Islamic State: Where key countries stand

Summary: The lightning rise of Islamic State (IS), the jihadist militant group that has seized large parts of Syria and Iraq since 2014, has sent shockwaves through the Middle East and beyond.

A US-led coalition of of Western and Middle Eastern countries began air strikes against the group in Iraq in August 2014 and in Syria a month later. The UK began striking IS targets in Iraq in September 2014 and extended its involvement to Syria in December 2015. Russia began carrying out its own air strikes in Syria in September 2015 after a request from Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who has clung on to power despite more than four years of civil war. Here we look at where the key countries involved in the conflict stand. United States The US air force has carried out the majority of air strikes against IS targets since forming a coalition of Western and regional powers in August 2014. President Barack Obama is extremely reluctant to send ground troops to fight IS after protracted and unpopular wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, but the US does have about 3,500 troops in Iraq to train the country's armed forces. The US has also provided weapons and training to "moderate" Syrian rebel groups, and unconfirmed reports suggest US special forces have been fighting alongside anti-IS forces in both Iraq and Syria. In October US Defence Secretary Ashton Carter signalled a possible shift in the US campaign against IS, telling reporters that US forces were prepared to engage in "direct action on the ground". Mr Carter did not go into detail about the circumstances under which the US might carry out ground operations against IS, but said: "Once we locate them, no target is beyond our reach." Saudi Arabia Regional Sunni power Saudi Arabia is part of US-led military action against IS targets in Syria. Riyadh also agreed to a US request to provide a base to train moderate Syrian rebel forces. The kingdom has been a key supporter of the rebels, including hardline Islamist groups, but it has rejected an Iranian accusation that it has directly supported IS. However, wealthy Saudis have sent donations to the group and some 2,500 Saudi men have travelled to Syria to fight. The Saudi authorities are concerned that IS will inspire Saudi jihadists to challenge the monarchy's legitimacy and seek to overthrow it. In July 2014, Riyadh deployed 30,000 troops to beef up security along its border with Iraq, and the following month hosted Iran's deputy foreign minister as the two regional rivals agreed to co-operate. Jordan Jordan, a staunch US ally, said it had joined the US and several Gulf Arab states in carrying out air strikes on IS militants in Syria in September 2014 to "ensure the stability and security" of its borders. A government spokesman said it took action in order to "pre-empt danger before it arrived in our country", and that he believed the Jordanian public would understand the need to forestall the jihadist group before it became active in Jordan. IS has threatened to "break down" Jordan's borders and the group enjoys the support of a growing number of people in the kingdom, some of whom staged demonstrations in the southern town of Maan in June 2014. More than 2,000 Jordanian citizens are believed to have travelled to Syria to fight in the past three years. Before launching the air strikes on IS, the Jordanian military had doubled its military presence along the border with Iraq. The killing of Jordanian pilot Moaz al-Kasasbeh, captured by IS in December 2014, appears to have strengthened the government's resolve to take on the militants, with King Abdullah II saying his death would not be in vain and promising a "severe response". Iran Regional Shia power Iran has seen IS - which regards Shia Muslims as heretics who should be killed - advance to within 25 miles (40km) of its border. Although Iran stands on the opposite side of much of the international community over Syria, it has called for co-operation against IS. It has reached out to its rival Saudi Arabia - the leading Sunni power - and turned a blind eye to US actions in Iraq, which it has historically opposed. Officially Iran denies it has deployed any combat troops in Syria, but in June 2015, the official Irna news agency said at least 400 Iranian and Iran-based Afghan "volunteers" had been killed in the past four years. In Iraq, the Iranians have played a key role in countering IS. Revolutionary Guards have advised Iraqi security forces, Iranian pilots have carried out air strikes, and Iranian-backed Shia militia have been mobilised. Iran's growing role in Syria's war Iraq The former Shia-dominated government of Nouri Maliki marginalised Iraq's Sunni community, creating conditions which helped the extremist Sunni IS come to prominence. When IS overran the northern city of Mosul in June 2014 before moving southwards, Mr Maliki requested US air strikes. However, US President Barack Obama said further military assistance was dependent on an inclusive government being formed. He nevertheless launched air strikes in August 2014 when thousands of members of the Yazidi religious minority became trapped on Mount Sinjar. In September 2014, Mr Maliki stepped aside and a new Iraqi government was named. The next phase of US assistance will reportedly involve an intensified effort to train, advise and equip the Iraqi military, Kurdish Peshmerga fighters and Sunni tribesmen willing to turn against IS. It is not clear how new Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi will deal with the Shia militiamen who have stopped IS reaching Baghdad. Some have been accused of operating outside of the state's control and carrying out reprisal attacks against Sunnis. Syria Since the start of the uprising against his rule in March 2011, President Bashar al-Assad has repeatedly warned of the threat of Islamist extremists to Syria and the wider region. Western powers initially dismissed Mr Assad's portrayal of his opponents as "terrorists", but became increasingly concerned by the rise of IS and al-Qaeda's affiliate, al-Nusra Front. Although they now acknowledge that IS cannot be beaten without attacking its strongholds in Syria, Western powers still want Mr Assad out of power and are reluctant to co-operate with him. The Syrian foreign ministry said it was given advance warning of the US-led air strikes on IS targets on its territory in September 2014, stating it supported international efforts at "combating terrorism". Russia Russia is not part of the US-led coalition but started carrying out air strikes in Syria in September 2015. It has also launched missiles from warships in the Caspian Sea. President Vladimir Putin says his country is targeting IS strongholds and other militant fighters. However, the US fears Russia is actually targeting opponents of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who is a Russian ally. Russia now believes that a bomb brought down the Russian airliner over Egypt last month, killing more than 200 people, mostly Russian holidaymakers. Sinai Province, an IS-linked Egyptian group, said it had downed the jet. Russia 'pounding IS' in Syria United Arab Emirates The UAE was reported to have offered its air force to attack IS positions in Iraq before it participated in the military action in Syria in September 2014. It is vehemently opposed to Islamist groups in the region and is believed to have launched air strikes on Islamist-allied militia in Libya from bases in Egypt in August 2014. However, US officials have told the BBC that the UAE suspended its involvement in the strikes after the Jordanian pilot was captured. Qatar Qatar was another Gulf state to participate in or support the US-led military action against IS in Syria. The emirate is the location of Al Udeid Air Base, a highly-classified US facility from which all attack and surveillance missions in the region are co-ordinated by US Central Command (CentCom). The Qatari government has been forced to repeatedly deny accusations from Iraq's Shia leaders that it provided financial support to IS. However, wealthy individuals in the emirate are believed to have made donations and the government has given money and weapons to hardline Islamist groups in Syria. Doha is also believed to have links to the al-Nusra Front, an al-Qaeda affiliate. Bahrain Bahrain has also participated in or supported the US-led military action against IS in Syria. The kingdom hosts the headquarters of the US Navy's Fifth Fleet, which is responsible for naval forces in the Gulf, Red Sea, Arabian Sea and parts of the Indian Ocean. Turkey Turkey is eager to defeat IS, which has advanced into territory along its borders with Syria and Iraq. Turkey believes that the deadly bombings in the border town of Suruc, in July 2015, which killed 32 youth activists, and in the capital Ankara in October, which killed nearly 100, were carried out by IS. Turkish jets have carried out attacks on IS positions in Syria, and the Nato member is allowing US jets to use its southern Incirlik air base. Turkey v Islamic State v the Kurds Lebanon Lebanon has become deeply divided by the conflict in Syria, and has had to deal with an overspill of violence and a huge influx of refugees. In August 2014, Syria-based IS fighters raided the border town of Arsal, killing and kidnapping dozens of Lebanese security personnel. Jihadist militants have also carried out a series of deadly bombings in Beirut and elsewhere. They have mostly targeted Iranian facilities and Hezbollah, the Lebanese Shia Islamist group whose fighters have played a key role in helping turn the tide in President Assad's favour. Lebanese Prime Minister Tammam Salam has warned that the spread of IS poses "a big test that our destiny depends on". His country's many religious and political factions have been urged to put aside their differences to ensure the group does not establish a foothold. Other Arab states Egypt, Kuwait, and Oman joined Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan and Lebanon in signing a communique at a meeting in Jeddah that declared their "shared commitment to stand united against the threat posed by all terrorism". They pledged to provide military support and humanitarian aid, and to halt the flow of funds and foreign fighters to IS. France France was part of the US-led coalition targeting IS in Iraq from September 2014. In September 2015 it carried out its first raids on targets in Syria. President Francois Hollande vowed to intensify strikes against IS after the group said it was behind the deadly attacks in Paris of 13 November 2015. United Kingdom The UK parliament voted in December 2015 to extend its bombing campaign against IS in Iraq to targets in Syria. The motion to strike targets in Syria was put forward by the Conservative government and opposed by the Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn. Mr Corbyn urged Labour MPs to vote against the strikes but allowed them a free vote, and 67 MPs voted in favour. UK strikes began the night of the vote, with RAF Tornados bombing an IS-controlled Omar oil fields in eastern Syria. The UK parliament had in 2013 voted against strikes in Syria. It approved British air strikes against IS targets in Iraq in September 2014. Other European Union countries Belgium, Denmark and the Netherlands are part of the US-led coalition carrying out strikes in Iraq. On 4 December 2015, the German parliament backed plans for the country to join the fight against IS in Syria, three weeks after the Paris attacks in November 2015. Germany previously provided weapons to Kurdish fighters but ruled out air strikes. Canada New Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has confirmed he will withdraw Canadian fighter jets from the air strikes against IS in Iraq and Syria, fulfilling a campaign pledge. He informed President Obama of his decision hours after winning Canada's general election in October 2015. Australia Australia is part of the international military coalition targeting IS strongholds in Syria and Iraq. It launched its first air strikes inside Syria in September.

2014 से सीरिया और इराक के बड़े हिस्से पर कब्जा करने वाले जिहादी आतंकवादी समूह इस्लामिक स्टेट (आईएस) के बिजली गिरने से मध्य पूर्व और उससे आगे के क्षेत्रों में सनसनी फैल गई है।


Your pictures on the theme of 'the beauty of trees'

Summary: We asked our readers to send in their best pictures on the theme "the beauty of trees". Here are some of the pictures we received from around the world.

The next theme is "I made this" and the deadline for entries is 9 March 2021. The pictures will be published later that week and you will be able to find them, along with other galleries, on the In Pictures section of the website. You can upload your entries on this page or email them to yourpics@bbc.co.uk. Terms and conditions apply. Further details and themes are at: We set the theme, you take the pictures. All photographs subject to copyright.

हमने अपने पाठकों से "पेड़ों की सुंदरता" विषय पर अपनी सर्वश्रेष्ठ तस्वीरें भेजने के लिए कहा। यहाँ दुनिया भर से प्राप्त कुछ तस्वीरें हैं।


Are food bloggers fuelling racist stereotypes?

Summary: "Food media is predominantly generated by white people for white people, so when the subject veers toward anything outside of the Western canon, it's not uncommon to see things generalised, exotified, or misrepresented. "

By Megha MohanBBC Trending Filipino-American Celeste Noche, who is a food and travel photographer, shared her thoughts on the "exotified" depiction of certain recipes within the blogging and gourmet community on the podcast The Racist Sandwich. "I think microaggressions in social media are reflective of food media as a whole in that appropriation," Noche tells BBC Trending, "These microaggressions can be as simple as a lack of research." Whether it's taking photos of dishes with chopsticks sticking straight up into rice or noodles (which can be seen as offensive in some Asian cultures)", she says, "or dramatisation in the props used to style ethnic foods (why are Asian dishes so often styled on bamboo mats or banana leaves with chopsticks?)". Noche added that established food blogs like that of Andrew Zimmern also fed into stereotypes. "(His) recipe for Filipino short ribs is styled with chopsticks even though Filipinos traditionally eat with spoons and forks or their hands". Zimmern has not responded to a request for comment at the time of writing. Similarly the food site Bon Appetit received some criticism for publishing a video last year about noodles claiming "Pho is the new Ramen." Several commenters attacked the video for the "simplification of Asian culture" as "pho is from Vietnam and ramen from Japan". The video was fronted by a white American chef who spoke on the 'correct way to eat pho". After a little more than 24 hours on the website Bon Appetit removed the video altogether, both from their Facebook and YouTube channels, and apologised for any offence they may have caused. Noche's assertion comes at a time of much discussion about the so-called "cultural misrepresentations" of food. Pembroke College of Cambridge university said they were taking complaints from ethnic minority students about their menu "seriously". "Dear Pembroke catering staff, stop mixing mango and beef and calling it 'Jamaican stew'," a student posted on the college's Facebook page. "I'm actually half Jamaican, pls show me where in the Caribbean they mix fruit and meat." Another complained about a "Tunisian rice" recipe which, well, doesn't exist in Tunisia. The college said they would be "going through the dishes on the menu to see if any are ones that are not very well named". However, not everyone agreed. Evening Standard journalist Sam Leith wrote "And if, in an age when basic civilisational freedoms are under threat, the next generation of highly educated students is devoting its attention to complaining about whether their lunch is authentic enough, God help us all." Some Facebook commenters agreed with him, saying that the famous college had "been blind sided by politically correct Nazis". Noche however, feels that the issue speaks to a wider discussion on the portrayal of minorities. "We need to break away from the idea that white and western is the base standard for media portrayals - whether in food, film, literature, etc - and start trusting and hiring people of colour to represent themselves." Blog by Megha Mohan Next story: Actress speaks out against 'casting couch culture' You can follow BBC Trending on Twitter @BBCtrending, and find us on Facebook. All our stories are at bbc.com/trending.

"खाद्य मीडिया मुख्य रूप से गोरे लोगों के लिए गोरे लोगों द्वारा उत्पन्न किया जाता है, इसलिए जब विषय पश्चिमी सिद्धांत के बाहर किसी भी चीज़ की ओर मुड़ता है, तो चीजों को सामान्यीकृत, बहिष्कृत या गलत तरीके से प्रस्तुत करना असामान्य नहीं है।"


Pressure to abolish Ireland's senate in referendum

Summary: The Republic of Ireland may vote this week to abolish its upper house of parliament, the Seanad. It is a move favoured by most political parties and opinion polls suggest the public mainly support abolition too, but are the Irish people fed up with their senators - or with the political class as a whole?

By Vincent DowdBBC World Service No respectable pollster would accept a survey of voting intentions conducted solely at Listowel racecourse in County Kerry. As an indication of what is likely to happen in Friday's referendum, it lacks scientific rigour. But what is striking is the unvarying nature of the opinions punters offer about the Seanad. Time and again - whatever their age or gender or party allegiance - they say they have no idea what the Seanad exists to do. At times the tone is bitterly hostile. National opinion polls also suggest a majority in favour of getting rid of Ireland's 60-seat upper house. 'Rest home' In Listowel, a quartet of female race-goers sip coffee and watch keenly as the first horses of the day parade around the paddock. It is obvious a very Irish love of horses and the turf is part of their lives. Without exception they query what role the Seanad has in modern Irish society, especially after several years of painful economic struggle. The four share much the same list of complaints: The best anyone has to say is that the Seanad might be worth keeping - if everything about it were reformed from top to bottom. This week's referendum is obligatory as abolition would mean altering the country's constitution. There is also a second question about a new court of appeal. Critics say the Seanad currently costs 20m euros (£17m; $27m) a year to run. Supporters say the true figure is nearer 7m euros. "By international standards that figure may not sound very much either way," says Professor Michael Gallagher of the Department of Political Science at Trinity College Dublin. "But though people tend to mention the cost as what they most object to, I think there's something even more basic underneath. "When the Taoiseach [Prime Minister], Enda Kenny, was in opposition he put forward this referendum as a populist move. The government has presented it as a chance to cut the numbers of politicians. In an era when Ireland is not in love with its politicians, the idea seems to have hit home." Precedents All the main parties now favour abolishing the Seanad except for Fianna Fail. A common criticism is the way the body is chosen. Eleven of the 60 senators are appointed by the taoiseach. Six are chosen by graduates of two Irish universities. The other 43 are elected mainly by local councillors. "The fact that so few people are directly involved in electing the Seanad undermines its credibility," says Professor Gallagher. "But that was equally true 30 years ago." For many Irish people, he thinks, the 2013 referendum comes as a chance to pass judgement on politicians more generally. "The idea of punishing the political class is there in many minds," he says. "Some voters are seeking revenge on politicians who let the economy overheat in the Celtic Tiger era and then oversaw the painful retrenchment afterwards, with so many young Irish people leaving to work abroad. "The 20m euros may not represent a huge saving but it would be an important symbol. People want politicians to suffer the way they've suffered, and Ireland wouldn't be the first place to lose its second chamber. "Denmark, Sweden and New Zealand all did it. As the abolitionists point out, no-one is saying those aren't decent, democratic countries." However Professor Gallagher warns that no-one should imagine the argument is won or lost already: "In Ireland attempts to predict referendum results have gone wrong before. No-one really knows what turnout will be." But at Listowel races, many minds appear made up. In his late 80s, Donal Sheahan has been around almost as long as the Seanad. Today he is a well-known trainer. His opinion is typical. "As far as I'm concerned I'm going to get every fellow I know to vote to abolish the Seanad," he says. "It's just jobs for the boys. Why should the taoiseach be able to just nominate people into power? It's not the kind of country we should be."

आयरलैंड गणराज्य इस सप्ताह अपनी संसद के ऊपरी सदन, सीनाड को समाप्त करने के लिए मतदान कर सकता है। यह अधिकांश राजनीतिक दलों द्वारा समर्थित एक कदम है और जनमत सर्वेक्षणों से पता चलता है कि जनता भी मुख्य रूप से उन्मूलन का समर्थन करती है, लेकिन क्या आयरिश लोग अपने सीनेटरों-या समग्र रूप से राजनीतिक वर्ग से तंग आ चुके हैं?


More arrests after man shot in Huddersfield street

Summary: Two men have been arrested on suspicion of murder in connection with the shooting of a man in Huddersfield.

The 34-year-old victim was shot outside the Woolpack apartments in Lockwood Road after midnight on Saturday. He was treated in hospital for a shoulder injury, West Yorkshire Police said. The arrested men are aged 25 and 29. Four other men, one aged 18, two 19 and one 21, who were arrested as part of the investigation, have been bailed. More stories from Yorkshire Follow BBC Yorkshire on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to yorkslincs.news@bbc.co.uk.

हडर्सफील्ड में एक व्यक्ति की गोली मारकर हत्या करने के संदेह में दो लोगों को गिरफ्तार किया गया है।


Question time for those at the top of Scotland's exam system

Summary: Many youngsters will wake up this morning both nervous and excited.

By Jamie McIvorBBC Scotland education correspondent For some this will be one of the most exciting days of their lives, the day good exam results set them on the path to training, a good job, college or university. Inevitably for others it'll be a day of disappointment. It was ever thus. This year is an important year for the exam system as new Highers are being phased in. The uptake of the new Highers was lower than anticipated as many schools and councils chose to use the old ones for one further year. Still it's good news the number of Higher passes was at a record level. Too difficult But there's a very real concern over one of the most commonly-sat of the Higher exams - the Higher maths. The concerns of some students that the new-look exam was too difficult have been borne out. Grade boundaries have had to be lowered to make sure candidates got the grade they really deserved. In itself, this isn't unusual and we won't know until later just how much the boundaries were lowered by. Those who sat the new Higher maths shouldn't be unduly nervous today - hopefully the anxieties, even tears, of exam day will have turned out to be unfounded as the safety measures to protect candidates from unduly hard papers seem to have worked. The issue is more why this happened in such an important year when the new Highers were under the microscope. Was the exam simply on the hard side? Or was it quite different to the kind of paper some teachers and candidates had been expected? These will be the tough questions of a different sort facing the Scottish Qualifications Authority and the Scottish government. Another question will also be whether there's evidence of the attainment gap between students from relatively rich and poor backgrounds being narrowed. Today is ultimately a day to celebrate the achievements of many learners and commiserate those who tried their best but didn't get the results they wanted. But that shouldn't obscure a legitimate question about one of the most widely-taken exams in a year of change.

कई युवा आज सुबह घबराए हुए और उत्साहित दोनों तरह से जागेंगे।


The subversive genius of Joe Orton

Summary: Fifty years ago the playwright Joe Orton was bludgeoned to death by his boyfriend at the peak of his career. What is Orton's legacy, and what would he have made of the strides towards equality made since his death by gay people in the UK?

By Liam BarnesBBC News Riding high on the success of his latest play, Loot, and waiting for a chauffeur to ferry him to talks about a film he had written for The Beatles, the 34-year-old playwright was attacked as he slept by Kenneth Halliwell at the flat they shared in Islington. Halliwell, who feared Orton had been planning to leave him, then took a fatal overdose. For Kenneth Cranham, the Olivier award-winning actor and friend of the couple, what happened on 9 August 1967 was hugely personal. "I still had four grandparents then; I didn't know anyone who had died. So to have one person that I knew so well die and another commit suicide was a living nightmare," he said. "Everything went into slow motion. In the play [Orton's Loot was being performed at the time of his murder] you were running around with a body in your arms, there were coffins everywhere, and it was [supposed to be] a comedy. "It was so bizarre." Born in 1933 as John Orton, he grew up with his three siblings on a Leicester estate typical of those built for workers in the 1920s. His sister Leonie Orton Barnett has described their home as "drab, soulless and monotonous", epitomising the "worst aspects of Leicester's motto Semper Eadem - always the same". Orton, whose parents had an unhappy marriage, would leave his hometown at the earliest opportunity. He caught the acting bug in his teens and successfully auditioned for the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (Rada) in London, moving there to study on a scholarship in 1951. It was at Rada he encountered Halliwell, a troubled man seven years his senior. "Meeting Halliwell was important because he found a collaborator with a shared sense of humour," said Emma Parker, associate professor in post-war and contemporary literature at the University of Leicester, which houses the Joe Orton Archive and is running a series of events to mark the anniversary of his murder. "Joe was reading Shakespeare and other writers before he got to London and met Halliwell, so it's not fair to say he learned it all from him, [but] I think they were kindred spirits." After leaving Rada, they formed a writing partnership but had little success. The pair often went to bed at sunset to save money on electricity. In 1962, a bizarre court case would land both men in prison - and ultimately provide the spark Orton needed to break though as a playwright. The pair had spent more than a year altering library books with garish collages and occasionally obscene text, the targets ranging from biographies and volumes of Shakespeare to novels they viewed as low quality. Their furtive campaign was eventually rumbled by zealous library staff and they were imprisoned for six months for theft and malicious damage, after a trial that attracted tabloid publicity. Orton believed the severity of the sentence was "because we were queers". Having gained a degree of separation from Halliwell, after his release Orton began to find success, with The Ruffian on the Stair broadcast on BBC radio in 1964. Entertaining Mr Sloane, a black comedy that touched on homosexuality and hypocrisy, was widely praised on its release, also in 1964, including by theatre heavyweights such as Terence Rattigan and Tennessee Williams. The actor Dudley Sutton, who was part of the original cast, said he enjoyed being in a play "that was having a go at the established view of things", and praised Orton's sensitivity as a writer. "He was so full of life, and I loved the dialogue," he said in conversation with Dr Parker last year. "To fight the demon of homophobia with a West End comedy was brilliant - I'm very proud to have been a part of it." Orton's hallmarks as a playwright were black humour, deliberate bad taste, surreal situations and attacks on hypocrisy. His subversive nature helped him to stand out from his peers, with The Times describing Entertaining Mr Sloane as making "the blood boil more than any other British play in the last 10 years". For Bernard Greaves, a Cambridge architecture student in the mid-60s, Orton's clear-eyed portrayal of aspects of contemporary gay life struck a chord. "The impact of his plays was enormous," he said. "I didn't have a large circle of gay friends at that time; I was in the closet living a double life - nearly everybody was, because it was still illegal - but Orton put on stage the reality of what it was like for us in an unvarnished way." For the playwright's sister, Orton's work helped pave the way for other gay men to be more confident in their sexuality. "I think people who really understood the writing know that this was somebody original and unique," Ms Orton Barnett said. "He was so out there with his homosexuality, he was talking about it so frankly, and in such graphic detail, it brought a lot of people out. "They'd say: 'Joe Orton said it's allowed, so I think it's allowed', and he was so right in being so direct about things. "I think Joe liked the idea of it being unacceptable, he liked that idea of him being a rebel and being outside of society." Just weeks before his death, the Sexual Offences Act, which decriminalised private homosexual acts between gay men over the age of 21, was granted royal assent. However, with the age limit higher than that for heterosexual sex, and with other restrictions still in place, Ms Orton-Barnett says her brother was not a supporter of the bill. "I think he liked the mystique about homosexuality, he liked the closeted aspect," she said. "He wouldn't have gone for the modern gay marriage at all." Dr Parker agrees, adding that Orton's love of subversion underpins his plays and personality. "He was kind of queer rather than gay - he liked weirdness and deviance, because 'civilisation' persecuted homosexuals and he thought it was barbaric and didn't want any truck with it," she said. "It rejected him, and so he rejected it. "I think his sexuality is really important to his writing and his worldview," adds Dr Parker, who cites Orton as an influence on, among others, contemporary playwrights such as Martin McDonagh and Jez Butterworth, the novelists Jonathan Coe and Jake Arnott, and musicians including Morrissey and the Pet Shop Boys. "He was a funny writer and full of life, but he was furious about society and sexual inequality; we know that from his diaries and his plays." Cranham - who said appearing in The Ruffian on the Stair aged only 19 "completely changed everything for me" - played Hal in the 1966 West End production of Loot, Orton's satire on the Catholic Church and attitudes to death. (Kenneth Williams had starred in the play's initial, unsuccessful, run in Cambridge the year before.) "Paul McCartney said that to him theatre meant a sore arse, but he wanted Loot to go on for longer," the actor said. "It shows Joe wrote plays for all people, and there was a connection between them and him. "Joe always used to say he was from the gutter, but he just knew what real life was like." Orton's star continued to rise after his death, with his final play What the Butler Saw - a farce that turns its guns on power and a psychiatric profession that treated homosexuality as a mental illness - becoming a stage success (although Up Against It, a film written for The Beatles, never reached the screen). What the Butler Saw has been performed in Orton's hometown to mark 50 years since his murder, and several revivals over the years have helped to maintain his status as an iconic figure in British theatre. Ms Orton Barnett argues that her brother's plays and posthumously published diaries give him a similar standing to some of the giants of literature. "I always say the equivalent of Shakespeare in the 1960s was Harold Pinter, and Joe was the Christopher Marlowe - he died a violent death, but he was really important culturally," she said. "He didn't conform at all - he always said that he writes the truth." For Cranham, who was among stars including Pinter and Donald Pleasence to attend Orton's atheist funeral service, the playwright's unerring brilliance as a writer of farcical satire remains a loss keenly felt by British theatre. "I wish we could have known what would have happened to him as an older writer," he said. "He was a great writer, and could have done so much." Joe Orton, select bibliography

पचास साल पहले नाटककार जो ऑर्टन को उनके करियर के चरम पर उनके प्रेमी ने पीट-पीटकर मार डाला था। ऑर्टन की विरासत क्या है, और ब्रिटेन में समलैंगिक लोगों द्वारा उनकी मृत्यु के बाद से समानता की दिशा में की प्रगति हुई होगी?


Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem get married

Summary: Hollywood actors Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem have tied the knot at a friend's house in the Bahamas, Cruz's spokeswoman has confirmed.

Amanda Silverman told news agency The Associated Press, that Cruz, 36, wore a John Galliano dress at the ceremony, which only family members attended. The couple, both from Spain, appeared together in Woody Allen's film Vicky Cristina Barcelona in 2008. Cruz won a supporting actress Oscar for her role in the romantic comedy. Bardem, 41, was named best supporting actor at the 2007 Academy Awards for his role in the crime thriller No Country for Old Men. The couple first acted together in Spanish comedy Jamon Jamon. The movie, which won a Silver Lion award at the 1992 Venice Film Festival, also marked Cruz's debut in a feature film.

हॉलीवुड अभिनेता पेनेलोप क्रूज़ और जेवियर बार्डेम ने बहामास में एक दोस्त के घर पर शादी के बंधन में बंध गए हैं, क्रूज़ की प्रवक्ता ने पुष्टि की है।


Tesco: Keep calm and carry on?

Summary: Tesco is like a juggernaut with a puncture and a worrying rattle in the engine. It's still a pretty big lorry of course - let's not forget that it made £3.3bn of profits last year (admittedly down 6%) and still accounts for 29% of all supermarket trade in the UK (down from over 30%).

Kamal AhmedBusiness editor@bbckamalon Twitter So why has there been the major fall in what are known as like-for-like sales - that's sales in its stores and online stripping out the effect of new stores opening (of which there are hardly any). Sales are down nearly 4%, and in the retail world that is significant. Tesco has not seen numbers this bad, it is admitting internally, for 20 years. One retail analyst from HSBC has said that the fall is equivalent to a million customers a week spending £25 less. Some believe Tesco is becalmed in the middle ground, a no-man's land between Waitrose at the top end - sales up 6% - and Aldi and Lidl at the discount end, where sales are up 36% and 28% respectively. But Asda, which may be expected to be suffering in the same way as one of the four big traditional retailers, is performing better with sales up. What's going on here? Tesco is suffering from what is known as the deflation effect - it recently announced cuts in prices for core products like milk and eggs. That has a negative effect on like-for-like sales, which are based on total revenue quarter by quarter. You have to sell a lot litres of milk at £1 (the new discount price) to gain the same revenue from selling milk at, say, £1.50. Any volume increase takes a while to be reflected in the numbers. Asda bit the bullet more than two years ago with price cuts and is now reaping the benefits. Philip Clarke, Tesco's chief executive, has said that Tesco's figures will remain pretty grim for a while. The deflation effect can take a whole year to work its way through, meaning there will be some pretty tricky quarters ahead. Mr Clarke is betting that rather than take on the discounters at their own game - a game he thinks Tesco will never win - it is better to offer "Tesco for everyone". So, you can buy a litre of milk from Tesco, you can get a pretty cheap own-label tablet (the Tesco Hudl), you can have a coffee at a Harris + Hoole cafe, you can go to a Giraffe restaurant with your children, you can get an ISA from Tesco's own bank, online they sell not just Tesco products via "marketplace" but are plotting to be a competitor to Amazon by selling other retailers' goods as well. They have an online entertainment service, Blinkbox, a mobile phone service, 16 million Clubcard customers to cross-sell to, a huge petrol business . . . the list is endless. Mr Clarke says that a long term focus on a wide range of products is the way to turn the business around. Of course, the core offer - the food - must also be up to standard and at the right price. Mr Clarke says that the board are wholly signed up to the strategy. Internally his mantra, I have been told, is "keep calm and carry on". The retail industry is still re-finding its feet after the 2008 crash. Tesco, Mr Clarke admits privately, was too slow to change. His critics say that by the end of the year like-for-like sales will have to be on the way up if the chief executive is to feel comfortable in his job. Revamped stores will have to show growth. Online, a small proportion (around 7%) of overall sales, will need to show continued, profitable progress. The international businesses will have to improve. With the share price under pressure (down 20% in a year) the big question will be whether the share holders - the people that own the company - will give Mr Clarke the time he says he needs.

टेस्को एक बाजीगर की तरह है जिसमें एक पंचर और इंजन में एक चिंताजनक गड़गड़ाहट है। यह अभी भी निश्चित रूप से एक बहुत बड़ी गाड़ी है-आइए यह न भूलें कि इसने पिछले साल मुनाफे का £ 3.3bn कमाया (स्वीकार्य रूप से 6 प्रतिशत नीचे) और अभी भी यूके में सभी सुपरमार्केट व्यापार का 29 प्रतिशत (30 प्रतिशत से नीचे) है।


Should we burn or bury waste plastic?

Summary: Should we burn waste plastic - or bury it?

By Roger HarrabinBBC environment analyst Since China refused last month to accept any more foreign waste for recycling, the UK is facing a challenge. How can it recycle more of its own waste? And should it bury or burn the low-grade waste that it can't recycle? We're trying to answer the second question. And it certainly divides opinions. So what are the facts about plastic waste? Well, according to the HMRC's UK trade info website, about 800,000 tonnes of plastic waste was exported from the UK for recycling to nations like China in 2014. News reports suggest much of this was contaminated by other rubbish, and had to be burned. The UK itself was left with 1,244,774 tonnes of packaging sent either to landfill or incineration in 2016. The National Packaging Waste Database estimates that 1,015,226 tonnes of plastics packaging was recycled in 2016. Remember, this is packaging, not all plastic waste. So should we burn our hard-to-recycle waste, or bury it? The case for burning Here's the case for burning. Plastic is made from oil and gas, and it creates a lot of heat when it's burned. So at first sight it makes sense to harness that by burning it in an incinerator to make electricity. It's even more efficient if the incinerator can capture the waste heat from the process and use it to warm offices and homes. Burning plastic this way currently substitutes in some places for burning dirty fossil fuels like oil or coal. Mark Pawsey, the Conservative MP for Rugby, is chairman of the All-Party Group for the Packaging Manufacturing Industry. He told the Commons: "Waste is used to generate the heat that enables the cement company based in my constituency to manufacture cement. "That strikes me as a much better use of the calorific value of packaging than sending it to landfill." His argument is supported by the people who run incineration - the Environmental Services Association (ESA). Its director Jacob Hayler told us: "It is better to recover energy from non-recyclable waste through (incineration), than send it to landfill." He quotes the government's Digest of UK Energy Statistics (DUKES) saying that in 2016, the waste used to fuel Energy from Waste (EfW) was equivalent to replacing 2.5m tonnes of virgin fossil fuel oil. Mr Hayler says that overall greenhouse gas emissions from incineration are lower than from landfill. So it seems there's a strong case for incineration - but it's not quite that simple. Because those statistics are based on the incineration of general waste including plastics - not of plastic waste alone. Much of our household waste in landfills does indeed create greenhouse gases that heat the world, unless they are captured as landfill gas. But this doesn't apply to plastics, which are extremely stable. They don't break down in landfill, so don't emit greenhouse gases. And, in fact, there's a strong case against incinerating plastics. So what's the case for burial? Burning plastic creates harmful dioxins and if incinerators are inefficient, these leak into the environment. Modern incinerators are said to have largely solved this problem. But climate change is another consideration. The consultancy Eunomia says plastics burned in incinerators set up to generate only electricity create heat at 25% efficiency. This is much lower than the 55% efficiency for new gas-fired power stations. Dominic Hogg from Eunomia told BBC News: "When coal is phased out for generating electricity, incineration of unrecycled waste will be the most CO2-intensive form of generation. "This doesn't make sense if the government's trying to reduce CO2 emissions - unless the government takes drastic action to reduce the amount of plastic in unrecycled waste." Environment groups also fear that if the UK builds new incinerators to cope with the stockpile created by China's rejection of waste plastic, the policy will lock in a demand for burning waste plastic that ideally should get recycled. The government seems to have been persuaded by this argument. The environment minister Therese Coffey told the Commons: "In environmental terms, it is generally better to bury plastic than to burn it." Capturing carbon emissions Indeed we could go one step further and make the case that burying waste plastic in landfill is actually a cheap form of carbon capture and storage. Governments have been promising for decades to develop plants that will capture the carbon emissions from power stations and force them into underground rocks. Burying plastic would have the same effect of locking up unwanted carbon at a fraction of the cost. Elena Polisano, Oceans Campaigner for Greenpeace UK reluctantly agrees. She told BBC News: "We should reduce, reuse, and recycle, in that order. "When we get to the stage of deciding whether to burn or bury waste, we have already failed, failed some more and then failed again. "However, it is safer to contain that failure than to spread it through the atmosphere in the form of toxic gases." The question may seem rather academic. But it is highly pertinent for a government whose environment secretary is preparing a new plan for waste - and who has stated that the UK must "stop offshoring our dirt". Roger Harrabin reports on waste for Radio 4s' PM programme throughout the week. Follow Roger on Twitter @rharrabin Read more from Reality Check Send us your questions Follow us on Twitter

क्या हमें अपशिष्ट प्लास्टिक को जलाना चाहिए-या उसे दफन कर देना चाहिए?


Name needed for Wrexham 'super-prison'

Summary: Schools and community groups have been invited to come up with names for the new-build "super-prison" in Wrexham.

The Queen will have the final say as it will be owned by the Crown. The prison at Wrexham Industrial Estate will house 2,000 inmates. Work began last September on the £250m complex which is due to open in 2017. A newsletter updating local residents on the construction said the name should embrace the history and culture of north Wales and the Welsh language.

स्कूलों और सामुदायिक समूहों को रेक्सम में नए-निर्मित "सुपर-जेल" के नामों के साथ आने के लिए आमंत्रित किया गया है।


The problem for the world’s most expensive spice

Summary: The spice saffron, as well as being famously expensive, is packed with antioxidants. It is said to help combat depression and lower blood pressure, to soften your skin and hair and is essential in a broad range of dishes from Swedish buns to paella. So what's stopping it becoming as fashionable as turmeric and cinnamon? Is it just its high price?

By Lucy HookerBusiness reporter, BBC News In my palm I have five tiny strands, like pieces of slightly fraying dark red sewing thread, which smell rather like a fruity tobacco. Four of them I'm placing into a cup and dousing with warm water; they're destined for the cooking pot. The fifth I place on my tongue. I'm told this taste test is essential to check that what I'm using is proper saffron. After all, if you've spent more than £5 for a gram of anything, you want to be sure it's the real thing. And after a few seconds I'm gratified that, despite having languished at the back of my spice cupboard for quite some time, the tiny threads are still capable of imparting the heady floral aroma, the honey notes, and the slight astringency I've been promised. And the strands in the water are leaching an orangey hue, as they should. Saffron is central to national cuisines from Morocco to the Himalayas, essential to dishes from risotto Milanese to Kashmiri curry. As well as being a sought-after culinary ingredient the versatile spice is also increasingly being added to medications and cosmetics. What is saffron used for? Cleopatra used it to infuse her bathwater. Alexander the Great bathed his battle wounds with it and drank saffron tea. In the 14th Century it was used to combat bubonic plague It is a key ingredient in dishes from Spanish paella, to Persian rice dishes and Indian curries It is added to products from coffee to salt, skin creams to shampoos. Saffron has been used in traditional medicine to treat menstrual problems, depression, asthma and sexual dysfunction It has been trialled in research for conditions from memory loss to cancer, but the evidence so far is inconclusive And yet the reputation of the spice, dubbed "red gold", still does not glister quite as brightly as perhaps it should. Keith Alaniz, an American soldier-turned-entrepreneur, thinks he understands why. After serving in Afghanistan, he and two other veterans decided to establish a social enterprise based on a crop that could offer locals better returns than illegal opium poppy cultivation. Their company, Rumi Spice, buys saffron crocuses from local growers and employs 380 Afghan women to do the painstaking work of separating the tiny rust-red stigmas in the centre of the crocus from its petals, stamens and the rest of the flower head, prior to being dried and packed for export. It's those long laborious hours of work that makes saffron so expensive. Rumi Spice sells its saffron - higher grade than the one from my kitchen cupboard - for $18 (£14) per gram. Mr Alaniz says saffron's high price tag is the reason it has so much promise in war torn Afghanistan. But it is also in many ways the root of its biggest problem: it makes it extremely tempting for counterfeiters. "A lot of the reason saffron hasn't taken off is because of the adulteration that you've seen." He says they're battling against the disappointment some shoppers have felt in the past. They've spent money on an extravagant product, only to find it didn't have much flavour because it was substandard or even fake saffron. "What we've seen with chefs and foodies is, once they see what high quality saffron tastes like, they're blown away by the flavour and aroma," says Mr Alaniz. Their saffron is now doing well with specialist buyers and high end restaurants. And they hope to rebuild its reputation amongst ordinary consumers in the same way. But the plan will only work if the product consistently delivers on its promise; and despite recent efforts to introduce more rigorous standards, stories continue to circulate of horse hairs, corn silks, and shredded paper, all masquerading as saffron. Earlier this year there were reports of the synthetic food colourings tartrazine and sunset yellow being used in counterfeit powdered saffron. Sally Francis, botanist and saffron grower, says only a few weeks ago she saw safflower, a common substitute from the unrelated thistle family, being sold as saffron in a street market in the Netherlands. And she's met plenty of tourists returning from exotic holidays with what they thought was bargain saffron, only to find out it was bogus. Even legitimate saffron can vary enormously depending on how it's produced, she says. "You can have a huge range in saffron quality, with no indication on the packaging as to what you are buying," says Ms Francis. Often it's simply that careless harvesting has meant some of the flavourless parts of the crocus have found their way into the final mix. It's still saffron but rather than "packing a punch" like the purest spice, what you're basically getting is "expensive yellow food colouring," she says. "The difference between a grade I and a grade III that's huge. You're talking Trabant and Lamborghini," she says. How to check if saffron is genuine Check it has strands which are frayed at one end Look for a deep red hue that colours water orangey-yellow when submerged Smell it and put it on your tongue - fake saffron has very little aroma or flavour Real saffron will smell slightly fruity and floral It should taste sweet and bitter at the same time Ms Francis produces saffron on a small scale in Norfolk. The UK is a tiny player in the global saffron market, despite a saffron tradition going back several centuries. But it is one of many countries from New Zealand to Germany, Greece to India, where producers are recognising the potential for high-grade saffron, with transparent country of origin and quality labelling, to reassure consumers that it is worth the high price tag. In Iran which supplies around 90% of the world's saffron, there are signs that traceability and certification are becoming priorities. "We are trying to show the quality of Iranian saffron to other people in the world," says Mehrdad Rowhani, chief executive of a family-owned wholesaler from Mashhad, the city at the heart of Iran's saffron growing region. After years hampered by American sanctions, which meant a lot of Iranian saffron ended up exported in bulk to be repackaged and sold as "produce of Spain" or sold via backdoor bartering deals, Iranian producers are again able to sell directly to western customers. This could have more impact than anything else on the standard of saffron available to ordinary shoppers, as Iran's producers embrace the opportunity to emphasise the authenticity, origin and quality of their product. Mr Rowhani says his firm's exports have already more than doubled since sanctions were lifted. "We started exporting to the United States and we have good - and big - customers from there," he says. Now he's focusing on improving every step of the production process from planting, harvesting and drying, to selling in smaller, better designed packaging. "When they see Persian saffron is of high quality, they want to buy more," he adds.

केसर का मसाला महँगा होने के साथ-साथ एंटीऑक्सीडेंट से भरा होता है। कहा जाता है कि यह आपकी त्वचा और बालों को नरम करने के लिए अवसाद से लड़ने और रक्तचाप को कम करने में मदद करता है और स्वीडिश बन्स से लेकर पेला तक व्यंजनों की एक विस्तृत श्रृंखला में आवश्यक है। तो इसे हल्दी और दालचीनी की तरह फैशनेबल बनने से क्या रोक रहा है? क्या यह सिर्फ इसकी उच्च कीमत है?


Extra £12.6m funding for Derry's City of Culture plans

Summary: The chief executive of Londonderry's culture company, Shona McCarthy, has praised the Department of Culture for showing real vision in contributing an extra £12.6m towards the city's culture celebrations.

The money will be used for a programme of events including the Earhart, Gasyard and Maiden City festivals, as well as new projects. Shona McCarthy said it was unprecedented to see such an investment in culture during a time of economic difficulty. "I think there has been real vision shown here on the part of the Office of the First and Deputy First Minister and the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure because to invest in culture at this time when we are in an economic crisis does show vision, two of the growth areas of our economy are cultural tourism and the creative industries and here we are in the north, with a major investment of £12.6m going into cultural programming," she said. Derry, which was short-listed alongside Birmingham, Sheffield and Norwich, will take the mantle in 2013. The idea for a UK City of Culture came from the success of Liverpool during its year as European Capital of Culture in 2008.

लंदनडेरी की संस्कृति कंपनी की मुख्य कार्यकारी, शोना मैकार्थी ने शहर के संस्कृति समारोहों के लिए एक अतिरिक्त £ 12.6m का योगदान करने में वास्तविक दृष्टि दिखाने के लिए संस्कृति विभाग की प्रशंसा की है।


Workington psychiatrist accused of will fraud was 'family friend'

Summary: A doctor accused of changing an elderly widow's will to gain access to her £1.3m estate, has told a court she was helping her as a "family friend" whom she had met "about two years" before.

Consultant psychiatrist Zholia Alemi denies five charges of theft and fraud. Carlisle Crown Court has heard Dr Alemi, 55, changed Gillian Belham's will after meeting her at a dementia clinic in Workington, Cumbria. Dr Alemi told police Mrs Belham asked her to have power of attorney. It is alleged that within just three months of what a prosecutor said was the pair's first meeting, Dr Alemi had "redrafted" Mrs Belham's will so she was appointed executor of her estate and the main beneficiary under the document. The changes, it is said, meant Alemi would have stood to inherit one of Mrs Belham's homes - a Keswick cottage - and was to benefit under a trust to the sum of £300,000. 'Financial help' Jurors were given a summary of five police interviews with Dr Alemi in which she denied any wrongdoing. She told an officer she had "helped with the finances" of Mrs Belham, who also asked the doctor to have power of attorney because "she didn't want to go into a home". Dr Alemi also insisted she never made any decisions without the knowledge of Mrs Belham and did not recall Mrs Belham being a patient. When asked by an officer whether she had applied for power of attorney in the pensioner's name, Dr Alemi, of Scaw Road, High Harrington, replied: "Definitely not." Jurors heard Dr Alemi denied she had ever stolen anything from the pensioner, denied making a will "behind Gillian Belham's back" or "forging any signatures". The trial continues.

13 लाख पाउंड की संपत्ति तक पहुंच प्राप्त करने के लिए एक बुजुर्ग विधवा की वसीयत बदलने के आरोपी एक डॉक्टर ने एक अदालत को बताया है कि वह एक "पारिवारिक मित्र" के रूप में उसकी मदद कर रही थी, जिससे वह "लगभग दो साल पहले" मिली थी।


Can't afford his paintings? Buy David Hockney's childhood home in Bradford

Summary: If you don't have a spare $90m (£70m) to buy one of his paintings but still want to own a piece of David Hockney history, you could buy the childhood home where he learned his craft.

The Bradford house where the artist lived from the age of four until he was 21 is on the market for £140,000. He painted portraits of his family and himself in the house before going to art college in London and finding fame. Last week, he broke the auction record for a work by a living artist. The Hockney family lived in the four-bedroom house on Hutton Terrace for 50 years, before his mum sold up in 1993. When they moved in, his father Kenneth set up a pram workshop in the cellar, and a teenage David would push a pram containing his paints and materials around as he painted on the city's streets. At one point, the budding artist wanted to take over one of the newly decorated bedrooms for his studio, but his mother Laura refused. "I need the room, and if David had it he would ruin it," she wrote in a letter that was quoted in his biography. "We all appreciate his work, but he is getting to expect all and give nothing in return - his own room was dreadfully untidy." His mother compromised and let him finish a self-portrait in the front bedroom, which had not been decorated - and he spilled paint on the carpet. When Laura Hockney sold up in 1993, the house's buyer Leslie Bell found a Bradford Grammar School exercise book containing drawings made by David at the age of 12. He sent it back to the artist, even though he could have sold it. "People said I was mad to give it back because it would be worth thousands, but I know if they were mine I'd want them back. I did the right thing," he told the Yorkshire Post in 2006. The house has been extensively modernised, and now has a bold colour scheme that probably would not even fit into Hockney's bright palette. The National Trust, which owns John Lennon and Sir Paul McCartney's childhood homes in Liverpool, said it wasn't interested in buying the Hockney house. "The house on Hutton Place is not a property we are considering taking on ourselves at present," a spokesperson said. "In this case it should continue to be a family home. It is a house with an interesting tale, and hopefully, once sold, the new owners will be inspired by the creativity that was born out of this place, from one of Yorkshire's most famous and successful sons." Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.

यदि आपके पास उनकी एक पेंटिंग खरीदने के लिए अतिरिक्त 90 मिलियन डॉलर (70 मिलियन पाउंड) नहीं हैं, लेकिन फिर भी आप डेविड हॉकनी के इतिहास का एक टुकड़ा अपने पास रखना चाहते हैं, तो आप बचपन का वह घर खरीद सकते हैं जहाँ उन्होंने अपनी कला सीखी थी।


Rolf Harris released from Stafford Prison

Summary: Rolf Harris has been released from Stafford Prison.

The TV entertainer is currently on trial on four counts of alleged indecent assault against three teenagers between 1971 and 1983 - but has been appearing via video link. Mr Harris, who denies all charges, will attend the trial at Southwark Crown Court in person from Monday. Jurors have already been told that Mr Harris, 87, was convicted and sentenced following a trial in 2014. The current trial, which began on 15 May, is not sitting on Friday.

रॉल्फ हैरिस को स्टैफोर्ड जेल से रिहा कर दिया गया है।


How antibiotic resistance could take us back to the 'dark ages'

Summary: Scientists are working on a new antibiotic that has produced promising results in early trials. Medicine will need more of these in coming years if increasing bacterial resistance is not to pose a very serious threat to human health.

When they were introduced, in the 1940s, antibiotics were hailed as a "wonder drug". But there are major concerns that over-prescription has led to increasing resistance to the drugs. Last week, the Chief Medical Officer for England, Prof Dame Sally Davies, went as far as to say we were "at risk of putting medicine back in the dark ages" - but why has this happened? What are antibiotics? Scottish chemist Alexander Fleming discovered the first true antibiotic, penicillin, in 1928, as a mould on a petri dish that inhibited the growth of bacteria. His discovery revolutionised the treatment of certain types of bacterial infection, saving countless lives in the process. Antibiotics fight bacteria in a number of ways, including by killing them or preventing them from spreading. However, they also have a major weakness. Resistance Antibiotics are very effective at killing most, but not all, bacteria. Some bacteria acquire genes that protect them from the drug's attack. They survive treatment and reproduce themselves, spreading the key genes more widely so the drug becomes ever less effective. If somebody is infected by these drug-resistant bacteria, then it can become harder to deploy antibiotics to treat them successfully. At present other types of antibiotic might do the trick but the options are starting to narrow as bacteria develop the ability to block more than one drug. In the past four years in England, there has been a 35% increase in antibiotic-resistant blood infections. This is because there have been greater efforts by clinicians and other health professionals to identify sepsis cases. However, even though the absolute number of infections being detected has increased, the relative proportion of blood infections resistant to antibiotics has remained stable. From the point of view of health experts, a key to reduce antibiotic-resistant blood infections is to ensure that resistant bacteria cannot become prevalent in the first place. A recent report highlights that without effective antibiotics, life-threatening infections linked to operations such as hip replacements and Caesarean sections could increase. Overprescribing Since 2013, Public Health England has actively been campaigning to reduce the amount of antibiotics taken by patients. They say that over-prescription of antibiotics is a major cause of the increase in resistance to them. This is because the more antibiotics are used are used, the less effective they become. In addition, GPs have been prescribing antibiotics to patients who are not infected with bacterial diseases, even though they will never work. Antibiotic consumption in England has decreased by about 5% since 2013 - but the average daily dose per 1,000 people varies across the country. Public Health England points out that antibiotic resistance and prescription are "inextricably linked - areas with high levels of antibiotic prescribing also have high levels of resistance". Its campaign involves ensuring all areas have access to best practices for using antibiotics - in particular in community care, as 90% of antibiotics are prescribed by GPs. They want to see patients and carers educated about the inappropriate use of antibiotics and greater efforts by health professionals in preventing infections in the first place. And in 2016 the government called for a 50% reduction in the inappropriate prescription of antibiotics by 2021. About half of all patients with a cough or cold leave their GP's surgery with a prescription for antibiotics. And there are concerns that patient expectations are driving the problem. Recent research suggests 38% of people expect to be prescribed antibiotics when they go to the doctor. So efforts are now being made not only to reduce the number of antibiotics prescribed but also for GPs not to prescribe antibiotics for conditions that will naturally clear up by themselves after a few days. How does the UK compare? Over-prescription is not a problem unique to the UK. The European Surveillance of Antimicrobial Consumption Network has called the spread of drug-resistant bacteria a "public health threat", with estimates suggesting that 25,000 people die in Europe from linked infections every year. Currently, the UK has below average consumption compared with other EU countries. Efforts to mitigate future costs related to the problem have led countries with high consumption to learn from others - in particular in northern Europe - who consume fewer antibiotics. The global picture One of the biggest global concerns regarding antibiotics is over drug-resistant tuberculosis (TB). According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), TB remains the world's deadliest infectious disease. Treatment has been effective, with an estimated 54 million lives saved through diagnosis and treatment between 2000 and 2017. Even so, and with the global incidence of TB falling at about 2% per year, it remains one of top 10 causes of death worldwide. In 2017, 10 million people fell ill with TB and 1.6 million died from the disease, mainly in developing countries. The WHO says that 490,000 people have multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB), when bacteria do not respond to the two most powerful first-line anti-TB drugs, isoniazid and rifampicin. Second-line drugs can treat and cure MDR-TB. However, such treatment options can mean that patients have to undergo up to two years of chemotherapy involving costly and toxic medicines. Looking to the future It has been 30 years since a new class of antibiotic became available. And resistance has developed to all those that do exist. But antibiotics are expensive to produce and can take a long time to become available to clinicians and patients. In 2017, Public Health England warned that a failure to address resistance to antibiotics could lead to an estimated 10 million deaths every year globally by 2050 at a cost of £66trillion in lost productivity to the global economy. That is why they, and other health organisations, are calling for a reduction in the overuse and misuse of antibiotics.

वैज्ञानिक एक नए एंटीबायोटिक पर काम कर रहे हैं जिसने शुरुआती परीक्षणों में आशाजनक परिणाम दिए हैं। अगर जीवाणु प्रतिरोध को बढ़ाना मानव स्वास्थ्य के लिए बहुत गंभीर खतरा पैदा नहीं करता है तो आने वाले वर्षों में चिकित्सा को इनमें से अधिक की आवश्यकता होगी।


Road and bridge reopening 'within next week' after floods

Summary: Two major pieces of infrastructure damaged in the recent floods are expected to reopen within the next week, Aberdeenshire Council has said.

Part of the A93 near Crathie was washed away by the flood waters, and the Invercauld Bridge at Braemar was also damaged. The local authority said a temporary road surface would open to traffic on Saturday, with a 20mph speed limit. Meanwhile, cars should be able to access the bridge some time next week. The floods caused serious damage in several areas across the north east of Scotland.

एबरडीनशायर काउंसिल ने कहा है कि हाल की बाढ़ में क्षतिग्रस्त बुनियादी ढांचे के दो प्रमुख टुकड़ों के अगले सप्ताह के भीतर फिर से खुलने की उम्मीद है।


Missing Cryptoqueen: Why did the FCA drop its warning about the OneCoin scam?

Summary: In June 2016, Dr Ruja Ignatova told an audience of thousands at Wembley Arena that her new cryptocurrency, OneCoin, was a "Bitcoin killer" and would make early investors rich. Many in the crowd had already poured in their life savings. Many more followed.

By Jamie BartlettPresenter, The Missing Cryptoqueen About £2bn from across the world was spent on OneCoin tokens, including tens of millions of pounds from British families. Then, in late 2017, Ruja disappeared and the scheme was exposed to be a scam. There was no cryptocurrency. It was an old-fashioned Ponzi scheme. For 18 months, I've investigated the scandal for BBC Sounds, for the podcast The Missing Cryptoqueen, alongside my producer, Georgia Catt. After a break, we returned for a new episode last week, which focused in part on the UK's Financial Conduct Authority. Just three and a bit months after the London extravaganza, the watchdog posted an online warning about the get-rich scheme, headlined: "Beware trading virtual currencies with OneCoin". It said consumers should be "wary of dealing with OneCoin" and the organisation was being investigated by the City of London Police. "This firm is not authorised by us and we do not believe it is undertaking any activities that require our authorisation. However, we are concerned about the potential risks this firm poses to UK consumers," it added. This helped counteract the claims of OneCoin promoters, who were trying to pull in more victims. And delighted critics would spend their evenings sending the FCA warning to potential new recruits. But on or around 1 August 2017, with the scam in full momentum, the authority suddenly removed its notice. Now, it was Ruja's turn to be thrilled. According to retired libel lawyer David Hooper, it should have been obvious to the regulator OneCoin's promoters were going to use this "as a marketing opportunity". And OneCoin promoters quickly began claiming it meant the FCA no longer considered OneCoin a risk. One triumphantly told his followers: "If [the FCA] still thought we were a fraudulent company… then, guess what, that warning's not removed." While making the podcast, we've seen letters a UK law firm hired by Ruja sent to her critics. The letters threatened legal action unless they deleted online posts claiming OneCoin was a pyramid scheme run by a criminal organisation. And at some point, one of Ruja's advisors - although it's still not clear exactly who or when - realised the FCA might have overstepped its regulatory authority. And, according to multiple sources, the law firm pressured the FCA to have the notice removed. Heavily promoted All regulators have their own turf to referee. The FCA's covers financial products and services. What's included isn't always clear, especially with new products. And being so novel, cryptocurrencies were, and still are, outside this "perimeter". In response to a query at the time of its removal, the FCA said it "had been on our website for a sufficient amount of time to make investors aware of our concerns". However, several alerts have remained live on the FCA's website for years, even decades. Not to mention the scam was still being heavily promoted in the UK at the time. When we asked again, it told us the initial decision to publish the notice had been at City of London Police's request and the decision to take it down had been made "in conjunction" with the force. "It did not appear that OneCoin was carrying on any activities that required FCA authorisation," it said. "The FCA does not regulate crypto-assets and therefore it could not take this matter further. "Any queries should be directed to the City of London Police on this." We followed this up with the police force. But it made clear responsibility for the notice was the regulator's alone. "The City of London Police was made aware of the FCA's intention to take down their alert on OneCoin and their reasons for doing so," said a spokesman. "The force accepted that the decision belonged to the FCA given that this was their alert." We went back to the FCA to ask again what its reasons were but it declined to comment further. City of London Police ultimately dropped its own investigation, citing "insufficient evidence to support criminal proceedings" but was thanked by US prosecutors for helping them convict a lawyer who had helped launder $400m (£300m) of OneCoin's proceeds. However, neither of these events happened until two years later, in 2019. And critics believe once the decision had been made to issue the original warning, there was an obligation for the FCA and police to stick with it. "They clearly had responsibilities not to pour a bucket of whitewash over OneCoin," Mr Hooper told us. The hunt for Ruja continues - if caught, she faces up to 80 years in a US jail. For the many thousands conned out of their savings, justice won't be served until the matter is revolved. But in the meantime, many can't help feeling the UK authorities could have done more to thwart the scam and at the very least shouldn't have backtracked from keeping their concerns public. Download or stream the Missing Cryptoqueen podcast on BBC Sounds. _______ Additional reporting by Leo Kelion

जून 2016 में, डॉ. रुजा इग्नाटोवा ने वेम्बली एरिना में हजारों दर्शकों को बताया कि उनकी नई क्रिप्टोक्यूरेंसी, वनकॉइन, एक "बिटक्वाइन किलर" थी और शुरुआती निवेशकों को अमीर बना देगी। भीड़ में से कई पहले ही अपनी जीवन बचत में डाल चुके थे। कई और लोगों ने इसे फॉलो किया।


Beirut blast stirs fears of return to conflict

Summary: Anti-Syrian politicians in Lebanon have accused Damascus of being behind a powerful car bomb that killed the intelligence chief of the Internal Security Forces, Brig-Gen Wissam al-Hassan. Although the Syrian government also condemned the blast, those comments have failed to convince many in Lebanon, as the BBC's Wyre Davies, in Beirut, explains.

The Lebanese in general, and the citizens of central Beirut in particular, have an almost legendary ability to bounce back, to recover from tragedy and turmoil. This city that was engulfed for most of the 1980s by civil war, then latterly by a series of bombings and assassinations, had been relatively quiet over the last four years. That calm has now been shattered in a devastating, direct manner and most people are pointing their accusatory fingers in one direction - directly east at the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. For the record, the government in Damascus and its allies here in Lebanon - including the Shia organisation, Hezbollah - have condemned the bombing. However, few people are inclined to believe the denials of a government that has long meddled, interfered and at times dominated its much smaller neighbour. Proxy war? The overwhelming response on the streets of Beirut is of shock and anger. People here have absolutely no desire to return to inter-factional violence, although sectarian divisions are always close to the surface. Is Lebanon's intricate, but hitherto intact, jigsaw about to be smashed into pieces because of what is going on in Syria? Less than 24 hours after the Ashrafiya bomb, its destabilising effect can already be seen. There were immediate rumours that the Prime Minister, Najib Mikati, would resign over his coalition's inability to respond in any meaningful way to the assassination of Gen Wissam al-Hassan. Others urged him to stay, arguing that high-level resignations and political turmoil in Lebanon were precisely the aim of whoever killed General al-Hassan and at least seven others on Friday afternoon. As angered as people here are by the blatant audacity of the first car bombing in Beirut in four years, an attack of this nature was perhaps, to be expected. Syria's brutal civil is already being played out on the streets of Tripoli, the northern Lebanese city where Alawite and Sunni factions have fought fierce gun battles on at least two occasions this year. Syria's President Bashar al-Assad is an Alawite, while the country's majority Sunni community has been at the forefront of the revolt against his government. One of Gen Hassan's most high-profile recent moves was the uncovering of an alleged plot that led to the arrest of a former minister, Michel Samaha. He was detained on charges of collaborating with members of the Syrian government to import explosives and launch attacks in Lebanon. Fault lines It would, so the argument goes, suit the purposes of the Assad government to "export" its civil war to Lebanon - a warning to those who are calling for Assad's removal that wider regional conflict would be the only outcome if the regime in Damascus was to fall. Although historical precedents justify some of the accusations of Syrian involvement, it is still too early to definitively say who was responsible for the attack. It is also too early to say what the medium-term effect will be here. Beirutis could indeed pick themselves up, dust themselves down and return their infuriating traffic jams, making money and trying to get on with life. Or those fault lines could easily re-emerge: those who can afford it will leave the country, and this gloriously chaotic city could again be gripped by the kind of factional, sectarian strife they hoped was a thing of the past.

लेबनान में सीरियाई विरोधी राजनेताओं ने दमिश्क पर एक शक्तिशाली कार बम के पीछे होने का आरोप लगाया है जिसमें आंतरिक सुरक्षा बलों के खुफिया प्रमुख ब्रिगेडियर-जनरल विसम अल-हसन मारे गए थे। हालाँकि सीरियाई सरकार ने भी विस्फोट की निंदा की है, लेकिन वे टिप्पणियां लेबनान में कई लोगों को समझाने में विफल रही हैं, जैसा कि बेरूत में बीबीसी के वायरे डेविस बताते हैं।


Devon violence charities receive budget increase

Summary: An extra £200,000 is to be put into funding services for victims of domestic violence in Devon, the county council has said.

Charities saw their funding from Devon County Council cut for the 2011/12 financial year. The authority said it was now planning on contributing a total of £500,000 to the Domestic Violence Partnership for the 2012/13 year. The partnership helps to fund various charities working with victims.

काउंटी परिषद ने कहा है कि डेवोन में घरेलू हिंसा के पीड़ितों के लिए धन सेवाओं में अतिरिक्त £200,000 लगाया जाना है।


Are our online lives about to become 'private' again?

Summary: There's a strong chance you've recently seen an email or pop-up box offering "some important updates" about the way a social media company or website plans to use your data. Are we about to regain control of our personal information?

By Dr Sandra Wachter Oxford Internet Institute, University of Oxford In our increasingly connected world, data has come to be seen as something to buy and sell. Businesses offer personalised goods and services to consumers, raising the possibility of data driving economic growth and even improving wellbeing. But this optimistic picture about the rise of data science is incomplete. The scandal involving the improper sharing of the data of 87 million Facebook users with political consultancy Cambridge Analytica made it painfully obvious that data is sometimes shared without our knowledge. In May, tough new privacy laws are being introduced across Europe, offering EU consumers far greater control over their data and large fines for firms which break the rules. It is worth pausing to think about how we got to this point. To begin to understand, we must remember that data can easily be copied, shared and collected from multiple sources. Whenever we use digital devices - everything from web browsers, to phones, loyalty cards and CCTV cameras - we create data that allows advertisers, insurers, the police and others to understand aspects of our lives. Only its availability and the ingenuity of its handler limits what it can tell us. This is very different to a traditional commodity that can be bought and sold: a house, for example. If you sell your house, the buyer might come to understand something of your personality, perhaps through a taste for high-spec kitchens and red carpets. Beyond that, the potential insight into your life is limited - your diaries and photo albums will have moved with you. More stories like this: With data, it is more complicated. Once you sign up for an online service, constant and often seamless data collection starts. Minimal understanding and agreement are often sufficient for this collection to begin: clicking "I agree" to terms and conditions you may or may not have read can be enough. It's as if, rather than handing over a clean and tidy house, you have invited the buyer to move in with you and start taking notes: how you behave, whom you talk to, who visits you and who spends the night. Many people never have a clear understanding of how the data they produce is shared, collected and interpreted. It can be combined with data from other sources, and investigated in unpredictable and unforeseen ways to gain in-depth knowledge about our lives, preferences, and likely future behaviours. This knowledge can be used to influence us in subtle but powerful ways. The advertisements, news, and friends we encounter online are often the result of this nudging. And, unlike a house, the data can be copied again and again at little to no cost, reaching an unlimited number of people. It is clear that the risks to privacy with data are substantial. Recognising this, additional safeguards are being introduced. In Europe, from 25 May, a new law called the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) will be in place. The aim is to give individuals the power to make informed choices about how their data is collected and used. Personal data can only be collected for precise and pre-defined purposes. Companies will have to be very clear about how and why they are collecting it. New transparency rules are intended to make sure consumers know what types of data are being collected when they use an app or platform, as well as who it might be shared with. This is why we have been seeing the notices about "important updates" popping up on Facebook and Twitter, for example. Companies will be required to protect users' privacy "by default". If data is leaked, users must be told if it is likely to pose a high risk to them. There could also be less use of the "legalese" that prevents so many of us from understanding what happens to our data and making informed choices about what to share. This is because consent for data to be shared will only apply if the terms and conditions are written "using clear and plain language". Companies have a compelling reason to comply: fines up to 4% of worldwide annual turnover can be applied if the standards are not met. And although the GDPR is a European Union law, companies based outside its borders will also need to adhere if they offer goods and services in the EU, or process the data of its residents. Even with Brexit looming, British organisations will continue to feel its effects. A new Data Protection Bill is currently making its way through Parliament, which will adopt the standards created by the GDPR. As such, the GDPR's impact will be felt globally, not just in Europe. However, much work remains to ensure the law has its intended impact. Key terms and requirements need clarification and testing in court. And individuals will need to be made aware of their rights if they are to exercise them. There is also the possibility that users will not benefit from the controls of the GDPR if companies change the way they work. In the case of Facebook, 1.5 billion members will no longer be protected after the firm decided they would no longer be regulated by its European headquarters in Ireland, but by Facebook Inc in the US. Facebook says it plans clearer privacy rules worldwide. Some business groups have also raised concerns, suggesting that many companies are unaware of the changes and the new regulations will be an additional burden. Despite these caveats, had the GDPR already been in force, the Cambridge Analytica scandal may have played out very differently. With the great potential and risks of big data firmly fixed in the public's attention, meaningful co-operation and oversight over personal data are a priority for many people. We will soon have some of the tools needed to take us in this direction. And the punishments needed to deal with companies which break the rules. About this piece This analysis piece was commissioned by the BBC from an expert working for an outside organisation. Dr Sandra Wachter is a lawyer and research fellow at the Oxford Internet Institute, University of Oxford, and the Alan Turing Institute, the national institute for data science and artificial intelligence. Follow her at @SandraWachter5 Edited by Duncan Walker

इस बात की प्रबल संभावना है कि आपने हाल ही में एक ईमेल या पॉप-अप बॉक्स देखा है जिसमें किसी सोशल मीडिया कंपनी या वेबसाइट द्वारा आपके डेटा का उपयोग करने के तरीके के बारे में "कुछ महत्वपूर्ण अपडेट" दिए गए हैं। क्या हम अपनी व्यक्तिगत जानकारी का नियंत्रण फिर से हासिल करने वाले हैं?


Aberdeen Christmas lights 'set to go ahead'

Summary: Aberdeen will get its new Christmas lights despite earlier fears a legal wrangle could disrupt it, the council has said.

Doubts had been raised that the local authority could not sign a contract with an illuminations company. However, following a hearing at Aberdeen Sheriff Court, the council said it now expected to be able to proceed. The annual lights are a popular attraction along Union Street. It was thought the council could have been prohibited from entering into a contract with its preferred bidder while a civil action brought by another firm was active. Related Internet Links Aberdeen City Council

परिषद ने कहा है कि एबरडीन को अपनी नई क्रिसमस लाइट्स मिलेंगी, हालांकि पहले यह आशंका थी कि कानूनी विवाद इसे बाधित कर सकता है।


KitKat maker Nestle misses forecasts as profit falls

Summary: Nestle, which makes KitKats, Nescafe and Purina pet food, has said it will steepen its cost-cutting plan after unveiling disappointing results.

Net profit for 2016 fell to 8.5bn Swiss francs (£6.78bn) from 9.1bn a year earlier. Analysts had expected 9.59bn francs' worth of profit. Sluggish food inflation in most of its markets and easing demand in emerging markets saw sales growth slow to 3.2% from 4.2% in 2015. The company has cut its sales growth target to between 2% and 4% for 2017, scrapping its prior "Nestle model" of 5-6% so-called organic growth, which excludes sales from companies it buys. New chief executive Mark Schneider, who took over the role in January, said: "Our 2016 organic growth was at the high end of the industry, but at the lower end of our expectations."

किटकैट्स, नेस्काफे और पुरिना पालतू भोजन बनाने वाली नेस्ले ने कहा है कि वह निराशाजनक परिणामों का खुलासा करने के बाद अपनी लागत में कटौती की योजना को तेज करेगी।


UK envoy 'declines apology over Libya rendition claims'

Summary: Britain's senior diplomat in Tripoli declined to offer an apology during a meeting on Thursday with the man at the centre of allegations of rendition, torture, and collusion between the former government of Col Gaddafi, London and Washington.

Andrew HardingAfrica correspondent@BBCAndrewHon Twitter I understand from a Libyan source at Thursday's meeting between Dominic Asquith and Abdel Hakim Belhaj, now in charge of Tripoli's military council, that Mr Belhaj raised the issue of an apology directly with the British envoy but was politely turned down. In a brief statement the Foreign Office later confirmed that Mr Belhaj "raised this issue". "The special representative said that we take these claims very seriously." He went on to stress that a British inquiry would look carefully at these latest allegations. Most of the meeting focused on "the security situation in Tripoli and the NTC's progress in helping life in Tripoli return to normal". I'll be writing about that security situation shortly. "The British asked us to stop talking to the media about rendition," said my Libyan source - a request he suggested, with a smile, would probably fall on deaf ears.

त्रिपोली में ब्रिटेन के वरिष्ठ राजनयिक ने गुरुवार को कर्नल गद्दाफी, लंदन और वाशिंगटन की पूर्व सरकार के बीच प्रत्यर्पण, यातना और मिलीभगत के आरोपों के केंद्र में उस व्यक्ति के साथ एक बैठक के दौरान माफी मांगने से इनकार कर दिया।


Restraining order charge after woman falls from Rubery tower block

Summary: Police investigating a woman's fall from a tower block window have charged a man with breaching a restraining order.

The 29-year-old woman was found with serious injuries after falling from the fifth floor in Cock Hill Lane, Rubery, during the early hours of 31 August. Darren Edwards, 22, was initially arrested in connection with the fall, police said. Edwards admitted the breach at Birmingham Magistrates' Court. Police said the woman was taken to hospital with critical injuries, but her condition has since "improved." Inquiries continue into how she came to fall from the building. Edwards, of no fixed address, is due to be sentenced on Wednesday. Follow BBC West Midlands on Facebook, on Twitter, and sign up for local news updates direct to your phone.

टावर ब्लॉक की खिड़की से एक महिला के गिरने की जांच कर रही पुलिस ने एक व्यक्ति पर निरोधक आदेश का उल्लंघन करने का आरोप लगाया है।


Norway's Barnevernet: They took our four children… then the baby

Summary: The case of a young couple in Norway whose five children were taken away by the state has fuelled mounting concern within the country and abroad over its child protection practices. Protesters around the world - and leading Norwegian professionals - say social workers are often too quick to separate children from their families, with too little justification, particularly when parents are immigrants.

By Tim WhewellBBC News Ruth and Marius's life was torn apart without warning one Monday afternoon last November when two black cars approached the farm where they live in a remote Norwegian valley. Their two little boys, aged five and two, and their three-month-old baby son, were in their big, bright, modern living room overlooking the steel-grey fjord. Ruth was waiting as usual for the school bus that would bring back their two daughters, aged eight and 10. But that Monday, it never came. Instead, Ruth saw the two unknown cars. One continued along the main road; the other turned up the farm track - and a woman from the local child protection service knocked at the door. She told Ruth to come to the police station for interrogation. The woman said the other black car had taken Ruth's two daughters away, into emergency state care. And she told Ruth to hand over her two older sons to be taken away, too. The following day, two black cars appeared again. The couple assumed it had all been a terrible mistake and the children had been brought back. But they were wrong. Four policemen got out. And took the baby. Those events have triggered a worldwide protest campaign, online and on the streets. Thousands of people have joined demonstrations in support of Ruth and Marius in a series of countries across four continents. The Norwegian child protection service, known as Barnevernet, has been accused by protesters of "kidnapping" children - in this and many other cases. But Ruth and Marius's story isn't as simple as some campaigners imply. They were suspected of administering corporal punishment, and in Norway, that's completely illegal. Sitting in their living room, surrounded by long-unused toys, Ruth, a paediatric nurse, whose family has lived in the valley for generations, and Marius, a computer expert originally from Romania, are close to tears as they talk about what happened. Ruth says they did spank the children. But she adds: "Not every time when they do something bad, more occasionally." "They didn't find any physical marks or anything like that when they had medical examination on them, they were, are, all fine," she says. "But the law in Norway, it is very clear until the smallest detail, it's not allowed of any physical correction, and we have never been aware that it was this strict." Norway: Parents against the state A lawyer for the couple wouldn't let me ask Ruth and Marius more detailed questions, because they're still under investigation. And it's impossible to find out the authorities' side of the story, because the child protection service won't discuss individual cases, to protect children's privacy. But the couple's supporters are concerned not just about the initial removal of the children - but about what happened afterwards. The children were split between three different sets of emergency foster parents. Marius and Ruth had an eight-hour round trip to get to supervised meetings with the baby, and separately with the two older boys. The couple say Barnevernet initially told them there would be a meeting immediately after the children were taken, to discuss under what conditions the family might be reunited. But they say the meeting that eventually took place, much later, had a completely different agenda. "By then we had already engaged ourselves in family counselling, to be prepared to fix whatever needs to be fixed. But at that meeting they didn't even want to look at our plan," Marius says. "Actually they said they set up the meeting to inform us that they would file a case for permanently removing the kids." The campaign in support of the couple has been particularly well-supported in Marius's home country, Romania, and by Evangelical Christians worldwide, because the couple are Pentecostals. Many protesters believe they are victims of discrimination on religious and national grounds. There have also been other high-profile campaigns on behalf of immigrant families whose children have been forcibly taken into care in Norway, making the same claim. One case involving a Czech family in Norway has led to a major diplomatic row between Norway and the Czech Republic. Czech President Milos Zeman accused Norwegian social workers of acting like Nazis - an allegation the Ministry for Children has described as absurd and unworthy of comment. But campaigners have also highlighted controversial cases where they say wholly Norwegian families have had children taken into care without adequate justification or attempt to find alternative solutions. In an open letter of protest to the Children's Minister, 170 leading Norwegian professionals involved in child protection - lawyers, psychologists, social work experts - say Barnevernet is a "dysfunctional organisation which makes far-reaching errors of judgment with serious consequences". Psychologist Einar Salvesen, one of the initiators of the letter, says: "There is a lack of what I'd call the human factor. A lack of empathy, really providing an atmosphere so people can learn… It's more like police interventions, more like we have to find out what's wrong with you." Norway has long been proud of the resources it devotes to protecting children. In 1981 it was the first country in the world to appoint a children's ombudsman - an independent official responsible for protecting children's rights. The idea has since been copied across Europe and beyond. The child protection service, Barnevernet, stresses that in the vast majority of cases when it thinks something's going wrong in a family, it doesn't take the children away. It works with parents to solve the problems and keep the family together. But the number of children and young people taken into emergency care rose by half from 2008 to 2013. That was partly in reaction to nationwide shock in 2005 over the killing of an eight-year-old boy, Kristoffer, who was beaten to death by his stepfather. Most cases now don't involve parental violence, though, or alcohol- or drug-abuse. The commonest reason for a care order now is simply "lack of parenting skills". That, in short, is the reason Barnevernet gave for taking away the four-month-old baby daughter of a young Norwegian father called Erik and his Chinese wife in the country's second city, Bergen. Home videos of the little girl when she was three and four months old show her lying in her cot, apparently alert and responsive as she interacts with her parents. But Barnevernet, the child protection service, said lack of eye contact, and other signs, revealed she was suffering serious psychological harm. They said her parents couldn't meet her emotional needs, partly because her mother was depressed, and Erik - to quote one social worker - was "simple". However, Erik's never been diagnosed with any condition other than a slight lack of short-term memory when he was small. And the baby was never examined clinically by any health professional to establish if anything was wrong with her, and if so whether the parents could be at fault. Just days before Barnevernet started their urgent assessment of the family, a doctor at their local health clinic found the little girl was developing normally. But that wasn't mentioned at the court hearing that later upheld the care order. Nor, according to the girl's grandfather, Yngve, was other evidence the family put forward to try to win her back. "We put forward a huge report on my son's psychological strengths and weaknesses," he says. "They haven't mentioned that by one word. So they are closing their eyes, and they say that we can only rely on the assessments that the people working for Barnevernet have made." In the several years since then, Yngve - the Director of the State Archive in Bergen - has pressed the authorities, without success, to let him and his wife Bente, a professional photographer, take their granddaughter into their care. Once a pillar of the establishment - he was personally appointed to his job by the King of Norway - Yngve is now a bitter critic of his country's child welfare policy. "I grew up believing that Norway was the best system in the world, best for children, the UN are saying this all the time, and then I discovered that this cannot be the case," he says. "At first I thought that this case that we had experienced must be one in a million. There just can't be more madness than this. And when I showed my face on TV in connection with this, a lot of people have contacted me, and they have showed me other stories that are even worse than the one that I have experienced. "I am a senior civil servant, and I should really be a defender of Norway, and normally I am, but here it is something extremely wrong." Yngve believes Barnevernet first became concerned about his granddaughter because initially she was cared for partly by her Chinese grandmother, to allow her mother to rest. That's common practice in China, but not in Norway, and Yngve thinks it made the authorities suspicious. "I think this has to do with our Norwegian understanding of culture compared to other cultures," he says. "Barnevernet have their own definition of normality." As the Norwegian media begins to investigate a story it has long ignored, one journalist has calculated that children with a foreign mother are four times more likely than other children in Norway to be forcibly taken from their families. There's no proof that cultural difference played a role in the removal of Yngve's granddaughter, or Marius and Ruth's children, though, and the authorities deny any discrimination in these or any other cases. Kai-Morten Terning, undersecretary at the Ministry for Children and Equality, says he can't understand the reason for the international protests against his country. "We don't have many children in alternative care, in comparison with, say, other Nordic countries," he says. He says that following the open letter from the 170 professionals, the Ministry wants a "broad review of child welfare, to see what goes wrong and also learn from the best practice". He adds: "We need to be better at helping families early, with assisted measures, because the child welfare service is a helping system, and most of the work they do is helping parents to become better parents." He can't comment on Ruth and Marius's situation - or any other specific case - but when asked if mild corporal punishment would be sufficient reason for children to be taken into care, he says: "We have programmes for parents to avoid using corporal punishment… but parents have to know the law and live by it in Norway, regardless of background." After more than four months when Ruth had to go through the routine of expressing her breast milk and bottling it up to take on the long drive to the two-hour, twice-weekly meetings with her baby son, last week, totally unexpectedly, he was returned to them. But they don't expect any movement from the authorities on the other four children at least until after a court hearing at the end of May. "We would like to explain to them the situation," Ruth says, ahead of another all-too-brief supervised meeting. "But we cannot do that because we cannot talk about the case. "They don't know when we're really fighting to not show our feeling. Because with the bigger ones we're told not to show any sorrow, because we make our child sad. So we really try to keep our tears to ourselves, till they're out of the door at least." Subscribe to the BBC News Magazine's email newsletter to get articles sent to your inbox.

नॉर्वे में एक युवा जोड़े का मामला, जिनके पांच बच्चों को राज्य द्वारा ले जाया गया था, ने अपनी बाल संरक्षण प्रथाओं को लेकर देश और विदेशों में बढ़ती चिंता को बढ़ावा दिया है। दुनिया भर में प्रदर्शनकारियों और नॉर्वे के प्रमुख पेशेवरों का कहना है कि सामाजिक कार्यकर्ता अक्सर बच्चों को उनके परिवारों से अलग करने में बहुत जल्दी करते हैं, बहुत कम औचित्य के साथ, खासकर जब माता-पिता अप्रवासी होते हैं।