Gallipoli: Six tales of valour and a missing Victoria Cross

Summary: Six Victoria Cross medals were won by one regiment on the first day of the Gallipoli campaign. But they had never all been in the same room - and one appeared to have disappeared altogether. It took a feat of detective work to bring them together at last.

By Andrew BomfordBBC Radio 4 PM Programme Collectively, they were known as the "six VCs before breakfast". These Victoria Crosses - the highest UK and Commonwealth military honour there is - were awarded for valour shown by soldiers from the Lancashire Fusiliers in a famously bloody dawn assault near Cape Helles, Turkey, on 25 April 1915. It was the opening salvo in the ultimately doomed Gallipoli campaign of World War One, which resulted in more than 100,000 deaths among British, Australian and New Zealand troops, plus allies from other nations on one side, and the Turkish troops of the Ottoman Empire on the other. The VC citation describes the hail of deadly machine gun fire the Fusiliers faced while landing at W beach, and how they overcame supreme difficulties to cut the barbed wire entanglements under fire and gain control of the cliffs above the beach. The citation reads: "Among the many very gallant officers and men engaged in this most hazardous undertaking, Captain Bromley, Sergeant Stubbs, and Corporal Grimshaw have been selected by their comrades as having performed the most single acts of bravery and devotion to duty." They had gone down in Army folklore, but the six VCs had never been together in the same place. Two of the six were already on display at the Fusiliers Museum in Bury, Lancashire, and three more were owned by Lord Ashcroft, an avid collector of war medals, and on permanent display at the Imperial War Museum in London. Then there was the sixth VC, which was missing and hadn't been seen in public for the best part of a hundred years. Tales of bravery It was Sarah Stevenson, collections officer at the Fusiliers Museum, who first came up with the idea, three years ago, of getting all six together at the museum for the 100th anniversary celebrations of the campaign. But this was no easy task - even before the missing VC could be located. None of the war medals had ever been loaned out elsewhere before, and initial approaches to the Imperial War Museum were rebuffed. Undaunted, displaying the sort of can-do attitude you'd expect from a 30-year veteran in the Army, Col Brian Gorski, chairman of the Fusiliers Museum, took up the task of hunting down and acquiring the missing VC with gusto. "At one moment of time I thought we'd never get there, when everything went dead for two or three months," he admits, "I thought, I'm going to give this whole thing up." He began his search with what little was known about the recipient of the missing VC, awarded posthumously to Capt Cuthbert Bromley. At Gallipoli, Capt Bromley was shot in the back and the knee, but carried on fighting. Later he was hit by shrapnel in the ankle. He died the following August, when the troopship he was on, the Royal Edward, was torpedoed and sunk in the Aegean Sea with the loss of almost 1,000 lives, while sailing back to Gallipoli from hospital in Egypt. Col Gorski showed me the makeshift Bromley family tree he began compiling on a whiteboard in the museum office, working on the assumption that someone in the extended family still owned the VC. Using public records, and by trawling archives in East Sussex where the family originated, he traced each family line down from Cuthbert's three brothers and a sister. He even searched graveyards in Sussex, and visited old addresses, in what seemed at first like a fruitless task. At one point during the search, Stevenson appeared on BBC North West Tonight, appealing to anyone who knew of the whereabouts of the VC to come forward. "It was a long and eventful journey," says Col Gorski. He eventually discovered family members still living in the same area where Cuthbert Bromley had lived - including a cousin, Louise Bromley. Email exchanges eventually led to another cousin of Louise, Nick Bromley, who lived in London. Crucially, Nick owned Cuthbert's Victoria Cross. It was sitting in its presentation case on his sideboard. At first Nick was surprised to have been contacted, but then he remembered the anniversary. "I was very honoured that we'd been approached," he says. He thought it was only right that the medals should be reunited for the occasion. Nick showed me various letters which the family had kept, written by Capt Bromley to his mother, another Louise Bromley, from the battlefield at Gallipoli. On yellowed paper, and written in pencil, faded after 100 years, they give a tantalising, fascinating and somewhat quirky insight into life during the battle. 29 April 1915 My Dearest mother, I'm laid up with a bullet wound, nothing serious at all, clean through the flesh and I'm as fit as can be. The regiment suffered rather heavily in the recent fighting. I quite enjoyed myself and hope to be about again very shortly. Fondest love, Cuthbert. PS Writing bad is not due to wound but awkward position lying down. 3 June 1915 My Dearest Mother, I got your letter of 6 May. Very fit. We're close up to brother Turk now. Only fifty yards away in places. The show has changed from open work to trench warfare. But we shall get them out soon. Lovely climate here and sea bathing. I hope all goes well at home. Fondest love to you and Mary. Cuthbert. 14 June 1915 My dearest Mother, Here we are again. I'm in command now until someone senior returns. Life is alright. I find the want of change of clothing a distinct drawback. An occasional box of good Egyptian cigarettes or a nice light pipe, or one or two khaki handkerchiefs or a toothbrush would be most acceptable. Although my toilet is pretty spasmodic. I hear Bulgaria and Romania are coming in. This is good. Best luck, Cuthbert Cuthbert was fond of drawing little sketches on his letters. In one - in what might seem now a little like the 1915 equivalent of a selfie - he depicts himself bayonetting a Turkish soldier, and captions the picture: "Daily Routine." In another he draws a picture of the injury to his ankle by a piece of shrapnel and writes: "Straight through 2' to 2½'". Lord Ashcroft, who had bought three of the six Fusiliers Victoria Crosses and displayed them in his extensive collection at the Imperial War Museum, agreed to temporarily lend the medals to the Fusiliers Museum after being approached personally by Col Gorski. As well as being a prominent donor to the Conservative party and prolific political pollster, he also has a fascination with military history and, in particular, with the concept of heroism during warfare. "The 'six before breakfast' was an action of collective bravery," he says. To put it into context, he said, the Lancashire Fusiliers had started the day with 27 officers and 1,002 other men, and 24 hours later a headcount revealed just 16 officers and 304 men. This week, I watched alongside delighted staff at the Fusiliers Museum, as the culmination of three years hard work came together with the arrival of the three Ashcroft VCs, to join the Bromley medal and the other two VCs. The medals arrived on Monday under tight security in a large wooden box. Each is worth well over six figures. For the first time all six VCs are in the same place, at the same time, just in time for the 100th anniversary celebrations. "I'm feeling so emotional - I might cry," says Stevenson as she checks through the medals before placing them in alarmed glass display cases. "It's quite moving when you realise what they did to deserve these medals, and here they all are on their 100th anniversary. It's a very special moment." The next day 21 members of the family of John Grimshaw, one of the Victoria Cross holders, came to the museum to see the medals in place. "It's the first time I've seen them all together," says 72-year-old Edna Aspinall, who is John Grimshaw's niece. "I tell all my children and grandchildren about it. It's something that makes us so proud." John Grimshaw died in 1980, aged 87. She continues: "I remember as a child Uncle John coming to visit and my mother telling us to take the milk bottle off the table. We all had to smarten up whenever he visited. To us, he was a hero - but he was our hero." What was Gallipoli? Why is Gallipoli still celebrated in Australia and New Zealand on Anzac Day? Andrew Bomford's report will feature on Radio Four's PM Programme at 17:00 BST on Thursday 23 April Subscribe to the BBC News Magazine's email newsletter to get articles sent to your inbox.

गैलीपोली अभियान के पहले दिन एक रेजिमेंट द्वारा छह विक्टोरिया क्रॉस पदक जीते गए थे। लेकिन वे सभी कभी भी एक ही कमरे में नहीं थे-और ऐसा प्रतीत होता है कि एक पूरी तरह से गायब हो गया था। अंत में उन्हें एक साथ लाने के लिए जासूसी का काम करना पड़ा।


Christmas delivery drivers: Diary of a courier

Summary: There's nothing quite like that sinking feeling of coming home and seeing the "sorry we missed you" delivery card on the floor. That's a trip to the sorting office you can't quite be bothered with.

But spare a thought for the delivery drivers, working flat out in the run-up to Christmas. "If you can't put a parcel in an outbuilding or letter box, you can't deliver it." That's the experience of courier Sally Smith, who often drives 100 miles in a single day. Her "extremely busy" route goes from Lossiemouth in northern Scotland. "Everyone in my depot is sound and they wouldn't do stupid things. For me, I've got a military base on my route and a lot of customers there that I have to support," says Sally. She's had Christmas cards, biscuits and chocolates from happy customers. But up and down the country, there are other disgruntled people - furious at either not receiving a parcel or finding it stuffed in a neighbour's bin. "If couriers stuck to the guidelines that have been set out, we'd be returning about 70% of the parcels," Sally explains. "It's a case of using your own discretion. "The bad stories just make us look bad and it's a shame. The majority of drivers I know are really nice - and they'll go out of their way to help you in any way they can." Talking of bad stories - earlier this week, the Hermes courier firm "apologised and provided compensation" after one driver did a poo in a customer's shed, before bagging it up and leaving. Unsurprisingly, Sally accepts that sort of incident is "totally unacceptable". "Couriers will often make arrangements with customers and they'll say: 'I know I'm not going to be in on this day so I'll leave the door open for you.'" As Christmas draws closer, she's looking forward to visiting the Kinloss barracks, where she has a "great relationship" with the military families who are stationed on site. She'll give a bag of sweets to the guards and personnel, before receiving one in return. But if you're delivering everyone else's Christmas shopping, how do you manage to buy your own? "I don't! I haven't started. I'll probably have to do mine on Christmas Eve." Follow Newsbeat on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. Listen to Newsbeat live at 12:45 and 17:45 every weekday on BBC Radio 1 and 1Xtra - if you miss us you can listen back here

घर आने और फर्श पर "सॉरी वीज़ मिस्ड यू" डिलीवरी कार्ड देखने के डूबते एहसास जैसा कुछ भी नहीं है। यह छँटाई कार्यालय की यात्रा है जिससे आप परेशान नहीं हो सकते।


Man, 36, charged over Celtic Park disorder

Summary: A 36-year-old man has been arrested and charged in connection with disorder-related offences outside Celtic Park last Sunday.

The man is the latest person to be charged after hundreds of fans converged on the ground to call for the sacking of manager Neil Lennon. Police Scotland said he was released on an undertaking and a report had been submitted to the procurator fiscal. There were violent scenes at the ground after Celtic lost to Ross County. Police Scotland deployed officers, at least 12 vehicles and the force helicopter. Three officers suffered minor injuries. Glasgow is currently under level four of the Scottish government Covid restrictions, meaning protests are prohibited.

पिछले रविवार को सेल्टिक पार्क के बाहर अव्यवस्था से संबंधित अपराधों के संबंध में एक 36 वर्षीय व्यक्ति को गिरफ्तार किया गया है और उस पर आरोप लगाया गया है।


Thomas Cook's last flight: 'The staff were crying and it was very sombre'

Summary: Thomas Cook's flight from Orlando to Manchester landed at 08:52 BST - according to Flight Radar , it was the stricken operator's final flight. The BBC has spoken to some of the passengers who were on board, as well as people in Leicester from where the holiday firm's first excursion left in 1841.

Anthony Speak, 64, and Wendy Willis, 57, said the atmosphere on the flight was very different from their outward journey on 8 September. "The staff were crying and it was very sombre," said Ms Willis. "But the staff were brilliant and very professional, despite not having a job when they landed." "We saw one of the girls in floods of tears," added Mr Speak, from Dudley, West Midlands. Stephen and Tracy Curran, from Cumbria, who also flew to America on 8 September, said they had constantly been checking for updates on their holiday-provider's fate. "We thought it would be a close call," said Mrs Curran. "We didn't know what had happened until we landed - the staff didn't know either. "There was a plane that was due to take off an hour after us - but it's still there." Susan Macintosh, 55, said she felt "very fortunate" to have made her flight back to the UK. Ms Macintosh, along with her family, praised Thomas Cook staff for their professionalism, adding it was an emotional moment when the pilot made an announcement marking the end of an era. The family had been waiting for the latest news as speculation heightened about the future of Thomas Cook. Her son-in-law Kenneth McGuinan, 31, said: "For the past couple of days I have been constantly checking [to see what is happening]." What to do if you are affected If you are abroad, the UK government has pledged to get everyone home. Customers can visit the Civil Aviation Authority's special Thomas Cook website. Those scheduled to return to the UK within the next 48 hours or who are having problems with their accommodation or need special assistance can ring 0300 303 2800 in the UK or +44 1753 330 330 from abroad. Customers have been urged not to cut short their holiday or go to the airport without checking the website for more information about their return journey. Those whose future holidays have been cancelled will be informed of how they can claim a refund on the website. There was also sadness in Leicester, from where Victorian entrepreneur Thomas Cook organised his first holiday. The 12-mile (19km) rail excursion to Loughborough in 1841 was an attempt by the cabinet-maker and Baptist preacher to offer working-class people a diversion from drinking, which he saw as the root cause of society's ills. "Thomas Cook is part of Leicester life, part of its history," Sally Pick said. "We've lost something famous about Leicester. "I feel bad for the staff who may lose their jobs, and the holidaymakers abroad." Ivor James, 70, said the company's collapse was "sad" and a "great shame". He said he used to book holidays with the firm in the 1990s but now goes online. "People may have fallen out of love with the package holiday because of holidays on the internet," Mr James said, "I think the mobility of people getting to Europe and cheap flights hasn't helped them." Yvonne Russell said she had seen the internet have a similar effect on the retail industry in which she works. "Online means no-one comes to the High Street," she said. A caller to BBC Radio Manchester said emotions were also running high on the last Thomas Cook flight from Cancun. The woman, who gave her name as Trish, said the captain asked the passengers to "please bear in mind the staff here are working under tremendous pressure" and they didn't know whether they would have jobs or not. "We would like you to remember that we also have families and children and bills to pay," the pilot apparently told passengers. "The staff were all excellent but were all crying," Trish said. "It was horrendous to see." 'Bereavement' She said the captain told passengers he had more than 25 years of service with Thomas Cook and signed off saying: "This is a sad day." Prospective passengers have been speaking of their heartbreak after their holidays were cancelled. Chloe Hardy, 26, from Burbage, Leicestershire, was due to fly to Zante in Greece on Thursday with 33 friends and family for her wedding at a Thomas Cook hotel. "I tried to hold on to the tiny bit of hope Thomas Cook was going to be OK," Ms Hardy said. "It's a nightmare. You never think it's going to happen to you. "It's devastating, it feels like bereavement." She said the wedding had been 15 months in the planning but "it's been for nothing". At the head office in Peterborough By John Devine, BBC reporter Thomas Cook employs 9,000 people in the UK and about 1,000 work here. Cars have been streaming in since about 7am and if you didn't know otherwise, you'd think it was business as usual. There are several members of the media here but people have not been willing to talk, understandably. There has been a lot of "no comment" and one man just said: "I've lost my job." One woman was coming out of the car park in tears with two children in the back of the car. She said her partner worked there. There have been people huddled together in groups outside the offices, obviously discussing what has happened. Stoke-on-Trent travel agent Andy Dean described the collapse as "massive", and said he had been inundated with people trying to make other arrangements. "My first thought was for the people whose jobs and livelihoods will be affected and for those people whose holidays have been affected," he said. "It isn't just flights, it is accommodation as well."

ऑरलैंडो से मैनचेस्टर के लिए थॉमस कुक की उड़ान 08:52 BST पर उतरी-फ्लाइट रडार के अनुसार, यह प्रभावित ऑपरेटर की अंतिम उड़ान थी। बीबीसी ने कुछ यात्रियों से बात की है जो बोर्ड पर थे, साथ ही साथ लीसेस्टर के लोगों से भी बात की है जहाँ से 1841 में हॉलिडे फर्म की पहली यात्रा रवाना हुई थी।


Luxury cars crushed as transporter hits low bridge in Perth

Summary: A car transporter has crashed into a low bridge in Perth, causing tens of thousands of pounds of damage to luxury cars it was carrying.

The roofs of at least two new Range Rovers were crushed in the accident in Marshall Place at about 08:00. Police were called to the scene as debris on the road caused rush-hour traffic problems. Network Rail later tweeted to say the bridge had been inspected by engineers and was "passed fit for rail traffic".

पर्थ में एक कार ट्रांसपोर्टर एक निचले पुल से टकरा गया, जिससे उसे ले जा रही लक्जरी कारों को हजारों पाउंड का नुकसान हुआ।


Magee campus: Date set for business plan

Summary: The accountancy firm RSM McClure Watters is to undertake the business case for the expansion of the University of Ulster's Magee campus.

The business case will assess the need to increase student places there. Work on the project will begin at the end of March. A draft report is expected by the end of June, with the final report due in September. The plan will assess provisions needed to serve 9,400 students.

लेखा फर्म आर. एस. एम. मैकक्लूर वाटर्स अल्स्टर विश्वविद्यालय के मैगी परिसर के विस्तार के लिए व्यावसायिक मामला शुरू करने वाली है।


Game of Thrones' Kit Harington from Westeros to Pompeii

Summary: As one of the most talked-about TV series around the world, HBO's fantasy drama Game of Thrones has made stars out of its main actors. Now 27-year-old Kit Harington, from Worcester, who plays Night Watch soldier Jon Snow, has just taken his first lead role in big-budget Hollywood movie Pompeii.

By Emma JonesEntertainment reporter, BBC News Made by Resident Evil director Paul WS Anderson, Harington plays a Celtic slave, Milo, forced to fight as a gladiator in the city of Pompeii in AD79 - the year an eruption from nearby Mount Vesuvius wiped out the population of the Roman town. The 3D film portrays the volcano, the earthquake and then the tsunami that engulfs Pompeii, adding up to a sizeable movie budget of $100m (£60m). "I took the part deliberately a year ago because it was a lead role, and I wanted to try that out," Harington says. "Then once I was in it, I stopped feeling the pressure. "It's only when it's done and you're the centre of attention, talking about it, that it hits you that the success of the movie is resting on your shoulders. But I really enjoyed it and I want to do more lead roles again, if I'm allowed." Anderson describes Pompeii as "the Las Vegas of the Roman Empire" - it was where the Romans came to gamble and have fun on the Italian coast. Pompeii's unique history is down to the town, and its residents, being perfectly preserved across the millennia after they were buried in volcanic ash. Excavations began in the 18th Century, and since then, the site near Naples has attracted thousands of tourists each year. But Harington admits he didn't go until after the film was finished. "I didn't have time before we started shooting. I know it's bizarre, but I went after we wrapped. I wanted to go to this place that I'd be pretended to be in for so long. I'm ashamed to say I didn't do a whole amount of historical research, I took the script as gospel. "But then I went to all the exhibitions and I was pleasantly surprised to see that we were very historically accurate. I mean, we're a big-budget action movie and we're bound to take historical liberties. But not many. "We were very painstaking in re-creating Pompeii in Toronto, where we shot the film. I think we built around 30 different sets, including the Coliseum where the gladiators fight. It was strangely similar walking through the real town." Ancient disaster movie Inevitably, Harington admits, there will be comparisons to Ridley Scott's Oscar-winning 2000 drama Gladiator. "But I'm not about to try and do Russell Crowe impressions. There is a lot in this movie that is Gladiator-esque, but you can't make a historical film featuring gladiators that won't. "The main focus in this is the volcano erupting, then the earthquake and then the tidal wave. Really, it's an ancient disaster movie." Two of Harington's co-stars in Pompeii, Keifer Sutherland and Jared Harris, have also enjoyed huge success in big-budget TV dramas, 24 and Mad Men respectively. Harington's Thrones co-stars, including Peter Dinklage, Emilia Clarke, Sophie Turner and Lena Headey, have all been offered film roles off the success of the TV series. Harington believes that "TV has been able to offer all actors opportunities it couldn't have a decade ago - and it's made my film career happen. Certainly the quality of television is on an equal footing to film now, but I can't think of committing to any other TV series apart from Game of Thrones. "Actually, I'm contracted to them right now anyway, so I can't, but it's the only one I want to do. I'm doing all my film roles in between shooting for the series, I can't even change my hair or my beard for parts, which limits me - I've got to look like Jon Snow. "I'm always amazed by how much people love the character of Jon though, I suppose he's one of the truly good people who's managed to survive so far. I know that I'll be thought of as him for a long time - sometimes fans come up to me and are really upset that I'm not actually Jon Snow, wearing fur and fighting Wildlings." 'Star on the rise' Game of Thrones, originally written as a novel by author George RR Martin, has much of its roots in ancient and medieval history - including Jon Snow's military stronghold, The Wall, loosely based on the Roman Hadrian's Wall in the North of England. "I think Thrones has had a real impact on producers being willing to invest money in period pieces in film and television in order to make something look historically accurate, as I think it's tapped into a fascination we all have with the past," the actor says. "I'm not sure that Thrones could qualify as a historical set piece though, it's got too much fantasy in it, and it's not 'swords and sandals' the way Pompeii is. "I don't have much luck with my roles though, do I? I'm either Jon Snow, stuck in the Night's Watch, unable to get married or leave, or I'm a gladiator in an arena about to die horribly every day. I'm really stuck as to which of my characters has the worst life. For real life this is amazing though - I never thought I'd make it this far as an actor." Critics have declared themselves "not blown away" by Pompeii, volcanic eruption or not, with the Hollywood Reporter saying, "the lava flows, as does the cheese". The Washington Post notes that "Harington's star is on the rise, but his first starring role doesn't showcase what he can do from an acting viewpoint. His startlingly defined six-pack abs are the most memorable part of the character." Kit Harington says he's "very proud of the film - it's old-fashioned action with great special effects" but admits that he's "had enough of historical characters for now" - although he will star in fantasy adventure Seventh Son, with Julianne Moore, next year. "I was desperate to do something contemporary after Pompeii and the last series of Thrones," he says, "and now I'm filming the movie version of another hit TV series, Spooks. I just had to go and be someone modern for a change." Pompeii is in the UK cinemas now.

दुनिया भर में सबसे अधिक चर्चित टीवी श्रृंखलाओं में से एक के रूप में, एचबीओ के काल्पनिक नाटक गेम ऑफ थ्रोन्स ने अपने मुख्य अभिनेताओं से सितारे बनाए हैं। अब 27 वर्षीय किट हैरिंगटन, वॉर्सेस्टर से, जो नाइट वॉच सैनिक जॉन स्नो की भूमिका निभाते हैं, ने बड़े बजट वाली हॉलीवुड फिल्म पॉम्पेई में अपनी पहली मुख्य भूमिका निभाई है।


Camilla at Crathie school during Princess Eugenie royal wedding

Summary: Camilla, Duchess of Rothesay, visited a small Scottish school while Prince Charles attended the wedding of Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank .

The Duchess of Cornwall's arrival at Crathie Primary in Aberdeenshire was delayed by a tree on the road due to high winds. She was given a tour of the school - which has nine pupils - before visiting a new games pavilion in nearby Braemar. Princess Eugenie married her partner in Windsor Castle. It is understood that Friday's school invitation was a long-standing one. After apologising for her late arrival, she told her guides, 11-year-old Logan Beedie and Zara Jones, 10: "It's nice and blowy outside, isn't it?"

कैमिला, डचेस ऑफ रॉथेसे, एक छोटे से स्कॉटिश स्कूल में गईं, जबकि प्रिंस चार्ल्स राजकुमारी यूजनी और जैक ब्रूक्सबैंक की शादी में शामिल हुए।


Unlocking the genetic secrets of the UK's fungi

Summary: Fungi might be one of the world's most diverse kingdoms of life, but we know surprisingly little about them. Now this is about to change with scientists creating the first genetic library of the UK's fungi.

By Rebecca MorelleScience reporter, BBC News Providing a splash of colour before winter hits, the fungi at Deer Park Farm in Devon are putting on a spectacular display. They come in every variety: from red, fairytale-like toadstools to slimy, alien tentacles poking out through the soil. These steep fields contain some of the UK's rarest varieties of a family of fungi known as waxcaps, and they have attracted the attention of scientists from the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, in London. The researchers are collecting samples of DNA to take back to the lab for analysis. They are starting to create a genetic database of the UK's fungi, beginning with the waxcaps. Dr Martyn Ainsworth, a senior researcher in fungal conservation from Kew, says: "It is a huge kingdom, and relatively under-explored and under-studied. "I think we know so little about them because, scientifically, they are hard to work on. "We can grow a certain number in the lab, but there is a whole host of fungi that we would recognise as mushrooms and toadstools in our woodlands, and some of the most commercially important ones such as ceps, porcini and chanterelles, which we cannot grow in the lab. "This has held back a lot of research." Mushroom mystery But, fungi, which fall between plants and animals on the tree of life, are the hidden helpers of our environment: they recycle waste and dead matter, and provide plants with water and nutrients. "They are absolutely fundamental to ecosystems. Fungi are really the behind-the-scenes team that are doing all the work," adds Dr Ainsworth. One basic question that the team is trying to answer with the genetic library is just how many species of fungi there are. Currently, the UK is thought to contain anywhere between 12,000 to 20,000 species, but Dr Bryn Dentinger, a senior mycologist from RBG Kew, is trying to find the unique gene sequences that will help conservationists gets a handle on this number. He says: "Because of their cryptic nature, fungi are very difficult to identify by morphology alone. "But now, with genetic techniques, we finally have the tools here we can accurately diagnose the number of species we have at a much faster rate than before." Early results already suggest that some waxcaps that were currently considered to be single species, could actually be two or more distinct species. "There is a lot of hidden diversity that DNA sequencing is allowing us to reveal," Dr Dentinger added. But despite their apparent abundance, scientists are still concerned about the future of some species of fungus. Habitat destruction and nitrogen pollution from fertilisers are causing serious declines, and one group that has been particularly affected is the waxcaps. In fact, their sheer presence is now used as an indicator to show that a grassland habitat is healthy, and a glut of waxcaps can lead to an area being given a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) conservation designation. Future of fungi Audrey Compton and John Whetman, who own Deer Park Farm, say that when they bought their farm 10 years ago, it already had some fields packed full of fungi, which they have simply left alone to allow the mushrooms to thrive. Mrs Compton explains: "We have some really ancient grasslands here; they haven't been ploughed up, they are too steep for a tractor, they haven't been fertilised, haven't had pesticides, and therefore, they are more or less as as nature intended. "And as long as we graze them the right amount, we're going to have beautiful summer flowers and wonderful autumn fungi." The researchers from Kew say that delving into the DNA of fungal species will help to conserve them - because if we are unsure of how many species there are, how can we keep track of the ones we are losing? Dr Ainsworth explains: "It is answering these basic first questions: how many species we have got and then looking to see what are their ecological requirements. "And then when you know those things, then you can begin to manage habitats in a conservation-minded kind of way." While the scientists are beginning their sequencing project with waxcaps, which has been funded by the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and Scottish Natural Heritage, they are keen to broaden it out to other fungi and say the same techniques could be applied to create a worldwide genetic library of this Kingdom. This, admits Dr Dentinger, could take decades - although he says it would be worth the effort. "The total diversity of mushrooms is a difficult number to estimate - 700,000 to over 5 million - and modern molecular data is supporting the higher numbers of fungi," he explained. "Clearly there is a lot out there - and the only way we can do this is anybodies lifetime is to use DNA sequencing. "It is a daunting task, but it's also incredibly exciting. It is an exciting time to be a mycologist."

कवक दुनिया के जीवन के सबसे विविध राज्यों में से एक हो सकता है, लेकिन हम उनके बारे में आश्चर्यजनक रूप से बहुत कम जानते हैं। अब यह बदलने वाला है जब वैज्ञानिकों ने ब्रिटेन के कवक का पहला आनुवंशिक पुस्तकालय बनाया है।


Witnessing Japan's surrender in China

Summary: In September 1945, China's long and bloody war with Japan finally came to an end - millions had died and thousands of foreigners were held in internment camps. As Japan surrendered, my great-uncle was sent to Shanghai to find out what had happened to British citizens trapped during World War Two.

By Rupert Wingfield-HayesBBC News, China By 1945, China had been fighting for eight years, longer than any other Allied power. It had lost perhaps 14 million people, second only to the Soviet Union. On 9 September, inside an assembly hall at the military academy in Nanjing, the Chinese Chief of Staff Ho Ying Qin waited for the arrival of Japanese general Yasutsugu Okamura. At two long tables the victors and vanquished sat facing each other. A few feet away a small group of foreigners sat watching. In the middle, in the uniform of a British major-general, sat my great-uncle, Eric Hayes. Gen Hayes had started his career fighting in another forgotten war - the 1915 invasion of Mesopotamia. In 1919 he was sent to Siberia to fight with the Whites against the Bolsheviks. He spent two years in Bolshevik prisons, becoming fluent in Russian. In late 1944 he was sent on another obscure mission, to be commander of British forces in China. Britain didn't really have any forces in China, but Chiang Kai-shek's nationalist regime was now an ally in the war against Japan. In 1938, as the Japanese swept across eastern China, Chiang's nationalist regime had taken refuge in Chongqing, deep in the mountains of western China, clinging to the banks of the Yangtze River. Mao Zedong and his communist guerrilla army were far to the north in the caves of Yanan on the high Loess plateau of Shaanxi. My great-uncle took up residence at Number 17 Guo Fu Road, a few hundred metres from Generalissimo Chiang's headquarters. For years the people of Chongqing had been terrorised by Japanese aerial bombing. Japan wanted China out of the war and was trying to force Chiang Kai-shek to negotiate a truce. "When the Japanese planes first arrived we had no idea about bombing," says Su Yuankui, a small, energetic-83-year old. "We went out into the streets to look at them. But then we heard the explosions and saw houses burning." Su's family lived in an old three-storey house but soon the whole population of the city was digging tunnels to use as bomb shelters. But there were never enough of them, and in June 1941 it led to a terrible disaster. "Just after dinner we heard the siren and ran to the shelter," Su tells me. "People kept coming in behind us - more and more. My father said, 'It's no good, the air is getting bad, we should get out.' But people were still flooding in. People began fighting, pulling their hair and their clothes, even biting. They couldn't breathe." Su crouched down in a corner trying to find air. He blacked out. "The next morning there were dead people on top of me. Rescuers were pulling them off. They shook me and I woke up. They were shocked. 'Look this little one is alive!' they shouted." Outside on the street hundreds of bodies were laid out. It's not clear exactly how many died that day, perhaps 3,000. Among them were Su Yuankui's two older sisters. On 15 August 1945 China's long nightmare came to an end. Two weeks later, in Tokyo Bay, Japan signed the Instrument of Surrender. On the same day in Chongqing, Gen Hayes received orders to get to the Chinese capital, Nanjing, as soon as possible. He hitched a ride aboard an American C46 transport, already filled with war correspondents. "The plane was also filled to capacity with petrol, and as a result, we waddled off the ground with some difficulty at the last moment and with further difficulty cleared the surrounding hills," he wrote. Arriving in Nanjing on 3 September, he found what he described as a "fantastic situation". "We found that we were only the sixth Allied plane to land at Nanking airfield, which was still entirely under Japanese protection, if not control. At that time in Nanking there were only some fifty Americans and 200-300 Chinese Commando troops, against 70,000 Japanese quartered in the city." The Japanese empire in China had collapsed over night. It was clear to my great-uncle that the Japanese army in Nanjing was not happy with its orders. "The Japanese army gave me the impression of being extremely tough and dangerous as indeed it had proved itself in battle," he wrote. "There is clearly no realisation of the extent of the disaster Japan has suffered. It regards itself, with some reason, as an undefeated army which, to its regret, has been ordered by the emperor to lay down its arms." The surrender ceremony, scheduled for 5 September, was delayed for four days, and so Gen Hayes decided to travel on to Shanghai. His orders were to find out what had happened to the city's large British community. There were no planes, and the train service was still completely under Japanese control. At Nanjing railway station the trains were crammed with Japanese troops. The first-class compartment was occupied by a Japanese general and his mistress, who were not about to make way for a British general. "I appeared to be faced with one of two unpleasant alternatives, either to beat a retreat with what dignity I could muster and so lose a great deal of face, or to attempt to have a compartment cleared of Japanese and so risk an unfortunate incident," he wrote. In the end a third option was found. The Japanese ejected a group of Chinese from another carriage. "Let us hope the ejected Chinese were puppets!" my great-uncle wrote. Puppets was the term used for those who had collaborated with the Japanese occupation. Even in victory the Chinese were still being humiliated by foreigners. Once in Shanghai, Gen Hayes found that most of the British community was still living in Japanese internment camps. One 13-year-old girl, Betty Barr, was interned with her family a the Lunghua camp, along with JG Ballard and his family (of Empire of the Sun fame). Lunghua was the largest internment camp in Shanghai with around 1,600 Britons. Now 83, Betty still lives in Shanghai with her Chinese husband, George. Today the Lunghua camp is an elite Chinese boarding school, but many of the buildings from the 1940s are still there. As we walk around the leafy campus Betty points to where the Japanese camp commandant, Tomohiko Hayashi, had his office; the assembly hall where they would put on amateur dramatics; and the pond where they got water to flush the toilets. For two-and-a-half years they were virtually cut off from the world, not knowing who was winning or when it might all be over. "We had nothing except for rumours that must have come from secret radios," Betty says. "And then in May 1945 we saw American planes in the sky over here writing V - V - V in the sky for VE day… so we knew that Germany had been defeated." Life in the camp was monotonous and the internees were hungry, but the Chinese in Shanghai were suffering much more. Betty's future husband, George, was living in a tiny attic with his mother and seven siblings. His father had been sent to work in a coal mine in Manchuria, in the north-east of the country, where he died. The children were slowly starving. "My mother, she had to sell my younger sister to get money," he says. "That morning she brought pancakes. We were so happy! We hadn't eaten them for several months. Suddenly I saw my mother was sad and not eating. I asked her why are you not eating? She said, you are eating your younger sister's flesh!" In Lunghua camp Betty's American mother kept a meticulous diary. On 14 August 1945 she wrote: "Allies have accepted Japanese surrender, but no confirming message coming from Japanese. Fears that Japanese army in China will fight on. People greatly depressed wondering why no news." But a day later the mood had changed completely: "Confirmed that the war is over. Great jubilation! Thanksgiving service at 3pm out of doors. Six flags unfurled on top of F block. Entertainment on both roofs until midnight, clear sky, bright moon. Perfect." But the end of the war brought more uncertainty. Shanghai was in chaos, no-one knew who was in charge. So Betty's family stayed put at Lunghua. Finally, nearly three weeks later on 6 September, her mother wrote: "Gen Hayes British General in charge in China came here today, with some others. Went to Nanking for treaty signing. Says we repatriates will be sent to Manila to be sorted." With him, Gen Hayes brought some very unwelcome news. The allies had agreed that after the war the Shanghai International Settlement would be abolished. Nearly a century earlier the British had forced Imperial China to hand over a large chunk of Shanghai to British rule. Other countries had followed suit. Inside these so-called "concessions" foreigners had their own town councils, police forces, laws and courts. "I found a remarkable lack of realisation of the implications of the abolition of extra-territoriality and of the fact that from now on Shanghai will be essentially a Chinese city," Gen Hayes wrote. It was the end of an era. Many foreigners wanted to stay. But within four years they would all be gone. As Mao's communist forces swept south in the summer of 1949 the foreign community fled. For the next 30 years Europe and America turned away from China - and forgot the part it had played in the bloodiest war in history. Read Gen Hayes' report in full Subscribe to the BBC News Magazine's email newsletter to get articles sent to your inbox.

सितंबर 1945 में जापान के साथ चीन का लंबा और खूनी युद्ध आखिरकार समाप्त हो गया-लाखों लोग मारे गए थे और हजारों विदेशियों को नजरबंदी शिविरों में रखा गया था। जैसे ही जापान ने आत्मसमर्पण किया, मेरे चाचा को यह पता लगाने के लिए शंघाई भेजा गया कि द्वितीय विश्व युद्ध के दौरान फंसे ब्रिटिश नागरिकों के साथ क्या हुआ था।


Climate protest 'delayed Aberdeen emergency flight'

Summary: Nine climate change protesters delayed an emergency ambulance flight taking off after they stormed Aberdeen Airport, a court has heard.

Five men and four women are on trial facing breach of the peace and vandalism charges at Aberdeen Sheriff Court. It follows an incident at the airport involving a group called Plane Stupid in March 2009. An airport duty manager told the court the flight was unable to leave. The defendants are Mark Andrews, 26, from Edinburgh; William Boggia, 44, from Ballater, Aberdeenshire; Matilda Gifford, 25, Daniel Glass, 26, Emilia Karwowska, 20, Jonathan Agnew, 24, and Josephine Hanson, 25, all from Glasgow; James Kerr, 35, from Paisley, Renfrewshire; and Katherine Mackay, 21, from Shipley, West Yorkshire. All nine deny the charges against them. The trial continues on Wednesday.

एक अदालत ने सुना है कि नौ जलवायु परिवर्तन प्रदर्शनकारियों ने एबरडीन हवाई अड्डे पर धावा बोलने के बाद एक आपातकालीन एम्बुलेंस उड़ान भरने में देरी की।


In pictures: Melania Trump's whistle-stop Africa tour

Summary: US First Lady Melania Trump is visiting Ghana, Malawi, Kenya and Egypt to promote children's welfare on what is her first major foreign trip alone.

President Donald Trump has not visited Africa since taking office in January 2017. In February, a row broke out after he allegedly used "shithole" to describe some African nations. Mrs Trump's week-long trip to the continent is seen as an attempt to heal some of the divisions. Pictures from AFP and Reuters

अमेरिका की प्रथम महिला मेलानिया ट्रम्प बच्चों के कल्याण को बढ़ावा देने के लिए घाना, मलावी, केन्या और मिस्र की यात्रा कर रही हैं, जो अकेले उनकी पहली बड़ी विदेश यात्रा है।


'I'm a gay man but married a woman'

Summary: Decades ago when gay people faced ostracism and the threat of prosecution in the UK and other Western nations, many chose to marry and disguise their sexuality. But even with increased tolerance now some choose to take the same path.

By Victoria Derbyshire & Megan BramallVictoria Derbyshire programme Nick, who is in his 50s, has been married to his wife for 30 years. He is also gay. He thinks his wife had suspicions about his sexuality for years, but things came to a head when he had an affair with a man. "She asked if I wanted to leave and I didn't. She's my best friend really above all else, so we've decided we would like to remain together as best friends," he says. Nick isn't his real name - many of the couple's friends and family don't know he's gay and he wants to remain anonymous to protect his wife. From the beginning, there was unhappiness in the marriage, with doubts about whether they had made the right decision. He'd always felt uncertain about his sexual orientation and this troubled him more and more as he got older. Like many men in his situation, Nick, a nurse, found himself living a double life. On the surface he was a happily married man, but he was also using gay pornography. He'd get drunk with a gay friend and, he says, "events took their course". His wife was angry and upset when she found out about six years ago, and Nick knew there was no point denying the truth any longer. "I felt it was the right opportunity to be honest and tell her what she'd already suspected of me, but there'd been an understanding that if I didn't do anything we wouldn't talk about it - and when I did we had to talk about it." Nick acknowledges it would have been better for her if he had admitted sooner that he was gay and needed to act upon it. She told him she was disappointed that he hadn't been able to trust her enough to be honest with her, and that if she had known she would have accepted it. "I still feel inordinately grateful to her each day that she was so tolerant after that," Nick says. The couple chose to stay together not for the sake of children - they don't have any - but because of their feelings for each other. "Things couldn't have gone better with my wife that, you know, we still love each other and we're still together but it could have been so very different." While the couple have stayed together, they no longer have a physical relationship and sleep separately. Nick has promised his wife that he will never again have sex or a relationship with a man - he says he owes it to her. But can he stick to that promise? He says: "I'm hoping so, it's my intention to. It didn't feel like a choice in the past, it felt like it was enforced on me. I'm now making that choice that I would like to, in a sense, remain celibate." Nick is a member of a support group called Gay Married Men, based in Manchester and founded 10 years ago. Men travel from around the country to attend meetings. Group founder John says most of the men are older - they married women in the 1970s and 80s when society was more hostile to gay people. Now society is more tolerant, they are more comfortable with coming out as gay. But why did they get married in the first place? Nick says many men who contact the website say they did so to try to "sort themselves out". Andy, 56, a student, adds: "At times you think you're going through a phase and as you've once or twice heard people say, 'You find the right woman and she'll turn you and you'll be a real man.' "Unfortunately society, at the time when I got married nearly 30 years ago, you were either straight or queer and queer was a really vindictive word." John, a lecturer at Manchester Metropolitan University who was married for seven years, says it took him a long time to realise he was gay. He knew his sexuality was ambiguous but he didn't have the vocabulary to define it. "I didn't know what a gay man was. Truthfully, I thought a gay man lived in London. Which people laugh at and it is funny now, it's really strange but I had this kind of naivety. "I knew gay men were like Larry Grayson, John Inman and, you know, they were camp and effeminate. Well, I didn't feel like camp or effeminate so I couldn't be gay, could I?" Group members are at different stages - some just suspect they may be gay, others are living with unknowing wives, some are separated or divorced and some have re-married to men. John is now married to a man who has been his partner for 23 years, but says he still finds parts of his life raw and upsetting. Andy is divorcing his wife after 30 years and four children - she has a new partner. He says: "I still love her, I'm very close to her, in fact we describe each other as best friends - which may sound odd, but when we've got children together…" Some remain married because of the expectations of friends and family, or because they have children and don't want to break up a family. John says the men are often quite desperate and struggling to cope with no support - many are suffering from quite severe depression. "We've had bursts of tears when people have come because they're so upset and also so relieved to find out there are other people that are just like themselves. Because that's part of the problem, because we're a myth, we don't exist. "We don't exist in [the] gay world - we're on the cusp of [the] gay world because we're married men. We don't exist in [the] straight world. So we seem invisible." The group members say they don't judge anyone and Nick, who helps run the site, says his main message is that people don't have to struggle alone. "There are people who are successfully managing their sexuality with their family. You still have connection with your children and you don't have to be cut off, out in the cold. "I'm definitely happier, a weight has lifted and I can be honest with my wife." The Victoria Derbyshire programme is broadcast on weekdays between 09:15-11:00 BST on BBC Two and BBC News Channel. Follow it on Facebook and Twitter. Subscribe to the BBC News Magazine's email newsletter to get articles sent to your inbox.

दशकों पहले जब समलैंगिक लोगों को ब्रिटेन और अन्य पश्चिमी देशों में बहिष्कार और अभियोजन की धमकी का सामना करना पड़ा, तो कई लोगों ने शादी करना और अपनी कामुकता को छिपाना चुना। लेकिन बढ़ती सहिष्णुता के बावजूद अब कुछ लोग वही रास्ता चुनते हैं।


Scotland The What? comic Steve Robertson funeral held

Summary: The funeral of Scotland The What? comedy star Steve Robertson has been held.

Family and friends gathered for a private service at Aberdeen Crematorium. The former lawyer and rector of the University of Aberdeen died last month after a short illness. A memorial service is expected to be held at a later date. Mr Robertson, George Donald and William "Buff" Hardie made their debut in 1969.

स्कॉटलैंड द व्हाट? कॉमेडी स्टार स्टीव रॉबर्टसन का अंतिम संस्कार किया गया है।


Dying mum set to fly home to Iraq to see son

Summary: An Iraqi woman with terminal cancer is set to fly home to her eight-year-old son after well-wishers raised more than £60,000 for a private medical flight.

Arij Altai, 38, came to Southampton five years ago to study for a PhD in linguistics at Southampton University. After being diagnosed with terminal cancer, she had to stay behind when her husband and son flew back in September. Mrs Altai's friend, Deborah Cornah who set up a fundraising page said: "We're overwhelmed, thank you." Mrs Altai's dying wish is to see her son Ali again, she said: "I don't want to die now, before I see my son." It is understood she may only have weeks to live. Arrangements are now being made for the six-hour specialist medical flight with a doctor and nurse from Southampton to Baghdad. It is hoped Mrs Altai will fly home in the next few days.

शुभचिंतकों द्वारा एक निजी चिकित्सा उड़ान के लिए 60,000 पाउंड से अधिक जुटाने के बाद टर्मिनल कैंसर से पीड़ित एक इराकी महिला अपने आठ साल के बेटे के लिए घर जाने के लिए तैयार है।


How the Iraqi army are bombing Islamic State in Mosul

Summary: The Iraqi army has been stepping up air strikes on the Islamic State (IS) group's positions in northern Iraq in preparation for an expected offensive to retake the city of Mosul. BBC Persian's Nafiseh Kohnavard is the first ever journalist to be allowed to fly on an air mission over the occupied city.

By Nafiseh Kohnavard BBC Persian, Erbil Airport It's 01:00 at Erbil Airport in northern Iraq and army mechanics are carrying out final checks on a military helicopter. It's a Russian-made Mi-17 modified to carry two rockets. As we arrive, soldiers are scrawling messages like "This one is for you Islamic State!" and "You are doomed!" on them. The missions are a joint operation between the Iraqis and the Americans, and most of the pilots are US-trained. We're joined by General Ahmed Thwenee, an air force veteran who explains that helicopters can deliver more precise strikes because they fly at low altitudes. Of course, that leaves them more exposed to fire from the ground, as the general experienced first-hand when he was shot in the leg on a previous mission. As our crew pose for photos on the tarmac, a US military advisor asks if we're sure we want to go. "This is going to be a dangerous operation," he says. Bombing his home The target is a sulphur factory 25 miles (40km) outside Mosul. We're told IS are using it to produce bombs and to train suicide bombers. We fly with two other helicopters and we're escorted by a US war-plane high overhead. It's freezing cold inside the chopper. A gunner is sitting at the open doors, machine-gun at the ready. Down below in the darkness I see the twinkling lights of a string of villages captured by Islamic State in the past year. Hassan our pilot is from Mosul. He still has relatives in the city and heard recently that his house had been occupied by IS. It's clear from his expression just how personal these missions are for him. He tells us that he's asked for permission to bomb his house, but was told it's too big a risk to the civilian population. A burst of flame After half an hour we reach the target and hover overhead, waiting for orders to strike. Although it's incredibly noisy on board, a scary silence seems to descend. Then suddenly it's all go. The first two helicopters dive down and dance over the target, firing their rockets. Then it's our turn to swoop in. We see a burst of flame right below us, and then after a couple of seconds we hear a big boom. Hassan swoops the helicopter round in a big arc to make sure they've hit their target. The machine gunner gives the thumbs up and we're off. The whole thing took just twelve minutes but it felt like the longest twelve minutes of my life.

इराकी सेना उत्तरी इराक में इस्लामिक स्टेट (आईएस) समूह के ठिकानों पर हवाई हमले तेज कर रही है ताकि मोसुल शहर को फिर से हासिल करने के लिए एक संभावित हमले की तैयारी की जा सके। बीबीसी फारसी के नफीसेह कोहनवार्ड पहले पत्रकार हैं जिन्हें कब्जे वाले शहर के ऊपर हवाई मिशन पर उड़ान भरने की अनुमति दी गई है।


Hull stabbing death: Man in court charged with murder

Summary: A 63-year-old man has appeared in court charged with the murder of man stabbed to death at a house in Hull.

Colin Cadamartriea is accused of killing Jarrad Marsh at the property in Albert Avenue on Saturday. Police said 31-year-old Mr Marsh died at the scene, despite treatment by paramedics and police officers. Mr Cadamartriea, of Albert Avenue, appeared before Hull Crown Court and was remanded in custody. He will face a trial in June. More on this and other Hull stories

हल में एक घर में चाकू मारकर हत्या करने के आरोप में एक 63 वर्षीय व्यक्ति अदालत में पेश हुआ है।


Murder arrest after man's body found in Spalding house

Summary: A man has been arrested after the body of a 49-year-old man was found in Lincolnshire.

Police were called to a house on Neville Avenue, Spalding, at about 11:40 GMT on Sunday and discovered the man's body. Officers said a man from the Spalding area had been detained on suspicion of murder. The arrested man, aged 59, remains in custody for questioning, according to Lincolnshire Police.

लिंकनशायर में एक 49 वर्षीय व्यक्ति का शव मिलने के बाद एक व्यक्ति को गिरफ्तार किया गया है।


Oxfordshire's Big Picture

Summary: Each week we feature pictures shared with us from across Oxfordshire.

Find out how you can join in and submit your images below. If you have a great image of the county send it to us by email to oxfordshire@bbc.co.uk.

हर हफ्ते हम ऑक्सफोर्डशायर से हमारे साथ साझा की गई तस्वीरों को प्रदर्शित करते हैं।


Wildcat kittens born at reserve in Sutherland

Summary: Two Scottish wildcat kittens have been born at the Alladale Wilderness Reserve in Sutherland.

The kittens are part of a captive breeding programme set up to help conserve the endangered species. The adult cats involved were genetically tested by the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland before they bred. Scottish wildcats are under threat from cross-breeding with domestic cats, disease and habitat loss. The reserve is working with organisations including Scottish Wildcat Action and The European Nature Trust in an effort to help conserve wildcats

सदरलैंड के अलाडेल वाइल्डरनेस रिजर्व में दो स्कॉटिश वाइल्डकैट बिल्ली के बच्चे पैदा हुए हैं।


Google suspends Project Ara DIY smartphone work

Summary: Google has suspended work on Project Ara, its modular smartphone.

By Rhiannon WilliamsTechnology reporter The project, which the company launched in 2013. was designed to let users buy a basic phone and add different modules like a keyboard or other sensors, Google had announced during its developer conference I/O in May, its intentions to have a developer version ready to ship in the autumn. It will now concentrate on its other phones, tablets and other hardware lines, reports Reuters. Project delays Project Ara has suffered numerous setbacks since it began life as a Motorola venture, which Google owned before later selling. The idea was to create a smartphone which could be customised to owners' tastes with interchangeable "modules" including screens, cameras and processors. In 2014, a trial was announced in Puerto Rico, centred around providing buyers with a smartphone frame and a range of 20 to 30 clip-on modules. However, this pilot scheme was delayed and eventually cancelled last year, with the team blaming "lots of iterations" in the design. In May this year, Google said a new version of the modular phone would be less customisable than originally planned. The main display and processors could no longer be swapped - a redesign Google said offered more space for other parts with more unusual functions. Modular handsets Modular phones could help consumers upgrade their handset without having to buy an entirely new model, as well as reducing technological waste. However, the individual components are expensive to manufacture. LG released the modular LG G5 phone earlier this year to a lukewarm response. On launch it only supported two additional modules - a high-definition audio processor and a camera grip. The battery can also be exchanged, but doing so causes the phone to reboot. "Project Ara went against every lesson the smartphone market has learnt over the years, eliminating the removable battery for example," says Ian Fogg, senior director of mobile and telecoms at analysts IHS. "The original concept of making all modules user-changeable is an incredibly hard thing to do. "By redesigning it so only certain modules were swappable dramatically simplified the project, but it undermined the point of how important swapping those bits out was to the consumers. It went right against every bit of industry wisdom."

गूगल ने अपने मॉड्यूलर स्मार्टफोन प्रोजेक्ट आरा पर काम रोक दिया है।


Cutting VAT on tourism a 'non-runner', says Lord Bourne

Summary: Cutting VAT on the tourism industry is a "non-runner" while there is such a large budget deficit, according to the new Wales Office minister Lord Bourne.

By Brian MeechanBBC Wales business correspondent The Cut Tourism VAT campaign calculates almost 6,000 jobs would be created in Wales if the tax was reduced to levels similar to other parts of the EU. Dropping the rate from 20% to 5% would boost the Welsh economy by almost £170m a year, it added. But Lord Bourne said tourist attractions need to be better promoted. The former Welsh Conservative leader has recently been appointed as a minister in the Wales Office. He told the Wales at Work programme that the focus should not be on tax cuts for businesses operating in the tourism sector. "What is important is that people are aware of the fantastic things that exist in Cardiff and throughout Wales," he said. "We have free entry to national museums for example... many countries don't have that free entry."

न्यू वेल्स ऑफिस के मंत्री लॉर्ड बॉर्न के अनुसार, पर्यटन उद्योग पर वैट में कटौती करना "गैर-धावक" है, जबकि बजट में इतना बड़ा घाटा है।


Citizen's income: Could it work in Scotland?

Summary: The Scottish government's draft budget for the coming year includes funds to study the idea of setting up a "citizen's income". So what is a basic income system, and how might it work in Scotland?

By Philip SimBBC Scotland political reporter What is a basic income system? The basic income system is a radical redesign of tax and welfare - completely redrawing the relationship between the state and the citizen. Under such a system, every individual would be given a cash payment at regular intervals, without any requirement to work or demonstrate a willingness to work. Several different figures have been suggested, mostly in the rough area of £100 a week for adults. As the name suggests, it would be universal - paid out to every citizen regardless of their wealth, employment or personal status - and would be enough to cover the basics of life. It would serve as a replacement for existing benefits payments such as jobseeker's allowance. The Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (RSA), a charity which has undertaken extensive studies about basic income, call it "a basic platform on which people can build their lives - whether they want to earn, learn, care or set up a business". Enthusiasm about the possibilities of a basic income has sprung up in several countries in recent years, but it is by no means a new idea. References to such a scheme date back as far as 1516, and have been debated by political theorists and philosophers ever since. What could the benefits be? The money distributed in a citizen's income system is given out with no strings attached, so the idea is that it affords the individual freedom of choice. Beyond the basics of food and shelter, people can put the money towards education or training, or launch entrepreneurial enterprises or creative endeavours. A guaranteed safety net could see more people take a punt on starting a business or volunteering in their community - or they could devote more time to caring for relatives or friends, something which may become more and more necessary with an aging population. Giving everyone money unconditionally also cuts out a huge amount of bureaucracy in the welfare system. No forms have to be filled in, no appointments kept at the jobcentre, no eligibility interviews held or home visits conducted. While there would be great cost and upheaval in setting up such a system, once established it would be relatively cheap and simple to run - in stark contrast to the current system. It could also cut out some loopholes in the current system which can disincentivise work. Because the payments would be guaranteed, jobless people would be able to take on limited or seasonal work without facing having their benefits cut off. Proponents also point to the looming issue of automation. If a significant number of workers are made redundant by machines, something like a basic income might become necessary as people go through retraining for different fields or find their new role in life. What could the downsides be? Opponents of basic income schemes baulk at the idea of paying people to do nothing; they fear it would be ruinously expensive and foster a generation of unmotivated couch potatoes. As noted above, backers hope that a basic income would make all work pay and encourage more people into work - but there are concerns it might have the opposite effect. The SAK trade union in Finland, where a pilot programme of basic income is currently being run, argue that the system might reduce the labour force by tempting new parents or those close to retirement to cut their hours. They also call the model being trialled "impossibly expensive", a criticism repeated by most opponents of the basic income. One Welsh economist voiced fears of a "tremendous tax" as a result of the "extremely expensive socialist experiment", suggesting that it would be a disincentive to work both for low earners and those on higher incomes who would effectively pay for the system via their taxes. On that latter point, concerns have been raised about social cohesion in a basic income society; at present the welfare state is justified on the grounds of people receiving redistributive payments on the basis of need, but would the taxpayer be as happy to fund a system where people could avoid contributing by choice? There are also questions over what this would mean for immigration and open borders. Say Scotland had a basic income system and England did not - would the jobless of Carlisle or even the continent flock north in search of a payday? The whole point of the basic income is that it is universal, so restricting it only to locals would run the risk of creating second-class citizenries - but leaving it open to all comers might not be practically possible. Another more political complaint is that the state would play a very central role in any country with a basic income system, involved closely in the life (and bank balance) of every citizen. And as for the job-stealing robots, detractors point out that concerns about technology are nothing new. The labour market has always evolved, with the workforce moving from the farm to the factory to the office - machines might yet prove the equal of humankind, but not yet. What are councils doing? The Scottish government has set aside £100,000 in the draft budget to help fund basic income pilots at local authority level. Four councils have been linked to potential pilot programmes - in Glasgow, Fife, North Ayrshire and Edinburgh. Even the most advanced of these are at a very early stage - mostly currently focused on feasibility studies of how a pilot could be carried out, rather than how a system could be rolled out across a council area or the country as a whole. In general, the pilot schemes would be limited to a specific area, with unconditional payments sent out to individuals for a period of about two years. However, the start of the pilots are still some time off. North Ayrshire Council, for example, set aside £200,000 in this year's budget to examine a basic income - but it is expected to take 12 to 18 months just to design a pilot scheme. Equally, work at Fife Council is "recognised as a long-term project", with initial work "focussed on desk research and engagement with interested groups", and that in Glasgow is "at the very early stages". Fife councillor David Alexander noted: "We must be realistic, this is a very complex issue which will take years of investigation and groundwork. "It's far too early to say where a pilot might happen - we don't even know if it will be the right thing to try. But it could be a game changer, so we're taking it seriously, because we know we have to try new things and learn as we go." And even once they get up and running, the pilots would have to run for several years before they could be evaluated - so any decisions about the wider future of basic income in Scotland is a long way off yet. In fact, it may well be for a future Scottish government, after the next election in 2021, to look at the matter in earnest. Could this really happen in Scotland? For all the trials in what is proving a rather long pipeline, is there a realistic possibility of Scotland actually adopting a universal basic income system? To get down to brass tacks, how much would it cost? Reform Scotland crunched the numbers for a £100-a-week system, and reckoned it would cost just over £20bn a year in Scotland. There's no getting away from it: that's a lot of money. But, by scrapping a raft of benefits which the citizen's income would replace, removing tax-free personal allowances and hiking all rates of income tax by 8%, they reckon £18bn could be raised. All of that would still leave a £2bn shortfall, but Reform Scotland argue this is not insurmountable via other savings and the hope that more people would join the workforce. It's not just about money, though - as with most other things in Scottish politics, there is a constitutional element. Anthony Painter from the RSA told MSPs on Holyrood's social security committee that there was a "basic problem" for them - a lack of powers. He said a citizen's income would be "a wholesale change to the system of social assistance and tax", a "holistic change" - and as such, "you need to have powers over the whole system in order to implement a full universal basic income". Siobhan Mathers from Reform Scotland told the same committee that it was "really quite difficult to run the numbers" even with newly-devolved welfare powers, adding that "it is easier to do pilots than it would be to roll out a wholescale change". The main problem for a Scottish system as it stands would be the interaction with the aspects of tax and welfare which remain reserved to Westminster, such as Universal Credit. Many of the benefits which would be replaced by a basic income are not under Holyrood's control. Effectively, any Scottish basic income scheme would have to be set up either in partnership with the UK government, or with its blessing via the devolution of further powers. Has this been tried elsewhere? As mentioned above, a two-year pilot programme is currently running in Finland, where 2,000 unemployed people are given a €560 (£490) monthly income, whether they wanted it or not. This is the largest and most advanced trial currently running, at least in Europe, but results will not be published until 2019. Nicola Sturgeon has recently tweeted out links to studies of the Finnish experiment. The government in Ontario, Canada is running a basic income project in three communities, focused on people on low incomes, although the payments vary, based on earned income. Charities in the US have also set up projects giving unconditional cash transfers to villagers in Kenya and Uganda. However, a proposal to introduce a similar system in Switzerland was comprehensively defeated in a referendum in 2016. There is dispute over whether or not many of these pilots constitute a "true" universal basic income - for example the Finnish scheme focuses only on currently unemployed people, rather than society as a whole. Another pilot programme ongoing in Holland has been criticised as amounting only to a minimum guaranteed income. To be a real test of a true UBI, a pilot programme would have to be mandatory, rather than voluntary, and include the already-wealthy too - something which may prove problematic, if the system penalises them through increased taxation. All of this will have to be borne in mind as councils draw up their plans for pilots of their own.

आने वाले वर्ष के लिए स्कॉटिश सरकार के मसौदा बजट में "नागरिक की आय" स्थापित करने के विचार का अध्ययन करने के लिए धन शामिल है। तो एक बुनियादी आय प्रणाली क्या है, और यह स्कॉटलैंड में कैसे काम कर सकती है?


Chessington murder charge over woman's death

Summary: A man has been charged with murdering a woman who died in south-west London.

The victim was discovered by police at an address in Ranyard Close, Chessington, in the early hours of Saturday morning. The 48-year-old woman was later pronounced dead at the scene. Keith Bettison, 71, also of Ranyard Close, has been charged with murder. He will appear at Wimbledon Magistrates' Court on Monday.

दक्षिण-पश्चिम लंदन में एक व्यक्ति पर एक महिला की हत्या का आरोप लगाया गया है।


India coronavirus: Trouble ahead for India's fight against infections

Summary: On the face of it, things may not look bad.

Soutik BiswasIndia correspondent Since the first case of coronavirus at the end of January, India has reported more than 150,000 Covid-19 infections. More than 4,000 people have died of the infection. To put this in some context, as of 22 May, India's testing positivity rate was around 4%, the death rate from the infection around 3% and the doubling rate of infection - or the amount of time it takes for the number of coronavirus cases to double - was 13 days. The recovery rate of infected patients was around 40%. All this is markedly lower than in the countries badly hit by the pandemic. Like elsewhere in the world, there are hotspots and clusters of infection. More than 80% of the active cases are in five states - Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Delhi, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh - and more than 60% of the cases in five cities, including Mumbai, Delhi and Ahmedabad, according to official data. More than half of people who have died of the disease have been aged 60 and older and many have underlying conditions, hewing to the international data about elderly people being more vulnerable to the disease. The more than two-month-long grinding lockdown, official data suggests, has prevented the loss of between 37,000 and 78,000 lives. A paper published in Harvard Data Science Review appears to support that - it shows an eight-week lockdown can prevent about two million cases and, at a 3% fatality rate, prevent some 60,000 deaths. "Infection has remained limited to certain areas. This also gives us confidence to open up other areas. It is so far an urban disease," says VK Paul, who heads the medical emergency management plan on Covid-19. This is where such claims enter uncertain territory. India is now among the top 10 countries worldwide in terms of total reported infections, and among the top five in the number of new cases. Infections are rising sharply, up from 536 cases on 25 March when the first phase of the world's harshest lockdown was imposed. The growth of infections is outpacing growth in testing - tests have doubled since April but cases have leapt fourfold. Epidemiologists say the increase in reported infections is possibly because of increased testing. India has been testing up to 100,000 samples a day in the past week. Testing criteria has been expanded to include asymptomatic contacts of positive patients. Yet, India's testing remains one of the lowest in the world per head of population - 2,198 tests per million people. The bungled lockdown at the end of March triggered an exodus of millions of informal workers who lost their jobs in the cities and began returning home in droves, first on foot and then by train. Some four million workers have travelled by rail from cities to their villages in more than half a dozen states in the past three weeks. There is mounting evidence that this has already led to the spread of infection from the cities to the villages. And with the messy easing of the lockdown earlier this month, there are growing fears of infections spreading further in the cities. Rising infections and a still-low fatality rate possibly points to milder infection in a younger population and a large number of asymptomatic cases. The focus, says Amitabh Kant, CEO of the government think-tank NITI Aayog, should be "bringing down fatalities and improving the recovery rate". But if the infection rate continues to grow, "things are going to get pretty grim in a few weeks time," a leading virologist told me. Doctors in the capital, Delhi, and the western city of Mumbai tell me they are already seeing a steady surge in Covid-19 admissions and worry about a looming shortage of hospital beds, including in critical care. When the infection peaks in July, as is expected, a spike in infections could easily lead to many avoidable deaths as hospitals run out of beds for, or delay treatment to, infected patients who need timely oxygen support and clinical care to recover. "That is the real worry. A critical-care bed needs an oxygen line, a ventilator, doctors, nursing staff. Everything will be under pressure," Dr Ravi Dosi, who is heading a Covid-19 ward at a hospital in Indore, told me. His 50-bed ICU is already full of patients battling the infection. With the lockdown easing, doctors are feeling jittery. "It's a tactical nightmare because some people have begun going to work but there is a lot of fear", says Dr Dosi. "One co-worker sneezed in the office and 10-15 of his colleagues panicked and came to the hospital and demanded they get tested. These are the pressures that are building up." One reason for the confusion is the lack of - or the opacity of - adequate data on the pandemic to help frame a strategic and granular response. Most experts say a one-size-fits-all strategy to contain the pandemic and impose and lift lockdowns will not work in India where different states will see infection peaks at different times. The reported infection rate - the number of infections for every 100 tests - in Maharashtra state, for example, is three times the national average. "The infection is not spreading uniformly. India will see staggered waves," a leading virologist, who insisted on anonymity, told me. The lack of data means questions abound. What about some 3,000 cases, which are not being assigned to any state because these people were found infected in places where they don't live? (To put this into context, nine states in India have more than 3,000 cases.) How many of these cases have died or recovered? Also, it is not clear whether the current data - sparse, and sporadic - is sufficient to map the future trajectory of the disease. There is, for example, no robust estimate of carriers of the virus who have no symptoms - last month a senior government scientist said at least "80 out of every 100 Covid-19 patients may be asymptomatic or could be showing mild symptoms". If that is indeed true, then India's fatality rate is bound to be lower. Atanu Biswas, a professor of statistics, says the predicted trajectory could change "with the huge inclusion of asymptomatic cases". But, in the absence of data, India cannot be sure. Also, epidemiologists say, measures like the doubling time of the infections and the reproduction number or R0 have their limitations. R0, or simply the R value, is a way of rating a disease's ability to spread. The new coronavirus, Sars-CoV-2, has a reproduction number of about three, but estimates vary. "These measures are good when we are in the middle of a pandemic, less robust with fewer cases. You do need forecasting models for at least a month's projection to anticipate healthcare needs. We should always evaluate an aggregate of evidence, not just one measure, but a cascade of measures," Bhramar Mukherjee, a professor of biostatistics and epidemiology at the University of Michigan, told me. Others say even calculating the number of recorded infections every day is "not always a good indicator of how an infection is spreading". A better option would be to look at the number of new tests and new cases every day that would provide a "degree of standardisation", K Srinath Reddy, president of the Public Health Foundation of India, told me. Likewise, he believes, a measure of how many Covid-19 deaths have occurred compared with the size of a country's population - the numbers of deaths per million people - is a better indicator of the fatality rate. Reason: the denominator - the country's population - remains stable. In the absence of robust and expansive data, India appears to be struggling to predict the future trajectory of the infection. It is not clear yet how many deaths are not being reported, although there is no evidence of large scale "hidden deaths". Epidemiologists say they would like to see clearer data on deaths due to pneumonia and influenza-like illnesses at this time over the past few years to quantify excess deaths and help with accurate reporting of Covid-19 deaths. They would also like to see what racial disparities in infections and deaths there are to help improve containment in specific community areas. (In Louisiana, for example, African Americans accounted for 70% of Covid-19 deaths, while comprising 33% of the population.) What is clear, say epidemiologists, is that India is as yet unable to get a grip on the extent of the spread of infection because of the still limited testing. "We need reliable forecasting models with projection for the next few weeks for the country and the states," says Dr Mukherjee. Epidemiologists say India needs more testing and contact-tracing for both asymptomatic and symptomatic infections, as well as isolation and quarantine. There's also the need to test based on the "contact network" to stop super-spreader events - frontline workers, delivery workers, essential workers, practically anybody who interacts with a large group of people. "We have to learn how to manage and minimise risk in our daily lives as the virus is going to be with us," says Dr Mukherjee. Without knowing the true number of infected cases India is, in the words of an epidemiologist, "flying blindfolded". That can seriously jeopardise India's fight against the virus and hobble its response in reviving the broken economy. Follow Soutik on Twitter

इसके बावजूद, चीजें खराब नहीं लग सकती हैं।


Stranded: What happens if you can't pay your way home?

Summary: The story of 16-year-old India Ballancore, who was gifted the £85 cost of a train ticket home by a kind-hearted stranger after she had missed her service, has captured the imagination of people on social media.

By Alex Therrien & Alex ReganBBC News Online "This has always been a story about human kindness and if nothing else, encourage others to look after one another," India's mother Andrea said. But what help is there for people who find themselves in a similar situation, who have no money to get home and no-one to help them? Stranded without a train ticket Most of us have missed a train, either through our own fault or because of rail delays and cancellations. But what happens when your ticket is not flexible and you can't get another train home? In the case of minors like India who have missed their train and have no money for a replacement ticket, and would otherwise be stranded, train companies will arrange for a friend or a relative to pay for a ticket at another station. This also applies to other "vulnerable" people - such as the elderly, those with mobility or mental health difficulties or victims of crime. Alternatively, if the station you are at has an electronic ticket machine, a friend or family member can purchase a ticket online and you can collect it by typing in the booking code. But beware, this only works for some rail franchises, carriers like Virgin require you to have the bank card you ordered the tickets with on collection. There also may be a delay in the electronic code becoming active for other franchises. In cases where train operators are to blame for you missing a train - such as when a last service is cancelled or delays on a connecting service cause you to miss it - the company has a responsibility to arrange alternative transport. This can be a taxi, a bus or another train service with a separate operator. If this is not possible, it will, if it "reasonably can", arrange overnight accommodation. The campaign group Rail Future says travellers who find themselves in this situation should ask whoever is on duty at the station to arrange alternative transport. If there are no staff around, you should complain to the train's operator and seek compensation, the group says. It recommends keeping receipts, recording with precise times what happened, and even taking photos of customer information screens. No phone or cash If you have found yourself stuck with no cash and no phone to contact someone to help you out, your best bet might be a police station. Police Scotland will help those who are stranded by giving them a cash amount from its petty cash fund if a relative lodges money at another police station. The National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC) said it was unlikely that police stations in England and Wales would get involved in money in quite the same way, but did advise people who find themselves completely stranded to get in touch with a police officer or go to a police station. Police stations can help stranded people get in touch with their families if they have no other means of contact. No cash at the pump It's a situation that can easily catch drivers out. You put a full tank of petrol into your car, only to realise you've left your cash and bank cards at home. What happens next? Do the forecourt staff siphon the fuel out of your tank? Is your car towed until you come up with the money? Luckily, staff do not go to these extremes. Petrol stations have a "no means of payment" form, where customers fill in their personal details and - dependent on company policy - have between 24 and 48 hours to return to pay for fuel. Toll crossings You find yourself driving towards a toll crossing, but don't have the right means of payment. It's something that can easily catch out new drivers or people unfamiliar with a certain route, especially in the past when many crossings either did not accept card payments or required you to have the exact change. Nowadays, more crossings do accept cards or allow you to pay later at home if you don't have the right means of payment. The Severn bridges between England and Wales also allow you to pay after crossing, although the tolls are now set to be scrapped entirely by the end of 2018. At the Dartford Crossing, between Kent and Essex, the physical tolls themselves have been removed, but a payment still needs to be made within 24 hours of using the crossing, either online, by phone or post. Your passport and cash are stolen abroad It is every holiday-maker's worst nightmare. What do you do if your cash and passport is stolen or lost while you are abroad? Luckily, the Foreign Office can help. Embassies across the world have the ability to issue emergency travel documents in order to get travellers back to the UK. In some cases, consular services can also help Britons who have got into trouble abroad get home through repatriation service. The Foreign Office will pay for the costs of getting stranded travellers home, and potentially money for lodgings before a flight, but these fees will have to be repaid once they return to the UK. The government will not charge people under 18 to be repatriated.

16 वर्षीय भारत बल्लनकोर की कहानी, जिसे उसकी सेवा से चूकने के बाद एक दयालु अजनबी द्वारा घर के लिए ट्रेन टिकट की 85 पाउंड की कीमत उपहार में दी गई थी, ने सोशल मीडिया पर लोगों की कल्पना पर कब्जा कर लिया है।


Man, 62, struck and killed by car in Scarborough

Summary: A 62-year-old man died when he was hit by a car after apparently falling into a road in Scarborough.

He was struck by a black BMW X1 on the A170 Stepney Road at about 18:00 GMT on Saturday. The driver, a 39-year-old man from Scarborough, was uninjured. The pedestrian was pronounced dead at the scene, while a 31-year-old man accompanying him received minor injuries. Police have appealed for witnesses. Follow BBC Yorkshire on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to yorkslincs.news@bbc.co.uk.

स्कारबोरो में सड़क पर गिरने के बाद एक कार की चपेट में आने से 62 वर्षीय एक व्यक्ति की मौत हो गई।


Myanmar coup: The shadowy business empire funding the Tatmadaw

Summary: Myanmar's military - the leaders of its recent coup - are funded by a huge chunk of the national budget. But the armed forces also draw a vast and secretive income from sprawling business interests:

By Joshua CheethamBBC News At Yangon's popular Indoor Skydiving Centre, visitors can experience the thrill of jumping out of a plane from the safety of a vertical wind tunnel. But few people spiralling through this high-flying attraction may realise that it is part of a huge, military-run business empire - one completely woven into the fabric of national life. Critics argue that this lucrative network has made Myanmar's coup possible and put the military's accountability into free fall. Civilian businesses talk of an environment like "Sicily under the Mafia", while activists say that democratic reforms can only be possible only when "the military [is] back to barracks". Two conglomerates bankrolling the military Myanmar's military - the Tatmadaw - began its involvement in business after the socialist coup of Ne Win in 1962. For years, military battalions were required to be self-sufficient and encouraged to develop stakes in local enterprises to fund their operations. While this practice has been phased out, two military-run conglomerates were established in the 1990s as the government began privatising state industries. Both organisations - Myanmar Economic Corporation (MEC) and Myanmar Economic Holdings Limited (MEHL) - have since become a key source of wealth for the Tatmadaw, with stakes in everything from banking and mining to tobacco and tourism. MEHL also operates the military's pension fund. Several military leaders and their families hold extensive business interests as well, and have been subject to sanctions in the past. Aung Pyae Sone - the son of coup leader Gen Min Aung Hliang - owns several companies, including a beach resort, and has a majority stake in national telecoms carrier Mytel. The full extent of these business interests is hard to quantify. But experts say that the military's business clout remains significant, despite recent democratic reforms, and the coup could partly be an attempt to protect these financial interests. 'Insulated from accountability' The little we do know about the military's financial reach has only come to light in recent years. A UN report in 2019, spurred by Myanmar's crackdown on Rohingya communities, concluded that business revenues enhanced the military's ability to carry out human rights abuses with impunity. Through a network of conglomerate-owned businesses and affiliates, the UN said the Tatmadaw had been able to "insulate itself from accountability and oversight". Details about MEHL's structure and finances were also revealed in two internal reports - one filed by the conglomerate in January 2020, the other leaked by activist groups Justice for Burma and Amnesty International. They showed that the conglomerate is run by the military's top brass, including several leaders of the ongoing coup. Around a third of all shareholders are military units, while the rest are owned by former and current Tatmadaw personnel. The leaked report said that, between 1990 and 2011, MEHL paid its shareholders 108bn kyats in dividends - worth $16.6bn, according to official exchange rates at the time. It also suggested that the military uses MEHL shares to reward loyalty and punish bad behaviour. One table lists 35 people who were stripped of their dividends for reasons like desertion and imprisonment. The MEHL has not commented publicly on the leaked report. Renewed calls for sanctions In the wake of the coup, advocacy groups have issued further calls for targeted sanctions against the military and its access to the global financial system. Many activists want to see the conglomerates dismantled as well. In a statement to the BBC, Justice for Myanmar accused the military of being in "an unlawful conflict of interest". "The wealth stolen by the military and their businesses belongs to the people of Myanmar and must be returned to them," they added. The US has added both conglomerates to a trade blacklist, and rolled out fresh sanctions against military and government figures, along with three mining companies. Canada, New Zealand and the UK have also introduced their own targeted measures, though none of them has focused on the conglomerates directly. Campaigners argue that historically weak sanctions have emboldened the Tatmadaw to carry out the coup and to continue alleged human rights abuses. But experts have told the BBC there is a strong appetite to ramp up sanctions - at the right time. "The world is still waiting to see how this plays out," says George McLeod, managing director of Access Asia, a risk management firm specialising in the region. "From what I've heard from people on the inside, Norway is trying to form some kind of groundwork to bring about a negotiated solution." In the meantime, there is increasing resentment among some local business figures about the conglomerates' power. "They almost describe it in the same way that a business owner operating in Sicily would talk about the Mafia," Mr McLeod told the BBC. "You have to deal with them if you cross their radar. But you don't want to." 'They want to be an international player' The Tatmadaw are already starting to feel the pressure from foreign investors. Japanese beverage firm Kirin has ended two lucrative deals with MEHL that have helped it to dominate Myanmar's beer market. Singaporean businessman Lim Kaling has also cut his investment in a tobacco firm linked to the conglomerate. Local protesters, meanwhile, have been boycotting companies with ties to the new government - including jewellery shops and cigarette brands. Calls for international sanctions aren't universal, however. China and Russia have rebuffed efforts by other members of the UN Security Council to condemn the Tatmadaw. Experts agree that while sanctions are an important piece of the puzzle, they must work in tandem with legal and diplomatic pressure, and arms embargoes. The Tatmadaw's deputy chief, Soe Win, has told the UN that they are ready to face international pressure if necessary. Without multilateral action, Myanmar could become a pariah state once more, says Peter Kucik, a former sanctions advisor at the US Treasury. "This group of generals in power right now is more or less the same group that was in power under the SPDC regime (a military junta which ruled Myanmar from 1997-2011), and they've shown that they're perfectly comfortable living in an isolated country," he told the BBC. But while the country could lean back on trade from partners like China, local business figures are wary of this prospect, adds Mr Kucik. "They want to deal with top-tier Japanese companies, they want to deal with Western companies, and they want to be a player on the international stage in the same way as Thailand," says Mr Kucik. Whatever happens next, advocacy groups say that pulling on the military's purse strings, and reforming their conglomerates, will be essential to democratic reform. "That's what the people of Burma want," says Anna Roberts, director of Burma Campaign UK. "They want the military back to barracks, and they want a civilian economy and a civilian federal government that respects their wishes."

म्यांमार की सेना-उसके हालिया तख्तापलट के नेताओं-को राष्ट्रीय बजट के एक बड़े हिस्से से वित्त पोषित किया जाता है। लेकिन सशस्त्र बलों को व्यापक व्यावसायिक हितों से एक विशाल और गुप्त आय भी प्राप्त होती हैः


Man charged over alleged threat to MP Joanna Cherry

Summary: A man has been charged in connection with alleged threats made against SNP politician Joanna Cherry.

The Edinburgh South West MP reported the incident to officers on Monday. This was the same day Ms Cherry was dropped from her justice role on the SNP's frontbench team at Westminster. Police Scotland said a 30-year-old man had been charged with a communications offence and a report would be submitted to the procurator fiscal.

एसएनपी राजनेता जोआना चेरी के खिलाफ दी गई कथित धमकियों के संबंध में एक व्यक्ति पर आरोप लगाया गया है।