Pakistan censorship: 'Hovering above the mute button'

Summary: The interview, between one of Pakistan's best-known TV news anchors, Hamid Mir, and leading opposition politician Asif Ali Zardari, was only a few minutes into its transmission when it was suddenly interrupted by an unscheduled ad break and news bulletin.

By Secunder KermaniBBC News, Islamabad Mr Mir vented his frustration on Twitter, blaming unnamed censors. "We are not living in a free country," he said. Just over a week later, another TV interview, of another opposition politician, Maryam Nawaz Sharif, cut to an unexpected ad break midway. When the break ended, instead of Ms Sharif, viewers were presented with an old interview of a leading figure from the ruling party. The journalist conducting the interview, however, continued with his questions, broadcasting instead online via a video streaming app. These are two of the most prominent examples of what has been termed "unannounced censorship" in Pakistan. Last week journalists held protests outside press clubs in major cities across the country demanding an end to restrictions on what they publish and broadcast. Supporters of the government claim the complaints are made by biased journalists. During a visit to Washington this week Prime Minister Imran Khan dismissed allegations of censorship, telling reporters: "To say there are curbs on [the] Pakistani press is a joke." However, there appears to be clear evidence of attempts to prevent criticism of Mr Khan's government and the Pakistani military, as well as to suppress claims by his political opponents that they are being unfairly accused in corruption cases. Pakistan is ranked 142nd out of 180 countries in the 2019 Reporters Without Borders Press Freedom Index. The Pakistani Army denies having any role in media censorship. The clampdown on press freedom inside the country contrasts with attempts by the Pakistani authorities to improve their foreign relations, notably with the US, Afghanistan and India. President Trump has praised Pakistan for its role in facilitating peace talks with the Taliban. One of the main targets of the current censorship blitz is Maryam Nawaz Sharif, whose father, former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, is serving a jail sentence on corruption charges. Earlier this month Ms Sharif released a secretly recorded video of one of the judges who had convicted her father, apparently admitting he had been blackmailed into finding him guilty. The judge subsequently denied the claims, saying the video had been "edited", but a number of channels who broadcast Ms Sharif's news conference were later taken off air for several days. At other times, parts of speeches from Ms Sharif's rallies broadcast on television have been muted. One journalist, who asked to remain anonymous for his own safety, told the BBC how censorship worked. He explained that TV channels broadcast live programmes with a delay of at least about 10 seconds, with "an employee hovering over the mute button". He said topics that would require muting - or if a whole segment was too controversial, a quick cut to adverts - included criticism of the government or Pakistan's powerful security establishment, which is supportive of Imran Khan's administration. Failure to comply, the journalist told me, would result in angry phone calls or visits from members of the Pakistani army or intelligence services. Instead of threats directed at media workers, pressure tactics would be applied to the channel itself. "Advertising agencies get told, 'Don't them give ads.' Cable operators get told to change the number the channel appears on, or just to shut them down completely," he said. "They've got their hands around our throats." However, it would be wrong to suggest there's a complete blackout on all political criticism on the airwaves. Prime Minister Imran Khan has claimed he has faced "unprecedented" personal attacks in the press. Meanwhile opposition politicians, other than Maryam Nawaz Sharif, do still regularly appear on talk shows. "We are a democracy on paper… you can't do an Egypt here by imposing a blanket ban," said media analyst Adnan Rehmat. Censorship in Pakistan, he said, was aimed at restricting interviews of "the top leadership" of opposition parties and coverage of their rallies. But "second- or third-tier" figures were allowed to take part in TV programmes as they are "not newsmakers". The application of censorship varies in intensity, Mr Rehmat added. Sometimes it is "heavy-handed" and at times more subtle. In the lead-up to last year's general elections in Pakistan, journalists faced similar pressures from the intelligence services, again in an often haphazard fashion. A leading TV channel was taken off air in large parts of the country for a number of weeks, while the best-known English language newspaper had its circulation severely curtailed. At the time, the censorship seemed designed to prevent discussion of allegations that Imran Khan was being helped into power by the security establishment. Now that he's prime minister, many observers have suggested press freedom has further deteriorated. Speaking to the BBC, TV anchor Hamid Mir, who was shot and injured in 2014, labelled Imran Khan's government "a civilian dictatorship" alleging "censorship is increasing day by day". But he was also critical of opposition political parties for their attitudes towards journalists while they were in power. "They always played double games, and now they are paying the price," he said. Mr Mir knows firsthand how dangerous life can be for a journalist in Pakistan. He survived an attack by the Taliban in 2012 and in 2014 was shot six times in the abdomen and legs by unknown gunmen. Mr Mir famously accused elements with the powerful Inter-Services Intelligence agency of being behind the 2014 attack, which the ISI furiously denounced as a baseless claim. Imran Khan has flatly denied that censorship exists in Pakistan. He has suggested that certain media outlets have a vested interest in undermining his government and supporting claims from opposition politicians that corruption charges against them are politically motivated. While in Washington he accused one unnamed channel of doing everything it could to "protect" former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif while he faced trial. A series of tweets from his party's official account earlier this month acknowledged that press freedom was "a building block of democratic society". However it added that "regurgitating propaganda to serve vested interests, running character-assassination campaigns… undermine freedom of press." Reports in Pakistani newspapers have suggested the government wants to place a ban on attempts by the media to "promote the narrative of convicted persons". Former President Asif Ali Zardari, whose interview with Hamid Mir was taken off air, is currently facing trial on corruption charges, while Maryam Nawaz Sharif is on bail pending an appeal against a conviction in an unrelated corruption case. After Mr Zardari's interview was cut short, the government's Special Adviser for Broadcasting Firdous Ashiq Awan told reporters it had happened because Mr Zardari was in jail pending his trial and is only supposed to be allowed out to attend parliament. However, officials from Pakistan's broadcasting regulator told the BBC they had not ordered the interview be taken off air, and said no decree banning "convicted persons" had yet been issued. Mr Mir said he held both the security establishment and Imran Khan's government responsible for the clampdown on press freedom, as they have acknowledged they are "on the same page" on all issues. The Pakistani army denies interfering in politics, but many journalists believe it remains the driving force behind the censorship, describing criticism of the army as a "red line". Broadcast of the TV bulletins of the US government-funded Voice of America has been indefinitely stopped in Pakistan, a move many believe is linked to coverage of a protest movement alleging human rights abuses by the security forces. Rallies by the Pashtun Protection Movement group receive almost no coverage at all, despite attracting significant support in the districts bordering Afghanistan. The journalist who spoke anonymously to the BBC about the censorship at his channel said the military was influencing both what isn't said on air, and what is said. "Things are so minutely monitored… forget Imran Khan, forget the army chief, if they even see a statement by the information minister they like, they'll send you a screenshot and tell you to run it as breaking news. "I often say, the only thing that's left is for them to send a brigadier to anchor the news."

पाकिस्तान के सबसे प्रसिद्ध टीवी समाचार एंकरों में से एक, हामिद मीर और प्रमुख विपक्षी राजनेता आसिफ अली जरदारी के बीच साक्षात्कार, इसके प्रसारण के कुछ ही मिनटों में था जब इसे अचानक एक अनिर्धारित विज्ञापन ब्रेक और समाचार बुलेटिन द्वारा बाधित कर दिया गया था।


Fan Bingbing: Vanished Chinese star 'not socially responsible'

Summary: Chinese film star Fan Bingbing has been ranked last in a report judging A-list celebrities on how "socially responsible" they are, fuelling further speculation about the whereabouts of the actress, who has not been seen in public for more than two months.

By Kerry AllenBBC Monitoring The 2017-2018 China Film and Television Star Social Responsibility Report, carried widely by state media outlets, ranks Chinese celebrities according to three criteria: professional work, charitable actions and personal integrity. It praises celebrities who have become "relatively strong role models", but also highlights cases where it says they have had a "negative" social impact. But what is most notable is its 0% rating for Fan Bingbing, one of China's biggest stars, who hasn't been seen in public since 1 July when she visited a children's hospital. The report was authored by academics at Beijing Normal University. Who is Fan Bingbing? She is known internationally as a singer and model, as well as for her appearance in the X-Men film franchise. Her name has been linked to a government probe involving celebrities using "yin-yang contracts" - a practice where one contract sets out an actor's real earnings, and another details a lower figure, with the latter submitted to the tax authorities. Although Fan Bingbing's studio denies any wrongdoing, online users are speculating that the reason she scored 0% is a result of the widely-circulated allegations, which state media have said have had a negative impact on society. There is no word on what has happened to Fan. However there is speculation she has been arrested. Most recently, state-run Chinese publication Securities Daily published a report which said she had been placed "under control, and would "accept the legal decision". But the story was pulled down a few hours later. How does the report rank stars? The authors said they studied the behaviour of 100 Chinese singers, actors, and public figures - based in China and abroad - to assess the extent of their social responsibility. They did not specify exactly how they arrived at the results in the test, but said that their findings were based on "research and web-scraping". Only nine celebrities were deemed to be socially responsible enough, however, with a pass requiring a score of more than 60%.The report stressed that celebrities had to do more to promote "positive energy" and hinted that they needed to be more aware of behaviour and actions that might have a "negative social impact". "We wanted to have a more thorough evaluation of celebrities," Zhang Hongzhong, who led the project, told English-language news website Sixth Tone. He said that many celebrities were in danger of being simply branded "little fresh meats" - an internet buzzword used to describe good looking young men - and that their activism and philanthropy work was often overlooked. So who passed? Top of the list is actor Xu Zheng (78%), who appeared in the highly acclaimed film Dying to Survive. The film was based on a true story about a Chinese man smuggling cheap Indian drugs into the mainland to help cancer sufferers. Two and three in the list are members of the hugely popular boy band TFBoys, in recognition of their philanthropic work. Another member comes fifth. Actor Yang Yang (61.%), who ranks ninth, is highlighted because he set up a charity to help educate underprivileged children in remote mountainous regions. How did people react? State media are highlighting the report as a significant document, and outlets are praising the higher-ranked celebrities. Social media users meanwhile - who have been long been fascinated by celebrity rankings - are weighing in on what the document might mean for their favourite celebrities, particularly Fan Bingbing. Many users of the Sina Weibo microblog have voiced their surprise and concern that she has ranked so low, given there is no evidence of her being involved in any misconduct. "Fan Bingbing has been working on a public welfare project," one user said. Another added that for her to get zero was "not right; she does a lot of public welfare." "When the Tianjin fire broke out, Fan Bingbing donated one million yuan ($145,655; £112,565) to the Tianjin Fire Brigade. Has all the good she's done before just been erased?" one asked. The bad ratings given to other celebrities has caused annoyance as well. One user, for instance, pointed out that actor Jackie Chan and Tibetan singer Han Hong, who rank 42nd and 59th, are well-known philanthropists. Why does this report matter? Chinese celebrities have long understood that taking a path of "virtue" is key to maintaining mainland audiences, and that it's extremely difficult to bounce back after being linked to scandal. The country's media has also long stressed that celebrities need to spread "positive energy" among young audiences; in other words, to be upbeat and promote healthy moral values. So they have lauded celebrities who have, for example, openly condemned tobacco or drug use. But celebrities who voice opinions in line with government rhetoric gain even higher praise, for example if they promote the importance of young audiences referring to the self-ruling island of Taiwan as a "Chinese region" rather than a "country". This latest emphasis on social responsibility, which media and fans alike are taking as a new mark of power, could now put more pressure on them to do just that. BBC Monitoring reports and analyses news from TV, radio, web and print media around the world. You can follow BBC Monitoring on Twitter and Facebook.

चीनी फिल्म स्टार फैन बिंगबिंग को ए-लिस्ट हस्तियों को "सामाजिक रूप से जिम्मेदार" होने के बारे में निर्णय लेने वाली एक रिपोर्ट में अंतिम स्थान दिया गया है, जिससे अभिनेत्री के ठिकाने के बारे में और अटकलें लगाई जा रही हैं, जिन्हें दो महीने से अधिक समय से सार्वजनिक रूप से नहीं देखा गया है।


Sri Lanka army "capture" Tamil bases

Summary: The Sri Lankan defence ministry says the army has captured three Tamil Tiger rebel bases in the north-east of the country.

A military spokesman, Brigadier Prasad Samarasinghe, said government forces carried out a three-day operation against the rebels in the coastal district of Trincomalee. There's been no official confirmation from the rebels. Talks between the Sri Lankan government and the Tamil Tigers broke down last year. Correspondents say although the ceasefire is still officially in place, the country has been sliding back towards war. An independent body overseeing the ceasefire says more than four thousand people have been killed since the truce was agreed five years ago.

श्रीलंका के रक्षा मंत्रालय का कहना है कि सेना ने देश के उत्तर-पूर्व में तीन तमिल टाइगर विद्रोही ठिकानों पर कब्जा कर लिया है।


Covid in Scotland: Dalbeattie care home outbreak death total reaches eight

Summary: The number of residents to have died in a Covid outbreak at a south of Scotland care home has risen to eight.

Dumfries and Galloway Health and Social Care Partnership reported the first cases at the Alma McFadyen Care Centre in Dalbeattie in early November. A statement said there had now been a total of 42 positive cases associated with the outbreak. The partnership said thoughts were with the families involved at this "difficult time". It said the situation at the centre was now "much improved" but that did not mitigate the impact on residents and their relatives. The partnership added that containing the spread of Covid was "not at all easy - even when all the correct protocols are in place to address the virus".

स्कॉटलैंड के एक देखभाल गृह के दक्षिण में कोविड के प्रकोप में मरने वाले निवासियों की संख्या बढ़कर आठ हो गई है।


What's in store for business?

Summary: George Osborne has a tricky conundrum on his hands.

By Simon JackBusiness editor How does he convince businesses that he is on their side while at the same time hitting them up for more money to fund his deficit reduction plans? Business is feeling pretty duffed up by the chancellor after increases to the national living wage and the new apprenticeship levy. Then there's the raid on insurance companies and the time and expense of pension auto-enrolment. You can perhaps understand why business lobbies are saying "enough, already". He is unlikely to leave them alone. Pressure to hit his budget surplus holy grail by the end of the parliament while not adjusting the big three - income tax, national insurance and VAT - will see him forced to come back for another bite at business. Proceed with care He will be loathe to raise headline rates so he needs to broaden the base - the amount available to be taxed. So there may be limits on how much of the interest companies are paying on debt can be set against profits. This is a key part of international attempts to avoid tax by stuffing UK companies full of debt - often borrowed from their own subsidiaries in lower tax jurisdictions. However, lots of infrastructure projects (one of his favourite areas) rely on lots of debt financing so he'll have to proceed with care. He's abandoned major reform of pension taxes but there are other things he could do. The contributions employers make to pensions don't attract National Insurance - but it's a form of pay and maybe they should? Charging full whack would raise nearly £15bn (and business would scream blue murder) but maybe a portion of it could be targeted and maybe at higher earners. It would raise serious money for the chancellor but would be very unpopular with employers. Beef and the sea Expect more help for the North Sea. This is a no brainer because currently he is not making any tax out of oil and gas there as the companies are making losses and laying off thousands of highly paid (and taxed) staff. Big tax cuts could slow that process. If there is one big beef that businesses have it is rates. For many larger companies this has overtaken corporation tax as a cost. We will get a long promised review on rates and business will want promises of reform. However, the chancellor has already said any reform will be fiscally neutral - in other words - the same total amount will be paid so the capacity for wowing businesses is small. He could decide to change the rate at which rates go up from the hardly used Retail Prices Index currently at 1.3% to the more commonly used and usually lower Consumer Prices Index - currently at 0.3%. But business rates produce £25bn a year and he'll be reluctant to put this golden goose on a diet. Elephant One phrase you are guaranteed to hear is "Business Tax Roadmap". He wants to make the UK competitive and corporation tax is already due to fall from 20% to 18% by the end of the parliament. By presenting a clear path of where various taxes, reliefs and business rates are headed he hopes to widen the tax base while giving business a bit of confidence they won't be ambushed by surprise moves down the line. He'll hope that his roadmap will help offset the uncertainty facing businesses as we approach the EU referendum. The rather large elephant which will be sitting in the room with him tomorrow.

जॉर्ज ओसबोर्न के हाथों पर एक मुश्किल पहेली है।


Cyclist on 'unusual three-wheeler' killed in A303 crash

Summary: A cyclist on an "unusual three-wheeler bike" has died in a crash with a lorry.

The collision, on the westbound carriageway of the A303 near Solstice Park Services, happened just after midday on Monday. Wiltshire Police said the 71-year-old man died at the scene and the road was closed for five hours. PC Rich Hatch appealed for anyone who may have seen the cyclist or the crash to contact officers. "The cyclist was riding an unusual three-wheeler bike, which may mean people will have noticed him," he said.

"असामान्य तिपहिया बाइक" पर सवार एक साइकिल चालक की एक लॉरी से दुर्घटना में मृत्यु हो गई है।


Why gay marriage has exposed Conservative divisions

Summary: Many older Conservatives remember days when they were much more unpopular than they are now - days of strikes, riots and massive protests on the street, days when their leader's name was spat out with anger, days when they felt proud to be Tories.

Nick RobinsonPolitical editor Those Tories look back with fondness at that time of heroic unpopularity - when they awoke with pride to hear the news about the protests of the dragons Mrs Thatcher was slaying - the unions, CND and the Soviet Union. Those same older Tories loathe the daily wearying grind of the age of austerity and coalition compromise. They wake up now to hear with indifference or disappointment or, worse still, anger the news of what their government is doing. It is gay marriage which has released that fury. Gay marriage was always certain to cause a furious row since it challenges sincere religious beliefs, deeply-rooted social conservatism and a mistrust of the metropolitan elite who are blamed for imposing an ideology of legally enforced equality on the country. However, the real reason for the anger directed at David Cameron is that many Conservatives have realised that they and their attitudes are the dragon their leader has decided to slay. Many believe that their leader only embraced gay marriage as part of his obsession with modernising the Tories and/or to claim credit for a measure the Lib Dems were determined to drive through. There may be some truth in both but talking to senior Tories about gay marriage reminds me of talking to Tony Blair about Iraq. When people hurled at him their belief that he was invading Iraq because of oil or a desperation to suck up to America he would reply "It's worse than you think, I really believe this". The same is true of those around David Cameron and his acolytes. They really do believe in gay marriage. They believe much opposition to it is rooted in what they call "bigotry". They want their government to be remembered for a great social change and not just its efforts to turn the economy around. The divisions on display now stem from the fact that, in order to get their way, they are having to slay the sincerest beliefs of some of their own activists and MPs.

कई पुराने रूढ़िवादी उन दिनों को याद करते हैं जब वे अब की तुलना में बहुत अधिक अलोकप्रिय थे-हड़तालों, दंगों और सड़क पर बड़े पैमाने पर विरोध प्रदर्शन के दिन, जब उनके नेता का नाम गुस्से से उछाला गया था, वे दिन जब वे टोरी होने पर गर्व महसूस करते थे।


Take me to your leader! MPs to quiz robot

Summary: A robot is to be questioned by a panel of MPs in what they are claiming is a first for UK democracy (regular viewers of Parliament may beg to differ).

Pepper - "a culturally aware" robot - was designed to assist with the care of older people. But next Tuesday she will be assisting members of the education select committee understand the impact of artificial intelligence. The committee will also quiz human experts during the session. Pepper - who is part of an international research project funded by the EU and the Japanese government - is likely to be the star turn. The committee will hear about her work with students at Middlesex University, including a project involving teaching primary school children. After a demonstration by Pepper, the MPs will look at how robots can be used to support learning and how robotics will transform the workplace and classroom of the future.

सांसदों के एक पैनल द्वारा एक रोबोट से पूछताछ की जानी है, जिसमें वे दावा कर रहे हैं कि यह ब्रिटेन के लोकतंत्र के लिए पहली बार है (संसद के नियमित दर्शक अलग हो सकते हैं)।


Charlie Gard: A case that changed everything?

Summary: Few British legal cases in recent years have proved as controversial or emotionally charged as that over the fate of Charlie Gard, the 11-month-old baby who died on Friday after a lengthy battle over his medical treatment.

Nick TriggleHealth correspondent@nicktriggleon Twitter During the many hours of legal debate in court, Katie Gollop QC, who led Great Ormond Street's legal team, described the case as "sad", but not "exceptional". She was wrong. The case, which saw Charlie's parents take on the world-renowned hospital in the courts, was one of those rare cases that transcend the cut-and-thrust of legal argument. Its impact reverberated around the country and the rest of the world, prompting protests on the streets, a mass outpouring of emotion on social media, the vilification of one of the most famous hospitals in the world and the intervention of both the Vatican and US president. In doing so, it made us question the role of the parent, the motives of doctors and - as always in this digital age - wonder about the ever-growing influence of the internet. How did it come to this? And what does it tell us about society? The tarnishing of a famous hospital Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) is perhaps the most respected and well-known children's hospital in the world. It has been synonymous with excellence ever since it was founded in the 1850s with patients from all over the world now being sent there for pioneering treatment. And yet in the course of this case it found itself under attack with some staff reporting they had been victims of "vile" abuse and threats (Charlie's parents, Chris Gard and Connie Yates, also reported that they had been the target of abuse on a daily basis.) One of the problems the hospital faced, particularly as the case developed and the parents received more media attention, was that it simply could not win. While Charlie's parents gave television and newspaper interviews and made pleas on social media, GOSH was left to rely on media statements and court papers to explain its position. The hospital said it was not possible to give Charlie the non-invasive treatment - a powder that could be added to his food - that his parents felt could help him in his battle with mitochondrial depletion syndrome, a condition which causes progressive muscle weakness and brain damage. Rational, scientific logic was never going to win hearts and minds against the raw emotion of parents trying to do everything they could for the severely ill baby. Should more have been done by the world of medicine? As the case developed, GOSH started publishing more details about the case and its position. But Prof Uta Frith, an expert in cognitive development at University College London, wonders if there is a lesson here, arguing science cannot be entirely stripped of its emotional context. "We can never be 100% certain about our facts and theories. Emotion, which is utterly certain, wins in comparison. "However, scientific reasoning cannot be completely stripped of emotion. Perhaps this is an asset we need to cultivate more. Reasoned evidence needs champions to engage the hearts of people." The dilemma of modern medicine But the case - and its importance - also comes down to a dilemma that becomes more acute as medicine develops. At what point is it appropriate not to treat patients and allow them to die? These are discussions that go on every day in hospitals - and the overwhelming majority are resolved without major dispute. Patients coming to the end of life - both the elderly and the young - are now routinely encouraged to discuss advanced care plans setting out how much they want doctors to do when they get closer to death. These plans cover everything from when it is appropriate to resuscitate to when treatment should be withdrawn and a patient moved on to palliative care to help them die with dignity. Of course in Charlie's case, because he was a baby, this was simply not possible. Instead, he was kept alive on a ventilator while his parents and doctors took to the courts. The medical profession - bound by the basic tenet of medicine "do no harm" - felt it was in his best interests to let him die with dignity rather than have an experimental treatment that they believed would do him no good. In court they argued he had "no quality of life and no real prospect of any quality of life". But there is also an ethical dimension to this. Are doctors the right people to determine what constitutes "quality of life"? Do we put too much emphasis on their opinion? Charlie Gard: A legal timeline It is a point made by Prof Julian Savulescu, an expert in ethics at Oxford University. He believes Charlie's parents should have been allowed to take him to the US earlier in the year - even with the low odds that the treatment would have worked - given that they had raised £1.3m themselves. He says GOSH - and the doctors the hospital consulted - made a "value judgement" that was reasonable to disagree with. "The state should not have to pay for expensive experimental treatment with low prospect of success, but Charlie's parents have raised the funds," he says. "Charlie should have been allowed to go straight away - and saved hundreds of thousands of pounds of British taxpayer funds which have been used to provide months of intensive care. "This is not a religious or right-to-life argument or an argument based on compassion. It's a secular ethical argument about the extreme complexity of judging someone's life to be not worth living." The rights of parents But that brings us on to one of the key arguments put forward by Charlie's parents during the hours of legal discussion - the rights of parents to make decisions for their children. They believed it should have been up to them to decide what was best for their son. But this is not what the law says. The 1989 Children's Act, which was introduced following a child abuse scandal in Cleveland, makes it clear that where a child is at risk of harm the state can and should intervene. Subsequent legislation has followed and a framework has been created whereby the state has been emboldened to challenge the view of parents where they believe children's best interests are not being served. This sees doctors oppose the decision of parents who are Jehovah's Witnesses and refuse blood transfusions for their children. The law is also used by councils to take children they believe are at risk into care. Of course, proving someone is at risk or can be helped by medical treatment is much easier to do than proving a treatment is no longer in the best interests of a child when the parents disagree. But what was often overlooked in the Charlie Gard case was that it wasn't just the doctors against the parents. Charlie also had an independent guardian who agreed with the hospital. Daniel Sokol, a medical ethicist and barrister, says the case has shone a light on this issue. "It reminds us that the rights of parents over their children are not absolute. They are limited by what is in the best interests of the child." But he says it is interesting that in the US, which played such a key role through the intervention of doctors who said they would be prepared to treat Charlie, and because of President Donald Trump's offer of help, the rights of parents to decide what is best are much more enshrined. "The wishes of parents and 'surrogates' generally carry more weight, which is why many US commentators have expressed surprise at the hospital's handling of this case," he says. "For them, the doctors should do what the parents want." How the digital world changed the case It's fair to say this case simply would not have played out the way it did in the pre-internet age. It was with the help of social media and crowd funding that Charlie's parents were able to raise the funds for him to be treated in the US in the first place. And it was via the internet that the parents were able to make a video appeal - just at the moment that it looked like Great Ormond Street would remove life support - to be given longer to say goodbye. A week later the Vatican and Donald Trump intervened and the case ended up back in court. This time the issue was whether new evidence about the treatment warranted a re-think of the ruling that he should be allowed to die. Mr Sokol says the influence of the internet was "remarkable". "Through the internet, in particular social media, the family obtained an enormous following, support from influential persons and vast amounts of funding. "The family can find doctors, on the other side of the world, who will support their case." Indeed, if there is to be one overriding legacy of the Charlie Gard case it is likely to be related to this. There is already a long-term trend towards greater scepticism of medical opinion. Coupled to the power of the internet this could create an environment whereby doctors find their decisions increasingly challenged. Read more from Nick Follow Nick on Twitter

हाल के वर्षों में कुछ ब्रिटिश कानूनी मामले उतने ही विवादास्पद या भावनात्मक रूप से आरोपित साबित हुए हैं जितना कि 11 महीने के बच्चे चार्ली गार्ड के भाग्य पर, जिसकी शुक्रवार को अपने चिकित्सा उपचार को लेकर लंबी लड़ाई के बाद मृत्यु हो गई थी।


Nancy Pelosi: How she rose to the top - and stayed there

Summary: Nancy Pelosi has made headlines once more after securing a fourth term as Speaker of the House of Representatives. It marks a new chapter in her nearly 50-year political career with the Democrats - and perhaps her greatest challenge yet.

With Kamala Harris about to be the country's first female vice-president, Pelosi can no longer claim the mantle of most powerful woman in US politics. But the 80-year-old will play a critical role in advancing the agenda of the new president. That means there's no time to dwell on her personal disappointment over November's election - she takes charge of a shrinking majority in the lower chamber. And on Sunday, she was only narrowly re-elected as Speaker, following defections from a handful of Democrat colleagues. Instead, her coming term must demonstrate all the Pelosi qualities that both rally her supporters and alienate her many detractors. Her legislative acumen, her ability to keep a restless party united when it matters and her instinct for political theatre (more on that sarcastic clap later). Raised in a political family Republicans have typically painted Ms Pelosi as a "San Francisco liberal" enamoured with big government and far to the left on social issues. But her roots are from a more practical style of politics on the other side of the continent. She grew up in a political family, youngest of seven children in the gritty East Coast city of Baltimore, Maryland, where her father was mayor. She went to college in nearby Washington where she met and eventually married financier Paul Pelosi. They first moved to Manhattan, and then San Francisco, where Ms Pelosi started as a housewife. She had five children - four daughters and a son - in the space of six years. The start of something big In 1976 she became involved in politics, using her old family connections to help California Governor Jerry Brown win the Maryland primary as he ran for president. She then rose through the state's Democratic Party ranks, eventually becoming its chair and then winning a seat in Congress in 1988. In the House she worked her way up again. Because she represented a portion of the city with a large gay community, she made increasing Aids research funding a priority. In 2001, she ran for House minority whip, which is vote-counter and second in command of the party in the House, and won a narrow victory. The next year she moved up to minority leader, which means leading the party in the House but in opposition. Reaching the top She was one of the highest-profile, most outspoken opponents of the US invasion of Iraq in 2003. This stand was vindicated and paid dividends in 2006 when the Democrats took control of the House for the first time in 12 years. She was elected by her party to be Speaker of the House, becoming the first woman in that role in US history. Four years later, Democrats lost control of the lower chamber of Congress. Despite the setback Ms Pelosi defeated several challenges within her own ranks, to take the gavel once more at the helm of a resurgent party in 2018. What does a Speaker do? Speaker of the House is the one congressional job detailed in the US Constitution. It is second in line for the presidency, behind only the vice-president. Its massive office, in the Capitol rotunda, reflects the prestige of the job, with its own balcony looking out toward the Washington Monument. The majority party in the House has virtually unfettered control over the legislative process. The speaker and her deputies and committee chairs determine what bills are considered and voted on. They set the agenda and decide the rules governing debate. If a speaker can keep her majority in line, the legislative process in the House can purr like a well-tuned machine. From 2009 to 2011, Pelosi's chamber enacted an $840bn stimulus package in the aftermath of the 2008 economic collapse. She also pushed hard to get the Affordable Care Act, which became the defining battle of the Barack Obama presidency, through the House and on to the president's desk. Pelosi's biggest moment She faced very different circumstances when she returned to the speaker's chair in 2018. By then she was a lightning rod for Republican anger - in their eyes, representing the coastal elites pushing a big-spending, radical platform. During the 2018 midterms campaign, Republican incumbent David Brat mentioned Nancy Pelosi and her "liberal agenda" 21 times in one debate. The move backfired for him - and his party - as Democrats swept to a historic win in the House. But this time she had President Donald Trump as well as the wily Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell as obstacles. So any bills her party got through the House didn't go any further. In viral terms, her big moment was her sarcastic #PelosiClap during Trump's State of the Union speech a month after she took office. It still lives on as a popular gif. Most controversially 12 months later, she ripped up Trump's speech in front of the TV cameras. Accused of disrespect, she later defended the move, calling his words a "manifesto of mistruths". Taking on Trump Pelosi was initially reluctant to lead only the third impeachment of a US president. But as more emerged in 2019 of Trump's dealings with Ukraine she eventually said it was an abuse of power that could not be ignored. He was accused of pressing Ukraine to dig up damaging information on Joe Biden, and using military aid as leverage but was acquitted in the Republican-controlled Senate. Some of those in her own party who were openly calling for her removal in 2018 have since been impressed by the way she has taken on President Trump. As well as some testy exchanges in the Oval Office, she has scored some big legislative wins against him over the border wall funding and a government shutdown. A hollow victory Expectations were high for Democrats to increase their House majority in 2020. But they ended up losing members of Congress instead - more than a dozen net losses. Given the presence of Donald Trump on the ticket to rally Republicans, it was always optimistic for them to expect to improve on their 2018 landslide. But the setback will make things harder for Pelosi as she fights a continuous battle to keep the left-wing of her party happy. The BBC's Anthony Zurcher says this coming term could present her with her biggest political challenge yet. "She must find a way to cajole her razor-thin majority into continued action, with the hopes that Democrats either take back the Senate on Tuesday or convince a handful of Republican moderates to form a deal-making coalition in Congress. "Pelosi has been seldom outmanoeuvred in parliamentary procedure and is unrivalled in her ability to keep her party from breaking ranks - either from the left or the middle. She'll have to keep it up, with little margin for error, if she wants to help Joe Biden get his new administration off to a successful start."

नैन्सी पेलोसी ने प्रतिनिधि सभा के अध्यक्ष के रूप में चौथा कार्यकाल हासिल करने के बाद एक बार फिर सुर्खियां बटोरी हैं। यह डेमोक्रेट के साथ उनके लगभग 50 साल के राजनीतिक करियर में एक नया अध्याय है-और शायद उनकी अब तक की सबसे बड़ी चुनौती है।


Coronavirus: Birmingham man charged over 'I hope all NHS die' call

Summary: A man who allegedly called a hospital and said "I hope the staff die of coronavirus" has been charged.

Matthew Wain was arrested at a flat in Perry Barr, Birmingham, on Wednesday in connection with the call to City Hospital, West Midlands Police said. He is also alleged to have posted a video of the call, entitled "I hope all NHS die", to YouTube. Mr Wain, 31, was bailed after being charged with sending menacing or offensive communications. He is due to appear at Birmingham Magistrates Court on 29 April. Follow BBC West Midlands on Facebook, on Twitter, and sign up for local news updates direct to your phone.

एक व्यक्ति जिसने कथित तौर पर एक अस्पताल को फोन किया और कहा कि "मुझे उम्मीद है कि कर्मचारी कोरोनावायरस से मर जाएगा", उस पर आरोप लगाया गया है।


Ian Ogle murder: Man reported to PPS by police

Summary: A 36-year-old man who was previously arrested over the murder of Ian Ogle has been reported to the Public Prosecution Service (PPS).

Police said the man "has been reported to the PPS for the offence of murder". A 47-year-old woman and a 49-year-old man were arrested on Wednesday by detectives investigating the murder of Mr Ogle. Both have been reported to the PPS for assisting an offender and attempting to pervert the course of justice. Mr Ogle, 45, died in January after he was stabbed and beaten near his home in Cluan Place off the Albertbridge Road in east Belfast.

एक 36 वर्षीय व्यक्ति, जिसे पहले इयान ओगल की हत्या के मामले में गिरफ्तार किया गया था, को लोक अभियोजन सेवा (पी. पी. एस.) को सूचित किया गया है।


Jersey speed checks will last all year

Summary: Police speed checks will last for the rest of the year in Jersey after 196 drivers were caught speeding in the past three months.

Seven motorists were caught driving at more than 70mph with the highest speed recorded at 97. The maximum speed limit on Jersey's roads is 40mph. States of Jersey Police have issued a warning that people could face being banned or a fine if they are caught speeding.

पिछले तीन महीनों में 196 चालकों को तेज गति से गाड़ी चलाते हुए पकड़े जाने के बाद जर्सी में पुलिस की गति जांच शेष वर्ष के लिए जारी रहेगी।


Seth Rogen in row with critic over shooting comments

Summary: Actor Seth Rogen has become involved in a row with a US film critic who linked his hit comedy Bad Neighbours and the films of Judd Apatow to the killings by 22-year-old Elliot Rodger.

In her Washington Post column Ann Hornaday implied that "outsized frat-boy fantasies" had left Rodger feeling "unjustly shut out of college life". Rogen hit back on Twitter, calling her words "insulting and misinformed". Hornaday has now posted a video response to her original column. "I by no means meant to cast blame on those movies or Judd Apatow's work for this heinous action, obviously not," she said in the film. "The whole reason that I weighed in on this issue was that [Rodger] had created this video on YouTube that seemed to be such a product of the entertainment industry that he did grow up in." Rodger - who killed six people in Santa Barbara, California and injured 13 more, before turning the gun on himself - was the son of filmmaker Peter Rodger, assistant director on The Hunger Games. He had made a YouTube video shortly before the killings, claiming he was being driven to violence after being rejected by women and was going to take his revenge against humanity. 'Idiotic thoughts' Hornaday angered Rogen and Apatow when her original column posed questions such as: "How many students watch outsized frat-boy fantasies like Bad Neighbours and feel, as Rodger did, unjustly shut out of college life that should be full of 'sex and fun and pleasure'?" She continued: "How many men, raised on a steady diet of Judd Apatow comedies in which the shlubby arrested adolescent always gets the girl, find that those happy endings constantly elude them and conclude, 'It's not fair'?" Both Rogen and Apatow responded on Twitter, with Rogen writing, "I find your article horribly insulting and misinformed," while Apatow claimed Hornaday was using "tragedy to promote herself with idiotic thoughts." Rogen also adressed Hornaday: "How dare you imply that me getting girls in movies caused a lunatic to go on a rampage." His comedy Bad Neighbours, which co-stars Zac Efron as the leader of a frat house which moves next door to Rogen's family home, topped both the UK and US box office when it was released in cinemas earlier this month. Writer, director and producer Apatow's films include This is 40, Knocked Up and Pineapple Express. 'Sense of entitlement' Hornaday attempted to explain the thinking behind her original column in her video and accompanying blog post. She said Rodgers "self-pitying complaints" in his YouTube video seemed to have a lot to do with "the sense of entitlement that he had to a life that he had seen reflected around him." "I wanted to sort of tease out how the movies we watch that are primarily created by men and primarily pivot around fantasies of male wish-fulfilment and vigilante justice," said Hornaday. She continued: "How that might inform not just someone suffering under a terrible mental illness but the culture at large in terms of conditioning our own expectations of what we think life is and what we feel like we deserve from it. "As important as it is to understand Rodger's actions within the context of the mental illness he clearly suffered, it's just as clear that his delusions were inflated, if not created, by the entertainment industry he grew up in," she said. The Washington Post revealed that Rogen had declined a request from the paper to film his own video response for its website. Related Internet Links Washington Post

अभिनेता सेठ रोजन एक अमेरिकी फिल्म समीक्षक के साथ विवाद में शामिल हो गए हैं, जिन्होंने उनकी हिट कॉमेडी बैड नेबर्स और जुड अपाटो की फिल्मों को 22 वर्षीय इलियट रॉजर की हत्याओं से जोड़ा था।


Durham PCC election 2021: The candidates standing

Summary: People living in County Durham will vote on 6 May to elect a police and crime commissioner (PCC) as well as voting in local authority elections.

The vote was due to take place in May last year but was delayed by the coronavirus pandemic. The first Durham PCC was appointed in November 2012. PCCs are elected as representatives who work to ensure police forces in England and Wales are running effectively. These are the candidates who have so far said they intend to stand for PCC this year (listed alphabetically): Joy Allen, Labour Durham County Council Cabinet member for transformation, culture and tourism. Anne-Marie Curry, Liberal Democrat Long-serving councillor for Darlington Borough Council George Jabbour, Conservative Businessman who has set up and manages a local charity. Related Internet Links Durham Police and Crime Commissioner elections

काउंटी डरहम में रहने वाले लोग 6 मई को एक पुलिस और अपराध आयुक्त (पीसीसी) के साथ-साथ स्थानीय प्राधिकरण चुनावों में मतदान करने के लिए मतदान करेंगे।


Moston stabbing: Boy, 16, dies at scene of 'altercation'

Summary: A 16-year-old boy has been stabbed to death in Manchester.

He died after an "altercation" involving a number of males armed with weapons on Birchenall Street, Moston, at 19:00 GMT on Thursday. The teenager, who has not been named, was pronounced dead at the scene, Greater Manchester Police said. Later that evening, an 18-year-old man went to hospital with apparent stab wound injuries. He was arrested but remains in hospital. Supt Rebecca Boyce said: "This was a tragic incident and although we have arrested one man, our investigation is still in its early stages. "Our message to the community still stands and we are urging anyone with information to do the right thing and come forward." Why not follow BBC North West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram? You can also send story ideas to northwest.newsonline@bbc.co.uk

मैनचेस्टर में एक 16 वर्षीय लड़के की चाकू मारकर हत्या कर दी गई है।


#NotAllMen angers women in India, Saudi sympathy for nightclub victims, and it's #BackToWork for everyone

Summary: Women in India are not impressed with the response that "it's not all men" when tweeting about allegations of mass molestation in Bangalore, Saudi Arabians condemning those killed in a nightclub have come under fire themselves, and we know it's the first day back at work for many - how's your struggle going?

By Tse Yin LeeBBC News Why #NotAllMen is infuriating women in India The hashtag #NotAllMen, tweeted in response to reports of a "mass molestation" of women in Bangalore, India, this weekend, has turned up the temperature in conversations about the alleged incident. Comments by some political leaders - that "these kind of things do happen" and that it was not right for women to have been out anyway - had already angered many on social media. The use of the hashtag and responses in kind only added fuel to the fire, even if they were made by relatively few people. "Bangalore incident proved what I have always maintained. No city is safe for women in this country. Indian men, this is on you," said one popular tweet. One response was this: "Surely not all Indian men. I am sure there are very many decent Indian men out there ma'am." Another: "Yes blame all men bcoz 'ALL RAPIST ARE MEN'. But u can forget that #NotAllMen r rapist." "Love how men on my TL [timeline] are proud of never molesting/assaulting a woman. Would you like a trophy for not murdering people while we're at it?" asked one user in response. Others explained, with varying degrees of patience, why such responses infuriated them: "Saying #NotAllMen makes the conversation about men instead of the epidemic level of violence against women, and that's just wrong," said one post. "What people (both women and men) need in times of distress is empathy. With #NotAllMen hashtag, men have conveniently run away from it," explained another. "#NotAllMen? Indeed. But yes all women. ALL women have been molested or assaulted or groped or catcalled at least once. #YESALLWOMEN," said a third. Are people killed in a nightclub unworthy of prayers? Some Saudi Arabians think so and have said as much on social media, in reaction to the deaths of seven of their countrymen in a shooting at the Reina nightclub in Turkey. Although only a minority have voiced such views, they have sparked a heated debate, with many more condemning the response and arguing that prayers to the dead and condolences to their families should be offered regardless of where they were when the attack took place. "My religion, before it was distorted by the clerics of blood, taught me that the sacredness of the human soul is of a higher value to God than the sacredness of the Kaaba [Islam's holiest site]," said one user. Feelings ran so high that even a high-profile conservative Saudi cleric was prompted to urge people to leave the judgement of those killed in the attack to God. Saudi Arabia enforces a puritan version of Sunni Islam, which forbids drinking alcohol or the mingling of men and women outside the family. In a sign of how strongly such social mores hold sway, some of those defending the people killed in the attack repeated the line many Saudi mainstream media outlets have propagated, saying that the attack took place in a restaurant rather than a nightclub. Many of the 39 killed in the attack were nationals of Arab countries and such divisions over the victims have echoed in Jordan and Lebanon as well. One popular writer in Jordan expressed her disgust at such views, saying: "I have never reported anyone even if his/her words were offensive, as I regard this as freedom of speech, but Daeshi [a reference to the so-called Islamic State group] thought is not freedom of speech." How's your first day #BackToWork? The phrase is trending worldwide because it is, for most, the first day of the year back at the coalface, after the depravations of the new year break and Christmas - but also because it's being sponsored by British Airways. Today is never pretty, is it? This cartoon, for many, aptly summarises the past week: Other memes have also been summoned to convey how people feel this Tuesday, from zombies clawing their way across the ground to the ennui of seals: And then once you're there in the office, there's all that post-holiday conversation to deal with, as the Twitter account Very British Problems has noted: If you're really not feeling the office vibe, there are several accounts out there trying to motivate you - from the charity Independent Age's account of what keeps 88-year-old milkman Derek Arch going, to London's mayor Sadiq Khan reminding people that Transport for London fares are frozen till 2020. All very commendable but we're rather with the writer Paul Bassett Davies: "The only thing worse than people complaining about going back to work is people being cheerful about it."

भारत में महिलाएं इस प्रतिक्रिया से प्रभावित नहीं हैं कि बैंगलोर में सामूहिक छेड़छाड़ के आरोपों के बारे में ट्वीट करते समय "सभी पुरुष नहीं हैं", एक नाइट क्लब में मारे गए लोगों की निंदा करने वाले सऊदी अरब के लोग खुद आग की चपेट में आ गए हैं, और हम जानते हैं कि यह कई लोगों के लिए काम पर वापस आने का पहला दिन है-आपका संघर्ष कैसा चल रहा है?


Same-sex marriage 'could be in Guernsey by summer'

Summary: Same-sex couples could be able to marry in Guernsey by the summer, a States senior committee member says.

Employment and Social Security Committee Vice President Shane Langlois said the UK Privy Council had given Royal Assent to the local law, passed by the States in 2015. It will go before the States for final approval before coming into effect. However, Mr Langlois advised couples against making any arrangements until a commencement date was announced. The States committed itself to introducing same-sex marriage more than a year ago, voting in December 2015, with support for the plans passing by 37 votes to seven. Under the legislation, couples will be able to get married in a civil ceremony.

राज्य समिति के एक वरिष्ठ सदस्य का कहना है कि समलैंगिक जोड़े गर्मियों तक ग्वेर्नसे में शादी कर सकते हैं।


The students running 'white unions' on US campuses

Summary: Dozens of "White Student Union" pages have appeared on Facebook, claiming to represent white students at US universities. While many turned out to be hoaxes, some are run by real students hoping to tackle "anti-white belief" on campuses.

By Insaf AbbasBBC News The first page created, "Illini White Student Union", was launched in response to a black student solidarity rally on 18 November, according to the University of Illinois' student paper. The page described itself as "a new page for white students of University of Illinois" committed to working "against the terrorism (students) have been facing from Black Lives Matters activists on campus". It reportedly asked students to send in photos of "anti-whites" who had taken part in the rally and was quickly removed by Facebook. But the page started a trend, with at least 30 White Student Union pages appearing on Facebook. Many originated from a post the Daily Stormer, a white supremacist site "attempting to preserve Western Civilization". The post called on readers to make pages for "various universities" in retaliation for the removal of the University of Illinois' page - even if they are not students. Others are linked to a similar post on 4Chan, a bulletin-board site allowing users to comment anonymously. The post encouraged people to create pages "at the most leftist colleges and universities in the western world" and has since been removed. Fake photos The University of Missouri's White Student Union page - which has now been removed - claimed the group had met on campus to raise money for Generation Identitaire, the youth wing of a French nativist movement, and Students for Western Civilization, a group that wants to "organize for and advance the interests of Western peoples". But the photo it used - showing three girls dressed in pink shirts - was of three sorority members from a different university, raising money at a suicide-awareness bake sale. Jaynie Coffman, the sorority's PR administrator, was sent a link to the photo. "I couldn't believe that this organisation used our picture for something so horrible. They edited our sorority letters off their shirts," she said. "Our sorority is out there and associated with this group. If we weren't contacted about our image being used, it could have been on the internet for thousands of people to see without any explanation." New York University administrators also condemned a White Student Union page created using the school's name, saying it had used the NYU logo "illegally and without permission". Maria Josefina Saldana-Portillo, a professor at the university's School of Social and Cultural Analysis, called the page "a parody" aiming to "belittle the language of black student movements". 'Anti-white abuse' But while most of the pages are run by internet "trolls", some are managed by students looking to end "anti-white beliefs" on their campuses. The BBC spoke to a number of them. While they asked to remain anonymous, they agreed to video chat and make contact using their university email addresses. One student, known only as Ajay, runs the Iowa State White Student Union Facebook page. He says he started the page after experiencing racial discrimination on campus. "When on campus I will attend rallies of different ethnic support groups to hear their message. A lot of time they tell me to leave because I'm just there to make fun of them, or tell me I will not understand because I have not experienced racism," he said. The group held a meeting on campus, he added, and plans to contact the university's president to gain official recognition. While Harvard University's page has received more of a backlash, its admin insists its goals are the same. Eric - not his real name - studies biology at the university. He created the page with two friends and hopes it will grow into an official union. The group has met three times and consists of three members, "all white Europeans - although we have also coordinated with a Korean friend of mine," he says. The group discussed how to gain official recognition on campus and tried to identify sympathetic professors. Many ethnic minority students say the pages have made them feel unsafe on campus. Rowa Mohamed, a student living in Canada, says a page using her university's name shared her information after she complained to officials. "I feel unsafe walking alone on campus and I am always with others. Because they maintain their anonymity while harassing me, I never know who it could be," she said. "I haven't been comfortable attending classes. It's really increased my anxiety and I've had to rely heavily on my friends of colour for comfort and protection on campus." The page - which calls itself "Western White Student Union" - is thought to be one of the first in Canada. Others have also been reported in Australia. Joanna Thompson, a lecturer at the University of Illinois' Department of Criminology, Law and Justice, says media depictions of black people as "violent animals" play a part in the creation of white student unions. "Young people see so much these days, not just on the news but through social media," she said. "If they are being bombarded by negative images of blacks, the fear could lead them to need a space where they feel safe and where they can regain that top spot on the racial hierarchy."

फेसबुक पर दर्जनों "व्हाइट स्टूडेंट यूनियन" पेज दिखाई दिए हैं, जो अमेरिकी विश्वविद्यालयों में श्वेत छात्रों का प्रतिनिधित्व करने का दावा करते हैं। जबकि कई धोखेबाज़ निकले हैं, कुछ वास्तविक छात्रों द्वारा चलाए जाते हैं जो परिसरों में "श्वेत-विरोधी विश्वास" से निपटने की उम्मीद करते हैं।


Man charged with raping girl in Dorchester school field

Summary: A 32-year-old man has appeared in court charged with raping a 15-year-old girl.

The teenager was attacked as she walked in a field at St Osmund's CE Middle School in Barnes Way, Dorchester, at about 21:20 GMT on 5 December. Dorset Police said she was approached by a man who then forced her to the ground. Adrian Cordery, from the town, appeared before Weymouth magistrates earlier. He was remanded in custody to appear at Bournemouth Crown Court on 12 March.

एक 15 वर्षीय लड़की के साथ बलात्कार के आरोप में एक 32 वर्षीय व्यक्ति अदालत में पेश हुआ है।


All to play for in EU jobs push after Juncker vote

Summary: The dust has hardly settled after last week's summit, and Jean-Claude Juncker's appointment as president of the European Commission still has to be approved by a majority vote in the European Parliament. But thoughts are already turning to who else will sit on the next Commission and - equally importantly - which jobs they will get.

By Chris MorrisBBC News, Strasbourg The current Commission is in office until 31 October, so there is a fair amount of time. But lobbying is fairly intense, and several countries have already put forward suggested candidates - Slovakia and Lithuania among others. Some sitting commissioners - like Germany's Guenther Oettinger - are expected to stay on for a second term. And among the new faces there are likely to be some former prime ministers, including Jyrki Katainen of Finland and Valdis Dombrovskis from Latvia. But these national nominees are not absolutely guaranteed a seat at the table. The choice of candidates - under the terms of EU treaties - is a joint task for member states and the president-elect of the Commission. There will need to be a balance between male and female commissioners, and each nominee has to be approved in parliamentary hearings. The most sought-after jobs are usually the economic ones: commissioners in charge of economic and financial affairs (which will go to a country in the eurozone), the single market, competition policy, or trade, for example. There is a queue of countries hoping to get one of these posts, so some of them will not get what they want and will be disappointed. There have been suggestions that France would like the competition job (and seeing as we are speculating, its nominee could be former Finance Minister Pierre Moscovici, or former Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault, or even the mayor of Lille, Martine Aubry, the daughter of one Jacques Delors). The UK would certainly love to have a big economic job too - perhaps the commissioner running the internal market - as it seeks to reform the EU and renegotiate its relationship with Brussels. Who will the British nominee be, after its failed campaign to block Mr Juncker? The main candidate for several weeks has been the Leader of the House of Commons, Andrew Lansley. But there are suggestions of a change of heart in Downing Street, and talk of a surprise heavy-hitter appointment. The trouble is that you cannot guarantee which job you are going to get when you make your nomination, but the more powerful the country the more likely that it will get its way. Plenty of people will be whispering in Mr Juncker's ear over the next few weeks as he tries to put a team together. Even after the names are sent in, member states will continue to lobby furiously; when the European Parliament has voted on his team, the European Council will still have a final say by qualified majority vote. Finally, the choice of commissioners is also bound up with the allocation of other top jobs in Brussels during a summer of transition. Whichever country the next president of the European Council comes from (a decision is expected at another summit in mid-July) will have less leverage to bid for a big Commission job. And of course the EU's foreign policy chief - the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy - is also a vice-president of the Commission. To sum it up - there is everything to play for.

पिछले सप्ताह के शिखर सम्मेलन के बाद धूल शायद ही शांत हुई है, और यूरोपीय आयोग के अध्यक्ष के रूप में जीन-क्लाउड जंकर की नियुक्ति को अभी भी यूरोपीय संसद में बहुमत से अनुमोदित किया जाना है। लेकिन विचार पहले से ही बदल रहे हैं कि अगले आयोग में और कौन बैठेगा और-समान रूप से महत्वपूर्ण-उन्हें कौन सी नौकरियां मिलेंगी।


Charlie Hebdo attack: Three days of terror

Summary: France is emerging from one of its worst security crises in decades after three days of attacks by gunmen brought bloodshed to the capital Paris and its surrounding areas. It began with a massacre at the offices of satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo on Wednesday 7 January and ended with a huge police operation and two sieges two days later.

Here is what we know about how events unfolded: Sequence of events: 7-9 January 1. Gunmen attack Charlie Hebdo offices At 11:30 local time (10:30 GMT) on Wednesday 7 January, a black Citroen C3 drove up to the Charlie Hebdo building in Rue Nicolas-Appert. Two masked gunmen, dressed in black and armed with Kalashnikov assault rifles got out and approached the offices. They burst into number 6, Rue Nicolas-Appert, before realising they had the wrong address. They then moved down the street to number 10 - where the Charlie Hebdo offices are on the second floor. Once inside, the men - now known to be brothers Cherif and Said Kouachi - asked maintenance staff in reception where the magazine's offices were, before shooting dead caretaker Frederic Boisseau. One of the magazine's cartoonists, Corinne Rey, described how she had just returned to the building after picking up her daughter from day care when the gunmen threatened her, forcing her to enter the code for the keypad entry to the newsroom on the second floor - where a weekly editorial meeting was taking place. The men opened fire and killed the editor's police bodyguard, Franck Brinsolaro, before asking for editor Stephane Charbonnier, known as Charb, and other four cartoonists by name and killing them, along with three other editorial staff and a guest attending the meeting. Witnesses said they had heard the gunmen shouting "We have avenged the Prophet Muhammad" and "God is Great" in Arabic while calling out the names of the journalists. Police, alerted to a shooting incident, arrived at the scene as the gunmen were leaving the building. A police car blocked the gunmen's escape route down the narrow street Allee Vert and the gunmen opened fire. Journalists and workers who had taken refuge on nearby rooftops filmed the gunmen getting out of the car and shooting at the police vehicle, before driving off. The police car's windscreen was riddled with bullets but the officers escaped unhurt. The black Citroen is thought to have driven south down the Boulevard Richard Lenoir, before doubling back on the northern carriageway. The car stopped and video footage shows the gunmen getting out of the vehicle and shooting police officer Ahmed Merabet who is on a nearby pavement. One of the attackers then walked up to the injured officer on the pavement and shot him dead at close range. The gunman returned to the car and drove away with his accomplice. The getaway car was found abandoned - after apparently crashing into another vehicle about 3km (1.8 miles) north of the Charlie Hebdo offices. Investigators found Molotov cocktails and two jihadist flags in the car, French media report. The attackers then hijacked another car, a grey Renault Clio, and disappeared. Paris was put on maximum alert and a major security operation was launched with an additional 500 police deployed to the streets of the capital. 2. Policewoman killed At about 08:45 local time the following day (Thursday 8 January), as police continued their search for the Charlie Hebdo attack suspects, a lone gunman shot two people in the southern Paris suburb of Montrouge. The gunman, armed with a machine-gun and a pistol, shot dead a policewoman and injured a man before fleeing. The French authorities initially dismissed any suggestion of a link between the shooting and the Charlie Hebdo killings, but later confirmed the two were connected. 3. Manhunt: Suspects rob petrol station A major breakthrough in the hunt for the Charlie Hebdo suspects came at about at 10:30 local time the day after the attacks, when the fugitives robbed a service station near Villers-Cotterets, in the Aisne region, north-east of Paris. The men - said by the station manager to have been armed with Kalashnikovs and rocket-propelled grenade launchers - fired shots as they stole food and petrol from the roadside stop. They drove off towards Paris in the same Renault Clio car hijacked after the attack on the Charlie Hebdo offices. The brothers then apparently led police on a chase around north-eastern France, with the anti-terror operation moving to nearby Crepy-en-Valois and the villages of Corcy and Longpont. In a bulletin informing the public that arrest warrants had been issued for Cherif and Said Kouachi, aged 32 and 34, police said they should be considered armed and dangerous. French media say Cherif was a convicted Islamist who was jailed in 2008 and had long been known to police for militant activities. On Friday morning, after commandeering another vehicle in the town of Montagny Sainte Felicite, Said Kouachi was hit in the neck in a shootout with police. A high speed chase ensued as the police pursued the pair along the N2 road towards Paris ending as the brothers sought refuge in a printworks in Dammartin-en-Goele. 4. Printworks siege On the morning of Friday 9 January, the manhunt entered its final phase as police closed in on the Charlie Hebdo attack suspects at Dammartin-en-Goele, 35km (22 miles) from Paris. The fugitives were holed up in a printing firm called Creation Tendance Decouverte on an industrial estate on the outskirts of the town. Hundreds of armed officers surrounded the building, where Said and Cherif Kouachi - the former bleeding from a bullet wound to the neck - had fled following a car chase. Elite forces deployed snipers, helicopters and military equipment - sealing off any means of escape for the suspected killers and beginning a tense, eight-hour stand-off. Just before 17:00 local time, the impasse ended as smoke was seen rising from the printworks amid explosions and gunfire. The two brothers - who had told local media they would die "martyrs'" deaths - emerged from the building, firing at police. Both suspects were killed and two police officers were injured. It later emerged that the brothers had released a hostage and that another man had survived the incident by hiding in the building's cafeteria, unknown to the attackers, apparently communicating intelligence to police by text message. 5. Supermarket hostage-taking and siege Meanwhile, in Paris, another siege was under way. While the Kouachi brothers were surrounded at the printworks, the French authorities had confirmed there was a "connection" between the Charlie Hebdo killings and the shooting of the policewoman in Montrouge. Then a gunman took several people hostage at a kosher supermarket at Porte de Vincennes in the east of Paris after a shootout. Police quickly surrounded the building. In an appeal for witnesses to the shooting in Montrouge, police said they were looking for two people: a man called Amedy Coulibaly and a woman called Hayat Boumeddiene (pictured below). Coulibaly, 32, was then identified as the hostage-taker in the supermarket, who was threatening to kill people unless the Kouachi brothers were allowed to go free. Minutes after the printworks siege came to an end in Dammartin-en-Goele - at about 17:15 local time - explosions were heard at the Paris supermarket as special forces moved against Coulibaly. Reports said Coulibaly had just knelt for evening prayers when elite commandos stormed the supermarket, shooting the gunman dead and freeing 15 hostages from the store. They found the bodies of four hostages. Coulibaly has since also been linked by Paris prosecutors to the shooting and wounding of a 32-year-old jogger in a park in Fontenay-les-Roses, in south-west Paris, on Wednesday - the day of the Charlie Hebdo attack. His partner, Hayat Boumeddiene, is still wanted by police - although she is thought to have fled France last week. She is believed to have travelled to Syria from Turkey, Turkish foreign minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said. Ms Boumeddiene and the companion of one of the Kouachi brothers had exchanged about 500 phone calls, according to the French authorities. The victims Charlie Hebdo In total 12 people were killed in the attack on the Charlie Hebdo offices: eight journalists, two police officers, a caretaker and a visitor. Montrouge shooting Clarissa Jean-Philippe, 27, was the policewoman killed in the suburb of Montrouge Hyper Cacher supermarket

बंदूकधारियों द्वारा राजधानी पेरिस और उसके आसपास के क्षेत्रों में तीन दिनों के रक्तपात के बाद फ्रांस दशकों में अपने सबसे खराब सुरक्षा संकटों में से एक से उभर रहा है। यह बुधवार 7 जनवरी को व्यंग्य पत्रिका चार्ली हेब्दो के कार्यालयों में एक नरसंहार के साथ शुरू हुआ और एक विशाल पुलिस अभियान और दो दिन बाद दो घेराबंदी के साथ समाप्त हुआ।


How can schools nationwide mimic London's improvement?

Summary: Sir Michael Wilshaw, Chief Inspector of Schools in England and head of education watchdog Ofsted, has told BBC Newsnight that schools and local authorities up and down the country should learn from London and "draw a line" below underperformance.

By Sanchia BergBBC Newsnight He said they should follow the example of London Challenge, the now defunct Labour policy which improved London schools, and get outstanding schools and heads working very closely with the less successful. For decades, London secondary schools had some of the worst exam results in the country. Sir Michael was a teacher in the capital in the 1970-90s. He told BBC Newsnight that if someone had told him then that London would be doing much better than the rest of England, he would not have believed it. He said the improvement was down to London Challenge - there was the "political will" to make schools better, adding that London Challenge bypassed local authorities. Little Ilford School in Newham is one school where results have improved dramatically over the last 15 years. In 1997, just 16% of its students got five GCSES at grades A-C, the league table measure then. Last year, 71% passed at least 5 GCSES at grades A*-C including English and Maths. Supporting aspiration Over half of the school's pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 88% speak English as an additional language. According to the acting headteacher, Katy Episcopo, that change is down to improved teaching, and certain specific initiatives. They have Study Plus classes, which help students who are behind in reading and writing, and that has had a significant impact. They work closely with pupils' parents. They build confidence and they support aspiration. Although funding for London Challenge was cut two years ago, results have kept rising. It seems the improvement has developed its own momentum. Not only are more students passing GCSEs, but more are achieving higher grades too. Temoore Zulfiqar, who is aged 16, has already taken three GCSEs, in maths and science. He got two A* grades and one A. He wants to go to Oxford or Cambridge and thanks to his school, he has already visited both several times. Regions falling behind Students at Little Ilford see no bar to their ambitions. Tanvir, who is 15 years old, told me he wanted to be Britain's first Muslim prime minister. As London has rapidly improved, some other authorities have not kept pace. Barnsley in South Yorkshire has some of the worst GCSE results in England. Simon Barber, headteacher of the brand-new Holy Trinity school, is determined to improve standards. Although almost all his pupils speak English as a first language, and only 16% were eligible for free school meals last year, 53% of pupils got five GCSES at grades A* to C, including English and maths, last year. He told me he was keen to learn from other schools, especially those in London. He took a group of children to Newham last summer, to see the London sights, and to visit another school. Some of the pupils who had gone on the visit told me the atmosphere was different at the Newham school - the children were more focused on learning. "If you didn't look out the window, you'd never know it was a rough area," one young teenager told me. "The children looked so smart and ready to learn." Legacy of unemployment Mr Barber told me it was hard to overcome Barnsley's industrial past. The town was a mining community, but now unemployment is high, and he said it was hard to raise aspiration. Sir Michael Wilshaw told BBC Newsnight that comparing Barnsley and Newham shows that "children are children, are children - what makes the difference is the culture of the school". Ofsted is now turning its attention to local authorities. If it finds them failing, their role could be taken over by another body, possibly another local authority, or an academy chain.

इंग्लैंड में स्कूलों के मुख्य निरीक्षक और शिक्षा निगरानी संस्था ऑफस्टेड के प्रमुख सर माइकल विल्शॉ ने बीबीसी न्यूज़नाइट को बताया है कि देश के ऊपर और नीचे के स्कूलों और स्थानीय अधिकारियों को लंदन से सीखना चाहिए और खराब प्रदर्शन से "एक रेखा खींचनी चाहिए"।


The women who want to work in a male prison

Summary: The prison service in England and Wales is in crisis, amid reports of widespread problems with drugs and violence in numerous jails. Three women explain why they want a job working behind bars in a men-only prison.

By Siobhann TigheBBC Radio 4 Woman's Hour The word "misunderstood" is tattooed in pink along Charmaine's arm. It's in memory of her friend who was murdered. Her friend had the same tattoo done before she was killed. "I can't really say what it means," admits Charmaine. "Some people think it's from a song, but I think it's more to do with how my friend saw herself as a person." She describes her as being like a sister. "We did everything together. She was my world." 'Make a difference' The tattoo is now motivating Charmaine in her new career. She's just become a prison officer. "If my friend knew I would eventually become a prison officer, she would have told me I was mad and needed my head testing." But it was something Charmaine's mother said that stayed with her. "After my friend's death it took me some time to really think straight but my mother told me once that everyone deserves a second chance. "I couldn't think about anything else except how much I hated my friend's attacker, but after a year or so I started to think about what my mother said. I decided I would try and make a difference and become a prison officer." Read more about the prison crisis We have agreed not to use Charmaine's surname - or the surnames of the other women featured in this piece - for security reasons. I met Charmaine when she was in training at Newbold Revel, an 18th Century, Grade II listed country house in Warwickshire. She's 50 years old and a mother and grandmother and used to be a painter and decorator on building sites, where she was the only woman. Charmaine decided she wanted to try something new after having one too many accidents while painting, so recently she's been working in a prison to get the feel of it, before committing to it completely. She says she's ready for the challenge and feels confident that she can cope with violence or incidents of self-harm, partly because she's already had some personal experience of it. "My brother and nephew took their own lives. It's not something I'm scared of. I know I can deal with it and be sympathetic and compassionate to the family, but it's hard." Motherly instincts She says her life experience will definitely play a part in her new role. "You're seeing youngsters come into the prison for the first time and it's nerve-wracking for them. You need someone with motherly instincts who can pick up if someone's upset." Charmaine has been a victim of crime. She was also in an abusive relationship and ended up at a refuge. Even so, she prefers to think about prison as a place of rehabilitation rather than punishment. "Prison teaches them not to go back out and reoffend. We try and teach them that what they've done is not a good thing, and then help them go back into society and be a better person." Training alongside Charmaine is Sally, 49, and Calypso, 24. Sally had a career in banking and then local government, while Calypso has been doing bar work as well as an Open University forensic psychology degree. As trainees, they all spend 10 weeks at Newbold Revel, although the full training is 12 weeks long. It's a mixture of classroom theory and practical exercises using role play. Recruits learn cuffing, cell-searching, locking and unlocking doors, as well as how to deal with confrontation and communicate well. Charmaine, Sally and Calypso start their new careers at a point when prisons are feeling the strain. There's evidence of an increase in sexual violence between inmates and there have been stark warnings about rising violence and drug use behind bars. Because of the number of people leaving the service, the government aims to train 5,200 new prison officers this year and says it is on track to meet the target. The trio are also joining a male-dominated industry. According to the latest figures, there are about 21,600 prison officers in England and Wales. Just over a quarter of those are women. 'It excites me' Despite the challenges, all three women say they're positive about their next step, insisting they're not naïve. "I really believe in what I'm doing," Sally says. "For me, there are no rose-tinted glasses. I'm excited because I know there's a rehabilitation culture in prison. That's what brings change and that excites me. Yes, there'll be challenges, but those challenges are opportunities." "It is risky," admits Calypso, "but that doesn't put me off because a lot of it is to do with your interpersonal skills. "It's not about how big and tough you are. If I can help just one person, I've done my job in life." Listen back to the interviews on BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour.

इंग्लैंड और वेल्स में जेल सेवा संकट में है, कई जेलों में ड्रग्स और हिंसा के साथ व्यापक समस्याओं की रिपोर्टों के बीच। तीन महिलाएं बताती हैं कि वे केवल पुरुषों की जेल में सलाखों के पीछे नौकरी क्यों करना चाहती हैं।


France's elite confronted by sexual abuse scandals

Summary: Anna Toumazoff chose a powerful hashtag to highlight sexual abuse at France's top political science college. Sciences Po - the training ground for the country's presidents, politicians and administrators - became #SciencesPorcs (Science Pigs).

By Lucy WilliamsonBBC Paris correspondent "This story is very French," Anna told me. "Because it's about great schools; it's about rape culture; it's about the elegance of being silent - that's very French." Since then, the social media activist has received more than 400 messages from current and former students of Sciences Po. They describe sexual assaults and rapes, mostly by fellow students, that they say were not taken seriously by the college. "Some were told that 'it's not the worst thing in the world', that life goes on," Anna said. "Others were accused of defamation. Some were considered liars. I haven't received any testimonies of people being well treated." Stories like this are not new and not unique to Sciences Po. But she believes they are attracting wider attention now because the college is already under the spotlight for something else. Breaking the incest taboo France has been shaken by a series of incest allegations involving public figures over the past few weeks, beginning last month with the publication of a book by Camille Kouchner, in which she accused her stepfather, Olivier Duhamel, of abusing her twin brother as a child. Olivier Duhamel, a political commentator, was the head of Sciences Po's Foundation. He resigned, along with the school's director who, it turned out, had also known about the allegations. A government investigation into the college found no systematic cover-up, but noted that none of those who knew about the accusations had reported them, and said that the college should reinforce awareness of gender-based and sexual violence. Sciences Po said in a statement that it "support[ed] the victims of gender-based and sexual violence" and that a specialist monitoring and listening unit, set up in 2015 as part of an action plan on gender equality, was now being extended with a new project involving students. Alexandre Kouchner, Camille's half-brother, teaches at Sciences Po. It's probably true, he says, that the book has refocused attention on other forms of sexual assault. "But it would be untrue and unwise to think this started with a debate about incest," he told me. "This started with the MeToo movement." Other colleges - business and arts schools - are now facing similar pressures. The Duhamel affair has also reverberated far beyond one family or one college in opening up a conversation about incest. Incest in France is used to mean sexual abuse by relatives, including those not related by blood. The association Face à l'inceste (Facing Incest) says the number of calls it received this month shot up from 30 to almost 200. Lawyers describe similar jumps in the number of clients wanting to explore legal action. "I've never seen anything like it," one lawyer told the BBC. "People will often start by saying, 'you know the book by Camille Kouchner? Well, something quite like that happened to me too'." Earlier this week, a deputy mayor of Paris, Audrey Pulvar, spoke to France Inter radio about revelations that her deceased father had abused three of her cousins as children. She knew it was true, she said, because "things happened [as a child] that I felt weren't normal. There was a climate I didn't understand." Even President Emmanuel Macron has spoken about the impact of the Duhamel affair. "The silence built by criminals and cowardice is finally exploding," he said last month. "It's exploding because of the courage of a sister who could no longer stay silent, then the courage of thousands of others who have told accounts of their lives broken in the sanctuary of their childhood bedrooms... No-one can ignore them any longer." Complicated history A study conducted last year suggested that one in 10 people in France have experienced incestuous sexual abuse, yet this outpouring of public testimony and public attention feels new. France's approach to incest - and childhood sexuality - has been complicated by its history, says Fabienne Giuliani, a historian of incest in France. "Since the French Revolution, we have designed the family as a sanctuary in which the state does not enter," she explained. "During the 20th Century, French society refused to see incest, refused to pronounce the word 'incest', refused to believe children in the courts." The importance accorded to psychoanalytic theory in France - the idea that children desire their parents - has also affected attitudes here, as did theories that aimed to legitimise paedophilia in the 1970s. It is currently legal in France for blood relations to have consensual sex as adults, while incest is an "aggravating factor" in cases of child rape and molestation. Under French law, a rape charge is only possible if there is proof of "force, threat, violence or surprise" - otherwise it is tried as the lesser offence of sexual assault. That applies to children as well, as France has no legal age of consent. That may be changing. Two bills already going through parliament have put forward plans to remove the possibility that minors can consent to sex. And President Macron has asked his government to draw up similar proposals, introducing an age of consent. "There is something new in France, in this conversation," Alexandre Kouchner told me. "And it's the fact that intimacy has become a political subject. We're looking at a movement that puts what happens to individuals at the forefront of the political debate." Back in 1986, French television audiences watched Eva Thomas speak about her experiences as an incest survivor. It was the first time anyone here had spoken out in this way without the protection of anonymity. "I want to stop feeling ashamed," Eva told her interviewers. "Why didn't you tell your mother?" she was asked. And: "Forgive me, but you let him do this?" Now there are so many voices, so many campaigns, that some have warned about the danger of different issues being merged together: incest; age of consent; sexual assault; sexual harassment; gay and transgender rights. But, says Anna Toumazoff, "if everything is getting mixed, it's because it belongs to the same system". The common link, she says, is the pressure on some parts of society to stay silent. "Victims have always tried to talk, actually," she told me. "The difference now is that, because of the hashtags and social networks, people are obliged to hear and to answer. That's the difference."

एना तौमाज़ॉफ ने फ्रांस के शीर्ष राजनीति विज्ञान महाविद्यालय में यौन शोषण को उजागर करने के लिए एक शक्तिशाली हैशटैग चुना। साइंसेज पो-देश के राष्ट्रपतियों, राजनेताओं और प्रशासकों के लिए प्रशिक्षण का मैदान-#SciencesPorcs (साइंस पिग्स) बन गया।


Clare Balding: 'Animals have shaped me more than people'

Summary: In the UK alone, there are an estimated 12 million households (that's around 44%) with a pet. Expand that to a global scale and there's an extraordinary number of furry, scaled, four- or even six-legged creatures co-habiting with humans.

By Rebecca ThomasArts and entertainment reporter Regardless of geography or type, these animals are to their owners much more than an animate object who shares their life. Be they a confidant, comforter, an enabler to life, a worker, or simply a source of boundless fun, they are their owner's personal hero, without whom life would be so much the poorer. Someone who embraces this special bond is the broadcaster Clare Balding, who grew up surrounded by dogs, horses and ponies and has never really known a time without animals in her life. Both personally and professionally, as the host of coverage of shows such as Royal Ascot and Crufts dog show, Balding lives and breathes the love of animals. She says she has been "shaped more by the animals in my life than the people". "They've made me kinder, more patient and more responsible. I think a lot of people feel the same although maybe not a lot say it. But then not many people say they love their pet more than their partner, and I think in some cases that's definitely true." So in tribute, Balding has written a book of 100 short factual stories taken from across centuries and cultures showing animals' contribution to human life, through astounding deeds and immense loyalty, and our attitude towards them. And Balding says she thought 2020 was just the right time to pay homage. "It's a celebration of animals that will hopefully also lift people's spirits and highlight the contribution they have made, and continue to make to our lives, especially in a year when most people's worlds have been turned upside down [because of the pandemic]. I think they have understood what their own animals bring them," she says. "They really have given them so much joy and a reason to have a structure to their lives and bring in a lot of laughter when there's not a lot of that going on. "We've needed them and they've needed us and I think people have really benefitted from having more time with their pets." All sorts of creatures feature, from giraffes and rhinos to rats, dolphins and of course cats and dogs. And Balding includes Attenborough-like information on the factors that make certain species unique. Dogs, for example, have 300 million olfactory receptors compared to our six million. Some stories are awe-inspiring, some are moving, while others are simply laugh-out-load funny. And, says Balding, it doesn't matter if the heroic actions of an animal are just innate to their species. "I would rather appreciate and praise them, recognise and thank them for actions that may have been instinctive but which saved so many lives." Balding was well aware of the tales about race horses, including that of Aldaniti, who with jockey Bob Champion won the heart of the nation when they galloped to victory at the 1981 Grand National, having both recovered from life-threatening conditions. But for the others, she and a researcher had to delve deep and stretch wide. "I certainly didn't know about Miracle Mike, the headless chicken in Colorada [who survived around 18 months after being decapitated by his poultry farmer owner]. "Overall, I wanted a good cross-section. You want it to be entertaining but also a way of learning." Think of the ingenious runaways, the Tamworth Two pigs in 1998 - no one was having their bacon. And then, there's Stoffel the escapologist honey badger who has provided much mirth, with more than 244 million views of his antics online. But it's often taken the worst of human behaviour towards animals to eventually bring out the best, which is something Balding starkly acknowledges. "Thandi the rhino was mutilated by horn poachers in South Africa, and has now become a symbol of hope and positivity through her survival and in the work that's now being done in conservation. But she's also a stark reminder of the brutality of human beings towards animals," explains Balding. "In most cases, that's a behaviour pattern that has changed and is reflective of developing nations' greater understanding, maturity and moral responsibility. The way we treat our animals should almost be a rating for any nation." Animals nonetheless keep on giving, as is evident in the work of therapy, which sees a wide range people with various conditions and problems, including dementia and addiction, gaining comfort and hope through animals. Matthew Robinson from the charity Pets As Therapy says: "Dogs and cats, instinctively 'know' when we feel down and often position themselves next to you on the sofa or by gently brushing against your leg as if to say 'everything's OK'. "The effect these interactions have on us can be incredibly powerful. Stress and anxiety are reduced and we often feel calmer around a dog or cat. The benefits this can have on both mental and physical well-being is something that is now subject to research." And Balding attests to seeing beneficial work in action, in particular horses at a centre in North London helping teenage boys who have been excluded from school because they can't deal with discipline. "Horses are so kind. When you think how big and strong they are they don't have to do what we want but if you ask them in the right way they will. They help people find a way of working in a team, teach the art of persuasion and how to deal with structure." As for herself, Balding says animals have given her huge support. "If I fluff up on air and come home, it's straight back to them and their being pleased to see you. It's the same for everyone. "Their pets are their escape from the pressures of work and make them feel better. Look at the popularity of videos of kittens or puppies online, particularly this year, that is not an accident and should not be dismissed as a frippery. Look at advertising and how much it uses puppies and kittens, the makers aren't idiots, they know." Balding's much-loved family dog Archie sadly died over the summer. "He was our family, the central part of our life," says Balding. "He had lots of faults and I'm quite honest about them but we loved him very much." Now Balding is focusing on her British Blue cat Buttons, who has recently had five kittens, one of which she has kept with the others given to friends, many of whom have been made made through having animals. Balding says she knows she was very lucky to have been always around animals as a child "but what I thought was normal was that they were higher on the pecking order than us kids. I took it for granted and didn't realise that's not how everyone lives". And, she adds, the benefits of the experience will stay with her always. "Animals make me happy and that is infectious as it makes other people happy and it means you end up being a very warm person I hope because you're used to giving warmth from your pet and they give it back. "It's reciprocal. There's lots of things I've learned from having animals and I'm still learning." Heroic Animals: 100 Amazing Creatures Great and Small is out now.

अकेले यू. के. में, एक पालतू जानवर के साथ अनुमानित 1 करोड़ 20 लाख परिवार (जो लगभग 44 प्रतिशत है) हैं। इसे वैश्विक स्तर पर फैलाएं और मनुष्यों के साथ सह-निवास करने वाले रोम, स्केल, चार या छह पैर वाले जीवों की एक असाधारण संख्या है।