privacy and ownership: whose data is it and what guarantees do we have that speed data, for example, isn't being used to police us in a more draconian fashion? Such concerns aside, the tech utopians do paint an alluring picture of the connected future. "Once all this tech is integrated with your calendar, your car will automatically know where you're going and how long it's going to take," says Mr Mistele. "It will choose the optimal route, and if you're going to be late it will message the people you're meeting." Dream of that next time you're in a jam. Follow Matthew Wall on Twitter @matthew_wall

जब आप धुएँ से भरे ट्रैफिक जाम में फंस जाते हैं या एक तेज चलती यात्री ट्रेन में फंस जाते हैं, तो एक स्मार्ट, कुशल परिवहन प्रणाली का वादा किया गया भविष्य एक काल्पनिक सपने की तरह लग सकता है।


Burry Port harbour area regeneration project on hold

Summary: A major regeneration project for the area around Burry Port harbour has been put on hold, following intervention by the Welsh government.

Carmarthenshire's planning committee was due to consider six applications to develop several hundred new houses. But head of planning Eifion Bowen said the Welsh government has been asked to "call in" the application. The Welsh government said the move had been taken to give ministers more time to consider the requests for call in. The plans also include leisure facilities and a new Welsh-medium primary school.

वेल्श सरकार के हस्तक्षेप के बाद, बरी पोर्ट बंदरगाह के आसपास के क्षेत्र के लिए एक प्रमुख पुनर्जनन परियोजना को रोक दिया गया है।


Coronavirus: Middlesbrough sees nine news cases confirmed

Summary: Nine new coronavirus cases have been confirmed in Middlesbrough.

On Friday, 28 cases were confirmed, connected to a small number of households in the Acklam, Linthorpe and town centre end of Marton Road. Middlesbrough Council said it was informed of four new Covid-19 cases on Saturday and a further five on Sunday. The authority said a mobile testing centre set up over the weekend would remain in place on Monday. The four positive tests revealed on Saturday date from 6 August and on Sunday four of the tests date from 7 August and one from 5 August. The authority said at this stage it is believed the cases are linked to the cluster reported over the past week. 'Cautious but not panicking' Middlesbrough Mayor Andy Preston said: "As you'd expect, we're keeping a close eye on things. "We're being cautious but not panicking. We think these cases are linked to a small number of households via family and friends. "We'll keep everyone updated so we can protect people's health and jobs." Anyone known to have been in close contact with someone who has tested positive is advised to test themselves and to self-isolate until the results of those test have been confirmed. A testing centre at the disused Sainsbury's site close to the Riverside Stadium is open from 08:00 BST to 20:00, seven days a week. The mobile testing unit will again be in the Centuria South car park at Teesside University on Monday from 11:00 to 15:00 BST. The council urged people to cover their face in public, wash hands regularly and keep a distance from others. Anyone with a high temperature, a new continuous cough or a loss or change to their sense of smell or taste should isolate and book a test. The local authority is also working with Public Health England's North East Health Protection Team. Follow BBC North East & Cumbria on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to northeastandcumbria@bbc.co.uk.

मिडल्सब्रो में नौ नए कोरोनावायरस मामलों की पुष्टि हुई है।


What's the state of illegal immigration in US?

Summary: As campaigning for the 2020 election ramps up, President Donald Trump has continued to focus on immigration as a key issue, calling the number of migrants at the southern border a national security crisis. But what do the numbers say about undocumented immigrants already in the US?

New reports of unsanitary and at times dangerous conditions at migrant detention facilities along the US-Mexico border has added fuel to the immigration debate. Democratic lawmakers have been touring the centres, describing conditions where migrants are reportedly forced to drink water out of toilets. In June, Congress passed a bill to send $4.6bn (£3.6bn) to address the ongoing crisis at the border, amid growing outrage over the conditions. But while the number of apprehensions at the border has been rising over the last two years, the number of undocumented immigrants in the US is decreasing, according to new analysis from the Pew Research Center. Much of that has to do with unauthorised Mexican immigrants - many of whom are now leaving the US. Total undocumented population dropping Analysing US census data from 1990 until 2017, Pew reported a decline in the overall undocumented immigrant population within the US. After a high of 12.2 million undocumented immigrants in 2007, the totals for 2017 dipped by nearly two million. Pew attributes this decline largely to a decrease in unauthorised Mexican immigrants, with more leaving the US than entering. Mexicans no longer the majority The departure of Mexican-born immigrants means that for the first time in decades, they are no longer the majority demographic of undocumented residents in the US, according to Pew. That said, they do still make up a significant share of the population at just under five million of the total 10.5 million. Where undocumented immigrants are living According to 2016 data, California, Texas, Florida, New York, New Jersey, Georgia and Illinois had the highest populations of undocumented immigrants. Montana, North and South Dakota, Wyoming, West Virginia, Maine and Vermont had around 5,000 or fewer undocumented residents. In 2017, more states saw drops in undocumented population The decline in undocumented immigrants is apparent across the country, even in five out of the six states with the largest populations of these immigrants. Five states did see rises in their undocumented populations compared to 2007: Louisiana, Maryland, the Dakotas and Massachusetts. Changing make-up of immigrants arriving in the US As evidenced at the border, the demographics of undocumented migrants arriving in the US are changing. The number of Central American migrants - particularly from the Northern Triangle region of Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras - is on the rise. But 2017 still saw fewer unauthorised arrivals than 2007, mostly due to the drop in Mexicans entering the US. And reports by the Department of Homeland Security note that most undocumented immigrants do not cross the US border illegally, but rather overstay their visas. In 2017, Canadians overstaying their visa made up the largest group of these migrants, followed by Mexicans.

जैसे-जैसे 2020 के चुनाव के लिए प्रचार बढ़ रहा है, राष्ट्रपति डोनाल्ड ट्रम्प ने दक्षिणी सीमा पर प्रवासियों की संख्या को राष्ट्रीय सुरक्षा संकट बताते हुए एक प्रमुख मुद्दे के रूप में आप्रवासन पर ध्यान केंद्रित करना जारी रखा है। लेकिन संख्या पहले से ही अमेरिका में अनिर्दिष्ट अप्रवासियों के बारे में क्या कहती है?


Oil major shifts to minor key

Summary: Shell is among several major oil companies trying to find a route from heavy dependence on the black stuff for big dividend payouts, towards a greener future. Its new strategy holds firm on current production levels of oil and gas, and takes some big bets on being able to mitigate that. Not following the path of its rivals, towards a big bet dependent on renewable energy investment, it is taking an approach focused more on the customer, the retail and the service end of its business.

Douglas FraserBusiness/economy editor, Scotland This is a time of unprecedented challenge to the old ways - disease control, curtailed travel, the digital economy, automation of jobs, voters in revolt, and, not least, tackling climate change. Some are going to be swept out of the way. Oil and gas producers are trying to find a way to ensure they're not among them, and can instead catch the tide. The easy bit is declaring your company is now about "energy". Several companies have set out their intention of becoming big in wind and solar power. But these are capital-intensive and not high-margin. Much more difficult is reducing the dependence on oil and gas for generating shareholder returns. Royal Dutch Shell is the latest to set out its vision and targets. In a lengthy presentation by chief executive Ben van Beurden on Thursday, one word that only snuck out on two occasions (that I noticed), was "oil". It seems to have become a dirty word, more commonly referred to as "upstream". The company is prouder of its leading position in gas, arguing it is a necessary alternative to coal, a baseload back-up for intermittent renewable power and replacing oil burn in shipping. Its scenario-planning foresees LNG (liquified natural gas) growing at 4% per year up to 2040. Adding together oil plus gas, rising to 55% of the joint total, production is on track to remain steady through this decade, and to be the main way of sustaining and growing dividends into the 2030s. Energy parks You're more likely still to hear talk of transition. And while the aims are lofty and the time horizons are distant, that still leaves a long tail of attachment to the old ways. Having peaked in 2019, Shell's oil production is expected to fall by 1% to 2% each year. Some big new projects will get backing until 2025, and after that, there will be no new frontier projects, but a lot will continue pumping. The company is retreating from several oil basins, including Nigerian onshore, which has brought a barrelful of cost and reputational damage. Divestments are targeting $4bn per year. Only nine core regions will be retained - the UK's offshore sector being one of them. Other assets will be sold off, almost always to companies without such a consumer reputation to protect, less exposure to fickle public shareholders, and fewer qualms about carbon footprint. With the oil majors reducing their presence in UK waters, asset ownership by lesser-known, private-equity or sovereign-backed, late-stage specialist drillers is now a feature of the UK North Sea. But Shell is trying to take on responsibility beyond its drilling. With 14 refineries (reducing to six, to be known as "energy and chemical parks") and a huge worldwide retail arm, it retails three times more oil produced by others than it produces itself. Plug-in points The intention is to reach net zero carbon by 2050, including all the other oil and gas that it sells. The boss says that, by mid-century, he doesn't want to be selling to anyone who isn't mitigating the climate changing effects of burning it. So Shell's approach is to focus on marketing, to innovate with new premium products, to improve energy efficiency, to recycle plastics, and to become a service company to customers who are willing to pay to offset their climate-changing impact. On its own account, it aims to spend $100m per year on natural solutions, including forestry as a carbon sink, and less natural ones, including carbon capture and storage (50 million tonnes of it each year), and to go big on making hydrogen power work commercially for industry and heavy transport. With such a big forecourts presence - 44,000 outlets in more than 75 countries - it intends to build that specialism from 6,000 plug-in points for cars in 14 countries to 50,000. It made a small contribution towards that last month, buying Ubitricity, a German company with 2,700 charging points in the UK, or 13% of the total. Shell already had 1,000 at its forecourts. But one striking aspect of this plan is that Shell is not following BP or Equinor into renewable energy stakes, at least on anything like the same scale. It wants to double the amount of electricity it sells, having bought and rebranded First Utility three years ago, adding 450,000 Post Office broadband customers in the UK last month. With expanding service station retail, adding collection points for online purchases, it's diversifying, but not focusing on renewable investment. The vision has been set out on the same day a Shell-led joint venture has announced a subsidy-free wind farm in the Dutch North Sea. But it sees its strength as being a retailer and not a major generator of green electricity. And wanting to be a good global citizen, it is aiming to get electricity to 100 million people who don't currently have it at home. Tricky transition This is a very tricky transition. Shareholders, both retail and institutional, are seeing oil majors less as a sure bet and questioning whether it's an ethical one. The pressure is on all the oil majors - both to keep the dividends flowing and the share price up, and to set out a persuasive trajectory towards a greener future. But if business isn't taking part in that transition, or is only pushed into it reluctantly by regulation, it's doubtful that climate change targets can succeed with them.

शेल कई प्रमुख तेल कंपनियों में से एक है जो बड़े लाभांश भुगतान के लिए काले सामान पर भारी निर्भरता से एक हरित भविष्य की ओर मार्ग खोजने की कोशिश कर रही है। इसकी नई रणनीति तेल और गैस के वर्तमान उत्पादन स्तरों पर दृढ़ है, और इसे कम करने में सक्षम होने पर कुछ बड़े दांव लगाती है। अपने प्रतिद्वंद्वियों के रास्ते का पालन नहीं करते हुए, अक्षय ऊर्जा निवेश पर निर्भर एक बड़े दांव की ओर, यह ग्राहक, खुदरा और अपने व्यवसाय के सेवा अंत पर अधिक ध्यान केंद्रित करने का दृष्टिकोण अपना रही है।


Raids launched after 4,000 ecstasy tablets seized

Summary: Police launched a series of raids in Renfrewshire after Border Force seized around 4,000 ecstasy tablets.

The joint operation, which involved Police Scotland and the UK National Crime Agency, targeted premises in Barrhead and Paisley. It followed intelligence that criminals were using the postal service to import controlled drugs into the UK. The NCA confirmed the haul of Class A drugs had a street value of about £40,000. Two people were arrested and later released while investigations continue. NCA senior investigating officer John McGowan said: "Working with our law enforcement partners we are determined to do all we can to disrupt the criminal networks involved in drug importation and supply."

सीमा बल द्वारा लगभग 4,000 परमानंद की गोलियाँ जब्त किए जाने के बाद पुलिस ने रेनफ्रूशायर में कई छापे मारे।


Jaydon James stabbing: Teenager charged with murder

Summary: A teenager has been charged with the murder of a 16-year-old boy in Coventry.

Jaydon James, known as JJ, was with friends in Deedmore Road, Wood End, last November when he was stabbed. He died later in hospital. A 17-year-old boy appeared before Dudley Magistrates' Court on Thursday and was remanded in custody to appear at Wolverhampton Crown Court on Friday. The teenager is also charged with two counts of wounding. Follow BBC West Midlands on Facebook, on Twitter, and sign up for local news updates direct to your phone.

कोवेंट्री में एक किशोर पर 16 वर्षीय लड़के की हत्या का आरोप लगाया गया है।


Third series for Hinterland police drama announced

Summary: Crime drama series Hinterland will return for a third series, it has been confirmed.

The programme, filmed in Ceredigion, is shot in English and Welsh and called Y Gwyll for the bilingual version. It features Richard Harrington playing Det Ch Insp Tom Mathias. Filming in and around Aberystwyth for the new series starts in January, with the Welsh version being screened on S4C next autumn and English on BBC Wales in early 2017.

यह पुष्टि की गई है कि अपराध नाटक श्रृंखला हिंटरलैंड तीसरी श्रृंखला के लिए वापस आएगी।


Burst Hackney underground car park pipe causes floods

Summary: A burst water main inside an underground car park has caused flooding which led to people being rescued by an inflatable boat.

A man was rescued from a flat by boat, while another woman was taken to safety from a shop after the pipe burst off Lea Bridge Road, Hackney, east London. About 40 firefighters have been dealing with the floods since 08:50 BST. Specialist teams from Thames Water have been working to fix the pipe which has affected surrounding shops and houses. Thames Water said the burst was on a 36in diameter water main and was thought to have happened overnight. Related Internet Links London Fire Brigade

एक भूमिगत कार पार्क के अंदर एक पानी का मुख्य भाग फटने से बाढ़ आ गई है जिसके कारण एक हवा वाली नाव द्वारा लोगों को बचाया जा रहा है।


Bulgaria Soviet monument in Sofia gets Ukraine twist

Summary: A Soviet monument in Sofia, Bulgaria has been painted in the colours of the Ukrainian flag, sparking protest from Russia.

Unknown artists painted the Monument to the Soviet Army on Saturday night, local media reported. Russia has since demanded an explanation of the "vandal incident", the Itar-Tass agency reported. It is the latest in a series of modifications of the monument which have tried to make political points.

बुल्गारिया के सोफिया में एक सोवियत स्मारक को यूक्रेनी झंडे के रंगों में चित्रित किया गया है, जिसका रूस ने विरोध किया है।


Call for cap on Isle of Man election spending

Summary: Election spending should be capped and anonymous donations banned in Isle of Man Elections, the Manx Government has proposed.

The island's Council of Ministers has published a series of proposals for reforming the electoral system in a consultation document. The plans were produced after a review of election funding by a panel set by the council's Governance Committee. The consultation period ends on 21 January. The candidates would face a spending cap of £2,000 plus 50p per voter in a constituency. A ban on anonymous donations to candidates would also extend to political parties or other organisations, such as trade unions, who back a candidate. Other proposed measures include the public disclosure of all donations by House of Keys members, and allowing political adverts on Manx Radio.

मैनक्स सरकार ने प्रस्ताव दिया है कि आइल ऑफ मैन चुनावों में चुनावी खर्च को सीमित किया जाना चाहिए और गुमनाम दान पर प्रतिबंध लगाया जाना चाहिए।


Food at Weston General Hospital rated 'excellent'

Summary: Food served to patients at Weston General Hospital has been rated "excellent" for the first time by the National Patient Safety Agency.

The hospital in Weston-super-Mare has always received a "good" rating in previous years. Lorene Read, Weston Area Health NHS Trust chief executive, said they had changed their menus this year as a result of patient feedback. Patients are asked about the food on exit cards on the day they go home.

वेस्टन जनरल अस्पताल में रोगियों को परोसे जाने वाले भोजन को राष्ट्रीय रोगी सुरक्षा एजेंसी द्वारा पहली बार "उत्कृष्ट" दर्जा दिया गया है।


Charge as officers attacked with bottle in Eastwood

Summary: Two police officers were attacked with a glass bottle and one also kicked in the stomach after being called out to reports of a man acting suspiciously.

They were attacked as they led a man away from the scene in the Nottingham Road area of Eastwood, in Nottinghamshire, on Friday night. One officer suffered injuries to her head and the other has arm injuries. A man, 34, was charged with grievous bodily harm with intent, assault by beating, affray and criminal damage. He is due to appear at Nottingham Magistrates' Court. Follow BBC East Midlands on Facebook, on Twitter, or on Instagram. Send your story ideas to eastmidsnews@bbc.co.uk.

एक व्यक्ति के संदिग्ध व्यवहार करने की सूचना मिलने पर दो पुलिस अधिकारियों पर कांच की बोतल से हमला किया गया और एक के पेट में लात भी मारी गई।


Algeria's lessons from The Plague in the age of coronavirus

Summary: The Mediterranean city of Oran was the setting for a famous fictional outbreak of bubonic plague in Algeria under French colonial rule. The BBC's Lucy Ash finds parallels between Albert Camus' novel The Plague and how the country is coping with the coronavirus pandemic amid political upheaval.

Although it was published 73 years ago, today The Plague almost feels like a news bulletin. It has been flying off bookshop shelves around the world as readers struggle to make sense of the global spread of Covid-19. Sitting in his office in the Mohamed-Boudiaf Hospital, where many of Oran's coronavirus cases are treated, Professor Salah Lellou says he is exhausted. An expert on tuberculosis in Algeria's second city, he's been working flat out for months, rarely leaving the hospital before midnight. "The sick arrived in a very serious condition. Everyone was panicking - patients and the staff. We had a terrible time of it. "We're not sure if we've arrived at the peak, or if there's a second wave because right now we have another spike in cases." Haunted by the novel The third worst affected country in Africa after Egypt and South Africa, Algeria has officially reported 43,016 cases of coronavirus, including 1,475 deaths. It imposed a strict lockdown after the first infection was recorded at the end of February and in much of the country night-time curfews remain in force. With his salt and pepper moustache and receding hair, Prof Lellou is older than Camus' hero, Dr Bernard Rieux, but he seems equally devoted to his patients. Unlike many in Oran today, he is familiar with the novel set in his hometown and almost seems haunted by it. "We weren't able to avoid thinking about the plague Albert Camus described during this pandemic… Most patients were very scared, there were a lot of rumours going around. Everyone was caught off-guard." In Bouira, east of the capital, Algiers, a hospital director was cornered by angry relatives of a patient who had just died of Covid. He jumped out of the second-floor window of his office to escape, suffering multiple fractures. "There was a parallel between coronavirus and Camus' plague. People started to blame the authorities," says Prof Lellou. In Camus' novel, the Cathedral of Sacré-Cœur in downtown Oran - now a public library - was the setting for a fiery sermon delivered by the Catholic priest, Father Paneloux, who tells the congregation they have "deserved" the calamity which has befallen them. Because of the coronavirus pandemic, Algeria's mosques have been closed and religious leaders like Sheikh Abdelkader Hamouya have been delivering health messages and sermons online. He has a reputation as a progressive but when he reflects on the meaning of the pandemic, there are echoes of Camus' 1940s Jesuit priest. "As far as I'm concerned, it's a message from Allah to believers, and to all people, to come back to him. To wake up!" he says. Virus halts protests Many Algerians tell me that the real danger they face is less the coronavirus itself and more the way the authorities are exploiting it for other purposes. Before the pandemic brought the world to a standstill, Algeria was swept up in a wave of peaceful protests - known as the Hirak, Arabic for "Movement" - which eventually forced President Abdelaziz Bouteflika to step down in April 2019 after 20 years in power. Despite the celebrations that followed, the candidates to replace the aged president all belonged to the old guard. A former prime minister became head of state in December after widely boycotted elections. Abdelmadjid Tebboune promised to extend a hand to the Hirak movement to build a "new Algeria". He talked of reforms and the need to "separate money from politics". But with no sign of desperately needed jobs, protests became increasingly tense, with scores of activists arrested. The authorities say Algeria is threatened by a rerun of the bloody violence of the 1990s - known as "the black decade". Just as the stand-off seemed to be reaching a climax, coronavirus emptied the streets. Activists like Afiff Aderrahmane agreed to temporarily halt the protests. The web designer threw himself into charity work, setting up a website to put donors in touch with organisations which distribute food and other aid to needy families and the homeless during the lockdown. "The Hirak during the quarantine transformed itself into one enormous act of solidarity," he says. Solidarity during a crisis is a major theme in The Plague. Mr Aderrahmane could be seen as a modern-day version of Camus' character, Jean Tarrou, who organises sanitary teams of volunteers to accompany doctors on house visits, transport the sick and support those in quarantine. "In fact many Algerians have something in common with him... the urge to help others in difficult times," says Mr Aderrahmane. Fascism and repression The sanitary teams organised by Tarrou may reflect Camus' own experience of fighting in the French resistance. Written just after World War Two, the novel has often been interpreted as an allegory for the Nazi occupation of France with the rats that bring the disease representing the "brown plague" of fascism. But it can be interpreted in myriad ways and may also contain lessons for the excesses of an authoritarian state. Walid Kechida, the young creator of Facebook page Hirak Memes, was charged in April with offending the president and religious authorities with his irreverent images. Although the authorities released some political prisoners to mark Independence Day on 5 July, many high-profile detainees like Kechida remain behind bars. Earlier this month, prominent journalist Khaled Drareni was sentenced to three years for "inciting an unarmed gathering" and "endangering national unity". The government also passed a controversial law against "fake news" and blocked three websites that had been covering the pandemic and protests. From 4,000 miles away, a radio station has been trying to fill the information gap. Radio Corona International was set up by Abdallah Benadouda, an Algerian journalist now based in Providence, Rhode Island, in the US. In 2014, he got on the wrong side of Said Bouteflika, the then-president's brother, was sacked, blacklisted and after getting death threats, he and his wife fled. The radio station airs each Tuesday and Friday to pay homage to the days of the street protests - and Benadouda says it helps to keep the flame of the Hirak burning. You may also be interested in: "I'm trying to do my best to be part of the revolution. So my body is in Providence but my mind and my heart are in Algeria." In The Plague, there is a French journalist - Raymond Rambert - who's been sent to report on housing conditions in Oran and finds himself trapped as the city goes into lockdown. He is desperate to return home. I think of Benadouda as the mirror opposite of Camus' character. He is a journalist stuck on the outside, yearning to get back in. And his anguish increases with the mounting repression in Algeria as he worries about the safety of his contributors there, where frustration is increasing. 'Inoculated against violence' But like the vast majority of Algerians, Benadouda fears chaos. During the 1990s when the military fought an Islamist insurgency, 200,000 people died and 15,000 were forcibly disappeared. Abdelkader Djeriou, the star of a gritty TV drama set in Oran, agrees. The actor often addressed huge crowds during the Hirak and was briefly imprisoned last December. "Our experience of what we call 'the black decade' has inoculated us, it gave us some maturity to not be confrontational, and to avoid violence. "This pandemic has really caused the mask to slip. We've seen that it's civil society which helps the poor and those in need." Camus understood that when disaster strikes, people show their true colours. The current crackdown on anti-government protests is a far cry from the freedom Algerians enjoyed at the start of the Hirak. Algerians who know the novel might have recognised Camus' warning against complacency at the very end of the book when he says that the plague bacillus - however the reader interprets it - never dies or disappears for good. You can listen to Lucy Ash's BBC World Service Assignment programme about Algeria's Plague Revisited here.

भूमध्यसागरीय शहर ओरान फ्रांसीसी औपनिवेशिक शासन के तहत अल्जीरिया में बुबोनिक प्लेग के एक प्रसिद्ध काल्पनिक प्रकोप की स्थापना थी। बीबीसी की लुसी ऐश अल्बर्ट कैमस के उपन्यास द प्लेग और राजनीतिक उथल-पुथल के बीच देश कैसे कोरोनावायरस महामारी का सामना कर रहा है, के बीच समानताएं पाती हैं।


Why are we so unhealthy?

Summary: There are many ways to measure the health of the nation.

Nick TriggleHealth correspondent The publication of the government's consultation on a minimum price for alcohol puts the focus on harmful drinking habits. Physical activity is also in the spotlight because of the call by health experts for people to cycle and walk more. But to get the most comprehensive picture it is perhaps best to look at all the lifestyle factors together. There are seven established factors that raise the risk of ill-health and these are all measured by the Health Survey for England. They are: smoking, binge drinking, low fruit and vegetable consumption, diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure and raised cholesterol (a lack of physical activity is a factor in the last three). In England, an incredible 93% have at least one risk factor. Over a third have three or more. That makes depressing reading and raises the question about why we are not doing more to look after ourselves. People in England - and across the rest of the UK for that matter - have some of the worst lifestyles in Europe, particularly in terms of drinking habits and obesity levels. Commercial pressures There are a host of reasons and explanations put forward by experts. Talking about the low cycling and walking rates, Dr Harry Rutter, of the National Obesity Observatory, laments the "congestion and pollution" in our built-up areas. Many would agree with such sentiments, arguing the amount of traffic is also a major factor in why both children and adults are getting less active. Dr Rutter wants to see councils, which get responsibility for public health next year, take a lead in creating environments that encourage healthier lifestyles, arguing they have a huge influence through their control of planning, housing transport, schools and leisure. And certainly there is some good international evidence that action at a local level can make a difference. Some of the countries with populations that pursue the most healthy lifestyles have strong and proactive local government, particularly those in Scandinavia. Take the example of Denmark's capital, Copenhagen, where for the last two decades the city authorities have been investing in measures to encourage cycling. The result? More than a third of people cycle to work, university or school, making it arguably the cycling capital of the world. But of course councils can't solve all the problems on their own. Commercial pressures from marketing and advertising are also often highlighted - and this is why the government has looked at regulation and legislation on a national level. The minimum pricing proposal for alcohol is an example of this, as is the plain packaging suggestion for cigarettes which has already been put forward by ministers. Socio-economic factors play a role as well. Research shows that those from poorer backgrounds are more likely to lead unhealthy lives. Smoking - the leading cause of avoidable deaths - is now twice as common among groups in lower socio-economic groups. But once again that cannot explain everything away. After all, as the overall figures show, having an unhealthy lifestyle is not a minority problem. In fact, in some cases the worst excesses are seen among more affluent groups - for example, the largest rises in alcohol consumption have been seen in the higher income groups in recent years. It raises the question whether there is something in the public psyche here which encourages people to gamble with their health. Professor Alan Maryon-Davis, a former president of the Faculty of Public Health, while believing the focus should be squarely on the factors mentioned above, acknowledges there could be something in this. "There may be a cultural reason. It could even be the NHS. "Since 1948 there has perhaps been a feeling that medicine will be there to bail us out and that could be contributing to this. It's hard to know really, but what is clear is that we need to do something about it."

राष्ट्र के स्वास्थ्य को मापने के कई तरीके हैं।


Badger cull: Are we silly to be so sentimental?

Summary: Few subjects are likely to enrage British wildlife lovers more than the idea of a badger cull - yet it's something the government has been debating this week. Why do people have such a strong attachment to this scarcely-seen creature?

By Tom de CastellaJournalist Rabbits, foxes and hedgehogs have their supporters, but the badger has traditionally elicited a unique mixture of fondness and respect. "No animal enjoys better protection than the badger, though few need it less. Uniquely, it has its own Act of Parliament to defend its wellbeing, yet - unlike hundreds of much more poorly safeguarded species - it is not at all endangered," wrote environmental journalist Geoffrey Lean in the Daily Telegraph earlier this year. And this despite the evidence that badgers are responsible for infecting cattle with bovine TB. One proposed solution to stop the spread is a cull of the creature - but this is highly controversial. This week Lord Krebs, author of a 1997 report that led to a randomised badger cull, questioned the effectiveness of widespread killing. In parts of Wales, the rural affairs minister has proposed a new attempt at a badger cull. But the debate raises a wider question: just why is it that so many of us have a soft spot for the black and white striped digger who spends most of its time hidden underground? It brings to mind the thoughts of Mole in Kenneth Grahame's The Wind in the Willows: "The Mole had long wanted to make the acquaintance of the Badger. He seemed, by all accounts, to be such an important personage and, though rarely visible, to make his unseen influence felt by everybody about the place." Badgers may be a nuisance but the British public loves them regardless, says Jack Reedy, a spokesman for the Badger Trust. "They occupy an important place in our hearts. Even people whose gardens have been torn apart by badgers have a grudging respect for them." Some find it hard to resist their striking black and white striped faces, comical gait and playful behaviour. But there's also the wonder one feels at seeing them emerge from their secret subterranean society and showing what busy, resourceful animals they are, he says. So much so that enthusiasts like Mr Reedy will sit up half the night watching badgers from hides. "One of them will poke their nose out of the sett, sniff around and go back inside. A few moments later it comes out with the other badgers as if it's told them that the coast is clear." Once out of the sett, the badgers will roll around, grooming each other with teeth and claws, and in early spring the cubs have play fights, learning to defend their territory. It would be wrong to call them cute though - badgers have a nasty bite and are the "biggest and best civil engineer" in the animal kingdom, he says. "Their setts are like a parish - 200 yards of interconnected tunnels crisscrossing an area of 30m by 30m. And each sett will usually have 15 or 16 entrances and seven or eight living chambers." In this and their housekeeping - changing the straw in the sett every month or so - we can see reflections of ourselves, Mr Reedy says. Ratty to blame For the National Farmers Union, this is all rather unfortunate. "It is an image issue," admits Kevin Pearce, head of food and farming at the NFU. "A lot of farmers like badgers but we also want to control the disease. If your vector spreading TB was a rat, I'm sure that there'd be no problem for farmers in securing a licence to take action." In New Zealand the TB carrier is the possum, which is considered both a pest and, worse still, Australian. "So the Kiwis have a different attitude and drop poison into wooded areas from helicopters and planes." Our sentimental attachment to badgers may be a peculiarly British phenomenon. In Ireland culling has been taking place for several years with no public outcry. Because of that, many farmers would prefer if The Wind in the Willows had never been written, Mr Pearce says. There's no doubt that anthropomorphic characters in animal stories have an effect, says the Times's children's book critic Amanda Craig. And yet, two giants of the genre - Beatrix Potter and Kenneth Grahame - were "very divided" on the subject of badgers. "Beatrix Potter cast the badger as one of the villains. In The Tale of Mr Tod, the badger and the fox want to catch and eat Peter Rabbit. As a farmer herself she saw these as the two main predators. She's on the side of rabbits and kittens - the small and fluffy v the large and clawed." In contrast, Grahame's book presented a gruff, ascetic figure who doesn't suffer fools gladly. "Badger hates Society, and invitations, and dinner, and all that sort of thing," Ratty observes. For book critic Craig he is the fearless moral policeman. "Mr Badger is completely independent, ancient and lives in the Wild Wood, a place that the other animals are afraid to go. Nothing can stop him, he's the figure of authority, even the weasels and stoats are afraid of him. He's the animal version of God and squire mixed into one." Craig is used to seeing badgers around her Devon home. "We often see this enormous black and white bump trundling ahead of us in the headlights - they're utterly fearless. They're one of the largest wild animals left in this country and quite magical." Unfortunately it's something city dwellers rarely experience as badgers hate noise, she says. Which perhaps explains why they have been eased out of children's literature by an "endless" number of books about foxes - a creature now happily ensconced in the suburbs and inner cities. But there is one badger story that has caught on in recent decades. Susan Varley's Badger's Parting Gifts, first published in 1984, has become something of a favourite at funeral services. Telling the tale of a popular badger who dies and is mourned by his fellow creatures, it seeks to help children cope with the idea of death. "A badger seemed just right for the story," says Varley. "It's a strong, sturdy looking animal - perfect for the dependable, reliable character who was always willing to lend a helping paw. And their beautiful black and white striped heads were just made for pen and ink." And yet her badger owes more to human traits than anything observed in the natural world. "Badger's character has far more to do with my grandmother than a real badger's characteristics," Varley says. "She died shortly before I started the project and a lot of the book is based on the emotions that went along with that." In short, the badger's purposeful and private way of life offers writers the chance to debate very human concerns. At a time when the idea of culling or shooting badgers is gaining ground, the animals' supporters must hope that Mr Badger's prediction proves accurate. "People come - they stay for a while, they flourish, they build - and they go. It is their way. But we remain. There were badgers here, I've been told, long before that same city ever came to be. And now there are badgers here again. "We are an enduring lot, and we may move out for a time, but we wait, and are patient, and back we come. And so it will ever be." (Frederick Warne & Co owns all rights, copyrights and trademarks of Beatrix Potter character names and illustrations)

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