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uk-wales-south-east-wales-29454811 | https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-south-east-wales-29454811 | Derailed train at Barry disrupts south Wales services | Train services across south east Wales have been disrupted after a train left the tracks at Barry in the Vale of Glamorgan. | The incident involved a freight train at about 02:30 BST on Thursday morning. Arriva Trains Wales said trains are unable to run in either direction and replacement bus services are in place between Barry and Bridgend. Severe delays are also expected on services between Cardiff, Pontypridd and Rhymney, and from Merthyr Tydfil. A Network Rail spokesman said the back two wagons of the train had derailed bringing it to a standstill at Porthkerry and causing damage to the track. Delays are expected to last all day as the line remains blocked. | ग्लैमॉर्गन की घाटी में बैरी में एक ट्रेन के पटरियों को छोड़ने के बाद दक्षिण पूर्व वेल्स में ट्रेन सेवाएं बाधित हो गई हैं। |
business-41550434 | https://www.bbc.com/news/business-41550434 | Richard Thaler and the economics of how we live | How do you get people to eat more healthily? | Kamal AhmedEconomics editor@bbckamalon Twitter You could construct some powerful arguments about how an obesity epidemic is leading to more diseases such as Type II diabetes and coronary heart conditions. You could put large red traffic light signs on unhealthy foods and engage in expensive public information campaigns warning that overeating products high in salt, sugar and fat can reduce life expectancy. Or you could just change where you put the salad boxes on the supermarket shelves. The last option is an example of nudge theory at work, a theory popularised and developed by Richard Thaler, the University of Chicago economist who was today announced as this year's recipient of the Nobel Prize for Economics. Prof Thaler's central insight is that we are not the rational beings beloved of more traditional economic theory. Given two options, we are likely to pick the wrong one even if that means making ourselves less well off. Lack of thinking time, habit and poor decision making mean that even when presented with a factual analysis (for example on healthy eating) we are still likely to pick burger and chips. We're hungry, we're in a hurry and burger and chips is what we always buy. Nudge theory takes account of this, based as it is on the simple premise that people will often choose what is easiest over what is wisest. Tests have shown that putting healthier foods on a higher shelf increases sales. The food is more likely to be in someone's eye line and therefore "nudge" that person towards the purchase - whether they had any idea about the obesity argument or not. Such theories, which sit in a big bucket of academic study called "behavioural economics", are what Prof Thaler is famous for. So famous that the government now has its own Behavioural Insights Team, otherwise known as the "nudge unit". It helps formulate policies, for example on pensions, to try and make us behave "more rationally" and push us towards better outcomes. One of its projects revealed that charitable giving via your pay packet - called payroll giving - increased dramatically if people were told who else in their peer group (maybe Facebook friends) were also giving via that method. Attaching a picture of "mates giving money" also improved the level of charitable donations. We tend to like doing what our friends like doing - called the peer group norm. Prof Thaler also gave us the concept of "mental accounting" - that we will tend to divide our expenditure into separate blocks even though they come from the same source. For example, we will spend more on a credit or debit card in a food shop compared with cash even though all the money ultimately comes from our earnings. Then there is his work on the "planner-doer" syndrome - that we lack self-control, will act in our own short-term self-interest and need extra incentives to plan long term than simply being told that, rationally, it is good idea. How many times do we let that gym membership lapse, despite our best intentions? Having just received news of the award, Prof Thaler told me that his job was to "add human beings" to economic theory. And today he has been rewarded, both via the recognition of the Nobel Prize and by the not inconsiderable sum of £845,000 in prize money. Asked how he would spend the money Prof Thaler gave a succinct answer. "Irrationally." | आप लोगों को अधिक स्वस्थ खाने के लिए कैसे प्रेरित करते हैं? |
uk-england-nottinghamshire-38985015 | https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-nottinghamshire-38985015 | Mother's Italian mystery death case 'smells bad' | When a British woman was found dead near her house in Italy with 10 knife wounds to her neck, her death was put down to suicide. However, her parents believe she was murdered. Now they hope government backing will persuade police to reopen the investigation. | Claire Martin had moved to Italy with her partner Diego. She was living near Naples with his family and her parents Pat and Ray, from Sutton-in-Ashfield in Nottinghamshire, said she was happy in her new life. But one morning in 2012, a telephone call shattered the dream. "It had just gone three o'clock in the morning when I got the telephone call from Diego to say 'come quick, come quick, Claire is dead'," Mr Martin said. Events were as confused as they were gruesome. Ms Martin had left her one-year-old with Diego's mother and used an external staircase to climb down to her car. Shortly afterwards screams were heard and Ms Martin staggered back up to an outside balcony, bleeding from several wounds to her neck. The 30-year-old collapsed but apparently gasped "it was a man" to her mother-in-law and gestured to land at the back of the house. Within minutes she had bled to death. Her car keys were on the ground outside, while nearby was a bloodstained kitchen knife - which had not come from the house. Post-mortem examinations showed 10 wounds to her neck - but none elsewhere. Italian police initially investigated the death as a murder but closed the case 15 months later, saying Ms Martin suffered from post-natal depression and much of the evidence pointed to suicide. They pointed to a lack of defensive injuries on her hands or any obvious motive. The 'neat' parallel nature of some of the cuts, a possible delay of about 10 minutes in her seeking help and anxiety over a prospective move to Germany were also cause for doubt. However, experts have now rejected this hypothesis. Criminology lecturer and retired senior police officer, Tony Blockley, has reviewed the case, though not all of the files have been translated. Various elements of the original investigation, such as how the scene was examined and the loss of potential DNA, have been criticised. Unanswered questions Source: Tony Blockley, criminologist "If we're not careful we just accept what's happened without questioning it and where do families like this go?," he said. His scepticism is shared by Dr Stuart Hamilton, a Home Office pathologist who has studied evidence from the post-mortem examination of Ms Martin. "If I was briefing a senior investigating officer at this autopsy, I would be suggesting that you need to go and find the murderer," he said. He said while it was "physically possible" for someone to inflict such injuries on themselves, big doubts remained. "The simple fact is that stabbing oneself in the neck is a very, very rare form of suicide," he added. "There are no obvious defensive injuries on the hands or forearms where someone warded off or grasped at another assailant - but if you are taken by surprise or overcome from behind then you wouldn't necessary expect to see them." His intervention has helped persuade the Foreign Office to push for a meeting between British officials, the family and the Italian authorities. Foreign Office minister Sir Alan Duncan has said the case deserves to be looked at again. "This just looks wrong and there's a smell about it which is not nice," he said. "Just to close the case and say 'Oh it was suicide' is clearly not true and therefore I think we have to do all in our power to challenge that verdict," he added. The Foreign Office has now told Ms Martin's parents that a meeting with the acting chief prosecutor concerned with the case could take place in April. A previous attempt to reopen the case in 2014 was rejected by the Italian authorities, but the family are now hopeful of progress. The BBC contacted the Italian Embassy in the UK but it did not respond to a request to comment on the case. "I feel as though we are going to the next step on a very large staircase," Mrs Martin said. "It has caused us such lasting effects that I don't know whether we'll ever get over everything. "Five years on... it just wants starting from the very beginning and working right through." | जब एक ब्रिटिश महिला इटली में अपने घर के पास मृत पाई गई थी और उसकी गर्दन पर चाकू के 10 घाव थे, तो उसकी मौत को आत्महत्या के लिए रखा गया था। हालाँकि, उसके माता-पिता का मानना है कि उसकी हत्या कर दी गई थी। अब उन्हें उम्मीद है कि सरकार का समर्थन पुलिस को जांच को फिर से खोलने के लिए राजी करेगा। |
magazine-35234182 | https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-35234182 | The secret lives of the Mafia hunters | The Mafia has been part of Sicilian life for generations, and so has the battle by police to arrest its leaders. The elite unit that goes after them is called the Catturandi - from the word meaning "to catch" - one of its officers told Max Paradiso about the shadowy world in which he works, and how he kept his job hidden from his girlfriend until she recognised his bottom on TV. | The only time you are likely to see a member of the Catturandi is when they arrest a mafioso. They are the men "without a name and without a face" - when they carry out operations they wear balaclavas to ensure they can't be identified. "We prefer to be called 'The Band of Lions' because that's what we are: wild, free, and ready to attack at any given time in this jungle," says IMD. There are fewer than 20 of them, and there is an obvious reason why they keep a low profile. "Back in the day, you would receive death threats from the bad guys, goat heads sent directly to your house - it wasn't pleasant," he says. In the 90s he also received photographs of his car number plate, marked with a red cross. The threats drove some of his colleagues to leave the Catturandi but not IMD - and over the years the risk of assassination has reduced. He and his fellow officers find they often develop strangely intimate relationships with the criminals they track. They can wiretap and tail them for decades before making an arrest. "It's like living with these people. You hear them conceiving their children, you listen to their family issues, you see their kids growing up and their emotions become yours," says IMD. One of the men they bugged was a doctor in Palermo, who is now in jail. "He was really knowledgeable, we all learned Italian literature by constantly listening to him. We would take notes, get books he mentioned in his never-ending lectures to his kids. It was like listening to a radio programme and we were all fascinated by his manners, his way of thinking and his creativity. It was hard to believe he was a mobster." The weeks after an arrest can be unsettling. "You don't see them any more - it's psychologically hard to cope with and, as they were part of your daily life, you start missing them," says IMD. In his two decades with the police, IMD has helped to arrest nearly 300 mafiosi, including Giovanni Brusca, notorious for kidnapping and torturing the 11-year-old son of another mafioso who had betrayed him. Brusca had the boy killed and the body dissolved in acid - as a result, the child's family couldn't bury him. At the moment of arrest, when the Catturandi storm a mobster's house, IMD says he can have mixed feelings. "You want to ask them a lot of questions: Why do you kill? Why do you do that to another human being?" But the opportunities for conversation are limited, and any exchanges tend to be unsatisfying. "When we got Brusca, 'The Pig', he started weeping like a child. Provenzano, the boss of bosses, on the other hand, remained silent and whispered to me, 'You don't know what you're doing.' But we got them, and that's what matters." Brusca was a key player in the crime that inspired IMD to join the police. On 23 May 1992, the Mafia placed half a tonne of explosives under the road to Palermo's international airport, killing the leading anti-Mafia judge, Giovanni Falcone. Brusca was later identified as the man who pressed the button setting off the bombs. "I was at my girlfriend's 18th birthday party," says IMD, who was a biology student at the time. "Her father was the head of the Palermo police response team and when the bomb blasted, the pagers of all the police officers at the party went off at the same time and everybody left in tears. That was this girl's debut into society." IMD immediately wanted to find out what was going on but when he realised the road to the airport was sealed off, he decided to drive his motorcycle to the centre of Palermo instead to see how people were reacting. "Right there," IMD recalls, pointing at a little piazza, "I saw a bunch of guys laughing and cheering while eating their panini. I went up to them and I told them Judge Falcone got killed. They stared back at me and said, 'What the hell do we care?' "I knew what I wanted to do. The following day I joined the police force to catch as many bad guys as I could." At that time, few young Sicilians wanted to join the Catturandi - partly because the job was too dangerous - so IMD's application was accepted readily. "Most people you knew would stop talking to you or they would spit in your face because being a cop was considered an unspeakable betrayal," he says. He dropped his studies and while his old university friends were "chasing girls in nightclubs", as he puts it, IMD was tailing Giovanni Brusca and other Mafia bosses such as Salvatore "Toto" Riina, who ordered the Falcone murder. While following Brusca, IMD and one of his colleagues ended up in Cinisi, a small town near Palermo. "There was this group of girls so we approached them. The idea was to get introduced to people in Cinisi without raising suspicions. Of course it worked out… we got the fugitive but I had to marry her afterwards," he laughs. Their dates were unusual. His girlfriend - unaware of what was going on - provided useful cover. "Instead of taking my girlfriend, now my wife, to nice beaches to kiss under the stars, I would take her to horrible places, dead-end roads paved with garbage, just because I was following the fugitive's lover. We would start embracing and she would ask: 'Why here of all places?' "After dropping her off at her house, I would go back to the office and report." He used to tell his loved ones that he worked at the passport office. But when he and his fellow Catturandi caught Brusca, "everybody was in front of their TV screens, videotaping the arrest", he says. "When my wife [then girlfriend] saw those men wearing the balaclavas she noticed a familiar rear end and she called me. I couldn't hide the truth any more. I told her, 'Please don't say anything to Grandma otherwise the whole world will know.' Luckily, she was able to keep the secret." Italy's most wanted mafioso today is Matteo Messina Denaro, also known as Diabolik - a nickname he took from an uncatchable thief in a comic book. The head of the Sicilian Mafia, he has been in hiding since 1993 - police believe he is living abroad, possibly in South America. He once boasted that he could "fill a cemetery" with his victims, and last year it emerged that he had been communicating with fellow criminals using a code that referred to sheep. Messages between them included "The sheep need shearing" and "The shears need sharpening". Eleven men were arrested in Sicily - IMD was there - but Denaro himself is as elusive as ever. While the Sicilian Mafia is not as powerful as it was 20 years ago, it is still a problem for the island. "They know they can't kill people as they used to, so now the whole system has evolved into an intricate web of interests that entangles politics, finance and the very structure of Sicilian society," says IMD. For some, especially teenagers and tourists, the Mafia still holds a romantic aura. On Palermo's street corners stallholders loudly advertise Godfather T-shirts, gun-shaped cigarette lighters and statuettes of men with moustaches and shotguns with one hand placed over their mouths. Muto sugno, Mum's the word, it reads on the base of the miniatures. One of these stalls stands just a block away from Via D'Amelio, a dead-end residential road where, on 19 July 1992, a Mafia bomb killed another judge, Paolo Borsellino. He was known as the "the good man of Palermo" for his stand against organised crime. "These street stands are a paradox, just like this town," says IMD. "We would like to be as civilised as the rest of the world, but we never let go this perverse fascination with the criminal underworld." Subscribe to the BBC News Magazine's email newsletter to get articles sent to your inbox. | माफिया कई पीढ़ियों से सिसिलियन जीवन का हिस्सा रहा है, और इसी तरह पुलिस द्वारा अपने नेताओं को गिरफ्तार करने की लड़ाई भी। उनके पीछे जाने वाली कुलीन इकाई को कट्टुरांडी कहा जाता है-शब्द से जिसका अर्थ है "पकड़ना"-इसके एक अधिकारी ने मैक्स पैराडिसो को उस छायादार दुनिया के बारे में बताया जिसमें वह काम करता है, और कैसे उसने अपनी नौकरी को अपनी प्रेमिका से तब तक छिपा कर रखा जब तक कि वह टीवी पर उसका निचला हिस्सा नहीं पहचान लेती। |
science-environment-19913537 | https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-19913537 | Great Storm: The healing power of nature | After wreaking havoc throughout the night of Thursday 15 October 1987, it was at first light the following morning that the damage caused by hurricane-force winds across southern and south-eastern parts of the UK could be truly assessed. | By Mark KinverEnvironment reporter, BBC News And when the extent of the devastation was finally tallied, 18 people had lost their lives and the storm was listed as the most expensive weather-related event in the history of the British insurance industry. Also, landscapes familiar for generations had changed forever. An estimated 15 million trees were uprooted, countless more were damaged in the few hours that the Great Storm, with winds recorded at speeds in excess of 160 km/h (100mph; 86 knots) wreaked havoc across woodlands and plantations. At Toys Hill, the highest point in Kent, about 98% of the woodland - including many veteran beech trees that had adorned the hillside for centuries - was lost. Copperas Wood nature reserve in Essex lost almost three-quarters of its ancient woodland, which primarily consisted of coppiced sweet chestnut and hornbeam. Although the immediate aftermath left people in a sense of shock of how the landscape had changed beyond recognition overnight, Keith Kirby - who at the time worked for English Nature (which later became Natural England) - said it could later be seen as a blessing in disguise for woodland ecology. "The immediate reaction was that everyone thought that it was a great disaster but I think, with hindsight - on the whole - it was beneficial in many respects," he told BBC News. "Until then, we had not fully appreciated just how uniform our woods were becoming." Dr Kirby, who co-edited a 1993 report on the storm's ecological impact on woodlands, explained that, at the time, many of the woods' canopies were closing over as the trees entered the young, mature stage of their lifecycle. The previous time wood was in such high demand and vast numbers of trees were felled was during the Second World War, he explained. "The last remnants of active coppicing were also dying out, so the woods were getting into a fairly dark and shady state." The lack of light meant that much of the low-level flora and fauna that favoured woodland conditions were struggling. "With the storm coming along when it did, it helped break up those canopies in some places and create some gaps that otherwise would not have occurred," Dr Kirby, now a visiting researcher at Oxford University's Department of Plant Science, observed. He recalled how one long-term monitoring project, which ran from 1971 to 2001, looked at 100 woodland plots across the UK, shedding some light on one of the possible silver linings to an otherwise devastating weather event. "One of things that we found was that, on the whole, the flora had become thinned out and there was a lower species richness - except in about 10 of the woods. "When we looked at where [the 10 plots] were, they were all in south-east England and they were all within the storm track." The abrupt opening of the woodlands' thick canopies offered a lifeline to plants and butterflies that had once thrived in these habitats. Dr Kirby observed: "It is more the commoner woodland species - such as primrose and bluebells - that can survive under shade, but if the shade continues for long periods then their density does thin out. "It was the regular opening of the canopies through the coppice regimes in the past that meant a lot of our woodlands had these great displays of spring flowers. "Woodland butterflies, fritillaries in particular, are associated with gaps or temporary hotspots within the woods." He added that there was no evidence to confirm that they did benefit from the storm, but "what we do know is that their trend has been in general decline through most of Britain and this has been associated with increased shade". "The storm might have given them a temporary respite but, unfortunately, it was only temporary and the decline is now continuing." Changing composition The other co-editor of the 1993 report, Peter Buckley, said another ecological benefit of the storm was that it changed the composition of woodlands from, in many cases, almost monocultures. "For example, a lot of the beech on the Downs were felled (in the storm) and were succeeded by birch and other pioneer species," he explained. So there has been a break-up of some of the monoculture and clonal vegetation patches underneath the trees." Dr Buckley said that the impact of the storm also offered an insight into how woodlands were vulnerable to extreme weather. "It did show that plantations did not stand up particularly well to these types of storms because you have lots of trees crammed together, with small root systems and they grow tall," he told BBC News. "Whereas in the old traditional approach of coppicing, you could argue that the trees are kept short so they do not offer so much wind resistance. "In fact, the big standard trees in the old coppicing-with-standards system grew up more or less exposed, so developed wind firmness over time. "What the storm showed was that trees which had probably reached their full height but were still young and not securely anchored blew over very easily. "Those that had been in situ for a very long time had had time to spread their roots, or trees on the edge of plantations that did not have so much competition on the outside of the stand, these stood up and did pretty well." Dr Buckley estimated that about half of the trees lost during the 1987 Great Storm were young plantation trees. The National Trust, one of the UK's largest landowners, lost hundreds of thousands of trees on its properties in the storm. While fallen trees caused an acute problem for the Trust in formal landscapes, the loss of so many trees did allow its experts to review how to manage its woodlands. "One of the legacies we have learned from the Great Storm is that woodlands look after themselves pretty well," explained head of forestry Ray Hawes. "Just after the storm, one of my colleagues went over a lot of our parks and gardens and took a lot of aerial shots in order to get an idea of tree and woodland damage. "For the 20th anniversary of the storm, we redid it. Some of the areas that had not been replanted were basically back to woodlands - they regenerated naturally. "Whereas if you try planting trees into these systems at an early stage, then you end up with a huge maintenance job to look after the trees you planted, because they are being swamped by the natural regeneration trees, which tend to be more vigorous. "This is because they come out of the ground straight from seed; they have not had the shock of being taken from a nursery and planted in the ground. "So now, we would leave a lot of woodlands to see what happens naturally," Mr Hawes told BBC News. | गुरुवार 15 अक्टूबर 1987 की रात भर तबाही मचाने के बाद, यह अगली सुबह पहली रोशनी में था कि ब्रिटेन के दक्षिणी और दक्षिण-पूर्वी हिस्सों में तूफान-बल हवाओं से हुए नुकसान का सही मायने में आकलन किया जा सकता था। |
world-europe-guernsey-16963688 | https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-guernsey-16963688 | Guernsey States approves energy strategy | The States of Guernsey has approved the revised Energy Resource Plan despite a number of deputies raising criticism about it showing a lack of direction. | Deputy Barry Brehaut said it "lacked detail and substance" on what had been done to reduce energy consumption and what it would do in the future. Deputy Carla McNulty Bauer, who heads the Energy Policy Group, said the plan aimed to provide strategic direction. Members agreed with her and voted it through by 38-4 votes. It means departments will have to take the plan's objectives "into account" when preparing policies. | ग्वेर्नसे के राज्यों ने संशोधित ऊर्जा संसाधन योजना को मंजूरी दे दी है, इसके बावजूद कि कई प्रतिनिधियों ने दिशा की कमी को दर्शाते हुए इसकी आलोचना की है। |
uk-northern-ireland-56035293 | https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-56035293 | Newry: Shots fired in same street as recent stabbing | Police are investigating a gun attack in Newry, County Down, during which a number of shots were fired. | It happened at Stream Street in the city at around 21:00 GMT on Thursday. Two men were in the property at the time of the attack but were not injured. It took place in the same street where a man was stabbed several times in the face last week. It is not yet known if there is any link between the two incidents. | पुलिस न्यूरी, काउंटी डाउन में एक बंदूक हमले की जांच कर रही है, जिसके दौरान कई गोलियां चलाई गईं। |
uk-england-52472426 | https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-52472426 | Coronavirus: Running a campaign from home in lockdown | With people stuck at home, you might think the traditional notion of a protest is impossible. But campaigners and supporters are still eager to further their causes and fight for what they believe in during lockdown. | By Charley AdamsBBC News 'Starting a campaign from my bedroom' During lockdown we have had time to "fight for our rights", said Sioned Freer, who started a student rent strike from her bedroom. The campaign, against students having to pay full rent if they left their accommodation in Plymouth, began as a 20-member Facebook page and has amassed 750 supporters. Despite the campaign being "frustrating at times", the masters student said: "I've had so much time to dedicate to the campaign that I wouldn't have had otherwise - and other people have had more time to interact with it. "Now that people aren't exhausted from working all day we have the time to actually get involved with these causes. "Sometimes it's difficult to gauge how much difference we're making from my bedroom - despite that, I think it's been a mainly positive experience." The students have worked with unions and local organisations, met national rent strikers from other universities to discuss tactics and campaign strategies, and contacted MPs for support. "We have activists, legal students, media students and people who've never been involved in a campaign like this before all working together to make this thing work," added the 26-year-old. As a result of the campaign, university-owned halls have cancelled rent, along with a few of the purpose-built student accommodation blocks. "Sometimes when I have a bad day engaging with the campaign, I think about the 750 people who are behind me on this and it's really empowering." 'This wouldn't have happened if it wasn't for lockdown' "Lockdown has enabled us to take the project even further," said Dan Webb from Everyday Plastic, who has been running Zoom project workshops to highlight the plastic problem. Before the coronavirus pandemic, he had been taking the project into schools and organisations in Kent, but since lockdown his project has reached a worldwide following. Members collect all the plastic they use in a week, categorise and record it and then Dan calculates their plastic footprint, and the lockdown version has seen double the number of people participating. "This wouldn't have happened if it wasn't for lockdown - we would never have thought to do it with 100 people at once," he said. "The coronavirus [pandemic] has helped develop it as a new model as well, I've done a lot of work to adapt it for this situation so it's easy for people to do. "I want to ensure the plastic problem remains on the agenda during the lockdown period and beyond it." Andy Roberts and his family, including six-year-old daughter Ava, said the experience of getting involved in the project had been an "eye-opener". "I think the lockdown presented an opportunity for Dan as a way that we could all be online together - it probably wouldn't have happened if everyone hadn't been at home." Decorating streets 'sparks imagination' Extinction Rebellion supporters have been getting involved in a Paint the Streets campaign during lockdown by adorning pavements, roads, houses and their gardens. Decorating the streets "is an easy, accessible and beautiful way" to spread messages and "spark imagination", said activist Lucia Whittaker. The climate campaigner from Derby decorated her garden with colourful origami boats to mark the anniversary of Extinction Rebellion's protest in April 2019, when rebels parked a pink boat in Oxford Circus. You might also be interested in: Photographing the neighbours during lockdown Private gardens open virtually amid lockdown How have independent shopkeepers been faring? She also chalked a thought-provoking quote by Richard Powers outside her local park which she hoped made "people look at the trees a little differently on their daily walk". Edward Pickering-Symes, from Extinction Rebellion Derby, said: "The protest is a loving and uplifting way of showing another world is possible and for people to call out this message visually to their neighbours." Mair Perkins, who painted bees and vines along her fence, said the campaign was "all about creativity, community spirit and envisaging a better, more nature-filled future all while staying within the social distancing guidelines". She plans to paint more of her fence as the flowers in her garden grow and document the re-wilding process. Similarly, fellow Extinction Rebellion volunteers are making wind turbines and wind spinners and hanging them outside their homes as part of the Winds of Change campaign. Community activist Shelley Castle said she hoped the activity "will bring an uplifting message of hope for positive changes post Covid-19". 'A sense of cohesion even though we are cut off' "Although we are all separated from each other at this time, we really wanted to come together to do something positive in the crisis," said London City Voices director Richard Swan. The community choir got together online to sing You've Got a Friend by Carole King to support survivors of domestic abuse and raise funds for Women's Aid. The 276 members of the London-based choir recorded the performance and raised more than £70,000 for the charity's live chat service, which has seen a 41% increase in demand since lockdown began. Choir member Dinah Tobias said: "It has given the choir a sense of cohesion even though we are so cut off physically, to know that we are doing something to help others whilst being so proud of the sound we make as a virtual choir." Women's Aid also created a video showing the empty streets in lockdown and how dangerous home can be for some people. Beating the plastic polluters Surfers Against Sewage has been exposing plastic polluters with their #ReturnToOffender campaign during lockdown. Activists have been taking pictures of plastic litter during their daily exercise and sharing it on social media to challenge companies on what they are doing to combat their waste. "We can't meet up with all of our volunteers, but we can empower our volunteers in other ways," said the charity's chief executive Hugo Tagholm. "People at home might be disconnected, but this is an optimistic way to bring people together to campaign." He emphasised the importance of digital activism in modern protesting and said sharing the campaign on social media had been "very effective". The marine conservation charity has also been finding ways for children to get involved during lockdown such as the #WavesOfOptimism campaign. Children have been drawing waves and filling them with colours and marine wildlife, explained education manager Emily Van De Geer, and she hopes the launch of their online lessons will help young people "discover the power of their voice". 'A symbol of resilience and hope' On the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, on 22 April, green hearts appeared in windows across the country. The Climate Coalition asked supporters to make a green heart to show that they believe in a cleaner, greener future. "The heart is a symbol of resilience and hope that we can build back better," said campaigns executive Leila Bousbaa. The organisation dedicated to action against climate change has also been running a "Vitamin N" campaign to help people get their daily dose of nature during lockdown. Activities have included building a bug hotel on the doorstep, bird-watching and learning nature-themed yoga. | घर में फंसे लोगों के साथ, आप सोच सकते हैं कि विरोध की पारंपरिक धारणा असंभव है। लेकिन प्रचारक और समर्थक अभी भी अपने उद्देश्यों को आगे बढ़ाने और लॉकडाउन के दौरान जिस पर वे विश्वास करते हैं, उसके लिए लड़ने के लिए उत्सुक हैं। |
world-south-asia-11793872 | https://www.bbc.com/news/world-south-asia-11793872 | India temperature rise concerns | Rising temperatures caused by climate change are expected to "adversely impact" water supply, farm output and forests in India by 2030, a new study released by the government says. | By Vaishnavi SeetharamanBBC Tamil It has projected a temperature rise of between 1.7C and 2C in India over the next 20 years. The study says India faces increased precipitation and storms and a continuing sea level rise. It also warned of food shortages because of a decline in farm output. "Climate change scenarios for 2030 indicate an overall warming over the Indian sub-continent associated with increasing greenhouse gas concentrations," said the report by the Indian Network for Climate Change Assessment (INCCA). There is expected to be a "significant dip" in the production of rice, maize and sorghum, the report said. Production of apples in the Himalayan region could also be affected. "No country in the world is as vulnerable, on so many dimensions, to climate change as India," said federal environmental minister Jairam Ramesh, while releasing the report. | सरकार द्वारा जारी एक नए अध्ययन में कहा गया है कि जलवायु परिवर्तन के कारण बढ़ते तापमान से 2030 तक भारत में जल आपूर्ति, कृषि उत्पादन और जंगलों पर प्रतिकूल प्रभाव पड़ने की उम्मीद है। |
uk-scotland-glasgow-west-13298857 | https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-13298857 | Tall ship Glenlee moves to new Riverside Museum berth | One of the world's last remaining Clyde-built tall ships has been moved to a new berth outside the Riverside Museum in Glasgow. | The Glenlee was towed from Yorkhill Quay to Pointhouse Quay on Thursday morning. The ship and new museum will open to the public on 21 June. The Glenlee was built in Port Glasgow and first took to the water in 1896. The Riverside Museum, on the banks of the River Clyde, will house the city's valuable transport collection. The Glenlee was purchased in 1992 by The Clyde Maritime Trust, which is engaged in an ongoing programme of restoration. During its sea-going life, the cargo ship circumnavigated the globe four times and tackled Cape Horn on 15 occasions. The operation to tow the ship to its new berth, several hundred yards down the river, took about 30 minutes. | दुनिया के अंतिम शेष क्लाइड-निर्मित लंबे जहाजों में से एक को ग्लासगो में रिवरसाइड संग्रहालय के बाहर एक नए बर्थ में स्थानांतरित कर दिया गया है। |
uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-53272166 | https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-53272166 | Man in court after Glenrothes supermarket 'axe' incident | A man has appeared in court after an incident alleged to have involved an axe at a Fife supermarket. | Police Scotland said a patrol car was damaged and two officers received minor injuries at Asda in Glenrothes. Richard Flynn, 40, faces four charges of assault to injury, one of assault and breach of the peace, and two of behaving in a threatening or abusive manner. At Falkirk Sheriff Court, he made no plea and was remanded in custody. | फाइफ सुपरमार्केट में कुल्हाड़ी से कथित रूप से जुड़ी एक घटना के बाद एक व्यक्ति अदालत में पेश हुआ है। |
business-17981798 | https://www.bbc.com/news/business-17981798 | Euro Disney reports higher losses | Losses have grown 22% at Euro Disney due to higher wages and the cost of refurbishments made ahead of its 20th anniversary this year. | It lost 120.9m euros (£97.4m; $157.4m) in the first half of its financial year compared with a net loss of 99.5m euros in the same period a year earlier. Visitors to Disneyland Paris also fell, but those who went spent more on average, helping revenues rise 1%. The firm said the "challenging economic environment" had affected attendance. There was a particular drop in the number of people from the UK and Italy who stayed overnight at its hotels. But Euro Disney pointed out that its 20th year celebrations, which began on 1 April, presented an important growth opportunity. The second half of the year is also usually more important for revenue as it includes the high season. | यूरो डिज्नी में उच्च मजदूरी और इस वर्ष अपनी 20वीं वर्षगांठ से पहले किए गए नवीनीकरण की लागत के कारण नुकसान में 22 प्रतिशत की वृद्धि हुई है। |
newsbeat-10002468 | https://www.bbc.com/news/newsbeat-10002468 | Lil Wayne confirms new LP details | Lil Wayne has confirmed details for the release of his new album. | Tha Carter IV, the follow up to his 2008 breakthrough album Tha Carter III, will be available on 15 December. The New Orleans rapper, real name Dwayne Michael Carter Jr, also plans to release his much talked about rap-rock album Rebirth before the end of 2009. Birdman, CEO of Wayne's label Cash Money Records told MTV: "Both will be out before 2010. We're looking to take over the game completely, flood the market. The Grammys are ours next year." Tha Carter III sold more than one million copies in the first week it was released in the US last year. He debuted tracks from Rebirth at a series of gigs in London in early October. | लिल वेन ने अपने नए एल्बम के रिलीज़ के विवरण की पुष्टि की है। |
uk-scotland-56182171 | https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-56182171 | Covid in Scotland: What's the state of the epidemic? | First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has set out Scotland's "cautious" route out of lockdown and her approach over the next few months will be guided by six tests, including evidence that the epidemic in Scotland is controlled. | By Christopher SleightBBC Scotland news Using a system outlined by the World Health Organization (WHO), what can we tell about the state of Scotland's Covid-19 epidemic? When it comes to judging the level of Covid-19 transmission within a community, the WHO uses a seven tier scale ranging from "no active cases", all the way up to a "very high incidence of locally-acquired cases" that are also "widely dispersed". The Scottish government has previously indicated it wants to get a "moderate" level of community transmission before significantly relaxing any restrictions. So how far away is Scotland from this goal? Cases per 100,000 still indicate 'high' levels of transmission The WHO advises governments to look at their weekly confirmed cases per 100,000 people and then average the figure out over a 14-day period. By this measure, Scotland had a rate of 105 cases per 100,000 on 24 February. This puts the country firmly in the middle of the WHO's CT3 level - a high incidence of community transmission - and well above the "moderate" threshold. There's been a sustained fall in this figure since the middle of January, but the decline does now appear to be slowing. The last time Scotland was below 50 cases per 100,000 was at the beginning of October. It's difficult to compare this rate with the first outbreak in the spring as there was no mass testing earlier in the pandemic. The percentage of positive tests has almost reached 'moderate' levels The Scottish government measures the positivity rate by dividing the number of positive tests per day by the total number of tests carried out. The 14-day average on 24 February was 5.2% - still in the "high incidence" category, but only just above the 5% threshold for "moderate" incidence. It's worth pointing out that WHO's preferred way of measuring positivity is through "sentinel surveillance", or random community testing, which is not how the Scottish government measures it. However, the organisation lists overall test positivity as an additional measure if a comprehensive testing system is in place. Death rate shows sharp decline The WHO says governments should look at the number of weekly deaths "attributed" to Covid-19 per 100,000 people and average them out over 14 days. According to this measure, Scotland experienced "very high" levels of community transmission from 15 January. The rate reached a peak on 3 February and has now gone below the threshold that indicates a "high" incidence of transmission. A death rate of two per 100,000 people or less needs to be achieved to indicate "moderate" levels. This chart counts deaths in Scotland within 28 days of a positive test for Covid-19. If the wider definition of all death certificates mentioning the virus were used, the rate would be slightly higher. The full lockdown in the spring ended on 28 May, although the easing of restrictions was phased over several weeks during the summer. Hospital admissions are also dropping steeply Figures on Covid-19 hospital admissions are currently available up to 18 February, when the 14-day average of weekly admissions was 11.4. This figure has more than halved over the last month. The rate is still in the WHO's "high" level, but it's close to the threshold of 10 cases per 100,00, indicating a "moderate" level of transmission. What's the risk level in Scotland? The WHO use a risk uses something called a "risk matrix" which factors in both the state of an epidemic in a country and the local capacity to respond to the outbreak. So for instance, if Covid transmission is at a moderate level, but there is very limited testing or hospital capacity, then the risk may still be high. At the highest level, the WHO considers the epidemic "uncontrolled", with an overwhelmed healthcare system and deaths spiralling. If Scotland's response can currently be judged as "adequate" that would put the country in roughly the middle of the risk scale. This is where the organisation recommends that schools and businesses can open up, with limits remaining on social and mass gatherings and home working still encouraged. But given the recent high case and death rates, it's likely Scotland was closer to the top end of the risk scale in January and early February. With signs that the decline in cases is now slowing, this may have helped persuade the first minister to choose a slow and cautious route out of lockdown. What about vaccinations? So far, 1,515,980 people in Scotland have received their first dose of either the Pfizer or Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine, which is about a third of the population aged 16 and over. And the good news is there are early signs that even just receiving the first dose has a significant impact on preventing serious illness. Ms Sturgeon says the aim is to have everyone in this group offered a first dose of the vaccine by the end of July. But crucially good progress is also being made vaccinating the highest risk groups in Scotland - those who are most likely to become seriously ill or die with Covid-19. The priority groups were set out by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI). The virus was suppressed to low levels in the summer entirely through public health and social restrictions because there was no vaccine. This time the vaccine could be a useful tool if the Scottish government does want to take more risks and begin to open the country up faster. But for now there's every sign the government will stay on its "deliberately cautious" path, allowing the level of risk to drop to the lower end of the WHO's scale. | प्रथम मंत्री निकोला स्टर्जन ने स्कॉटलैंड के लॉकडाउन से बाहर निकलने का "सतर्क" मार्ग निर्धारित किया है और अगले कुछ महीनों में उनका दृष्टिकोण छह परीक्षणों द्वारा निर्देशित किया जाएगा, जिसमें इस बात के प्रमाण भी शामिल हैं कि स्कॉटलैंड में महामारी नियंत्रित है। |
uk-england-cornwall-53507720 | https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-cornwall-53507720 | St Austell residents 'exasperated' with open heroin use | Open drug use and increasing anti-social behaviour have left residents of St Austell "exasperated". Graphic photos on social media have led to a petition being set up to "formally address the heroin problem". We went to Cornwall's largest town to talk to people about the situation. | By Johnny O'SheaBBC News There are "shoplifters and drug addicts everywhere", according to a retail worker in the high street, and extra police have been drafted in. The local MP has claimed St Austell has had a "disproportionate" number of people with drug and alcohol addictions housed in the town. Cornwall Council has disputed this but, working with the police and the Safer St Austell Partnership, is a fortnight into a six-week programme targeting the problems. And there are signs there have already been improvements. When the BBC visited, the town centre was relatively busy with shoppers visiting national chain stores, phone shops, charity shops and bargain stores - and walking past several empty ones. Beside Holy Trinity Church at one end of Fore Street, a group was sitting on the granite stones and grass beside the war memorial. When they got up to leave, the ground was left littered with needles. Jodie Richards, 27, set up the petition after seeing images of people using needles "500 yards from my front door" and feeling compelled to take action. "The town is in a terrible place and everyone is exasperated," she said. "It's so sad and there has been a significant increase in the last six months. "Nobody is taking ownership of the issue and I just want the right people with the skills and experience to take action, before the wrong people do." The petition has been signed by more than 6,000 people in a week. "It's not even daily, it's hourly," a shop worker who did not want to be named said, describing the shoplifting and anti-social behaviour she has seen. She recalled her horror when her four-year-old son told her he had seen a man injecting himself in the churchyard, and the frequent examples of people shouting abuse at passers by. "Everyone is petrified. One hundred million percent it is getting worse," she said. "Nobody is standing up to them." It had been hoped the creation of the £75m White River Place shopping centre in 2009 would regenerate the town but it has failed to attract high-end retail names. The nearby Eden Project would normally attract hundreds of thousands of visitors to the area but, in line so many other tourist attractions, it was closed for more than two months because of the coronavirus pandemic and, even though it has since reopened, announced more than 200 job losses earlier in July. Debbie and David Delara run Daisy Dukes, a Community Interest Company, a shop that is now also running a community larder near the church. Debbie said that, during the coronavirus outbreak, many of the people who came for help "have been left to their own devices and are now at their lowest point". Their business had never been involved with food before but they said they found "during the pandemic we had people knocking on our doors saying they were hungry". St Austell MP Steve Double has blamed the council for housing a "disproportionate" number of people in the town with drug and alcohol dependencies. He has held meetings in the past week to address "the current unacceptable situation and demanded urgent action be taken, as well as the need to address the underlying issue regarding the number of people with complex needs that Cornwall Council place in the town". During the lockdown many rough sleepers with addictions in Cornwall were housed in holiday parks but since resorts have reopened they have begun to be placed in towns where they have connections. The council said four people had been taken to St Austell from the decommissioned holiday parks, and all were put into supported accommodation. It has also found 12 additional beds in the town for rough sleepers since the pandemic started and has specialist outreach workers who have been targeting those who were not in treatment. However, the council said those services have been "particularly stretched throughout the emergency Covid pandemic response". Eighteen months ago, under pressure to make savings, the council's drug and alcohol action base in St Austell was closed down. Kim Hager, joint commissioning manager with the Safer Cornwall Partnership and Cornwall Council, said: "There has been a perfect storm and St Austell is not the only area impacted. "There has been very aggressive targeting by organised crime groups, and a marketing of crack cocaine and other new dangerous drugs that can really destabilise those receiving treatment. "Many of those targeted by the gangs are vulnerable people who did not do well in isolation during lockdown. Public injecting is a new problem, and people being threatened and exploited by organised crime groups. "Our efforts are not being helped by people having their pictures published. It exposes them to greater risk and makes it harder to engage in help. "Drug supply did not stop during lockdown, it just became more creative. "The geography of St Austell means often people come into the town from outside, which can make them more difficult to engage with than in towns like Penzance and Truro." Jay, 58, is one person who has found himself back on the streets, having been in a shelter in St Austell during lockdown. "Tonight is my last night at the shelter, but Dave and Debbie (from Daisy Dukes) have given me a tent and sleeping bag so I have got something," he said. "I've got an idea where I will go but it's not a good thing just moving around because someone is kicking you away." Harbour Housing operates eight properties in and around St Austell, with space for 80 residents who would otherwise be homeless and are often living with addictions. As well as the facilities that offer round the clock support, there are also a number of independent halfway houses. These include pubs in the centre of the town in which people can be housed when they have nowhere else to go but do not need the same level of tailored care. Two of the pubs are on either side of a churchyard where many of the problems with open drug use and anti-social behaviour have been reported. Percy, 58, has been placed in a room above the Queens Head pub for several months and said his life was in "limbo". His partner has been one of the people taken off the streets and given a bed in shared accommodation during the pandemic. "I'm not allowed to visit her, and she's not allowed to visit me," Percy said. "I'm trying to sort my life out but I'm in limbo. I really really don't know what to do." Cornwall Council said there were more than 2,500 opiate and crack cocaine users in Cornwall, with more than 60% in treatment. This compared favourably with a national figure of 46% engagement, according to Public Health England. The Safer St Austell partnership is carrying out an "intensive six week response" to problems in the town centre, and providing two additional needle bins. It also wants to open a building in the town where people can get "confidential advice, information, support and treatment for drug and alcohol problems". Extra Devon and Cornwall Police officers have been visiting the town since receiving "reports of groups congregating and fighting, assaults, public drug use, shoplifting and people defecating in public places", Supt Sharon Donald said. A number of arrests have been made in the past week, and from the start of August an officer will be dedicated to the town centre. "I've been here 20 minutes and three members of the public have come to me and said they hope we can sort it all out," PC Jim Stein said as he patrolled with a St Austell based PCSO with local knowledge of the streets and individuals. "People were restricted in their movements under Covid lockdown and lots of homeless were put up in holiday parks. "Now it's been lifted they are spreading their wings again and congregating in town." The extra police patrols appear to have helped bring about improvements in the town already - but some locals would say improvement is definitely needed. Ivor Stone, 51, is being housed in a room in the White Hart, having himself been homeless. "I've been here 50 years and I've never seen it this bad," he said. He said one day he returned to his room to find somebody had left their excrement all over the outside steps with needles alongside. "The other day there was a bloke off his head throwing parsnips at people on Fore Street. It's never ending," he added. "It's always been known as St Awful but it's beyond that now." | खुले तौर पर नशीली दवाओं के उपयोग और बढ़ते असामाजिक व्यवहार ने सेंट ऑस्टेल के निवासियों को "हतोत्साहित" कर दिया है। सोशल मीडिया पर ग्राफिक तस्वीरों के कारण "हेरोइन की समस्या को औपचारिक रूप से संबोधित करने" के लिए एक याचिका दायर की गई है। हम स्थिति के बारे में लोगों से बात करने के लिए कॉर्नवाल के सबसे बड़े शहर गए। |
magazine-36834507 | https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-36834507 | The man with no-one to mourn him | Stewart Cooney, a 95-year-old war veteran, outlived his wife and son He was set for a "lonely funeral" attended only by a carer and a social worker An appeal to give him a good send-off was made on Facebook and in a local paper | By Claire BatesBBC News Magazine When Stewart Cooney died at a nursing home in Leeds, only a handful of carers and a social worker took notice. But Dougie Eastwood, a trainer for the care service running Stewart's nursing home, was upset to think he would not be mourned. "We're in the world for such a short time, no-one deserves to go to the grave without being recognised," he says. "I asked one of the nurses about Stewart and she told me he had been in World War Two. He was in the Royal Artillery and served in Egypt and Sicily. It didn't feel right someone who served his country should pass by unnoticed." Cooney, described by carers as "lovely" and "cheeky", was 95 when he died. His wife Betty passed away in 2008 and the couple's adopted son died in 2014. "He would talk about his wife a lot, he called her Barnsley Betty, as that was where she was from," says Janine, a carer who worked with Cooney from 2012 to 2014. "He had dementia so he would sometimes get a little confused and think he had been out doing things with them. "He was always pleasant and loved to sing. He would sing whole Frank Sinatra songs and get us to join in." He was moved to a nursing home in March this year, and died three months later. Who was Stewart Cooney? According to the National Association of Funeral Directors, only a tiny proportion of funerals - no more than 1% - are attended by no family or friends. "However, there are occasions when someone dies without family or friends to mourn them", says the NAFD's Deborah Smith. "The funeral director will often attend in these instances, together with someone such as a social worker or carer." Funeral celebrant Lynda Gomersall thinks the number of such services is rising on account of Britain's rapidly ageing population. "Funeral directors I work with say they are becoming more common because people are living longer and are outliving their families," she says. "It also becomes harder to track down friends and relatives if the person suffers from dementia later in life." Dr Rebecca Nowland, from Bolton University, who has studied the impact of loneliness in Britain, notes that older people "can get forgotten". "I think this is partly due to our modern lifestyle. We are so busy now and don't have the cross-generational connections we used to have," she says. She thinks the reason people feel deeply uncomfortable about the idea of a "lonely funeral" is because - rightly or wrongly - we often judge our own worth by our value to others. "As a social species recognition by others is important to us: it is something we seek out and crave. We value other people's opinions of us greatly as it helps us to feel connected to others. In addition, the absence of this or the rejection by other people is a very uncomfortable state to be in." This helps explain the coda to Stewart Cooney's story. Dougie Eastwood got in touch with the 269 Royal Artillery battery, who researched his military background and put a call-out for people to attend his service. Eastwood also spoke to the local newspaper and appealed for people to attend via social media. He was amazed by the response, with 40 phone calls offering support from flowers to military escorts. "I'm humbled by how the army family and local community have come together," he says. One of Stewart's former carers Janine, decided to go after finding out about the funeral on Facebook. "I think he would have really liked it, especially with the military people coming," she says. "He would have liked to have chatted with them - he was so proud of his time in the army." Lynda Gomersall offered her services after seeing the appeal on Facebook. She spoke to Cooney's carers and looked through old records to write the eulogy. "I don't think anybody should go without recognition, especially soldiers," she says. Originally around three people were expected at Stewart Cooney's funeral. Instead, more than 200 turned up and those who didn't fit in the crematorium watched on screens outside. The coffin was piped into the crematorium by a Scottish piper, in homage to Cooney's Scottish roots. Soldiers from a number of regiments were present and the Last Post was played. "There were at least nine standards and three buglers who were in their thick red ceremonial uniforms with pointed helmets. Four Territorial Army soldiers flanked the coffin," Gomersall says. "Some long lost relatives even turned up including his sister." The coffin left the crematorium to Frank Sinatra's My Way and was placed in the hearse alongside a floral wreath depicting his army number. The cortege to Pudsey Cemetery in West Yorkshire included 66 motorbikes from the Royal British Legion Riders. "It was a wonderful day. I hope we did Stewart proud." Find out more Follow Claire Bates on Twitter @batesybates Follow @BBCNewsMagazine on Twitter and on Facebook | 95 वर्षीय युद्ध के दिग्गज, स्टीवर्ट कूनी, अपनी पत्नी और बेटे से अधिक समय तक जीवित रहे। उन्हें एक "अकेले अंतिम संस्कार" के लिए तैयार किया गया था, जिसमें केवल एक देखभाल करने वाले और एक सामाजिक कार्यकर्ता ने भाग लिया था। उन्हें एक अच्छी विदाई देने की अपील फेसबुक और एक स्थानीय समाचार पत्र में की गई थी। |
world-europe-guernsey-17629960 | https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-guernsey-17629960 | Guernsey job losses due to LVCR 'unclear' | The full impact of the end of LVCR on Guernsey's unemployment levels cannot yet be accurately estimated, the chief officer of Social Security has said. | Low Value Consignment Relief, which allowed low value items to be sent to the UK tax free, ended on 1 April. Its ending has led to some mail order companies announcing redundancies. Malcolm Nutley said the department had already been contacted by some of those losing their job and he expected more to come forward in the coming months. He said measures were being put in place to deal with the expected rise. Unemployment figures for Guernsey at the end of March, which would not include any of those made redundant due to the end of LVCR, were down by 16 on the February figures. There were 416 people out of work at the end of last month, representing 1.3% of the working population, a rise of 115 compared with the same month in 2011. In Alderney there were 21 people registered as unemployed. | सामाजिक सुरक्षा के मुख्य अधिकारी ने कहा है कि ग्वेर्नसे के बेरोजगारी के स्तर पर एलवीसीआर के अंत के पूर्ण प्रभाव का अभी तक सटीक अनुमान नहीं लगाया जा सकता है। |
uk-england-dorset-18774269 | https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-dorset-18774269 | Swanage Railway steam trains face busy weekend | Extra steam trains will run on the Swanage historic railway this weekend during a busy three days of events. | A revised timetable will operate between Norden park-and-ride, Corfe Castle, Harman's Cross and Swanage from Friday evening. The Swanage Jazz Festival and the Purbeck Youth Festival are expected to attract a surge in visitors. On Friday lunchtime, the Olympic torch passes through Corfe Castle and Swanage. Diesel and steam services will alternate every 40 minutes, with the enhanced service starting from Friday afternoon. The last service on Friday, Saturday and Sunday leaves Swanage at 23:15 BST and Corfe Castle at 23:40. | तीन दिनों के व्यस्त कार्यक्रमों के दौरान इस सप्ताह के अंत में स्वानज ऐतिहासिक रेलवे पर अतिरिक्त भाप ट्रेनें चलेंगी। |
magazine-29815227 | https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-29815227 | The Leonardo hidden from Hitler in case it gave him magic powers | One of the world's most famous self-portraits is going on rare public display in the northern Italian city of Turin. Very little is known about the 500-year-old, fragile, fading red chalk drawing of Leonardo da Vinci but some believe it has mystical powers. | By Dany MitzmanTurin There is a myth in Turin that the gaze of Leonardo da Vinci in this self-portrait is so intense that those who observe it are imbued with great strength. Some say it was this magical power, not the cultural and economic value of the drawing, that led to it being secretly moved from Turin and taken to Rome during World War Two - heaven forbid it should ever fall into Hitler's hands and give him more power. Whatever the reason, this was the only work from the entire collection of precious drawings and manuscripts to be removed from the Royal Library in Turin at the time. The library's current director, Giovanni Saccani, says nobody even knows exactly where it was hidden. "To prevent the Nazis from taking it, an intelligence operation saw it transported in absolute anonymity to Rome." Under such difficult circumstances, preservation was not properly considered, "nor did they have the same knowledge and techniques back then," says Saccani. "Naturally, this did not do its condition any good." Inside the Royal Library a pristine red carpet lines the stairs - we follow the steps down to a secure underground vault with reinforced doors. This purpose built caveau has been the home of Leonard's Self-Portrait, and thousands of other priceless drawings and manuscripts, since 1998. The picture's treatment today could not contrast more strikingly with the neglect it suffered during the first half of the 20th Century. The lighting is exclusively fibre optic - no natural light can enter this room - and the temperature is kept at a constant 20 degrees Celsius, the humidity at 55 per cent. The display cases are made of a type of glass which Saccani describes as "anti-everything", and the whole area is fitted with alarms and security cameras. Using a special preservation torch, Saccani shines some light onto the drawing's surface to demonstrate the extent of the damage known as foxing, when small reddish-brown spots or marks appear on ancient paper. "This case is particularly bad," he sighs - 200 years ago the foxing was less obvious. "On the bottom left of the drawing there was a red chalk inscription in Latin which said Leonardus Vincius, which has now completely disappeared." Since the damage is so extensive and the paper so fragile, restoration would be extremely complex. Exhaustive analysis and discussion by world experts in restoration has led to "the decision to maintain the status quo," says Saccani. And since coming to the caveau in 1998, the condition of the drawing has not deteriorated any further. "This comforts us because we know we are getting it right now. You have to remember it's a good 500 years old. The pictures we drew at school probably don't exist anymore and this was a drawing done on ordinary paper, so I think it's pretty extraordinary that we can still display such a masterpiece today." Equally extraordinary is the story of how this self-portrait ended up in Turin. It was part of a vast collection purchased in 1839 by King Carlo Alberto of Savoy. A passionate collector, he bought it from Giovanni Volpato, an art dealer and curator who had travelled extensively throughout Europe. How he came upon Leonardo's drawings is a mystery but it is known that he asked the king for the sum of 70,000 Piedmontese lire for the collection. "A doctor earned 1,000 lire a year at the time so it was an astronomical figure," smiles Saccani. "The king managed to get him down to 50,000 but it still took him eight years to pay for it in instalments." But Saccani says Volpato was not the ruthless businessman he might sound. "Volpato's aim wasn't simply financial because, in exchange for agreeing to give the king a discount, he asked to be allowed to become the unpaid curator of drawings in the Royal Library." And since then Turin has remained the home of the red chalk Self-Portrait. Is it really a self-portrait? Generally dated around 1515, some experts believe the picture corresponds more with Leonardo's style in the 1490s, yet the subject of the drawing is an old man. "He wasn't terribly keen on the idea of self-portraiture full stop," says James Hall, author of The Self-Portrait: a Cultural History - he doesn't believe the portrait was drawn by Leonardo. "He didn't much like the idea that the art work should be a portrayal of the artist. He wanted the art work to represent an ideal." Hall thinks this drawing has become famous at least partly because of the sheer lack of self-portraits by Leonardo. "People have latched onto this like the philosopher's stone and clung to it." But others are less sceptical. "I'm quite happy to believe it is a self-portrait but I think it's for each person to decide when they see the real object," says Liz Rideal, the author of two books on self-portraits and a lecturer at the National Portrait Gallery in London and Slade School of Fine Art. She says most people want to believe it is a genuine Leonardo "because he has this superman status… I think we are in awe of genius and therefore, if this is the self-portrait of a genius, then we want to see what he looked like." As director of the Royal Library, Giovanni Saccani is in no doubt: "It is a self-portrait… anyone who finds themselves standing in front of this drawing is struck dumb. The first thing they say when they recover is 'this is giving me the shivers'. The expressive power of this face is absolutely connected to an emotion and an ability that only Leonardo could possess." Leonardo's Self-Portrait is considered so valuable that it is subject to a state decree of immovability. It can only be moved with ministerial permission. In 2011 it was taken to the Reggia di Venaria Reale just outside Turin for an exhibition marking the 150th anniversary of the unification of Italy. "Transportation involved a special 'clima box' able to maintain the same air conditioning systems present here in the caveau," says Saccani. "This 'clima box' was then put inside a case, which was in turn placed in an outer casing, all of which was able to avoid vibration." The package was then driven with an armed escort and constantly monitored using remote technology. An extraordinarily complex, delicate and expensive undertaking, unlikely to be repeated very often in the future. Over the coming weeks, 50 people will be allowed into the Royal Library's caveau every hour from 09:00 to 18:00 to see the self-portrait - the temperature of the vault has been lowered slightly to compensate for the body heat that people will give off. Although there are more than 80 masterpieces on display in the King's Treasures exhibition - including further works by Leonardo, Raphael, Rembrandt, Perugino and Van Dyck - for most visitors, the highlight will be the rare chance to behold the face of the great Renaissance polymath. And they might also bear one final myth in mind - it is said that just before taking an exam, students would do their last-minute revision in the Royal Library above the vault. Legend has it that studying near Leonardo's genius can somehow rub off. Photographs courtesy of the Regional Management for the cultural and landscape heritage of Piedmont Subscribe to the BBC News Magazine's email newsletter to get articles sent to your inbox. | दुनिया के सबसे प्रसिद्ध स्व-चित्रों में से एक उत्तरी इतालवी शहर ट्यूरिन में दुर्लभ सार्वजनिक प्रदर्शन पर चल रहा है। लियोनार्डो दा विंची के 500 साल पुराने, नाजुक, लुप्तप्राय लाल चाक ड्राइंग के बारे में बहुत कम जानकारी है लेकिन कुछ लोगों का मानना है कि इसमें रहस्यमय शक्तियां हैं। |
world-africa-35175244 | https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-35175244 | Boko Haram battle: On combat patrol with Nigeria’s army | Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari won elections in March partly on a promise to crush the militant Islamist group Boko Haram - and gave his military chiefs until the end of the year to beat the insurgents. Ahead of the deadline, the BBC's Martin Patience joined the army on patrol in the combat zone. | With the end-of-year deadline fast approaching, the Nigerian army was keen to show that progress was being made on the ground. We left the city of Maiduguri - the birthplace of the militants - in a convoy, heading towards some of the most dangerous territory on earth. Army jeeps mounted with heavy machine guns were at both the back and front of the convoy. Until a few months ago, travelling along the 25km (15-mile) road from Maiduguri to the town of Konduga would almost certainly invite attack. Now, it seemed relatively secure. But as one soldier told me: "It may look safe but that doesn't actually mean it is safe." We weaved along the paved road avoiding potholes that were in fact craters created by improvised explosive devices (IEDs). I saw ghost village after ghost village where mud-brick houses had been set on fire, their tin roofs pulled off. Many of the buildings were ridden with bullets. This is classic Boko Haram scorched-earth tactics. The insurgents raid villages - mostly at night or just before dawn - and then kill, rape, kidnap and loot before withdrawing. After half an hour of driving, we pulled into the small military base in Konduga. As we arrived, a handful of soldiers were posing for a quick group photograph. One of them was kneeling on the ground with his rifle pointing into the distance. Ali Mohammed, a fisherman near Konduga military base "You can't guarantee safety here, but you get used to it. There's nothing else we can do" I met Brigadier General Mohammed Aliyu, a jovial man. In the 1980s, he was training as a doctor. But, inspired by Gen Buhari - who briefly was a military ruler in Nigeria during the period - he quit medical school and signed up to the military. Thirty years later, his enthusiasm and respect for the now democratically elected leader were still palpable. Like many officers, Gen Aliyu believes President Buhari is intent on rebuilding the army, which was previously brought low by corruption and by what many saw as poor leadership. 'Casualties downplayed' In a report this year, the campaign group Amnesty International accused the military of carrying out atrocities. It said that 7,000 men and boys had died in military custody during the conflict. The army rejected the allegations as "spurious". Since the start of 2015, a large-scale military operation has pushed Boko Haram from a string of towns and villages. Hundreds of mercenaries from South Africa reportedly played a crucial role in the fighting. Gen Aliyu admitted there had been problems in the past. "I think earlier we were not giving them [Boko Haram] the significance we are giving them now," he said. "We thought there were small miscreants trying to do something and then they ended up surprising us. "But now we know who Boko Haram are and we're taking them by their horns." While the top brass are keen to put a positive spin on the progress, some of those in the lower ranks question the momentum. One soldier told me privately that the army was still seriously under-equipped and that officers were downplaying the army's casualties in the field. Boko Haram at a glance: Using football to tackle Boko Haram Why Boko Haram remains a threat Who are Nigeria's Boko Haram Islamists? Following a short classified military briefing, the army took us to what should have been a bustling market, just a few hundred metres from the base. Apart from a handful of people, it was deserted. Dozens of shops had been burnt and looted. A mosque had been shot up, and on the main road lay the mangled metal carcass of a van that had been laden with explosives in a Boko Haram suicide attack. The attack was foiled by soldiers who managed to shoot dead the bomber before he rammed their checkpoint. There were a few signs of reconstruction: piles of cinder blocks were sitting beside the road. Some of the government buildings were getting new roofs. But the town was a long way from being inhabitable once again. The military then took us on a further 20-minute drive along the road to the village of Kawuri. We saw more devastation and wreckage. And it, too, was deserted. Until this year, the village had been under Boko Haram control. It had been the scene of a massacre in 2014 in which dozens were killed. "God is Great" was scrawled in graffiti on some of the buildings. This is a common Islamic saying but in this part of the world it has been co-opted by Boko Haram as a tagline. Forest stronghold The soldiers then picked up a metal traffic sign lying on the side of the road. It read: "Sambisa Forest." This is one of the areas where the militant group retreated after being pushed out of towns it once controlled. We were just a few kilometres from their stronghold. The forest is where the army are currently carrying out most of their operations to try and clear out the insurgents. But access is difficult and ambushes are frequent. For Boko Haram, it is a fall-back position. Despite being on the defensive, the militants can still launch attacks. Increasingly, the group is using suicide bombers to blow up checkpoints and markets in nearby cities. Until Boko Haram is cleared out of the forest - and from other remote areas - it is very difficult to see how this insurgency will end. Back on the base, Gen Aliyu acknowledged the challenges of the campaign. He has studied the insurgencies in Afghanistan and Iraq. I asked him how he would define victory. "When Boko Haram are significantly degraded and normal commercial and administrative activities are taking place," he said. How far away are you from that, I asked. "Not too far. Where you are standing now used to be the battlefront," he replied. 'Living in constant fear' But that did not mean where I was standing was necessarily safe. Not far from the base, the army took us to meet a group of fishermen bringing in their latest catch down by the river. One of the fishermen, Ali Mohammed, told me he lived in constant fear of being attacked. "You can't guarantee safety here, but you get used to it. There's nothing else we can do," he said. It is clear that the Nigerian army has made gains but that does not mean the insurgency is over. The nature of this conflict is changing, particularly with the use of suicide bombers. Wars do not subscribe to deadlines and in this part of Nigeria, Boko Haram remains a deadly threat. | नाइजीरिया के राष्ट्रपति मुहम्मदु बुहारी ने मार्च में आतंकवादी इस्लामी समूह बोको हराम को कुचलने के वादे पर आंशिक रूप से चुनाव जीते-और विद्रोहियों को हराने के लिए अपने सैन्य प्रमुखों को वर्ष के अंत तक का समय दिया। समय सीमा से पहले, बीबीसी के मार्टिन धैर्य युद्ध क्षेत्र में गश्त पर सेना में शामिल हो गए। |
uk-england-london-44017236 | https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-london-44017236 | Anne Boleyn's final days re-enacted in London | The last moments of Anne Boleyn who was the first English queen to be executed have been re-enacted. | The launch of the Last Days of Anne Boleyn saw her journey from Greenwich to the Tower of London, where she was imprisoned, brought back to life. The play at the Tower follows the final 17 days of her life from her imprisonment and interrogation, through to her trial and execution in 1536. The wife of Henry VIII had been accused of adultery and witchcraft. | ऐनी बोलिन, जिन्हें फांसी दी गई थी, के अंतिम क्षणों को फिर से लागू किया गया है। |
uk-scotland-highlands-islands-20142478 | https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-20142478 | Deer stalking demand and prices high, say Savills | Both demand and prices for deer stalking on Scottish sporting estates managed by Savills have risen, according to the property firm. | The company said the pursuit was continuing to be popular even in times of economic troubles. Over the last five years, prices for taking red deer on estates deemed easy to reach had risen by 5%. On one estate the price for a stag was now £400. On more remote estates, Savills said there had been a 21% rise in prices. The firm, which manages 500,000 acres (202,343ha) in Scotland, said demand for deer stalking from overseas clients, and also women, was high. | प्रॉपर्टी फर्म के अनुसार, सेविल्स द्वारा प्रबंधित स्कॉटिश खेल संपदाओं पर हिरणों का पीछा करने की मांग और कीमतें दोनों बढ़ गई हैं। |
world-africa-36763036 | https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-36763036 | How Africa boycotted the 1966 World Cup | The 1966 World Cup is the only World Cup to have been boycotted by an entire continent. But it is better known for England's victory, a controversial goal in the final and the glorious displays of both Eusebio and North Korea. BBC Focus on Africa's Piers Edwards takes up the story of a little-known boycott that changed football's greatest competition forever. | Ghana's Osei Kofi was once described as being the equal of the legendary George Best by Gordon Banks, a World Cup winner in 1966. Given the Northern Irishman's status as one of football's greatest ever players, that was some claim. But the odds are you've never heard of Kofi, who put four goals past Banks when they met in two club friendlies. This would largely be because a player nicknamed "One Man Symphony Orchestra" or, less poetically, "Wizard Dribbler" never got to unfurl his wing play at a World Cup. He was denied the chance when Africa dramatically boycotted the 1966 finals. At the time, Ghana's "Black Stars" were back-to-back African champions, having won in 1963 and 1965. "We had the 'Black Stars' proper in those days," Kofi, now a church minister, told the BBC in the Ghanaian capital, Accra. "We had the men, those who were strong and those who were intelligent. "That's why we could have got to the World Cup at any given time." But at the peak of their powers, the "Black Stars" were pushed down a black hole. In January 1964, Fifa decided that the line-up for the 16-team finals would include 10 teams from Europe, including hosts England, four from Latin America and one from the Central American and Caribbean region. That left just one place to be fought for by three continents: Africa, Asia and Oceania. Within a month, Ghana's Director of Sport Ohene Djan, who was also a member of Fifa's Executive Committee, was crying foul. "Registering strong objection to unfair World Cup arrangement for Afro-Asian countries STOP," he complained in a telegram to Fifa. "Afro-Asian countries struggling through painful expensive qualifying series for ultimate one finalist representation is pathetic and unsound STOP At the worst, Africa should have one finalist STOP Urgent - reconsider" Djan's bullish tone stemmed from Kwame Nkrumah, the president of Ghana which had become, in 1957, the first sub-Saharan nation to achieve independence. Nkrumah wanted to use football to unite Africa and had told his appointee Djan to do whatever was necessary to put African football on the world map. The late Djan was also a member of the Confederation of African Football (Caf) where he emerged as one of two main figureheads in the World Cup fight - the other being an Ethiopian called Tessema Yidnekatchew. The pair assembled a convincing argument why the Fifa decision, which Tessema labelled "a mockery of economics, politics and geography", was so unfair. Firstly, they argued that Africa's standard of play had significantly improved in the preceding years. Then they pointed out that the costs of arranging a play-off between Africa's top teams and their counterparts from Asia and Oceania were "onerously" expensive. Then there was the politics - for the situation was complicated by Caf's bitter row with Fifa over apartheid South Africa. Politics and the pitch Following its founding in 1957, Caf was the only pan-African organisation in existence - preceding the creation of what is today the African Union by six years - meaning that, on the South Africa issue at least, it assumed a geo-political role. Based in Cairo, Caf became the world's first sporting organisation to expel South Africa as a result of the government's apartheid policy, in 1960. "As soon as an African country became independent, it joined the United Nations and then Caf - there was no other organisation," recalls Fikrou Kidane, a long-term colleague of Tessema, who died in 1987. Football historian Alan Tomlinson says: "Right from the very beginning, this was a story about cultural politics in the post-colonial period." Having initially suspended South Africa a year after Caf, Fifa then readmitted the country in 1963, in part because of its pledge to send an all-white team to the 1966 World Cup and an all-black one to the 1970 finals. "The first time I encountered that solution, I just laughed," said Tomlinson, who is currently working on a biography of then Fifa President Stanley Rous. "But in terms of a form of gradualism, which fitted a model of development, Rous actually believed that could happen. He truly believed that football could bring people of different kinds together." For the 1966 World Cup, Fifa placed South Africa - a pariah state on its continent - in an Asian qualifying group in order to avoid playing an African rival but the designated African/Asian/Oceania play-off group meant a meeting could happen. "That was not acceptable and complicated things for sure," said Kidane, who attended Fifa congresses in the 1960s as an Ethiopian delegate. In July 1964, Caf decided to boycott the 1966 World Cup unless Africa was given a place of its own. With only Egypt having ever played at a World Cup before, back in 1934, this was no small gesture. Fifa, though, was not playing ball. "As the decisions of the Organising Committee are final, I do not think that for the prestige of Fifa it would be a good solution to alter the decisions even if some of Tessema's arguments appear reasonable," Fifa Secretary General Helmut Kaser wrote to Rous in 1964. The Englishman saw no reason to disagree. So in October 1964, on a weekend when Caf successfully lobbied for another Fifa suspension for South Africa, Africa carried out its threat - with its 15 then-eligible teams all pulling out. "It was not a difficult decision," said Kidane, who now advises the current Caf president. "It was a matter of prestige. Most of the continent was fighting for its own independence - and Caf had to defend the interest and dignity of Africa." 'We would have won it' Despite being denied his shot at the limelight, Osei Kofi professes to have no bitterness. "We should have regretted not playing in the World Cup but it was a cheat," he said. "It was not fair. And it hurt Fifa for Africa to do this." Many feel differently. "I don't know any of us who will say he didn't regret it," Kofi Pare, another Ghana international in the 1960s, told the BBC. "After we had been watching the World Cup, we knew we could have done better. I think we were one of the greatest teams." "If we had played at the World Cup, we would have gone to the final - or won it - honestly." Over 100 teams in Africa, Asia and Oceania contested the last World Cup qualifiers but for 1966, there were just two (with some Asian nations having withdrawn for economic reasons). A meticulously-prepared North Korea side thumped Australia 9-2 to secure a major propagandist boost for their government and reach their first finals, which they then lit up. They stunned Italy before taking a 3-0 lead against Portugal in the quarter-finals - only for Eusebio to answer with four goals in an unforgettable 5-3 win. His performances were laden with irony. For like captain Mario Coluna and two other mainstays of the Portugal team that finished a best-ever third, Eusebio was effectively African. All four were born in Mozambique, which was then a Portuguese colony. With minnows punching above their weight and an "African" finishing as the tournament's top scorer, the winds of change were blowing through the World Cup. Fifa finally reacted. Two years after the finals, it unanimously voted to give Africa a World Cup place all of its own. Asia got one too. The boycott had worked. "I think it was absolutely pivotal," says football historian Tomlinson. "If Fifa had proved obstructionist about that, world football might have gone in a different direction." Today, Africa has five places at the 32-team World Cup and briefly, when South Africa became the first African country to host in 2010, once had six. It still wants more. But one goal has been more than achieved. Since boycotting the 1966 edition, Africa has been present at every World Cup. So the legacy of Djan and Tessema lives on as Roger Milla, Asamoah Gyan et al continue the theme of Africa's greatest World Cup strikers - this time on the pitch. Listen to the full World Service documentary here | 1966 विश्व कप एकमात्र विश्व कप है जिसका पूरे महाद्वीप द्वारा बहिष्कार किया गया था। लेकिन यह इंग्लैंड की जीत, फाइनल में एक विवादास्पद गोल और यूसेबियो और उत्तर कोरिया दोनों के शानदार प्रदर्शन के लिए बेहतर जाना जाता है। अफ्रीका के पियर्स एडवर्ड्स पर बीबीसी फोकस एक अल्प-ज्ञात बहिष्कार की कहानी को उठाता है जिसने फुटबॉल की सबसे बड़ी प्रतियोगिता को हमेशा के लिए बदल दिया। |
business-45043859 | https://www.bbc.com/news/business-45043859 | 'There are boats floating above my head in Times Square' | Augmented reality (AR) - adding a digital overlay to a real-world image - is giving artists and galleries opportunities to create more interactive artworks and exhibitions, providing more exciting experiences and reaching new audiences. But until AR headsets become widespread - and fashionable - will this remain a niche technology? | By Nicola K SmithTechnology of Business reporter Imagine holding your mobile phone up in front of Pablo Picasso's Woman with Green Hat and seeing the portrait transform into a photo of the muse who inspired the painting. Or admiring one of Claude Monet's many famous depictions of water lilies, only to see the image morph into video footage of the artist's real flower garden in Giverny, the inspiration for this series of paintings. It is how visitors to Vienna's Albertina Museum can experience its current Monet to Picasso - The Batliner Collection exhibition. AR is changing the art world, allowing artists to fuse physical art with digital content. New work is being created and existing work re-imagined. "Trying to learn about art and its history can be intimidating because of its complexity," says Codin Popescu, chief executive and founder of Artivive, the firm behind Albertina Museum's AR experience. "For our projects with museums, we decided to offer visitors additional information - sometimes in a playful way through an animation or by showing historical footage of the time." In February, Manchester Central Library hosted AR fine artists Scarlett Raven and Marc Marot who used AR to weave poetry, animation and music into an exhibition about World War One. "Many of the oil paintings were quite vibrant, which gave them an uplifting feel at first glance, but as soon as the AR came to life I realised that the scenes before me were where past horrors had taken place," says Fiona White, a visitor to the exhibition. "The AR wasn't just visual, there were voiceovers, music and storytelling that gave a whole history to the artwork that would otherwise go unknown." The tech has great educational potential, especially for the smartphone generation, believes Manon Slome, co-founder of No Longer Empty, a New York-based exhibitions curator. "You are using a language and medium with which many more people are comfortable, and you don't need an art history degree to apprehend the work," she says. In a current installation, which runs until 5 September in New York's Times Square, the city's Queens Museum collaborated with No Longer Empty and Times Square Arts to create Wake and Unmoored, a two-part AR installation aiming to educate the public about climate change. Designed by artist Mel Chin, the installation makes visitors feel like they are under the ocean. "Unmoored looks to a future where climate change has gone unchecked and [the city] is underwater due to rising sea levels," says Ms Slome. "What better way to imaginatively capture this projected reality than through a technology of the future? Seeing ships floating over one's head really puts such a future into visual but engaging terms." And last year, San Francisco's Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA), in partnership with frog design, launched a Magritte Interpretative Gallery as part of its exhibition on surrealist artist René Magritte. The gallery houses six AR interactions, enabling visitors to investigate Magritte's themes through a series of altered and augmented windows. One of the installations involves a video likeness of the viewer being transmitted from one glass window to another. "Friends and strangers will joyfully run over and show the unsuspecting subjects where their images have popped up," says Chad Coerver, SFMOMA's chief content officer. "It's a gentle, fun reminder that nothing is what it seems in a Magritte exhibition." But the unwieldiness of AR tech has been an obstacle for both artists and consumers, and some believe this will always limit its potential. "For a start, having to install a new app to be granted the full experience of an art gallery is a barrier many may not cross," says Tom Ffiske, editor of immersive technology website Virtual Perceptions. "Why fiddle with new tech when most people can just enter an art gallery and use their own eyes?" Despite this, AR is stealthily creeping into our everyday lives. "Since Snapchat and Messenger introduced their AR facial recognition, millions of people around the world have been experimenting with AR pop art before even knowing the term 'augmented reality'," says Sutu, artist and co-founder of EyeJack, an app and platform for the curation and distribution of augmented art. Long-awaited AR glasses, being developed by the likes of Intel, Magic Leap, Lumus and Osterhaut Design Group, could make for a more seamless experience. For artists, the need for technical nous has presented challenges. "Much of the work that artists will look to produce will require a knowledge of 3D design programs such as Unity, so that's a barrier to entry," says Alex Poulson, chief executive of London-based AR firm Inde. "AR on mobile devices is beginning to see some adoption, but the technology itself is still in its infancy." But things are changing fast. The recent release of AR developer platforms by Google and Apple is enabling the creation of new apps for Android and Apple devices, potentially making it easier for artists to create their own AR art. And tools like Artivive help overcome the knowledge barrier. "For artists to create art in augmented reality they previously had to build their own isolated solutions, which required technical skills and resources. But with Artivive, those artists can focus on their creative work," says Sutu. AR is also opening up new revenue streams for artists. One artist sold an AR artwork with the agreement to supply the buyer with a new digital layer every six months for four years, says Artivive's Mr Popescu. More Technology of Business "The artist basically sold the buyer a digital art subscription model along with the physical artwork." AR opens up commercial opportunities for museums and galleries too, allowing them to hold concurrent exhibitions in one physical space, using digital reinterpretations of the same artworks. While Mr Ffiske "cannot see [AR] becoming anything more than a niche art form that pushes boundaries", Ms Slome is more forthright. "Once you've glimpsed the future, there's no turning back. Get used to it." | ऑगमेंटेड रियलिटी (ए. आर.)-एक वास्तविक दुनिया की छवि में एक डिजिटल ओवरले जोड़ना-कलाकारों और दीर्घाओं को अधिक इंटरैक्टिव कलाकृतियों और प्रदर्शनियों को बनाने, अधिक रोमांचक अनुभव प्रदान करने और नए दर्शकों तक पहुंचने के अवसर दे रहा है। लेकिन जब तक ए. आर. हेडसेट व्यापक और फैशनेबल नहीं हो जाते-क्या यह एक विशिष्ट तकनीक बनी रहेगी? |
newsbeat-11757673 | https://www.bbc.com/news/newsbeat-11757673 | Introducing…The Vaccines | The Vaccines are trying to keep their heads level. | By Greg CochraneNewsbeat music reporter Two months ago they were just another east London garage-rock band honing their craft in a rehearsal studio. Now, due to the hype-machine's habit of fast-tracking, they've already bagged an appearance on Later…with Jools Holland and been awarded the prized 'opening slot' on the annual NME Awards tour. Pretty impressive considering the fuzz-rock four-piece haven't even released their debut single yet. 'Happy accident' "We've been going since June I guess full-time," says lead singer Justin Young, speaking from their tour van halfway through their first ever UK tour. "We all met because we were all doing music before playing in different outfits. "A friend actually started The Vaccines and then he quit, so it's a happy accident the four of us are in a band together." Some might say, a very "happy accident" considering the high-hopes the band seem to be creating. The quartet (Anri Hjorvar - bass, Freddie Cowan - guitar, Pete Robertson - drums) have only played 15 gigs but have already been heralded as the band to breath life back into British guitar music. Indeed, their arrival, apparently from nowhere, seemed all the more attractive since no-one could find any information about them at all online. No MySpace, no facebook, no Last FM - at that point. "Basically, we put a song up and it might have looked like a PR stunt but we genuinely didn't expect anyone to care so we didn't have anything in place to deal with the fact some people liked it," says Young. "I think some people thought we were trying to be secretive with the blog." Either way, it's all out there now. Along with their online presence the band are already "three-quarters" of the way through completing their as yet untitled debut album set for release in March 2011. "They're just fun pop songs played with passion," explains Young, when talking about debut split single Wreckin' Bar (Ra Ra Ra) and Blow It Up. Notably, Wreckin' Bar checks in at a breezy brief one and a half minutes long. "Sometimes it takes five minutes for what you want to say what you want to say and sometimes a minute and a half. We're not going to make it longer for the sake of it." As for the immediate future they're just up for the "challenge" of rising to the task of matching all the 'talk'. "It's a clichéd answer but we want to make an album we're proud or none of it will be worth it," says Young signing off. "We want to be playing to rooms of people who really like it and feel excited by it." | टीके अपने सिर के स्तर को बनाए रखने की कोशिश कर रहे हैं। |
uk-england-south-yorkshire-19898968 | https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-south-yorkshire-19898968 | Ofcom chooses consortium to run Sheffield TV station | A consortium involving two Sheffield universities, film-makers and festival organisers has been chosen to run a local TV station in the city. | Sheffield Local Television Ltd was awarded a 12-year licence to provide the digital terrestrial TV (DTT) service by industry regulator Ofcom. The channel will be called SLTV and is due to launch in October 2013. The two bidders to lose out were Metro8 Sheffield and YourTV Sheffield. In May, Ofcom invited applications to run local TV services in 21 areas as part of a government project part-funded by the BBC. SLTV's bid set out plans to broadcast at least four hours of original local content every day, including one hour of local news. Ofcom said it would set out the reasons behind its choice at a later date. | शहर में एक स्थानीय टीवी स्टेशन चलाने के लिए दो शेफ़ील्ड विश्वविद्यालयों, फिल्म निर्माताओं और महोत्सव आयोजकों के एक संघ को चुना गया है। |
world-europe-isle-of-man-12656191 | https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-isle-of-man-12656191 | Manx railway cable theft 'crime against heritage' | Thieves stole a substantial length of copper cable from overhead power lines on the Manx Electric Railway. | Police said the cable was cut down and removed from a remote section of the line between Ballagawne Road and Baldrine Road, Baldrine. Officers believe a vehicle was used to remove the cable between midday on Tuesday and Wednesday afternoon. They described it as a "crime against the national heritage of the Isle of Man" and appealed for witnesses. | चोरों ने मैनक्स इलेक्ट्रिक रेलवे पर बिजली की तारों से तांबे की तार की एक बड़ी लंबाई चुरा ली। |
world-europe-isle-of-man-19318491 | https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-isle-of-man-19318491 | Isle of Man filmmakers given chance to shine | Fledgling movie directors on the Isle of Man are being given a chance to shine with the launch of the ninth Young Film Maker of Mann competition. | It is open to people under the age of 23 and categories include best comedy, best animation and best documentary. All short-listed entries will be screened at the newly established Isle of Man Film Festival on 15 September. Category winners are awarded £100 and the overall winner receives a trophy and £200. More information and application forms can be found online. | आइल ऑफ मैन पर चल रहे फिल्म निर्देशकों को नौवीं यंग फिल्म मेकर ऑफ मान प्रतियोगिता के शुभारंभ के साथ चमकने का मौका दिया जा रहा है। |
sinhala.081028_tn_aid | https://www.bbc.com/sinhala/news/story/2008/10/081028_tn_aid | TN collects aid for Sri Lanka | The chief minister of Tamil Nadu, has said that TN government would also collect relief material for the welfare of the Sri Lankan Tamils. | These would include cash, clothing, medicines and food materials, he said. The materials thus collected from throughout TN would be distributed through the ICRC and UN agencies with the approval of the central government, a government press release said. Karunanidhi has himself donated one million Indian rupees. The press release also said that so far relief worth 2.5 million Indian rupees has been collected. However, it is not clear whether the relief materials collected by the TN government is in addition to the assured aid offer of 800 tonnes by the Indian government or is part of it. | तमिलनाडु के मुख्यमंत्री ने कहा है कि तमिलनाडु सरकार श्रीलंकाई तमिलों के कल्याण के लिए राहत सामग्री भी एकत्र करेगी। |
world-europe-isle-of-man-25833524 | https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-isle-of-man-25833524 | Princess Anne opens Ballavartyn equestrian centre | Having a new equestrian centre opened by the Princess Royal was a "wonderful way to begin the New Year", a stable owner has said. | Princess Anne opened the centre at Ballavartyn stables in Santon during her first visit to the Isle of Man since 2008. Owner Saskia Blaymire said she was "thrilled and honoured" by the visit. The princess also visited the Manx prison and the Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture. She has visited the Isle of Man on a number of occasions since the 1970s. | एक स्थिर मालिक ने कहा है कि राजकुमारी शाही द्वारा खोला गया एक नया घुड़सवार केंद्र "नए साल की शुरुआत करने का एक अद्भुत तरीका" था। |
newsbeat-44977438 | https://www.bbc.com/news/newsbeat-44977438 | Logan Paul: Radio 1 won't play interview with YouTuber | Radio 1 has pulled an interview with YouTuber Logan Paul. | There had been a lot of criticism when it was announced he was going to appear on Charlie Sloth's show on Thursday night. Logan Paul caused controversy earlier this year by filming the body of an apparent suicide victim for one of his vlogs, and has since apologised. Radio 1 tweeted: "After listening back to the interview we don't feel it's right." Some people responded to the tweet saying they thought it was a good call not to run the interview. Charlie Sloth spoke about the issue on his show last night. "We've listened back to the interview we did with Logan and even though it was only part of a wider piece, we don't feel it's right. "So we've decided we are not going to run it." When Radio 1 shared a teaser clip from the interview there was a lot of backlash on social media. Charlie Sloth previously criticised the American YouTuber for posting the video, from Aokigahara forest in Japan, which is known to be a frequent site of suicides. In January the DJ chose him as 'Wally of the Week' on his Radio 1/ 1Xtra show The 8th. "Millions and millions of people around the world look up to Logan Paul, including loads of youngsters. "My children are some of those youngsters - they look up to Logan Paul like a superstar," he said. "Fam, let's face it, you are an absolute wally." The YouTuber apologised again later in January by posting a video about suicide awareness, and pledging to donate $1m (£700,000) to prevention groups. Some social media users say he should be forgiven. Follow Newsbeat on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. Listen to Newsbeat live at 12:45 and 17:45 every weekday on BBC Radio 1 and 1Xtra - if you miss us you can listen back here. | रेडियो 1 ने यूट्यूबर लोगान पॉल के साथ एक साक्षात्कार लिया है। |
uk-england-essex-20657640 | https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-essex-20657640 | Princess Royal to attend 1953 flood service in Chelmsford | The Princess Royal is to attend a service at Chelmsford Cathedral to mark the 60th anniversary of floods which killed 95 people in Essex. | Residents of Canvey Island and Jaywick died as a result of the North Sea flooding on 31 January 1953. The Reverend Canon Simon Pothen said it was important to mark the event before it "fades into obscurity". "It probably represents the final time that people will be in living memory of it," he said. Mr Pothen said the service on 31 January would be invitation only but said he hoped it would be relayed for "people outside who wish to join in". | राजकुमारी शाही एसेक्स में बाढ़ की 60वीं वर्षगांठ को चिह्नित करने के लिए चेम्सफोर्ड कैथेड्रल में एक सेवा में भाग लेने वाली हैं, जिसमें 95 लोग मारे गए थे। |
uk-england-kent-45808542 | https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-kent-45808542 | Margate warehouse fire put out after 25 days | A fire at a warehouse in Westwood near Margate has finally been extinguished 25 days after it started, Kent Fire and Rescue has said. | At its height about 80 firefighters were tackling the blaze which broke out at about 06:30 BST on 15 September. Part of the building collapsed and demolition experts were brought in to allow firefighters better access. A boy and two girls, all aged 12, and a 13-year-old girl, all from Margate, were arrested on suspicion of arson. They were released while investigations continue, Kent Police said. The fire service says the fire has now been fully extinguished and the the firefighting part of the operation has come to a close. "Duty of care will then be handed to the land owner, and Thanet District Council will be the facilitators to the recovery process," a spokesman said. | केंट फायर एंड रेस्क्यू ने कहा है कि मार्गेट के पास वेस्टवुड में एक गोदाम में लगी आग शुरू होने के 25 दिन बाद आखिरकार बुझा दी गई है। |
uk-scotland-scotland-business-34993600 | https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-scotland-business-34993600 | Wood Group agrees to buy Infinity Group for $150m | Aberdeen-based oil services giant Wood Group has agreed to buy American company Infinity Group for $150m (£100m). | Infinity is a family-owned Texas-based industrial construction and maintenance contractor serving the petrochemical, refining and gas processing sectors. Wood Group said the acquisition would provide an "excellent platform" for growth. The deal is still subject to a number of conditions. Infinity was established in 1952 and is headquartered in Clute. The existing management team will continue to lead the business, which has about 2,500 personnel. Wood Group chief executive officer Dave Stewart said: "Their 60-year history is a testament to the relationships they have built that we look forward to continuing and growing." | एबरडीन स्थित तेल सेवाओं की दिग्गज कंपनी वुड ग्रुप ने अमेरिकी कंपनी इन्फिनिटी ग्रुप को 150 मिलियन डॉलर (100 मिलियन पाउंड) में खरीदने पर सहमति व्यक्त की है। |
uk-england-london-17743617 | https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-london-17743617 | Ezekiel Foster admits Sashana Roberts bath killing | A man charged with murdering a young mother who was found stabbed and strangled in her bathroom has pleaded guilty to manslaughter. | Ezekiel Foster, 42, of Twybridge Way, Brent, north London, has denied murder but admitted manslaughter, which the prosecution does not accept. Sashana Roberts, 24, was found dead at her terraced home in Cricklewood, north London, on 12 September. The plea was entered at the start of his trial at the Old Bailey for murder. | एक युवा माँ की हत्या के आरोप में एक व्यक्ति, जिसे उसके बाथरूम में चाकू मारकर गला घोंटकर मार दिया गया था, ने हत्या का अपराध स्वीकार कर लिया है। |
uk-england-lincolnshire-17324817 | https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-lincolnshire-17324817 | Mablethorpe £95,000 beach hut plan approved by council | A £95,000 project to build new beach huts and restore others on the seafront of a resort in Lincolnshire has been approved. | East Lindsey District Council is building four new huts near Queen's Garden Square in Mablethorpe. It is also removing 15 chalets on the South Promenade which are in poor condition and selling off the plots to the public with a 20-year lease. All other council-owned beach huts in the town will be repainted. The scheme was approved by the district council's planning committee. Councillor Craig Leyland, portfolio holder for the economy, said: "Beach huts remain an important part of the seaside experience on our coast and the investment we're making in the new huts will mean they remain so for many years to come." | लिंकनशायर में एक रिसॉर्ट के समुद्र तट पर नई समुद्र तट झोपड़ियों के निर्माण और अन्य को बहाल करने के लिए £95,000 की परियोजना को मंजूरी दी गई है। |
uk-england-nottinghamshire-42592470 | https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-nottinghamshire-42592470 | IPCC investigates death of detained man in Nottingham | The police watchdog is investigating the death of a man who fell ill while being detained. | The man was held when Nottinghamshire Police attended a crash on Southdale Road in Carlton, Nottingham at 21:00 GMT on Friday. The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) said he "became unwell" when he was being transferred to custody. He was taken to Queen's Medical Centre in Nottingham but died, the IPCC said. A spokesman for Nottinghamshire Police said the force was "co-operating fully" with the watchdog. | पुलिस प्रहरी हिरासत में लिए जाने के दौरान बीमार पड़े एक व्यक्ति की मौत की जांच कर रहा है। |
uk-england-birmingham-50200104 | https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-birmingham-50200104 | Wolverhampton crash: Pedestrian dies in suspected hit-and-run | A pedestrian has died in a suspected hit-and-run crash in Wolverhampton. | The 63-year-old man was found with serious injuries in Evans Street, Whitmore Reans, just after 22:00 BST on Saturday and died at the scene. Police said a silver Mercedes was found nearby and a man, 48, was arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving. Officers are appealing for witnesses and anyone with dashcam footage to come forward. | वोल्वरहैम्प्टन में एक संदिग्ध हिट-एंड-रन दुर्घटना में एक पैदल यात्री की मौत हो गई है। |
world-asia-38030482 | https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-38030482 | Thailand tiger farms: Hunting the traffickers | When the Thai authorities moved in to shut down a tiger zoo in a temple at the end of May, they exposed a lot more than just the various irregularities in that one facility. The macabre sight of tiger foetuses preserved in bottles, and the shrivelled, frozen remains of other cubs, suddenly cast the popular tourist attraction into a more sinister light. Was this evidence of illegal trade in tiger parts? | By Jonathan HeadSouth East Asia correspondent As it happens, few experts believe the cub carcasses have much value. The bones, skin, teeth, claws and meat of adult tigers are where the money is made. Officials of Thailand's Department of National Parks, who closed the temple zoo and removed its 147 tigers, did find some evidence of trafficking: amulets containing tiger claws, and a truck attempting to leave the temple with two skins and other small parts. At least three adult tigers had gone missing two years earlier. This, said DNP Deputy Director Adisorn Noochdumrong, suggested continuous involvement in small-scale illegal trafficking by the temple's managers. But his bigger concern is the criminal networks he believes have been encouraging the trade, from this and other so-called "tiger farms". There are at least 30 such farms in Thailand, where intensive breeding takes place. They are not illegal but the lack of records in the temple zoo illustrates the weak regulation of these places and allows the possibility of tiger trafficking. "I am quite certain there is a network behind what he have discovered at the temple," said Adisorn. "The temple would not run this alone but tiger trading is hard to verify. The networks are sophisticated and hard to monitor. Influential people are involved." Adisorn and his team have tried to trace the origins of the impounded tigers through their DNA. He believes there are seven original parent animals, two Siberian tigers, one Malayan tiger and four that died some years ago, for which he has no information. All tigers must be registered with the DNP under Thai law and agreements upheld by Cites, an international treaty to protect endangered species from irresponsible trading. All deaths, births and transfers must also be recorded. But this was not happening. Any argument that breeding these particular tigers was to help in their conservation makes no sense, as they are a mix of different subspecies. International pressure Thailand is a hub for the illegal wildlife trade, funnelling endangered animals from Africa and other parts of Asia through neighbouring Laos, where law enforcement is especially weak, and on to Vietnam and China, where the demand is. International pressure has pushed the Thai authorities to become more active in intercepting contraband wildlife shipments but little is being done to break up the syndicates running the trade. Very few arrests have been made. Campaigners monitoring the trade say "farmed" tigers are brought into trafficking all too easily because of the lack of regulation and enforcement. It is difficult to tell whether a carcass belongs to a wild or captive tiger but Thai officials believe at least 30% of those being trafficked come from a captive origin. Often they will be drowned in special submersion cages to avoid damaging the valuable skin. Traffickers then "float" the wrapped carcasses in the Mekong river from the Thai side and have them picked up by smugglers on the Laotian side. Thai Tiger Temple's long history of controversy Edwin Wiek, who runs an NGO trying to protect threatened wildlife in Thailand, explains why trading captive tigers matters so much to conservationists: "To stop the trade, these tiger farms need to be closed down - not only the tiger temple but all the other ones as well. "So that we can say that when tigers are being traded, that we are absolutely sure they are from the wild, and we can do something about it. Breeding a tiger, caring for a tiger until it is an adult costs a lot of money." He estimates the cost of a farm tiger at $7,000 to $8,000 (£5,600-£6,500). "When a poacher goes into the jungle he can kill a tiger with one or two bullets, which will be a lot cheaper," he says. "So there is a big chance the wild populations are being touched for the same market as captive animals." The population of captive tigers in Thailand is now estimated to be around 1,500. When the growing numbers being kept in Laos, Vietnam and China are added, the total captive population in this region exceeds the entire world population of wild tigers, which is around 3,800. Big profits from big animals The economics of tiger farming are baffling and inevitably raise suspicions that some captive animals must be siphoned off for slaughter, in violation of Cites rules. An adult tiger consumes between four and eight kilos of meat a day (9 to 17 lb). An internal Laotian government report, seen by the BBC, openly acknowledges that a tiger farm near the Laotian border town of Thakhek was, until recently, killing 100 tigers a year for commercial use. At Thailand's biggest tiger zoo, Sri Racha, south of Bangkok, the tiger population reached 447 at one point, falling to 323 today. The management there argues that the ideal population is 350. Only a fraction of those can be seen by visitors, via performing tiger shows and - the most popular activity - feeding tiger cubs, which helps explain the huge populations. Tiger produce found on sale in Myanmar Tanya Erzinclioglu is a British volunteer who worked at the tiger temple for six years, becoming a self-taught expert on the animals and, she says, trying to ensure their welfare was protected. She believes they were well-treated there, and that any involvement in trafficking was small-scale. But the breeding, she says, was out of control. "I hated it," she recalls. "When I first arrived there were 70. By the time we left I'd known 150-plus tigers. That's a double increase in six years, it's ridiculous. We could change a lot of things there, but this was one of the hardest because they thought they made so much money from the cub-feeding, and tourists want the cute babies. And they would come, and the babies were already 10 months old, and then they don't think it's cute, and they write bad reviews. So the management would ask 'why aren't there any cubs?'" Adisorn Noochdumrong and his colleagues at the Department of National Parks are now compiling a database of all captive tigers in Thailand, recording their DNA profiles and distinctive stripe patterns, so that they can be properly traced if they go missing. But there are growing calls now from international groups like the WWF to end tiger farming altogether. The Laotian government has already promised to do this, although whether that actually happens is still in question, given the record there of official tolerance for trafficking. If other countries like Thailand follow suit - and there are officials here now openly arguing for the farms to shut, and just zoos, with mixed animal populations to remain open - that would close one loophole through which the trade in endangered species is able to continue. | जब थाई अधिकारियों ने मई के अंत में एक मंदिर में एक बाघ चिड़ियाघर को बंद करने के लिए कदम रखा, तो उन्होंने उस एक सुविधा में विभिन्न अनियमितताओं के अलावा और भी बहुत कुछ उजागर किया। बोतलों में संरक्षित बाघ भ्रूण और अन्य शावकों के सिकुड़े, जमे हुए अवशेषों के भयावह दृश्य ने अचानक लोकप्रिय पर्यटक आकर्षण को और अधिक भयावह प्रकाश में डाल दिया। क्या यह बाघ के अंगों में अवैध व्यापार का प्रमाण था? |
uk-england-nottinghamshire-50068720 | https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-nottinghamshire-50068720 | Old Basford attack: Arrest after woman 'stabbed and drugged' | A woman has been stabbed in the back and arm and was believed to have been drugged during an attack. | Officers were called to Heathfield Road, Old Basford, in Nottingham, following a report that a 28-year-old woman had been stabbed. The force said she remains in hospital with injuries which are not currently believed to be life-threatening. A 48-year-old woman has been arrested on suspicion of grievous bodily harm and poisoning. Follow BBC East Midlands on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected]. Related Internet Links Nottinghamshire Police | एक महिला की पीठ और बांह पर चाकू से वार किया गया है और माना जा रहा है कि हमले के दौरान उसे नशीली दवा दी गई थी। |
world-us-canada-48029360 | https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-48029360 | Who are the US militia at the Mexico border? | With tensions mounting at the US-Mexico border, US militias - groups of armed civilians - have been making headlines for their efforts to patrol the border and seize asylum-seekers. But who are these militia men, what do they believe and is what they're doing legal? | What are US militia groups? The term has a complex history. The Militia Act of 1903 created the National Guard as a reserve for the Army, managed by each state with federal funding, and defined the "unorganised militia" as men between 17 and 45 years of age who were not part of the military or guard. The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) defines current US militia groups as the armed subset of the anti-government movement. These groups engage in military exercises and gun training, and generally believe in conspiracies regarding the federal government. They focus on protecting second amendment rights - or the right to bear arms granted by the US constitution. Heidi Beirich, director of the SPLC's Intelligence Project, describes the militia movement as "American, born and bred". Many of these militia groups hold a "romanticised" view of the US revolutionary era, she told the BBC, with notions that they, like the colonists who fought British rule, are "the ultimate protectors of the nation". The III% Security Force militia group describes themselves in such a way - a coalition "intended for the defence of the populace from enemies foreign and domestic". "At such a point as the government intends to use the physical power granted it by those who implemented it against them, it then becomes the responsibility of the people themselves to defend their country from its government," the militia's website states. While there are militia-type formations in other countries, Ms Beirich says the revolutionary past of the groups in the US has made them more unique when it comes to movements with "conspiratorial ideas of an evil federal government". What exactly do they believe? "Their number one issue, no matter what, is about protecting the second amendment," says Ms Beirich. "These are organisations that believe there are conspiracies afoot to take away their weapons." Militia are not the same as the white supremacy movement or the alt-right movement, she emphasises. They are not advocating white rule, for example, though they do share some beliefs with these movements. Two of the biggest militia incidents in recent years were the Bunkerville standoff - when militia ran federal officials off a rancher's land, believing the government was there to seize cattle - and a similar standoff in Oregon, where militia took over a wildlife refuge in protest of government "interference" in ranchers' lives. But what's novel about the militia movement recently, Ms Beirich says, is a shift towards more explicitly anti-immigration and anti-Muslim views. "They view immigrants as invaders, destroying the country, undermining the Trump administration." She notes that those ideas predated Donald Trump's presidency, but his election win emboldened the movement. "Although these groups have always hated the federal government, they're pretty big fans of Donald Trump, so they're in an awkward position where they support Trump but believe there's a deep state conspiracy against him." In addition, militias have begun to work openly with white supremacists, which was rare in the past, Ms Beirich says. Members of the III% militia, for example, turned up at the far-right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia in 2016. "That's a toxic brew we have to be concerned about." How many militia groups are there? Whenever there is talk of gun control on Capitol Hill, membership rises in militias nationwide. In 2018, the SPLC found 216 militia groups with at least 15 confirmed members were active in the US, though given how secretive these organisations can be, that figure is likely an undercount. "The number of these groups skyrocketed in the Obama era," Ms Beirich says. "Obama never moved on gun control, barely spoke on it, but they viewed him as an existential threat." A similar situation happened under Democratic President Bill Clinton, she notes. The militia movement views Republicans as a party that is protective of gun rights, unlike Democrats. In 2008, the last year of Republican President George W Bush's term, the SPLC reported 149 anti-government groups. The next year, under Democratic President Obama, that number jumped to 512, reaching a peak of 1,360 in 2012. Is this legal? Yes, depending on the state in which a militia is located. All states have laws barring private military activity, but it varies when it comes to paramilitary or militia organising. "There are very few rules in the US about what people with guns," Ms Beirich says. "Many of them frame holding military training exercises as their right with the second amendment, exercising their right to bear arms." According to a 2018 report by Georgetown University, 25 states criminalise kinds of paramilitary activity, making it illegal to teach firearm or explosive use or assemble to train with such devices with the intent to use such knowledge "in furtherance of a civil disorder". Twenty-eight states have statutes prohibiting private militias without the prior authorisation of the state government. "Not all militias are involved in the same kinds of activities," Ms Beirich notes. "If people are engaged in exercising their constitutional rights under the second amendment in states that don't ban the kinds of activities they undertake, they have every right to engage." What about the groups at the border? Militias have been present at the southern border before. In the 2000s, a group called the Minutemen Civil Defense Corps, was rounding up migrants for years before eventually dissolving. But the way groups like the United Constitutional Patriots, whose leader was arrested by the FBI on Monday, have been publicising their efforts is new, Ms Beirich says. The "explicitly anti-immigrant framing" she says is novel, compared to the Minutemen, who would have argued they were merely protecting the border. "The United Constitutional Patriots leader - he's been on record saying pretty terrible things about immigrants. That seems like a bit of a shift." | अमेरिका-मेक्सिको सीमा पर बढ़ते तनाव के साथ, अमेरिकी मिलिशिया-सशस्त्र नागरिकों के समूह-सीमा पर गश्त करने और शरण चाहने वालों को जब्त करने के अपने प्रयासों के लिए सुर्खियां बटोर रहे हैं। लेकिन ये मिलिशिया पुरुष कौन हैं, वे क्या मानते हैं और क्या वे जो कर रहे हैं वह कानूनी है? |
uk-england-devon-53650637 | https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-devon-53650637 | Lives put in danger by 'reckless antics' on Devon cliffs | People's "reckless antics on North Devon cliffs" are putting lives in danger, police said. | Devon and Cornwall Police tweeted pictures of people climbing on outcrops on the county's northern coast over the weekend at the start of August. One picture showed a man taking pictures with his phone at the edge of a waterfall at least 40ft (12m) high. Officers said no photograph was "worth the risk". The tweet continued: "Your actions put not only your life in danger, but those who have to attempt to rescue you, or in some cases recover your body." | पुलिस ने कहा कि लोगों की "उत्तरी डेवोन की चट्टानों पर लापरवाह हरकतें" जीवन को खतरे में डाल रही हैं। |
uk-scotland-scotland-business-44508725 | https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-scotland-business-44508725 | Europe's Galileo: Britain's blast-off | The battle of Brexit has been raging at Westminster this week. But one of the subjects that's infuriating Brexiteers is going far over our heads. And if you've got a smart phone, or sat-nav in your car, you may already be dependent on it. | Douglas FraserBusiness/economy editor, Scotland We often call this GPS - global positioning system. But increasingly, we should call it Galileo. That's because GPS is controlled from the Pentagon in Washington. It's an American military-based satellite system. The European Union has been putting together Galileo as its own network of satellites. It's full of British expertise, but Brexit Britain looks like losing its privileged access to Galileo's secret inner workings. I've been finding more about it, from those who have co-ordinated the commissioning from Brussels and from Professor Malcolm MacDonald, an expert in satellite technology and space policy at the University of Strathclyde. How does this technology work? The systems are all similar in concept, requiring a minimum of 24 satellites in quite a high orbit to get the maximum reach over the earth's surface. These send out very, very accurate time signals. Wherever you are, your phone or satnav picks up signals from at least three different satellites, which orbit the earth on different axes - something like those illustrations of an atom where electrons spin around a nucleus. Put the three together, compare the different lengths of time it has taken for the signals to reach your mobile phone, and it can compute where you are. A recently bought phone, or one with updated software, will be Galileo-compliant, so it will draw on GPS signals plus Galileo and possibly also from a Russian satellite network. They interact, and the more signals, the more accuracy you should get. How accurate is Galileo? GPS is accurate to within about 20 metres. Galileo is designed to improve that, to around one metre. The restricted system, for use by governments, should be able to reduce that to around 25cm. Does that give it more uses than GPS? The satellites don't monitor which devices are using the signal, but there is part of system that can pick up search and rescue signals. So that's of use for maritime search, or remote mountains, or if a car crashes off the road. Every new car model launched in Europe is required to have a Galileo-linked beacon, which should be activated as soon as an air bag is inflated. Emergency services will instantly know where an accident has taken place. The estimated time of getting to a maritime Mayday call can be sharply reduced. The uses for autonomous vehicles have yet to be developed, but it's clear that satellite technology will be an important part of future road transport - both to guide cars and to manage traffic systems. It also has potential for road pricing. Malcolm MacDonald says the crucial difference is that we can trust Galileo better than GPS, even to land a plane where there's no ground radar. That element of its capability is being used by 350 airports in Europe, and also deployed in less developed areas of the world, where communications are poor. Already, GPS and Galileo have become a vital part of finance. In trading, it matters a lot that there is an electronic record of when transactions have taken place. The electronic date-stamp from the satellite navigation system is recognised by all parties to contracts as the reliable industry standard. Then there's agriculture. Another European Union network, called Copernicus, provides earth surveillance. It can tell a farmer about different growing conditions across a field. It can, for instance, highlight an area that needs a higher level of fertiliser or pesticide than others. Satellite navigation can then be used to direct farm equipment - in some cases, autonomously - to the point of need, saving on cost and environmental impact. How close is Galileo to completion? The first satellites were put into orbit from 2013. There are now 22 in orbit, and 18 of them have become operational. That gives it around 80% global coverage. Another four satellites are being prepared for a rocket launch from French Guiana next month. Once they have been fully deployed, from 2020 the system should be complete, and there will be two spare satellites in case others run into technical difficulties. From around 2023, a replacement programme will start. Due to stresses of heat and cold, the satellites have an estimated 10-year lifespan. Haven't the British done some good business out of this project? Almost all the payload - the brains of the satellite - are built in Britain, which is a world leader in small satellites. Glasgow's got a good chunk of that market but not for Galileo. The other big spend is on the components - the solar panels, the casing, the rocket systems, where the Germans, French and Dutch have done well. But if we go back to 2002 into 2004, when Galileo was first being discussed, the British - backed up by Germany and the Netherlands - were strenuously arguing against it. They argued it was a classic, daft, Euro-waste of money and, literally, of space. With encouragement from Washington, the British were asking why Europe couldn't simply rely on the American GPS system. They didn't realise then how quickly people and the economy would become dependent on satellite navigation, on how widespread its applications could be, or on how positive the satellite sector could become for the British economy. Nor did they foresee that Donald Trump would become US President and could switch off GPS on a whim. When the programme was first discussed, there was talk of it being privately financed. That didn't happen, as providing a free service doesn't produce an income stream. There were discussions with Russia and China about working on this network with the European Union. But in Moscow and Beijing, they decided to go and make their own, military-led systems. Given the change of tone from the Kremlin, and concerns about China's acquisition of technology, it's hard to imagine those partnerships working smoothly now. So the European Union is happy with the system it has bought? The European Commission certainly sounds that way. It has spent around 10 billion euros so far, on satellites, launches, and building ground stations (the British and French have some helpful far-flung outposts and former colonies that can be used for that). And they're so happy with it that they announced this month that they intend to spend a further 16 billion euros from 2021 to 2027. That's as much as they have spent from 2005 to 2020. The absence of the UK from paying into the budget isn't going to slow them up. That money sustains the Galileo systems, paying for some replacement satellites as they wear out. It also supports the Copernicus network of satellites, which provides earth surveillance - of farming, land planning and pollution monitoring, and it has uses in handling natural disasters. The commission reckons that 80% of new phones on the market are Galileo-enabled. Just two years ago, there was one manufacturer linking with it, a small one in Spain. That did not take regulation. It's in the manufacturers' interests to deploy the technology. It did, however, require legislation to force car manufacturers to adopt the locator beacon technology as standard. And once on board all cars, it's an important step towards a satellite-based system for smart traffic management and autonomous cars. Britain's being denied access to at least part of this satellite system. Why? The UK is being denied on two grounds. One is the restricted part of the system, of particular interest for military uses. Britain has a lot of them. Think missile targeting. That element of Galileo is only for EU members, and when Britain is not an EU member, it will have to negotiate a special deal to use the system. Norway and America are already in talks to do that, and the talks have been under way for more than two years. I was in Brussels earlier this month, asking around about this, and I was told this makes the British - Brexiteers and remainers alike - more incensed than almost anything else in the negotiations. (So far.) Britain helped pay for it. It's been important to building it: "So be reasonable, chaps." In Brussels, they're saying: we're governed by rules, and look at the words - non-EU members, or "third countries" don't get automatic access to the high security functions. The other dispute is the ban on Britain being able to bid for work on the secure aspects of future EU satellites. So SSTL, the Surrey-based subsidiary of Airbus that makes most Galileo satellite payloads, is reported to be planning a move of its production to the continent. The UK government has tabled a proposal to share the system post-Brexit, but the other 27 members this week chose to continue while cutting the UK out of procurement. That brought a warning that the British could seek to frustrate the process and increase its costs. Could the UK have its own satellite network? That was being urged on ministers in the House of Commons this week. It would be an expensive option. It could be cheaper to do this on a one-country basis, and some lessons have been learned from the Galileo process. But it's not expected to leave much change from £10 billion. The British clearly have the know-how. At a price, it can hitch a ride on another country's rocket. Japan and India have their own regional systems, with satellites positioned above those countries, so that might be an option. But it looks like we might have spending pressures closer to home. | इस सप्ताह वेस्टमिंस्टर में ब्रेक्सिट की लड़ाई तेज हो रही है। लेकिन ब्रेक्साइटरों को क्रोधित करने वाले विषयों में से एक हमारे सिर पर बहुत अधिक जा रहा है। और यदि आपके पास स्मार्ट फोन है, या आपकी कार में सैट-नेव है, तो आप पहले से ही इस पर निर्भर हो सकते हैं। |
world-africa-37716674 | https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-37716674 | The crack in Gambia's smile | The Gambia is known to tourists as "the smiling coast of West Africa", but this masks something more troubling. On his last trip before his untimely death this week, journalist Chris Simpson navigated the different worlds that exist in the small country. | I had been in The Gambian capital, Banjul, less than an hour and here I was, car pulled over, explaining my business to a group of men in uniform. A thrillingly sinister start to a week-long holiday? Not quite. I had fallen into the clutches of the tourist police, identity badges to the fore, courteous to a fault. "Are you lost?" they asked. They had guessed right. A 12-hour journey from neighbouring Senegal had taken its toll and I had lost patience with my taxi driver's wearing "welcome to Africa" banter and general cluelessness. Sheepishly, I agreed to a police escort. The commander jumped in next to the somewhat nonplussed man at the wheel and me, the slightly fake out-of-season tourist. We tracked down the pre-booked hotel. I checked in, but not before a semi-stern warning from my new friend: "Only ride in the green taxis designated for tourists; watch yourself, there are lots of cheats and chancers about." Yes, the con artists, hard-luck stories and fake friends are out there. Open your heart and your wallet if you must, but show some discrimination. And be mindful that ordinary Gambians have considerably more to fear than you do, never more so than now. The man they are on the run from, sometimes literally, is President Yahya Jammeh. He was less than 30 when he took power in 1994, ousting his predecessor, the much older Dawda Jawara. The president is now 51, but middle age has not mellowed him. Gambian friends told me not to make the common outsider's mistake of treating their leader as a maverick or eccentric - "tyrant" was nearer the mark, they said. "Every day we think about the president's health... and hope it is getting worse," a Gambian back from long stints abroad remarked. Diplomats, both western and African, see The Gambia in freefall. The torture testimonies and accounts of citizens gone missing are too widespread and well-documented to be ignored. Huge numbers of Gambians are discreetly leaving, which has become known as "taking the back way". The last time I had been in Banjul, Gambian journalists had talked openly to me about rough rebukes from the president. They had tried to work out when the threats were serious, and when they were just scare tactics. This time, I proceeded more cautiously. A young reporter at an independent paper agreed to an office rendezvous. He steered me into a side room and talked shyly but candidly about the state of the nation and the fear which truth-tellers had to put up with. For sure, he said, his phone was tapped. His friends often urged each other to soften messages on social media as the security forces are reading, and they do not take kindly to jokes about the leader. From Our Own Correspondent has insight and analysis from BBC journalists, correspondents and writers from around the world Opposition activists, once loyal to Mr Jammeh, were more bullish. They told me of the president's petty jealousy, his willingness to turn friends into foes. They said the people would get rid of him, maybe at the elections in December. But I could not share their confidence. But how did all this play out in the enclaves patrolled by my friends from the tourist police? The smallest country on mainland Africa has prided itself on the welcome it extends to visitors. Revenues from tourism account for close to 20% of GDP. The same package has worked for a long time: Sun-baked beaches, mangrove forests for the more intrepid, the drumming and exotic birdlife. It is a cut-price paradise; a newly declared Islamic Republic where beer is cheap and sex is openly available to both male and female tourists. Same-sex relationships, though, are not part of the scene. President Jammeh has volunteered to slit the throats of homosexuals. On earlier visits, I snobbishly wrote off the tourist belt as toytown Africa, dispiritingly subservient and banal, geared towards clients who are uncurious about the country they were staying in. This time I tried harder. Resisting the freelance blandishments of chancers promising a glimpse of the real Africa, I signed up for a day tour with the official tourism authorities. My guides knew their country. Patient, good humoured and informative, they stayed off politics but were no starry-eyed propagandists. The tour took us from ancient artefacts and historic photographs, to friendly crocodiles and hard-up wood carvers, to an impoverished primary school and an upmarket beach bar. The sky had more grey than blue and it all felt a little like hard work, as if The Gambia was clinging on to an image everyone knows to be an illusion, while a darker, meaner reality now intrudes. Chris Simpson died unexpectedly on Wednesday at the age of 53. He had been a correspondent for the BBC in Angola, Rwanda, Senegal and the Central African Republic. | गाम्बिया पर्यटकों के लिए "पश्चिम अफ्रीका के मुस्कुराते हुए तट" के रूप में जाना जाता है, लेकिन यह कुछ और अधिक परेशान करने वाला है। इस सप्ताह अपनी असामयिक मृत्यु से पहले अपनी अंतिम यात्रा पर, पत्रकार क्रिस सिम्पसन ने छोटे से देश में मौजूद विभिन्न दुनियाओं को नेविगेट किया। |
business-36792803 | https://www.bbc.com/news/business-36792803 | Interest rates on hold - for now | So, the interest rate cut is off, for now. | Kamal AhmedEconomics editor@bbckamalon Twitter The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) has decided - significantly by a 8-1 majority rather than unanimously - that a little bit of patience is necessary to see how the economy performs over the next few weeks. The markets' judgement that Mark Carney had clearly signalled a July rate cut two weeks ago when he said "some monetary policy easing will likely be required over the summer" has proved erroneous. Some might mutter about the governor showing flashes of the "unreliable boyfriend" he has been accused of before when he has guided the market. However, the governor's words do not contradict today's decision. "Over the summer" is not one month. And monetary easing can mean more than just a cut in interest rates. The MPC is dealing with two competing forces. First, a slowdown in economic growth following the referendum vote which many economists believe could tip the economy into recession. Second, a possible increase in inflation sparked by the fall in the value of sterling. At the moment the data on the former is limited. The MPC did point to some "preliminary signs" that household and business confidence has been affected by the referendum result. It said there have been some "sharp falls" in sentiment measures. "Taken together, these indicators suggest economic activity is likely to weaken in the near term," the minutes say. But, against that, the financial markets have continued to function which has "dampened rather than amplified" the effects of the 23 June vote. And economic activity is described as "solid" in the run-up to the referendum. The Bank also made it clear that "most" members of the MPC "expect monetary policy to be loosened in August" when the Inflation Report is published. That does not necessarily mean an interest rate cut at that point. It could mean more stimulus via the purchasing of government bonds, or quantitative easing. Or more action to boost lending via direct support to banks. On inflation, any upward pressure is still slight. Inflation is at 0.3%, well below the 2% target. The "sharp" fall in sterling is likely to be inflationary as import prices rise. But, so far, there is little evidence of that. Short-term market expectations of an increase in inflation have risen slightly. But over the longer term, expectations are still muted. The deflationary pressures of low commodity prices and a slow devaluation of the renminbi - making Chinese exports cheaper - are acting across the globe to depress prices. To be clear, interest rates may not fall further this year. Whether they do will depend on the MPC's judgement on the best way to balance the two competing forces in the economy. And how the economy performs over the next few weeks and months - rather more a function of government policy on tax, spending and negotiations with the European Union, than it is of monetary policy. As Mr Carney has always made clear - the levers the Bank has at its disposal can only do so much. He has also been wary of cutting rates too deeply - and has signalled that he is not a big fan of negative rates - because of the damage that can do to retail bank profitability and the ability to lend. Sentiment is certainly moving towards more stimulus - the form that stimulus will take, and when, is still unclear. | इसलिए, ब्याज दर में कटौती अभी के लिए बंद है। |
uk-england-berkshire-18391709 | https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-berkshire-18391709 | Free Reading buses for elderly set to start earlier | Elderly bus passengers in Reading will be allowed to travel for free on local services half an hour earlier, after councillors approved changes. | On Monday Reading Borough Council's cabinet agreed to introduce free services from 09:00 on weekdays. Currently free bus travel for people of pensionable age starts from 09:30 on weekdays. The changes would be funded from income collected from bus lane fines and are due to start in the autumn. The extra half an hour's free travel is expected to cost between £29,000 and £46,000 per year but would bring Reading into line with neighbouring Wokingham and West Berkshire councils. Reading Borough Council will write to all residents to advise them of the change and proposed start date. | पार्षदों द्वारा परिवर्तनों को मंजूरी देने के बाद रीडिंग में बुजुर्ग बस यात्रियों को आधे घंटे पहले स्थानीय सेवाओं पर मुफ्त यात्रा करने की अनुमति दी जाएगी। |
newsbeat-55302854 | https://www.bbc.com/news/newsbeat-55302854 | Life in a gang: 'You don't know who's gonna die next' | "If you don't prove yourself you're gonna get stepped on. You can't be a wasteman." | By Tracy OllerenshawNewsbeat reporter Yusuf's been in a gang since he was 15. He wears a stab vest when he leaves the flat he shares with his mum and carries a knife in his boxers because he fears he'll be killed if he can't defend himself. "I'd rather be judged by 12 than carried by six," he says, borrowing a Roddy Ricch lyric to make his point. Homelessness and domestic abuse feature heavily in Yusuf's past and he reckons there's an "80/20 chance" his future will involve prison. The 17-year-old - one of London's most notorious gang members - is speaking to Radio 1 Newsbeat in a London youth hub. Sitting on a white plastic chair beside his youth worker, Yusuf reels off some of the crimes he's been accused of - carrying acid, attempted murder, arming himself with a knife. It's the first of a number of chats we had with the teenager, as we spent six months last year inside an east London unit set up to tackle gang crime. As we knocked on doors with case workers and walked around Hackney estates with police who are on first name terms with gang members, we started to uncover what life is like for these young people. They told us about stabbings, fights over "inherited beef" and the meticulous planning that goes into journeys to avoid running into rivals. "One minute I'm going to the shop with my mate, the next minute I hear he's been stabbed," one 15-year-old says. Like Yusuf, he regularly wears a stab vest underneath his clothes. He tells us he's rarely in bed before 03:00 and struggles to get up in the morning. "Every other day police knock at the door," an 18-year-old says. He's recently been arrested over a murder, but he's been released. He speaks plainly about being knifed in the leg. "It was like a stab. Knife, blood. Couple of stitches." As we chat he constantly answers texts and calls on two phones. We later hear he's been jailed for county lines drug dealing. He tells us he'd like to rewind. "I'd go back in time. I know how everything is gonna end up. I'm here in my yard, it's safe. It's not safe out there." So how did these young men get here? Yusuf says most of the boys he started secondary school with are now in gangs. 'I gave up' He once dreamed of being a footballer, but says he was let down by school and a government that "only cares about itself". "They're not talking to the people in the council estates, they're talking to people in Chelsea," he says. He didn't have to look far for a different path. "I gave up on myself. In the borough like, this is the life. You don't need to look for it, it's there." What is the gangs unit? The idea behind the Hackney Integrated Gangs Unit- set up 10 years ago - was to bring all the people involved in working with gang crime together. Information is shared between police, probation officers, youth offending workers and mentors, who are often ex-gang members and they all sit in the same office. There also someone from the Department for Work and Pensions, to help with jobs and benefits. Staff at the unit offer all kinds of support for young people in the community, from "holding their hand" at a doctor's appointment to booking taxis to take them to school. PC Jamie Preston says the teenagers who end up in gangs are often - not always - from poor backgrounds. "They've usually not got much family, no money and they're living in London where you're surrounded by wealth. Rich people, flashy cars and all these kids want that," says PC Preston. "You've got young males from estates who've probably got a single-parent income, living in horrible conditions, no money. They see these older males with thousands of pounds in their pocket and they ask them to do something and give them money for it. "It's a no brainer, of course they're going to do it and this is how they get exploited." Yusuf's mentor - part of the team at the unit - fills us in on some of his background. He's been run over by a rival gang, caught with a sword and found in a house where drugs were being sold in Devon. He's been arrested a number of times. Youth worker Damion Roberts says: "He's put himself in that limelight - he wants everyone to know he's a very aggressive young man. He's putting fear in other people's minds. He's becoming very aggressive in this culture." 'I feel like Superman' Yusuf tells us he doesn't want to hurt people but wouldn't hesitate to stab someone if he felt he needed to. "No-one carries it for fashion - it's not for show. For me it's for my defence, if the time came I'd 100% be prepared to use it. It's either me or them." "I'd rather be in jail than dead, that's the reality." Carrying a weapon makes him feel powerful, he admits. "Like Superman - until it's time to run." Yusuf's gang is his family and he'd do anything to protect them. "I'm not saying I've stabbed someone. [But] in the future or whatever, I've got their back." London's gangs matrix When we met Yusuf he was on the Met Police's list of gang members and was number one on the Hackney unit's list. The gangs violence matrix was set up after the riots in 2011 and is used by officers to identify people likely to be involved in gang crime in London. Once on the list, names are assigned a red, amber or green rating. But it has been controversial - 374 people were removed from the matrix this year when the UK's data watchdog found it breached data protection laws. Close bonds are a common feature of the gang mentality, PC Preston says. "At the same time as being a gang, it's like a family to them. If you've got no family, you've been in care, no-one's ever bothered about you and you've got a group of males who look after you, fight for you, give you money - it is like a family. "That's what they actually crave, someone to look after them. And obviously they can make a lot of money at the same time." Damion says similar. "It's a sense of love and friendship that's supposed to be in the home but it's outside the home." 'People are dying' Yusuf describes clashes with rival gangs as "war" and says he tries to get into that mindset. "People get shot at, stabbed, people are dying. Just gotta think of it like this, 'I'm a soldier, soldiers do it [kill], if a soldier can do it I can do it.'" He says he only feels safe at home or at the youth hub. His days are filled with "hyper vigilance" and "paranoia". "You don't know what you're gonna hear. Who's gonna die next." He sees threats everywhere. "I don't like normal cars, speeding cars, cars going the wrong way up a one-way, tints, black cars, old cars, loud cars. I don't like dodgy licence plates." He wants out. "You want to leave. It's a sad life. There's nothing to be glamorised, people die, people die you know. Everybody wants to leave it. It's just about timing." For Michael, that time came after 12 years in and out of custody for drugs offences and robbery. He was first sent to a youth offender institution at just 13 years old. "I felt like it just reminded me of a youth centre with people I didn't know that I got to know. Besides that, that was it, you just had a bedtime and you couldn't leave and I didn't even think that bothered me. "Six months later, I got out." Now 26, he says crime was "just a way of life" and when asked if he ever felt bad or remorseful, he says: "Nah, I need to eat - that's what you're thinking." When we meet him he's working a 9-5 job and he's been out of prison for eight months. "Dealing drugs - running from the feds. I can't be doing this. I can't be running." He says he can't quite believe how much spare time he now has. Being in a gang is 24-7. "I feel more at ease now." Michael has changed his life but he knows it's not easy getting others to do the same. He tells us the kind of things designed to steer young gang members away from the streets - like mentors, day trips and restaurant outings - didn't stop him dealing drugs. PC Preston puts it simply. "As long as there is drugs and poverty, we'll always have a gang problem." At the gangs unit, analyst Mani says helping people to get out of the gangs lifestyle is "a long hard slog" and can take years. "It's a difficult lifestyle to get out of once you're fully entrenched. And actually, what we need to do is say to that young person, 'We're not going to leave you'." That's what happened for Michael, who says he owes a lot to his probation officer at the unit. "Things are going well and I still got her... still by my side. She's like family... I can't even argue with her, man." Michael now wants to go into prisons to talk to young people like him. He's even speaking to his MP about it. And what about Yusuf? Our final chat with him is ahead of his sentencing for carrying a knife and taking acid into a council building. He tells us his mindset has shifted. "The way I think is different. If I carry [a weapon] now and get stopped they know my face. Before, carrying is carrying. There's other ways to feel safe - planning what times I go out and what route. My decision making is different, I'm just gonna be more smart. "I can't be getting caught with a sword and stuff, that's done" Six days before Christmas, he stands before magistrates in a suit bought for him on a day out with his case worker, hoping if he's jailed he'll be out before his 18th birthday. He's told his mum not to come - he doesn't want her to see him in the dock - but she calls incessantly. Magistrates give him a 12-month referral order - which means he will stay under the supervision of a youth offending team - and he calls a friend. "Come get me - I didn't go down." A year on and PC Preston says Yusuf's not been arrested or come to police notice since. He's still on the gangs matrix and will stay there until his criminal behaviour order ends next December. PC Preston says officers will visit him once a month to check in and "ask him how he's getting on." "He's enrolled in college - I believe he's attending regularly and doing well," he tells us. "He seems to be turning his life around." Some names in this article have been changed to protect the identity of contributors. | "अगर आप खुद को साबित नहीं करते हैं तो आप आगे बढ़ेंगे। आप बर्बाद करने वाले नहीं हो सकते।" |
world-us-canada-43875887 | https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-43875887 | Toronto van attack: Eyewitness accounts | A rented van has been driven into pedestrians on a busy street in the Canadian city of Toronto, leaving 10 people dead and 15 injured. Here, eyewitnesses describe seeing the vehicle mount the pavement in busy Yonge Street and travel at speed for nearly 2km (1.24 mile), mowing down pedestrians. The suspected driver was arrested and is being questioned. | 'I saw people dying right in front of me' "I heard screaming, yelling. I turned back and saw this truck," Rocco Cignielli, 42, told AFP news agency. "He was going in and out, back and forth, zigzagging. He just kept on going. "I saw there were people lying on the ground. I saw they were doing heart compression, and I saw two people dying right here in front of me." 'The truck continued going and going' Taxi driver Nana Agyeman Badu said the van had been heading south towards the city centre and then suddenly swerved on to the pavement. "I thought maybe he was making a delivery. But I was thinking, 'Why would he drive in the pedestrian walkway like that?' Very fast. Then I saw he had already run over some people. "A lady was walking towards the car close to a bus shelter. The truck pinged the lady through the bus shelter and she fell back and all the broken glass fell on to her. I stopped and ran out to help her. The truck continued going and going and going." 'My friend was gone' Michele Kelman, who works on Yonge Street, said she was returning to her office with a friend after lunch when they heard screams. She told the Globe and Mail that she turned and saw bodies flying through the air. The front of the white van was heading straight towards her. She said she tried to shield herself and the van shot past without touching her. But when she turned back her friend had gone. "I couldn't find her body for a while. There were a few around. And there were people trying to bring her back," she recalled. Ms Kelman declined to name her friend because her family had not yet been notified of her death. 'There are so many people lying on the streets' Alex Shaker told CTV television that the driver was travelling "really fast". "All I could see was just people one by one getting knocked out, knocked out, one by one," he said. "There are so many people lying down on the streets." 'It was awful... brutal' Phil Zullo said he saw victims "strewn all over the road". He told told Canadian Press: "I must have seen about five, six people being resuscitated by bystanders and by ambulance drivers. It was awful... brutal." | कनाडा के टोरंटो शहर में एक व्यस्त सड़क पर एक किराए की वैन पैदल चलने वालों पर चढ़ गई, जिसमें 10 लोगों की मौत हो गई और 15 घायल हो गए। यहाँ, प्रत्यक्षदर्शी बताते हैं कि वाहन को व्यस्त योंग स्ट्रीट में फुटपाथ पर चढ़ते हुए और पैदल चलने वालों को कुचलते हुए लगभग 2 किमी (1.24 मील) की गति से यात्रा करते हुए देखा गया। संदिग्ध चालक को गिरफ्तार कर लिया गया और उससे पूछताछ की जा रही है। |
business-29124551 | https://www.bbc.com/news/business-29124551 | Scottish vote: Experts debate potential economic impact | As the polls narrow in the Scottish independence debate, banks, investors and economists have been ramping up their warnings about the potential investment and economic impact a break-up of the United Kingdom could have. | By Matthew WallBusiness reporter, BBC News But some commentators believe that, while all the uncertainty surrounding the details of separation may have negative economic consequences in the short term, an independent Scotland could be financially viable in the longer term. Here is a representative selection of recent comments. Alan Greenspan, former chairman, US Federal Reserve The former Fed head has warned that independence would be "surprisingly negative for Scotland, more so than the Nationalist party is in any way communicating", according to the Financial Times. He said their economic forecasts were "so implausible they really should be dismissed out of hand", making reference to falling North Sea oil production. He also maintained that the Bank of England would be extremely unlikely to act as "lender of last resort" to a newly independent Scotland. Professor Mike Danson, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh Heriot-Watt's professor of enterprise policy believes the doom-mongers are wrong. "The concerns are overdone," he told the BBC. "Supermarkets have said prices could go up, but they could also go down." An independent Scotland would be freer to make choices about where and how to spend its money, he argues. "We could incentivise companies and universities to invest in research and development, for example. "We're not going to see an economic revolution overnight, but its about building on Scotland's strengths in life sciences, food and drink, tourism and financial services. We have a long history of good practice and a skilled workforce." Peter Dixon and Dr Jorg Kramer, Commerzbank The German bank's economists argue that while the Scottish government's assumptions on energy reserves are credible, "more than half of the figure relies on potential resources or those yet to be found. On current technology only around 40% of projected reserves are likely to be extracted." The bank also warns about the consequences for the remainder of the UK, arguing that it "would have a diminished presence on the global stage." But overall, it concludes that "it is likely that an independent Scotland will fare better than the Westminster government expects but considerably worse than the nationalists believe." Dame Vivienne Westwood, fashion designer The former high priestess of punk fashion said an independent Scotland could be "the turning point towards a better world. They could lead by example." She backed Scottish independence as she kicked off her London Fashion Week showcase, sending her models down the catwalk sporting Yes campaign badges. Dame Vivienne, who was born in Tintwistle, Derbyshire, is just one of hundreds of business people who have given their support to the Yes campaign. For example, in August 200 firms signed Business for Scotland's open letter supporting the case for independence. Robert Zoellick, former president, World Bank The former World Bank president said "a break-up of the UK would be a diminution of Britain and a tragedy for the west just at a moment when the US needs strong partners. I strongly suspect it would not work out well for the Scots either." Goldman Sachs The global investment bank thinks the short-term effects of a "Yes" vote in the Scottish referendum could have "severe consequences" for both countries' economies. "In the event of a surprise 'Yes' vote, the near-term consequences for the Scottish economy, and for the UK more broadly, could be severely negative," it wrote in a research note last week, but longer term the bank said it could prosper. Protracted negotiations over the division of UK national debt, the currency, and Scottish membership of the European Union would lead to "a prolonged period of uncertainty," the bank said. "This, in itself, is likely to have adverse economic consequences for Scotland and the UK." "Even if the sterling monetary union does not break up in the event of a 'Yes' vote, the threat of a break-up would provide investors with a strong incentive to sell Scottish-based assets, and households with a strong incentive to withdraw deposits from Scottish-based banks," the bank argued. However longer term, it believes there is "little reason why an independent Scotland could not prosper: there is no evidence to suggest that smaller countries are richer or poorer, on average." Martin Gilbert, chief executive, Aberdeen Asset Management Aberdeen Asset Management, Scotland's largest fund management company, is officially neutral in the independence debate. However its boss, Martin Gilbert, has said an "independent Scotland would be a big success", although he declined to say which he had voted in his postal vote. In Aberdeen's Press and Journal, Mr Gilbert said Scotland was among the 20 wealthiest countries in the world, adding: "Most sensible people now accept that Scotland would be prosperous with either outcome in the current constitutional debate." He also said sterlingisation - in which an independent Scotland kept the pound without a formal deal - would be a "pretty good option". "Low or no debt would be the position if an independent Scotland were denied access to Bank of England financial assets, and that would leave the newly-independent country in both budget and balance of payments surplus. Not a bad start," he added. Paul Krugman, economist Writing in his New York Times column, Mr Krugman had a stark message for Scotland: "Be afraid, be very afraid. The risks of going it alone are huge. You may think that Scotland can become another Canada, but it's all too likely that it would end up becoming Spain without the sunshine." On the prospects of keeping sterling as the country's currency, Mr Krugman said: "The combination of political independence with a shared currency is a recipe for disaster." He would find it "mind-boggling" if Scotland decided to do this. Oliver Harvey, Deutsche Bank Echoing Paul Krugman, Deutsche Bank's foreign exchange strategist Oliver Harvey, wrote: "Scotland: be afraid, be very afraid" in a note to investors on Monday. "The implications of a yes vote would be huge....", he said. "On the currency side, it could at worse lead to a destabilising crisis in the whole British banking system and at best leave the the rest of the UK with an unstable currency union in which the Bank of England is forced to continue to provide liquidity to Scottish banks while Westminster thrashes out a fiscal and monetary arrangement with a new Scottish sovereign government holding all the cards. "A 'yes' vote could easily derail the UK economic recovery. Scotland represents the rest of the UK's second largest trading partner after the EU and many corporate investment plans are likely to be put on hold until clarity over currency, regulatory and tax questions is achieved." Ben Chu, The Independent A Scottish state is "perfectly viable", argues the Indy's economics editor, Ben Chu. "Some of the wilder prophecies of ruin are unconvincing." "Scotland's North Sea oil money will eventually run out but the country still has a well-educated population. Its future productivity growth and prosperity rests on those foundations of human capital." In the short-term, however, he says that: "Corporate investment, which has been disappointingly weak for a decade, could flatline amidst the uncertainty thrown up by a Yes vote. That wouldn't help either Scotland or the rest of the UK recover from the biggest slump since the 1930s." A lot depends on whether Scotland retains the pound, he argues, thereby accepting a degree of Westminster oversight that many Scots who voted for independence would find unpalatable. | जैसे-जैसे स्कॉटिश स्वतंत्रता की बहस में चुनाव संकीर्ण हो रहे हैं, बैंक, निवेशक और अर्थशास्त्री यूनाइटेड किंगडम के टूटने से संभावित निवेश और आर्थिक प्रभाव के बारे में अपनी चेतावनी दे रहे हैं। |
uk-41722224 | https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-41722224 | 'They're my mum and dad, not terrorists' | Since moving in with Pakistani Muslim foster parents, Rebecca Brown - who is white British - has had school friends ask if she lives with terrorists, because of their religion. She wants people to know they are just like any other family. | By Ashley John-BaptisteBBC Victoria Derbyshire programme "I am a part of the family," Rebecca explains over a family dinner with Shanaz and Muhammad Arshad, her foster parents. Rebecca, who is an atheist, has lived with the Muslim family since the age of 12. Now 18, she has chosen to continue living with them. She is keen to make her voice heard only weeks after a case involving a five-year-old Christian girl, who was reportedly left distressed after being placed with Muslim foster carers, hit the headlines. A family court judge later ruled there were no concerns about the girl's welfare. Rebecca tells the BBC's Victoria Derbyshire programme without Shanaz and Muhammad she "wouldn't have anyone else to call family". She has referred to them as "mum and dad" since the third month of living together. She has learned basic Urdu to become closer to them, and has travelled with the family to Pakistan - something that stirred opinions among school friends. One told her she was "living with terrorists", she says. Others have talked about her family having "explosives". Rebecca remembers being perplexed. "I live in a family as anyone else would." Shanaz says she has also been hurt by comments. "People think the girl will lose her identity. People question, 'Is she going to become one of you? Is she going to have an arranged marriage?' "We are trying to give this child the best care in the world." The family is also fostering an Afghan boy and Kenyan girl - and Shanaz is keen to explain that Rebecca has been able to maintain "her own identity". "Rebecca is going to be Rebecca," she says. "Fostering isn't about imposing religion. Foster carers are not there to remould them." She says she has spoken about Islam with Rebecca but "never imposed it" on her. "We celebrate every culture and religion in this household. We celebrate Christmas because it's a holiday and festival time." 'Inspired by Christianity' The government says it does not have statistics on how many interracial placements there are. But it is estimated that 3,000 Muslim children are placed into foster care each year. Krish Kandiah, a Christian theologian, has fostered children from a broad range of religious and cultural backgrounds. "Reading the Bible, it has so much to say about vulnerable kids in our society," he says, explaining his choice to foster. He dismisses the idea that having Christianity as a key motivator for becoming a foster parent is in conflict with the role, which requires children's religious choices to be respected. "When Muslim kids have come into my care I have asked how we can help, how we should honour that. "We've had Halal meat, made a Koran available. If my kid was in care, I'd want their faith to be respected." He says that there have been instances where people are "very critical" of foster carers. But, he adds, "I'd tell critics to step up and foster themselves". Not all placements are a success. Jerome Harvey, who's 26, said his identity was overlooked by a Muslim family he lived with at the age of four. "The first family I lived with were Indian Muslim, and it was just a massive culture shock," he says. "The first thing that stood out to me was the food. We didn't recognise it, [but] they forced us to eat it. "They lost us," he adds. "A carer's job is to find you, but they lost us because they weren't interested in who we were before we got there. "We didn't celebrate Christmas." He says the family did not introduce him to their culture either. "If anything they damaged us further. They excluded us from who they were. "We'd watch them pray but not really understand why they were doing it, or what it is, and just copy." Cultural needs Kevin Williams, chief executive of the charity Fostering Network, says over the last 20 years there has been much greater understanding of the need to support a foster child's "culture and beliefs". Foster parents are trained to ensure they are prepared to look after children of all backgrounds, he adds, with social workers acting as a safeguard. Mr Williams is clear that foster parents should "not be forcing a religion onto a child", but that - if they are religious - they can talk to the child about this, as it is important for them to be made aware of "different experiences". The charity estimates that there is currently a shortage of 8,000 foster carers across the UK. "We want children to be matched as closely as possible with a family - including religious and cultural needs - but this is not always possible," Mr Williams explains. He hopes more Muslim families will want to foster in future so that they can care for children of all beliefs. Rebecca asks people not to take a negative view of Muslim foster parents. "Don't judge a book by its cover. You can't believe everything that's on the news, or what's been said about Islam," she says. Watch the Victoria Derbyshire programme on weekdays between 09:00 and 11:00 on BBC Two and the BBC News Channel. | पाकिस्तानी मुस्लिम पालक माता-पिता के साथ रहने के बाद से, रेबेका ब्राउन-जो श्वेत ब्रिटिश है-ने स्कूल के दोस्तों से पूछा है कि क्या वह आतंकवादियों के साथ रहती है, उनके धर्म के कारण। वह चाहती है कि लोगों को पता चले कि वे किसी भी अन्य परिवार की तरह हैं। |
uk-england-norfolk-36793482 | https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-norfolk-36793482 | Allison and Stephen Muncaster deaths caused by shotgun | Shotgun wounds caused the death of a married couple found dead at their home, a post-mortem examination has confirmed. | The body of Stephen Muncaster, 47, was found shortly after midnight on Tuesday in the front garden of a property in Magdalen, near King's Lynn. His wife Allison, 48, was found inside the house. Shots had been heard and a gun was found at the scene. Police are not looking for anyone else in connection with the incident. Get the latest on this and other stories for Norfolk Police said they will produce a file for the coroner in due course. Mr Muncaster was the uncle of Michael Carroll, who made headlines in 2002 by winning £9.7m in the National Lottery. | शॉटगन के घावों के कारण एक विवाहित जोड़े की मौत उनके घर पर मृत पाई गई, एक पोस्टमॉर्टम परीक्षा ने पुष्टि की है। |
science-environment-46264303 | https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-46264303 | Will the UK and EU reach a Brexit deal on fishing? | The EU 27 are concerned that "taking back control" of the UK's waters might mean fewer fishing opportunities for their fleets. A diplomatic note - seen by the BBC - raised concerns about access and environmental commitments. | By Kevin KeaneBBC Scotland's environment correspondent The prospect might be a surprise to them, focused on 585 pages of draft agreements, but it's been the backbone of the economic argument for the UK's most pro-Brexit industry. Many have said it would be the litmus-test of the whole process. The waters around all the EU's member states, up to a limit of 200 miles, are effectively "pooled" when it comes to fishing. It means boats from one country can fish in another's seas. When the UK leaves the EU, barring any new agreements, those waters will exclusively become the UK's again, under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. There's also a further separate international agreement, called the London Fisheries Convention, covering the 12 miles closest to the shore. It's being terminated, meaning no foreign vessel will be allowed to fish in UK waters without the UK's permission. A long-running fear among skippers has been that their fishing rights would be "traded away" in deals done for the benefit of more economically valuable sectors. The draft withdrawal agreement seems to rule that out but it doesn't mean foreign boats will be immediately chased away by British vessels. None of the industry bodies has advocated allowing only UK boats to fish in our exclusive economic zone - the sea up to 200 miles from UK shores. What they want is for the UK - or the nations of the UK - to decide who is and isn't allowed in. When Greenland left the EU, in 1982, it allowed limited access to its waters in exchange for infrastructure funding. Greenland initially held all the quotas for its exclusive seas but effectively sold off some. A similar negotiation is proposed between the UK and EU but there is no commitment to reaching a deal. The document simply says the two parties will "use their best endeavours" to do so. There will have to be flexibility as British boats don't just fish in British waters. The recent scallop skirmishes in the Baie de Seine, which resulted in tussles at sea between French and British fishermen in a row over access to fishing grounds, illustrated the need for cross-border cooperation. The fishing industry in towns such as Fraserburgh, Peterhead and Grimsby will see Brexit as a success only if their harbours are filled with more local boats in the years ahead. Important too is the link being made between fishing opportunities for EU vessels and the sale of fish and seafood by the UK into the EU. It's unlikely the prominence of fishing will crumble in the wider noise of securing a trade deal, mainly because most of the industry is in Scotland. The block of 13 Scottish Conservative MPs, including the Scottish Secretary, David Mundell, have repeatedly taken a tough collective stance with the prime minister over the issue, only last week restating that it would be a "betrayal" if the EU retained any control over fishing rights. Those 13 Tories have a stronger voting power than the 10 DUP members keeping Theresa May in office. And looming over all this is the threat of a second referendum on Scottish independence. It would be of great political benefit to the SNP if it was able to claim the fleet had been "let down by Westminster" on fishing. Of course, a general election could change the dynamic entirely but short of that its difficult to see any radical shift. As for the environmental concerns, annually the quotas for fishing catches are based on scientific advice. That is, scientists prescribe how much of each stock - cod, haddock et cetera - can be caught sustainably. It then becomes a political negotiation over how to divide up the stock between countries. It's difficult to argue with the scientists - although many often do. But if the UK decides to conduct its own scientific research - and that contradicts the European Commission's - the negotiations could become sticky. Until not so long ago, Iceland had a long running dispute with the EU over its rights to fish for mackerel when its own scientists detected changes in their migration patterns. But because it was an independent coastal state, it held many of the cards and eventually secured a much larger share of the catch. It had muscle and used it. So, should the EU 27 feel concerned about future fishing opportunities being restricted? We don't know the answer yet. A lot is at stake - from fishing rights to market access - and so, the negotiations will be complex. | ई. यू. 27 चिंतित है कि यू. के. के जल पर "नियंत्रण वापस लेने" का मतलब उनके बेड़े के लिए मछली पकड़ने के कम अवसर हो सकते हैं। एक राजनयिक नोट-जिसे बी. बी. सी. ने देखा-ने पहुंच और पर्यावरणीय प्रतिबद्धताओं के बारे में चिंता जताई। |
technology-22366415 | https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-22366415 | The book's not finished yet | How is the digital revolution affecting the book trade? | Rory Cellan-JonesTechnology correspondent@BBCRoryCJon Twitter If you travel on trains packed with commuters staring at tiny mobile phone screens rather than books, or wander along high streets now devoid of bookshops, you might think it was in a sorry state. But the Publishers' Association annual statistical digest, published today, seems to paint a different picture. The industry had a record year for sales, up 4% to £3.3bn. 2012 was the year when the digital revolution really took hold, with sales up 66% to £411m and fiction e-reading growing even faster, up 149%. As for the physical book, long thought to be under threat from all those Kindles, Kobos and Nooks, reports of its demise may be premature. Sales fell just 1% to £2.9bn, and in some genres, notably children's books, sales actually rose. The figures also show that the pace at we're switching from physical to digital books varies according to the type of title. Apparently, 26% of fiction sales are digital, whereas for non-fiction books the figure is just 5%, and for children's titles, 3%. Why? Well perhaps for fiction it is only the words that matter, and they can be rendered as well or better in digital form, whereas for something like a glossy cookery book or an illustrated children's book, the physical object still delivers a much better experience. What does this mean then for the pace of publishing's digital revolution and its impact on readers and authors? A few weeks ago Michael Serbinis of the e-reader maker Kobo told me he reckoned that 90% of reading would eventually be on digital devices. You won't be surprised to hear that Richard Mollet of the Publishers' Association is betting on a lower figure - somewhere between 30% and 50%. But however rapid the shift to e-readers, publishing seems to be weathering digital climate change better than some other media industries. But what about authors? I was surprised to hear from JoJo Moyes - a bestselling writer of women's fiction - that nearly half of the sales of her latest book were in a digital format. And each digital sale earns her a few pennies more than the royalty she gets from a physical book sale purchase. Mind you, not all authors are happy - they point to the much lower costs of producing digital books and wonder how publishers still justify taking such a large cut. The publishers' response is that they have to spend large sums defending authors from the threat of piracy. JoJo Moyes has some sympathy with that argument: "I've got a Google alert set up and every day it tells me about a new torrenting site offering free copies of my book. I pass them on to my publisher to deal with. " Still, neither publishers nor authors seem to have seen their incomes damaged significantly by either piracy or the wider digital revolution. Readers, meanwhile, have a wider choice, and perhaps the prospect of lower prices - although many will grumble that e-books should be a whole lot cheaper. For bookshops the news is not so good. Independent book stores continue to close, as readers turn to online giants like Amazon for both physical and digital books. That is making our high streets just a little less interesting, so it's a vicious circle where going out and browsing for books or anything else becomes less attractive than sitting at home and shopping online.. But overall, 2012 seemed to show that the British public still loves books in all their variety, and is prepared to pay to enjoy them. We hear plenty of doom and gloom from the old media industries about the ravages of the digital revolution - but publishing seems determined to look on the bright side. | डिजिटल क्रांति पुस्तक व्यापार को कैसे प्रभावित कर रही है? |
blogs-eu-26890988 | https://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-eu-26890988 | Far-right youth movement seeks 'Europe of Fatherlands' | Are relations between far-right Eurosceptic parties improving? | By Bethany BellBBC News, Vienna Traditionally such parties have been fragmented in Europe, as they tend to campaign on national issues, rejecting EU integration and the weakening of national sovereignty. But now, with support for the far-right rising, four parties - France's National Front (FN), Austria's Freedom Party (FPOe), Belgium's Vlaams Belang and the Sweden Democrats - have joined up to form a European youth movement. It is called Young European Alliance for Hope, or YEAH. It follows a decision last year by National Front leader Marine Le Pen and the Eurosceptic Dutch politician Geert Wilders to form a loose alliance for the European elections, which they are hoping could evolve into an official group in the European Parliament - if other like-minded parties join them. 'Europe of Fatherlands' However, Mr Wilders' Freedom Party (PVV) is not represented in YEAH. When asked why the PVV or Italy's Northern League or Britain's UKIP had not signed up to the alliance, Udo Landbauer from Austria's FPOe said trust takes time to develop. He is running as a candidate for the European Parliament. At the launch in Vienna, the talk was of uniting to create a Europe of Fatherlands, rather than a United States of Europe. But the launch was overshadowed by controversial comments by the FPOe's top candidate for MEP, Andreas Moelzer, in which he compared EU bureaucracy unfavourably with Hitler's Third Reich and was also quoted as saying the EU was in danger of turning into a "conglomerate of Negroes". Mr Moelzer, who admits to the first comment but can't remember saying the second, has issued an apology. But a member of the Sweden Democrats, Kent Ekeroth, said in a newspaper interview that such statements were intolerable and put into question a future EU parliamentary group with the Freedom Party. | क्या दूर-दराज़ यूरोसेप्टिक दलों के बीच संबंधों में सुधार हो रहा है? |
business-11832473 | https://www.bbc.com/news/business-11832473 | Car or computer? How transport is becoming more connected | While few would blink any more at the sight of a Mini Cooper alongside their own vehicle, some may have noticed a few of their models out and about at the moment that are strangely quiet. | By Kabir ChibberTechnology of business reporter, BBC News And their silence masks some heavy-duty engineering under the bonnet. They are among the 612 Mini E cars being trialled in the US, UK and Germany since 2009. These plug-in electric models are leased to customers, and BMW - the owner of the Mini - is monitoring every aspect of the cars' use, in almost every scenario, as they are put through their paces. The amount of data that can now be collected about how drivers use their cars is unprecedented. And the impact of so much information is potentially huge. Imagine having your car post MoT reminders to your social networks, or share your location with friends, or prove that you were not responsible for an accident. Behaviour changing A British company, Riversimple, has designed a range of tiny hydrogen-powered cars, which it will roll out in Leicester in 2012. They will collect every minute detail about how the cars are used. If the pilot goes well, they are already discussing ways of connecting the cars to social media, and sharing data about how the cars are used. "Drivers could play games to see who is driving the most efficiently," says Rosie Reeves, Riversimple's sustainability officer. Italian carmaker Fiat has been compiling data from the Blue&Me navigation systems installed on many of its cars over a six-month period. It may be the largest such data harvest done by a major carmaker. "We can extract a number of data - on how the pedals are used, petrol consumption, braking," says Candido Peterlini, vice-president for product development at Fiat. It developed eco:Drive from the data collected from 420,000 car journeys of 5,700 drivers in five countries. Cars with this function allow the driver to download data about their journeys to a USB stick, which they can plug into their home computer. It will tell them how to improve their driving - for example, by changing gears less. Mr Peterlini says the plan is to make this response instant soon, via the on-board computer - so that a driver gets told how to improve their driving while they are cruising through town - and then integrate it into live traffic maps. "The plan is to tell you the most eco way to drive, by changing your behaviour, taking in traffic conditions and the structure of the road" such as how steep it is, Mr Peterlini says. It is not hard to see a future where the on-board computers get ever more sophisticated - such as personal profiles for a car, so the car's settings are individualised for each family member. The computer would adjust the seats, music, the suspension between sports and comfort mode, depending on which family member was using the car. All while telling each one how to be a better - and more fuel-efficient - driver. Fiat's data found that the British, for example, use the least fuel when driving and the Spanish use the most in Europe, whilst Spaniards also have the least efficient traffic system. Electric models Increased data collection also tells us a lot about different drivers and how they use the cars. With the introduction of the Chevy Volt and the Nissan Leaf to car lots, the electric car is poised to go mainstream very soon. BMW's tests of the Mini E have found most people think they use their cars far more than they do. According to the people behind the Mini E tests, the average daily car journey in the UK is 22.8 miles. Drivers of the Mini E used theirs for 26.7 miles, fractionally less than conventional petrol Mini Cooper drivers. People also think they will have to charge the car every day, when in reality they charge them every two or three days. "It's a misnomer that we're going to have to adapt our driving to electric vehicles," says Suzanne Gray, Mini E's UK project manager. Soon, many of the Mini Es will be reallocated to new trials in France, China and Japan. Carmakers are preparing for a world where not only are cars collecting data about you, but they are sharing it with each other. "We are aware of this constantly increasing computing power in cars," Ms Gray says. "The degree of connectivity and the degree that we will be able to share information - it will jump to a whole new level." Other uses And this is not just for cars. All forms of transport are become increasingly interconnected. For example, a group of students at MIT recently caught the attention of British inventor James Dyson with the Copenhagen Wheel. It is a sleek red disc that attaches to the back wheel of a bike, which captures energy lost during braking and turns into an electric motor for steep climbs. It also includes location-based software to log information about the bike ride, plan routes and even connect with other cyclists. An Italian firm, Octo Telematics, installs boxes on-board cars that allow insurers to price the costs of journeys, as well as perform diagnostics on the cars. It now has a million total subscribers, and illustrates the potential for real-time insurance on car journeys to be integrated into the build of cars. Tube planner Public transport is also being revolutionised. One of Boris Johnson's priorities when he was elected London mayor was to open up the city's data to developers. The result, the London Datastore, contains information on all sorts of factors of city life - fires, crime rates, school truancy, recycling rates and so on. As a result, there have been many new smartphone apps, especially around the popular "Boris bike" cycle hire scheme. Most show available bikes near to you on a map. "There are apps which feed to the traffic camera data so you can see if the road is clear before you set out on your journey and check along the way, there are interactive maps showing carbon emissions in London," says Anthony Browne, the mayor's adviser for economic development. Other apps show live boards for the London Underground, live road cams and other features that make public transport more convenient. Like Riversimple, Mr Browne anticipates greater social use of the data as developers use it in ever more sophisticated ways. "We anticipate a growth in the integration of data into gaming, particularly looking at transport," he says. "In particular for use in commuting games, or games that encourage people to use public transport more, or indeed walk or cycle more." | जबकि कुछ लोग अपने वाहन के साथ एक मिनी कूपर को देखकर पलक झपकाते हैं, कुछ ने इस समय अपने कुछ मॉडलों को देखा होगा जो अजीब तरह से शांत हैं। |
uk-england-coventry-warwickshire-44424143 | https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-coventry-warwickshire-44424143 | Hundreds turn out for Coventry Pride | Hundreds of people have turned out for this year's Coventry Pride. | Visitors to the two-day event enjoyed live music, community stalls and information about health and wellbeing. This year's theme is Be You, which aims to encourage people to be themselves and celebrate the city's diverse community. Pride is taking place in University Square, Priory Street, next to Coventry Cathedral, with additional events in Broadgate. | इस साल के कोवेंट्री प्राइड के लिए सैकड़ों लोग बाहर निकले हैं। |
uk-england-cambridgeshire-33667684 | https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-cambridgeshire-33667684 | Firefighters leave scene of blaze at AmeyCespa in Waterbeach | A recycling plant blaze that was tackled by 60 firefighters in Cambridgeshire is finally out. | Flames destroyed about 15,000 tonnes of organic waste material at the AmeyCespa plant on Ely Road, Waterbeach, on Friday morning. Firefighters left the scene on Friday evening following a handover to on-site management. Early investigations have concluded the fire started accidentally. Group Commander Chris Parker, officer in charge of the incident, said crews working with staff at Amey were able to put the fire out much sooner than anticipated. | कैम्ब्रिजशायर में 60 अग्निशामकों द्वारा नियंत्रित एक पुनर्चक्रण संयंत्र की आग आखिरकार बाहर आ गई है। |
world-europe-53415783 | https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-53415783 | Coronavirus: Big choices for EU leaders on recovery billions | When the leaders of the EU27 gather in Brussels on Friday be prepared for the shock of the familiar. After five months of stilted diplomacy by video conference, presidents and prime ministers will once again gather face to face. | By Kevin ConnollyBBC News, Brussels Although of course that doesn't mean they'll see eye to eye. Expect plenty of face masks and plenty of displays of social distancing to go along with the rather obvious political distancing which has emerged in the long months of lockdown. And it's not just the sight of the EU's leaders gathering in person which will seem familiar, it's the problems they confront. What must they decide? On the face of it the summit is about money: they need to set an EU budget of around €1 trillion for the period ending in 2027 and at the same time to agree an ambitious €750bn (£670bn) Recovery Fund. For the big Brussels institutions, the European Commission and the EU Council there is a lot at stake in all of that - not least their own centrality in European political life. As the coronavirus pandemic began to hit Europe earlier in the year, member states responded not as a unified entity under the direction of Brussels but nation by nation with each government putting the interests of its own people first. Borders were closed with little or no consultation, emergency economic measures were introduced without central co-ordination and when Italy requested emergency medical help the response was underwhelming. Things improved - German hospitals treated French patients for example - but Brussels is determined that just as it lost control as Europe slipped into crisis, its own centrality will be restored as the continent re-emerges. That will take money - and lots of it. Who are the 'frugals'? One of the eternal truths of political life in Brussels is that expensive spending programmes are more popular with the countries that expect to get money out of them than they are with the countries expected to put it in. Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte is often presented as the chief spokesman of the so-called Frugal Four, in which his country is allied with Austria, Sweden and Denmark. Throw in Finland and you have a Frugal Five determined to limit the size - and therefore the ambition - of any budgetary increases. Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin says her government wants to see "a lower overall level (for the budget) and a better balance between loans and grants (in the recovery fund)". Compare that with the view of Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, who puts the opposite view with admirable clarity: "If we want to be very ambitious we will need more resources." The EU faced plenty of challenges before Covid-19 came along of course - Brexit, climate change and the continuing challenge of migration from the South come to mind. But this row over money feels different - it's about the scope and scale of the EU's ambitions stretching far into this decade and perhaps setting a tone for years beyond that. Who should get the money? "What's at stake," a retired diplomat told me, "is the ability of the EU institutions to get a grip and to turn crisis into opportunity." It may not be helpful in all of this that the institutions are in relatively inexperienced hands - the former German defence minister, Ursula von der Leyen, at the Commission and a recent prime minister of Belgium Charles Michel at the Council. But it's only fair to note that the challenges around these budget talks would have taxed even the most experienced of teams. That's because this is not a problem that can be solved by holding the multi-year budget a shade below €1.1tn than a shade above, or by knocking a couple of billion off the recovery fund. Should the money simply be shovelled out to the needy or should there be some sort of scrutiny of applications for help and oversight as to where the money goes? Southern and Eastern member states will resent any implication that richer and somehow more "grown-up" economies to the North and West are telling them how to manage their affairs. And even more controversially should the handing out of funds be linked to political values? Many in Brussels think countries like Poland and Hungary should only get money if they abandon policies on judicial reform seen by their critics as assaults on the rule of law. Hungary's leader, Viktor Orban, has now secured the backing of his parliament to veto the whole budget if there's any linkage between money and morality. In the age of Brexit there's no voice for the UK in all of this of course - its absence might weaken the fiscal conservatives but might also streamline the whole argument. Don't expect quick decisions or short discussions - there is scope in the institutional diary for another summit before the end of the month. The EU's leaders had to wait five months for this summit - it's a fair bet they won't have to wait so long for the next one. | ई. यू. 27 के नेता जब शुक्रवार को ब्रसेल्स में इकट्ठा होंगे तो परिचित लोगों के सदमे के लिए तैयार रहें। वीडियो कॉन्फ्रेंस द्वारा पांच महीने की गंदी कूटनीति के बाद, राष्ट्रपति और प्रधान मंत्री एक बार फिर आमने-सामने होंगे। |
world-europe-isle-of-man-55334741 | https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-isle-of-man-55334741 | Man whose body was found on Isle of Man beach drowned | A man whose body was found on a beach in the north of the Isle of Man had drowned, an inquest has been told. | Lee Peel's body was found in the water on South Beach in Ramsey at about 10:30 GMT on 5 December. The 50-year-old labourer was from Onchan in the east of the island. Coroner Jayne Hughes said investigations into Mr Peel's death were still ongoing. Manx police previously described his death as "unexplained". Adjourning the inquest, she passed her condolences to his family, who did not attend the hearing at Douglas Courthouse. Why not follow BBC Isle of Man on Facebook and Twitter? You can also send story ideas to [email protected] | एक व्यक्ति जिसका शव आइल ऑफ मैन के उत्तर में एक समुद्र तट पर मिला था, डूब गया था, एक जांच में बताया गया है। |
uk-england-47706624 | https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-47706624 | Birmingham and Doncaster arrests in terror inquiry | Two men have been arrested on suspicion of terrorism offences. | A 36-year-old from Birmingham and 35-year-old from Doncaster are being held on suspicion of conspiracy to distribute terrorist publications. West Midlands Police said the men were being questioned by the West Midlands Counter Terrorism Unit at a police station in the region. Searches of addresses in both Birmingham and Doncaster are continuing, said police. The force said the planned, intelligence-led arrests were made by the counter terrorism unit, with support from South Yorkshire Police. Follow BBC West Midlands on Facebook, on Twitter, and sign up for local news updates direct to your phone. Related Internet Links West Midlands Police South Yorkshire Police | आतंकवाद के अपराधों के संदेह में दो लोगों को गिरफ्तार किया गया है। |
world-europe-guernsey-10821669 | https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-guernsey-10821669 | Retail space in Leale's Yard needs to be cut | The plans for the Leale's Yard development in St Sampson need to be cut back, according to Guernsey's Environment Department. | It has considered the latest proposals for a retail and residential development on the Bridge. The Co-op and developers Leale's Yard Limited are behind the project and first submitted plans last April. The department agreed with concerns over the amount of retail space and suggested it could be cut by about 20%. It also raised questions about the height of the development and said it hoped by reducing the number of shops, the overall size of the development could be reduced. | ग्वेर्नसे के पर्यावरण विभाग के अनुसार, सेंट सैम्पसन में लील्स यार्ड के विकास की योजनाओं में कटौती की आवश्यकता है। |
world-europe-guernsey-26366669 | https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-guernsey-26366669 | Guernsey's Bathing Pools undergo repairs after storms | Repair work has started on Guernsey's Victorian Bathing Pools after storms forced them to be shut "indefinitely". | "Extensive damage" to the three outdoor pools had left them in "a very dangerous condition", according to the culture and leisure department. The broken steps and handrail at the Ladies Pool will be fixed first. The Children's, Gents and Horseshoe Pools will remain closed while further investigative work is carried out and the cost calculated. The pools are used all year round by swimmers and were built after the loss of beachfront due to the extensive development of St Peter Port Harbour. | तूफान के कारण "अनिश्चित काल के लिए" बंद करने के लिए मजबूर होने के बाद ग्वेर्नसे के विक्टोरियन स्नान पूल की मरम्मत का काम शुरू हो गया है। |
business-27924673 | https://www.bbc.com/news/business-27924673 | Argentina shares fall on debt repayment doubts | Argentina's stock market closed 4.9% lower on Thursday after the country's cabinet chief said there would be no delegation to the US to negotiate with bondholders over a $1.3bn (£766m) debt. | Earlier this week, a US Supreme Court ruling sided with bondholders demanding Argentina pay them the amount in full. Argentina defaulted on debts in 2001 following a severe economic crisis. It has been in a legal battle with a number of US hedge funds which lent money to the country. Many hedge funds have agreed to accept a partial repayment, but others, led by NML and Aurelius Capital Management, are demanding payment in full. 'No mission' Earlier this week, President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner went on national television to say her country could not afford to honour the Supreme Court's ruling, but said her government was willing to discuss the issue further. However, Chief of the Cabinet of Ministers Jorge Capitanich said on Thursday there were no plans to negotiate with the hedge funds directly in New York. "There's no Argentine mission or committee going to New York," he said. Argentina argues that the hedge funds bought most of the debt at a big discount after the 2001 default, and have since tried to impede the country's efforts to restructure. Investors holding more than 92% of the defaulted debt agreed in 2005 and 2010 to write off two-thirds of their pre-crisis value, providing Argentina with time to re-build its economy. But the hedge funds owning the remaining 8% held out against the restructuring. | अर्जेंटीना का शेयर बाजार गुरुवार को 4.9% नीचे बंद हुआ जब देश के कैबिनेट प्रमुख ने कहा कि $1.3bn (£766 मिलियन) ऋण पर बांडधारकों के साथ बातचीत करने के लिए अमेरिका में कोई प्रतिनिधिमंडल नहीं होगा। |
world-asia-china-51520622 | https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-51520622 | China Uighurs: Detained for beards, veils and internet browsing | A document that appears to give the most powerful insight yet into how China determined the fate of hundreds of thousands of Muslims held in a network of internment camps has been seen by the BBC. | Listing the personal details of more than 3,000 individuals from the far western region of Xinjiang, it sets out in intricate detail the most intimate aspects of their daily lives. The painstaking records - made up of 137 pages of columns and rows - include how often people pray, how they dress, whom they contact and how their family members behave. China denies any wrongdoing, saying it is combating terrorism and religious extremism. The document is said to have come, at considerable personal risk, from the same source inside Xinjiang that leaked a batch of highly sensitive material published last year. One of the world's leading experts on China's policies in Xinjiang, Dr Adrian Zenz, a senior fellow at the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation in Washington, believes the latest leak is genuine. "This remarkable document presents the strongest evidence I've seen to date that Beijing is actively persecuting and punishing normal practices of traditional religious beliefs," he says. One of the camps mentioned in it, the "Number Four Training Centre" has been identified by Dr Zenz as among those visited by the BBC as part of a tour organised by the Chinese authorities in May last year. Much of the evidence uncovered by the BBC team appears to be corroborated by the new document, redacted for publication to protect the privacy of those included in it. It contains details of the investigations into 311 main individuals, listing their backgrounds, religious habits, and relationships with many hundreds of relatives, neighbours and friends. Verdicts written in a final column decide whether those already in internment should remain or be released, and whether some of those previously released need to return. It is evidence that appears to directly contradict China's claim that the camps are merely schools. In an article analysing and verifying the document, Dr Zenz argues that it also offers a far deeper understanding of the real purpose of the system. It allows a glimpse inside the minds of those making the decisions, he says, laying bare the "ideological and administrative micromechanics" of the camps. Row 598 contains the case of a 38-year-old woman with the first name Helchem, sent to a re-education camp for one main reason: she was known to have worn a veil some years ago. It is just one of a number of cases of arbitrary, retrospective punishment. Others were interned simply for applying for a passport - proof that even the intention to travel abroad is now seen as a sign of radicalisation in Xinjiang. In row 66, a 34-year-old man with the first name Memettohti was interned for precisely this reason, despite being described as posing "no practical risk". And then there's the 28-year-old man Nurmemet in row 239, put into re-education for "clicking on a web-link and unintentionally landing on a foreign website". Again, his case notes describe no other issues with his behaviour. The 311 main individuals listed are all from Karakax County, close to the city of Hotan in southern Xinjiang, an area where more than 90% of the population is Uighur. Predominantly Muslim, the Uighurs are closer in appearance, language and culture to the peoples of Central Asia than to China's majority ethnicity, the Han Chinese. In recent decades the influx of millions of Han settlers into Xinjiang has led to rising ethnic tensions and a growing sense of economic exclusion among Uighurs. Those grievances have sometimes found expression in sporadic outbreaks of violence, fuelling a cycle of increasingly harsh security responses from Beijing. It is for this reason that the Uighurs have become the target - along with Xinjiang's other Muslim minorities, like the Kazakhs and Kyrgyz - of the campaign of internment. The "Karakax List", as Dr Zenz calls the document, encapsulates the way the Chinese state now views almost any expression of religious belief as a signal of disloyalty. To root out that perceived disloyalty, he says, the state has had to find ways to penetrate deep into Uighur homes and hearts. In early 2017, when the internment campaign began in earnest, groups of loyal Communist Party workers, known as "village-based work teams", began to rake through Uighur society with a massive dragnet. With each member assigned a number of households, they visited, befriended and took detailed notes about the "religious atmosphere" in the homes; for example, how many Korans they had or whether religious rites were observed. The Karakax List appears to be the most substantial evidence of the way this detailed information gathering has been used to sweep people into the camps. It reveals, for example, how China has used the concept of "guilt by association" to incriminate and detain whole extended family networks in Xinjiang. For every main individual, the 11th column of the spreadsheet is used to record their family relationships and their social circle. China's hidden camps Alongside each relative or friend listed is a note of their own background; how often they pray, whether they've been interned, whether they've been abroad. In fact, the title of the document makes clear that the main individuals listed all have a relative currently living overseas - a category long seen as a key indicator of potential disloyalty, leading to almost certain internment. Rows 179, 315 and 345 contain a series of assessments for a 65-year-old man, Yusup. His record shows two daughters who "wore veils and burkas in 2014 and 2015", a son with Islamic political leanings and a family that displays "obvious anti-Han sentiment". His verdict is "continued training" - one of a number of examples of someone interned not just for their own actions and beliefs, but for those of their family. The information collected by the village teams is also fed into Xinjiang's big data system, called the Integrated Joint Operations Platform (IJOP). The IJOP contains the region's surveillance and policing records, culled from a vast network of cameras and the intrusive mobile spyware every citizen is forced to download. The IJOP, Dr Zenz suggests, can in turn use its AI brain to cross-reference these layers of data and send "push notifications" to the village teams to investigate a particular individual. The man found "unintentionally landing on a foreign website" may well have been interned thanks to the IJOP. In many cases though, there is little need for advanced technology, with the vast and vague catch-all term "untrustworthy" appearing multiple times in the document. It is listed as the sole reason for the internment of a total of 88 individuals. The concept, Dr Zenz argues, is proof that the system is designed not for those who have committed a crime, but for an entire demographic viewed as potentially suspicious. China says Xinjiang has policies that "respect and ensure people's freedom of religious belief". It also insists that what it calls a "vocational training programme in Xinjiang" is "for the purposes of combating terrorism and religious extremism", adding only people who have been convicted of crimes involving terrorism or religious extremism are being "educated" in these centres. However, many of the cases in the Karakax List give multiple reasons for internment; various combinations of religion, passport, family, contacts overseas or simply being untrustworthy. The most frequently listed is for violating China's strict family planning laws. In the eyes of the Chinese authorities it seems, having too many children is the clearest sign that Uighurs put their loyalty to culture and tradition above obedience to the secular state. China has long defended its actions in Xinjiang as part of an urgent response to the threat of extremism and terrorism. The Karakax List does contain some references to those kinds of crimes, with at least six entries for preparing, practicing or instigating terrorism and two cases of watching illegal videos. But the broader focus of those compiling the document appears to be faith itself, with more than 100 entries describing the "religious atmosphere" at home. The Karakax List has no stamps or other authenticating marks so, at face value, it is difficult to verify. It is thought to have been passed out of Xinjiang sometime before late June last year, along with a number of other sensitive papers. They ended up in the hands of an anonymous Uighur exile who passed all of them on, except for this one document. Only after the first batch was published last year was the Karakax List then forwarded to his conduit, another Uighur living in Amsterdam, Asiye Abdulaheb. She told the BBC that she is certain it is genuine. "Regardless of whether there are official stamps on the document or not, this is information about real, live people," she says. "It is private information about people that wouldn't be made public. So there is no way for the Chinese government to claim it is fake." Like all Uighurs living overseas, Ms Abdulaheb lost contact with her family in Xinjiang when the internment campaign began, and she's been unable to contact them since. But she says she had no choice but to release the document, passing it to a group of international media organisations, including the BBC. "Of course I am worried about the safety of my relatives and friends," she says. "But if everyone keeps silent because they want to protect themselves and their families, then we will never prevent these crimes being committed." At the end of last year China announced that everyone in its "vocational training centres" had now "graduated". However, it also suggested some may stay open for new students on the basis of their "free will". Almost 90% of the 311 main individuals in the Karakax List are shown as having already been released or as being due for release on completion of a full year in the camps. But Dr Zenz points out that the re-education camps are just one part of a bigger system of internment, much of which remains hidden from the outside world. More than two dozen individuals are listed as "recommended" for release into "industrial park employment" - career "advice" that they may have little choice but to obey. There are well documented concerns that China is now building a system of coerced labour as the next phase of its plan to align Uighur life with its own vision of a modern society. In two cases, the re-education ends in the detainees being sent to "strike hard detention", a reminder that the formal prison system has been cranked into overdrive in recent years. Many of the family relationships listed in the document show long prison terms for parents or siblings, sometimes for entirely normal religious observances and practices. One man's father is shown to have been sentenced to five years for "having a double-coloured thick beard and organising a religious studies group". A neighbour is reported to have been given 15 years for "online contact with people overseas", and another man's younger brother given 10 years for "storing treasonable pictures on his phone". Whether or not China has closed its re-education camps in Xinjiang, Dr Zenz says the Karakax List tells us something important about the psychology of a system that prevails. "It reveals the witch-hunt-like mindset that has been and continues to dominate social life in the region," he said. | एक दस्तावेज़ जो अब तक की सबसे शक्तिशाली अंतर्दृष्टि देता प्रतीत होता है कि कैसे चीन ने नजरबंदी शिविरों के एक नेटवर्क में रखे गए लाखों मुसलमानों के भाग्य का निर्धारण किया, बीबीसी द्वारा देखा गया है। |
sinhala.091024_nvi | https://www.bbc.com/sinhala/news/story/2009/10/091024_nvi | Gaza-style inquiry needed - UN | The office of the United Nations human rights chief says an inquiry is needed to find out whether war crimes were committed in the final stages of the conflict in Sri Lanka. | A spokesman for the Human Rights Commissioner, Navi Pillay, told the BBC the allegations were so serious that the fighting in Sri Lanka required an inquiry similar to that recently carried out into the Gaza conflict. Earlier this week, a report prepared by the US state department documented incidents in the final months of the war which it said might constitute crimes against humanity. It detailed allegations of military shelling of Tamils as well as charges of Tamil Tigers using civilians as human shields. But Sri Lanka has rejected the report saying the accusations were unsubstantiated. | संयुक्त राष्ट्र मानवाधिकार प्रमुख के कार्यालय का कहना है कि यह पता लगाने के लिए एक जांच की आवश्यकता है कि क्या श्रीलंका में संघर्ष के अंतिम चरण में युद्ध अपराध किए गए थे। |
uk-england-coventry-warwickshire-38406905 | https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-coventry-warwickshire-38406905 | Stay still or search? Finding a lost friend in a crowd | This is the season to lose friends in a crowd. | David Gregory-KumarScience, Environment & Rural Affairs Correspondent Be it the Boxing Day sales or a new year's party then the chances are you'll turn your back for a second and people just wander off. So what's the optimum strategy for finding your friends or family in as short a time as possible? Should you stay put and wait for them to find you or head off and hope to track them down yourself? Fortunately statistician Nathan Cunningham, from the University of Warwick, has been crunching the numbers. He's run thousands of simulations to see which is the best option. Stand still or set off on a search? Simulation For Nathan this was borne out of a desire to work out the best way of finding his friends at a music festival. He set up a computer simulation and left it to run. Little virtual friends tried to find each other 100,000 times. The end result? If both of you set out to find the other, you will usually achieve your goal faster than if one of you stays put and waits to be found. And of course if both of you stay put, then you're not going to have any luck at all. Sometimes you could wait 50% longer to find a friend if you chose to stay put rather than if you both start searching. Try it yourself Chatting with Nathan about all this, he said after he'd published all this it turned out that, apparently, this sort of problem is a well studied area of statistics. Fortunately, his simulations matched up with the current theory. So if you get separated from your friends in a crowd don't stand around and wait for them, set off to find them and hope they do the same as well. Not convinced? Well try it yourself in the real world or read Nathan's paper and try his simulations for yourself here. Or you can even can tinker with Nathan's code here. | यह भीड़ में दोस्तों को खोने का मौसम है। |
world-africa-39119955 | https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-39119955 | Xenophobia in South Africa: 'We Nigerians are not all criminals' | Nigerian Emmeka Uhanna, 47, is a shop-owner in South Africa's economic hub Johannesburg. He tells the BBC's Pumza Fihlani that he is worried following the recent xenophobic attacks in parts of the city and wants the government to intervene for the sake of all Africans. | I've been living in South Africa since 1997, my wife is South African and we have two children, aged 14 and 16. My wife is worried about what future our children will have if the xenophobic attacks become the norm. We don't know how to explain the hatred against Nigerians to our families, to our children. This is the third round of attacks against foreigners; one was in 2008 where people were killed, again in 2015. I now get calls from home, my family members want to know if we're safe, they see the stories in the news. I do feel safe, I feel safe because I live in the suburbs away from where the unrest and violence has been happening but I don't know if I could say that if I was living in a poorer area. There are parts of this city that are no-man's land, where the police have no control over what happens, where there are no consequences for wrong-doing, that is unfortunately where the xenophobia has thrived. There is just lawlessness from all sides, by all nationalities and that sort of environment is a ticking time-bomb. Life is different in the suburbs but I do worry about my fellow Africans who become victims in these incidents, while they have nothing to do with crime. I love this country, I consider it my home and it breaks my heart to see what is happening. The government needs to seriously address the concerns people are raising - both South Africans and foreigners. Fighting stereotypes People here are saying that Nigerians are bringing drugs and prostitution but can I tell you something, while I don't condone crime, Nigerians are not the only ones involved in crime here. It's all too easy to profile one group and that is not right, it's also dangerous and puts people's lives in danger. It's important for South Africans to know that not all of us are criminals, the same way not all South Africans are engaged in crime. They need to understand that you cannot paint people with one brush. I am a hard-working man and there are many law-abiding foreigners who are helping to building the country. I own a restaurant in Randburg, we make Nigerian food and South African dishes. I also own a liquor store which has been in business since 2007. All I want to do is provide for my family and help people make a living too - some of my employees are South African. It has been a long road to get to this point. Leaving your home with nothing is not easy. There was a time when I had nothing: No money, no food, no-one. I didn't have a place to sleep and would sleep in police stations and in the streets. I moved here to study but when I came into the country, life was more difficult than I imagined it would be. It was not easy for me to register because of financial constraints but I stayed because South Africa is one of the best countries in Africa - in terms of facilities. There are better opportunities. Everyone wants a better life for themselves and their family and South Africa is seen as the best place for that but it's not easy. After years of working part-time jobs I raised enough to finally take myself to school, I completed a business management course in 2010 and that has helped me with running my businesses. Home away from home South Africa is my home now, everything I own is here - that's why I am also unhappy about the crime and the high unemployment here. These things make life difficult. I understand where the anger is coming from - obviously if you are poor and see your neighbour, who is not even from here, succeeding it will create tensions. Nigerians love being in the lime-light and have a basket-mouth [trash-talker] and are showy. When we have money, even if it's a little, we want people to know - this makes us more noticeable than other nationalities. I think the Nigerians living here need to be aware of that and be sensitive to the issues that may cause. As for the crime, I know that sometimes people do bad things to earn a living but imagine if that was your own child that was addicted to drugs or being used as a prostitute. I'm a parent and I worry about that, that's why I don't support crime at all. Other nationalities need to respect the laws of the country, we are visitors here and need to remember that. We came to South Africa for different reasons, some of us can never return to our countries, what happens then if you ruin your chances here? We don't want to live in fear, I'm pleading with the government to address the problems that have come with migration, for the sake of our children. | नाइजीरियाई एम्मेका उहाना, 47, दक्षिण अफ्रीका के आर्थिक केंद्र जोहान्सबर्ग में एक दुकान की मालिक है। वह बीबीसी के पमज़ा फिहलानी को बताता है कि वह शहर के कुछ हिस्सों में हाल के विदेशी हमलों के बाद चिंतित है और चाहता है कि सरकार सभी अफ्रीकियों की खातिर हस्तक्षेप करे। |
world-asia-45327301 | https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-45327301 | Kem Sokha: Jailed for standing up to Cambodia's strongman | The Cambodian ruling party's landslide win in recent elections came as little surprise - the widespread jailing of rivals meant there was almost no political opposition left. The most prominent of them remains in prison, with no immediate prospect of release, as George Wright reports. | In the early hours of Sunday 3 September last year, Kem Monovithya, a politician and daughter of opposition leader Kem Sokha, received a call from her parents - armed police were attempting to break into their family home in the capital Phnom Penh. "My mum said there's more than 100 people trying to break into our house," Monovithya said in an interview last month. They had no warrant, but with their guards being held at gunpoint, her father decided it would be safer to open the door. "He told me he had to get off the phone because 'they are going to handcuff me'," she recalls. Then the phone went dead. Kem Sokha was jailed and a year on, has never gone on trial. He remains in solitary confinement in a remote prison near the Vietnamese border. Cynical move? In the 2013 elections, Sokha and Sam Rainsy had brought their Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) to within just seven seats of victory, despite accusations of vote-rigging and intimidation. Rainsy, a long-time foe of Prime Minister Hun Sen, has been living in Paris since 2015 to avoid jail over convictions widely branded as politically motivated. So as the next election approached, Sokha was the only viable threat to the prime minister's 33-year iron-fisted rule. Sokha was accused of plotting to wage a US-backed revolution. This was based upon a 2013 video where Sokha was seen telling an audience in Australia that he had been receiving political support and advice from the US. However, many saw it as a cynical move, aimed at securing victory for the ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP). The CNRP was outlawed in November, allowing the CPP to win all 125 National Assembly seats on 29 July, making Cambodia a de facto one-party state. Sokha's arrest marked an alarming escalation in an already deteriorating political climate that had seen rights advocates, opposition supporters and critics jailed. On the day of his arrest, the Cambodia Daily published its last ever newspaper as it was shut down in a crackdown on independent media. It ran a front page headline "Descent Into Outright Dictatorship" above a photo of a startled Sokha in handcuffs. 'Completely traumatised' For the past year, the only people who have been allowed to visit Sokha are his wife, Te Chanmono, and lawyers. The government has rejected repeated requests for visits from international observers, UN officials, foreign diplomats and human rights officers. Sokha spends most of his days alone and prison guards generally do not converse with him, Monovithya says. Chanmono was only recently allowed to bring him books, mostly relating to Buddhist meditation, but he is still banned from using pens and pencils, she adds. One of Sokha's lawyers, Heng Pheng, who visits his client every few weeks, says he attempts to stay active and is allowed to grow vegetables but his moods are up and down, often due to his serious health problems. He currently is suffering from high blood pressure, severe pain in his shoulder and diabetes but is being denied surgery and other medical treatment. Monovithya says the family home in Phnom Penh is also under regular surveillance and her mother is "completely traumatised". "I think it's more difficult on her psychologically than any of us." Hun Sen has been known to ramp up oppression during politically tense periods before relieving the pressure valve once he has stamped his authority once more. So with the election done and dusted, some observers were expecting Sokha to be released on bail. Almost all the other detained CNRP members were recently free but, last week, Phnom Penh Municipal Court extended Sokha's pre-trial detention for a further six months. This came a day after Hun Sen told around 10,000 garment workers that he would keep the opposition leader locked up, which appeared to once again contradict his claims that the country's judiciary is independent. Astrid Noren-Nilsson, an associate senior lecturer at Sweden's Lund University specialising in Cambodian politics, says the decision to keep Sokha locked up illustrates that the ruling party will not be relaxing its heavy-handed approach to the CNRP. "The election marks a transition to a new, one-party order, and the government needs to establish the 'new normal'," she argues. She says the international community could press for Sokha's release by making credible threats to Cambodia's economy. Cambodia generated more than $7bn (£5.4bn) from exporting garment and footwear products last year. The main importer is the EU, which allows Cambodia duty-free access under the Everything But Arms agreement, on the condition that democratic and human rights standards are met. The EU has said it could consider taking action against Cambodia if the political situation does not improve. While there was never much hope that the CNRP could contest the election, she says, "the release of Kem Sokha could be a minor enough concession". 'Not a decent person' Government spokesman Phay Siphan denied any suggestion that Kem Sokha was being held as a political prisoner, insisting he was guilty of treason. He dismissed claims the government could be pressured into releasing Sokha by threats of sanctions or the potential removal of its preferential trade access for garment exports. "EBA is completely different and cannot interfere with the court's decision," he said. "Let the court do their own process." Monovithya says that she believes her father would not turn his back on politics or go into exile if released, like Sam Rainsy and most senior opposition figures. Until then, she says, she has no hope of him being released on humanitarian grounds. "I don't think [Hun Sen] would release him just because he's in power and the election is done, because obviously this is not a decent person." She believes the only chance of her father being released is if his detention becomes a genuine burden to Cambodia's long-serving strongman: "If there's no cost of keeping him he will continue to keep him." George Wright is a freelance reporter based in Phnom Penh | हाल के चुनावों में कंबोडिया की सत्तारूढ़ पार्टी की भारी जीत कम आश्चर्य की बात थी-प्रतिद्वंद्वियों को व्यापक रूप से जेल में डालने का मतलब था कि लगभग कोई राजनीतिक विरोध नहीं बचा था। जॉर्ज राइट की रिपोर्ट के अनुसार, उनमें से सबसे प्रमुख जेल में हैं, जिनकी रिहाई की कोई तत्काल संभावना नहीं है। |
disability-40875336 | https://www.bbc.com/news/disability-40875336 | How Al Pacino came to my rescue | Life with a disability can sometimes give rise to unspoken questions and sensitivities, but amid the awkwardness there can be humour. The following is an edited version of a sketch performed by Frank Burton, who has non-epileptic attack disorder, at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. | I'd like to tell you about the time I was sitting in the corner of a pub blurting out the titles of Al Pacino movies, while patting my head and rubbing my stomach. I'd probably better put this in context. I have Non-Epileptic Attack Syndrome, a condition which causes me to have partial seizures, leaving me unable to walk and half-conscious, although I can still respond up to a point. It's a bit like being struck by lightning. Not necessarily in terms of the physical impact but the randomness, as they can hit whenever and wherever I am. If you watch out for the warning signs, such as dizziness, you can prevent yourself from having an attack by engaging the left and right side of the brain to stop it from shutting down and helping you to stay conscious. Something like patting your head and rubbing your stomach is perfect. It can be quite a tricky manoeuvre for novices, but I'm an absolute legend at it now. It also helps if you think about your immediate surroundings and focus on all five senses to remind yourself what's happening around you. What do I see? Avocado salad. What do I hear? A colleague announcement: "Can Frederick please assist with a sparkling wine spillage?" What do I smell? Organic Turkish Delight. What do I feel? Out of my depth. Where am I? Waitrose. Relax. Pretend to be middle class. Singing helps, too, if you focus on the memorised words. It's funny how your musical tastes change over the years, particularly after becoming a parent. The teenage raver inside me was mortified when I successfully averted a seizure for the first time by banging on the kitchen cupboards and singing "B.I.N.G.O. And Bingo was his name-o!" Up until last year, it was assumed I had epilepsy, so I was given lots of drugs, which didn't work. It got to a point where I had several attacks a day and my wife and I moved in with my parents temporarily so they could help look after the kids. I was eventually referred to a neuropsychiatrist and diagnosed with "non-epileptic seizures", and things got back to normal. Shortly afterwards, my dad drove me and my son home from Lancashire to Hampshire. We stopped at a pub for lunch. I was still off my face on medication, so orange juice was all I could handle, and my dad took my little boy off for a walk. I was sat alone in the corner of the pub when dizziness kicked in - a lightening strike was imminent. I started to pat my head and rub my stomach and the dizziness subsided a little, but not enough, so I went through my check-list. What do I see? Red and white carpet with mysterious dark-brown blotches. What do I hear? Lionel Richie's Dancing on the Ceiling. What do I smell? Heineken and crisps. What do I feel? Slightly nauseous. Where am I? A pub. Relax. Pretend to be working class. This wasn't quite doing the trick, so I tried another approved technique - recalling facts. "Serpico," I said out loud. "The Godfather. The Godfather Part Two. Dog Day Afternoon." I had my eyes closed, so I almost didn't notice the man from the opposite table asking what I was up to. "I'm naming Al Pacino films," I replied. This wasn't the time or place to elaborate and he was clearly too polite to ask why I was patting my head and rubbing my stomach at the same time, so I just said: "It helps me concentrate." "Scent of a Woman," he said. "What?" "Scent of a Woman, Al Pacino." "Hang on," I said. "I'm starting at the 70s and working my way up - that one's 1992." "So it was," he said. "Oi, Mick!" He called across the bar. "Mick's on the quiz team," he explained, "He'll help." Sure enough, Mick was a human encyclopaedia and started to reel films off at breakneck speed: "Scarface, 1983. Revolution, 1985," all the way up to Misconduct, 2016. "By the way, what's all of this business?" Mick said, imitating me by patting his head and rubbing his stomach. "It's a long story," I replied. I'd come to my senses sufficiently by now to offer an explanation, but sometimes that simple phrase is enough and Mick was completely satisfied. "You've really helped me out there, guys," I said to them. I was now fully conscious, another crisis averted and on the verge of conquering this major illness, in the most unlikely way. My new friend Mick came over all serious, like he'd realised there was more to this exchange than some Hollywood nostalgia. "Listen," he said. "I'm off to the bar. I'll get you another orange juice. And when I get back let's start on Robert De Niro!" Storytelling Live: Tales of the Misunderstood Frank was one of seven people with a disability or mental health problem to perform a story about awkward moments as part of BBC Ouch's storytelling event at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. You can also read: Look out for a special TV programme which brings all the tales together. For more Disability News, follow BBC Ouch on Twitter and Facebook, and subscribe to the weekly podcast. For more Disability News, follow BBC Ouch on Twitter and Facebook, and subscribe to the weekly podcast. | विकलांग जीवन कभी-कभी अनकहे प्रश्नों और संवेदनशीलताओं को जन्म दे सकता है, लेकिन अजीबता के बीच हास्य हो सकता है। निम्नलिखित फ्रैंक बर्टन द्वारा प्रस्तुत एक स्केच का एक संपादित संस्करण है, जिसे एडिनबर्ग फ्रिंज फेस्टिवल में गैर-मिर्गी हमले विकार है। |
science-environment-54156798 | https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-54156798 | Nasa's giant SLS rocket: a guide | Nasa has been developing a huge rocket called the Space Launch System (SLS) to launch astronauts to the Moon - and eventually Mars. Set to make its debut in November 2021, the SLS is the most powerful launch vehicle built since the 1960s. | By Paul RinconScience editor, BBC News website Nasa has plans to send a man and woman to the lunar surface by 2024, in the first landing with humans since Apollo 17 in 1972. In the last 20 years, astronauts have been making routine trips to and from the International Space Station (ISS). But the Moon is nearly 1,000 times further than the ISS; getting astronauts there requires a monster rocket. The SLS is the modern equivalent of the Saturn V, the huge launcher built during the Apollo era. Like the Saturn, it is split into segments, or stages, stacked on top of each other. But the rocket also incorporates technology from the space shuttle. The first version of the SLS will be called Block 1. It will undergo a series of upgrades in coming years so that it can launch heavier payloads to destinations beyond low-Earth orbit. The Block 1 SLS will tower 23 storeys above the launch pad - making it taller than the Statue of Liberty. "It is truly an immense rocket. It is just jaw-droppingly big," said John Shannon, vice president and program manager for the SLS at Boeing, the rocket's prime contractor. He told BBC News in 2019: "When you see the SLS put together, you just haven't seen anything like it since the Saturn V." The rocket will launch astronauts in Nasa's next-generation crew vehicle - Orion, boosting it to the speeds necessary to break out of low-Earth orbit and travel onwards to the Moon. How the rocket works The SLS consists of a giant core stage flanked by two solid rocket boosters (SRBs). The core houses two large storage tanks: one for liquid hydrogen, the fuel, and another for liquid oxygen, an "oxidiser", which makes the fuel burn. Together, these are known as propellants. At the base of the core stage are four RS-25 engines, the same ones that powered the spaceplane-like shuttle orbiter, retired in 2011. When liquid hydrogen and oxygen are fed into the engine chambers and ignited with a spark, the chemical reaction produces vast amounts of energy and steam. The steam exits engine nozzles at speeds of 16,000 km/h (10,000 mph) to generate thrust - the force that propels a rocket through the air. The SRBs give the rocket extra power to escape gravity's clutches. These twin boosters stand more than 17 storeys tall and burn six tonnes of solid propellant each second. They provide 75% of total thrust during the first two minutes of flight. The most powerful rocket ever? If we use thrust as a measure, the SLS will be the most powerful rocket ever when it flies to space in 2021. The Block 1 SLS will generate 8.8 million pounds (39.1 Meganewtons) of thrust at launch, 15% more than the Saturn V. In the 1960s, the Soviet Union built a rocket called the N1, in a bid to reach the Moon. Its first stage could produce 10.2 million pounds (45.4 Meganewtons) of thrust. But all four test flights ended in failure. A future version of the SLS - called Block 2 cargo - should approach the N1's thrust levels. But a vehicle called Starship, being developed by Elon Musk's company SpaceX, should exceed both - producing as much as 15 million pounds (66.7 Meganewtons) of thrust. Starship is currently under development, although there is no firm date for its first flight. The SLS in numbers How shuttle technology was re-used The SLS core stage is based on the space shuttle's foam-covered external tank. This tank fed propellant to three RS-25 engines at the rear of the shuttle orbiter. The solid rocket boosters play much the same role in both vehicles. But the SLS is a very different beast. A number of components and structures derived from the shuttle underwent significant design changes because of the different levels of stress placed on them by the SLS. As an example of these different stresses, in the space shuttle, the RS-25 engines were canted up and away from the solid rocket boosters. Moving them next to the SRBs exposes them to more shaking. As a result, every system in the complex SLS engine section had to be rigorously tested to ensure it could withstand the vibrations. Why the SLS was built In February 2010, the Obama administration cancelled Constellation - George W Bush's troubled plan to return to the Moon by 2020. The news came as a devastating blow to workers in five southern states - Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas - where Nasa's human spaceflight programme funded tens of thousands of jobs. Some Capitol Hill legislators were furious. At the time, Richard Shelby, a republican senator from Alabama, said Congress would not "sit back and watch the reckless abandonment of sound principles, a proven track record, a steady path to success, and the destruction of our human spaceflight programme". As a compromise, lawmakers from affected states insisted on a single super heavy-lift rocket to replace the Constellation launchers cancelled by the White House. The SLS design, which was based on Nasa technical studies, was unveiled in 2011. After work started, delays and cost overruns gave ammunition to critics, who thought Nasa should rely on rockets operated by commercial providers. But without significant modifications, no existing boosters have sufficient power to send Orion, astronauts and large cargo to the Moon in one flight - as the SLS would have. A recent oversight report says Nasa will have spent more than $17bn on the SLS by the end of the 2020 fiscal year. But with the rocket's development phase now over, success in a series of eight "Green Run" tests being carried out on the core stage should clear the way for launch in 2021. John Shannon, who has been in charge of the SLS at Boeing since 2015, explained: "I suspect that once SLS is in the national capability there won't be a need for another heavy-lift vehicle like it for many years. So this is really a once-in-a-generation opportunity." Follow Paul on Twitter. | नासा चंद्रमा और अंततः मंगल ग्रह पर अंतरिक्ष यात्रियों को भेजने के लिए अंतरिक्ष प्रक्षेपण प्रणाली (एस. एल. एस.) नामक एक विशाल रॉकेट विकसित कर रहा है। नवंबर 2021 में अपनी शुरुआत करने के लिए तैयार, एस. एल. एस. 1960 के दशक के बाद से निर्मित सबसे शक्तिशाली प्रक्षेपण वाहन है। |
world-asia-india-40103673 | https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-40103673 | Why Indian army defended Kashmir 'human shield' officer | If you want to know why India has courted international controversy by awarding a medal to an army officer who tied a civilian to the front of a jeep, you need to understand what is really happening in Indian-administered Kashmir. | Justin RowlattSouth Asia correspondent@BBCJustinRon Twitter What happened? On 9 April, a Kashmiri man called Farooq Ahmed Dar was trussed to the spare tyre at the front of a jeep and driven on a five-hour journey through several villages at the head of an army convoy. He had just voted in a by-election for the national parliament when he was picked up by an army patrol. He was allegedly beaten before he was lashed to the vehicle with a sign saying "This is the fate that will befall stone throwers" pinned to his chest. Kashmir is disputed between India and Pakistan and Indian-administered Kashmir has seen a fresh upsurge of violence in the past few months, with stone-throwing civilians pitted against military personnel. Why was he seized? The young army officer responsible, Major Leetul Gogoi, said Mr Dar was seized because he was directing a stone-throwing mob that was besieging a polling station - something denied by both Mr Dar and witnesses in the village. Major Gogoi says he decided to tie Mr Dar to the jeep in a "fraction of a moment" and subsequently claimed it saved 12 lives. Despite the length of Mr Dar's ordeal, he argues it created "a window to move out of the area safely". How did people react? The incident was filmed and shared on social media, causing uproar in the Muslim-majority Kashmir Valley. The use of Mr Dar as a human shield was criticised around the world. Amnesty International described it as "cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment amounting to torture". The Indian government announced there would be an inquiry into the incident but on 22 May, before the inquiry had been completed, the army awarded Major Gogoi a commendation medal for, it said, his "sustained efforts during counter-insurgency operations". What does the decision to award the medal tell us about the situation in Kashmir? This incident shows just how difficult India is finding it to keep a lid on unrest in Kashmir. Indian army sources have told the BBC that morale among soldiers stationed in the valley is very low. Many soldiers are becoming increasingly uncomfortable with their role in Kashmir, saying they fear they are effectively becoming an army of occupation. Meanwhile, opposition to Indian rule in Kashmir appears to be deepening. That is reflected in the fact that Mr Dar was just one of 7% of eligible voters who actually voted in the by-election - the lowest turnout for decades. "We are fighting a legacy of political betrayal, infiltration, rigging in local elections, cynical politics, bad governance, vested interests, religion and regional divides," one senior army officer in Kashmir told my colleague, Soutik Biswas, a few weeks ago. The officer acknowledged how difficult it is to operate in an environment where many people want the army to withdraw and said that, despite efforts to reach out to Kashmiris, the army remains unpopular. How does the army justify the medal? This weekend the chief of the Indian army, General Bipin Rawat, was clear why he wanted to honour Major Gogoi. He told the Press Trust of India (PTI) that the medal was given as a way of boosting the morale of young officers. Gen Rawat served for many years in Kashmir and, like many Indians, believes much of the opposition to Indian rule is orchestrated by Pakistan. He described Major Gogoi's actions as an "innovation", arguing the armed forces have the right to self-defence and that by using Mr Dar as a human shield, he avoided the need to fire on the crowd. "This is a proxy war and a proxy war is a dirty war. It is played in a dirty way. That is where innovation comes in. You fight a dirty war with innovations," he told PTI. "People are throwing stones at us, people are throwing petrol bombs at us. If my men ask me what do we do, should I say, just wait and die? I will come with a nice coffin with a national flag and I will send your bodies home with honour. Is it what I am supposed to tell them as chief? I have to maintain the morale of my troops who are operating there," Gen Rawat said. Will the conflict in Kashmir worsen? That's certainly what many Kashmiris fear will happen. They say that the award of the medal to Major Gogoi has deepened opposition to Indian rule and to the presence of the army. Gen Rawat actually appears to be keen to see an escalation in the conflict in Kashmir. "In fact," he told journalists, "I wish these people, instead of throwing stones at us, were firing weapons at us. Then I would have been happy. Then I could do what I [want to do]." This is an extraordinary sentiment and a measure of just how difficult India is finding it to keep order in its most restive province. His worry is that Kashmiris are losing their fear of his troops. If that happens, he says, the country is doomed. "Adversaries must be afraid of you and at the same time your people must be afraid of you," says Gen Rawat. "We are a friendly army, but when we are called to restore law and order, people have to be afraid of us." | यदि आप जानना चाहते हैं कि एक नागरिक को जीप के सामने से बांधने वाले एक सैन्य अधिकारी को पदक देकर भारत ने अंतर्राष्ट्रीय विवाद क्यों खड़ा कर दिया है, तो आपको यह समझने की आवश्यकता है कि वास्तव में भारत प्रशासित कश्मीर में क्या हो रहा है। |
uk-18251642 | https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-18251642 | Analysis: A question of secret courts | The headlines on the Justice and Security Bill suggest a massive government climb-down on secrecy in inquests. But the fact is that the core purpose of this very controversial legislation remains: to protect national security information at all costs. | Dominic CascianiHome affairs correspondent@BBCDomCon Twitter So let's take a few steps back from lofty legal talk of open justice and look at practical examples of what this is all about. The key aim of the bill is to allow the courts to close their doors more frequently when they are dealing with cases involving national security. The easiest way to understand that is to think about cases where someone is alleging that MI5 or MI6 are guilty of, or complicit in, wrongdoing. Binyam Mohamed was detained in the wake of the US-led invasion of Afghanistan. Pakistani interrogators first beat him and then the US organised his rendition to Morocco. He was tortured and, at one point, they took a scalpel to his genitals. He ended up in Guantanamo Bay. His British lawyers fought a long-battle to prove that London had some indication of his treatment before he was taken to Morocco. They argued that information helped prove that any confession he had made was worthless, because people will say anything to stop the pain. That is why international law bans torture. Now, Binyam Mohammed won his case and we know, in seven highly sensitive paragraphs, what Washington told London. The question at the heart of the bill is whether that kind of national security information can ever be made public? The government's answer is no - and it wants to use a "Closed Material Procedure" (CMP) to protect the information. CMP was created in the late 1990s and is a key feature in terror deportation cases like that of radical Jordanian cleric Abu Qatada. It is also fundamental to court cases where terrorism suspects challenge restrictions on their liberty, known as T-Pims (the system that used to be called Control Orders). Special Advocates The suspect hears part of the case against them - but not all of it. A point comes when they have to leave the court, the doors are locked and government lawyers reveal the "closed" case - the full Security Service assessment of the danger posed by that individual. For example, MI5 may have intelligence that the individual was planning to join a terrorism training camp in Pakistan. The Security Service may not want that information in the public domain because it either gives clues to how the person is being monitored or reveals the identity of an informant. The intelligence could also be a tip-off from a foreign agency. A security-vetted lawyer - known as a Special Advocate - acts for the suspect or deportee, but cannot talk to them once they have had read the secret case. Now, critics say that if the Special Advocate cannot ask the suspect to respond to the allegation that he was planning to attend a camp, then the lawyer cannot properly challenge the govenrment's case. And that's why many lawyers say the system is manifestly unfair, even though the European Court of Human Rights has ruled that it isn't. Government accused The government wants to extend the system into other parts of civil law, such as damages claims or "judicial review" cases, where ministers or agencies are the accused. It won't be used in criminal trials - but ministers say they need CMP to defend themselves. Reading University has compiled a comprehensive list of cases that might be affected by more CMP. At present, when someone sues the government, ministers must account for their actions in open court. If ministers want to protect a sensitive document, they can seek use a procedure that withdraws that evidence from the case so neither side can rely on it. Under the new system, where a case involves national security, part of the defence would be under the Closed Material Procedure. When former Guantanamo Bay detainees sued the UK, accusing security and intelligence services of being complicit in American wrongdoing, they demanded disclosure of government papers which they said would prove their case. They never saw all the material because the government paid them millions to drop the claims. Ministers were determined at whatever cost to prevent sensitive techniques, sources and intelligence from being made public. But ministers felt that they had not been able to defend themselves in this case because the Closed Material Procedure could not be used. Critics say this is nonsense - and they paid out to avoid international embarrassment. But under the new system there would be no need for a pay-out because the government could try to defend itself behind closed doors. Whoever won, the claimant and the public would see a public version of the judgement - but never know the full reasons for the outcome. Critics say this erodes the fundamental principle that both sides are equal before the law. The practical effect, they say, is that alleged wrongdoing would go unexposed. Sapna Malik of law firm Leigh Day and Co has been involved in some of the key cases and is preparing the forthcoming legal action over alleged Libyan renditions. She says: "Under the current system, if it is believed that material will harm national security, it is either withheld from the proceedings entirely or procedures are put in place to protect the most sensitive parts, from redacting documents to witnesses giving their evidence anonymously." Lawyers like Sapna Malik are not lone voices. The Supreme Court threw out an attempt by the government to use CMP in the Guantanamo Bay compensation case. And the Special Advocates don't like the system either. They told the Ministry of Justice that it's just not true to say that the system is fair because they are often confronted with security assessments which they cannot properly check out. The security establishment sees it differently because officials believe that the pressure to reveal material means the government cannot defend itself, even if an allegation is flimsy. And so, if it cannot have closed courts, officials would rather ministers write cheques to claimants than give away the techniques vital to the work of MI5 and co. Underlining this is a bigger question. If a society accepts that it needs secret agencies doing secret work on behalf of citizens, does that logically mean the secrecy can never end? Nowhere is this principle more sensitive than when it comes to information given to the UK by foreign powers - and in particular the US. The exchange of information between London and Washington is deep and British officials fear Washington will be reluctant to share as much if there is a chance of the material being made public. Nobody is really suggesting that the Americans would not alert the UK to a bomb on a train. But if dirty linen is washed in public, then the flow of other information that helps national security might slow down. | न्याय और सुरक्षा विधेयक की सुर्खियों से पता चलता है कि सरकार जांच में गोपनीयता को बड़े पैमाने पर कम कर रही है। लेकिन तथ्य यह है कि इस बहुत ही विवादास्पद कानून का मूल उद्देश्य बना हुआ हैः किसी भी कीमत पर राष्ट्रीय सुरक्षा जानकारी की रक्षा करना। |
world-asia-44144537 | https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-44144537 | Malaysia's political drama is worthy of Shakespeare | The release of Anwar Ibrahim is an important step in a new beginning for Malaysia, building on the stunning electoral victory that ousted the ruling party on 9 May. It's also a test of loyalty between two men with a long rivalry, one of whom was the other's jailor, writes Bridget Welsh. | The story of the relationship between just-elected Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad and Anwar Ibrahim is so full of drama it would be fitting for Shakespeare - loyalty, betrayal, tragedy and irony meld together in a narrative for the ages. Dr Mahathir, now 92, first put Anwar in prison on corruption and sodomy charges in politically charged circumstances in 1999. But he has now come out of retirement, won a second stint as prime minister - and provided the key to his former deputy's release nearly two decades later. Mr Anwar himself read all the volumes of Shakespeare when in prison after Dr Mahathir jailed him. Yet the chance for Dr Mahathir to assure the release and pardon of Mr Anwar allows the relationship to come full circle, where enemies become friends. And unlike many of Shakespeare's plays, the story is one where the villain becomes the hero. Riding the wave At the core of the story of the two men is political power, and the drive to secure and maintain it. Dr Mahathir first brought Mr Anwar into his government in 1982. Mr Anwar had risen to prominence as a dynamic, charismatic student leader, who mobilised opposition to the dominant incumbent party, the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), in the 1970s. Mr Anwar rode the rising waves of political Islam, capitalising on the space available to organise around religion and the growing international movement of Muslim empowerment surrounding the 1979 Iranian Revolution. The co-opting of Mr Anwar into UMNO was the first of many political moves in their relationship, as Mr Anwar became a protégé who rose quickly up the ranks. Mr Anwar's charisma and ability to mobilise followers served to neutralise opposition to UMNO within Malaysian society. The 1980s and early 90s were a heyday for Malaysia, with rapid economic growth and gains in development. Dr Mahathir's leadership had put the country on the international stage, in an era where Asia was seen to be rising in influence. Mr Anwar's loyalty and role were an integral part of Malaysia's success in this period. In 1993, Mr Anwar emerged as the leading contender to replace Dr Mahathir, winning a decisive victory for himself within UMNO. At that time, Mr Anwar wrote his first book, The Asian Renaissance, picking up on the momentum and aspirations in the region and distinguishing himself as an Asian public intellectual. He began to openly discuss the need for political reform, showcasing a difference in the two men as one who wanted to hold on to power and another who aspired to win it through calls for reform. Crunch time The reckoning would come after the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis. In 1998 Mr Anwar challenged Dr Mahathir for control of the party. The challenge was filled with vicious personal attacks across the political divide, as ideological struggles over policy melded with allegations of corruption. Mr Anwar failed in his challenge, as Dr Mahathir proved adept at controlling the levers of power. Mr Anwar was beaten up, charged and convicted in events that shook Malaysia's political system to the core. Betrayal was viciously punished as power was retained at all cost. Dr Mahathir rejected calls for political reform and held on by winning the 1999 election. The reformasi movement calling for change was born, with Mr Anwar as its jailed leader. The 1998-99 cataclysm was to set a pattern that has shaped political contests for more than two decades, as every election was won by the person who personified political change. Even the mandates won by Abdullah Badawi in 2004 and then Najib Razak in 2013 were embedded with labels as reformers. Malaysians have closely identified with the need to improve governance. Mr Anwar remained in prison until 2004, released by Abdullah Badawi who became prime minister after Dr Mahathir stepped down in 2003. While initially popular, Mr Abdullah failed to meet the expectations of the public and stakeholders within his party, and lost decisively in the 2008 election. Dr Mahathir returned to political life to assure the political downfall of Mr Abdullah through open criticism and behind-the-scene manoeuvres within UMNO. The man who had released Mr Anwar faced Dr Mahathir's political wrath. In stepped another of Dr Mahathir's protégés - Mr Najib - who assumed the mantle of leadership in 2009. Mr Anwar was now the leader of the opposition, having successfully brought together different groups to make gains in 2008. Mr Najib followed the Mahathir playbook and convicted Mr Anwar of sodomy in a tainted political trial. But Mr Najib made the same mistake as Mr Abdullah, failing at national leadership. Changing sides The 2015 1MDB scandal and ostentatious displays of wealth tied to perceived corruption provoked strong nationalistic responses by Dr Mahathir, who openly criticised Mr Najib's leadership. Mr Najib fought Dr Mahathir, engaging in personal attacks, purging him from the party and threatening charges. Mr Najib pushed Dr Mahathir back into Mr Anwar's fold. In 2016 Dr Mahathir began collaborating with the opposition and assumed its leadership in December. An integral part of this relationship involved turning power over to Mr Anwar, after securing his release and pardon. The 92-year old steered the opposition toward victory this month, calling for Mr Najib's removal, reinstating the rule of law and political reforms. Mr Anwar's agenda of the 1990s was co-opted by the target of those criticisms, the very person who had repudiated and punished Mr Anwar for his call for change. Today, with Mr Anwar's release, the two men are allies again. They both publicly attest a commitment to political reform. The betrayals of the past, however, are there, and how much these are put aside for a shared goal is not clear. The timing of the turnover of power and scope of political reform are likely to emerge as points of difference, as for both men power has been central in their trajectories. Now more than ever Malaysians hope these men focus on loyalty to the country as opposed to personal interest and work together as allies toward strengthening Malaysia. Bridget Welsh is associate professor of political science at John Cabot University in Rome. | अनवर इब्राहिम की रिहाई मलेशिया के लिए एक नई शुरुआत में एक महत्वपूर्ण कदम है, जो 9 मई को सत्तारूढ़ दल को सत्ता से बेदखल करने वाली आश्चर्यजनक चुनावी जीत पर आधारित है। यह लंबी प्रतिद्वंद्विता वाले दो लोगों के बीच वफादारी की परीक्षा भी है, जिनमें से एक दूसरे का जेलर था, ब्रिजेट वेल्श लिखते हैं। |
uk-wales-south-east-wales-42586685 | https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-south-east-wales-42586685 | Murder arrest after woman's body found in Neath house | A man has been arrested on suspicion of murder after a woman's body was found at a house in Neath. | Police were called to an address on Talbot Road at about 19:35 GMT on Friday following reports of a domestic incident. The body of a 33-year-old woman was found at the house, South Wales Police said. A 56-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of murder and is assisting police with enquiries. | नीथ में एक घर में एक महिला का शव मिलने के बाद हत्या के संदेह में एक व्यक्ति को गिरफ्तार किया गया है। |
world-asia-india-36961820 | https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-36961820 | The museum in India that shrinks you | India's first Click Art Museum, in the southern city of Chennai, has been visited by more than 47,000 people since its opening in April. The BBC's Geeta Pandey takes a peek into this world of wonders to find out why it is drawing in the crowds. | Delightful squeals welcome me as I step into this museum on the East Coast Road. Once inside, I feel like Alice in Wonderland. There is Adam stepping out of the frame to hand over an apple as Eve watches, Atlas is gifting away a massive diamond and Monalisa is pouring a steaming cup of coffee. You can take a selfie with a chimp and play with a dolphin. And before you leave, you can also collect your Oscar trophy. But hang on, the journey is fraught with danger too - can you prevent your body from being cut into halves? Are you brave enough to fight the huge snake that's slithered up right behind you? Can you fight the bull that's charging towards you? And can you survive Bruce Lee's lethal kick? To contemplate my survival strategy, I sat down on the nearest chair. It was a bad idea - I got shrunk! The museum has 24 artworks on display, which have been created using 3D paintings and optical illusion. They offer the viewer an opportunity to interact and become part of the scenery. Tamil artist AP Shreethar, who has created all the exhibits, says he drew inspiration from similar click art galleries in Singapore, Malaysia, Phuket and Hong Kong and that it took him three and a half years to put together this museum. "Art galleries in southern India are generally very boring. Not many people are interested in art and few visit an exhibition," he told the BBC. The museum has had more than 47,000 visitors since it opened its doors on 14 April. Entry is ticketed at 150 rupees ($2.24; £1.68) for adults and 100 rupees for children - which is not cheap, but it has been no deterrent with hundreds of people visiting daily. At the weekends, Mr Shreethar says the museum draws up to 2,000 visitors in a day. The paintings seem to be a hit with the children as well as adults. Seven-year-old Sahasra Rushika and her four-year-old brother Atharva Raghav, who are visiting with their parents from Bangalore, are running around posing for pictures. "The angel is the best, it's my favourite, it can fly," says Saharsa. Nearby, grown men and women are posing too, cellphones have been whipped out from pockets and purses, some are taking selfies while others are calling out to friends and colleagues to take their photos. "I'm an engineer, we work under tremendous pressure. This is a surprise visit our office organised for us and we're enjoying it immensely," says Loganathan P who is visiting with his colleagues. "This place is very nice, and I'm feeling very relaxed and happy. It's taken me back to my childhood days," he adds. As he poses for a photograph with some of his colleagues, I ask him if he's going to share his photos on Facebook. "They're being sent around the world to friends and family now on WhatsApp," he says. His colleague Nirmala Mani, teases him that he is behaving like the selfie-taking chimp which she describes as "the most awesome work here". "It is very satisfying to see people enjoying themselves like this," Mr Shreethar says. A veteran of 64 art shows, held in India and abroad, he says he took ideas from the classics. "We chose Monalisa and works of Great Masters so that people can recognise them easily." Buoyed by the success of this project, now he plans to open 22 more museums, including in Delhi, Goa, Mumbai, San Francisco and Malta. Click art, he says, is perfect for today's generation, obsessed with photographs and selfies. "Seven-eight years ago this wouldn't have worked. But now everyone has a cellphone with a camera and that has made this very popular." Mr Shreethar says most visitors take 50 to 60 pictures at the museum and that their Facebook page has been tagged in nearly a million photographs. "I knew the click art museum would be a hit, but even we are astonished by the interest," he adds. | दक्षिणी शहर चेन्नई में भारत का पहला क्लिक आर्ट संग्रहालय अप्रैल में खुलने के बाद से 47,000 से अधिक लोगों द्वारा देखा जा चुका है। बीबीसी की गीता पांडे यह जानने के लिए आश्चर्य की इस दुनिया में एक नज़र डालती है कि यह भीड़ में क्यों आकर्षित हो रहा है। |
uk-england-northamptonshire-17535959 | https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-northamptonshire-17535959 | Northamptonshire toads embark on a doomed path to love | As amorous toads across the country begin to migrate the hazardous path to a mating ground, one particular colony in Northamptonshire will risk their lives in vain, as the pond they are travelling to has been built on. | Every year, hundreds of toads make the one-mile journey from woodland across a number of roads to a housing estate in the village of St Crispins, to the south of Northampton. Many are squashed by cars and dozens more fall into drains as they try to get back to where they were born. But those that do make it alive will find that the pond has been replaced by buildings. Dangerous journey Toad patrol volunteer Donna Robins, who lives in the estate, said she feels obliged to help them through the season. She said: "My house is on the woodland where they used to live, I feel responsible. I see them getting killed every night on the road. "They are amazingly intelligent, they have migratory instincts. Some of these toads are up to 12 years old, our estate is about six years old perhaps. "These toads are going to a pond that they were born in, that's now been filled with building materials, a building site, houses or roads." She said the route to the pond is so fraught with danger that the creatures are unlikely to make the return journey. "They are heading into a building site where they are going to get killed if they don't get die on the way in," she said. More than 60 toads a night during the end of March to the beginning of April migrate over the road, and their death rate is so high that St Crispins' toad patrollers have devised a number of ways to rescue the creatures. 'Confusing' To minimise the casualties, they will drop polystyrene floats into the drains to allow toads to "hop out" and will carry out "bucket lifts" to help them cross the road to a makeshift pond. The patrollers are hoping to put a more long-term solution in place by building a new pond in the woodland, so the toads would not need to migrate, and signs to slow traffic for the toads who continue to migrate. Mrs Robins added: "They are coming from the woodland out of hibernation to a pond that doesn't exist any more. It must be quite confusing for them. "It's really not their fault." Brian Laney, a fellow toad patroller said: "The number of toads is in decline as their habitat is being substantially reduced." The patrollers are appealing for more volunteers to help the toads through the migrating season. Mrs Robins added: "It is only for a few weeks between March and April. Every night you see around 50-60 frogs on a five-minute stretch of road. "The more people we have helping the better." | जैसे ही देश भर में कामुक टोड एक संभोग स्थल के लिए खतरनाक रास्ते पर पलायन करना शुरू करते हैं, नॉर्थम्पटनशायर में एक विशेष कॉलोनी अपने जीवन को व्यर्थ में जोखिम में डाल देगी, क्योंकि वे जिस तालाब की यात्रा कर रहे हैं, उस पर बनाया गया है। |
uk-england-cumbria-26507648 | https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-cumbria-26507648 | Sellafield controlled shutdown investigation under way | An investigation has begun at Sellafield in Cumbria after one of the site's reprocessing plants underwent a controlled shutdown. | Sellafield Limited says the Magnox plant was closed down on 23 February because of what it calls an "anomaly in the chemical process". The Magnox plant deals with fuel from Britain's early nuclear reactors. An initial probe suggested the problem was caused by a blockage of a chemical agent in part of the system. Sellafield bosses confirmed there was no risk to workers or the public. Two investigations into other incidents on the site are ongoing, they said. | साइट के पुनर्संसाधन संयंत्रों में से एक के नियंत्रित रूप से बंद होने के बाद कुम्ब्रिया के सेलाफील्ड में एक जांच शुरू हो गई है। |
uk-england-birmingham-45458740 | https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-birmingham-45458740 | Man wanted after PC seriously hurt in Walsall hit-and-run | Police have named a "prime suspect" they want to trace after a female officer was seriously injured in a hit-and-run. | The 50-year-old West Midlands Police officer was struck by a car in Hatherton Street, Walsall, at about 09:00 BST on Thursday. The force said it wanted to speak to Clover Johnson, 51, over the incident. The injured officer remains in hospital with a serious head injury, broken ribs and punctured lung. The officer had been attempting to defuse a domestic incident when she was hit by the car, which was later found in Thames Road, Bloxwich. Det Insp Chris Fox said: "The thoughts of the force are with her and we are doing all we can to catch the person responsible." | एक हिट-एंड-रन में एक महिला अधिकारी के गंभीर रूप से घायल होने के बाद पुलिस ने एक "प्रमुख संदिग्ध" का नाम लिया है जिसका वे पता लगाना चाहते हैं। |
world-europe-21742609 | https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-21742609 | Battle between anti-abortion and pro-choice campaigners | The Irish government is expected to confirm in the near future that it will legislate for the credible threat of suicide as a grounds for an abortion. BBC NI's Dublin correspondent Shane Harrison reports on the battle between pro-choice and anti-abortion campaigners. | By Shane HarrisonBBC NI Dublin correspondent It is a cold, wet day outside RTE's Dublin headquarters. And a group has gathered - as they do weekly - to complain about what they perceive as the state broadcaster's anti-Catholic bias, a charge RTE strongly denies. One issue above all else annoys the protestors - abortion. PJ Mallon came from New Ross in County Wexford to voice his opinion. 'Life is sacred' "Abortion; thou shall not kill - it's a commandment. We as Catholics and Christians believe in the commandments of God. And if you're a Christian you have to stand up for what you believe in," he said. "And we believe that life begins in the womb and ends at the tomb. No man, no scientist, no doctor has the right to take life. Life is sacred in all its forms." In another part of Dublin, pro-choice doctors have gathered for a conference organised by the National Women's Council in Ireland. They believe the government's expected decision to legislate for abortion where there is a threat to the mother's life as distinct from her health is a good first step, especially as the credible threat of suicide will be included as a grounds for a pregnancy termination. But Dr Mary Favier, said the expected legislation does not go far enough and not just because it does not allow for abortion in cases of rape, incest or where the foetus cannot survive outside the womb. Changing attitudes She said it will not alter the fact that 11 women leave the Republic every day for a British termination. "Basically what we want to see is the 5,000 Irish women who travel every year will no longer have to do so and can exercise their rights to have good quality reproductive healthcare at home in Ireland. And let's accept that Ireland has abortion like every other European country has but it has to be provided in the jurisdiction of Ireland. This is what the government has to face up to and this is what the Irish people want to see changed," she said. Several opinion polls taken since the death of the Indian dentist Savita Halappanavar suggest overwhelming support for the government's expected proposals. Mrs Halappanavar died in a Galway last October while miscarrying. She was reportedly told she could not have an abortion because Ireland is a Catholic country. Another pro-choice doctor, Peadar O'Grady - a consultant child psychologist - said there has been an amazing change in Irish attitudes to pregnancy termination. Opinion polls "Anti-choice and anti-abortion forces are now seen as a small eccentric minority, whereas before they were seen as a majority. Eighty five per cent of Irish people now support the introduction of abortion services in Ireland; a majority of general practitioners and primary care doctors also support such services but there is still a political job to be done in bringing Ireland kicking and screaming into the 21st century," he said. That is certainly not a view shared by Richard Greene from the Christian Solidarity Party and his fellow protesters outside RTE. He does not trust the opinion polls that suggest a sea change in Irish attitudes to abortion. "I don't believe them," he said. "The real question is how come 35,000 people can come out on the streets against abortion? And how come those who are promoting abortion can only get a few hundred despite being given massive coverage? And that's a phenomenon, not just in this country, but around the world." With the Irish government hoping to have its proposed bill made law by the Dail (Irish parliament) summer break in July, both pro-choice and anti-abortion campaigners are getting ready for a battle lasting several months. | आयरिश सरकार से निकट भविष्य में इस बात की पुष्टि करने की उम्मीद है कि वह गर्भपात के आधार के रूप में आत्महत्या के विश्वसनीय खतरे के लिए कानून बनाएगी। बीबीसी एन. आई. के डबलिन संवाददाता शेन हैरिसन पसंद-समर्थक और गर्भपात विरोधी प्रचारकों के बीच लड़ाई पर रिपोर्ट करते हैं। |
uk-england-sussex-27585339 | https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-sussex-27585339 | How has Eastbourne become a major part of the tennis calendar? | In the week before Wimbledon, many of the world's best tennis players are eager to get some last minute competitive practice. But how has the quiet Sussex coastal town of Eastbourne become the place so many of them go to get it? | By James ClarkeBBC News, Sussex Eastbourne has a population of about 100,000 people and is famous for the cliffs of Beachy Head, its sunny weather and high levels of retired people. But for the past four decades it has hosted one of the world's most important grass court tennis tournaments. The women's championship, first held in 1974, is rated as a "premier" tournament. Other WTA competitions with the same status are held in Sydney, Paris, Dubai, Tokyo and Moscow - all places with a slightly higher world profile than Eastbourne, however attractive the floral arrangements on its seafront may be. Among the famous names who have held trophies aloft by the seaside are Martina Navratilova, Chris Evert, Virginia Wade, Justine Henin, Kim Clijsters, Andy Roddick, Lindsay Davenport, Monica Seles, Caroline Wozniacki and current Wimbledon champion Marion Bartoli. So how has the relatively little town carved itself such an important role in the sporting calendar? Ken Pollock, chairman of the Devonshire Park Lawn Tennis Club, where the tournament is played, said: "It's an important venue because of the quality of the grass courts, the weather - it's known as the sunshine coast - and there's ample hotel accommodation. "I go out to schools to talk about the tournament and I bill it as the "tennis town". There's nothing else like it in the country. "Eastbourne stands alone - there isn't another town which is just famous for its tennis. It marks it out as quite a remarkable place." Small town, big sporting event •Eastbourne - population 99,412, hosts a major pre-Wimbledon tennis tournament •Epsom - population 75,102, hosts The Derby •Hoylake - population 13,348, hosting the 2014 Open golf •Shepton Mallet - population 10,369, hosted boxing matches featuring Frank Bruno and Naseem Hamed in 1995 •Silverstone - population 2,176, hosts Formula 1 British Grand Prix Population statistics from 2011 census. Source: Office of National Statistics British number three Johanna Konta, who lives in Eastbourne and is ranked 110th in the world, said: "Obviously for me it's more special than for most of the players - it's one of the few chances I get to sleep in my own bed and eat my mum's cooking. "But other players find it a very nice tournament and that's why there are always some of the world's top players taking part, and why they keep coming back." Of course, Eastbourne is not the only small English town to host a major sporting event. The Derby is held in Epsom, the Open golf visits locations as obscure as Hoylake and Sandwich and Formula 1's British Grand Prix is held in Silverstone - population 2,176. But horse racing, golf and motor racing each have to be played in huge areas, meaning they are by nature more likely to be away from urban sprawl, unlike tennis - whose most famous homes are the grand slam venues of London, Paris, New York and Melbourne. "There are more glamorous locations on tour, but everyone seems to love a seaside resort and Eastbourne remains popular - despite the chilly wind that can blow through Devonshire Park on occasions," says Russell Fuller, the BBC's tennis correspondent. "After up to a fortnight in Paris, and ahead of two weeks at Wimbledon, Eastbourne provides a pleasant respite to city life. "Fewer of the very top seeds opt to play a grass court warm up event these days, but it looks as if a healthy number of top 10 players will be in attendance once again." 'I was an Eastbourne ball girl' by Libby Sutcliffe, BBC News I was just a teenage schoolgirl (above, second from right) in the late 1980s when I was given the chance to stand opposite some of the world's top female tennis players. Dozens of girls at The Cavendish School in Eastbourne were picked to be ball girls at the tennis tournament that comes to the town every year. Among the stars I threw tennis balls to were Martina Navratilova and Jennifer Capriati and I also ball girled one of the last professional games Chris Evert played in. It was a huge honour to share the centre court with some of the biggest names in the sport and we had to complete months of training to make sure we threw and rolled the balls effortlessly. We were called the unsung heroes of the event and we knew we were doing a good job if no-one noticed us. There were occasional slip ups - score boards falling over, sunburn and seagull poo splattered on a bright white skirt. Once I was stuck crouching at the net for 14 games when the umpire forgot to shout "new balls please" when it got to seven. My legs did ache. It was truly an amazing experience and I developed a knowledge and love of tennis that has stayed with me ever since. It meant for one week a year we could escape the classroom, forgot we were just teenagers, mix with the talented and famous and even appear on the TV. Although the tournament in its current format dates back 40 years, tennis has been played at the venue for far longer. Mr Pollock said the park opened on 1 July 1874 and he thinks the first championships was held there in 1881, with the tennis club starting about the same sort of time. "The current tournament came out of the South of England Lawn Tennis Championship, which was held down here in Eastbourne," he said. "The likes of Fred Perry and Rene Lacoste and co would have taken part - it was quite a prestigious tournament." The tournament has always attracted many of the world's top players. This year's event will see five of the women's top 10 players in action - previous winner, world number four and former Wimbledon runner-up Agnieszka Radwanska is top seed. Victoria Azarenka, twice Australian Open winner, is making her comeback from injury at Eastbourne and 2011 Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova, ranked sixth in the world, is also playing, along with seventh and ninth-ranked Jelena Jankovic and Angelique Kerber. Top seed in the men's tournament is world number 14 Richard Gasquet, a former semi-finalist at Wimbledon and the US Open. Martina Navratilova, the most successful female player of all time, lifted the trophy in Eastbourne 11 times. Navratilova became so closely associated with the town she was awarded the freedom of Eastbourne in 2005, when she said: "I am deeply moved by such genuine kindness... and now I truly feel I am a part of such a noble community. "The appreciation is mutual. I appreciate Eastbourne, Eastbourne appreciates me and it's nice when it's symbiotic like that, it kind of makes you feel good." She said the players walked around among the fans, who could also watch the top stars practise. "It's all right there, it's not so spread out. The players can interact with the fans and the kids and that's what it should be." A brief history of Eastbourne tennis •1881 - First championships held at Devonshire Park •South of England Lawn Tennis Championships and many Davis Cup matches held there •1974 - Annual pre-Wimbledon tournament for women launched •2009 - Tournament becomes an event for men and women Darren Weir, chairman of the Eastbourne Hospitality Association, said the tournament was a crucial event in the town's calendar. "We all have guests that specifically stay for the tournament - my guest house is always full with spectators, and some of them have been coming for 20 years and book a year in advance. "We also have to accommodate all the support staff, the catering workers, and the bigger hotels - the four and five star hotels - host the players and their entourages, if they have any. The LTA (Lawn Tennis Association) tends to pick a hotel for the players. "If you look around all the restaurants and bars benefit from it and shops fill their window display with tennis things - the town gets a tennis buzz." | विंबलडन से एक सप्ताह पहले, दुनिया के कई सर्वश्रेष्ठ टेनिस खिलाड़ी अंतिम समय में कुछ प्रतिस्पर्धी अभ्यास प्राप्त करने के लिए उत्सुक हैं। लेकिन ईस्टबोर्न का शांत ससेक्स तटीय शहर कैसे वह स्थान बन गया है जहाँ उनमें से कई इसे प्राप्त करने के लिए जाते हैं? |
magazine-22397457 | https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-22397457 | Six childcare gurus who have changed parenting | It's been 70 years since the idea of the "good enough mother" was popularised by psychoanalyst Donald Winnicott. Since then, there's been a plethora of parenting advice, with everything from the naughty step to a time limit on cuddling catching on. | By Alex CampbellBBC News History has provided no shortage of "supernanny" figures with big ideas about how best to raise children. Childcare advice is a multi-billion pound industry with an avalanche of books, magazines, and television shows competing for credibility. Here are six of the people who have had the biggest impact on parenting over the past 100 years. Sir Frederick Truby King Child welfare reformer Sir Frederick Truby King is credited with drastically reducing infant mortality in his native New Zealand. His research also led to a radical improvement in childhood nutrition and he was knighted in 1925 for his contribution to society. But for all of his laudable achievements, Truby King is undoubtedly best known as an early champion of enforcement parenting - with its emphasis on discipline and detachment. The key to the Truby King method was to feed babies by the clock every four hours and preferably never at night - stoically ignoring demands for sustenance in between. He recommended placing babies in their own rooms immediately and leaving them in the garden for long periods to toughen them up. He also imposed a 10-minute daily cap on cuddles. Parenting was about routine and discipline. The formative months were for eating, sleeping and growing - not bonding. The philosophy might seem brutal to modern day doters, but childcare historian and author Hugh Cunningham says mothers were inclined to trust the experts of the era. "Not every parent at the time did it this way but they will have been aware of it. "A significant number of people simply thought science was telling them and therefore it was the right thing to do," he says. Dr Benjamin Spock Dr Benjamin Spock's Common Sense Book of Baby and Child Care is one of the best-selling books of all time, having sold some 50 million since it was first published in 1946. Challenging the child-rearing orthodoxy of the early 20th Century, Dr Spock encouraged a more gentle approach to bringing up children, and told parents to trust their own instincts and common sense. The Spock guide to parenting - which encouraged affection and recognised that every baby is different - went mainstream in the 1960s. It was probably a convenient time for a new style of parenting, according to psychologist Dr Aric Sigman. Mothers were increasingly getting used to household appliances and disposable nappies, which left far more time for cuddling, doting and pampering than most Trudy King parents were likely to have enjoyed. "Changes in parenting trends reflect changes in politics, the economy and the parents' needs, even though children's needs really haven't changed," says Sigman. Donald Winnicott About the same time as Spock's parenting guide began shifting millions, Winnicott was beginning a stint of almost 20 years of influential broadcasts for the BBC, the first of which was in 1943. His broadcasts were aimed directly at mothers, with his "good enough mother" philosophy promoting the idea that they weren't perfect. Occasional failure was not just inevitable in parenting - it was part of the child's learning curve. Like Spock, Winnicott believed in parents' intuition. "It is when a mother trusts her judgement that she is at her best," he said. The paediatrician and psychoanalyst didn't believe in setting regimes or even giving instructions. He believed in understanding, not admonishing. Mumsnet founder Justine Roberts says some parents adopt a similar style today. "I like the principle of trusting your instincts - don't sweat the small stuff too much," she says. Penelope Leach Continuing a growing trend for a liberal antidote to the routines and rituals of the previous generation, psychologist Penelope Leach rose to prominence in the 1970s and 1980s. Leach's book, Your Baby and Child: From Birth to Age Five, has sold more than two million copies since its original publication in 1977, and her work remains popular with some parents. Her style is "child-centred" parenting. You had the baby, now come the sacrifices. "Whatever you are doing, however you are coping, if you listen to your child and to your own feelings, there will be something you can actually do to put things right or make the best of those that are wrong," she notes in the book's introduction. An expert in child development, Leach has more recently spoken out against "crying-it-out" techniques - advocated by some as a method of helping to establish routine. Some have described her as "legendary for making parents feel guilty". Gina Ford The so-called Queen of Routine's parenting plans are loved and loathed but never ignored. Gina Ford's methods have been branded "absolute nonsense" by Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg and led to a legal settlement with Mumsnet after some of its members posted explicitly hostile reviews But at one point three of her books accounted for 25% of the sprawling childcare books market, and she boasts celebrity supporters such as Kate Winslet. The former maternity nurse has sold more than half a million copies of her original 1999 publication The Contented Little Baby Book. Her bestselling guide advocates a strict regime for both parent and child, broken into five-minute slots, which is built around set feeding times to establish a routine as early as possible. It recommends ignoring a crying child to help restore sleeping patterns in certain circumstances, as well as not making eye contact before bedtime to avoid excitement. Jo Frost Reality TV show Supernanny has reached tens of millions of viewers across 47 countries and spawned its own US spin-off - billing star professional nanny Jo Frost as a modern day Mary Poppins. For many parents, Frost is the inspiration for the widely used "naughty step" technique. Children who are misbehaving get a warning, but if they carry on they have to sit on a step - waiting one minute for every year of age. Afterwards, they have to apologise. Other staples, which include a regular dose of finger-wagging and face-to-face ultimatums, have also infiltrated homes across the world. But while Jo Frost's no-nonsense approach appeals to many parents, it's also been criticised for being part of a culture which invades children's privacy. Tracey Jensen, lecturer in media and cultural studies at Newcastle University, told the Guardian newspaper Supernanny offers up the spectacle of the "bad enough mother", usually working-class, who is shamed before she is transformed. You can follow the Magazine on Twitter and on Facebook | "पर्याप्त अच्छी माँ" के विचार को मनोविश्लेषक डोनाल्ड विनिकॉट द्वारा लोकप्रिय बनाए हुए 70 साल हो चुके हैं। तब से, माता-पिता को बहुत सारी सलाह दी जाती रही है, जिसमें शरारती कदम से लेकर गले मिलने की समय सीमा तक सब कुछ शामिल है। |
uk-england-birmingham-46728469 | https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-birmingham-46728469 | Two hurt as car reverses into Dudley house | A car was apparently reversed through the wall of a house leaving two people needing hospital treatment. | The victims, a man and a woman, were injured at the house in Kestrel Road, Dudley, on New Year's Eve. West Midlands Fire Service confirmed the pair were taken to hospital but did not give details of injuries or if they were in the house or car at the time. Police and ambulance services also attended but police have not issued further details. The incident took place shortly before 23:00 GMT. | एक कार स्पष्ट रूप से एक घर की दीवार से पलट गई, जिससे दो लोगों को अस्पताल में इलाज की आवश्यकता पड़ी। |
uk-england-stoke-staffordshire-48329467 | https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-stoke-staffordshire-48329467 | Passengers evacuated as train catches fire in Willaston | About 50 passengers had to be evacuated from a train carriage after engine components caught fire. | Firefighters were called to the train, which had come to a stop in Willaston, Cheshire, at about 10:20 BST. Crewe firefighters said the passengers were "not in any danger" but had to get off at a crossing and the brigade could not account for their onward travel. They said they believed it was an Arriva service and the firm has been approached for comment. Follow BBC West Midlands on Facebook, on Twitter, and sign up for local news updates direct to your phone. | इंजन के घटकों में आग लगने के बाद लगभग 50 यात्रियों को ट्रेन की गाड़ी से बाहर निकालना पड़ा। |
uk-england-essex-28893108 | https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-essex-28893108 | M25 closed after lorry fire damages road surface in Essex | A section of the M25 in Essex was closed causing "severe" delays after a lorry fire which damaged the road surface, the Highways Agency said. | Emergency services were called to an anticlockwise section between junctions 27 and 26 for the M11 and Waltham Abbey at about 19:30 BST on Thursday. The vehicle was carrying waste including paint, tyres and paper. Several loud explosions were heard. A Highways Agency spokesman said the road reopened just after 09:00 BST. There are still delays of about two hours on the anticlockwise carriageway. The spokesman urged drivers to check conditions before they set out and plan their journeys to avoid the area if possible. | राजमार्ग एजेंसी ने कहा कि एसेक्स में एम25 के एक हिस्से को बंद कर दिया गया था, जिससे एक लॉरी में आग लगने के बाद "गंभीर" देरी हुई, जिससे सड़क की सतह क्षतिग्रस्त हो गई। |
in-pictures-43329546 | https://www.bbc.com/news/in-pictures-43329546 | Ami Vitale: A life devoted to photography | Ami Vitale is often described as a travel photographer, and given that she has worked in nearly 100 countries over the past 18 years you'd be forgiven for doing so. Yet though her pictures are exquisitely beautiful and come from many exotic locations they go far deeper than traditional travel pictures, connecting the viewer to issues that are dear to her and of importance to society as a whole. | Phil CoomesPicture editor@philcoomeson Twitter "While I do travel and witness extraordinary things, it's not simply about jetting off to exotic places," says Vitale. "The magic really begins when I stay in one place, often for years, to get beyond the surface and talk about the things that connect us." This year Vitale is a nominee in the World Press Photo Awards for her pictures of the community-owned Reteti Elephant Sanctuary in northern Kenya. But her first step into the world of photography came when she gained an internship at a small newspaper in Raleigh, North Carolina, in the early 1990s. Later she worked as an editor for Associated Press and, as she puts it, one day built up the courage to quit and pursue her dream to be a foreign correspondent. After a spell on a newspaper in the Czech Republic, Vitale set off to cover the conflict in Kosovo,. It was here she found the desire to turn her attention to stories that bring people together and reflect life beyond the latest headline. "When we truly understand each other's stories, we are transformed, and no matter where you go, the joy of human emotions remains the same," she says. "The thing that really struck me after witnessing so much conflict and violence in my career is that every single issue I covered, whether it was war or poverty or health always ended up being dependent on nature for its outcomes. "I use nature as the foil to talk about our home, our future and where we are going. The whole point of all of this is to remind people that everything we eat and own is impacted by nature. "As a photographer the more I'm asked to document people and their issues, I realise I'm documenting nature, and the more I get asked to document nature, I realise I'm photographing people's lives. It's one and the same. "In a world of seven billion people, we must see ourselves as part of the landscape. Our fate is linked to the fate of animals." "Every story has a variety of viewpoints and truths depending on where you stand. It really takes tremendous time and patience to get to the subtleties and nuances of any story." Vitale often spends many years working on stories that are important to her, most recently making multiple trips to China for her award-winning pictures documenting the country's panda-breeding programme - as well as visits to northern Kenya to cover a story about indigenous communities protecting endangered species. "The truth is, very little 'clicking' happens," says Vitale. "I travel to some astonishing places, but the secret is about going deep and revealing more than just an 'exotic' image. "Sticking with a story for years helps you understand the complexities, characters and issues that are not always immediately obvious. "Empathy and earning trust is the most important tool I can have so they let me into those special moments. I spend a lot of time explaining why I'm doing this and why it's important. "The trick is to get access to places that no-one else can get to, and the secret to this is to know your subject better than anyone else. "So my advice to those who dream about this is to find a story close to you - maybe even in your backyard - and make it yours. You don't need to travel abroad. What you do need to do, however, is tell a story better than anyone else can, using your own unique perspective. "If you find your own story and show complete and utter dedication, then you will find a way to carve out a career." Funding is of course a big challenge and Vitale often funds the projects herself, by undertaking some teaching work or advertising commissions. She sees it as an investment. "I work to make timeless images that will have a life that carries on rather than timely images for the voracious news cycle. "I spend months and sometimes years working on these stories on my own time. "National Geographic is an incredible platform, but I don't know if people really understand how it's a place to get it seen by large audiences but there are no staff photographers, meaning we have to be very creative and find ways to make it work financially on these longer stories." "I mentor a lot of people and I believe we must pass on the torch and inspire everyone to get involved." To be as successful as this you have to devote your life to photography, sacrifices are the name of the game. Vitale is aware you have to be emotionally self-reliant and wonders how she got through some of the things that have happened to her. "It's the psychological dangers that scare me the most. "I've been harassed, threatened and learned quickly as a woman that I have to be thoughtful about how and where I work. No picture is worth my own personal safety. "I've had many terrifying experiences. My worst close call was in a village in Palestine, in Gaza. It was after a Palestinian had been shot and killed, after his funeral. "The Sun was setting and I was the only journalist still there. My instincts were telling me it was time to go, but I just wanted to get one or two more frames. And then this man started screaming, and within seconds I was surrounded by a crowd of young, very angry men who wanted blood. They wanted vengeance." Thankfully earlier in the day Vitale had spent time with the family of the man who had been killed and they were able to get her to safety. It's not just people you have to be wary of though, especially when working with wild animals such as the pandas. "We must never forget the 'wild' in wildlife," says Vitale. Though she wants to get close, to do so could be dangerous for both her and the animal. "I always talk about the challenges we face but I don't think that is enough. It doesn't motivate people when all we hear is that it's hopeless and nothing can be done. "Everywhere I go, I see people, often with very little, making huge impacts in their communities and the planet. "I think it's just as important to shed some light on those stories, where against all odds, individuals are making a difference. "This will be what saves us all." You can see more work by Ami Vitale on her website or you can follow her on Instagram. Vitale's photographs of pandas in China will soon be published in a book, Panda Love, The Secret Lives of Pandas. | एमी विटाले को अक्सर एक यात्रा फोटोग्राफर के रूप में वर्णित किया जाता है, और यह देखते हुए कि उन्होंने पिछले 18 वर्षों में लगभग 100 देशों में काम किया है, आपको ऐसा करने के लिए माफ कर दिया जाएगा। फिर भी हालाँकि उनकी तस्वीरें उत्कृष्ट रूप से सुंदर हैं और कई विदेशी स्थानों से आती हैं, वे पारंपरिक यात्रा चित्रों की तुलना में कहीं अधिक गहरी हैं, जो दर्शकों को उन मुद्दों से जोड़ती हैं जो उनके लिए प्रिय हैं और पूरे समाज के लिए महत्वपूर्ण हैं। |
business-19068151 | https://www.bbc.com/news/business-19068151 | SFO: Can it survive Tchenguiz humiliation? | The Serious Fraud Office (SFO) acquired the nickname of the Serious Flawed Office in its early years of operation as a unit fighting big financial crime in the 1990s. That was after a series of flops of high profile cases, against George Walker, the Maxwells and Roger Levitt. | Robert PestonEconomics editor Latterly its reputation has improved, although its decision to drop the Saudi Arabian aspect of a corruption case against BAE Systems saw it widely criticised, because it was seen to be buckling under pressure from the then government of Tony Blair. In this too-long roster of SFO boo-boos and setbacks, today's judgement - that warrants obtained by it for searching the homes and business premises of Vincent and Robbie Tchenguiz were unlawful - is perhaps its most embarrassing. In an existence of almost 25 years, the SFO has never commanded much respect from the police or from its counterparts at the Financial Services Authority (FSA), the City watchdog - whose own performance in taking action against financial wrongdoers is perceived to have improved from a very low base. What FSA officials say about the SFO is frequently not repeatable in polite company. In its own defence, the SFO has consistently argued that its budget is too small to give it a fighting chance of meeting the expectations of politicians and the public: those it investigates and prosecutes can usually afford the most expert and expensive lawyers and advisers. In 2008-09, for example, the SFO had a budget of £53m. That fell to £36m in 2010-11 and to £33m last year. By contrast, the FSA's budget for enforcement and fighting financial crime was £75.4m in 2011-12, which was 11% up on the previous year. The reason the SFO has been squeezed, while the FSA has not, is that the SFO is financed by taxpayers whereas the FSA is funded by a levy on financial institutions. So although the judgement in today's case was humiliating for the SFO, it took comfort from the remarks of the High Court judge Sir John Thomas that "incalculable damage will be done to the financial markets of London, if proper resources, both human and financial, are not made available for such investigations and prosecutions in the financial markets of London". And, as it happens, the resources available to the SFO may be squeezed further still if - as is likely - it is ordered to pay the defence costs of the Tchenguiz brothers, which run to many millions of pounds. Also, one of the Tchenguizes, Vincent, has already made it clear that he will sue the SFO for £100m in damages. And I am told by sources close to his brother Robbie that he too will claim damages of a similar magnitude. The humiliation for the SFO, if taxpayers are forced to pay anything like that to the two erstwhile playboys and property developers, would be unlike anything it has yet suffered in its chequered history. What is perhaps even more problematic is that the SFO is embarking on its most important investigation in recent years, whether crimes were committed in the way that banks and bankers tried to manipulate the important Libor interest rates. One minister, Home Secretary Theresa May, will probably be looking at the SFO's discomfiture with mixed emotions. Just over a year ago, she tried to break up the SFO and close it down but was outvoted by her cabinet colleagues. If she were to feel vindicated today, few would be surprised. What the SFO will fear is that rather than increase its budget, she will conclude that the case against the SFO is now irrefutable and it may be time to put it out of its misery. | सीरियस फ्रॉड ऑफिस (एस. एफ. ओ.) ने 1990 के दशक में बड़े वित्तीय अपराध से लड़ने वाली इकाई के रूप में अपने संचालन के शुरुआती वर्षों में सीरियस फ्लॉड ऑफिस का उपनाम हासिल कर लिया था। यह जॉर्ज वॉकर, मैक्सवेल्स और रोजर लेविट के खिलाफ हाई प्रोफाइल मामलों की एक श्रृंखला के असफल होने के बाद था। |
entertainment-arts-22593783 | https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-22593783 | Toots and the Maytals singer injured during concert | Reggae veterans Toots and the Maytals were forced to cut short a concert in Virginia after the frontman was hit with a bottle thrown from the crowd. | A glass bottle hit singer Frederick Toots Hibbert, 67, as the band performed at the Dominion Riverrock outdoor music festival on Saturday. The Richmond Times-Dispatch reported that Hibbert was treated in hospital for a cut to his head. Police said a 19-year-old man has been charged with aggravated assault. Festival organisers said Hibbert was in good spirits despite the incident and regretted that the concert had to be cut short. Stephen Lecky, a spokesman for festival organiser Venture Richmond, told Rolling Stone magazine: "He was lucid. He was laughing. He was tired obviously. He had had a very long day. "He was one of the nicest men I ever met," he added. | रेगे दिग्गज टूट्स और मायटल्स को वर्जीनिया में एक संगीत कार्यक्रम को बंद करने के लिए मजबूर होना पड़ा क्योंकि भीड़ से फेंकी गई बोतल से फ्रंटमैन को मारा गया था। |
uk-england-nottinghamshire-44514586 | https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-nottinghamshire-44514586 | Man injured in Nottingham shooting | A man has been taken to hospital after a shooting in the Radford area of Nottingham. | Police have put up a cordon in Ronald Street where the man suffered gunshot injuries at about 14:00 BST. The victim was taken to hospital for treatment to his injuries which are not thought to be life-threatening, police said. Extra officers have been sent to the area to investigate and reassure residents. | नॉटिंघम के रेडफोर्ड इलाके में गोलीबारी के बाद एक व्यक्ति को अस्पताल ले जाया गया है। |
uk-england-cumbria-12209520 | https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-cumbria-12209520 | Cumbria village to get £3.2m sewage plant | A Cumbrian village is to get a sewage treatment plant to bring its waterworks up to date. | United Utilities is spending £3.2m on the treatment works and pipeline in Abbeytown, near Silloth. The pipeline will skirt the site of a former 12th Century abbey and engineers will work with archaeologists to make sure the area is not disturbed. The work is expected to be completed in July 2012 when the old works, built in 1938, will be demolished. | एक कुम्ब्रियन गाँव को अपने जल कार्यों को अद्यतित करने के लिए एक सीवेज उपचार संयंत्र प्राप्त करना है। |
uk-20817088 | https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-20817088 | Falklands telegrams reveal UK response to invasion | Previously secret telegrams from the time of Argentina's Falklands invasion in 1982 reveal the scramble to find a ship big enough to send UK troops to the South Atlantic, the burning of sensitive papers and intense diplomatic efforts to stop French-made missiles reaching Buenos Aires. | By Peter BilesBBC World Affairs Correspondent A record of the communications is contained in government files just released by the National Archives in London under a 30-year rule. Argentine forces landed on the Falklands on the morning of 2 April. At 10:30 GMT, Britain's Foreign Secretary, Lord (Peter) Carrington, sent an urgent telegram to the governor: "You have discretion from me and the defence secretary to blow up the airstrip if you can do so, to prevent it being used after invasion to resupply an invasion force". However, communications between London and the Falklands capital, Stanley, had become intermittent, and a handwritten note on the telegram records: "This message was never received." By the following day, 3 April, the governor, Rex Hunt, had been forcibly evacuated by the Argentines to Montevideo. From there, he gave the Foreign Office a rundown of his final hours at Government House in Stanley. "We destroyed all secret papers and cypher equipment except for two Mark Vs on which we were awaiting instructions when communications failed and we ran out of time. The Mark Vs were left in the strong room and I hope will be rendered useless when the Argentines have to blow the door to get in". In the meantime, Britain's ambassador in Buenos Aires, Anthony Williams, had been taking his own "precautionary measures". A telegram on 1 April noted: "We have already started destruction of all sensitive material prior to 1981 and, more recently, of higher sensitivity. "We expect to complete this operation inconspicuously within 18 hours or in less time if it becomes appropriate to use incinerator in this smokeless zone." As Britain assembled a task force to sail for the South Atlantic, it became apparent there were not enough ships. The main requirement was for a passenger liner to carry 1,700 men. With the Queen's approval, a Royal Prerogative was invoked to requisition a P&O liner, the Canberra, and a freighter, the Norsea, which would carry vehicles and equipment. A ministerial memo to the prime minister of the time, Margaret Thatcher, had read: "Without these ships, the Chiefs of Staff assessment is that the military capability of the force would be severely degraded, given the likely threat." Dr Gregory Fremont-Barnes, a lecturer in war studies at Sandhurst, suggests Britain's grand plan was rather "ad hoc". "There was no contingency for retaking the Falklands," he says. "The papers in the National Archives show the government was caught somewhat wrong-footed. Nonetheless, once the news of the invasion comes through, they operated extremely quickly and the Task Force left on 9 April, a week after the invasion." On the diplomatic front, Mrs Thatcher received a welcome offer of assistance from President Francois Mitterrand of France on 3 April. He telephoned her to say: "If there's anything we can do to help, we should like to." But a few weeks later, as the Falklands War entered a critical phase, relations between London and Paris had soured. The government files reveal intense diplomatic efforts by Britain to prevent the sale of French Exocet missiles to Peru. In a confidential telegram to President Mitterrand, dated 30 May, Margaret Thatcher said there was dismay in London at the prospect of French missiles ending up in Argentina. "I must ask you with all the emphasis and urgency at my command to find a means of delaying the delivery of these missiles from France for at least a further month. Naturally we would prefer them not to be supplied at all but the next few weeks are going to be particularly crucial." Mrs Thatcher wrote that one Peruvian ship had been sent away from France empty, but another ship was on its way to France to take delivery of weapons - Peru was protesting to France about a breach of contract. Contained in Mrs Thatcher's message to President Mitterrand was an implicit warning: "If it became known, as it certainly would, that France was now releasing weapons to Peru that would certainly be passed on to Argentina for use against us, France's ally, this would have a devastating effect on the relationship between our two countries." There were no such difficulties between Britain and the United States. A telegram from the British embassy in Washington, dated 3 May, shows that the US Defence Secretary, Caspar Weinberger, had expressed "eagerness to give us (Britain) maximum support". The US even offered the use of an aircraft carrier, the Eisenhower. However, as the war neared its climax, the Reagan administration in Washington was trying to promote the idea of a joint US- Brazilian peacekeeping force to take over the Falklands. On 31 May 1982, President Ronald Reagan made a late night telephone call to Mrs Thatcher, urging Britain to talk before the Argentines were forced to withdraw. According to the notes recorded by John Coles, the prime minister's private secretary, Mr Reagan's view and that of the president of Brazil was that "the best chance for peace was before complete Argentine humiliation". Mr Reagan apparently said if the UK retained sole military occupancy, the UK might face another Argentine invasion in the future. However, Mrs Thatcher was in no mood to compromise. "The prime minister emphasised that the UK could not contemplate a ceasefire without Argentinian withdrawal," wrote her private secretary "The prime minister stressed that Britain had not lost precious lives in battle and sent an enormous task force to hand over the Queen's islands immediately to a contact group." The PM said she understood the president's fears but as Britain had had to go into the islands alone, with no outside help, she could not now let the invader gain from his aggression, he added. "She was sure that the president would act in the same way if Alaska had been similarly threatened." The war lasted just over 10 weeks, but the diary of Britain's 3 Commando Brigade paints a bleak picture of conditions in the Falklands as 15,000 Argentine forces surrendered on 14 June. The Argentines had been dug in for weeks and many were suffering from malnutrition and disease. This created a problem for the victorious British troops as they entered Stanley. "Near riot as a result of too many POWs moving down from the airfield", was a comment written in the Brigade diary. The weather was deteriorating. Helicopters could not fly. British forces were short of artillery rounds, and an end to hostilities was not immediately confirmed from Buenos Aires. "The momentum of the British attack had largely run out of steam in terms of its logistics, not in terms of morale or the brilliant leadership of junior commanders, but in terms of supply. I daresay that if the Argentines had put up a stiff resistance in and around Stanley itself, British forces might have found themselves in very great difficulty," says historian Gregory Fremont-Barnes. However, 3 Commando Brigade's diary catches the mood as it becomes clear the war is over: "Consolidate, re-organise, sort out, and breath a sigh of relief". All document images courtesy of the National Archives | 1982 में अर्जेंटीना के फ़ॉकलैंड आक्रमण के समय से पहले के गुप्त तार दक्षिण अटलांटिक में ब्रिटेन के सैनिकों को भेजने के लिए पर्याप्त बड़े जहाज को खोजने के लिए हाथापाई, संवेदनशील कागजातों को जलाने और ब्यूनस आयर्स तक पहुंचने वाली फ्रांसीसी निर्मित मिसाइलों को रोकने के लिए गहन राजनयिक प्रयासों का खुलासा करते हैं। |
uk-england-northamptonshire-28016096 | https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-northamptonshire-28016096 | Paul and Sandra Dunham US fraud 'nearly put us under' | Paul and Sandra Dunham had protested their innocence with a quiet determination. Faced with charges of fraud from their time in the US, the Northamptonshire couple denied any wrongdoing and campaigned against their extradition. | But a few weeks before their trial was due to start, the pair struck a plea bargain with US authorities and admitted their guilt. In numerous interviews, Mr Dunham had claimed their extradition was "disproportionate" and the case was just an "employment-related dispute" with Pace, the company they had worked for. He claimed they were "totally let down" by the British justice system, that their lives were "shattered" and that they faced months or perhaps years on remand in separate US jails. They even appeared to have attempted to take their own lives, hours before they were due to be flown out to Maryland. The Dunhams certainly garnered support and sympathy from some quarters during their drawn-out fight, but Eric Siegel was resolutely unconvinced. 'Completely violated' As president and chief executive of Pace Worldwide, he considered the Dunhams as "part of the Pace family for well over 30 years". "I feel completely violated, as do many current and former employees at the company," he told the BBC. "Their fraud nearly put us under. The fact we're still in business is a miracle." Both Mr Dunham, 59 and Mrs Dunham, 58, admitted conspiring to commit wire fraud. He pleaded guilty to an additional charge of money laundering. Mr Siegel brought Paul Dunham over to the US in 1999 to help run operations for the company, which manufactures soldering irons for the electronics industry. 'Mountain of evidence' He believes Mr Dunham had his eyes on succeeding him when he left the company in 2003. "I think Paul had designs on taking over the company, and he wasn't happy working with me or the fact I was the co-chairman and president at the time and he was really just the chief operating officer," he said. "I think he was quite envious of that and didn't want to be told what to do." In 2009, Mr Siegel was back at Pace and had suspicions about the couple's activities. By then, Paul Dunham was chief executive and his wife sales director. Mr Siegel gathered a "mountain of evidence" and the following year won a civil case against the couple in North Carolina. It sparked a criminal investigation by the Department of Justice and FBI, and the bringing of charges for which they have now been convicted. 'Warped sense' The Dunhams, meanwhile, claimed Mr Siegel had a personal vendetta against them, somehow influencing the interest of the authorities - which he describes as "laughable" and "absolutely ridiculous". "If I had that kind of power it would be amazing," he said. "I recall Paul Dunham did a news piece saying 'anyone could walk into a federal grand jury and accuse somebody of something and they'll go ahead and indict them. "I'm afraid it doesn't work that way." They also claimed they owned 20% of the company, that Mr Dunham was in charge and he did everything he was entitled to. "I believe he thought he was entitled to it, but he has a very warped sense of right and wrong and everyone else would call it fraud and theft," said Mr Siegel. "We won the civil case, then we brought the judgment over in the UK to domesticate it and have it ratified here. "They did very vigorously fight the domestication of the judgement in the UK, but they lost. "The notion they didn't have a chance to address or answer the charge is quite ridiculous." | पॉल और सैंड्रा डनहम ने एक शांत दृढ़ संकल्प के साथ अपनी बेगुनाही का विरोध किया था। अमेरिका में अपने समय से धोखाधड़ी के आरोपों का सामना करते हुए, नॉर्थम्पटनशायर दंपति ने किसी भी गलत काम से इनकार किया और उनके प्रत्यर्पण के खिलाफ अभियान चलाया। |
uk-politics-53902845 | https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-53902845 | Labour: Historic divisions over patriotism pose challenge for Starmer | Early in his tenure as new Labour leader, Sir Keir Starmer said he wanted the party to be "proud of being patriotic". | By Jennifer ScottBBC News online political reporter Now, in his first speech to the party's conference as the party's head, he will say to voters: "I ask you: take another look at Labour. We're under new leadership. We love this country as you do." It seems to be a stance that chimes with many Labour members. According to a YouGov poll in January, as the leadership contest began, 50% of the party thought it was important for the new chief to have a sense of patriotism. It resonates among the public too: in a survey, 67% of respondents told YouGov in June they were proud of being British. But the party has a complex relationship with the concept of patriotism and Sir Keir will face challenges in getting it right. Labour historian and author of Old Labour to New, Greg Rosen, says the party tradition is rooted in patriotism, but tensions came with the approach of World War One. Former Liberal Party members joined Labour, upset by the Liberal stance on foreign policy - and the split between those for and against the war encompassed not just the House of Commons, but the Labour Party as well. Shami Chakrabarti, the former shadow attorney general under Jeremy Corbyn, says she was surprised by the divisions as she learnt the history of the party. She points to a story in a new book by Rachel Holmes, Sylvia Pankhurst - Natural Born Rebel, featuring an incident with Keir Hardie - a founder of the party. Keir Hardie was against World War One and spoke out about it in the Commons. But some Labour backbenchers defied him by quietly singing the national anthem "like a cold, cold wind" from behind, in a stunt to discredit him as anti-patriotic. "I was shocked, not just that Labour MPs could be so wrong about that tragic imperialist war, but that they were so nasty to their first leader who brought them into being," says Baroness Chakrabarti. Keir Hardie wasn't alone in his opposition to that war - Mr Rosen points to the resignation of Ramsay MacDonald, who quit as Labour leader in 1914, after saying he believed Britain should have remained neutral. Yet, at the same time, other leading Labour figures made it onto the frontbench of the coalition government to lead the war effort. This divide on foreign policy - with only those supportive of the war deemed "patriots" - continued. Mr Rosen said there were "immense tensions" in the 1930s and 1940s within Labour over the rise of fascism and Hitler. "It saw some figures far firmer in their determination to stand up to fascism than the Conservative Party, while others were quitting over their beliefs in pacifism," he says. The former shadow chancellor, Ed Balls, says this was a time Labour could point to, when it showed its patriotic background. "There have been points of tension, but if you think back to the moment of greatest peril in the last 100 years - 1939, when our national identity and national security were the most challenged - that was the moment the Labour Party joined with Churchill in a war time cabinet," he says. "British patriotism and unity at that time of greatest need was underpinned by Labour but that was consistent with the party pushing for change." In 1945, despite Churchill's leadership through the war, it was Labour and Clement Attlee that won the post-war election. "Part of the reason Labour won in 1945 was because it was seen as the party that was both patriotic but also had vision for a better Britain - not just proud but willing to act - to defend and change the country," says Mr Balls. But Attlee, who is celebrated as the great reformer and founder of the NHS, was also responsible for securing the UK's nuclear deterrent - another topic which divides Labour opinion. Symbols of patriotism John Denham - a cabinet minister under Tony Blair and Gordon Brown - said Labour's approach began to change after the "explicitly patriotic" governments of the post-war era. "From the early 1980s, that question of defence policy was again closely associated with patriotism," he said. "The party made a pledge in its manifesto for unilateral nuclear disarmament. But the merits of this went up against the patriotic representation of Margaret Thatcher's policies around the Falklands War. "It put Labour on the back foot for voters who looked for strong military presence from their leaders." Mr Balls points out: "Every Conservative conference had flown the Union Jack and used as many patriotic symbols as possible, as well as being strong on law and order, and defence. "Labour hadn't matched that." But, he says, there was an issue on the left over whether to even try. Ed Balls says there was a tension between "people who wanted to start international engagement from a place of patriotism, like David Owen, and those like Roy Jenkins, who I think saw internationalism as an alternative to patriotism". Mr Denham, who also co-founded of the English Labour Network, says it was "crucial" to Tony Blair's election win in 1997 that accusations of the party not being patriotic were "neutralised". And Ed Balls - who won his seat as an MP in 2005 - saw some new and surprising moves by Labour. He says: "I remember very well in the run up to 1997 election, Peter Mandelson brought a bulldog to a press conference in a Union Jack waistcoat. "It was part of New Labour signalling that this was now a party that was very proud of Britishness and would do the things that were necessary to protect out national security." As well as embracing a more overt patriotism in this era, New Labour ushered in another change - this time, in the party's membership. "Historically, the membership was filled with trade unions and their even bigger base in the manual, industrial working classes," says Mr Denham. "There was a built-in socially democratic, patriotic structure here. "But the membership became more middle-class, with more graduates and more city-based people. That means it is drawn from that section of society that, in general, is less likely to think about the issue of patriotism." This cohort has continued to expand among Labour members in the years after Tony Blair and Gordon Brown. And in the latest chapter of Labour's history, it has been coupled with growing numbers on the very left of the party. The party's contortions were epitomised by the incident where Emily Thornberry resigned from Labour's front bench in 2014, after sending a tweet during a by-election which was branded "snobby". She apologised for the tweet, which showed a terraced house with three England flags, and a white van parked outside. The Corbyn question mark Jeremy Corbyn was a well-established backbench rebel who showed off his left wing stripes when he took over as leader in 2015. He would speak on the record about his love for the country and support for the Armed Forces but his well-known views on the monarchy, military action and incidents such as criticism from Labour MPs that he opted to remain silent rather than sing the national anthem at a service to mark the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Britain, left a question mark over him for some voters who were looking for a patriot in their next prime minister. Former Labour MP Jenny Chapman - who lost her seat in the 2019 election and chaired Sir Keir's campaign to become leader - says: "He cleared the pitch. He walked away from the flag, he didn't stand up for the national anthem, he didn't dress appropriately for an important remembrance event. "People care about these things and it is about respect - respect for them and respect for the country. It may sound very superficial, but it means an awful lot to people, and that is where Jeremy lost permission to have any nuance on this." Ms Chapman says patriotism was a "real issue" on the doorstep in the 2019 election - which saw her lose her seat as an MP in Darlington. "They would be very blunt about it," she says. "They would call Jeremy a communist or a terrorist and it isn't fair. I have never been a Jeremy fan, but he isn't those things. "And they would say he didn't love this country. I am not saying it was true or fair, but that was the perception and it is one we need to correct." Other issues were, of course, at play, but few dispute that the perception of Mr Corbyn - true or not - damaged the party's performance in those more traditional, working class constituencies, especially in the north of England and the Midlands - the so-called "Red Wall" seats. In April, Sir Keir won the Labour leadership contest outright. For Baroness Chakrabarti, Sir Keir's task is to redefine what patriotism means. "I personally have no problem calling myself a patriot," she said. "I am a universalist, an internationalist, a human rights activist, but I also understand that people are rooted in place, language, culture and stories." She is happy to list things that make her feel patriotic, including the English language, the rule of law, and the Commonwealth, but says: "Rather than reducing patriotism to flags and uniforms, we should change the narrative." Baroness Chakrabarti wants Labour to focus its patriotism on sources of pride - rather than taking on the more traditional, flag-waving patriotism of the right - such as Britain's "greatest national treasure", the NHS. "Contemporary patriotism should be about loyalty to care and health workers in blue, sent into modern day mines, mills and trenches without adequate testing or protection," she says. "We should be patriotic about the NHS, not looking for more wars or trying to compete with the right wing populism of Johnson and Trump." 'Patriotic reform' Ed Balls believes bringing together an internationalist view with the country's national interest is the right balance - and one which has proven fruitful in the past for Labour. "The 1945 government was a reforming one, but it did so with strong patriotic language about the kind of Britain we wanted to build," he says. "Labour must use the 1945 election as exemplar of patriotic reform because, if you are not a reformer, why are you in Labour, and if you are not a patriot, you don't take the country with you. "Those red wall seats, areas I used to represent, want change and are deeply patriotic places that are very proud of that Britishness. Standing up for that combination of change and national pride is vital if Labour is to succeed." So what is the feeling in Sir Keir's camp? Jenny Chapman says they have accepted that some voters "sense we see the world in a different way and that we are embarrassed, uncomfortable or feel guilty about being British". "I have never felt like that, Keir doesn't feel like that and many Labour MPs don't either," she adds. "But it is the reality of what people think and we can't just ignore it." But how do you appeal to voters who want to celebrate their Britishness without losing the membership less comfortable with the notion? "You highlight that they have more in common," she says. "There are things very important to both groups of people - the nature of work, the quality of public services, economic credibility - and Labour needs to make those the most important questions." | नए लेबर नेता के रूप में अपने कार्यकाल की शुरुआत में, सर कीर स्टारमर ने कहा कि वह चाहते हैं कि पार्टी को "देशभक्त होने पर गर्व हो"। |
business-27813535 | https://www.bbc.com/news/business-27813535 | Big Brother at work may be no bad thing | The next time you talk to someone at work who's wearing a name badge, look at it very closely - it might not actually be a badge at all, but a sensor. It might be telling your employer who you're talking to and in what sort of tone of voice, writes Lucy Kellaway. | This isn't a brave new world; this is now. Such devices are dirt cheap and companies are increasingly taking note. It's pretty scary. Yet is the arrival of Big Brother in the corporate world quite such a bad thing? Being constantly monitored by invisible devices might sound terrifying but I'm not sure it is any more so than being monitored infrequently by visible human beings. Under the present arrangement, we are observed in a haphazard and unscientific way by superiors who may well have made their minds up about us already, based on not much evidence at all. Sod's Law decrees that when you do something good, no-one notices but the minute you do something bad you get caught. I remember one boss who, once in a blue moon, would walk around the office; whenever he crept up behind me I was invariably writing a shopping list or was on the phone to my mum. Such surveillance did not improve my behaviour, though it did increase my sense of injustice. To have been monitored all the time - which would have put the shopping list in the context of otherwise diligent behaviour - would have been a vast improvement. In most offices a raft of mainly pointless, cumbersome tools are used to assess performance, including "competency matrices", appraisal interviews and psychometric testing. Together they are so ineffective that according to a delightful piece of research by the University of Catania, companies would be no worse off if they promoted people at random. So if we are in favour of meritocracies, we should also be in favour of anything that helps us measure merit more accurately. While the data collected by the new sensors are almost certainly too crude to offer much help now, I see no reason why in time (and probably quite soon) we will not have worked out exactly which behavioural quirks are the key to high (or low) performance, and found a decent, objective way of measuring them. You could say that monitoring behaviour in offices would kill trust and spontaneity, making robots of us all. But so long as everyone knew they were being monitored and understood what for, I don't see why it should be such a terrifying idea - except perhaps for those who bully, shout at or harass others and who have until now been getting away with it. Far from making work less civilised, the arrival of Big Brother could make it more so. Office life could become more transparent and less political. And managers would be freed from having to play the role of policeman all day and allowed to get on with the more important role of helping people do a better job. Above all, for the system to work, you would need to have some faith in the regime that implemented it. But then, if you don't have any faith in the regime, the chances are that you are done for anyway. Lucy Kellaway is an author and Financial Times columnist. Listen to her on Business Daily and World Business Report on BBC World Service every Monday. | अगली बार जब आप काम पर किसी ऐसे व्यक्ति से बात करते हैं जो नेम बैज पहने हुए है, तो उसे बहुत बारीकी से देखें-यह वास्तव में एक बैज नहीं हो सकता है, बल्कि एक सेंसर हो सकता है। यह आपके नियोक्ता को बता सकता है कि आप किससे बात कर रहे हैं और किस तरह की आवाज़ में, लुसी केलवे लिखती हैं। |
world-africa-21186272 | https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-21186272 | In Amenas siege: Is Algeria's economy under threat? | Militant Islamists attacked the heart of the Algerian economy when they targeted the In Amenas gas plant in the Sahara desert earlier this month - an attack which for some rekindled grim memories of the civil war which ravaged the country in the 1990s. | By Mohamed Arezki HimeurBBC Afrique The oil and gas sectors account for 70% of the national budget and the In Amenas plant accounts for 6-7% of Algeria's reserves of gas and condensate, and almost 3% of its oil reserves. "[The militants' aim was] to destroy the Algerian economy, which depends on 98% of exports of hydrocarbons, and In Amenas is an important centre in this area," said Communications Minister Mohamed Said. The attack came at a time when the government forecasts an increase in the production of hydrocarbons, which has been in decline since 2007 because of aging deposits. In 2012, Algeria - which sees itself as a regional superpower - achieved a trade surplus of $27bn (£17bn), largely based on oil and gas, according to official statistics. Repeated attacks on the sectors would have a devastating effect on the economy. The industry was not targeted during the civil war which broke out in 1992 after the military annulled elections that the Islamic Salvation Front (FIS) was poised to win following a mass uprising - similar to the one that swept through Tunisia, Egypt and Libya more recently - against one-party socialist rule. At the time, northern Algeria was worst-affected by the conflict, with international airlines suspending flights to northern cities including the capital, Algiers, and the second city, Oran. Instead, they flew directly to airports in the Algerian desert, which was then seen as more stable. Failed security This time, militants - operating under the banner of the Signed-in Blood Battalion, led by Mokhtar Belmokhtar - seized control of the In Amenas plant in the remote east, taking foreign workers hostage and killing them. As the In Amenas site is within a military zone, it was always thought to be well protected by the army which had a strong surveillance team in the area. Extra security forces had also been deployed along the borders with Mali, Niger, Libya, Tunisia and Mauritania, after France used Algerian airspace to launch a military offensive against the Islamist militants who had seized control of northern Mali last year. Despite this, the attackers managed to enter the plant, killing dozens of workers, nearly all of them foreigners, before Algerian special forces regained control of the facility. The government has now stepped up security even further around vital economic installations in the Sahara desert. Pull-out unlikely Despite the huge shock, the authorities here are confident that the Algerian economy will be able to weather the storm. Some point out that most foreign companies stayed in Algeria throughout the civil war, which killed tens of thousands of people. "The Algerian authorities have received assurances that firms and foreign employees will not leave Algeria," said Energy Minister Youcef Yousfi. The In Amenas plant - a joint venture between state-owned oil firm Sonatrach, UK multinational BP and Norway's Statoil - has been operating since 2006 and has a production capacity of nine billion cubic meters per year. "Proven reserves of hydrocarbons are estimated at 12.2 billion barrels of crude oil and 4.5 trillion cubic meters of natural gas," said Abdelhamid Zerguine, head of Sonatrach. Former Sonatrach boss Abdelmajid Attar has told Algeria's Le Soir's newspaper that BP and Statoil - which evacuated their foreign staff after the siege - risked huge financial losses if they disinvested from In Amenas. "I do not think these companies can afford a permanent withdrawal after a significant investment corresponding to almost half of their investments in Algeria," he said. Most people are hoping that the In Amenas siege was a one-off attack - "collateral damage" from the conflict in northern Mali, following the French intervention - and not a signal that the Algerian side of the desert could become engulfed in conflict. One thing is certain, though - after In Amenas, the Algerian government will strengthen its security apparatus in the Sahara, as beneath its sand lies much of Algeria's wealth. | उग्रवादी इस्लामवादियों ने अल्जीरियाई अर्थव्यवस्था के केंद्र पर हमला किया जब उन्होंने इस महीने की शुरुआत में सहारा रेगिस्तान में इन आमेनास गैस संयंत्र को निशाना बनाया-एक ऐसा हमला जिसने कुछ लोगों के लिए 1990 के दशक में देश को तबाह करने वाले गृह युद्ध की गंभीर यादों को फिर से जगाया। |
health-33980904 | https://www.bbc.com/news/health-33980904 | Paid to poo: Combating open defecation in India | Using a toilet is something most people take for granted - but about 1.1 billion people around the world defecate in the open because they do not have access to proper sanitation. Now a scheme in India is aiming to instil better toilet habits in children by "paying them to poo". | By Suranjana Tewari BBC News Reporter, Mumbai Open defecation is a practice where people relieve themselves in fields, bushes, open spaces and into open bodies of water. It poses a serious threat to the health of children. Hundreds of thousands of children die every year because of diseases transmitted through human waste. In India, nearly half of the population - more than 590m people - relieve themselves in the open. For many it's a daily ritual and often something they do even when public facilities are available. Now a state council in the Gujarati city of Ahmedabad has come up with a scheme where children are being paid to use public toilets. Campaigners hope it will improve the situation in a country where diseases such as diarrhoea kill about 200,000 children every year. Reshaping attitudes People who live in the slums of Chandoliya in Ahmedabad use the railway tracks to do what most would do only in private, especially early in the morning before the crowds and the heat develop. "We've made public toilets but people still don't use them," said Anil Prajapati, chairman of the Gujarat Sanitation Development Organisation. "Some of these people fear that there are witches inside or that their children will be kidnapped. "These people have come from small villages, and so they are not used to the practice." When people defecate in the open, flies feed on the waste and then carry small amounts away on their bodies. The flies then come into contact with food. Human waste can also run into wells and streams, contaminating water that may be used for drinking or bathing. Ingested bacteria and worms spread diseases, causing sickness and malnutrition. New approach Faecally transmitted infections are also the main reason why nearly half of Indian children under five are underdeveloped. So health officers at Ahmedabad Municipal Council came up with a new approach to try to encourage residents to use the toilets, some of which are free while others cost money to use. "We have 320 public toilets and we are not taking any payment in 143 toilets," said Dr Bhavin Solanki. "We have observed some children are still doing open defecation just in front of the pay-and-use. "So we realised we have to introduce some other scheme. We are giving one rupee (less than a penny) to the children per day, or we're giving them chocolates to encourage use of the toilets." It's a scheme that Bhumi Datadia is taking advantage of. The five-year-old lives in a tiny room with her two siblings and parents. Like many others in her neighbourhood, a nearby river or public toilets are her only options. "Look at the size of my house. Where do I have space to build a toilet?" said Bhumi's mother, Jayashree. Under the new scheme, Bhumi is making one rupee every time she uses a public toilet. Her visits are recorded on a card and she receives her money at the end of the month. "The toilets are good," said Bhumi. "I will use the money I make for school." Good behaviour The city council has plans to scale up the project and it might start paying adults to use public toilets. "The idea is to understand you are rewarded for good behaviour," said D Thara, commissioner of Ahmedebad Municipal Corporation. "Once children start using the toilets, adults won't do it any more. Children themselves will become the motivators." But people in another part of the city say it won't be easy to convince them to change. They say the toilets are not kept clean and that their children are often stopped from entering the facilities because some of them use too much water. Ambitious goal Open defecation also has wider effects on a country, affecting education, income, women's safety and dignity. "It's not safe for women to go to the toilet in the open," said Mr Prajapati. "When they go out at night, anything can happen. It's happening everywhere in India. We want to stop this." Prime Minister Narendra Modi has made eliminating open defecation in India a priority, and wants every home to be installed with a toilet by 2019. In recent years, India has implemented well-funded sanitation campaigns, but few have worked. Some campaigners say that building toilets is not enough and that more needs to be done to reshape attitudes. But the people behind this scheme hope their alternative approach could be a crucial first step towards ending open defecation in India. | शौचालय का उपयोग एक ऐसी चीज है जिसे ज्यादातर लोग हल्के में लेते हैं-लेकिन दुनिया भर में लगभग 1.1 अरब लोग खुले में शौच करते हैं क्योंकि उनके पास उचित स्वच्छता तक पहुंच नहीं है। अब भारत में एक योजना का लक्ष्य बच्चों में शौचालय की बेहतर आदतों को "उन्हें शौच के लिए भुगतान" करके स्थापित करना है। |
newsbeat-10002358 | https://www.bbc.com/news/newsbeat-10002358 | Tinchy Stryder for nationwide tour | Tinchy Stryder has announced details of a new tour for 2010. | The east London rapper will kick off a 16-date UK jaunt in Southend on 4 February 2010. Stryder's second album Catch 22 reached number two in the UK album chart when it was released in August. Presale tickets are available from 9am 14 October with general sale passes going on sale on 16 October. The tour dates are: Southend Cliffs Pavilion - 4 February Norwich UEA - 5 Sheffield Academy - 6 Glasgow Academy - 7 Newcastle Academy - 9 Leeds Academy - 10 Manchester Academy - 11 Liverpool Academy - 12 Birmingham Academy - 14 Ipswich Regent - 15 Cambridge Corn Exchange - 16 London Roundhouse - 18 Yeovil Westlands - 19 Bournemouth Opera House - 20 Bristol Academy - 21 Belfast St George's Market - 23 | टिंची स्ट्राइडर ने 2010 के लिए एक नए दौरे के विवरण की घोषणा की है। |
uk-england-lincolnshire-22779820 | https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-lincolnshire-22779820 | United Lincolnshire Hospitals Trust to recruit more nurses | A Lincolnshire hospital trust is to recruit 80 new nurses. | The United Lincolnshire Hospitals Trust, which has hospitals in Grantham, Lincoln and Boston, said it hoped the changes would help it meet "increasingly complex patient needs". In February, a government review was announced into higher than expected mortality rates at the trust. The trust has also been criticised by the Royal College of Nurses for not having enough staff. 'Better quality of care' David Cleave, a matron at Lincoln Hospital, said: "Typically we have one nurse looking after about seven or eight patients. "That's more than we would like, particularly in these high-dependency areas. "What we do know is where staffing levels fall below where they should be, inevitably patient care will fall below where it should be as well." Eiri Jones, the trust's director of nursing, said the 80 nurses would be a mixture of newly-registered nurses, as well as experienced staff. They would be used to fill current gaps, as well as provide additional support. She said: "We have agreed as a trust board we want to invest some money in nursing this year and possibly next year as well." Ms Jones said the new roles would help increase staffing at night. She added the changes would also enable more ward sisters to be taken off general rotas so they could oversee patient care. "When you look at ratios, it's quite difficult to work out if you have the right ratio of nurse to patient or not," she said. "But research shows us the more nurses you have, the better the quality of care." Professor Patrick Callaghan, head of the school of nursing at the University of Nottingham, said the decision could only be good for patients. He added low ratios of qualified nurses to patients could be difficult to manage. He said: "I think it is difficult, especially if you are faced with patients with challenging and complex healthcare needs." | लिंकनशायर अस्पताल ट्रस्ट 80 नई नर्सों की भर्ती करेगा। |
technology-48991251 | https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-48991251 | Musk promises '10km Hyperloop tunnel' in 2020 | Elon Musk says he wants a new 10km (six-mile) vacuum tunnel for his futuristic Hyperloop - ready for next year's speed-record competition. | Hyperloop aims to transport people in high-speed pods in underground tubes. Mr Musk tweeted his plan after the Technical University of Munich set a new record for the fourth year running. Its pod reached 463km/h (288mph) on the current test tube in the US, which runs for 1.6km straight. Mr Musk said the new vacuum tube would be curved. Ultimately, Hyperloop trains will aim for a top speed of 1,220km/h (700mph). The idea received investment from Richard Branson's Virgin group, which is developing a passenger system called Hyperloop One that it says will have a top speed of 1,080km/h (670mph). | एलोन मस्क का कहना है कि वह अपने भविष्य के हाइपरलूप के लिए एक नई 10 किमी (छह मील) वैक्यूम सुरंग चाहते हैं-जो अगले साल की गति-रिकॉर्ड प्रतियोगिता के लिए तैयार है। |
uk-politics-eu-referendum-35522695 | https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-eu-referendum-35522695 | EU referendum: How will official lead campaigns be chosen? | Campaigning for the EU referendum is effectively under way already even though we don't yet know when it will be held or what the final package of reforms to the UK's membership that David Cameron will put to the British public. | Another unknown factor to add to the mix is the question of which will be the official campaigns on the In/Remain and Out/Leave sides. While a plethora of groups have been set up to argue the case for the UK to stay in or leave the EU, to quote Christopher Lambert from the cult movie Highlander, "there can be only one" when it comes to the official lead campaign for either side. So how does the process work? What is a lead campaign? Referendums are relatively rare in British political history but when they do happen, they are governed by a series of protocols and rules enshrined in law. One of these is that a lead campaign is officially designated on each side, if it meets certain criteria. For instance, in the 2014 Scottish independence referendum, Better Together was chosen as the official pro-UK lead campaign while Yes Scotland was chosen as the official pro-independence lead group. The Electoral Commission, which is in charge of making sure the EU referendum is a fair contest, will make the decision. The choice is very important, not merely for the increased media profile it confers on the chosen campaigns but also for the financial benefits. What are the benefits? The official campaigns will get access to a grant of up to £600,000, an overall spending limit of £7m, campaign broadcasts on TV and radio, free mail shots and free access to meeting rooms. Other groups are free to run their own campaigns but they will be limited to a spend of £700,000 if they register with the Electoral Commission and will have to report the source of donations. If they don't register with the Commission they will be limited to spending less than £10,000. Who is in the running? On one side of the fence, the state of play looks relatively straightforward. Britain Stronger In Europe is the main, and as yet unchallenged, campaign group making the case for the UK's continued membership of the EU. Although the SNP and Labour have both said they will run their own separate campaigns, and there are other internal Tory groups, this umbrella body - which is chaired by former M&S chair Lord Rose - commands broad support among those who believe the UK's future lies within the EU. However, it is a very different picture among those arguing that leaving the EU will benefit Britain. At the moment, there are three rival groups who could all ultimately vie for the nod from the Electoral Commission. Six months ago, it looked like a straight fight between Vote Leave and Leave.EU. The former was spawned out of the Business for Britain group, a longstanding Eurosceptic lobby group which campaigned for the UK to overhaul its status with the EU. It has historic links with the Conservative Party - it is now chaired by former Conservative chancellor Lord Lawson and its campaign director is Dominic Cummings, a former special adviser to Michael Gove. It also has experience of fighting and winning referendums. Its chief executive Matthew Elliott ran the successful No 2 AV campaign in 2011, which opposed any change to the electoral system. Its deputy chairman is Labour donor John Mills and it includes UKIP's MP, Douglas Carswell, amongst its backers. Leave.EU is a different animal altogether. It was set up last July by businessman Arron Banks, a former Conservative donor who became one of UKIP's biggest supporters in the run-up to last year's election, It has portrayed itself as more of a popular movement focused on immigration. Relations between the two groups have never been cordial, amid claims of hidden agendas, differences in strategies, and failing to reach out to others in the Out camp. Amid signs that their differences were irreconcilable, a new outfit - Grassroots Out - sprung up last month and has gained support. GO was formed by Tory MPs Peter Bone and Tom Pursglove and Labour's Kate Hoey. It has since won the backing of UKIP leader Nigel Farage and the party's ruling body which described it as a "genuinely cross party, well organised, energetic campaigning group". Why does all of this matter? All of the groups concerned are making big play of their cross-party credentials and being a "broad church". This is not a coincidence. Any group seeking the official designation has to meet a series of criteria, set down by the watchdog. In other words, it has to pass a series of tests. One of these is demonstrating that it commands support from across the political spectrum. The other criteria are: The Electoral Commission has said it will chose "whichever of the applicants appears...to represent to the greatest extent those campaigning for that outcome". However, it is not as simple as that. The watchdog has the power to reject all applications to be the lead campaign on the grounds they do not meet the criteria set down in the 2000 Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act. To do this, however, would be highly unusual and controversial. Whichever Out campaign is chosen is likely to influence the tone and conduct of the campaign as well as who its figurehead is. Nigel Farage is likely to play a much more prominent role if either Leave.EU or Go is chosen - with the campaign likely to have the issues of immigration and security at its heart. Many Tory Eurosceptics - including a number of Cabinet ministers - will feel more comfortable with Vote Leave, which wants, according to UKIP MP Douglas Carswell, to have a "broad-based, optimistic, upbeat campaign", with a focus on what they claim will be the economic benefits of leaving the EU. Labour Eurosceptics, at the moment, seem uncertain about which horse to back, with John Mills - the founder of Labour Leave - insisting that it remains affiliated to Vote Leave despite rumours to the contrary. When will we know the result? The watchdog has said it will publish details of the designation process once David Cameron has named the date for the referendum, which could happen as early as Monday 22 February, if a deal on his draft renegotiation package is agreed by EU leaders the previous weekend. The timing of the process will be among details set out in legislation relating to the EU poll that will have to be approved by MPs. With the prospect of the referendum itself taking place in late June, campaigners on both sides will be keen for the watchdog to make a speedy decision, potentially before the Easter holiday at the end of March. The Scottish referendum campaigns were designated on 23 April 2014, just under five months before the referendum was held on 18 September. While the period is likely to be slightly shorter this time, activists will be arguing that time is of the essence in getting their message across. Further reading on the UK's EU referendum Guide: All you need to know about the referendum EU renegotiation: Did Cameron get what he wanted? Referendum timeline: What will happen when? The view from Europe: What's in it for the others? More: BBC News EU referendum special | यूरोपीय संघ जनमत संग्रह के लिए प्रचार प्रभावी रूप से पहले से ही चल रहा है, हालांकि हम अभी तक नहीं जानते हैं कि यह कब आयोजित किया जाएगा या ब्रिटेन की सदस्यता के लिए सुधारों का अंतिम पैकेज क्या होगा जो डेविड कैमरन ब्रिटिश जनता के सामने रखेंगे। |
world-europe-jersey-17981414 | https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-jersey-17981414 | Jersey States surveys immigrants' use of services | The States of Jersey has launched an investigation into the amount of immigrants coming into the island and their use of public services. | The review will look at how immigrants make use of hospital, educational services and the States benefits system. Last week the States revealed it was considering tightening the rules on who can access these services. Access might stop if the investigation finds that services are exploited. | जर्सी राज्यों ने द्वीप में आने वाले प्रवासियों की संख्या और सार्वजनिक सेवाओं के उनके उपयोग की जांच शुरू कर दी है। |
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