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Liat Malka longed to have children but hadn't yet met the right person with whom to start a family. Then she became involved in an unusual plan - to help fulfil a stranger's dying wish of fathering a child. | You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
By Sarah McDermottBBC World Service In 2013, Liat Malka was a single, 35-year-old kindergarten teacher living in southern Israel, when she felt the urgency of her biological clock ticking. "I was worrying about time passing and maybe missing out on motherhood," Liat says. "So I went to the doctor and did some fertility tests." When the results came back, they suggested that the number of eggs Liat had left was low. The doctor warned that if she waited for the right person to come along she might not ever become a mother. "So right away I decided that I would do anything I could to have a baby as soon as possible," Liat says. When Liat arrived home, she immediately went online to explore her options. "I really wanted my child to know their father and that's not possible with a sperm donor," she says. Find out more Liat Malka and Julia Pozniansky spoke to Outlook on the BBC World Service Listen again here But then Liat stumbled across an interview on YouTube that had been broadcast on TV news in 2009. In it, a couple called Vlad and Julia Pozniansky explained that they were trying to obtain legal permission to have a child using sperm left by their son, who had died the previous year. They had already found a woman to be the mother of their son's child. Liat wondered if a similar arrangement might also be a good option for her: "Because this way the child can know who their father was, know their history and have grandparents and family," she says. She decided to contact the couple's lawyer to ask for more details - and was surprised to learn that although four years had passed since the interview had been recorded, Vlad and Julia still didn't have a grandchild and the woman selected to be the mother was no longer on board. Liat arranged to meet the Poznianskys and on the day of the meeting the couple brought with them an album filled with photographs of their beloved son, Baruch. More than a decade after his death, Julia still finds it almost unbearable to talk about her "brilliant, outstanding" son. At 23, while studying ecology at the Technion, a renowned university in Haifa, Baruch noticed a wound in his mouth that wouldn't stop bleeding. It was later diagnosed as cancer. Because chemotherapy can slow down or stop sperm production, some of his sperm was banked and frozen before he began treatment. He lost his hair and eventually doctors had to partially remove his tongue, leaving him unable to speak - but not before he made a wish. "He said that if he died he wanted us to find an appropriate woman and use his sperm to have a child," Julia says. Baruch died on 7 November 2008 at the age of 25. He was single and childless. Almost immediately Julia set to work trying to fulfil her deceased son's wish. Before his death he had created a biological will with the lawyer, Irit Rosenblum. Rosenblum has spearheaded the posthumous reproduction cause in Israel and Baruch was the first person in the world to create such a will, which made his biological legacy legally binding - in this case, the banking of his sperm for the purpose of fathering a child. Julia's task was not only to find a woman to be the child's mother, but also to get permission from an Israeli court to gain access to the sperm. With Irit Rosenblum's help, Vlad and Julia eventually found an Israeli woman of Russian origin who they thought could be a mother to their grandchild. They went to court to obtain permission to use Baruch's sperm and won their case, but within a week or two the woman had met a new partner and withdrawn from their agreement. "Another young woman came to us, a very nice one," Julia says. The woman's name was added to the court verdict, instead of the first woman, and she began the IVF process. But after seven rounds the woman had failed to conceive, leaving the finite supply of Baruch's sperm depleted. "I was ready not to live any more. But I decided that if I was going to live I had to return some happiness to my life, and some love," she says. "I wanted my son to continue living - somewhere deep in my heart I wanted to return him physically - I thought maybe a boy would be born who would look like Baruch." Uncertain whether she'd ever be able to fulfil Baruch's dying wish, and longing for a baby in her life, at 55 Julia started trying with Vlad for another child, using IVF and a donor egg. When their son was born, Julia says it felt like breathing fresh air again. Julia clearly remembers the day that she and her husband first met Liat in early 2013. "She was a beautiful young woman. Black hair, red coat, and I loved her from the very beginning," Julia says. "I saw that she was a good person." She showed Liat the album of photos of Baruch that she'd brought with her and Liat says she felt an immediate connection to him. "Just looking at the pictures I already knew who this person was - such good eyes, the biggest smile you can ever imagine, surrounded with friends and very handsome," she says. "And it looked like he was really connected to his parents, because in every picture they are holding hands and hugging. I could see the love and the happiness in his eyes - there was no doubt he was a great person." As Julia showed Liat the photos, she talked about how much Baruch had loved life, how smart he was, and how sociable, how he'd loved cooking and what great friends he'd had. In that moment Liat decided that she wanted Baruch, a man she had never met and who had died five years previously, to be the father of her child. Liat, Vlad and Julia signed contracts which gave Liat ownership of the sperm so that nobody else could use it subsequently, and the contract also formalised arrangements for Vlad and Julia to visit. "To protect our rights to see the child," Julia explains. "We were doing it not only to fulfil Baruch's will, but also to have a dear, beloved grandchild." No money changed hands - something that was very important to Vlad and Julia, in order to prevent attracting the wrong type of person. Julia and Liat then had to meet a social worker who questioned them about what conflicts they anticipated in their relationship and even about what would happen if they quarrelled over what the child would be named. Julia felt as though the whole judicial system was playing God, deciding if a human being would live or not, and she told the social worker as much. "And this nice woman felt really uncomfortable with my answer," she says. Liat then began fertility treatment, but her first round of IVF was unsuccessful. "There was just one egg," Liat says. "That was a shock - I expected more - and then it didn't develop to be an embryo." Liat tried to remain hopeful, but despite being given an increased dose of the medication which encourages the ovaries to produce more eggs, on the second attempt again there was only one egg. "They fertilised it and I had to wait for a day and then call to find out if it was developing into an embryo," Liat says. This time there was good news. "I thought, 'Wow, maybe this is it?'" The fertilised egg was transferred into Liat's womb. For a week she rested, waited and hoped, then took a pregnancy test and called the hospital for the results. "They were yelling like, 'Yeah, you're pregnant!'" Liat says. Liat shared the exciting news first with her sister and then with Julia. Then, over the following few days, the seriousness of her situation began to sink in. "I was in shock - I didn't think it was going to happen," Liat admits. "So when it did I just couldn't believe it. I didn't even know Vlad and Julia that much - I'd only met them two or maybe three times." Liat was worried about how her own family would get along with Baruch's family - her parents had come to Israel from Morocco, while Vlad and Julia come from Russia. The two families are culturally very different, she says. At this point she had not even told her own mother about meeting Vlad and Julia and the plan to become a mother to their dead son's child. "I didn't want the burden of everyone's opinions, especially my mum's, so I had kept it a secret," she says. "But when I called her to say I was pregnant she was happy - at least I was having a child!" Liat's pregnancy progressed but her doubts didn't diminish. She was very stressed and couldn't cope with trying to forge a relationship with Vlad and Julia while trying to grow a baby. At night she would dream about how her child might look. Julia, too, was worried. She wanted to be closer to Liat, but had to respect Liat's wishes and keep her distance. "I spoke to one of my relatives, a very wise woman, and she said, 'Let her have her child and afterwards everything will be OK,'" Julia says. When Liat went into labour she didn't feel comfortable about calling Julia to share the news, and told her own mother not to come to the hospital that evening since a doctor had advised her it was unlikely the baby would arrive before morning. "But at midnight she had a feeling, took a taxi and arrived at the hospital at the last minute," Liat says. "I was very happy that she came. She was in so much shock that she couldn't even speak. My two sisters were with me too, and I have a sister in the US who was on Skype and we put her on the shelf. It was a really amazing experience." Shira was born on 1 December 2015, more than seven years after her father had died. "She was exactly like she was in the dream," Liat says. "She was so beautiful, I really couldn't believe it." Liat called Vlad and Julia to tell them the news. "I felt that my heart started to beat again for the first time after my terrible loss," Julia says. The photos of Baruch that Julia brought when she first met Liat are now kept at Liat and Shira's apartment in Ashkelon, and they often look at them together, talking about the man in the photos who is smiling back at them. Liat points out Baruch's blue eyes, just like Shira's. "One day she told me, 'Maybe soon he will knock at the door and come to see us,'" Liat says. "So I said, 'No, he won't come.'" Shira is now three. Her mother says she does sometimes worry about Shira not having a father. "But today you have so many kinds of families," Liat says, "This is just another one. Shira knows that she does not have a father, but she's very loved and she's very happy." And having fulfilled her dying son's last wish, Julia has no doubts about what she has done, and feels certain that Baruch would love his daughter too. "She's beautiful, she's smart, she's happy, she's everything you could want from a child," Julia says. "She's perfect, she's really perfect." You may also be interested in... When Jessica Share bought sperm from a sperm bank in order to start a family, she never imagined that more than a decade later she would meet the donor - and would feel a strong attraction to him. I met my boyfriend 12 years after giving birth to his child |
A cyclist was found unconscious at the side of a road after being struck by a car in a hit-and-run in Stirlingshire. | You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
Police said the male cyclist was hit head-on by a black Range Rover which had been overtaking another vehicle on a blind bend on the A81 near Balfron Station. The crash happened at about 21:00 on Friday. Officers believe the occupants of the Range Rover would have known they had hit someone but failed to stop. A couple passing by discovered the bike lying on the road and the cyclist on the verge. He is not thought to have suffered serious injuries. Police have appealed for information as well as dash-cam footage showing the Range Rover or a small white car which it had been overtaking. They also want to trace the couple who initially helped the cyclist. Related Internet Links Contact Us - Police Scotland |
Housing benefit is an important means-tested benefit for people on low incomes which helps them to pay their rent. | You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
That can be rent paid to a council, housing association or a private landlord. The rules are set by the government and the benefit itself is administered by local councils. The rules changed on 1 April 2011 and there are more changes in the pipeline. |
It was the year Australia went to war in the Gulf, when Monica Seles and Boris Becker won tennis grand slams in Melbourne, and The Simpsons was first shown on Aussie television, while a swooning Bryan Adams was a hit with love-struck teenagers ("Look into your heart, baby"). | You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
By Phil MercerBBC News, Sydney It was 1991, and the last time Australia tasted the bitter economic taste of recession, defined in these parts, at least, as two or more back-to-back quarters of negative growth in real gross domestic product, or the value of all services and goods. Since then, Australia has sidestepped the worst effects of the Asian financial crisis in 1997 and its more destructive big brother that hammered global markets a decade or so later. Australia's economy - the "wonder down under" - has somehow dodged the unstoppable forces that sent other wealthy countries tumbling into reverse. For this, a nation of 24 million people must thank not only sound judgement by those in charge but also good fortune, according to Shane Oliver, chief economist at financial services company AMP in Sydney. "I certainly don't see Australia as being a miracle," he says. "It has had a bit of good luck and good management, but it would be dangerous to assume that it is never going to have a recession again." The economy is growing by about 1.9% per year, according to the Reserve Bank. In 2012, that figure was 3.7%. Weaker growth means that pay packets are shrinking for many workers when adjusted for the rising cost of living, and near-record levels of underemployment are stifling wage increases. In August, retail sales posted their biggest retreat in about four-and-a-half years, falling by 0.6%, with cafes and restaurants reporting declining turnovers. Period of transition? Rocks, coal and demand from China insulated this country from the global financial meltdown in 2008, as a red-hot mining industry delivered unprecedented wealth. Surging commodity prices fuelled the bonanza in Western Australia and Queensland, which propped up under-performing states in the south-east, where most Australians live. Shane Oliver says the situation has now "been turned on its head" and Australia is once again in transition. The mining boom has faded, but areas that once struggled have bounced back in part because of record low interest rates that have unleashed a frenzy into the housing market. Meanwhile, eye-watering wads of public money have poured into infrastructure projects, which are redefining parts of New South Wales, the most populous state. There was another critical factor that helped Australia to largely avoid the ravages of the global financial crisis - unprecedented spending by the Labor government that boosted public expenditure by a whopping 13% in an attempt to stimulate growth. It was a classic Keynesian economic manoeuvre to use billions of dollars to sustain household spending, demand and employment. Australia loves to win. Here international cricket matches are akin to "wars" and Olympic gold medals - or a lack thereof - are greeted with congratulatory back-slapping - or hand-wringing. If there was a podium for economic success, this is a country that would be bending forward to accept the award. More than 25 years of uninterrupted growth is a remarkable achievement, although there is debate about the competition. Some commentators believe the recent economic prosperity enjoyed by the Netherlands lasted for (only) 22 years, putting it firmly into silver medal position behind the Aussies. Right place, right time Tim Harcourt, an economics fellow at the University of New South Wales, believes Australia deserves the plaudits. "This time the 'lucky country' made its own luck. "The Hawke-Keating [government] reforms of the 1980s and 1990s - the currency float, tariff changes, and embrace of Asia - set up us up for a quarter of a century of growth. "Australia found itself in the right place at the right time and embraced the Asia century," he argues. But as the economy has soared, some Australians have been left behind. At almost 13%, youth unemployment is more than twice the national average. Labouring work had left 21-year-old Mohammad Al-Khafaji, the son of an Iranian refugee, with endless back pain and homelessness soon followed. "I was just trying to apply for jobs online, and then people were just putting me down saying 'you are never going to get that job', so I just stopped trying," he says. 'Muddling along' Mohammad is now employed by a hire car company in Sydney, and has ambitions to one day be the boss. He works with Shiv Dhingra, an Indian migrant from Punjab. They are proof that much of Australia's economic might is down to immigration. "I am the only one working in my family," Shiv explained. "I am the main financial support they have. I am working seven days a week for the last year. I've got plans for my own business." Both young men were helped by Charity Bounce, a Sydney-based non-profit organisation that uses basketball to reach out to the disadvantaged and long-term unemployed, who, according to chief executive, Ian Heininger, also deserve a slice of Australia's prosperity. "We find a lot of the young people are desperate to find work," he says, "desperate to find an opportunity that is going to get them into a place where they are contributing back to the world." But will they be part of an ever-expanding economy? Mr Oliver thinks Australia's luck will eventually run out, but not for a while. "The Aussie economy is probably going to continue muddling along, not fantastically strong as housing slows and consumer spending remains a bit weak," he predicts. "We are probably going to go for at least another few years before we have that recession some people say is inevitable." |
A consultation over plans for a protected marine area in Cardigan Bay for scallop dredging has been halted. | You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
The Welsh government blamed "technical issues" but Natural Resources Minister Carl Sargeant said it would restart. The move follows calls by Whale and Dolphin Conservation, Marine Conservation Society and ClientEarth to pull it. They said it was unfairly weighted towards dredging, which destroys almost everything". |
Behind the smiles there is a lot of resentment. | You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
Chris JacksonPresenter, Inside Out, North East & Cumbria When I met Stuart Hyde to talk about his rise and fall at Cumbria Police he was measured in his responses but his wife Caroline, unfettered by loyalty to the uniform, was damning in how she feels they were treated. On the morning of 13 September 2012 Stuart Hyde was Temporary Chief Constable and had been in post since being promoted from Deputy Chief Constable at the start of the year. By that evening he was being sent home in shock. He'd been suspended yet he didn't really understand why. Five allegations of misconduct had been levelled at him, but that was pretty much all he knew. For nearly a year he was left with nothing to do except walk the fells and contemplate just what was going on. He was nearing 30 years' service with plenty of achievements along the way, including a Queen's Police Medal. Natural justice? Now there was rumour and suspicion that he was somehow corrupt. If you or I were charged with an offence we'd expect to be told exactly what the charge was. We'd be given details of the evidence against us and that would give us a fighting chance of mounting a defence. But when a Chief Constable is removed from duty, Stuart Hyde says natural justice does not apply. When South Wales Police officers, charged with investigating the allegations, came to interview him, he says he was still not given the details of what he was supposed to have done wrong. Nor did he know who his accusers were. When the investigators reported their findings they made 23 recommendations to Cumbria Police to tighten up policy and procedures and 12 to Mr Hyde, including that he should receive advice about performance issues such as transparency and his "unconventional and unprofessional approach". Although the investigation team decided there was room for improvement Stuart Hyde was cleared of any allegations of misconduct. In his words, he was told to get a grip on being more open and sorting out his paperwork, but he was not found to be a bent copper. He expected to return to work. When I interviewed him he was adamant he'd neither done anything wrong nor had he overstepped the mark as the most senior officer in the county. Many might question his judgement, but others might question the need to remove him from office. Cleared and re-suspended In the end the Chief Constable was suspended for close to a year and the inquiry costing hundreds of thousands of pounds ended with no one happy at the outcome. Cumbria's Police and Crime Commissioner disagreed with the findings. He insisted there was a case for Stuart Hyde to answer and immediately re-suspended him. However there was no further disciplinary hearing to test the evidence and reach a conclusion. Commissioner Richard Rhodes declined to be interviewed for our programme and pointed to his earlier statement about the investigation. So what happened to Stuart Hyde? In the end he returned to work in his former role as Deputy Chief Constable. It was just for a few months until he retired. Stuart and Caroline are determined not to let the episode colour their time in Cumbria and they insist they'll continue to enjoy the delights the county has to offer. Caroline says as a partner of a serving officer you were always made to feel part of the police family. On the day he was suspended Caroline felt she and her husband were cut adrift by senior colleagues. I imagine no amount of relationship counselling is going to patch up his "family" rift. Mr Hyde is still seeking more details about who said what about him so that he can try and answer his accusers directly. The public are left wondering. Mud has been flung. It stuck while the inquiry went on. Most has been washed away, but Stuart Hyde believes with a system that allows for such an inconclusive outcome there is still the trace of an ugly stain that stubbornly refuses to go away. Inside Out can be seen on Monday, 3 February, 2014 at 19:30 GMT on BBC One in the North East & Cumbria and for seven days on the BBC iPlayer. |
What does Norwich have in common with Edinburgh, Bristol, The City of London, Paris and Barcelona? The answer is that by next spring they will all have a blanket speed limit of 20mph (32kph) in their city centres. | You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
Deborah McGurranPolitical editor, East of England Norwich is the first place in the region to slow down the traffic on every road in the centre and there was a sense of history being made as the vote was taken by the city council's highways committee. "This is quite emotional for me," admitted committee chairman, Steve Morphew. "I remember 15 years ago using the phrase '20's plenty' during a campaign in Norwich. These things take time but its moment has finally arrived." The decision to impose the limit on every road within the inner ring road, widen footpaths and install speed bumps across the city centre had cross party support. Conservative county councillor Nigel Shaw said: "I have been pushing for 20 mile an hour limits on these roads since 2002. It is going to make the area much safer for pedestrians and cyclists." Local Green Party councillor Simeon Jackson said: "This will be appreciated by residents who don't want to block access to the city centre but want a better quality of life." At the same time a series of new cycle paths are being put into the city centre. According to Rod King of the campaign group '20's Plenty', 20% of the country now has 20mph speed limits and he says a number of other towns and cities are considering blanket speed limits in their centres. "Our culture is changing," he said. "I think there's a growing acceptance that 20mph is the right limit on residential streets. 70% of drivers support it and it makes such a difference to the general ambience of a town centre." Although Cambridge and Ipswich have significant 20mph zones not all of their centres are covered by the limit, Norwich is to have the first blanket ban. In a consultation carried out by Norwich City Council, 67% of those who responded welcomed the proposals. "I hope it gets even more people out of their cars and cycling responsibly," said one respondent. "As a driver I find it confusing to have a mix of 20mph and 30mph zones. It would be much easier to have the whole centre at 20mph," said another. But those who objected worried that the move, which is costing £400,000, will deter people from entering the city and they questioned if the new limit would be properly enforced. "I cannot see the need for a 20mph limit," complained one resident. "You are spending money for the sake of it." Another added: "What is this fixation with cyclists - there are other users in the city?" The vice chairman of the highways committee, Bert Bremner, accepted not everyone would be happy but he said there would be benefits for drivers. "As a motorist, I have no problem with this," he said. "I can cruise along at 18mph and see my miles per gallon dial go up. This is fantastic news." Rod King from '20's plenty' is currently overseeing 270 campaigns in towns and cities across the country to reduce speed limits. "Attitudes are changing," he said. "It's excellent what's happening in Norwich and I think it won't be long before other places in the east follow suit." |
It's rare these days - especially as the referendum debate rages with both sides to varying degrees struggling to tell the public the truth, the whole truth, and absolutely nothing but the truth - that political figures are willing to say exactly what they think in public. | You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
Laura KuenssbergPolitical editor@bbclaurakon Twitter But the union movement, in the recently elected boss of the GMB, Tim Roache, might just have found themselves someone who might. He's worked for the union for decades, starting as a teenager in the post room. But after years of working his way up, now he's in charge, Roache is clearly determined to change things. And in an interview with me for Radio 4's World at One programme, he didn't hold back. A few days before his first union congress as leader, to use his phrase, he thinks unions must "freshen up" - he wants to make his union, and perhaps the whole movement, more relevant to his members and politics in a wider sense. 'Half-hearted Remain' First things first, like many others in the Labour movement, he is worried the referendum could be lost because Labour voters simply stay at home - he describes himself as an "angry Remain", and the debate so far, as a "Tory bunfight", when it actually, he says matters hugely to workers and workers rights. And although he supported Jeremy Corbyn for the leadership, he believes he is only a "half-hearted Remain", and urges him to take a more prominent position in the campaign. What's more striking perhaps is Roache's obvious wider concern about the Labour Party. I ask if Labour is in the kind of shape it needs to be to win the next general election - "absolutely not", comes the answer, it has "failed to get its message across", he says. Clearly, Roache believes the party's performance is not yet good enough and it has to improve. After May's local elections, the GMB leader had warned that the party ought to have won many more seats. But as a Corbyn backer, and with anxieties across the Labour party about the leadership's approach to the referendum, this message can't be dismissed as the party's usual suspects going after him. And Roache has an equally tough message for MPs who have groused about Mr Corbyn's leadership, warning that the party has been "tearing itself apart" and they have a responsibility to get behind the leader with his huge mandate from the membership. Union voices matter - they don't just provide the Labour Party with much of its cash, but much of its power on the ground. And on Trident, on how he wants unions to look different, whether Jeremy Corbyn should shave off his beard, he has plenty more to say. You can listen to my full interview with him on the World at One from 13:00 BST. |
An amnesty for thousands of militants in south-eastern Nigeria has brought relative stability to the region, enabling its huge oil industry to recover but, as the BBC's Will Ross reports, some are questioning how long the peace can hold. | You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
"If I'd set eyes on you back in those days we would not be talking like this," says Tobine with a menacing smile. "I would have made a call to find one or two ways to make money out of you." Tobine means he would have kidnapped me for ransom. Until the 2009 amnesty agreement, he was a militant in the Niger Delta where rival gangs fought each other for supremacy and targeted the oil companies. The insecurity was costing Nigeria tens of millions of dollars every day as oil production was severely disrupted. "We were doing some bad, bad things; raping, kidnapping busting the pipelines just to make money," says the man who fellow militants used to call Jah Rule. Tobine is 25 and is reminded of these experiences every time he looks in the mirror. There is a deep vertical scar below his eye - a souvenir from the day he was attacked by a machete-wielding man from a rival gang. But Tobine's life has taken a dramatic turn and now he hopes to get a job with one of the oil companies whose pipelines he once attacked. He is among a group of 40 trainees graduating from a pipeline-welding course in Port Harcourt. "I'm doing great. I'm proud about myself, but I want to go higher. My parents are proud of me. I want to make them more proud," he says, adding he has no desire to return to the bush as he now wants to help his family, including his six-year-old daughter. Anger issues As the course ends, there is concern as to whether jobs will follow. There is a worrying lack of job opportunities. "They say the idle man is the devil's workshop. I don't want my mind to go to any evil thing at all, so I have to look for something to do," says another trainee - 32-year-old Abiye Godgift. It has not been an easy task for those who had the job of not only training the ex-militants, but also changing their whole attitude to life. "These are people who in the past had questionable characters," says Ikioye Dogianga, the head of IK Engineering Global Ltd which trains personnel for the oil industry. "They have stained their hands in blood and have done so many things, so it takes you a great deal to train them to the standard they are now. "There were issues of them getting angry very quickly. They were highly temperamental. They felt they were the authority themselves," says Mr Dogianga who intends to offer jobs to the five best trainees in order to motivate the next class. The amnesty was introduced in 2009 by the late President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua. All 26,000 people who have benefited from the amnesty are entitled to a monthly allowance of approximately $400 (£255). For how long, no-one knows. This is an expensive undertaking with the government spending $400m this year alone. The former militant leaders are now mostly based in the capital, Abuja, where they are living in relative luxury. Money was a key factor in ending the violence. Although many are awaiting promised training, close to half the beneficiaries have been offered courses in a variety of skills from carpentry to marine engineering, and 20 people were sent abroad to learn to be pilots. Not all the beneficiaries were perpetrators of the violence in the Niger Delta. Many were victims. "When I was seven, my village was burnt down by militants who didn't want it to develop," says 17-year-old Blessing Ogunga who is studying for her O-levels at Emarid College in Port Harcourt. "I remember that Saturday morning. People said everybody should shift from the village as bad boys were coming to burn down the village." Blessing dropped out of school at the age of 10 because her parents could not afford the fees. "My dad became a militant as he wanted to get the money to send me to school. He wanted me, the first daughter of the family, to graduate, so I would be able to speak for the family, to stand with my rights and speak," says Blessing, who wants to be a computer engineer. Time bomb The result of the amnesty is that the Niger Delta is relatively peaceful and oil production has soared. The government says at the height of the militancy, only about 800,000 barrels a day were produced compared to the current output of around 2.3 million barrels. But not everyone is convinced that the peace is permanent and there are fears that re-arming has been taking place in the Delta. "This is a dangerous time bomb. The Boko Haram issue in the north of Nigeria is child's play compared to what is going to happen in the Niger Delta," says Onengiya Erekosima, the reintegration and peace-building officer in the amnesty commission. Having played a role in persuading militants to embrace peace, he warns that a large number of guns are still in dangerous hands and says the whole amnesty has become a money-making exercise. "Militant leaders are pretending they had more boys following them than they really had and they are doing it to make money. "They are coming to the amnesty commission to say 'the names we brought were not the real people' and now they want to change the names," says Mr Erekosima. There is also concern that the amnesty programme was not rolled out to all areas of the Niger Delta. Just prior to the 2009 amnesty, there was no violence in the area known as Ogoniland. There has also been no oil production there since 1993 when Shell pulled out following years of agitation by the local population calling for a fair share of the oil wealth and an end to pollution. "The amnesty programme was lopsided. The Ogoni people did their own agitation through peaceful advocacy… while others resorted to violence. This violence appears to have been responded to through the amnesty," says Bariara Kpalap, the chair of the region's Kegbara-Dere town council. "In a situation where the government only looks for issues that relate to the flow of oil in the Niger Delta without thinking of addressing poverty… then peace in the Niger Delta will be elusive," says Bariara Kpalap who also feels the amnesty has favoured the Ijaw people - President Goodluck Jonathan's own community. President Jonathan has given his full backing to the programme and has ensured the money is flowing to the Delta. But the amnesty has not been gazetted into law and some feel that makes it precarious. "I see the future as very bleak because my impression is that if President Goodluck Jonathan is no longer in power, the co-operation the federal government has been receiving from the Niger Delta may no longer be there," says Erabanabari Kobah, an environmental campaigner. "Some are still holding their guns and are watching what will happen," he warns. |
Children from violent homes are more likely to carry a weapon, seriously hurt others, drink alcohol, bully fellow students and damage the property of their peers, says a study by the NSPCC. Inaction from the government and local authorities could cost society dearly, the charity warns. Christine from Leeds is a victim of domestic abuse, but as she describes, she did not realise her son was being mentally scarred by the violence: | You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
Things went very fast at the beginning of my relationship with Gareth. Before I knew it he had moved in with me and after a while we were trying for a baby. He only showed his violent side after I became pregnant. When I was 10 weeks pregnant he threw me to the floor before smashing up my house. I had him arrested but he was so sorry afterwards and said that he would pay for repairs. I believed him and dropped the charges. The abuse continued when I was pregnant and after I had the baby, with him pushing me to the floor, pulling my hair and punching my face. He regularly beat me up in front of the baby and my eldest son from a previous relationship. Attacking children My eldest was only six when the abuse started and he had to witness his stepfather attacking me for a year before I had enough and got him arrested and eventually convicted. The NSPCC helped me to rebuild my life and my relationship with my sons. But it was not until my eldest son was 10 that I started to see how much he was affected by witnessing his step-father attack me. I noticed that he was angry a lot and he started to get into trouble at school. He got excluded for three days at a time on three separate occasions when he was 11 for attacking other children. It makes me sick to the stomach even now, because it was something he saw his stepfather do to me. Gareth had asked for contact with him and his younger brother, but my son said that if he was made to see his stepfather he was going to stab him. He ran away from school once and then ran away from home in February 2011. He was only gone for three hours, but it was dark and rainy and felt like an eternity. It was only after the police brought him back that he broke down and let me know how he was feeling. Moving on He could not make sense of what he was seeing when he was six, but by the age of 10 he became more aware of what he had seen and became angry as a result. He threatened to harm himself and said he didn't want to live any more. It was heartbreaking. He also told me that Gareth was physically abusive towards him, which I had not known. He was referred for therapeutic help and I do not know what would have happened if he had not got this. I had told him time and again that it was not his fault that Gareth attacked me, but his therapist helped him understand this and come to terms with what happened. The therapist made my son believe that he was not a bad kid and helped him move on. He is 12 now and still has times when he gets angry, but he knows how to control that anger now and has stopped lashing out at school. I think therapeutic help is essential to help a child who has witnessed domestic violence move on from what has happened without lashing out at others. |
Two 14-year-old boys have been charged in connection with a blaze at a former bingo hall in Angus. | You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
Fire crews were called to Queen Street in Forfar shortly before 14:00 on 29 November. A number of nearby residents were evacuated as a result of the incident, which was attended by six fire appliances and specialist support. A Police Scotland spokesperson said a report would be sent to the Youth Justice Assessor. |
Holyrood is now 18 months from its next election. Nicola Sturgeon's Programme for Government on Tuesday, laid some of the groundwork for it. It won't be all about independence. The economy, and in particular the green part of it, is playing a prominent role. Within that, a lot of money is being ploughed into buses. Prepare for a response to Labour's proposal that bus transport be made free to all age groups, with an offer to those aged up to 26. | You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
Douglas FraserBusiness/economy editor, Scotland Ruth Davidson's resignation as Scottish Tory leader has served several purposes. One is as a klaxon to remind us that Holyrood politics is beginning to re-orient itself towards its next election. You'll recall that the prospect of fighting that as the Conservative leader filled her "with dread" - leaving it open to interpretation as to how much this was due to the state of politics, or to the relative appeal of being back home with toddler Finn. Of course, Holyrood politics is over-shadowed by Brexit, Westminster and a possible UK election within a few weeks. But with rather less noise, the heavy machinery is being slowly moved into place, and the groundwork laid for the Holyrood contest in May 2021. You could assume it'll be all about independence, and you may be right. But in the Programme for Government, published on Tuesday, there were some interesting indicators about electoral positioning on other fronts, in the ministerial corridor of St Andrew's House. This used to be described as Holyrood's "Queen's Speech without the flummery" (though, on reflection, it may only have been me that described it that way). But this hardy annual in the political calendar has become a lot more than a list of legislation. It's about that, but also progress-chasing in public, setting new priorities, drafting a manifesto, stealing some thunder from the choices being made this coming winter by the finance secretary, while injecting some new tigress into the governing party's political tank as the new term starts. On the buses Nicola Sturgeon set the bar high for expectations of what can be achieved towards cutting climate-changing emissions. The Green MSPs, who have kept her in power through the current parliament's budgets, will surely question if it's high enough. But having learned, over 11 years, that one has to be strategic about priorities - putting a lot of her political and financial capital into childcare in the current parliament - the environmental one looks like being a strategic choice for 2021 and beyond. Much of that has to do with infrastructure spending on public transport. These are the big ticket items in the programme for government - electrifying more rail lines, and throwing half a billion at improved bus corridors. That's gambling a lot on the buses. It's not all going into the coffers of Sir Brian Souter, the Easdale brothers who own McGill's, and whoever takes over First Bus. There is also the eye-catching proposal that the Fife to Edinburgh bus corridor - that's the one over the barely-used Forth Road Bridge - is to be the trial run for autonomous buses. (Am I the only one, of a certain vintage, to be reminded of a childhood memory of watching the Love Bug, a 1969 film about an autonomous and emotionally complex Volkswagen Beetle called Herbie, trying to throw itself off the Golden Gate Bridge? Don't believe me? You can look it up.) Another of the more innovative policies for green transport is to pioneer zero-emission aviation in the Highlands and Islands. Orkney is soon to see trials of electric aircraft. Talinn trolleys I digress. Please note that one distinctive policy put forward by Scottish Labour for the next election is the idea of making all bus transport free. Not just for those aged 60 and over, but for everyone. Sounds either improbable or impossible? Well, it's being tried in Estonia. The Programme for Government carries a heavy hint that those under 26 might be included in public transport concessions, you can see that Nicola Sturgeon is preparing her response to Labour's largesse. The SNP doesn't like to be outbid on free stuff. Line to take For those who followed my recent reports on the construction industry - and for anyone else, indeed - you may be interested to note that new building standards are to be introduced, bringing an end to conventional gas or oil-fired central heating in new homes from 2024. There is also some seed funding to help prime and expand the expansion of plug-in points for electric vehicles. So, yes, green transport is a priority. Business and the economy also see a pledge of a new focus on attracting inward investment - at which Scotland already punches above its weight. On research and development by business, where Scotland has long punched well below its weight, there is more money to help stimulate it. But the more you read the Programme for Government, the more a sense of priorities becomes dissolved into a very long list - less about choices than about defensive moves to show there's an answer to every policy challenge. In government's media centre, there is a long list of issues on which there is the "line to take" when journalists ring up or email with a query. You'll hear them parroted also in ministerial answers to MSP questions. The line taken is far from being an answer to many of the questions posed, but that approach - "we have an answer to everything" - is a window into a defensive mindset. Place-based If you look particularly at the chapter on the economy, you can see a lot of effort has gone into a perceived weak area for the Sturgeon administration. There are lines to take on life science, biotechnology, space, financial technology and on various aspects of manufacturing. It includes a lot of reviews under way, starting with an infrastructure investment committee feeding into a five-year capital plan from early 2020. So it covers much of the next parliament. And there are yet more strategies: on artificial intelligence, the maritime economy, on national transport, a new one for tourism and a crofting national development plan. Everything digital gets a lot of space. Some of the business measures have been welcomed by Scotland's business groups, grateful for once not to be talking only about Brexit. But some are cautious also about the prospect of more regulation and red tape - on coffee cups and unhealthy food promotions, for instance - with not enough being done to reform or replace business rates. And then, yes, sometimes the Scottish government jargon takes over. There is to be a "trial place-based approach to integrated business support for micro-enterprises operating in rural areas". The acronym, to save you time, is TPBAIBSMEORA. |
A teenager was airlifted to hospital with a suspected broken leg after jumping into the sea from cliffs in Swansea. | You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
The 19-year-old was hurt while "tombstoning" at Limeslade Bay, Mumbles, say Swansea Coastguards. A spokesman said the area was a popular place for jumping into the sea, but warned that many people were not aware of the dangers. Emergency services were called to the scene at 2200 BST on Sunday. "It's a dangerous activity, you don't know how much water there is underneath you," said the spokesman. "If people want to jump from rocks then I would urge them to do it in a properly supervised way with a coasteering group." |
A family in France has become the first in the world to move into a 3D-printed house. The four-bedroom property is a prototype for bigger projects aiming to make housebuilding quicker and cheaper. Could it cause a shift in the building industry? | You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
By Michael CowanBBC's Victoria Derbyshire programme With curved walls designed to reduce the effects of humidity and digital controls for disabled people, this house could be an expensive realisation of an architect's vision. But having taken 54 hours to print - with four more months for contractors to add in things such as windows, doors and the roof - its cost of around £176,000 to build makes it 20% cheaper than an identical construction using more traditional solutions. The team now believe they could print the same house again in only 33 hours. The 95m (1022ft) square house - built for a family of five with four bedrooms and a big central space in Nantes - is a collaboration between the city council, a housing association and University of Nantes. Francky Trichet, the council's lead on technology and innovation, says the purpose of the project was to see whether this type of construction could become mainstream for housing, and whether its principles could be applied to other communal buildings, such as sports halls. He believes the process will disrupt the construction industry. "For 2,000 years there hasn't been a change in the paradigm of the construction process. We wanted to sweep this whole construction process away," he says. "That's why I'm saying that we're at the start of a story. We've just written, 'Once upon a time'." Now, he says, their work will "force" private companies to "take the pen" and continue the narrative. The house has been built in a deprived neighbourhood in the north of the town and was partly funded by the council. Nordine and Nouria Ramdani, along with their three children, were the lucky ones chosen to live there. "It's a big honour to be a part of this project," says Nordine. "We lived in a block of council flats from the 60s, so it's a big change for us. "It's really something amazing to be able to live in a place where there is a garden, and to have a detached house." How does it work? The house is designed in a studio by a team of architects and scientists, then programmed into a 3D printer. The printer is then brought to the site of the home. It works by printing in layers from the floor upwards. Each wall consists of two layers of the insulator polyurethane, with a space in-between which is filled with cement. This creates a thick, insulated, fully-durable wall. The windows, doors, and roof are then fitted. And, voila, you have a home. The house was the brainchild of Benoit Furet, who heads up the project at University of Nantes. He thinks that in five years they will reduce the cost of the construction of such houses by 25% while adhering to building regulations, and by 40% in 10 to 15 years. This is partly because of the technology becoming more refined and cheaper to develop and partly because of economies of scale as more houses are built. Printing, he adds, also allows architects to be far more creative with the shapes of the houses they are building. For example, the house in Nantes was built to curve around the 100-year-old protected trees on the plot. The curve also improves the home's air circulation, reducing potential humidity and improving thermal resistance. The building in Nantes was also designed for disabled people, with wheelchair access and the ability for everything to be controlled from a smartphone. It is also more environmentally-friendly than traditional construction, as there is no waste. Mr Furet's dream is now to create a suburban neighbourhood with the same building principles. He says he is currently working on a project in the north of Paris to print 18 houses. He is also working on a large commercial building which will measure 700 metres square, he adds. "Social housing is something that touches me personally," Mr Furet says. "I was born in a working-class town. "I lived in a little house. My parents - who are very old now - still live in the same house. "The street is a row of little houses, one next to the other, all identical. "And here I wanted to create a house that is social housing, but with much more modern architecture." Watch the BBC's Victoria Derbyshire programme on weekdays between 09:00 and 11:00 on BBC Two and the BBC News Channel. |
Touring the world and experiencing different cultures sounds glamorous. | You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
Interview by Steffan Powell, words by Vikki BlakeNewsbeat reporters For England's cricketers however, the pandemic has seen them largely confined to the inside of hotel rooms during their winter tour of Sri Lanka and India. The trip has been difficult both on the pitch and off it too. Some of the squad's most senior members have been telling BBC Sounds podcast Press X to Continue that online gaming has been "vital" for their wellbeing. Usually on a long tour abroad England's cricketers would keep connected by sharing rooms, sightseeing and eating out at new places. This winter though, they can't do any of those things. "Touring with these biosecure bubbles has made everything so different," Stuart Broad tells Press X to Continue. "Because our touring life has gone from being able to experience different things in countries to experiencing a hotel room. "That's why gaming has become such an influence in the past year because it's the way you socialise with the guys outside of cricket. "We can't go out to Nando's or anything and grab a bite to eat. "So you say, 'right, Call of Duty 7pm?' And you might get fifteen or sixteen of us playing and you get to chat and get to know different guys through it." The team played their first match of the tour at the beginning of January, and while the Test matches have come to an end, one-day games continue until the end of March. The players are grateful to have been able to go on tour and keep playing in the pandemic, but it's a long time away from home confined to hotels. All-rounder Ben Stokes tells the podcast: "When you have something taken away from you - like going out for dinner and stuff like that you have to find something else to occupy that time, to help keep in good spirits. "Gaming's had such a huge role in keeping everyone's mental side of touring in as good a place as it possibly can be." Playing online has become such an important part of the team's routine that sourcing good internet has is now an essential part of the tour. Ben says he's never seen a "grumpier group of cricketers" that when they got to Ahmedabad and the wifi was not good enough to play on. "Gaming, for me mentally, has been vital," Stuart adds. "It's sort of taken over the banter in the changing room. "It used to be: how did you play at golf the other day? You'd be talking about what you've been up to. "But because there's not much to do, gaming's taken over. "Now it's: 'How good was that snipe the other day!' Stokesy and I have got terrible at downloading our clips on our phone and going around the bus in the morning: 'Look at that lads!'" "If you just want to catch up with your mates that play, then turn on and say 'Hey, jump in the lobby' - it's probably the easiest way to do it," agrees fast bowler Jofra Archer, who says it also helps him connect with players he sees less often. The team have been streaming their games to interact with fans too. 'There's no abuse' "It's actually really refreshing, because everyone's who's watching either loves gaming or loves cricket," Stuart says. "There's no abuse. There's no agenda. It's never: 'Oh, you were rubbish last week'. "It's all just really positive chat about gaming and good fun, which I've really enjoyed. It's quite rare for social media, to be honest.". "People enjoy watching average players play for a change!" Ben Stokes laughs. "They can relate to what we're doing and the emotions - you know, like shouting at the screen, or shouting at each other - because that's what people do at home." "I guess it's probably a welcome change to some people because you can get a sense of someone's actual personality a bit more this way," agrees Jofra. And if you thought that the online sessions were just a little fun and relaxation in between tense cricket matches? Well, think again. "I'd love to say that we don't take it that seriously and we're not that competitive," admits Stuart. "But it's actually outrageous. You can hear guys on different games down the corridor! "I spoke with Rory Burns the other night and he's next 7 door to Jofra, and I could hear Jofra through Rory's own headphones, screaming. That's how seriously we're taking it!" More from Press X to continue Follow Newsbeat on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. Listen to Newsbeat live at 12:45 and 17:45 weekdays - or listen back here. |
Police in the Lake District say they have had to send "countless hopeful campers" home for breaching coronavirus lockdown rules. | You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
Activities such as camping are currently prohibited by the government rules. Police in the South Lakes said as well as breaching the rules, visitors had also damaged trees and left behind litter and human waste. "Please visit responsibly," a spokesman said, adding: "No overnight stays". The Lake District National Park Authority said the area was open to day-trippers but asked visitors to be responsible and avoid busy areas. Follow BBC North East & Cumbria on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to northeastandcumbria@bbc.co.uk. |
Imagine being told that you have a life-threatening illness. Imagine having to relearn how to carry out previously straightforward tasks such as using a public toilet. Imagine not only having to come to terms with all of this but also facing hostility because you have a hidden disability. | You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
Natalie Toper from London knows all about this. Three years ago, just before her 32nd birthday, Natalie was diagnosed with late-stage bowel and rectal cancer. She was told she would need an ileostomy, an operation involving the small intestine being diverted through an opening - or stoma - in the abdomen. A bag is then placed over the stoma to collect liquid and waste. The procedure can either be temporary or permanent. Before she even met the stoma nurses who would provide support, she was simply handed a stoma bag sample and told she would need to wear one permanently, for the rest her life. She had her operation in May 2014 - a date she commemorates each year with what she terms a "stomaversary" card. Deciding to do her own research, Natalie was horrified, disgusted and angry. "I felt like I was being punished for a crime I didn't know I had committed," she recalls. "But the choices were, 'Have a stoma and live or don't have one and die, and die quickly.'" Natalie opted for the former but discovered some new challenges, such as travelling on crowded public transport, especially when trying to get a disabled seat. Another is the need to carry around a large amount of sanitary equipment when out and about. As well as a stoma ring, which protects the skin, and a bag, the kit may include medical grade wipes, skin protector and a rubbish bag. Finding somewhere hygienic to change is often a major problem. The mother of one says she often faces hostility when trying to use public disabled toilets. Natalie explains: "Each and every time I have been met with verbal and physical abuse by both the able-bodied and visibly disabled communities, for trying to access facilities I am fully entitled to use." This has ranged from being manhandled to being rammed by disability-scooter users. She continues: "Every stomite [a person who wears a stoma] I have spoken to has experienced similar situations to myself. One of my friends even stopped going out because of the abuse." Natalie tries to get around this problem by drinking less and making sure she has put on a clean bag before going out. However, the most difficult challenge to deal with is dating as Natalie never knows how or when to say she has a stoma. "If I am upfront and say I have a stoma at the beginning of a relationship, and explain what one actually is, men will turn their noses up and walk away," she says. "If I wait a while, I get accused of taking the decision to date someone like me away from them, and again they walk." In a bid to change attitudes, Natalie has started a petition for stoma signs to be added on to disabled toilets. Conditions are starting to improve slowly. An example is the supermarket Sainsbury's promising to make its toilets more inclusive for their customers with stomas. Natalie says she fears if she doesn't campaign on the issue, no-one else will. By Bernadette McCague, UGC and Social News team |
A Jet2 flight from Belfast to Ibiza was diverted to Toulouse on Friday evening due to "disruptive passengers". | You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
A spokesperson for the airline could not confirm how many people were involved in the incident that caused the flight to land in the French city. However, a Toulouse-Blagnac Airport press officer confirmed that one passenger was removed from the flight. Flight LS397 left Belfast International airport at around 15.30 BST. It was due to land at Ibiza Airport at 19.35 local time. The airport's arrivals board listed the flight as diverted on Friday evening. |
The Indian government's surprise decision to ban 500 and 1,000 rupee notes in a crackdown on corruption took 86% of money out of circulation in the largely cash economy. But some enterprising Indians are seeing opportunity amid the cash crisis , reports the BBC's Vikas Pandey. | You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
"Are you looking to make your money legal?" a young man says, approaching me as I walk to a bank in Noida, a suburban area of Delhi. "It's very easy and we can finish our transaction right here, now are you interested?" Mukesh Kumar, 28, is not standing in the long queue outside the doors to the bank. He is one among many of India's "money mules" who have found ways to benefit from the cash crunch. How will India destroy 20 billion banknotes? India rupee ban: Currency move is 'bad economics' Why India wiped out 86% of its cash India's 'desperate housewives' scramble to change secret savings How India's currency ban is hurting the poor India's cash crisis explained Prime Minister Narendra Modi's surprise announcement has left many people stuck with hoards of now illegal cash, known in India as "black money". Many are afraid to deposit all their money into the banks, because the government has said that unaccounted for money will attract a 200% tax penalty and an investigation into the source of income. But people like Mr Kumar are ready to help them. "The government has said no questions will be asked if my account balance is less than 250,000 rupees (£2,947; $3,664). I can deposit your 'black money' into my account. I will charge 10% and give you back the remaining amount after a few weeks," he tells me earnestly. Mr Kumar, a construction worker, says he doesn't mind people calling him "a money mule". "You can call me whatever you want as long as I can make some cash." 'Hire a queue man' Long queues have become a familiar sight in front of ATMs and banks as people struggle to withdraw money. Indians have been allowed to exchange a small sum of banned notes into legal tender until 24 November as long as they produce an ID. This amount was reduced from a total of 4,500 rupees to 2,000 rupees on 17 November. Anything above this needs to be credited to a bank account. I meet more workers in Noida, which has hundreds of construction sites. And they are all looking to cash in on the situation. Sandeep Sahu tells me he is happy to stand in queues to change banned notes for a commission of 200-300 rupees . "It's tiring to stand in queues for six to eight hours for somebody else, but then its better than doing backbreaking construction work," he says. Mr Sahu says "rich people don't have the patience to stand in lines" and that is why "they are happy to give us a commission". "My wife and my son are doing the same job, and together we have made a good amount," he says. 'Rent an account' At another bank, I meet Pinku Yadav, who says that he has found a "customer to rent his bank account". "I am going to deposit 200,000 rupees into my account for somebody else for a commission of 20%," he says. Pointing at his bag, Mr Yadav says that he had never seen such a large amount of money in his entire life. "I support Prime Minister [Narendra] Modi's decision. It's satisfying to see the troubled faces of rich people." Mr Sahu's statement is quickly met with loud cheers from others standing in the queue. I ask him if he knows that what he is doing is illegal. "Yes, I know and I don't care," he says. "The government is not going to go after poor people like me. I am just making a small amount, rich people are the ones who are crying because their money has become illegal." It's 12:30 [local time] in the afternoon and queues have only become longer. Some people are eating lunch from boxes they brought with them in the morning. Praveen Singh works as a production manager in a garment factory, and he is also waiting to deposit 250,000 rupees in his bank account. "Yes, it's not my money. I am doing this for my boss. He has always been nice to me, and has helped me financially on many occasions," he says. "I don't see this as a fight between rich and poor people. Given a choice, everybody wants to avoid paying taxes. That's what the government needs to change and encourage people to pay taxes." *All names have been changed |
Jen Wight lived in fear of mental illness after her elder sister, Jo, was sectioned when they were teenagers. But by the age of 36 she had a good job, was happily married and had just given birth to a healthy baby. It seemed that she had been worrying for no reason. | You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
People always said we were like two peas in a pod. We were so similar that people would come up to me in the street and say, "Hey, Jo! How're you doing?" There were three years between us, but we were really close. Even when we were teenagers, Jo always wanted to include me and would take me out with all her cool friends. We had a very secure, happy childhood growing up in Stamford Hill, north London. There was no history of mental illness in our family, so when Jo became ill at 18 it was quite a shock. The first time she went into hospital she was there for nine months. I would go and visit her in the psychiatric ward at Homerton Hospital, but a combination of the very strong medication she was on and the illness itself had completely taken her personality away. My beautiful, kind, loving, creative sister was gone. I kept my head down and made sure not to upset Mum and Dad or cause them any more problems. They did as much as they could to support me and shield me from what was happening with Jo, but it was very, very hard. I missed her so much. I always had a box of tissues beside my bed because I'd cry at night, the tears falling sideways and filling up my ears. Somehow I came to the conclusion that because I had a schizophrenic sister I would end up the same - Jo and I were so similar that I was convinced that it must be in me, as it was in her. So on 15 March 1993, three years to the day since Jo had been sectioned, I spent the whole day in bed crying at my student house in Brighton, waiting for it to happen to me. I was 18, as Jo had been, and I felt so sad. The funny thing is, I'm a rational person - I was doing a science degree - yet I was completely convinced I was going to go mad that day, just like Jo. But nothing happened, and, with the passing of time, my fear of going mad ebbed away. By the time I was 29 I was living back in London. I'd had a number of boyfriends but no-one that I'd wanted to settle down with, so I told all my friends that I was ready to meet someone and my friend Harriet said, "I know just the guy!" Kai was so good-looking, so intelligent and so kind. We moved in together after a year. Unlike me, he'd always wanted to have children and gradually I came round to the idea. I really, really wanted to be with him, and as more and more of our friends started to have kids I was surprised by the strong love I felt for them. At the tail end of 2008 we'd quit our jobs in London and moved to Australia, and we were living in Sydney when our baby son arrived in January 2012. In those first crazy weeks after my son was born I was mostly incredibly happy. I really had no experience whatsoever of looking after a baby, but before the birth I'd read this fantastic book, written by a midwife, which covered everything. There was a bit about postnatal depression which I remember reading and thinking, "That's not going to happen to me - I've been through tough times and been really sad, but I've never got depressed." But on my third night in hospital after I'd had my son I was so exhausted that I couldn't sleep and things began to feel like they were unravelling in my mind. My thoughts were racing, my heart was beating too fast and I began to panic that I was going mad. In the middle of the night, after hours feeling paranoid and crying, I eventually pressed the call button for help. The nurse who came said, "This is all totally normal. Almost all women go through this after their baby is born. You're exhausted and your hormones are plummeting, you just need a good cry." Relief flooded through me. I cried and cried and cried for hours on end. It felt like my tears were washing away my very worst fear, the one that had dogged me for more than 20 years. I'd been as close to madness as I was going to get and I hadn't gone mad. Where to get help Action on Postpartum Psychosis has more information for women and families affected by postpartum psychosis, as well as online forums which connect people in the UK to recovered volunteers If you've been affected by any of the issues raised here, including schizophrenia, depression and postpartum psychosis, help and support is available via the BBC Action Line When we left hospital it felt like I had started my life anew with my lovely baby and my beautiful husband. We were living in a flat on the waterfront in Sydney and for a while everything seemed wonderful. I felt light and free, and quite euphoric. It seemed as though the part of my brain that had been unconsciously taken up with worrying about going mad for all those years was now free and available for other things. I wrote lists and lists of everything I wanted to achieve, planned trips abroad, and spent hours surfing the net - though most people with a newborn baby wouldn't have time for such things. Neither of us realised that anything was wrong. At some point, Kai did say to one of his friends that he was slightly worried because I was acting a bit crazy, but his friend just said, "My wife was exactly the same, they all go a bit crazy when the baby comes." As the weeks went by I was sleeping less and less, and as the highs got higher, lows also started appearing. I started having arguments with Kai that would go on and on until we were exhausted by them, I was feeling really irritable and anxious about going out, and really struggled with breastfeeding. I'd really wanted to breastfeed my son, but by week five I was expressing milk and bottle-feeding him it instead because the pain had become unbearable. The 22nd anniversary of Jo's breakdown was approaching when the psychosis hit me. Kai and I had taken our son to the doctor for his six-week checks, and as I flicked through a magazine in the waiting room I became convinced that I was the actress Cameron Diaz and had secretly moved to Australia to have my baby. Soon afterwards, at a group for new mums, a nurse became alarmed by my behaviour. I was laughing uncontrollably and told her I was too excited to sleep, my words tumbling out over one another. At the end of the session, when Kai arrived to collect me and our son, the nurse urged him to ring the mental health crisis team straight away. I was terrified that they would section me, but they asked how I was feeling and if I'd had any thoughts of harming my son or myself, and then prescribed me a sedative to help me sleep. After they'd left they called Kai to tell him not to leave me on my own with my son, or on my own full stop. Some people would be really freaked out if somebody said that about their wife, but Kai never transmitted anything to me, he just carried on taking care of us. But when he did tell me, some time later, that they'd thought I might harm our son I was completely devastated. I was having more and more strange thoughts, as well as periods of elation followed by crushing anxiety. They started talking about postpartum psychosis and put me on an antipsychotic drug - the same drug that Jo had taken when she first became ill. I felt frightened and hopeless, I was one step closer to being just as ill as her. The delusions came and went: I was going to find a cure for cerebral palsy; Barack Obama was coming to Australia to discuss how to catch paedophiles with me; I could control dogs with my mind. I was so wrapped up in what was happening in my head that I didn't really realise how much Kai was struggling. He was doing all the night feeds, the daytime feeds, nappy-changing and bearing all the responsibility for my son and me, with no family support. He'd sit in our bedroom listening to me moving around the flat in the middle of the night, bone-tired but fearful of what I might do. Sometimes he'd find me in our son's room with the lights blazing, staring down at the baby or picking him up out of bed, after he'd spent hours trying to settle him. Finally, I pushed Kai too far. In the middle of one of our arguments, I opened the front door of our apartment, stepped on to the landing outside - five storeys up - and flipped my leg over the handrail. Kai screamed at me and pulled me away from the edge. Postpartum psychosis NHS: Postpartum psychosis I don't remember that happening, Kai only told me when I was much better. He was horrified and furious, but it made him realise that I had to go into hospital. In the car I was scared. I pictured padded cells and straitjackets, electrodes being attached to my head, electricity scrambling my brain. Thankfully Kai and my son were allowed to stay with me, but after a week I discharged myself. The delusions seemed to have passed and I just wanted to get home and try to get to grips with being a new mum again. But I'd only been out of hospital for a week when the depression came. The doctor told us it's very common to experience depression after a period of mania and delusions, but that was the start of months of grinding misery. The pain was so bad on my really bad days that I considered suicide as a way out. Terrible thoughts went round and round in my head. "I can't cope with this pain, I have to do something, that's the only thing I can do, I can't do that, I can't cope with this pain..." The only thing stopping me from acting on those thoughts was the hurt that I would cause Kai, my son and my family. But then I felt so guilty that as a parent I could even consider doing that to my child, that I felt even worse. Progress was slow and painful, but gradually, once I was on an effective dose of antidepressants, I felt as though I was returning to normal. The best thing was when I realised I'd started to really enjoy being with my son, rather than being frightened of looking after him. One of the silver linings of being ill with psychosis is that it's helped me understand Jo's experience. She's 46 now and she's crafted a life for herself - cooking, growing things in her garden and making cards for the local charity shops. She absolutely adores my son. She sends him little parcels and paints him pictures, but her illness is an enormous burden for her and life is very hard. I tried my best when I had depression, but I wasn't the mother that I would've been otherwise - I didn't laugh, and though I tried to sing it was just too hard. I worried that my lack of love and care in those early days might somehow have damaged my son's development, but a child psychologist told us that she thought the bond between us was good and that perhaps the more significant thing that my illness had done was affect my confidence as a parent. I've put lots and lots of effort in and now my relationship with my son is so much better. We've both changed, him and I. He's seven and I get so much joy from being with him. When you've had the extreme pain of severe depression, felt suicidal and got through it, normal life and the little things just seem so wonderful. For me, being a mum is getting better and better with each passing year. Kai and I went through a horrendous experience together, but we survived it and that's made us stronger - we feel almost bombproof now. But I wouldn't have any more children, mainly because I want to minimise the risk of experiencing depression like that again. And we are just really, really happy - we love being a family of three. As told to Sarah McDermott Jen Wight is the author of Rattled: Overcoming Postpartum Psychosis You may also be interested in: Catherine Benfield wasn't diagnosed with OCD until she was 31, after she had her first child, though it would appear she's had it all her life. She recovered with the help of therapy - and by creating a character who personifies her obsessive-compulsive behaviour. Read: 'I call my OCD Olivia' Join the conversation - find us on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Twitter. |
You may think that once Earls Court's caretaker has swept all the ticker-tape away, they've packed up Lily Allen's sparkling zeppelin and herded Florence's army of harpists back into the tour bus that might be it for Brit Awards night. | You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
By Greg CochraneNewsbeat music reporter Not the case. Once the curtain goes down a fleet of blank windowed people carriers whisk the great and good of the music world to the hot night spots of London. Newsbeat spent a long night going with them. THE OFFICIAL AFTERSHOW Taking into account the height of Lady Gaga's heels you wouldn't blame some of the girls heading to the official Brits after show as it is literally hosted a short stroll behind the stage. Whilst the celeb-count is low the entertainment is extravagant. A giant inflatable octopus, crazy golf, a dressing-up stall and, of all things, ukulele karaoke. Weirdly, shortly after Robbie Williams has wrapped up the official ceremony, a bunch of pearly kings and queens are stood watching a cabaret act. More of a theme park than a party then, and most people appear to have headed elsewhere. Best spot: Radio 1's Aled shouting down a phone. WAR CHILD Topping last year's party was always going to be War Child's biggest challenge this year. 2009's bash ended with members of U2, The Killers, Coldplay and Take That all on stage together. Tonight's show at London's Shepherd's Bush Empire isn't rivalling that - we get La Roux dueting with Heaven 17 and The Mighty Boosh's Noel Fielding joining Kasabian - but it's still an all-star set up. Tom Meighan arrives will a sore backside after he took a tumble running to pick up Kasabian's award for best British group earlier in the evening. "I feel human for doing that," he laughs afterwards. "It's like Bambi on ice, it's like a Disney film." The gig itself is a celebratory lap for one of Britain's biggest rock bands. Best spot: Gemma Arterton and Sheridan Smith both dancing to Kasabian's Fire. WARNER MUSIC Meanwhile back in central London rumour is there are 800 invites circulating for this 350 capacity venue. The toilets have more mirrors than Alice In Wonderland, a DJ playing 90s rave and the finger food is exceptional. All the talk is of whether Jay-Z is going to show - and he does, surrounded by a ring of security but greets fans in a corner. Others who've turned out? Marina and the Diamonds, sporting a glittering all in one suit, is tucked in a corner eating mini burgers. Foals are here, Friendly Fires' Ed MacFarlane, Mike Bailey (Sid from Skins) and Tom Clarke from the Enemy all making the most of the free bar. Best spot: Jay-Z swaying to his own song Empire State Of Mind. UNIVERSAL The dozens of paparazzi bun-fighting outside tells you everything you need to know about the Universal party. It's an oriental themed bash, the room is decorated with bird cages, lanterns and there's a kitchen set up in the middle of it all, churning out duck pancakes. There's a lot to celebrate too. Florence Welch totters down the carpeted staircase, Lee from Blue, Calum Best, Keith Lemon, Last Shadow Puppet Miles Kane and Geri Halliwell are all milling about in the decadent surroundings. Louis Walsh, with now familiar bow tie, is the unlikely late entrant to the do, no doubt drinking to the success of JLS. Nervous recipient of the critcs' choice award earlier in the evening, Ellie Goulding summed up the feeling felt by most people by tweeting: "Lady Gaga held my hand and we talked and I think I died." Best spot: Florence and the Machine lovingly clutching her Brit award for best British album. |
Thousands of music fans are heading to south west Scotland as the annual Wickerman Festival gets under way. | You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
The event, at East Kirkcarswell near Dundrennan on Friday and Saturday, will see acts including Del Amitri and Dizzee Rascal perform. It is the 13th edition of the Dumfries and Galloway festival. Other acts involved this year include the likes of Shed Seven, The Feeling, Martha Reeves and the Vandellas, The Zombies and Big Country. The festival will conclude, as is its tradition, with the burning of a giant wicker figure. |
Action has been taken to protect the environment following a river pollution incident at Wrexham, according to Natural Resources Wales (NRW). | You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
It said officials worked through the night to prevent any impact on the River Gwenfro near Kingsmill. NRW has called on firms that store chemicals to ensure they have the right permits to avoid possible action. It said knowing which chemicals are stored where means it can ensure safe storage to prevent pollution incidents. All such firms in the River Dee Water Protection Zone - which stretches between Gwynedd and Wrexham - are required by law to obtain consent from NRW. |
Sitanan Satsaksit was on the phone to her brother early in the evening on 4 June when he told her to hold the line. Wanchalearm, also known as Tar, was handing over a few dollars for meatballs at a stall opposite his home in the Cambodian capital, Phnom Penh. | You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
By George Wright & Issariya PraithongyaemBBC News Then Sitanan heard noise coming from the other end of the line. "I heard a loud bang. At first I thought he had a car accident as he shouted 'I can't breathe, I can't breathe,'" she tells the BBC. Sitanan could hear the screams of her brother as men shouted in Khmer, a language she doesn't understand. But her brother had not been hit by a car - he was being kidnapped. Witnesses at the scene say they saw a group of armed men bundling Wanchalearm into a black SUV. As he shouted for help in Khmer, some people started moving towards him, but the armed abductors warned them to back off, before speeding away. Confused and terrified, Sitanan could hear the muffled voice of her brother for another 30 minutes. Then the line went dead. A friend of Wanchalearm made some inquiries for her. "Twenty minutes later, this person called me back to say: 'Keep calm sister, Tar was abducted,'" she recalls. Wanchalearm Satsaksit, 37, a prominent Thai pro-democracy activist who had lived in exile in Cambodia since 2014, has not been seen since. He is the ninth exiled critic of Thailand's military and monarchy to become a victim of enforced disappearance in recent years. A popular and colourful character, Wanchalearm's activism started more than a decade ago, primarily focusing on gender and LGBT rights in Thailand. Over time, his interest started to shift to broader calls for democracy in the country, says Sunai Phasuk, a senior researcher for Human Rights Watch Asia and friend of Wanchalearm. By the time of the 2014 military coup led by General Prayuth Chan-ocha, Wanchalearm was affiliated with the United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship (UDD), also known as the Red Shirts. The group was first formed in 2006 to oppose an earlier military coup which overthrew then prime minister, Thaksin Shinawatra. Wanchalearm was angered by what he saw as yet another affront to democracy by the military in 2014. The new junta wasted little time in rooting out its critics. Soon after the coup, Wanchalearm's face appeared on TV and he was called to attend a meeting at a military camp, Sunai says. He didn't turn up. Wanchalearm knew this meant he needed to flee his homeland and start a new life in Cambodia. Once in Phnom Penh, Wanchalearm settled into his new surroundings. But while he had swapped the dangers of Thailand for relative safety in the leafy outskirts of the Cambodian capital, he was still building up an online following in his homeland through his witty takedowns of the Thai government. "He sees himself as a satirist, almost like a political comedian," Sunai says. "He made fun continuously of the military junta. He made fun of Gen Prayuth, who at that time was leader of the coup group, he made fun of other generals. "He exposed what he considered to be stupid blunders of the junta using the dialect of north-easterners," he adds. "Most of them are poor and he is from that region. He did it to show that a commoner can make fun of those in power. That seemed to be the way of getting even with the oppressors." But his playful poking did not go unnoticed. In June 2018, Thai authorities issued an arrest warrant for Wanchalearm based on allegations he violated the Computer-Related Crime Act - which criminalises writing that incites unrest - through his Facebook page. The police vowed to bring him back to Thailand. Wanchalearm was just one of many Thai exiles speaking out from the perceived safety of a neighbouring country. But in reality, doing so is becoming increasingly perilous. At least eight other pro-democracy activists have disappeared since the 2014 coup. The bodies of exiled critics Chatcharn Buppawan and Kraidej Luelert were found disembowelled and stuffed with concrete along the Mekong River border with Laos last year. The Thai army says it had no knowledge of what had happened. Jakrapob Penkair, who served as government spokesman under Thaksin Shinawatra, has been living in exile since 2009 after he says he received a tip-off that he was to be killed. He has known Wanchalearm for many years. Speaking to the BBC from an undisclosed location, Jakrapob says he was shocked by his friend's disappearance due to the light-hearted nature of his activism. He sees almost no chance that Wanchalearm is still alive. "I think the message is: 'Let's kill these folks. These are outsiders, these are people who are different from us and they should be killed in order to bring Thailand back to normalcy,'" he says. "But nothing could be more wrong in that interpretation. I believe their decision to kidnap and murder Tar, and others before him, has been subconsciously radicalising the people. "Like it or not, I think Tar's disappearance and his murder could be a turning point." Wanchalearm's disappearance sparked protests in Bangkok, with demonstrators accusing the Thai government of involvement, while demanding the Cambodian government investigate the case fully. Posters of Wanchalearm and other disappeared activists have been cropping up around the city. #SaveWanchalearm was trending on Thai Twitter in the days following his abduction. The hashtag "#abolish112" was also written or retweeted more than 450,000 times. This is a reference to Article 112 of Thailand's criminal code, which states: "Whoever defames, insults or threatens the King, Queen, Heir-Apparent or Regent shall be punished with imprisonment of three to 15 years". Some of the disappeared dissidents were accused of violating the article. Any public questioning of the monarchy in Thailand was until recently almost unheard of. Many activists believe this abduction is linked to the palace, but the strict laws against any negative comment on the monarchy make this a dangerous link to explore or investigate. Despite widespread outrage over the kidnapping of Wanchalearm, few are holding out much hope for his return. "The abduction is not for money, it's not a private matter. There is no need to keep him alive," says Somyot Pruksakasemsuk, a prominent activist who served seven years in jail on charges of lese majeste - or "insulting the monarchy" - and defamation. "The objective of kidnapping is to kill him and to create the atmosphere of fear in Thailand and other countries where [Thai] people are active in criticising the monarchy," adds Somyot, whose daughter was once in a long-term relationship with Wanchalearm. Somyot was in little doubt as to who was behind the disappearance. "The government knows very well about this kidnap and disappearance. I can insist that the government are the ones behind this violation," he says. Thai government spokeswoman Narumon Pinyosinwat told the BBC: "We have no idea what happened to him. "We don't do anything in that category of invading into other countries. They have their own law and control," she said. "The person who can answer that question best should be the government of Cambodia because they know what happened in that country to this person." In response to questions raised by opposition politicians in parliament, Thai Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai said that Wanchalearm did not have political refugee status, so Thailand had to wait for Cambodia to finish its investigation. The spokesman of the Cambodian interior ministry did not respond to requests for comment. A justice ministry spokesman told Voice of Democracy last week that investigations are under way to ascertain "whether the news is true or not". Brad Adams, Asia director of Human Rights Watch, said: "Cambodia and Laos have obviously decided to look the other way as now nine prominent Thai exiles have been abducted, and likely killed, by unknown men." The Thai government is pursuing a "quid pro quo" with its two neighbours, he said, accusing Bangkok of making Thailand "off limits" to Cambodian opposition figures. "You can be sure there will be more refugees on the chopping block unless governments around the world start publicly demanding answers and accountability from leaders of these three rights abusing governments," he said. Sunai Phasuk says Cambodia must investigate fully what has happened to Wanchalearm if it expects to be seen as a country that has "improved from a lawless society into a country with due process". "A crime like this cannot happen in broad daylight. This is a test case for Cambodia," he says. But Sitanan has little hope of ever seeing Wanchalearm alive again and is just trying to make sense of why someone would want to kill her younger brother. "I want to know if someone has his own opinion, does he need to be so severely punished?" she asks. "He didn't rob anyone, he didn't rape anyone. He just thinks differently. Do you really need to kill him?" You may also be interested in: |
Stamps featuring the Isle of Man's favourite Christmas designs from the past four decades have gone on sale to mark the 40th anniversary of the island's Post Office. | You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
The collection, released by Isle of Man Stamps & Coins, features six designs taken from previous Christmas stamps. General Manager Maxine Cannon said it was a "fitting tribute" on the anniversary. The stamps include the Three Wise Men, stained glass windows and winter birds. Mrs Cannon said that with 162 previous stamps to choose from, "it was quite a challenge" to choose six. "However, we feel they capture a little bit of everything when it comes to Christmas and what it means to so many," she said. |
Decades ago when gay people faced ostracism and the threat of prosecution in the UK and other Western nations, many chose to marry and disguise their sexuality. But even with increased tolerance now some choose to take the same path. | You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
By Victoria Derbyshire & Megan BramallVictoria Derbyshire programme Nick, who is in his 50s, has been married to his wife for 30 years. He is also gay. He thinks his wife had suspicions about his sexuality for years, but things came to a head when he had an affair with a man. "She asked if I wanted to leave and I didn't. She's my best friend really above all else, so we've decided we would like to remain together as best friends," he says. Nick isn't his real name - many of the couple's friends and family don't know he's gay and he wants to remain anonymous to protect his wife. From the beginning, there was unhappiness in the marriage, with doubts about whether they had made the right decision. He'd always felt uncertain about his sexual orientation and this troubled him more and more as he got older. Like many men in his situation, Nick, a nurse, found himself living a double life. On the surface he was a happily married man, but he was also using gay pornography. He'd get drunk with a gay friend and, he says, "events took their course". His wife was angry and upset when she found out about six years ago, and Nick knew there was no point denying the truth any longer. "I felt it was the right opportunity to be honest and tell her what she'd already suspected of me, but there'd been an understanding that if I didn't do anything we wouldn't talk about it - and when I did we had to talk about it." Nick acknowledges it would have been better for her if he had admitted sooner that he was gay and needed to act upon it. She told him she was disappointed that he hadn't been able to trust her enough to be honest with her, and that if she had known she would have accepted it. "I still feel inordinately grateful to her each day that she was so tolerant after that," Nick says. The couple chose to stay together not for the sake of children - they don't have any - but because of their feelings for each other. "Things couldn't have gone better with my wife that, you know, we still love each other and we're still together but it could have been so very different." While the couple have stayed together, they no longer have a physical relationship and sleep separately. Nick has promised his wife that he will never again have sex or a relationship with a man - he says he owes it to her. But can he stick to that promise? He says: "I'm hoping so, it's my intention to. It didn't feel like a choice in the past, it felt like it was enforced on me. I'm now making that choice that I would like to, in a sense, remain celibate." Nick is a member of a support group called Gay Married Men, based in Manchester and founded 10 years ago. Men travel from around the country to attend meetings. Group founder John says most of the men are older - they married women in the 1970s and 80s when society was more hostile to gay people. Now society is more tolerant, they are more comfortable with coming out as gay. But why did they get married in the first place? Nick says many men who contact the website say they did so to try to "sort themselves out". Andy, 56, a student, adds: "At times you think you're going through a phase and as you've once or twice heard people say, 'You find the right woman and she'll turn you and you'll be a real man.' "Unfortunately society, at the time when I got married nearly 30 years ago, you were either straight or queer and queer was a really vindictive word." John, a lecturer at Manchester Metropolitan University who was married for seven years, says it took him a long time to realise he was gay. He knew his sexuality was ambiguous but he didn't have the vocabulary to define it. "I didn't know what a gay man was. Truthfully, I thought a gay man lived in London. Which people laugh at and it is funny now, it's really strange but I had this kind of naivety. "I knew gay men were like Larry Grayson, John Inman and, you know, they were camp and effeminate. Well, I didn't feel like camp or effeminate so I couldn't be gay, could I?" Group members are at different stages - some just suspect they may be gay, others are living with unknowing wives, some are separated or divorced and some have re-married to men. John is now married to a man who has been his partner for 23 years, but says he still finds parts of his life raw and upsetting. Andy is divorcing his wife after 30 years and four children - she has a new partner. He says: "I still love her, I'm very close to her, in fact we describe each other as best friends - which may sound odd, but when we've got children together…" Some remain married because of the expectations of friends and family, or because they have children and don't want to break up a family. John says the men are often quite desperate and struggling to cope with no support - many are suffering from quite severe depression. "We've had bursts of tears when people have come because they're so upset and also so relieved to find out there are other people that are just like themselves. Because that's part of the problem, because we're a myth, we don't exist. "We don't exist in [the] gay world - we're on the cusp of [the] gay world because we're married men. We don't exist in [the] straight world. So we seem invisible." The group members say they don't judge anyone and Nick, who helps run the site, says his main message is that people don't have to struggle alone. "There are people who are successfully managing their sexuality with their family. You still have connection with your children and you don't have to be cut off, out in the cold. "I'm definitely happier, a weight has lifted and I can be honest with my wife." The Victoria Derbyshire programme is broadcast on weekdays between 09:15-11:00 BST on BBC Two and BBC News Channel. Follow it on Facebook and Twitter. Subscribe to the BBC News Magazine's email newsletter to get articles sent to your inbox. |
Officers at Cardiff prison had to resolve a Christmas Day disturbance, the Ministry of Justice has confirmed. | You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
No staff or prisoners were injured in the "isolated incident" which lasted for about 40 minutes on one wing at HMP Cardiff at 10:00 GMT on Sunday. "We do not tolerate this behaviour," said an MOJ statement. Last week, four prisoners barricaded themselves into a cell at Cardiff prison in protest of being moved after riots in Birmingham. No exact details of the latest disturbance have been given. The MOJ said: "Prisoners who behave in this way will be punished and could spend significantly longer behind bars." |
A ship which has been detained at Aberdeen harbour for more than a year because its crew have not being paid is to be auctioned next month. | You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
The Malaviya Seven was detained in June last year, and again in October, under merchant shipping regulations. The International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF) said the 12 crew were owed more than £600,000 in total. A sheriff ruled the ship could be sold at public auction to cover crew wages. It will be auctioned on 17 October. The auction will be held at the Rox Hotel in Aberdeen. There has been interest from potential buyers all over the world. It is hoped the Indian crew could be paid within two weeks of the vessel being sold. Six crew members headed home earlier this month, amid emotional scenes at Aberdeen International Airport. The remaining six are staying until the ship is sold. The men have not seen their families for more than 17 months. |
Last week there was a report in the French press that an Israeli salon was marketing a discreet hair-based kippa - the small cap worn as a visible symbol of Jewish faith - to European Jews who don't want to be that visible any more. | You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
Dominic CascianiHome affairs correspondent@BBCDomCon Twitter It is the kind of story that feels like it's a sign of the times in the wake of the Paris attacks and heightened concern among British security chiefs for the safety of Jewish communities here. In the UK, all the statistics for religiously motivated hate crime have been moving in the wrong direction. Last week's figures from the Community Security Trust, an expert body monitoring anti-Semitism in the UK, make grim and record-breaking reading. Anti-Semitic incidents more than doubled to 1,168 in 2014, the highest figure since the trust began monitoring in 1984. The previous year had been the lowest on record. There were 314 incidents in July alone - the highest recorded in a single month. Hate crime tends to be driven by "trigger" events - and last summer's trigger for anti-Semitism was the conflict in Gaza. The CST said that almost half of the offenders made reference to Gaza or Palestinians during the incidents it recorded in July and August. It can be really difficult to identify the perpetrator. In those incidents where the victim could do so, the CST figures reveal a number of perpetrators of either a South Asian, Arab or North African appearance. Muslim tensions Decades ago, the British extreme far right and fascism were the forces behind anti-Semitism. But on the face of it, the figures are now pointing to widespread anti-Jewish feelings among some Muslims in Britain. This analysis is shared by many leading progressive Muslim thinkers. But what these thinkers also point out is that the rise in attacks against Britain's Jews mirrors the trend for Muslims themselves - and the two communities need to make common cause. Police recorded 44,500 hate crimes in England and Wales during 2013-14. That was up 5% on the previous year across race, religion, sexual orientation, disability and transgender - the five key measures that feature in national figures. Some of that rise has been attributed to better reporting of existing levels of hate. But a further breakdown indicates there was a 45% jump in religiously motivated incidents to 2,300 - and that appears to have been largely down to more anti-Muslim incidents following the jihadist murder of Fusilier Lee Rigby in Woolwich. In London, the home of the largest numbers of British Jews and Muslims, police recorded 358 anti-Semitic crimes in 2014 and 611 anti-Muslim crimes. While the trigger for anti-Semitism comes down to haters blaming Britain's Jews for something they don't like about Israel, the mirror trigger for anti-Muslim crimes is yet another group of haters blaming Muslims for things that al-Qaeda inspired extremists have done. So how do you go about tackling this stuff? Social media The All-Party Parliamentary Group on Anti-Semitism's (APPG) latest report calls for internet "Asbos" to ban them from using social media to spread hate. It also wants the government to fund the security of synagogues and to review what's being done to improve interfaith relations. What will come of the first two remains to be seen - but on the interfaith issue, there is some hope. Tell Mama is a Muslim hate crime initiative that is closely modelled on the Community Security Trust and is backing the APPG's calls for social media Asbos because, quite simply, both communities are victims of hate crime. It wants more British Muslims to recognise and speak out about anti-Semitism because it is morally objectionable to suggest that one form of hate crime is worse than another. That view is shared by a host of individuals and small unnoticed organisations that work hard to improve understandings between the two faiths. A fortnight ago, two leading progressive British Muslims, Sughra Ahmed of the Islamic Society of Britain and Dilwar Hussain of New Horizons in British Islam, spoke eloquently in a north London synagogue about the sorrow and pain they felt over Paris. And - who'd have thought it - a synagogue in Bradford has even appointed a Muslim to its ruling body. |
Pakistan's on-off dialogue with the Taliban has been commanding headlines and the attention of politicians and diplomats. But there has been little interest in a dialogue that could end the longest civil war in Pakistan's history, says guest columnist Ahmed Rashid. | You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
On 17 January, 13 bodies were discovered from a mass grave in the village of Tutak near Khuzdar in Balochistan province. Only two of the mutilated, decomposed bodies have been identified so far - both were men who had disappeared four months earlier. A heartbreaking account of the mass grave by Saher Baloch, a journalist for Dawn newspaper, ends with the ominous prediction by an official that there are more bodies waiting to be found. The Frontier Corps, the anti-Shia group Lashkar-e-Jhangvi and other groups are all enmeshed in a decade-long campaign of "pick up and dump" in which Baloch nationalists, militants or even innocent bystanders are picked up, disappeared, tortured, mutilated and then killed. The army, paramilitaries and the government have consistently denied being responsible for violence in Balochistan, pointing instead to the myriad of armed groups operating in the region. But even though the Supreme Court has taken up some of the cases of the disappeared, the government of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has failed to engage with the issue. Untold story Nobody even knows how many people have have disappeared - the figures are between hundreds and several thousand. Now the families of those disappeared are on a long march through the winter months from Karachi to Islamabad to register their loss and grievances with the government. Wizened old men and women wrapped in chadors have been dragging children along and braving the cold and the rain. They entered Lahore earlier this month and have already been on the road for nearly four months. They said they do not even have a dead body to bury and want to know where the men of their families are. But the government has ignored them - it is almost as if they did not exist. So many journalists have been killed in Balochistan that there are few honest reports from the province in the national print or electronic media because journalists are too scared. The story of this bloody civil war is going untold. The chief minister of Balochistan Abdul Malik Baloch, who heads the weak provincial government in Quetta, has demanded a dialogue with the nationalist leaders. He is powerless unless the federal government and the army agree to rein in the violence many believe they are responsible for - something they utterly deny - and the militants agree to a ceasefire. The fifth Baloch insurgency against the Pakistan state began in 2003, with small guerrilla attacks by autonomy-seeking Baloch groups who over the years have became increasingly militant and separatist in ideology. Their leaders who are mostly in exile abroad now demand independence from Pakistan. Cycle of violence Unlike in past Baloch insurgencies when militants only targeted the army, this time the militants have targeted non-Baloch civilians living in Balochistan in an attempt to drive out other nationalities. Every disappeared Baloch leads to many more youngsters taking up arms. Every attack on the security forces leads to more disappeared. It is an endless cycle of violence that has gone on for 11 years. The tragedy is that although there is intense division in the country over talking to the Taliban - strong pro- and anti-lobbies hammer it out daily - there is no such dispute about talking to the Baloch nationalists. All the political parties seem to be in agreement about the need for a dialogue, but it is the army that has to agree to one. "After the opening of negotiations with the Taliban, it is even more absurd to be not offering an opening to talk to the Baloch nationalists," said IA Rehman, secretary-general of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan. "The lack of response is causing incalculable harm to Pakistan," he added. The Taliban have killed thousands of people in the past five years compared to the Balochistan insurgency where casualties have been far lower. But without a major initiative from the federal government to bring together the army, parliament, the political parties and other stakeholders in the establishment, it is unlikely there will be any move for opening talks with the Baloch militants. Pakistan remains fragile, with all the violence that the state faces from the Taliban and mayhem in Karachi. Meanwhile the economy only gets worse. As long as the government stays silent on Balochistan, the longest civil war in Pakistan's history will only create more casualties and break more records for longevity and heartbreak. |
One of Guernsey's main commuter roads will be closed for the next 11 weeks for electricity cable installation. | You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
Mount Row will be shut while Guernsey Electricity install ducts and cables to reinforce and develop the electricity supply around the St Martins area. The work was originally due to start on 10 January but was delayed to reduce the impact on road users. Diversions will be in place. A later phase in March will see La Ville Au Roi closed for up to 11 weeks. |
Daniel Day-Lewis has announced he is to retire from acting. It's a surprise - and yet not all that surprising - for an actor who made history as the first man to win three best actor Oscars, but who is also famous for leaving years between roles. | You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
By Genevieve HassanBBC News entertainment reporter The acclaimed actor won his first Academy Award in 1990 for My Left Foot, his second in 2008 for There Will Be Blood and third for Lincoln in 2013. That tally is bettered only by the inimitable Katharine Hepburn, who secured four best actress Oscars. Having starred in just five films over the past 20 years, Day-Lewis is famous for being choosy with his roles and for the huge amount of preparation he puts into his characters, both on screen and off. He notably confined himself to a wheelchair for his role in My Left Foot and became an apprentice butcher for his part in Gangs of New York. He also made cast and crew refer to him as Mr Lincoln while filming the movie about the US president, and he refused to step out of the role off-set. The actor told the BBC just before his third Oscar win that his immersive acting method made "complete sense" to him. "All you're trying to do is lay the groundwork, which might allow the imagination to free itself," he said. "When the imagination frees itself, you have no goddamn idea what's going to happen. So it's not a constrictive or restrictive way of working - quite the opposite." He added that he found it far easier to stay in character during the filming process, saying: "What would drain me much more, in my case, is jumping in and out of that world that we've gone to such an inordinate length to create for ourselves." But this also isn't the first time Day-Lewis has stepped out of the limelight, usually leaving long stretches of years between roles. He appeared to quit the business at the end of the 1990s and reportedly worked as a cobbler until Martin Scorsese convinced him to return to acting in Gangs of New York - so he may still be tempted back in the future. So what was the secret of his success? A selection of film experts give their opinion: Robbie Collin, Daily Telegraph "His unique selling point, as far as the hype around his films is concerned, is the enormous amount of preparation he puts into every role and his commitment to staying in that role when filming begins. "There's a mystique around his craftsmanship - there are anecdotes of him being addressed as Mr President on the set of Lincoln, and he got an apprenticeship in butchery after he was cast as a butcher in Gangs of New York. "But what matters is how that intensity and preparation translates onto the big screen. He is a presence that's totally cinematic and the sheer size of his character is impressive. When you think of There Will Be Blood, there was an enormous, empty landscape, but he filled it with his personality. "He did something similar with Lincoln - in preparing and inhabiting it, he's not just giving a performance as president, he embodies Lincoln and pushes through the iconic quality of the role." "The seriousness in which he takes his profession is beyond imagining - we know how dedicated he is. He's the perfect mix of English classical acting and American method acting, he merges the two perfectly. "His dilemma is - how do you become somebody who observes nature when you're as famous as he is? He's notorious for finding reasons not to do films and combs every project for reasons not to do it. "He has an extraordinary ability to mimic people and his chameleon ability is staggering. There's an extreme contrast between his role in There Will Be Blood and the role in Lincoln - you couldn't get two more different characters. "There are lengthy gaps in between his films, so when you see him, you're not bored because you've not seen him for a while. "He's got a perfect 'mid-Atlanticness', which makes it easy for him to be trans-Atlantic than someone like Hugh Grant, who's very much English." "The choice of who he works with is clearly a significant factor when it comes to recognition that those roles get. "He's very discerning - for Lincoln, it was Steven Spielberg trying to convince him as he had turned it down. So just because Spielberg comes knocking, it doesn't mean he'll take the role. It has to be pretty special. "As a result, after six months of research and method work, he delivers the goods. A role like Lincoln is the kind Oscar voters respond to because they're a bit older and this kind of prestige project is something that speaks to them. "He takes it to a level that others aren't prepared to do, where it's a much larger-than-life performance that would be corny if done by lesser actors. But he brings a truth to these roles through that method and that makes them convincing and worthy of awards. "In terms of other roles, [2009 film] Nine was a rare misfire. I think that's a case of him pushing himself in a different direction to bring a certain prestige to a musical role that hadn't been attempted before and it's association with a great film-maker like Fellini. But he's got a pretty strong hit rate." "He can play heroic characters. Even when he was starring in My Beautiful Laundrette, he turned it into a heroic character and that's not a very English quality. "Dan was always known as being top of the 'crumpet list' - he was very good looking and very sexy. He was also a good actor, but he was a dazzling fellow. "If you ask me to analyse what it is about him, about his character, I have no idea. We didn't think 'this bloke is about to become a huge star', just as we didn't think this film was going to be successful and change our lives. He was just Dan." A version of this story was first published on 25 February 2013. Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk. |
Clarks in Bishop Auckland was once a place where tiny feet were squeezed into their first pair of school shoes. Now, half-packed cardboard boxes are strewn across the deserted shop floor. | You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
By Harriet Agerholm, Emma Simpson & Daniele PalumboBBC News "This isn't goodbye," the notice in the window reassures passers-by. You can still buy Clarks shoes online - or drive 20 minutes to Durham. Clarks is just the latest shop to close its doors in the north-eastern English town. More than one in five properties lie vacant, almost double the national average of 12%. The deteriorating centre - its shop windows smeared with white paint - tells a similar story to many high streets across the country, which have struggled with the rise of online shopping. Bishop Auckland, with its 25,000 residents, used to be the heart of coal-mining country. The gradual demise of the industry in the latter half of the last century brought with it decades of economic decline. But the fortunes of the town may be about to change. It has something that others don't: a multimillionaire willing to pour his own money into its revival. Former stockbroker Jonathan Ruffer's interest in Bishop Auckland isn't immediately clear - the 68-year-old had no connection to Bishop Auckland until a decade ago. But the avid art collector decided to intervene when the Church of England chose to sell the town's most famous paintings that hung in Auckland Castle. He bought the set of portraits by the Spanish master Francisco de Zurbaran. Then he bought the castle. "My original intention was to buy the paintings as a way of saying 'I am on your side' to the community," says Mr Ruffer. "I was on the lookout for some way to engage with somewhere in the North East. I'm not the slightest bit interested in visitor attractions, I'm only interested in regeneration." After three years of extensive renovations, the 900-year-old castle re-opened to the public last year. So how much money is the businessman willing to spend? "I'm very shy when it comes to talking about the amount of expenditure," he says. "I'm a drain-pipe - whatever comes in at the top, leaves the bottom," he adds cryptically. Mr Ruffer grew up in Stokesley, near Middlesbrough, before heading south to study at Cambridge University. He went on to become one of the City's most successful fund managers, co-founding a London-based investment company. There he served wealthy clients and managed billions of pounds' worth of assets. It made him rich, too. Then Mr Ruffer, who describes himself as "quite Goddy", decided to give most of his fortune away. Philanthropy is a "vomit-inducing word", the devout Christian says, but he can't find another way to describe what he is doing. Seven years ago, Mr Ruffer started a charity to reinvigorate Bishop Auckland. Out of it has come an art museum documenting life in the coal mines, and from next year, tourists will be able to visit a Spanish art gallery which will house the masterpieces he bought 10 years earlier. A glass-domed restaurant in the walled gardens of the castle will open, and there is a plan to renovate several derelict hotels. The Auckland Project has also been buying up empty shops, but its proposals for them are still under wraps. Although Mr Ruffer is vague about the exact amount he's spending, the scale of the project is clear. He hopes the tourist attractions, which are just off the main shopping artery, Newgate Street, will help the "circulation of blood" to the town centre. But what do the locals make of it? David Little, who works in a shop on the High Street selling electrical appliances, says the castle is "beautiful", but its custom "doesn't trickle down to day-to-day business". "People go to the castle and go home," he says. "Tourists don't see Bishop - they see a car park." Mr Little, who has worked in the shop for 24 years, says old-fashioned customer service and a loyal following has helped the business survive, but he has seen a decline over the years. "The footfall just isn't what it used to be," he says. "There's businesses going all the time." One of the things sucking trade away from the high street is a new out-of-town retail park. In a heavy blow, Marks & Spencer upped sticks and moved to the complex in 2013, despite a petition signed by thousands of locals. By 2017, the big names were stampeding to the exit. Dorothy Perkins and Beales were among 20 chains that shut up shop. 'Too much emphasis' on regenerating cities The dramatic changes over the last ten years are illustrated by interactive map below, which uses figures on openings and closures collected by the Local Data Company. There are now 61 vacant units - more than half of which have sat empty for more than three years. Bishop Auckland: How one High Street has changed in 10 years Source: Local Data Company, map built using Carto Carl Marshall, who is responsible for economic regeneration at Durham County Council, insists the retail park is not solely to blame for the high street's decay. "Consumer habits have changed," he says. "If they weren't accessing out-of-town retail in Bishop Auckland they would just be travelling into Durham city, just up the road." So instead of trying to hang on to the big national retailers, the council is counting on Bishop Auckland attracting tourists who will visit local independent shops. Some new businesses have opened in recent years, with the number of cafes increasing. The new shops are not hipster boutiques - one of the cafes is a '50s-themed coffee shop which sells cream teas. While the council has bid for a £25m slice of a government fund to help struggling high streets, it's aware that Mr Ruffer's investment is on a scale that no local authority could match. Mr Ruffer is a "visionary" who has given Bishop Auckland a "unique opportunity" to become a tourist attraction, the councillor says. For a family-run business that was set up more than 50 years ago, Mr Ruffer's investment offers hope. Luca Rea-Dobson - a scaffolder who helps his mother Anna run the "proper cafe" - says the businessman's presence is a "blessing". He laughs as he says the former stockbroker "could have gone anywhere". But Mr Rea-Dobson says the businessman's investment has "split the town", with some locals becoming impatient. "You get a lot of people complaining that it's not happened overnight," he says. One of the multimillionaire's first projects was Kynren, an annual outdoor show on a farm near the castle that started in 2016. The performance tells the history of England with a 1,000-strong cast and crew made up of local volunteers. "I laughed when I first heard about it," says Mr Rea-Dobson. But he volunteered to take part anyway. "I had sleepless nights - I put scaffolding up for a living. I'd never wielded a sword before," he says. "But after the first show, the whole town was buzzing." Kynren is now a top UK attraction on TripAdvisor. Despite such successes, Mr Ruffer is aware that regenerating Bishop Auckland will take time. "We always felt this was a 25 year project," he says. "We're not quite half way through." In the meantime, Mr Rea-Dobson's mum, Anna, says she is seeing fewer and fewer people come through her cafe's door, although a loyal base of older regulars is keeping her going. She finds the promise of future trade from Mr Ruffer's tourist attractions encouraging. "It's what I hang on to, really," she says. She pauses, then adds: "How long I can hang on is another thing." Bishop Auckland's high street faces significant challenges. Like other towns, it's going to have to adapt to survive, though it's lucky to have a rich heritage and historical assets to make the most of. Its past is its future, in many ways, but saving a town isn't a quick fix. Still, could this town be at a tipping point? BBC News will be following the progress of Bishop Auckland's town centre this year as part of the #BBCMyHighStreet project. Do you have a story about your local high street which we should cover? Email myhighstreet@bbc.co.uk |
A man has been arrested after a cyclist died and two others were hurt in a crash involving a car in the Vale of Glamorgan. | You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
South Wales Police said the 26-year-old victim died at the scene on the A48 between the Cowbridge by-pass and Pentre Meyrick. The road was closed for a number of hours following the 07:20 BST incident. A 36-year-old man is being held on suspicion of death by dangerous driving. The two other cyclists were taken by ambulance to Bridgend's Princess of Wales Hospital with non life-threatening injuries. |
On Monday #towerlives kicks off, a week-long BBC festival of storytelling and music, on air and on the ground, in and around the council estate tower blocks of Butetown in Cardiff. Its aim is to give a platform to voices from a community often talked about but rarely heard. In the first of a series of stories from the tower blocks the BBC news website talks to one resident, who witnessed the extraordinary events that led to their construction, a history of fortunes - both financial and social - made and lost. | You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
By Ceri JacksonBBC News When the young Aristotle Onassis would sail in Cardiff's Tiger Bay, he always headed for one place. Away from the high commerce and architectural splendour of the dockland's banking halls and buildings - a stately procession of Georgian, Victorian and Edwardian-style magnificence befitting the world's coal metropolis - he would walk a short distance towards the legendary Bay. The young Onassis, destined to amass the largest privately owned shipping fleet and beguile the 20th Century as one of its richest and most celebrated men, would turn into George Street. There close to the bustling back-to-back terraces - a harmonious, cacophonous, cheek-by-jowl melting pot of 50-plus nationalities, faiths, costumes, food, music and customs - a Spanish immigrant who had settled in Tiger Bay ran a delicatessen. Onassis, then a humble teenage seaman, would walk under the rows of chorizo hanging from the rafters and make his way to a dining room upstairs. There he would join five or six fellow Greeks some of whom lived in the area, among them Alexanderos Callinicos, a local ship chandler. He was a friend of the shop's owner Josefina Hormaechea's and he would regularly ask her to prepare a meal - typically soup and roast lamb with potatoes - so the men could meet and discuss business. Whenever, years later, Josefina was reminded of her encounters with Onassis and people would ask her what he was like, her daughter Gloria Del Gaudio remembers she would exclaim: "He was a skinny, ugly little kid." To Josefina the man whose company the most glamorous and influential in the world would clamour for, was just another itinerant seamen washed ashore into Tiger Bay from the Seven Seas on an unrelenting, rhythmic human tide. "Cardiff was like Saudi Arabia at the turn of the 20th Century," says Neil Sinclair, author, historian and the only genuine Cardiff accent to feature in J Lee Thompson's 1959 movie Tiger Bay, which starred John Mills and his daughter Hayley in her first starring role at the age of 12. "But instead of oil it was the prized anthracite coal of the south Wales Valleys which was exported to the rest of the world. "It had been transformed from an insignificant village in the middle of marshland to a city at the centre of everything. Coal, iron and steel industry from the south Wales valleys had ignited Britain's' industrial revolution." The 'black gold' of the Rhondda created untold wealth. Cardiff docks made 'millionaires by the minute', its financial quarter second only to the Square Mile of London. The thronging trading hall of the magnificent Coal Exchange, now largely derelict, set the price of coal worldwide and it was where the signing of the first million pound cheque took place. And along with the financial prosperity came a societal richness. The high demand for labour led to the creation of one of Britain's first and arguably most distinctive and successful multi-cultural communities. "There was no place quite like it on earth," says Neil. "No matter where you were from, colour, religion, ethnicity, it didn't matter. Everyone thrived as one big community. "It was like walking into an Aladdin's Cave. It had the flavour of a Kasbah. At one time 57 different nationalities lived and worked in respectful harmony." The acclaimed Welsh poet, writer and broadcaster Gwyn Thomas said of Tiger Bay during a visit in the 1950s: "Whenever any two children of different races play together, humanity grows an inch or two; another ancient fear, another mouldering prejudice is told to mind its manners and behave." It is after all what we are famous for, so had the Welsh succeeded in teaching the world to sing in harmony? "Tiger Bay was in the simplest words possible a symbol of racial, ethnic, religious and ecumenical harmony," says Neil. "My mother used to say 'the League of Nations could learn a thing or two from Tiger Bay'." What a legacy for Cardiff; one to be cherished for generations to come you might think. But get off the train at Cardiff Central today and ask for directions to Tiger Bay and you are likely to be met with a scratching of heads. Just the other side of the railway track, almost every last vestige of the area has been wiped from the face of the earth; the fact it once existed let alone its staggering history largely unknown by many of those living in the city today. But then that, some bitterly protest, was precisely the plan. Cardiff, one of Europe's youngest capitals, is an emerging city on the UK map. A popular sporting, weekend and holiday destination it is prized for its vibrant nightlife, culture, shopping and gateway to outstanding rural and coastal wildernesses. But as the ghosts of the past would attest, the 'Diff' as it is has become affectionately known is no 'new kid on the block'. The city's re-discovered swagger was woven into its DNA generations ago. Neil Sinclair grew up in Tiger Bay. He still lives in the area in a high-rise council tower block of flats, built on the bulldozed rubble of his childhood home. What happened to it was, he says, "one of the most torrid pages of meanness and spitefulness to be found in the annals of Welsh history". That history begins with John Crichton-Stuart, the 2nd Marquess of Bute. A wealthy Scottish aristocrat, landowner and industrialist he realised vast wealth lay in the south Wales coalfields and set about exploiting it. In 1839 the first in a series of docks was built - Bute West Dock, Bute East Dock, Roath Basin, Roath Dock followed and finally in 1907 the Queen Alexandra Dock. Fine buildings sprung up and squares of decorative four-storey town houses were built around tranquil parks to accommodate magnates, merchants and sea captains. Loudoun Square was chief among them and as the wealthy later began their migration to more verdant suburbs emerging in Cardiff, such as Cathedral Road, it become the beating heart of Tiger Bay. Surrounding it were the terraces of Butetown which ran off the main artery of Bute Street and had been built as a model village in the early 19th Century for workers. Christina Street, Maria Street, Angelina Street, Sophia Street - addresses which remain today - were named after children in Crichton-Stuart's family. By the later 1800s Butetown had taken on its unofficial name as the legendary Tiger Bay, the source of tales once told by sailors around the world. "Local folklore has it that there was a woman who used to walk around Loudoun Square with two tigers but then seamen were known for their tall tales," says Neil. "Portuguese sailors are believed to have come up with the name. The tides in the area are notoriously difficult. After successfully docking they would say that sailing into Cardiff was like sailing through a bay of tigers. And so it was - Tiger Bay stuck." Another theory is that its reputation as a wild hotbed of hedonism, rough house boozers, crime, prostitution and illegal gambling earned it sole use of a once generic term long used by sailors for raucous ports everywhere. Some of the nicknames given to the area's 97 pubs - House of Blazes, Bucket of Blood, Snakepit - infamous for brawling sailors and prostitutes could add some weight to that. It was a tough, hard life. No doubt about that. But many who grew up there would say that theory was just part of the conspiracy. Other pubs were equally as well known for fantastic jazz and superb French cuisine, a magnet to out-of-town Bohemian types. "This was a sea port and sea ports have had this sort of reputation for millennia," Neil says. "If you have a Dickensian view of dockland life anywhere in the world you would cast aspersions on Tiger Bay. But that was purely an outsider's view. "This was a major industrial port and thousands of workers descended upon it daily. Come 4 o'clock when the whistle blew they came out in what seemed like their millions. "They got on their bikes but they didn't go home and slap the money on the table for their mams, they headed for the pubs and the place was jumping. "And that's where your prostitutes come in. When the men were paid it was like moths to flames. But that's how the city of Cardiff gained its wealth, off the backs of those people. "Yes, if you wanted trouble you could find trouble but that stigma obscures the fact that the majority of the men who lived there were hard working members of the community, not pimps running whores. Far from it. "Everyone looked out for one another and nobody ever locked their door. If this was such a dreadful place then surely we'd have all been murdered in our beds? "It was stigmatised. Good old fashioned racism. This was commonly stated on the streets of Tiger Bay - 'if you're black stand back, if you brown stick around, and if you're white, you're alright'. "The Victorian Imperial mentality was very much 'oh, what do black people do after dark?' They became the boogie man. Upper class families used to say to their kids who wouldn't go to bed 'I'll take you to Loudoun Square and leave you there!'." By the beginning of the 20th Century the district had a burgeoning population of inter-racial married couples and their families. Among them Shirley Bassey, rugby legends Billy Boston MBE and Colin Dixon, heavyweight boxer Joe Erskine and swimmer and water polo Olympian Paolo Radmilovic, his father a Tiger Bay pub landlord from Croatia and his mother, the Cardiff-born daughter of Irish immigrants. He won four gold medals across three successive Olympic Games, a team GB record only broken by Sir Steve Redgrave. Many of the local women who had married foreign men were commonly denounced as prostitutes who had shamed their chapel-going families by marrying 'heathens'. "Part of the reason why multiculturalism worked was down to our Welsh mams and Welsh-speaking grandmothers," insists Neil. "The sea men who were the heads of the family were more away at sea than they were at home. The white women in particular created a strong sisterhood, a Celtic matriarchy that kept us in line. "Many of them came from the valleys and when it was discovered that they'd married an Arab or a Malay or an African, they were ostracised. "They couldn't go back home. So Tiger Bay became their home and they formed a strong alliance. We were one big family. "Cardiff was a place people would head for. My grandfather docked in Bristol from Barbados. As a seaman of colour he was confronted with racism. But the word had got out 'if you want to feel at home, get to Tiger Bay'." Others did not share the enthusiasm. Around the time of the Great War as the docks was at its zenith, the self-proclaimed moral arbiters of the day made no secret of their loathing, and stories spread about "Cardiff girls sold into slavery every night". Newspapers reported stories about policemen patrolling the streets armed with sabres and of grave concerns of a "great increase in alien floating population… earning high wages able to buy property for fancy prices and clear out British residents". In truth seamen and dockers were poorly paid and their families led a hard life. And it was about to get even harder. Cardiff had enjoyed the boom, now it was time for the bust. Oil was growing in importance as a maritime fuel and by 1932, in the depths of the depression, coal exports had plummeted. Despite intense activity during the Second World War, exports continued to fall, ceasing altogether in 1964. There was mass unemployment and parts of Tiger Bay's housing, which had no indoor toilets or bathrooms, had fallen further into dilapidation. There was also a rise in tuberculosis and social deprivation. In the early 1960s under the orders of the city's fathers, the bulldozers began moving in. Tiger Bay, along with all of the area's 97 pubs, bar one, the Packet, was razed. Residents were moved to other areas of the city with the promise they could return to newly-built council homes. But after a period of a couple of years, many had settled and did not come back. The community had broken up. "They said it was a slum and all the lies you can imagine," Neil says. "From an insider's perspective we were targeted, something to be got rid of. "Rather than renovate housing in stages as they'd done in neighbouring Grangetown for instance, they wanted us gone and one way to do that was to knock it all down. "All they succeeded in doing was destroying the architectural legacy of the Marquess of Bute for Cardiff and for Welsh history. "Replace it with the first council estate to be dropped on to an inter-generational, multicultural, multiethnic, multiecumenical community. It was a tragedy. "As a child you think the whole world is like your immediate environment. It was only as I got older that I realised the rest of the world didn't live as we did, they didn't have respect and tolerance for one another. "If I'd known then that it was only ever going to be a moment in time, I'd have screamed blue murder. But you thought it was going to be this way for the rest of your life." Neil says when they witnessed the old trees being ripped from the park of Loudoun Square, they knew the game was up, a community which had grown over 150 years was gone. "Loudoun Square was the jewel in the crown," he says. "I've been in London wandering round and turn a corner and my heart drops because I see a square reminiscent of it and I think 'our Cardiff could've been so fabulous'. "All those houses were solidly built. Some of the terraces had granite foundations. The wrecking balls were hitting the walls eight to nine times before they would give. "If they were here today, they would be the houses tourists would flock to see. Instead we have a lacklustre council estate, an architectural monstrosity." In a BBC Wales interview in 1982 the then Lord Mayor of Cardiff Philip Dunleavy described the building of the tower blocks as "a disaster" and one which Cardiff would not repeat. "They're anti-social," he said. "I don't know if you've been on to the top floors but it's like living in the country, one's very remote except for the corridor on which one lives. "People tend to get lonely and the neighbourliness they experienced when they lived in terraced houses has disappeared." By the early 1980s the once thriving docks was a neglected wasteland of dereliction and mudflats. Its residents say they suffered from social exclusion, above average unemployment and social services which used their home as a "dumping ground" for problem cases. The docklands had given the city its wealth but had then been disinherited. In 1987 redevelopment plans were announced. Its aim clearly stated: To put Cardiff on the international map as a superlative maritime city which will stand comparison with any such city in the world, thereby enhancing the image and economic well-being of Cardiff and Wales as a whole. The irony was not lost on some. After all that description sounded painfully familiar. In 1999 the construction of a controversial barrage was complete, built to impound the rivers Taff and the Ely to create a massive fresh-water lake. The area - now home to the Senedd, Dr Who studios, a sports village, restaurants, bars and the Wales Millennium Centre - was re-branded as Cardiff Bay. Meanwhile, a stone's throw away in Butetown, the grievances persist. "The stigma's still there," says Neil. "That's the Cardiff mentality. "Living in the towers is like living in a prison; cameras on every floor. That's not just my point of view. Many people will say the same thing. "People of my age and older are walking around with a pain in the heart. "I might go to sleep every night in the new Loudoun Square but when my head hits the pillow I'm back in the old Loudoun Square." Neil wrote his book 'Endangered Tiger' in a bid to restore a sense of pride for Tiger Bay. In it he cites a poem called Sweet Tiger Bay attributed only to 'M' which was published in the Western Mail on Saturday, August 23rd 1902. Its final lines encapsulate the love and lament felt by so many, living and dead, for the magic and mayhem of the place: I live in troubles, but they pass like bubbles, When Fancy conjures up the days that were: Put Death before me and an Angel o'er me, To bear me upward-this to him I'd say: "Young friend, your attitude has won my gratitude; But please, another night in Tiger Bay!" |
A man charged with attempted murder following a hammer and machete attack at a Tesco store in Mold, north Wales, has appeared in court. | You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
Zachary Davies, 25, of Mold, appeared in Mold Crown Court via video link from Ashworth Hospital to deny attempting to murder Sarandev Bhambra of Leeds. Mr Bhambra, 24, suffered deep cuts to his head, back and hands following an assault in January. The trial was adjourned until 22 June. Mr Davies was remanded in custody. |
Shortly after the end of World War Two a group of young Holocaust survivors was flown to the UK to recuperate. Thirty of them were housed in the Berkshire town of Ascot, famous for the pomp of the Royal Ascot horse races, where they made an incongruous sight, writes Rosie Whitehouse. | You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
Margaret Nutley remembers her first meeting with a group of unfamiliar boys on the Ascot racecourse. It was autumn 1945, and they were playing football, wearing striped jackets from a concentration camp. "The course was not fenced off as it is today and us local children used it as a playground. One day I went up with my friends to muck about and there they were. They were just there, playing like the rest of us. "The boys showed us their tattoos and talked about what had happened to them, but not boastfully." Nutley, now 85, noticed that they were "happy people", despite what they had been through. "People don't understand. They were not downtrodden and broken but proud that they had survived, and not shy to say so," she says. "They were very friendly, chatty… They were the lucky boys." When Nutley recently shared her memories in a group chat on Facebook, she was ridiculed for suggesting that three boys had been wearing their striped camp outfits. But her recall is sharp, and in fact many concentration camp survivors kept items of clothing as proof of what they had endured. They were proud of the jackets and trousers that symbolised their survival and it seems likely that they wore them to identify their team when they played against local boys. Two of the teenagers may well have been 13-year-old Ivor Perl and his 15-year-old brother, Alec. Born in the small town of Mako in southern Hungary, they had survived Auschwitz and a death march to Dachau. Then, in the autumn of 1945, they had been flown to Southampton and brought to recuperate in Ascot. Perl, who now lives in Essex, remembers that he met some girls on Ascot racecourse and "took a fancy" to them, but he cannot remember their names. The brothers were among several hundred children, mostly boys, who were offered a helping hand by the Central British Fund (CBF), the same organisation that had arranged the Kindertransport bringing 10,000 predominantly Jewish children to Britain in the months before World War Two. At least 1.5 million Jewish children had been murdered in the Holocaust, but after the war the CBF lobbied the government to grant visas to the few thousand who had survived. The Home Office agreed to allow 732 into Britain for two years' rehabilitation - but only on the condition that they would not cost the taxpayer a penny. The money to care for the teenagers was raised by the Jewish community. After liberation at Dachau in April 1945, Perl was skin and bones and close to death from typhus. Once he had recovered, he and his brother prepared to go home to see if their parents and seven siblings had survived. But when informed by the Red Cross that they were the sole survivors of their family, they thought again and decided instead to go to Palestine, which was then under British control. There was a problem with this plan too, though. "The authorities caring for us in Germany explained that the British were blocking immigration to Palestine and we should apply for visas to the UK," Perl says. He jumped at the idea. "England was like the golden land," he says. And it was an opportunity to get out of Germany. The boys were flown from Munich in Stirling bombers and taken to Woodcote House, a large manor opposite Ascot racecourse with large gardens full of rhododendron bushes. It belonged to a member of the local council and had been used to house Jewish evacuees during the war. In charge of the 30 boys there was Manny Silver, a 22-year-old Jew from Leeds. Silver, whose father had been born in Poland, found the boys little different from himself except that the 21 miles of the English Channel had saved him from their fate. Silver had no training and no assistance from psychologists but in his team were young German Jews who had arrived on the Kindertransport several years earlier. Rehabilitation started with the basics. The boys had to be taught table manners. Their experiences meant that every mealtime they sneaked slices of bread from the table to hide in their pockets and under the pillows of their beds, and they had to be persuaded that they did not need to do this. The emphasis was on the future and providing them with the skills to build a new life. The languages used in Woodcote House were German and Yiddish but the boys were issued with English textbooks donated by the British Council. Silver recalled, many years later, that they "had a devouring need to learn". For Perl, life in England was very different from his upbringing in an Orthodox religious family. "We did not know what life was really about. I had not seen double decker buses and traffic lights. It was all new!" he says. "Religion is about restrictions and the lack of someone to tell us what to do was also liberating." He remembers that they went on trips to the cinema and were given bikes to explore the locality. One of the letters he keeps in a file that is clearly precious to him describes him as "a cheeky boy." After Woodcote closed in 1947, some of the boys, including Perl and his brother, remained in the UK. But nearly all wanted to go to Palestine, Silver recalled, and when war broke out in 1948 many did, to fight for the new state of Israel. Perl also considered signing up but was persuaded not to risk his life by one of his teachers. "I thought 'Palestine can wait' as, above anything, I wanted to taste life," he says. Eighty-five-year-old Irene Baldock's mother, Martha Turner, worked at Woodcote. The family were from London's East End and they had settled in Ascot when their shop in Hackney was destroyed in the Blitz. Her younger sister, Dorrie, spent a lot of time at the hostel playing table tennis with the boys. Sammy Diamond was one of them, Baldock says, and he was "sweet on Dorrie and spent a lot of time at our home". Both were 18 in the winter of 1945/46, Diamond having lied about his age in order to get one of the visas to the UK, which were intended for under-16s. He had been in the camps of Buchenwald and Theresienstadt and had flown to the UK from Prague in August 1945 with 300 other young survivors. According to Baldock Diamond was "very exuberant and had a good sense of humour. He had short dark curly hair and a happy face." He had been born Samuel Diament in the industrial city of Lodz, now in central Poland, and Baldock says his upbringing was similar to hers. "Our family was much as his had been and we made him welcome. My mother had worked for a Jewish tailor and we had lots of Jewish friends and neighbours in Hackney. "He once came back from America where he became a tailor as he wanted to see my mother. He had been separated from his mother in the camp." Baldock says she would love to know what happened to him and if he had a family. As children, she and Nutley were both taken by their mothers to see the shocking newsreels of the liberation of Belsen, which led to the Woodcote boys becoming known locally as the "Belsen Boys". Today both women say they are concerned about history repeating itself. Baldock says she knows children now learn a lot about World War One but fears they are not taught enough about World War Two. If they were, she thinks, it would help them understand the contemporary world, and enable them to see the danger of intolerance. For his part, Ivor Perl, who has spoken widely about his experiences in schools, is concerned that understanding of the Holocaust in Britain is too narrow. "People always ask me if I hate Germans, but it was the Hungarian boys I used to play football with in my home town who rounded us up into the ghetto with sticks," he says. One person who was fascinated to read Nutley's post about the Woodcote boys, is Elizabeth Yates, clerk of Ascot's parish council - who moved to the area from Mill Hill in North London 18 years ago. "This is not an area normally associated with this kind of tale," she says. "People are always surprised when they discover I am Jewish and often say, 'I didn't think we had people like you in the area!'" She is keen for the story to be used in local schools, partly because her own children's Holocaust education - which began with the two of them being invited up on to the stage at a school assembly along with two German boys - left room for improvement. "The teacher gave a brief outline of the Holocaust, and as a result one of the German boys was beaten up in the playground," she says. "I think we can and should improve on that in Ascot. "The rediscovery of this story offers us a unique opportunity that should not be missed. Ascot offered the boys hope and a new life. That is a positive message to get across in the present climate." Photographs by Rachel Judah, unless otherwise indicated UPDATE, October 2018: : This publication of this story helped give rise to the Ascot Holocaust Education Project, which aims to promote understanding of the Holocaust through the story of the 30 survivors cared for at Woodcote House. More on this subject After World War Two, the BBC attempted to find relatives of children who had survived the Holocaust - they had lost their parents but it was believed they might have family in Britain. "Captive Children, an appeal from Germany," the radio broadcast begins. One by one, for five minutes, the presenter asks relatives of 12 children to come forward. With each name comes a short but devastating summary of the child's ordeal under the Nazis. Read: Tracing the children of the Holocaust Join the conversation - find us on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Twitter. |
Despite all the other issues demanding China's attention this year - the virus, its trade war with the US, Hong Kong's national security law, and a host of economic woes - the South China Sea has been revived in recent months as an arena for serious tensions. | You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
With US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo now - for the first time - calling China's territorial claims in the South China Sea unlawful, Alexander Neill examines China's plans to extend its reach in the region. The South China Sea, home to vital shipping lanes, has been a flashpoint for years, with several countries claiming ownership of its small islands and reefs and with it, access to resources. In recent years, China has been increasingly assertive over what it claims are its centuries-old claims to the contested region, and has been rapidly building up its military presence to back up those claims. Former Commander of US Pacific Command, Admiral Harry Harris once referred to this as the "Great Wall of Sand" - a "nine-dash line" creating a protective ring and supply network around Chinese territory at sea, as the wall did on land. But while China and the US have traded increasingly barbed comments over the South China Sea, broadly speaking, they had managed such differences. Despite their trade conflict, the US had avoided taking sides in China's territorial disputes with other countries - other than to demand freedom of movement for its vessels. Then, the Covid-19 pandemic hit. Criticism of China's early handling of the outbreak, led by the US, has enraged China. Many Western leaders appear to be persuaded by Mr Pompeo's argument that China was exploiting the pandemic to double-down on its coercive behaviour in general. And those rising tensions have been playing out in the South China Sea. Military tensions at a worrying time In early April, a Chinese Coast Guard vessel rammed and sank a Vietnamese fishing vessel close to the Paracel Islands, which China and Vietnam claim as theirs. Then, a Malaysian oil exploration project also found its operations disrupted off the coast of Borneo by a Chinese marine survey vessel, the Haiyang Dizhi 8, backed by China's Navy and Coast Guard. Consequently, the USS America, a US Navy amphibious assault ship, joined by an Australian frigate, was deployed to waters nearby. The escalation continued with the deployment of two US Navy guided missile destroyers, USS Bunker Hill and USS Barry to the Paracel and Spratly Islands (known as the Xisha and Nansha in Chinese) respectively. The warships conducted Freedom of Navigation Operations (FONOPs) aimed at challenging what the US views as a pattern of China's unlawful claims in international waters. Most recently, China closed off a swathe of sea space to conduct naval exercises in the waters surrounding the Paracel Islands. The US angrily said this violated Chinese commitments to avoid activities exacerbating disputes. Meanwhile, the US Navy deployed not one but two aircraft carrier strike groups - the USS Nimitz and USS Ronald Reagan - for joint operations in the region. In addition to the US Navy fighters conducting carrier operations and the P8-Poseidon Maritime Patrol Aircraft criss-crossing the sea, the US Air Force sent a B-52 strategic bomber for good measure. China's state media reacted with predictable vitriol. The US Navy's surge into the South China Sea increases the risk of an incident between the two rival powers and a rapid escalation in hostility. The situation is particularly dangerous in light of a recent pattern of increasing assertiveness by China over its "core concerns". Its recent use of lethal force on its disputed border with India, and the imposition of the National Security Law on Hong Kong, have prompted many to ask how restrained China is likely to be in its response to these challenges. What is China's South China Sea goal? Beijing views the South China Sea as a crucial part of its maritime territory, not only serving as a bastion for its seaborne nuclear deterrent based on Hainan island but also as a gateway for the Maritime Silk Road, part of China's Belt and Road Initiative. The South China Sea is critical, for example, for the future success of China's Greater Bay Area economic development plan, into which Hong Kong is incorporated. China's plan for populating the South China Sea was launched in 2012 when "Sansha City", the administrative centre for all Chinese-claimed features in the South China Sea on Woody Island in the Paracels, was upgraded from county to prefecture-level status. The government re-settled the small fishing community there into modern dwellings, built a primary school, a bank and a hospital and installed mobile communications. Tourists have been visiting on regularly scheduled cruises to the islands. The second phase of the plan was initiated in April this year, when China created two further county level administrative districts subordinate to Sansha City, including the establishment of Nansha District People's government, headquartered on Fiery Cross Reef and administering all the Chinese claimed features of the Spratly Islands. In the six years since China began reclamation of several reefs and atolls in the Spratlys, satellite and air surveillance has revealed one of the world's greatest feats in maritime engineering and military construction. In addition to the military facilities on the islands - including 3,000m runways, naval berths, hangars, reinforced ammunition bunkers, missile silos and radar sites - images show neatly arranged accommodation blocks, administrative buildings roofed with blue ceramic tiles, hospitals, and even sports complexes on the reclaimed islands, which have become visibly greener. Subi reef is now home to a farm - including a six-acre fruit and vegetable plot pollinated by bees imported from the mainland, a herd of pigs, flocks of poultry and fish ponds. Meanwhile, the China Academy of Sciences established an Oceanographic Research Centre on Mischief Reef in January 2019. China's top hydrologists have announced that the water table on Fiery Cross - once little more than a rock in the sea - has been expanding rapidly and will allow water self-sufficiency within 15 years (link in Chinese). The residents of the island already enjoy 5G mobile data access and availability of fresh fruit and vegetables shipped in refrigerated containers. Imagery also shows large fishing fleets moored in the larger lagoons on Subi and Mischief reef. Perhaps before too long, fishing families could be permanently housed on China's southernmost islands, their children schooled alongside those of party and government officials. An 'irreversibly' Chinese waterway? The most symbolic evidence of China's push into the South China Sea is quite literally set in stone - transplanted from mainland China. In April 2018, 200-tonne commemorative megaliths, erected on each of the three biggest island bases in the Spratly Islands were unveiled amid some secrecy. Quarried from Taishan stone and shipped to the Spratly islands, the monuments resonate with President Xi Jinping's China Dream of national rejuvenation. Mount Taishan is viewed as the most sacred of China's mountains, a symbol of unbroken Chinese civilisation for thousands of years. All of this shows China has moved into a second phase of a calculated plan to make this great strategic waterway of South East Asia an irreversibly Chinese one. The recent US Navy exercises in the South China Sea were aimed at demonstrating US resolve to protect the "freedom of the seas": for the US Navy to operate in and ultimately protect the seaspace across these international waters. Alongside the US Naval manoeuvres, Mr Pompeo's announcement formally stating that China's claims across the region are "completely unlawful" begs the question of what the US is prepared to do next. At a minimum, Mr Pompeo wants to build a diplomatic coalition to demonstrate China's self-isolation, not just with some of the other claimants but also along with bigger powers. The US could very rapidly reduce China's new Nansha district to concrete and coral rubble - but this would entail a war for which neither the US nor China has an appetite. Alexander Neill is a military analyst and director of a strategic advisory consultancy in Singapore |
A man is in critical condition after he was involved in a crash between a tractor and a van in the Highlands. | You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
Emergency services were called to the A95's Skye of Curr junction near Grantown on Spey at about 07:45. The 33-year-old suffered serious injuries and was airlifted to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary for treatment. The road was closed at the scene for eight hours while investigations were carried out. Sgt Angus MacLeod issued an appeal for information to road users who may have been in the area at the time. He urged anyone with dashcam footage to speak to officers via the Police Scotland non-emergency line. |
A sheep that got two of its legs "well and truly stuck" in a bridge's grid was rescued using sunflower oil. | You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
The ewe was spotted by a dog walker off Pontycapel Road in Merthyr Tydfil. RSPCA inspector Gemma Cooper said she asked the dog walker to fetch some sunflower oil from home when she was unable to free the animal. The sheep only had superficial wounds to its legs and was "walking well" after its release on Boxing Day, she said. "After coating her legs with the oil I was able to free her safely within a matter of five minutes," Ms Cooper said, adding: "It was a very satisfying moment." The sheep was later reunited with its owner. |
Full text of the lecture as delivered at the Royal Television Society on 28 September 2017: | You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
Nick RobinsonPresenter, Today programme I am honoured to be asked to deliver this, the first annual Steve Hewlett memorial lecture. Thank you to the RTS, the Media Society and to Rachel for inviting me to deliver it. It's great to have Steve's boys - Freddie, Billy, Bertie - here, his sister Sue and other members of the family too. Steve's death was news - national news - which, had he been here to see it and to see you all gathered here for the first annual Steve Hewlett memorial lecture - would have produced one of those characteristically laconic Hewlett chuckles. It was news, of course, because millions had grown used to turning up the car radio or stopping the ironing or waiting before turning on the kettle to make sure they not miss the latest weekly instalment of the Hewlett cancer chronicle - in which a middle aged man described the pain in his oesophagus; the splitting of his nails or chapping of his feet; the search for the drug or the treatment that might buy him some relief and some more time before the end which he sensed and we sensed was coming all too fast. "To cut a long story short" was one of Steve's catchphrases. His tales from the medical frontline - many of his tales - were, of course, anything but short and could, of course, be all too painful to listen to. Few would have imagined that they would be a recipe for broadcasting gold. Except, perhaps, for Steve. They were one last reminder of his sixth sense which meant he knew, he just knew, the stories that would engage an audience and, boy, did he know how to tell them. It was something I saw from the moment I first met him. I was as establishment as you could get - a BBC trainee straight out of university who'd been schooled at the Oxford Union debating society. Steve, on the other hand, carried the aura of radical chic which came from his time at the new and positively daring Channel 4 where, it was said, he'd made a film giving a Marxist interpretation of cricket - combining two of his greatest passions. Years later, he would become editor of Panorama and inherit me as his deputy. We accidentally made history together - and not in the way we would have liked - by becoming the first ever programme to have an interview with the prime minister blocked from transmission by a court ruling. "Cutting a long story short" it involved me falling out with a certain Alex Salmond for the first but certainly not for the last time. Steve could have blamed me. But he backed me. It's what great editors do but it is something they can only do if like Steve, they are rigorous in their approach to the facts, open minded to the views of their critics and brave enough to take editorial risks and to defend their team when they do. Even more years after that he and I would talk regularly - both on air and off - about the issues he analysed and explained as presenter of Radio 4's Media Show. It was there that Steve won the Nick Clarke Award for an interview which the judges described as 'challenging, well argued, well structured, well informed, impartial and courteous'. A fine summary of his journalism. What brought us closer, though, was our shared experience of cancer. When I was recovering from the surgery which successfully removed my tumour but robbed me of my voice, Steve reassured me and wrote in the Radio Times that the audience would get used to my new throaty sound. When he told me about his diagnosis I wrote him a beginners guide on how to cope with chemotherapy. I still fondly recall the marathon cancer chat we had during a more than two hour drive from my home in London to the University of Essex to help open their new journalism course. When I finally arrived and got Steve off the phone I realised I'd forgotten to talk about what I called him in the first place to discuss - journalism! Tonight I'm determined not to repeat that mistake. I am here to talk about the business - you might even dub it a calling - which Steve loved. A love and a calling which so many of you share. Telling stories about the world we live in. Stories designed to explain it to people, to reveal things they don't but ought to know. Stories that educate, inform and, yes thank you Lord Reith - entertain. Or what we call, rather less inspiringly, news and current affairs. Themes So, to cut a long story short my message tonight will be that: News is too important to be reduced to a three letter word - OMG or LOL or WTF - with all else left hidden by the all powerful algorithms which prioritise emotion - whether empathy or anger - over facts and analysis. But that is the risk given the rise of news on social media. AND given signs of an erosion of trust in the UK media, I will argue we need to learn from Steve's open minded willingness to challenge the conventional wisdom. AND to embrace a mission to engage with the audience we are not currently reaching. That will involve finding new ways to ensure on air diversity - not just gender, ethnicity and age but, crucially, background too. And what should come with it - diversity of thinking. Finally we will need to re-make the case for impartial news media. The challenge Let's begin - as Steve might have said - at the beginning. When Steve first became a journalist people had the choice of just three TV channels. There were no news channels, websites, blogs or social media Apples were what you put in a pie. Galaxies a chocolately treat. Don't worry this isn't going to become the journalistic equivalent of the four Yorkshiremen sketch. But - bear with me just for a moment - spin on to when Steve became editor of Panorama and I was his deputy in the mid 1990s. There were now - wait for it - four terrestrial channels. Sky TV had just been invented. As had the worldwide web just been invented. But you know all that. What you may not know is what the latest figures show: To summarise a little crudely - fewer and fewer young people are watching news on TV. More and more of them are getting it whilst looking at their phone on the loo. To summarise rather less crudely let me quote one of the bosses of one of those corporate giants who pose the greatest challenge to the old ways of doing things - the head of Google News - Richard Gingras who I met a week or two back in Silicon Valley. He, bear in mind, is a veteran journalist who's had ink on his fingers not a teenage techie. "We came from an era of dominant news organisations, often perceived as oracles of fact. We've moved to a marketplace where quality journalism competes on equal footing with raucous opinion, passionate advocacy, and the masquerading expression of variously-motivated bad actors." Gingras points out what is, perhaps, the key challenge posed by social media - "Affirmation is more satisfying than information. Always has been." Now before I move on to what I think we should do to respond to these challenges and before anyone assumes I am in despair. let's just note that BBC News reached three-quarters of adults in the UK each week in 2016/17; more than any other news provider. And we are trusted - 91% of under 34s came to BBC 2017 election coverage in the week of the vote. And, if you'll forgive me an immodest note here, record numbers are tuning in to that old veteran - the Today programme even in our sixtieth year. But one stat I've learned preparing for this speech made me realise that we cannot say complacently "The young will grow into watching or listening to BBC. After all we did." It's a stat about Facebook which - remember fellow Twitter obsessives - is really where more and more people get their news. BBC News has an impressive 44 million followers on the site. Yet most of our stories don't actually reach more than a tenth of that figure - four million. The algorithms tend to favour what people like and share and people like and share things which produce an emotional reaction. So following the BBC doesn't put it high on your news feed. You must follow it AND you and family and friends must choose to like or share it regularly which only really happens when people think OMG, LOL or WTF. But perhaps the figure that raised my eyebrows the highest was those for trust. What's the problem? What underlies this decline in trust? It is due, I believe, to two main factors - the increased polarization of our society and our national debate and the increased use, particularly by the most committed & most partisan, of social media and alternatives to what they call MSM - the mainstream media. In the space of just three years the country has seen a referendum on whether to split up the UK followed by one on whether to split away from the EU, had two general elections, changed prime ministers, gone from having a majority government to a minority propped up the DUP and seen the unlikely rise and rise of an opposition leader who was at first regarded by himself, never mind anyone else, as having no chance of getting and no interest in having the job. But it is not just politics that is divided. Our society is. Jon Snow spoke powerfully and movingly in his MacTaggart lecture about his encounters with the residents of Grenfell Tower. "Where were you? Why didn't you come here before?" some shouted at him. I had my own experience of how the news we report is seen and heard on the streets - not at Grenfell Tower - but on the streets of Finsbury Park in the early hours of 19 June. It was a hot night. The windows of my bedroom in Highbury in North London were open when I heard the scream of sirens and the insistent buzz of low flying helicopters. I did - what so many of our listeners and viewers do now - I reached not for the radio on switch or the remote control but for my phone and went to Twitter. Just down the road police had closed off a road after a van had struck worshippers outside a mosque. I threw on some clothes, rang the office and ran down the road where within seconds I was surrounded by a group of young Muslim men waving their mobile phones at me. They were angry - and not just because some were desperate to get beyond the blue police tape that was now blocking their route to see if family and friends were safe. Why - they demanded to know - are you not calling it terrorism? They showed me the BBC's report which described a "collision". So too, in fairness, did other mainstream sites like Sky News. I tried explaining that news organisations always waited for the police to determine whether an incident was an accident, an attack or, indeed, terror. They weren't impressed. They thought we were on their side of those who wanted to cover up attacks on their community. They said they trusted their own media more. It is a pattern we see increasingly. People who seen themselves as not part of the establishment - whether young Muslims, Scottish Nationalists or UKIP-ers, Corbynites or Greens, backers of Leave pre-referendum but, since the vote, backers of Remain - have not just complained about the coverage of what they increasingly refer to as the MSM. They have their own alternative media sites - Wings over Scotland or Westmonster or The Canary or - in the case of the pro EU crowd - a new newspaper - The New European. They would all be horrified to be compared with each other since what motivates them is the belief that the other lot are not just mistaken but an existential threat to the future of their country but they have and do often respond in similar ways to what they call the mainstream media. Their most shared and liked stories are attacks on the MSM and the BBC in particular for ignoring their stories or giving too much coverage to the other side. They share a certainty fuelled by living in a social media bubble that we reporters and presenters are, at best, craven - obeying some dictat from our bosses or the government - and, at worst, nakedly biased. Some might respond to this by saying - it was ever thus. Broadcasters and the BBC in particular have been accused of bias by politicians ever since a young Winston Churchill launched an assault on the BBC for its coverage of the General Strike in 1926. You cannot, he argued, be impartial between "the fireman and the fire". But these times are, I believe, different. Firstly, because the fracturing of our politics means the criticism is coming from all sides and from grassroots campaigns not just whichever of the government or opposition feels most vulnerable. Secondly because back then the purpose of the attacks was to bully and intimidate the BBC or, occasionally, ITN into changing the way it reported a particular story or to drop this or that programme or journalist. Our critics now see their attacks as a key part of their political strategy. In order to succeed they need to convince people not to believe "the news". When I interviewed Paul Mason - formerly a distinguished colleague at the BBC and Channel 4 - now a hyper-partisan campaigner for Jeremy Corbyn he told me "we see the media as the enemy navy, we need our own navy." Campaigners on the left as well as the right have been looking and listening and learning at what has happened across the pond. They know that there is method behind what some regard as the madness of The Donald's attacks on the "failing" press as purveyors of "fake news". Italy's leftwing populist Beppe Grillo has described the Italian media as "the opium of the people, they hide the truth to reassure you, while you slowly die." In Germany the right-wing Alternative for Germany party (AfD) have revived the Nazi insult "lugenpresse" meaning "lying press" Attacks on the media are no longer a lazy clap line delivered to a party conference to the raise the morale of a crowd of the party faithful. They are part of a guerrilla war being fought on social media day after day and hour after hour. So, if, as I argue, we'd be wrong to simply ignore this challenge how should we respond to it? The response Once again I turn to Steve for my inspiration. Steve, as I've said, was a student radical. More Jon Snow than Nick Robinson. He led a rent strike. He was a student Communist. So dangerous was he considered that his career at the BBC was held back by one of those famous Christmas trees on his personnel file. So, Steve went to Channel 4 to work on a new series called Diverse Reports. In Steve's own words "there was a clearly defined purpose. Wherever you can find the liberal consensus probe it, probe it, probe it. And if there's another way of looking at it, broadcast it". And broadcast it he did making the only show I've heard of which examined the case for restoring capital punishment. When we worked together at Panorama, Steve angered some of his colleagues and, I suspect, many of his mates by commissioning a film spelling out that high strength cannabis or skunk could and did lead to psychosis. When he died he was working on a series examining Celebrity which he said would have presented the Kardashians as "very serious role models" I believe that we should do exactly what Steve proposed. Precisely how is not for me to decide. One possibility is a series, like Diverse Reports, labelled and separate from mainstream news. Another is a platform for opinions like Viewsnight - Newsnight's experiment. But I doubt either will have the Heineken effect of reaching the people other news cannot normally reach. So, my instinct is that we should build this mindset into all the programming we do so that we ask questions - and can share online items that ask questions - which are all too often not asked. Again and again over the years views which start off being seen as extreme quickly become the new conventional wisdom. There are examples of this on both left and right and others that don't fit neatly into the political spectrum. Monetarism and the economic theories of Milton Friedman were seen by many in politics and the media as eccentric, right-wing and foreign until they were absorbed into the Treasury's bloodstream in the late 1970s and taken up by both major parties. Green politics followed the same path. So, too, did gay rights. As did the idea that demanding immigration controls is not racist. Now, ideas once widely dismissed - like re-nationalising major industries or abolishing nuclear weapons - allow Jeremy Corbyn to claim that he is now in the political "mainstream". Let's be clear. Though, I don't propose handing the airwaves to first one side then another to deliver a televised press release or party conference speech. These ideas would be analysed and challenged as rigorously as any other. Challenging the conventional wisdom I wrote a book a few years ago called "Live from Downing Street". The theme that emerged again and again was not bias - to this party or that…to right or left - but this slowness to challenge the conventional wisdom of the day. I wrote about Churchill's pre war warnings about the dangers of German re-armament being heard by radio listeners not here in his own country but in the United States. Churchill desperately wanted to give a radio talk on the Home Service (that's how things worked in those days. You gave a talk rather than popping up to be interviewed in Radio 4). But the last recorded talk on that subject - as against others which the BBC's founder John Reith was happy to have Churchill talk on - was in 1935. How do we know this? Well, Churchill complained to a young BBC producer who visited him at Chartwell, his country house, on the day after Neville Chamberlain returned home from signing his agreement with Hitler in Munich and declared 'peace for our time'. A memo records their meeting. They spent hours discussing the Nazi threat and 'Churchill complained that he had been very badly treated in the matter of political broadcasts and that he was always muzzled by the BBC of the Government.' That producer was, incidentally, called Guy Burgess. So it was that, on 1 October 1938, the man who would become his country's most famous traitor tried to reassure the man who would become its saviour that the BBC was not biased. The way Churchill was handled is a powerful warning of the dangers of the BBC believing it is being balanced by silencing the voices of those who do not represent conventional wisdom. It is an answer to all those who complained that Nick Griffin - who is, let me stress, no modern-day Churchill - should never have been invited on to Question Time. It's a riposte to Brexiteers who fill my time line with demands that I should not interview "that failed leader" Nick Clegg or the Remainers who say the same about Nigel Farage and to those who argue that Nigel Lawson should never be interviewed about climate change. He - they - should, be challenged and if, as Lawson did on Today recently, they get their facts wrong we should say so. But they should not be silenced. The former Culture Secretary John Whittingdale, warned some months ago that we would face sanctions and fines from Ofcom unless we end what is alleged to be our anti-Brexit bias. My response now is what it was then - back in March - when I tweeted "Do not adjust your set. Normal service from the BBC means you will hear people you disagree with saying things you don't like (that's our job)." The lesson of Corbyn Ever so briefly, and you might think rather surprisingly, I was hailed by Jeremy Corbyn's backers as confirming their view that the BBC was biased against him. I was interviewed by Lyn Barber soon after he became Labour leader and whilst I was unwell and off work. She wrote in the Sunday Times: "Was Robinson as shocked as I was by the way the BBC (and other media) rubbished Jeremy Corbyn?" "Yes" I apparently replied - though I blame the chemotherapy I was then taking for my lack of normal caution - before adding: "Although I was off work, I did drop a note to a few people after his first weekend saying this is really interesting and we owe it to the audience to sound as if we're interested." My point then was not that my colleagues weren't treating him fairly. They were quite properly reporting on the widespread opposition he faced in his own shadow Cabinet and the Parliamentary Labour Party. My point was that the ideas that made Corbyn popular - whether scrapping Trident or renationalisation - should be examined and interrogated in their own right and not simply as a cause of rows or splits. Talking to my own children - two of whom are voters and one who soon will be - they are really not interested in whether this or that idea was considered outlandish three decades ago. In my view too many interviews with Jeremy fail to take him and his ideas seriously enough. And when we do his supporters complain that we're being hostile or aggressive. It is Jeremy Corbyn who now says he is a prime minister in waiting and, I assume, he wants to be treated as such. Not just diversity of people - diversity of thinking It has become fashionable to argue that one of the reasons the media failed to spot political movements like the rise of Corbyn, the rise of anti-EU feelings or the rise of Trump is because journalists are "too far removed from those who" they report on. Jon Snow in his MacTaggart argued that the media was "comfortably with the elite, with little awareness, contact or connection with those not of the elite". Ofcom's Chief Executive Sharon White has told broadcasters that the regulator will soon start asking them to provide more data on the social class of those they employ. The BBC's James Purnell has said the Corporation is considering introducing targets. Once again I think back to my experience with Steve. We first met when I was a trainee TV producer working on Brass Tacks, a BBC current-affairs programme based in Manchester. In Manchester note. I was from the area. He'd been a student there. We - it - had a different perspective from people at TV Centre. Our team included a former merchant seaman with a broad Scouse accent and arms covered in tattoos. I have worked with few like him in TV since. When I was Political Editor I often felt the best-known member of my team was Paul Lambert - or 'Gobby', as everyone called him. He was the man who stood in Downing Street shouting questions at those going in or coming out of Number 10. He didn't speak with the rootless received pronunciation of many in broadcasting but in the Estuary English used by millions. Now I confess to being a tad sceptical about targets for employing the right number of working class journalists but transparency and the data it produces are the right way to start this debate - just as they have done, albeit not quite so intentionally, with issue of women's pay in the industry. But …moving swiftly on … What really matters as Ofcom's Sharon White has said is "diversity of thinking not just visible diversity" or, indeed, diversity of accents. You see Jon Snow was, in my view, too harsh on himself. No-one doubts that this privileged public school son of a bishop who had tea with the prime minister when he was a young man cares passionately about the lives of people from a very different background to himself. His reporting from Grenfell required what all good reporting does - a commitment to get to the truth, tenacity and, yes, empathy. Jon's empathy stems from his values, his time as a charity worker and the work he now does with countless charities. His background is not a bar. Take another famous John. My esteemed colleague at the Today programme John Humphrys. His journalism is rooted in an altogether more humble background - a grammar school boy from the Welsh Valleys. Some of his best reporting has been from the places he grew up observing the changes that had happened in his own lifetime. We need more of both sorts of John! When I moved to the Today programme someone - who will remain nameless - suggested that I should become the programme's Northern voice. Proud though I am of being a boy from the North West and willing though I am to bang on about Manchester and United in particular I had to gently point out that I'd lived for longer in North London than the North of England. However, this boy from the right side of the tracks - from what used to be called the Cheshire stockbroker belt - loves nothing more than getting out of his comfort zone. A few years back I made a documentary called "The Truth about immigration" which pointed out what I thought was obvious but others seemed to regard as controversial. To the young, the well off and those working in the big cities immigration often represented a cultural diversity to be relished, a better choice of local food shops and take aways and, yes, a cheap cleaner, builder or, even, nanny. But to other people it represented an unsettling change in the area they'd grown up in; an overcrowded GP waiting room or queue to get into the local school and competition for both jobs and wages. Hearing both those attitudes is what represents diversity of thinking - it also represents BBC impartiality. It involves not just who we employ but how we do our jobs. We should get out more, we should study the polls with more not less intensity and we should look for underlying trends. That does not mean extending still further the fatuous vox poppery that is a substitute for a serious examination of voter attitudes. Filming on a high street until you have obtained clips of contradictory opinions tells the viewer next to nothing. Bias? I suspect the biggest cause of viewers and listeners feeling any broadcaster is biased is their sense that they are not hearing views from people like themselves. Quite naturally, they assume that the reason they don't is that their views are deemed unacceptable. A survey carried out for the BBC more than a decade ago in 2006 found that more than half of respondents thought broadcasters often failed to reflect the views of 'people like me'. Those most likely to say this were middle-aged C2DEs - those without access to the internet and those with least interest in news and current affairs. I'm not aware of a more up to date survey but I fear it would not be that different today. I recall a time when I was Political Editor and I asked a producer at TV Centre - as then was - to interview a family outside London on what they thought about some controversial cut to public spending. When the pictures arrived in my edit suite the "set up" shot - which established who they were - consisted of them reviewing photographs of their recent family safari photo. I refused to use them demanding to know how many people in Britain could afford the ten grand which I guessed it would cost to take three kids to Africa? A Mission to engage When I joined the BBC back in the mid 80s News & Current Affairs, as it was then called, was split between two factions who were at war with themselves. The 'Birtists' - disciples of his 'mission to explain', which insisted that analysis had to come before the demands of good pictures or compelling storytelling and the BBC old guard he'd been hired to tame. The warring factions reminded me of Monty Python's Life of Brian, in which the People's Popular Front of Judea was determined to fight the Popular People's Front of Judea instead of joining forces to confront their common enemy - in this case the threat posed to serious broadcasting by the advent of multi-channel TV and much greater consumer choice. I had been recruited by the old BBC but soon found myself adopted and promoted by the Birtists. I remain an unapologetic cheerleader for his view that knowledge and expertise are critical to good reporting. The specialist editors at the BBC which have now spread to ITV and Sky are his legacy. But I propose that it is now time to add a Mission to engage alongside Birt's Mission to explain. i.e. to reach out to those who currently do not make the BBC their first choice either because they do not treat news bulletins and current affairs programmes as "appointments to view" and consume an increasing part of their news via social media or because they are convinced that we are part of the MSM. And the target I'd much rather explore is one that challenges us to engage more people from the groups that we currently struggle to reach. Re-making the case for impartiality Underpinning all that I have proposed it will be necessary to re-make the case for impartiality. Too many of my generation now treat it like the weather - as a natural phenomenon rather than understanding that it is an artificial legal requirement which could easily be reversed if viewers, listeners and readers stop believing in it. There is a danger that a growing number will question whether impartiality still has any real meaning, whether it is an establishment plot to limit debate and whether it can be sustained in an era of almost infinite media choice. That is what happened in the United States. American media regulation was always less restrictive than it was here - allowing radio shock jocks for example. But what was known as the "Fairness doctrine" did, though, ensure that a single network could not broadcast from a single perspective, day after day, without presenting opposing views. However, the US equivalent of Ofcom - the Federal Communications Commission - scrapped it in the Reagan era on the grounds that it 'restricts the journalistic freedom of broadcasters...[and] actually inhibits the presentation of controversial issues of public importance to the detriment of the public and the degradation of the editorial prerogative of broadcast journalists'. So, we ended up with where we are now - two-thirds of right-wingers watch one news network - Fox News of course. Liberals tend to watch CNN, MSNBC or the old terrestrial networks. As a result there are no 'shared facts' in American public life. This was obvious long before Trump's election. When President Obama tried to open a debate on healthcare reform Fox News said it would introduce socialist death panels in which government bureaucrats would decide who lived and died. On the other side liberals filled MSNBC with claims that Republican wanted to kill the poor. We are still no closer to resolving that debate and TV News is not helping. There is still a powerful case for impartial journalism which seeks to inform rather than influence or sway or respond to commercial imperatives. For decades the worlds of impartial and partial journalism have been separate. Broadcasting offered one, print the other. You could have news, or news plus views. Now, though, these worlds have converged. On my TV and my iPad BBC and Sky 'impartial' news channels co-exist with news-and-views channels from America, the Qatari-based Al Jazeera and English-language news services funded by the Chinese, Russian, French and Iranian governments. And that's just in English. Fox News is disappearing from British homes but RT - which in many ways is its left wing equivalent - is increasingly popular here. It is funded by and run from Moscow. It doesn't just promote the Kremlin's views on issues such as the Ukraine or Syria it encourages political forces it believes will weaken its enemies - the governments of the West. RT has had more Ofcom rulings against it than any other news network. In my view it should not be treated with a lighter touch simply because it has a small - albeit growing - audience. All this leads some to argue that TV news should go the way of print. It should be free of controls and customers should pick the product that suits them best. Rupert Murdoch's son James, when he was still chairman of BSkyB in his Mactaggart lecture launched an all-out assault on a system of regulation which he described as 'authoritarianism'. How, in an all-media marketplace, can we justify this degree of control in one place and not in others? The effect of the system is not to curb bias - bias is present in all news media - but simply to disguise it. We should be honest about this: it is an impingement on freedom of speech and on the right of people to choose what kind of news to watch. Before the 2010 election he lobbied the Conservatives hard to dismantle the regulator he found so irksome. A senior Tory minister has told me that had the party secured a majority it was his expectation that Ofcom would have been weakened or dismantled altogether, the Murdoch company News Corp would have taken full control of BSkyB and James Murdoch would have got his way and turned Sky News into a channel to challenge what he saw as the BBC's innate liberal bias. Rupert Murdoch has dubbed Sky as "BBC Lite" and was once asked whether he wanted to make his British channel more like his American one. He replied: "I wish." Naturally, as an impartial BBC man I have no views on whether the Murdochs's should or should not take control of Sky but I think this debate has not ended. Indeed, to be fair to James and Rupert, Mark Thompson argued when he was the BBC's Director General "in the future maybe there should be a broad range of choices. Why shouldn't the public be able to see and hear, as well as read, a range of opinionated journalism and then make up their own mind what they think about it?" I wonder now that he is at the "failing…fake news" New York Times he still feels quite as sanguine. I don't. I believe that we should not rely on our past and our record day to day to make our case - important though they are. We should tell our audience that the BBC is not owned, run or controlled by the government, media tycoons, profit seeking businesses or those pursuing a political or partisan agenda It is staffed by people who regardless of their personal background or private views are committed to getting as close to the truth as they can and to offering their audience a free, open and broad debate about the issues confronting the country. They will always seek to broadcast what they know, be open about what they don't and ready to admit when they get things wrong…to deliver what Carl Bernstein calls 'the best obtainable version of the truth.' Best obtainable version of the truth So, how do we do more to be seen to broadcast the best obtainable version of the truth? Let's go back to my experience in Finsbury Park when I believe we should have been clearer about why we weren't instantly using the language that those following the story closest were. I make no criticism of the tiny handful of people working in the newsroom that night. This story was far from unique. The explosion which rocked the Manchester Arena was called just that - an explosion for some time before it was called terrorism. Caution in these situations is right. The BBC will rather not be the first for news if it earns the joke slogan "Not wrong for long." But - and it is a big but - it taught me that we should be much more open and explicit about what we know and what we don't and how and why we do what we do. An off the shelf line or two which explained how and when we decide to call things terror attacks could have been added to the initial reports. My bosses will not thank me for this and they may fear that it will produce even more complaints than we get now but I urge them to widen this approach further by, for example, translating the next set of Producers Guidelines - the BBC's bible of editorial standards - into fluent human that can be tweeted, blogged, broadcast (it doesn't really matter which) in real time as stories are reported. I have seen the costly, wasteful, debilitating hours that are spent parsing this or that phrase into how to answer a complaint about an item that was broadcasts weeks if not months earlier. Let's move more quickly…show our workings more…confidently assert why we're doing what we're doing or, when necessary, admit a mistake swiftly and move on. Let's not leave the editorial debate we had on the metaphorical cutting room floor along with the footage we didn't use but pin at least some of it up and then - when complaints do follow - point to what we said and did at the time. I'm delighted that the BBC has invested in a Reality Check - fact checking - unit. Contrary to the complaints of many who oppose Brexit they helped many BBC outlets to say that the claim made in the EU referendum campaign that £350 million a week was being sent - that word was crucial - to Brussels was untrue. Indeed, I said as much to camera on a BBC1 special a few days before polling and what's more I used a pen to put a great big cross through the claim. I did, incidentally, also say that the Remain claim that every household in Britain would be £4,300 a year better off was misleading and impossible to verify. I confess that I discussed having a sort of giant fridge magnet made to attach to the Vote Leave bus carrying the words of the many independent figures who pointed out the inaccuracy of their central claim. That might have been just a tad OTT but I suspect we will have to get more and not less assertive about stating what is true and how we know it even as we also point out that many ferocious political debates simply consist of competing and unverifiable claims about the future. A last word Permit me a last word about why despite all the turbulence I've described and we're all familiar with I am confident about the future. It's thanks to the success of the programme which sixty years almost became known as "Listen whilst you dress" or "Background to shaving". In the year I joined the BBC the "Today programme" as it became known was threatened - or so we were told - by the arrival of another American import. After nylons, Mars bars and burgers came…wait for it…breakfast television. Frank & Selina on the BBC's sofa…the so-called "famous five" including Parki, Anna and Frostie on TV-AM would, once and for all, knock Today off its perch. But Today survived and, what's more it thrived - trouncing breakfast TV - securing double the audience of the TV sofas. And in this the era of Twitter and Facebook, podcasts and downshifting, viewing on your iPad, on the loo as well as in your sitting room it has a record listenership. The reason? Because, at its best, Today tells the audience what they need to know in a way they understand hearing not just from political and business leaders but also from the best and the brightest in science, the arts, religion and, yes, fashion - one of Britain's most successful industries. It broadcasts too - and must in my view hear more - the experiences of ordinary folk with stories to tell not, I stress, the two a penny opinions of the TV vox pop or radio phone in. It succeeds not because it necessarily makes people go OMG or LOL or WTF - although hopefully we do do that often enough. It succeeds because it passes what Steve used to call the "My Mum" test. I hope I am not patronising his Mum Vera or, indeed, mine too much when I say that it is the best test of our journalism - whether it would seem relevant, comprehensible and engaging to our Mums, our Dads, our brothers or sisters - indeed anyone of any age or gender or background who is not a news junkie or political trainspotter. In a world in which there is ever more information but it gets ever harder to reach the people you want to reach our challenge is to engage people we could once take for granted. It is that mission which - along with the Steve Hewlett scholarship - would be a fitting testimony to Steve. |
Depeche Mode, The Killers, Kasabian and Liam Gallagher will headline next year's Isle of Wight Festival as it celebrates its 50th anniversary, organisers have announced. | You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
The Script, Van Morrison, Blossoms and James Bay will also perform. The festival, which was first held in 1968, will take place from 21-24 June. John Giddings, of Isle of Wight Festival, said: "This year's line-up brings together the best bands of the moment." Rockers Kasabian and The Script will perform at the festival, which is held at Seaclose Park, Newport, on 22 June. Depeche Mode, former Oasis frontman Liam Gallagher, James Bay and Blossoms take to the stage on 23 June, with The Killers and Van Morrison bringing the event to a close on 24 June. The festival has previously hosted artists such as The Doors, The Who, Jimi Hendrix, The Rolling Stones, Coldplay and Fleetwood Mac. |
Sweden's armed forces say they have abandoned their search for what they believed was a submarine, spotted not far from Stockholm more than a week ago. The hunt was described as Sweden's biggest mobilisation since the Cold War. Speculation had centred on Russia, but the Russians scoffed at the claims. Was there a sub after all? | You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
By Paul KirbyBBC News We may never know for sure. Initially, the Swedish military was careful not to state for certain what it was looking for, preferring to describe the mysterious submerged object as belonging to a "foreign power". But as the search went on, the Swedes were explicit: they were hunting a submarine. Despite Russia's protestations, its navy was singled out as most likely. It has large submarines - 60m (197ft) or 70m class - as well as small. And the feeling was this one was probably small. There are two Russian mini-submarines that could fit the bill: the Piranha - seen as a diving submarine - and the Triton, used for research purposes. Where was it spotted? That is the great mystery. There were reported sightings in the southern Stockholm archipelago. But there are so many islands that defence officials said searching the area successfully was almost impossible. The first photo appearing to show the submarine went viral and the armed forces asked for further help in finding it. But they did not help matters when they deliberately gave out false information so as not to help a "foreign power". When did it first show up? Much of the detail is unconfirmed, but Swedish media say the first emergency signal was heard on 16 October, leading to reports of a damaged submarine Was the search that big ? Apparently it was Sweden's largest mobilisation since the Cold War. So many naval vessels were used that the scale of the night-and-day search had to be reduced because of exhaustion. All manner of boats were used, including an M74 minesweeper, HMS Kullen, a stealth corvette, HMS Visby, and fast-assault craft. The Visby is equipped with sonar, a 57mm gun, and two ROVs (remotely operated vehicles) - one for underwater mine-hunting and the other for mine-disposal. On Tuesday, Dagens Nyheter newspaper reported that an underwater ROV was being used in the search in Ingaro Bay. Is any of this Cold War stuff plausible? Russians have treated the allegations with disdain, even suggesting it might be a Dutch submarine. But the Ukraine crisis has revived many of the trappings of the Cold War. In the space of a couple of months Sweden, like Finland, is not part of Nato but both have tightened their ties with the alliance. So the submarine hunt was seen in the context of a pact signed by Sweden and Finland on 5 September which enables joint training exercises and assistance from Nato troops in emergencies. Many Swedes remember when a Russian sub loaded with nuclear torpedoes ran aground near a Swedish naval base in 1981. What are the Russians doing about it? Their initial response was a flat denial. "There have been no extraordinary, let alone emergency situations, involving Russian military vessels," the defence ministry in Moscow said on Sunday. Some analysts in Moscow have queried whether the hunt is more about Swedish politics than Russian, and the Swedish military's need to justify higher military funding with the arrival of Prime Minister Stefan Lofven's centre-left government. And it will not have gone unnoticed in Moscow that the day before the search was cancelled, the new government announced a larger than expected increase in Sweden's defence budget, focusing in particular on developing a new Gripen fighter plane. But the 3.1% increase for 2015 was less than the 4.3% rise given by the previous government for this year. However, the Russian response could just have as well have been a bluff. Why, for example, was a Russian-owned oil ship, NS Concord, circling just outside Swedish waters for hours on end? It is unclear, although the Swedish coastguard said its movements were not inconsistent with an oil tanker. Then there was the involvement of another Russian ship, Professor Logachev, described as a research vessel specialising in studies on the ocean floor. Swedish media said it was seen heading towards the Swedish Baltic island of Gotland late on Tuesday night. The reality is this mystery may never be solved. |
David Beckham's move to Los Angeles was supposed to transform the status of American soccer. He and his wife Victoria arrived as the UK's biggest celebrities. Now he has played his last US game, did Americans really fall for the allure of Brand Beckham? | You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
By Jon KellyBBC News Magazine, Washington DC As he sat on the tarmac at Los Angeles International Airport one evening in July 2007, David Beckham knew what was expected of him. His new employers, the LA Galaxy, had committed a huge sum - reportedly $32.5m (£20m) over the next five years - for the benefits of his footballing services. But it wasn't just his playing skills that made him such a valuable commodity. The then-32-year-old and his erstwhile pop-star wife Victoria were among the world's most recognisable faces. Back home in the UK, they were by far the country's biggest celebrities. The expectation was clear - as the Beckham glitter entranced the US, Major League Soccer (MLS) would be elevated from minority sport status to become a national game on a par with American football, baseball and basketball. Beckham had said as much himself at a press conference during his unveiling as a Galaxy player-to-be six months previously. "Soccer is huge all around the world apart from America, so that's where I want to make a difference with the kids," he told reporters. Back in the UK, the Daily Mirror proclaimed that he was on a "one-man mission" to be a "success in a country where even Pele had failed". The Brazilian legend had proved unable to win the US over to the Association code despite his signing by the New York Cosmos in 1975. So expectations were high. And, as the couple emerged from the plane at Los Angeles airport nine days before David's first game, the Beckhams were swamped by photographers and news crews in a scene more in keeping with red-carpet showbusiness than the arrival of a sportsman. Nancy Armour of Associated Press began her report of the occasion: "It's safe to say no athlete, no matter how famous, has ever gotten a welcome quite like David Beckham." And so it continued for Beckham's first Galaxy game - a friendly against Chelsea, which the home side lost 1-0 - watched by such luminaries as Tom Cruise, Katie Holmes, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Eva Longoria and California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. Unfortunately for all concerned, what followed did not quite live up to the billing. Due to injury, Beckham played only five league games for Galaxy in his first season. "It was a bit of a mess for the first couple of years," says Kyle McCarthy, who writes about MLS for FOX Soccer, the Boston Herald and Goal.com. "Galaxy couldn't really get itself sorted out on the field. "Plus, it was always going to be difficult because David Beckham made so much more money than anyone else." In his first two seasons with the club, the LA Galaxy failed to make the end-of-season play-offs. Beckham was booed by Galaxy fans after he missed the start of the MLS season to extend a loan spell with AC Milan in 2009. Team-mate Landon Donovan, from whom Beckham had taken the captain's armband, publicly questioned the Englishman's commitment. Off the pitch, by contrast, the Beckhams' celebrity status was in the ascendant. Though David may have played in a league most Americans did not follow, and Victoria's chart peak with the Spice Girls was a decade old, the US paparazzi regularly followed them from their $18.2m (£11.3m) Beverley Hills mansion and their faces became ubiquitous in gossip magazines. Tim Teeman, US correspondent of The Times, says their status was elevated by two principal factors, neither of them football-related. One was the couple's high-profile friendships with Hollywood aristocracy like Tom Cruise and his then-wife Katie Holmes. The other was a series of adverts, prominently displayed in American cities, of David modelling underpants. While the pair may never quite have entered the US A-list, Teeman believes their brand was perfectly pitched for American consumption. "I don't think they've changed the image of Britain abroad in the way that someone like Kate Middleton has," he says. "I don't think many people would say Britain is the Beckhams. "But they've carved out their own niche. They appear a happy family and they are pretty. These are things Americans like." While David's performance with Galaxy may have been less than all-conquering, his wife was re-inventing herself as a fashion designer. When she moved to the US, Victoria was "regarded not just with suspicion but with ridicule", according to the couple's biographer, Ellis Cashmore. Her Spice Girls days were behind her and David was seen as the driving force. But through sheer industriousness and canny recruitment of underlings, Cashmore adds, she began to be taken seriously as a player in the fashion world. By 2011, sales of Victoria's clothing were worth around $12m (£7.5m). She has become a regular fixture at top fashion weeks around the world. In the Middle East and Asia she is now much better known as a style mogul than as a pop star. "The single biggest beneficiary of the move by some way has been Victoria," says Cashmore. "She's now a legitimate, credible designer. She's emerged from it quite triumphant." And, for David, things began to fall into place on the pitch, too. The arrival of coach Bruce Arena settled the Galaxy squad. Beckham's final game saw the team win its second consecutive MLS Cup. The MLS has become a healthier league since his arrival. Average attendances across the division have risen from 15,500 per match in 2006 to 18,800 in the current season. The number of clubs has expanded from 13 to 19. Big-name players from the English Premier League such as Thierry Henry and Robbie Keane followed Beckham to US clubs. Television viewing figures for MLS games remain modest, however. And, Kyle McCarthy argues, the league had been on an upward trajectory even before Beckham. His arrival, the writer argues, was verification of soccer's rising status, not a catalyst in itself. "Signing David Beckham was a huge landmark for MLS - to be able to bring in Beckham to a league that was already developing," McCarthy adds. "It was a confirmation of growth." In retrospect, it appears it was too much to hope that the glamour surrounding the Beckhams could single-handedly transform Americans into a nation of soccer fanatics. As the couple plot their next move, however, their brand has been burnished by the Galaxy episode - and in times as celebrity-obsessed as these, perhaps that will be seen as the more significant achievement. |
Two police officers and a teenage girl were injured when a car crashed into two parked vehicles. | You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
Police said a silver Ford Focus hit a stationary marked police car and a Toyota Prius in Norden Road, Maidenhead, at about 05:30 BST on Sunday. The officers and teenage girl remain in hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries. Two 24-year-old men have been arrested in connection with the crash. Three other people were treated for minor injuries, the force said. |
This is a full transcript of 'Suddenly you get this text' as first broadcast on 27 March 2020 as part of the Isolation Diaries strand presented by Kate Monaghan. | You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
KATE -Hello, my Cabin Fever friends, it's me Kate Monaghan, and this is my sometimes brutally honest Isolation Diaries; my safe space to offload how I really am feeling in this challenging, to put it lightly, time of life with the coronavirus outbreak. I've got EDS, Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, which is a chronic pain condition which affects all my joints, so I use a wheelchair when out and about, which is obviously very little at the moment. And I've been in isolation for at least two weeks now with my wife, Holly. My EDS doesn't mean we have to be in isolation, but my wife Holly has had a kidney transplant and she is taking immune-suppressants, which means she has no immune system so she is at a very high risk. So, yeah we're here in our house together with our three year old daughter. About two weeks ago we went into quite a strict isolation period; we've barely left our house at all since then. So, we're kind of a few weeks ahead of the rest of you guys in the UK dealing with surviving what feels like being under house arrest. And my recording stuff hasn't left my side this past week because I've experienced probably the most, well one of the biggest emotional roller-coasters of my life, and it's actually become a bit of a comfort to know that even at my most challenging moments I do get to share it all with you guys. So, here it is: the highs and lows of my past week. [Music] [Singing to music of Saturday Night's All Right] Saturday, Saturday, Saturday, Saturday, Saturday! Yeah, feeling good, it's Saturday. Maybe there's something - sorry, I'm just, it's probably super unprofessional, but I'm emptying the dishwasher as I speak to you; that's how unexciting my life is - I feel better today. Maybe it's because it's the weekend and there's not the pressure to have to do work, or maybe it's because this is more like how life would be anyway on a Saturday that makes me feel a bit better. I feel good. We've pretty much done a whole week of isolation now so that's a week done, obviously delighted about. So, one week down, 11 weeks to go. I know it's not an exact science but hopefully that's one of 12, so a twelfth has been completed. And yeah, we've chilled this morning. We're much more relaxed about Scout being allowed to come downstairs in pyjamas, which we haven't done before, and that kind of stuff. And also, this might sound a bit mean and I apologise if it does, but normally if I am out and not able to do anything, like having to stay home and stuff on a weekend, then the weekends are like the worst time because I'm always a bit miserable; everyone's out having fun, everyone's doing stuff. No, no, not this time my friends; this time everyone's in the same boat. Everyone's, not miserable together, that would be unfair, but everyone's doing the same thing: everyone is around us, just kind of hanging out and not really doing anything; there's not loads of pictures on social media of people having fun, so that's great. Instead everyone's the same spirit of oh, we're all going to stay in and not do very much. So, yeah I'm feeling all right. I'm feeling relaxed and positive, and long may this continue. [Music] We have quite an eclectic mix of people who live on our road, and one of the dads of one of Scout's best friends is called Jude, and he lives almost opposite us, and his dad decided that on Sunday afternoon would be a good time to have a sing-along. So, we were just sitting in our garden and we suddenly heard some singing, and Scout immediately wanted to go and find out what was going on, so we took her to find out. [Music] Right, I can… SCOUT -Are lots of people watching him? KATE -Maybe, let's go and see. We can hear some music. Let's go to the end of the road and see what's happening. SCOUT -I'm mechanical. KATE -You're mechanical, yeah, because you've got your screwdriver. SCOUT -I'm mechanical, aren't I? KATE -You are. SCOUT -That's what I've got. KATE -Hi, we've come to see where the music's coming from. GROUP -[Singing: Everything's Going to be All Right] Thank you! [Clapping] KATE -[Music] I find it so much easier to talk about my physical disabilities than my mental health ones. But I was thinking about it today because I have been in therapy for, like, ten years, or I was in therapy for ten years, and I'd finally graduated last summer. Do you ever graduate from therapy? I don't know. I finished with my therapist that I'd seen for ten years in the summer, and it felt like a huge achievement. But it was like every week I would try to think of an excuse not to go to therapy, and I would be trying not to go, even though I needed it and even though deep down I really enjoyed it, I still didn't actually want to have to go. So, I used to spend so much of my time to try to come up with excuses as to why I couldn't go to therapy. And honestly if I was still having therapy I would be so happy right now because I'd be like, "So sorry, I'm in isolation, can't do therapy for the next 12 weeks" and I'd have been delighted with that fact. It's so funny. I don't know if any of you guys if you have therapy if you kind of want to go and don't want to go at the same time. Because she wouldn't have been able to challenge me on it; she'd have been like, "Oh yeah, you definitely can't come to therapy". That's interesting. Anyway I went to therapy because I have a diagnosis of complex post-traumatic stress disorder, which has affected me for a really long time obviously, hence the 12 years in therapy. And it manifests itself in me in mainly anxiety and my responses to stuff really. And yeah, that's why my mental health does suffer a bit when stuff like this is going on. And it's why I need to try and find a way to exercise, because I find exercise helps my mental health, even though normally I can only do a small amount of it. But also one thing I find I really need for my mental health is space and quiet, and normally I find that by going and sitting in a coffee shop with a book or a laptop or just something, with a nice cup of coffee and being away and out of my house for a bit. And that is now not possible either. So, the question is: how do I recreate that in my home? It's so difficult because even trying to find five minutes to record by myself when my daughter isn't yelling at me to go and get her something, or my wife isn't telling me to go and do a job for her, or something isn't going on, is impossible. So, to try and get an hour to myself that's never going to happen, so it's really tricky. And obviously with the extra pressure that's being put on me now is quite hard because the anxiety around Holly and her health is sometimes overwhelming. I don't know, every time I leave the house now, which is very infrequent, but I need to try and get out of the house just to take Scout out for a five minute walk or something, I feel awful about coming back in because I just think, all I can think for myself is like, I'm bringing bugs back into the house, I'm going to infect Holly, and am I doing the right thing and all of this kind of stuff, and it's just so anxiety provoking. I really am trying to be wary of looking after my head as well as looking after my body. Maybe that will involve more chocolate. There's quite a theme to this podcast which is generally about me eating a lot of sugary stuff, which I probably shouldn't, but what are you going to do. When you're isolated in your house there's really only one thing to do and that's eat a lot. I don't drink so eating is my main vice. I'm going to come out of this the size of a house and I'm okay with that. [Music] It's Sunday and it's Mother's Day and normally we would be seeing one of our parents, one of our mothers this weekend. Holly's mum was supposed to be up with us, and that's now obviously not happened. You can't really properly celebrate anything, can you? It's just such a shame. And I know my mum she likes Mother's Day, she likes some of us to be around her on Mother's Day, it means a lot to her, so not being able to do that is really difficult. It's just really hard; this whole thing is really hard. The worst thing though about today is I'm starting to hear rumours on Facebook, people are posting, obviously we have a lot of friends in the transplant community because we know a lot of people who have had various transplants, kidneys and lungs and all sorts, and they're all starting to post that the government are going to tell us from tomorrow that anyone who has had a transplant will be told to stay indoors for 12 weeks, and that we're going to get that text or letter or something soon. And so loads of people have been posting about it on Facebook - sorry, that's me drinking my cup of tea; you can probably hear the clink. SCOUT -Mum! KATE -Yes, my love? SCOUT -Can I have it? KATE -Can you have Weetabix? SCOUT -Yeah. KATE -Okay, give me two seconds and I'll come down. Oh, the joys of being a mother. Honestly, the child wants Weetabix and half four in the afternoon, it's crackers. Anyway so yeah, we're starting to get wind that something is going on, that people who were already identified as vulnerable are going to be put on some kind of high-risk list and be told to isolate for 12 weeks, which is what we're doing but we, oh god, it's like we're setting the clock back again. We'd already done a week and now, what, it's going to be another 12 weeks. We were feeling good about doing a week. Ah. I really hope this isn't quite true, but I just guess that it is going to be true. Nightmare. [Music] Right, Holly's just text me from, she's upstairs, I'm downstairs, and she's said she's got the text. She's just with my daughter, our daughter, and I'm just going to ask her what the text says. SCOUT -I want water. KATE -You've got loads of water in the bath. SCOUT -I'll mix it in. KATE -All right, you mix it in. Okay, that's enough now. Okay, tell me what the text says. HOLLY -It says we have identified that you're someone at risk of severe illness if you catch coronavirus. Please remain at home for a minimum of 12 weeks. Home is the safest place for you. Staying in helps you stay well and it will help the NHS too. You can open a window but do not leave your home, and stay three steps away from others indoors. Wash your hands more often for at least 20 seconds. And then it's got a link to other things: what do we mean by extremely vulnerable, number one: organ transplant recipients. Yeah, it's quite weird. KATE -How do you feel? HOLLY -I feel a bit down about it to be honest, because when I'm in the bubble of my house, had quite a nice day, being out in the garden, looking after Scout, that kind of thing, and I've been feeling good. And then suddenly you get this text that reminds you that you're in pretty much the… KATE -I think we should be careful because Scout's here; she can pick up on this. Because she will listen to all of this, won't she? HOLLY -Yeah, so maybe we should record it later. KATE -Don't you think? We can talk a little bit. HOLLY -But I can't talk very candidly then. KATE -No, I know. HOLLY -But obviously you read it and you remember that you're very, very vulnerable, and it literally could kill you. And that's… KATE -Yeah, pretty scary. Are we supposed to be staying away right now, because I'm sort of leaning in to you? HOLLY -Yeah, according to this text you should be three metres away. KATE -Does it say three metres or three feet? HOLLY -Oh, three steps. KATE -Oh okay, three steps. Still, how are you going to keep Scout three steps away from you? HOLLY -What, without breaking her heart? KATE -Yeah, going out, doing anything so we can stay close to you. HOLLY -Yeah. It says you can open a window, and that kind of infers that you shouldn't be in your garden. KATE -You're not allowed? Surely you can be in the garden, surely? HOLLY -I don't know. KATE -[Music] Okay, so hopefully the child is now asleep or on her way to sleep anyway. Sorry, for cutting you short earlier, Holly, I just realised we were getting - sorry, I'm climbing into bed to sit next to my wife - I just realised we were getting a bit deep and that Scout's three and a half, not too far off four now, and she'll hear everything, won't she? HOLLY -Yeah, picks up on everything. KATE -Yeah, so it might be best us not talking about our fears about you dying when she can hear us, because otherwise that is going to increase her anxiety, at an already anxious time for her. So, yeah, go on, how are you feeling? HOLLY -Well, as we were saying, I've just got the text saying I've been identified as someone at risk of severe illness. And I don't know, it kind of caught me off guard, because I've had quite a nice day. Obviously I haven't left the house, but I've been in the garden, it's been really sunny, and I've been enjoying doing a bit of home schooling with Scout and playing outside and stuff. KATE -But why did it catch you off guard? Because we knew last night after… HOLLY -Yeah, I just hadn't been thinking of it because I hadn't, as I said… KATE -Well, we listened to Boris talking last night. We heard rumours. HOLLY -I don't know, it's just you get this text and it just gave me a shock because it's like: oh hi, you might die, so don't go outside, you can open a window. And I was a bit like, oh god, there it is in black and white, there it is in writing. And obviously day to day life I don't think of myself as a very vulnerable person at all; I lead a pretty normal life. So, to be put in this category that I feel like in normal day-to-day life I don't belong to just feels really weird and quite scary. It's made me feel a bit more anxious. And although I haven't left the house, I've been in the garden, I don't know if that's okay anymore. I hope it is. KATE -Surely a garden's okay, surely? HOLLY -And I've been having conversations with neighbours from, I don't know, literally five metres away. But now I think is that too…should I just be sitting inside indoors? And it also states that I should be three steps away from everyone in my house. That would be impossible with Scout. KATE -Yes, we should be sleeping apart, we should be using different bathrooms, we shouldn't be cooking at the same time, preparing food at the same time. I mean, that's just not… HOLLY -It's not really feasible, is it? KATE -No. HOLLY -We're doing our very best. Yeah, so apparently Boris is doing an announcement in about 20 minutes' time; we're expecting it to be full lockdown. KATE -Well, at least everyone's in the same boat then, I guess. HOLLY -Yeah, I guess so. I've no idea how they're going to enforce it. We've already done a week of this so a lot of people today have been, oh it's day one, and stuff. And we're like it's day nine. And actually I think it's going okay. I think if we can keep in the garden, we're lucky enough to have quite a decent garden, then that… KATE -It's not huge though; it's just fine. HOLLY -No, it's not huge at all, but some people have no gardens. KATE -Yeah, I know. HOLLY -We lived for years without a garden, didn't we, and it's still quite a novelty to me. KATE -Yeah, because when we were in London we had no garden. Can you imagine living in that flat in London? HOLLY -Yeah, but that's what millions of people are doing. KATE -Yeah. I really feel for anyone, like my best friend, she lives at the top of a 14-floor building, and they've got the tiniest bit of outside space, and it's not safe because it's a balcony that's too windy. If it does get into lockdown they're going to be stuck in that flat for days, weeks, with two children. So, yeah in the grand scheme of things we're lucky to have what we've got. [Music] Okay, it's two o'clock in the morning and oh man, I've just come downstairs because I cannot sleep. I'm feeling pretty stressed. I need to stress eat basically I think. Yeah, so today Hol's got the text saying she's one of the most vulnerable people and then we decided to watch Boris telling us that nobody should go outside. [Coughing] Oh god that's a cough. Panic! I'm going to need to eat more chocolate. Anyway, oh jeez, that's just a normal cough, isn't it, just a regular cough, totally fine. Not stressing about that cough at all. That is just a regular cough. Anyway yeah, so we decided to listen to Boris and I decided that because of my anxiety I would take a fully prescribed diazepam in order to help deal with the anxiety that was more than likely going to come from said announcement from Boris. So, I did that, and that helped a bit, and then it must have weared off, worn off, wornered, wordeded [sic] off… Because I cannot sleep. And that's just me closing the chocolate donut box by the way that somebody brought round to us the other day, like I said, very kindly. So, yeah now I can't sleep and I've come downstairs. And I have this terrible habit of stress eating. And I'm just about to do more of it. Such a bad idea but I'm just going to do it because it's the only thing that I can think of to help me feel a bit better right now. But don't tell Holly because she gets really annoyed when I get up in the night and stress eat. So, yeah this is just between us. Oh, and pro tip for you, by the way: if you've got a donut that's a bit old, you've had it a few days, [beeping] don't throw it away thinking that that's no good - ow - put it in the microwave because once you warm it up that donut is good to go. SCOUT -[Background chattering] KATE -Nobody slept well last night. Scout was up until about ten. Obviously I was up until really late. So, everyone is feeling grumpy and tired and a bit miserable today, so great. But the sun is shining and we have a garden, so maybe if we get outside a bit this morning. No, actually I've got loads of work to do and so has Holly, so we can maybe get Scout outside, but the mood she's in unlikely. But we will try. [Music] So, I think we can safely say it's been quite a testing week. And I've still got at least, well I thought, like, ten weeks left, but then Holly got the text this week so that's another 12 weeks. So, is it 11 weeks? I have no idea. Do you know what, I don't even know how long left in isolation. If it's even 12 weeks, part of me thinks it's going to be longer than 12 weeks anyway, so we've still got a long time left in isolation. So, if you want to reach out to me or the team please email my producer Amy Elizabeth, amy.elizabeth@bbc.co.uk. If you're feeling particularly lonely or frustrated or you've got something that's grating on you please do share, because it's probably grating on me too, and it would be great to hear other people in the same boat. Or if you've just got advice on how to navigate this really tricky time, or how to keep a very energetic three year old entertained also get in touch, because I will thank you forever if you can even give us five minutes of peace. Just pop it in an email. At least the one thing we've got more now of is time, hey. The pressure is certainly ramping up and I'll be keeping my recording stuff right next to me every step of the way to let you know exactly how I'm feeling. Have I been too honest? Probably, but I feel like it's probably just going to get even more brutally real. So, I look forward to speaking to you more for Episode 3. |
Plans for a new £21m police station in Jersey are being reviewed to decide if it will meet the force's future needs. | You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
Designs for a four storey facility were submitted for an open area next to Green Street car park. A panel set up to review government policies will examine if it would be are suitable for decades ahead. Its chairman Deputy Jeremy Macon said he would look at concerns about the size of the site and if it was appropriate for a modern police force. The panel's findings are due to be reported ahead of a States debate on whether or not the project should go ahead. |
When The Supremes broke up in 1977, Mary Wilson faced a dilemma. | You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
By Mark SavageBBC music reporter For nearly 20 years, she'd taken second place to a lead singer - first Diana Ross, then, in the 1970s, Jean Terrell. Launching a solo career meant that, for the first time, she would be the centre of attention. "I was used to singing 'oohs' and 'babys'," she said. "Now there are words. I had to learn all over again." But Wilson, who has died at the age of 76, was always more than a backing singer. She was the lynchpin of The Supremes, keeping the group intact and on the road after Ross's departure. She coached three new line-ups and cultivated their live audience in Europe - where, she realised, "you don't have to have a current record or product to be remembered and loved and respected for your craft". Even after the band's demise, she curated The Supremes' legacy, staging exhibitions of their gowns and writing two best-selling books documenting their achievements. In their 1960s heyday, the Motown group rivalled the Beatles for commercial success - at one point scoring five consecutive number one singles in the US, an achievement that's still unmatched by any other female vocal group. The first of those songs, Where Did Our Love Go, was even beamed into space so that astronauts on the Gemini 5 mission could enjoy The Supremes' glossy pop harmonies. For three girls from the Brewster-Douglass Housing Projects of Detroit, it was success on a scale they could never have imagined. "Miracles do happen," Wilson told Pure M Magazine. "It happened to us. We worked hard for it, but [we] totally, totally enjoyed being on top. "We travelled the world, we met all kinds of people, worked with all kinds of people, it was one of those great experiences. Maybe everybody can't handle it, but I certainly did, and I certainly enjoyed it." Wilson was born in Greenville, Mississippi, on 6 March 1944. Her parents separated when she was young and she was raised by family members until she was 10 years old, believing for many years that her mother was actually her aunt. The family moved to Chicago and later Detroit, where they attended Aretha Franklin's father's church every Sunday. Wilson, who learned to sing by imitating Lena Horne records, formed her first group with Aretha's sister, Carolyn, when she was in junior school. The Supremes were the creation of a Detroit group called The Primes who wanted a new girl group to support them at local shows. They'd already found two singers, Betty McGlown and Florence Ballard - who suggested adding Wilson, her classmate, as a third member. Wilson then recruited Diane Ross, who she'd first spotted from of the window of her apartment, calling her "the most energetic and pretty girl I'd ever seen". Diamonds in the rough Christened The Primettes, the band started performing covers of songs by Ray Charles and The Drifters at social clubs and talent shows around Detroit. "I recall when we first got together... I absolutely felt complete," said Wilson in 2014. "I absolutely never had another thought of doing anything else in my life." They quickly won an audition from Motown founder Berry Gordy - but he refused to sign the band until they had graduated from school. Determined not to be forgotten, they would hang out on the lawn outside the label's headquarters until, one day, a producer came out and told the teenagers he needed someone to perform hand claps on a record. "We jumped and said, 'We'll do it,'" Wilson told The Wall Street Journal last year. "Berry Gordy said, 'Wow, you girls are serious.' He signed us." (In fact, the girls' parents had to sign the contracts as they were still underage). The band were quickly renamed The Supremes (other options included The Melodees, The Jewelettes and The Sweet Ps) and put through the "finishing school" by Maxine Powell, the Miss Manners of Motown. "She used to tell us, 'You girls are just diamonds in the rough and we are here to polish you'," Wilson said. "At the age of 15, Mrs Powell taught us to keep our knees together, how to get in and out of a car and she also said something that we used to laugh at: 'Never let your buttocks protrude.'" Primed and polished the band nonetheless suffered a series of flops at the start of their career. In Motown's offices, they became known as "the no-hit Supremes". McGlown left the band in 1960 and was replaced by Barbara Martin, who then left in 1962. "We were still learning our trade," Wilson told the BBC in 2014. "I think after a couple of years, Berry Gordy recognised we were getting more serious about our careers - it wasn't just a little hobby any more. "So he put us with his best writing team - Eddie and Brian Holland and Lamont Dozier. And 1964 was the year it suddenly all happened for us." Their first number one was Where Did Our Love Go, recorded as a trio in 1964. Holland-Dozier-Holland had originally written it for Wilson, thinking it suited her grittier soul voice, but Gordy insisted Ross - who by this stage had changed her name to Diana - should take the lead vocal. That set the pattern for the band's next four number ones - Baby Love, Come See About Me, Stop! In The Name Of Love and Back In My Arms Again - where Ross was consistently thrust into the limelight. By 1967, Gordy, who was romantically involved with the singer, had renamed the band Diana Ross & The Supremes. But Wilson never bore a grudge against the star. Diana's ambition was "her strong point," she told Outsmart magazine in 1986. "She was not like me - she did not wait for things to happen; she went out there and made things happen. I admired that in her." Role models As the hits continued to rack up, The Supremes were a constant presence on radio and television - subtly contributing to shifting perceptions of race in America. "TV really helped us," Wilson later recalled. "People were able to see us all over America and see black people in a different light. We were human beings. We were respected. We were loved." The band's glamorous style was also a political statement - projecting black affluence and sophistication in the middle of the Civil Rights era. "We were role models," Wilson said. "What we wore mattered." The Supremes "were three of the most beautiful women I had ever seen," wrote Whoopi Goldberg in the foreword to Wilson's book, Supreme Style. "These were brown women as they had never, ever been seen before on national television." Seeing them perform, Goldberg was encouraged to think that "I too could be well-spoken, tall, majestic, an emissary of black folks" who, like the band themselves, "came from the projects". The band's songs also tackled some of the big social taboos of the day - with Love Child and I'm Living In Shame addressing the stigma around single mothers and illegitimate children. In 1966, the album Supremes A' Go-Go became the first record by an all-woman group to top the US album charts, knocking the Beatles' Revolver off the number one spot. But by this stage, Ballard, who had been sexually assaulted as a child, was spiralling into depression and alcoholism. She was removed from the group in 1967 and replaced by Cindy Birdsong. She later died of a heart attack, aged 32. Ross left the group soon after to pursue a (wildly successful) solo career, leaving Wilson as the only original member still in the act, "I made up my mind that I didn't want my dream to die," she told the Chicago Tribune in 1986. "Everyone else was giving up the ship, so to speak. I was the ship... I was The Supremes." With Jean Terrell on lead vocals, the band scored hits in the early 1970s with songs like Stoned Love and Nathan Jones, but they never really recovered from losing Ross. Wilson laid the blame with Motown, feeling it had failed to promote or support the group's new line-up; and she later sued the label over the rights to The Supremes' name, and the terms of her contract as a solo artist. "Motown didn't give me what I thought I should get in the contract," she explained. "They treated me like I was a newcomer, not someone who had helped build the company." As the band faltered, Wilson's private life was causing even greater pain. She had married Pedro Ferrer in 1974, calling him "a charismatic man who could handle any problem", but the relationship quickly turned sour. "He was a handsome devil with a gorgeous Afro - dashing, charming and seductive," she wrote in her book, Supreme Faith. "At first he gave me confidence, made me see that I had so much to offer without Diana. But I also found out Pedro had a violent temper." Exploding into jealous rages, Ferrer "beat my face, gave me black eyes" and slashed her face with a glass, nearly severing her ear. In 1979, she gave him a year to clean up his act. When he didn't, she walked away and their divorce became final in 1981. The couple had three children, the youngest of whom, Rafael, died in 1994, when Wilson's jeep hit the central reservation of a Los Angeles freeway and overturned. She later said it was her faith in God that helped her come to terms with the trauma. "Physically I have healed. Emotionally it's ongoing," she told The Chicago Tribune. "[But] I was probably as strong the first day as I am now because of my belief. "We're never taught about how to handle death. Death to me is a wonderful part of the living experience, so when my son passed I pretty much understood and said goodbye at that time. I cry every day, but then I get right back and do what I have to do." Legal campaigns Wilson found major success in the 1980s with her memoir, Dreamgirl: My Life as a Supreme. The title was taken from the Broadway musical Dreamgirls, which was based on The Supremes' career (Wilson called the play "dead on") and the book scrupulously detailed the abuses the band had suffered at the hands of the record industry. The Supremes were tied to a 3 per cent royalty rate (less expenses), she revealed, meaning they would have made less than $5,000 (£3,629) from a record that sold a million copies. A New York Times bestseller, it remains one of the most popular rock-and-roll autobiographies of all time. Wilson followed it up with a second volume, and a book on The Supremes' style. In 2001, she received an associate's degree in arts from New York University, the result of five years studying in between touring commitments. "My mother couldn't read or write, and the one thing she always stressed was education," she said as she donned her graduation robes. "It's a personal achievement and I'm very proud of myself." In her later years, she also appeared in musicals, became an inspirational speaker and appeared in the 2019 series of Dancing With The Stars - despite having heart bypass surgery in 2006. Fiercely protective of The Supremes' legacy, she also lobbied - successfully - for copyright laws that made it illegal for tribute acts to pass themselves off as the real thing. And she remained proud of her achievements until the very end. "The music has lasted, it's still fresh," she said in 2019. "Motown music still has a current sound to it, which is really wonderful. And it's great to be a part of it." Follow us on Facebook, or on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk. |
A ball that disappeared in the middle of Royal Shrovetide Football, bringing the game to a confused end, has been discovered lodged in a hedge. | You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
The annual game is played between Up'ards and Down'ards in Ashbourne, Derbyshire, over two days. This year, the Up'ards took the honours on Tuesday but Wednesday's game ended when the ball was lost in Mayfield. Some suspected foul play but organisers said it was an "ill-fated attempt" to launch the ball towards goal. Shrovetide committee member Mike Betteridge, who turned up the ball on Wednesday, said: "There was frantic searching for nearly an hour before a group of Up'ards found it. "It had lodged itself in the upper branches of the hedge, which was a leylandii, and no-one could see it." Because nobody goaled the ball, Mr Betteridge gets to keep it. Shrovetide glossary |
Three rail companies have been shortlisted to run the East Anglia franchise. | You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
Abellio Greater Anglia currently runs the East Anglia franchise, but it is being re-let in October 2016. It includes services to Stansted Airport and to Cambridgeshire, Essex, Norfolk, Hertfordshire and Suffolk. Abellio, in a joint bid with Stagecoach, now faces competition from the other two shortlisted companies - FirstGroup and National Express. Last month, it was revealed that Abellio Greater Anglia had had more negative tweets from passengers in 2014 than any of the other commuter train operators. Abellio carries more than 350,000 passengers a day. Announcing the shortlist, rail minister Claire Perry said: "We have ambitious plans for East Anglia's rail network, and the successful bidder will be central to making these plans a reality. Analysis by Andrew Sinclair, BBC East Political Correspondent The government wants to show that it is moving fast to act on its manifesto promise. The pledge to provide a better rail service for East Anglia was one of the party's key pledges for the East, continually emphasised by the prime minister and his ministers whenever they visited during the election campaign. It is thought to be one of the reasons why the Conservatives did so well on 7 May. Work to upgrade the track and signalling has already started but upgrading the rolling stock and making it feel like a 21st Century train service will be the job of the new franchise holder and the government has already made it clear that whoever wins will be expected to make immediate improvements. The reality is that upgrading any form of infrastructure takes time, that's why ministers want to get the ball rolling now. They know that when the next election comes they will be judged on whether they have really delivered on that very public pledge. "We want to find a partner who will help us meet the increasing demand for transport in the region by providing faster, more reliable journeys and better connections across the region and beyond." Stagecoach Group chief executive Martin Griffiths said: "We are one of the country's leading rail companies and we know the railway is central to the economy in East Anglia. "We believe our strong track record, combined with the insight of Abellio, can produce a powerful joint bid to deliver a better experience for customers, and support jobs and businesses in the region." Peter Radford, of the Essex Rail Users Federation, said he welcomed the government announcement as a "positive" but added he would "like to see the money on the table". In April this year Abellio announced a £20m plan to refurbish trains serving the East of England and increase services between Stansted Airport and Cambridge. Abellio Greater Anglia pledged the improvements as part of its agreement with the government. The firm also agreed to complete upgrades to stations at Bishops Stortford, Cambridge and Chelmsford. |
A wedding-cake-shaped tree has been planted at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire to celebrate the royal wedding. | You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
Prince William marries his university sweetheart Kate Middleton on Friday. Gulf War veteran Major General Patrick Cordingley planted a Cornus Controversa or Wedding Cake tree on Tuesday. The Major General is leading an £8m fundraising appeal, of which Prince William is a patron, for a memorial hall at the Alrewas remembrance site. Related Internet Links The National Memorial Arboretum |
The new head of the Nordic peace monitors in Sri Lanka says the country is facing a dramatic and deteriorating humanitarian crisis caused by the worst violence since the ceasefire was agreed four years ago. | You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
The head of the mission, Major-General Lars Johan Sølvberg, said the nature of the violence by both the government and the Tamil Tiger rebels was shocking, and urged both parties to return to peace talks. The two sides have said they want to negotiate, but many doubt whether their willingness is sincere. BBC correspondent in Colombo, Dumeetha Luthra, says in recent months both sides have been breaking the ceasefire to such an extent that it only seems to be a document on paper rather than a reality on the ground. The monitoring mission has halved in size since the Tamil Tigers demanded that any individuals from European Union countries must leave following the EU's listing of the rebels as a terrorist organisation. |
Hundreds of survivors of a rebel attack that has killed at least 72 people in remote villages of India's north-eastern Assam state have taken shelter in a church and school as authorities have imposed an indefinite curfew in the affected areas. | You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
Police blame the attacks on the National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB). The NDFB wants an independent homeland for the ethnic group to be carved out of Assam. Tuesday's attacks took place in areas populated by non-Bodo people. Women and children were said to be among the victims of the rebel attacks in Sonitpur and Kokrajhar districts. Those killed and injured were mainly tribespeople who worked in the local tea gardens. Many of them are now leaving their homes and moving to safer places after the violence. Angry tribespeople have protested against the attacks. On Wednesday, police fired on a group which surrounded a police station in Sonitpur, killing three protesters. Some 200 tribespeople have taken shelter in a school in Sonitpur district. Villagers who escaped the attacks told police that the armed rebels came on foot, forced open the doors of their huts and opened fire. Some villagers were pulled out of their houses and gunned down. At least 100 tribespeople, mostly women and children, have taken shelter in a church in Shamukjuli village in Sonitpur district, where at least 37 people, including 10 women, were killed and 14 others were injured.. There are concerns now that the violence could spread with retaliatory attacks against the Bodos. Troops have been deployed to maintain peace in the region. Reports said two Bodos were also killed by tribespeople in Karigaon village and there have been incidents of Bodo homes being attacked. Assam has been plagued by ethnic clashes and separatist violence in recent years. A number of rebel groups have been fighting the central authorities, demanding autonomy or independent homelands for the indigenous groups they represent. |
It has a good claim to being the most daring and innovative technology company of the last 20 years. It has launched at least two world-changing businesses - an online retailer of breathtaking scale and efficiency and a cloud computing service that has changed the way thousands of businesses work. But why on Earth is Amazon launching another Kindle, and who on Earth is going to pay £270 for it? | You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
Rory Cellan-JonesTechnology correspondent@BBCRoryCJon Twitter That was what came into my head as a group of Amazon executives showed me their latest e-reader this week. I'd come to the warehouse in Hoxton - London's Hipster Central, where Amazon's fashion division is based - on the promise of learning about the tech firm's next giant leap forward. I'd rather hoped to hear that the Echo, a fascinating product which puts a virtual assistant inside a speaker, was coming to the UK. Instead I am ushered into a library with a white table where the entire history of the Kindle is laid out, from the 2007 original, a chunky slab with a keyboard, to the slimline touchscreen Voyage. And then the new product, the Oasis is brought out. It is a thing of beauty - slim and light, with a bright, very readable screen, the same page-size as previous Kindles but presented so that the rest of the device seems to melt away. Amazon's vice-president for industrial design, Chris Green, explains that the gold standard is paper, and that the Oasis takes the company another step towards that. "Our goal is to get the device out of the way and just give you the content.. It's the best reading device we have ever made." The Wigan-born designer of all of Amazon's devices makes an eloquent case for the technology and craftsmanship which has gone into building the Oasis. He raves about the back of the e-ink display: "200 microns - thinner than a sheet of tin foil" and about the "matrix of components" that makes for the perfect reading experience. But then I come to the price - £270 (ok, £269.99) for an e-reader! You can get a very nice illuminated touchscreen Kobo for £139, and Amazon's budget version of the Kindle costs just £59.99. And when I canvass opinions amongst colleagues I got this: "Blooming heck" (I paraphrase), "£270 just to read a book?" Then: "Think of all the books I could buy for that." And perhaps most pertinently: "I've got a phone, I've got a tablet, why do I need a Kindle?" These days, you can read Kindle books on all sorts of devices, so why buy something separate? Back at the Hoxton warehouse, the Amazon team concedes that there is a smaller market for e-readers than smartphones, but insists there is still a demand for Kindles, and even for a luxury-priced version like the Oasis. "This isn't going to be our highest volume device, we know that," says Jorrit Van der Meulen, who runs the devices business in Europe. "But for the people who buy it, you're absolutely not going to be able to prise it out of their hands." The other question is whether the demand for digital books and hence for e-readers has now peaked. The Bookseller reports that UK sales of digital books by the five biggest publishers actually shrank in 2015, although Amazon is keen to stress that self-publishing on Kindle is soaring, and that it's handing more royalties direct to authors. And while Waterstones' boss James Daunt described sales of Kindles as "pitiful" last October when he removed them from the shelves in his stores, Amazon tells me "the e-reader business continues to grow". What is clear is that selling digital books and e-readers is now just a small part of this technology behemoth's activities and likely to get less significant in the future. Why then the big hoopla over the Kindle Oasis, with Jeff Bezos teasing today's big announcement in a tweet last week? Perhaps because the Kindle was Amazon's first and still most successful venture into hardware, and the signal that it was much more than just a very skilled online retailer. The first version sold out within two hours and instantly made Amazon the leader in the move to digital publishing. Later gadgets - tablets, TV streaming devices, and the ill-fated phone - have had a more mixed reception and have not had the same impact on their markets. Or perhaps the hard-driving Mr Bezos is still just a little sentimental about books and reading. After all, they are the foundation on which his empire was built. "It's right at the core of our DNA, we started selling books," Van der Meulen admits. But he says this is not about the boss's attachment to the past: "He loves to read, he loves devices but this isn't anything for Jeff, this is years and years of focusing on our customers." Bezos has said in the past that Amazon's devices are sold at cost - they are designed to sell content rather than to be money-spinners in themselves - and his team insists that the same applies to the Oasis. But it's hard not to think that this Rolls-Royce of an e-reader is a monument to Amazon's past, rather than a signpost to its future. |
Heriberto Lazcano, the leader of Los Zetas, one of the Mexico's most feared and brutal drugs gangs, was killed this week in a shoot-out with the Mexican marines. This news was not a major surprise to Mexico-watchers - but then something strange happened. | You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
By Will GrantBBC News The life of a drug lord is generally pretty short. The world's most notorious was probably "El Patron" - the Colombian cocaine baron, Pablo Escobar, who died aged 44, barefoot, bloated and riddled with bullets on a rooftop in Medellin. Most do not rise that high in the drugs trade, though, nor live that long to tell the tale. We receive constant reports from the Mexican attorney general's office of supposed lieutenants and middle-ranking soldiers from gangs like the Sinaloa Cartel, the Gulf Cartel and Los Zetas who have been murdered by their enemies or killed in shoot-outs with the authorities. They are more often boys than men. Twenty or 22 years old, their hands tied behind their backs, a bullet to the head, dumped on the roadside. A final adios to an all-too-brief life which brought them fleeting riches, cars and women. By his industry's standards, then, Heriberto Lazcano was a veteran. He was my age, born in 1975, and over this past year, covering the twists and turns of his murderous and violent organisation, I have often thought of that fact - and wondered what took a supposedly loyal Mexican soldier and turned him into the watchword for drug-related terror in his homeland. The only photo we ever saw of Lazcano alive shows a young man, in his military days, wearing a beige shirt, dark jacket and tie, staring impassively at the camera, revealing nothing of the murderer - "The Executioner", as he would later be nicknamed - that lay within. The photo we saw this week of El Lazca showed him lying dead on a slab. Naked, with his eyes closed, his hairline had receded a little over the years and his mouth looked puffy and damaged. But it seemed to be him sure enough. Mind you, the Mexican authorities were slow in officially confirming the death. When the first reports started to come in late one night that, perhaps, the head of Los Zetas had been killed, it did not come as any huge surprise. The organisation has been tearing itself apart for months now, as one faction appears to be telling the authorities where to find their former comrades. The marines said they were waiting for DNA evidence on Lazcano, conscious, perhaps, of the last time they made a song and dance about a big name, which quickly turned into a PR disaster. Earlier this year, the authorities said they had detained the son of the world's most wanted man, Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman. They brought out a stocky young man dressed in a bullet-proof vest, paraded him in front of the world's media and said for sure he was El Chapo's son. Then his mother spoke up, and said not only was he not the son of the biggest drug lord in Mexico, he was in fact a used-car salesman from Guadalajara. That one took some speedy back-pedalling. Still, by the folllowing morning, it should have been clear whether this was El Lazca's body or not. Instead, the story got even more surreal. The reason for the delay soon became clear. The government no longer had the body. After El Lazca had been shot outside a baseball game on a dusty patch of land in the northern state of Coahuila, the marines took his fingerprints - without even realising who they had killed - and passed his body on to a local funeral home. Later that night, on learning that their leader had fallen, the foot-soldiers of Los Zetas - imbued as they are with a sense of military fraternity - stormed the funeral home in balaclavas and with automatic rifles, and took back Lazcano's body. Perhaps to give him their own send off, perhaps to stop word getting out that he was dead and they were weakened. Who knows? But the lack of a body does two things. It denies the government the trophy it so craves after six years of fighting the gang, leaving the hastily-snapped images in the funeral home as the only evidence that the man so often seen as a monster in Mexico has gone. Secondly, it introduces an element of doubt. In a country which thrives on rumour and counter-rumour, that is an important weapon for the conspiracy theorists who plague the internet message boards and narco-blogs (which document the events of the drug war in Mexico). More than once the comparison has been made to the infamous "Senor de los Cielos", Amado Carrillo Fuentes, leader of the once all-powerful Juarez Cartel. The official version of events said he died under the plastic surgeon's scalpel while trying to change his identity. The surgeons later turned up dead and rumours still abound that he faked his death. In the case of Heriberto Lazcano, responsible for some of the most gruesome crimes in Mexican history, it seems pretty clear that he died face-down in the mud in the city of Progreso, meaning Progress. One can only hope that that is what his death will bring. How to listen to From Our Own Correspondent: BBC Radio 4: Saturdays at 11.30am and some Thursdays at 11am. Listen online or download the podcast BBC World Service: Short editions Monday-Friday - see World Service programme schedule. |
From meringue makers to manufacturing businesses, firms in Telford export a higher proportion of their wares to the EU than their counterparts in any other town or city in the UK. How do bosses feel as Britain heads towards a decision on a deal - or no deal? | You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
By Sophie MaddenBBC News, West Midlands Leanne and Brian Crowther have come a long way since the days of running their cake and bakery business in their garden shed, separating eggs by hand for treats destined for a Shropshire market stall. Now Flower and White, known for its gourmet meringues, exports to 12 countries, many in the EU, and employs 35 staff at its headquarters in Telford - producing a million meringues a day. But the global success has meant the firm has endured years of uncertainty over whether the government will strike a Brexit deal - and that was before trade was hit by the coronavirus pandemic. "We have seen export business fall by 85%, so I think a lot of it is to do with Covid, but also everyone is now just sitting tight. Some customers have been brave enough to order but the orders have been smaller than we expect," said Mrs Crowther. Sales to Switzerland, Denmark and Germany continued to do well, she added, but orders to other countries have dried up amid the uncertainty caused by the pandemic and a looming Brexit date. "It is really tricky to plan. We don't have the time, in the amount of time that is left, to be organised enough to deal with a no deal. As usual, we just have to get on with it." It is a feeling shared by many business owners in Telford. Figures from the Centre for Cities think tank have shown it to be the UK town with the largest share of its exports going to the EU, about 70%. All eyes, then, are on the government to sign a deal by by 15 October. "There will be no winners from a failure to secure a trade deal with the EU as it is the most important customer for every city and large town in Britain," Centre for Cities' Director of Policy and Research Paul Swinney said. "For Telford, the failure to sign a comprehensive trade deal covering both goods and services would be very damaging to the local economy." The Ironbridge Gorge, within Telford, is renowned as the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution as it was where Abraham Darby discovered a more effective method of smelting iron, which transformed the way the metal was used and led the way for an industrialised world. Tim Luft, from the Telford Business Board, said this tradition of manufacturing was part of why exports in Telford were so high. "Telford has a lot of manufacturing - a lot of companies working in the supply chain of automotive and aerospace - and in that supply chain a lot of those link into Europe. "So I absolutely imagine why Telford is such an important town and why companies need to be aware of Brexit for when they are looking to supply goods into Europe or really bring services back into the UK," he said. One such manufacturer is Hitherbest, which fabricates sheet metal parts for retail, office, hospitality, rail, museum and education sectors. It is owned by Dr Nicky Evans, whose father Chris set up the business in 1985. She said an ethos of "prioritising steady long-term growth" meant her company had so far survived 2020 while some others could not. "In so far as Brexit goes, the primary concern for us is our supply chain, but we have done some due diligence there and are relatively confident we should be able to continue in the event of a no-deal Brexit," she said. The company has seen a "push" by companies based in the UK that have previously sourced parts from Europe but were now looking for ways to purchase what they needed domestically, to avoid any supply chain problems once Brexit has taken place, Dr Evans added. "I think we're firmly in wait and see mode, we are confident if there is a shock, we will be able to absorb it and we'll have a look, sort-of, middle of next year and see where we are," she said. "From what I've seen, the manufacturing sector in the West Midlands is resilient, agile and innovative. It may be a rocky road at times, but I'm optimistic for the future." The British Chambers of Commerce claimed only half of UK firms that traded internationally had considered the impact of Brexit on their business ahead of the end of the Brexit transition period on 1 January 2021. Jonathan Ritson runs Dyson Ritson Consulting, a Telford-based business consultancy firm, and has been working with companies to help them prepare for leaving the EU. He said Telford was a "diverse economic community". "My understanding of things as they are is that the bigger businesses, the ones with more economic clout, the ones that have already got international bases, are going to be better prepared than the small to medium businesses," he said. "Businesses have just been focusing on surviving during the pandemic and are only just now, if at all, being able to turn their attention to issue of Brexit." That has been the case for Derek Tallent, director of sound and lighting company Press Red Rentals, who said business had been "pretty tough" because of the shutting of the exhibition industry this year. He said he was not sure what the future would hold. "Having gone through the 'we hate Brexit, we don't want it to happen' to 'actually it's happened and we're coming towards the end of the transition period', you just have to bite the bullet and get on with it," he said. "I would like us to stay in the single market and the customs union but that's obviously not going to happen - but it would be nice for them to get a good trade deal." The re-emergence of exhibitions in Europe was a good sign, he said, provided a deal - or no deal - allowed the firm to be involved. "The worst thing will be if we can't work. If we can't get permits for trucks, if we can't get work visas," he said. Flower and White has already begun to manage the issues posed by leaving the EU, signing a three-year deal with a US importer and has been focusing on any positive opportunities that could come from the next year. Leanne Crowther said while uncertainty was a pain, she could not change it and it would do no good to sit around worrying about what was coming. "I believe small businesses will respond the best to this situation, because you have to - you are used to grasping, but that doesn't make it desirable by any stretch of the imagination," she said. "We have to dig our heels in and get on with it, what else can we do? We can't lie down." Follow BBC West Midlands on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: newsonline.westmidlands@bbc.co.uk |
Media are careful not to exaggerate the importance of a meeting between the leaders of India and Pakistan, held in Delhi on Tuesday after the Pakistani premier, Nawaz Sharif, attended the swearing-in ceremony of India's new PM Narendra Modi the previous day. | You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
Most commentators, however, hail the get-together as a step towards improving strained relations between the two nations. "Modi told Sharif that terror sourced in Pakistan had to end" and that Islamabad has to speed up the trial of the 2008 Mumbai attacks suspects "to prove it was serious about engagement with India," The Times of India reports. That is why, the Indian PM has accepted his guest's invitation to visit Pakistan but has made no commitment on Islamabad's call for resuming the stalled dialogue between the two countries "on all issues, including Kashmir", The Hindu explains. For the Deccan Chronicle, despite the "tough talk on terror", at the end of the meeting, "there were clear signals that the two neighbours are willing to make the necessary efforts" to get the two countries talking to each other again. The Pioneer is also optimistic. It explains in an editorial that the meeting has "brought the two leaders on the same page" and "has injected positive energy into the India-Pakistan relationship". The Firstpost website is full of praise for the Pakistani prime minister. "He came like a gentleman; he talked like a statesman; and he went back home without throwing barbs at India," writes Rajeev Sharma, adding that "the Modi-Sharif meet is a ray of hope". Nevertheless, he adds that now "everything will depend on the Pakistan army and how the Pakistani military leadership assesses Sharif's India visit". "If Sharif proves unable to deliver, at some point down the line Modi should open a direct line of communication with the Pakistan army," advises The Times of India. 'Real test' for cabinet Newspapers continue to analyse PM Narendra Modi's "trimmed" government. He will be in charge of a smaller cabinet of 45 members compared to the 71 that were serving under his predecessor. The Indian Express says that the council of ministers "includes some unexpected choices that suggest Modi is prepared to take risks for potential big payoffs". "By and large, Modi's cabinet choices are a job well begun," the paper concludes. "Narendra Modi has ushered in significant changes in administration, dismantling existing structures by merging key ministries in an attempt to bring in more synergy in governance, negate contradictory approaches among departments and make decision-making more efficient… The real test, however, will be in proof of delivery of the concept", says The Hindustan Times. Writing in the Business Standard, columnist AK Bhattacharya begs to differ. "The compulsions of keeping the party leaders and alliance partners happy took precedence over the goal of rationalising ministries that over the years had become oversized and unwieldy," he argues. Train safety Media are focusing on the issue of railway safety in the wake of the train accident in northern Uttar Pradesh state on 26 May that killed 25 people. The accident "is an alarm bell for new railway minister DV Sadanand Gowda to take up the issue of railway safety on a war footing," says The Indian Express. "It is indeed in this regard that the new government will have to bring about a perceptible change… The new minister for railways is a competent person; he must set the ball rolling," adds The Pioneer. BBC Monitoring reports and analyses news from TV, radio, web and print media around the world. For more reports from BBC Monitoring, click here. You can follow BBC Monitoring on Twitter and Facebook. |
US President Donald Trump said "we'll see" when asked if he was going to attack North Korea after the secretive state claimed to have successfully tested a hydrogen bomb. So what could military action against Kim Jong-un's regime actually look like? | You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
By Justin BronkRUSI Pyongyang has defied UN sanctions and international pressure to develop nuclear weapons and test missiles that could potentially reach the US. South Korea, Japan, China and Russia are among those to voice strong criticism against the country's nuclear tests. And when North Korea fired a missile over Japan's Hokkaido region, sending residents running for cover, President Trump said "all options are on the table". But while the US has unrivalled military strength, the range of options it actually has against the hermit country are limited. Option 1: 'Enhanced containment' This is the least risky but arguably least effective option available since it would simply build on deployments that have long been in place and have had little success in deterring North Korea's ballistic missile and nuclear programme. The US could move additional ground forces into South Korea, including ground-based missile defences, such as the controversial Thaad system, heavy artillery and armoured vehicles, to demonstrate its willingness to use force to back up its demands. However, South Korea temporarily halted the current Thaad deployment and is strongly against any increases in US ground forces, because of concerns about provoking the North. Indeed, North Korea would almost certainly interpret such moves as a prelude to a ground invasion, given its reactions to annual joint exercises between the US and South Korean militaries. China and Russia would no doubt strenuously object too, and both have the power to make life difficult for the US in other areas such as Eastern Europe and the South and East China Seas. The US Navy could increase its presence around Korea, sending more cruisers and destroyers able to shoot down ballistic missiles and, possibly, deploying a second carrier strike group. Alongside the naval options, the US Air Force could bolster its forward-based airpower, with more attack fighter squadrons, support tankers, surveillance aircraft and heavy bombers at bases in Guam, South Korea and Japan. However, the US Navy and US Air Force are both extremely heavily tasked around the world and are feeling the strain of well over a decade of continuous high-intensity deployments in support of operations, including those in Iraq and Afghanistan. More importantly, perhaps, time is on North Korea's side, since an enhanced US military presence would not itself force a halt to its rapidly maturing nuclear weapons programme and ballistic missile testing. And any statement of intent to shoot down North Korean ballistic missiles that travel outside the country's airspace would itself require a major increase in US Navy presence around the peninsula. North Korea has a large ballistic missile arsenal, and US interceptor missiles are extremely expensive and available in limited quantities aboard each ship. It would, therefore, be possible for the North to overwhelm and deplete the US Navy's stocks, leaving them vulnerable and forced to return to port. Such a policy would therefore represent an extremely expensive and probably unsustainable challenge to North Korea, as well as a dangerous escalation towards direct military conflict. Option 2: Surgical strikes The US Air Force and US Navy possess the most advanced surgical strike capabilities on Earth. Using volleys of precision Tomahawk missiles fired from submarines off the North Korean coastline and attacks by B-2 stealth bombers against key North Korean nuclear sites and ballistic missile facilities may seem like an attractive proposition, at first glance. It is undoubtedly the case that heavy damage could be inflicted on high-value targets, with deeply buried and hardened underground facilities vulnerable to the 30,000lb Massive Ordnance Penetrator bomb. The immediate danger to US aircraft would depend on many factors, including the amount of warning North Korea received, the number of strikes flown and the contribution of non-stealth aircraft within range of its defences. However, the state of North Korea's air defence network is very hard to determine since it is a mix of Soviet/Russian, Chinese and home-grown surface-to-air missile and radar systems acquired over 50 years. The defences are among the densest on Earth, but they have been modified and upgraded to an unknown degree and their readiness is difficult to assess. If the US lost aircraft to enemy fire or accidents, it would then face the nightmare scenario of having to try to rescue its aircrew, or abandon them to a very public fate. Far more significant, however, is the fact that even successful strikes on nuclear and missile sites, command centres and even the leadership itself, would not stop North Korea retaliating. The People's Army would still have the ability to inflict almost inevitably devastating damage in immediate retaliation against South Korea - a key US ally. It consists of more than a million regular soldiers and, by some estimates, more than six million reserves and paramilitary troops. A huge number of conventional and rocket artillery pieces, mostly dug in near the demilitarised zone, include hundreds that are within range of parts of the South Korean capital city Seoul, which is home to around 10 million people. Even the US military would take days to fully eliminate just these artillery batteries, which would be able to fire tens of thousands of shells and rockets during that time. The catastrophic damage that these batteries would inflict on a crowded modern city, as well as the South Korean military forces, is why the South Korean government is opposed to any pre-emptive military action against North Korea. Even without a usable nuclear weapon and without actively invading South Korea, the Kim regime could inflict devastating damage and probably end the US-South Korean alliance as we know it. Option 3: Full-scale invasion Given the sheer size of the People's Army, the power of its artillery, its dense air defences and South Korea's reluctance to support any US military action, this option is extremely far-fetched. Any attempt to actually invade North Korea would require months of visible US military build-up, full-scale South Korean participation and a way to guarantee the neutralisation of North Korea's mysterious nuclear capabilities. It would also cost hundreds of thousands of lives on both sides. North Korea's missile programme: Have North Korea's missile tests paid off? In addition to heavy artillery bombardments, the People's Army has long trained for large-scale commando infiltration into South Korea, using low, slow-flying biplanes which are hard to detect on radar, small boats and midget submarines. These would add to the chaos and loss of life in the event of any large-scale conflict, and ensure that the comparatively fewer, albeit much higher-technology US and South Korean forces would be stretched painfully thin. The last time the US and its allies advanced into North Korea, during the Korean War in 1950, China entered the war on the side of the North to prevent the establishment of a unified Western-aligned Korea on its land border. Such a development is still something that China is not prepared to contemplate - the main reason it has propped up the Kim regime for so long. Finally, even if somehow these huge problems could be overcome, a successful invasion of North Korea led by the US would leave it responsible for rebuilding a shattered country. North Korea has existed in an unparalleled state of psychological manipulation, chronic economic hardship and isolation for over 60 years. The monumental task of reintegrating East Germany after the Cold War pales in comparison. The reality is that none of the military options available to the US for dealing with North Korea come without high costs and significant risks - considerations that it will have to weigh up against uncertain and problematic potential outcomes. About this piece This analysis piece was commissioned by the BBC from an expert working for an outside organisation. Justin Bronk is a Research Fellow specialising in combat airpower and technology at The Royal United Services Institute (RUSI). Follow him @Justin_Br0nk. RUSI describes itself as an independent think tank engaged in defence and security research. Edited by Duncan Walker |
When Thomas Cook collapsed, thousands of employees suddenly found themselves without a job - but 30 of them have been fast-tracked for new jobs on trains after Great Western Railway (GWR) made a plea for cabin crew and ground staff to get in touch. | You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
Sian Pike, who had been with Thomas Cook for 26 years and was an airline cabin manager, is one of them. "My life had been flying, and suddenly it was ripped away from me, leaving me feeling really numb," said Ms Pike. "I used to tell passengers I'd be flying until they kicked me out. "My uniform is still in my wardrobe, my bags are under the stairs. "It was a way of life. I was literally going to be there with my Zimmer frame going down the aisle." "On the very last day, our flight was sent to the remote stands of the airport," remembers Jamie Iaquaniello from Dartford, who worked on one of the last flights from Antalya in Turkey to Gatwick Airport. "We could see the other Thomas Cook planes so we realised something was happening by then. "We were customs searched when we left the airport because they thought we would steal all the duty-free on the way out once we knew we were redundant." 'Good luck' Mr Iaquaniello joined a conference call with the administrators the following day. "They just said good luck to us all and that was it. "Some of us were retained to bring stranded holidaymakers back, which was hard because the aircraft were still painted with the Thomas Cook livery. "They couldn't start applying for jobs even though they knew they would be redundant." Ms Pike, who lives in Cardiff but was based at Bristol, said: "I applied to several airlines, because my heart said 'I need to keep flying', and it was overruling my head. "I then thought I would try GWR since there were parallels with my flying career - safety, customer service and the irregular hours. "I really loved getting up at 2am for a customer service role so this job is perfect for me." She is currently midway through training to be a customer host for the train operator, alongside several of her former colleagues. "Unfortunately we won't be selling duty-free on the train but you never know," she joked. Mr Iaquaniello rang GWR the morning after he was made redundant, and was in training three weeks after he left Thomas Cook. He now works from London Paddington, travelling across the South West. "At first it was strange but I enjoyed the challenge of learning new things again. "The good bits from aviation are also in rail - the camaraderie, it's all laughs and jokes - and people were really supportive. "I'm one of the lucky ones. So many people are still trying for aviation jobs and they won't start until March - and some airlines don't even pay for training. GWR's human resources director, Ruth Busby, said the company immediately realised an opportunity after the airline's collapse. "We saw the commitment they were making to their customers on that last day, staying out and making sure everyone got home all right. "They were providing great customer service, and a member of our recruitment team thought we should offer them our support. "Our tweet that we put out reached 500,000 people and dramatically increased the traffic to our recruitment website." 'Like a bereavement' Both former cabin staff have found it odd seeing parts of their former work life appear for sale online. "It's funny, you can still see the old chocolate desserts we used to sell being auctioned on eBay", said Mr Iaquaniello. "I know someone who bought a trolley from one of the planes," said Ms Pike. "As a trainer I collected all the mugs, Sindy dolls, everything we were given as branded items and they are all being held on to. "Losing my job was like a bereavement, but we're really lucky to be in work again so soon." |
Parasite, last year's Oscar winner from South Korea, dented assumptions that English-speaking audiences are wary of any film with subtitles. Now another Korean-language film is making waves. Minari is a very different story set in rural America. But there's buzz about its chances in April's Academy Awards. | You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
By Vincent DowdArts correspondent Minari is Lee Isaac Chung's fourth feature film. For the first time, he's tried to capture on screen the lives of South Koreans in the US. Chung is 42 and was born into a Korean family in Denver, Colorado. While he was editing his film, he says he was very aware of the acclaim building around the dark comedy Parasite. Bong Joon-ho's film went on to win four Oscars last year, including best picture. It's taken more than $250m (£177m) at the box office. "Obviously I wanted to see this subtitled South Korean movie everyone was talking about," he remembers. "But I decided I'd resist until Minari was edited: I didn't want it to influence me at all. "When I finally watched Parasite, I asked myself how I could ever make anything so good. So it was both encouraging and discouraging at the same time." In fact, Minari has had excellent reviews since opening last year at the Sundance festival. Vanity Fair's Richard Lawson said the film "is one of the highlights of the season". Robbie Collin of The Telegraph described it as a "finely-observed portrait of family relations and rural American values". Minari's warm story of the Yi family moving in the 1980s from California to Arkansas is utterly unlike Parasite's sharp social satire. The father, Jacob, plans a better living for his wife and two young children farming Korean vegetables and selling them to wholesalers and restaurants. His wife Monica is less convinced and eventually they bring her eccentric mother over from South Korea to help look after the farm and the children. It's an engaging and at times moving blend of family drama and comedy. There are moments when it seems tragedy may strike... so will Jacob's faith in the American Dream prove misplaced? A lot of detail came from Chung's own family background. "We lived on a farm and our grandmother was with us. As in the film, it was her decision to grow minari down by a stream - a vegetable you'll find in many Asian countries. The truth is, when I was five or six, I really didn't like eating it but it's a hardy crop which can flourish where other things won't grow. "So although mainly I associate minari with my love for my grandmother and her wisdom, there's maybe also a metaphor about thriving in a new home. "The process of writing the film made me understand my father a lot better and the stresses he was working through at the time I was growing up." Chung graduated with a biology degree and had planned to become a doctor. But in his final year at Yale he decided to become a film-maker. "My parents were very surprised and worried for me and my welfare. They thought I was making a huge mistake after college but within a few years they'd become more supportive of what I was doing. But I had such a visceral need to make films that ultimately the important thing was not if they approved. I knew I just had to do it." Minari looks great on screen. Like another of this year's leading Oscar contenders, Nomadland, it draws strength and beauty from the landscape of America. Chung says Hollywood films which influenced him included John Ford's The Grapes of Wrath (1940) and movies of the 1950s and early '60s from the likes of Elia Kazan, William Wyler and George Stevens. "Those directors made films about the land and about exploring frontiers and working out your hopes and dreams in America." He and the producers discussed trying to emulate the CinemaScope look of some of those movies. But they decided it wouldn't work, as too many scenes were to be shot in the family's small trailer home. The dialogue is mainly in Korean and, while making it, Chung could never have guessed how successful Parasite was about to become. So did he ever consider making more of the film in English to dodge the subtitling issue? He says there was always a second version of the screenplay standing by, just in case, and mainly in English. "Honestly that was for if I just couldn't get financing for a Korean-language film set in Arkansas. I did have those thoughts. "But it's better to remain true to the movie and to people's lives. In most Korean-American families at that time people would definitely have spoken Korean at home." The crucial moment came when the production company Plan B (co-owned by Brad Pitt) entered the scene. "They were all great and from the beginning Plan B just said go ahead make the movie as you see it. The producer there Christina Oh is also Korean American and she really fought to ensure we had the ability to shoot in Korean." There's been criticism that this year's Golden Globes wouldn't consider Minari in the best drama film category because the dialogue isn't primarily in English. The film was nominated for best foreign language film. Chung won't be drawn into the specifics of the debate. "But what would happen, for instance, if someone made a film set in the US and it was mainly in Native American languages? Would that count at the Globes as a foreign film?" The Globes take place this Sunday. The Academy Awards have no equivalent restriction. Oscar nominations will be announced on 15 March. Suddenly Chung is hot property in Hollywood. His next film is to be a love story set between America and Hong Kong. Does he think the way different races and traditions and cultures negotiate their differences and explore a common past will become a staple of post-pandemic cinema? "I admire the writers and thinkers who feel like you can't really go forward unless you're also going backwards at the same time. "You can't move into the future without contending with what's happened before. You have to make sure we unearth every part of history if you really really want to become something better in the future. That's a process we have to be faithful towards - to mine that history and set things right." Minari is released in the UK and Ireland on 19 March by Altitude Film. |
The death of a man who was found at his home is no longer being treated as suspicious, police have said. | You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
A 65-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of murder after the body of the 50-year-old was found on Kingsbury Road, Erdington, on Tuesday evening, Following a post mortem examination on Thursday, detectives said they believed the man had died as a result of head injuries. The arrested man will face no further action, West Midlands Police said. 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 |
Rough sleeping in England has more than doubled since 2010, according to official figures. But how do the men and women lying in shop doorways come to be there and what are their lives like? Here are the stories of some of the people we met living outdoors in cities across England. | You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
Thousands of people across England sleep on the streets. At the last count in 2018 there were 4,677 rough sleepers on one night. That was a 2% drop on the previous year, but an increase of 165% on 2010, when there were 1,768. 'Cold, scared and frightened' Dirk Holding, 51, told us he had slept rough for much of his life and spent four months living in a sewer in Brighton earlier this year. He has been on the streets on and off since the age of 10 after running away from children's homes where he was abused, he said. Mr Holding said he became addicted to prescription drugs and went to prison where he got clean. But on release he was placed "in a house full of drug addicts" and left to sleep rough. "You're cold and scared and frightened," he said. "You never know what's going to happen. Half the time you lay awake with your eyes shut but your mind open so you never really sleep. "There's stabbings and there's fights and there's abuse and there's a lot of horrible things happen when you're homeless. But the worse thing for me was I lived in the sewer. "I felt I'm not going to live up top feeling shame and dirty, with people looking down on me and people thinking I'm useless - I'm going to stay in the sewer. "So I made a bed in there. The first night it was freezing, I was soaked, there were rats in there. "It was horrible, cold and wet, but I survived." Mr Holding performs street poetry and now volunteers for Sussex Homelessness Support, distributing donations to other rough sleepers. "Now I try and give back now rather than self-destruct and feel bitter about society," he said. 'We're not all druggies or alcoholics' While most rough sleepers counted were men, 642 of those in the latest figures, 14%, were women. Samantha Bird, 30, has been sleeping rough on the streets of Birmingham for two years. "I was left in a house when I was 12 months of age," she said. "I was in foster care in Worcestershire, Birmingham and Kidderminster. "I came back to Birmingham and I lived in a shared house but my mental health got really bad and I was sectioned. "Because my housing benefit wasn't being paid my landlord said you've got 28 days to leave. I tried to explain to him I'd been in hospital and I showed him the letters but he wasn't having any of it." Ms Bird said life on the streets was dangerous and she felt judged by passers by. "A friend of mine was asleep and he got kicked in the face," she said. "I'd rather people come and ask why are we on the streets than judge and go 'look at her she's a druggy, she's an alcoholic'. We're not all like that." People estimated or counted on the streets on a single night 4,677rough sleepers in autumn 2018 165%up on 2010, but 2% down on 2017 296were aged under 25 642were female How many people really sleep rough? The 4,677 people in the rough sleeping figures represent the numbers counted or estimated on one autumn night, including 1,283 in London. However, to be counted a rough sleeper has to be seen sleeping or bedding down in the open air or in a building not designed to live in, such as a car park, doorway or stairwell. Those who were in hostels or shelters at the time of the count are not included, even though they would be officially classed as homeless. Figures published by the Greater London Authority suggest far more people will sleep rough at some point during the year. They showed 8,855 rough sleepers were contacted by outreach workers at different points in the 2018-19 financial year just in the capital. 'I sit under a bridge all day' Anthony is living on the streets of Lincoln and said it was the second time he had been homeless this year. "It's down to drugs and coming out of jail. I got out of prison five weeks ago." Anthony sleeps in the doorway of House of Fraser with other homeless men. "I keep an eye on Daz and Jack. I like to be close to people and look after them," he said. "I get woken up about 7am by the staff at House of Fraser, pack my stuff, get breakfast, get my meth and go and sit under a bridge all day. "I've been on the streets for so long that I'm finding it hard even to go back inside. How sad is that? You'd rather be here on the streets than in jail." He asked people who passed a homeless person in the street to "just say hello". "You don't need to give them evils and walk round them just because they're homeless," he said. "It could happen to anyone just like that. I had everything at one point." Homelessness in England 'I'd like my own place' David, 28, said he first became homeless at 15 when his mum "kicked him out". He said he felt ignored on the streets of Birmingham 150 to 200 times a day. "If you were to sit down and talk to me for two minutes, that would mean more to me than if you turn around to say here's a £20 note," he said. "Things will turn back around, I know they will. Hopefully within the next year I'd like to be in my own place but failing that a decent job would go down well." David said he felt safe on the streets. "Because I've been in Birmingham a long time I know a lot of people so I know for a fact if I had any bother I could come into the city centre and I'd have some back up," he said. |
It's the weekly news quiz - have you been paying attention to what's been going on in the world during the past seven days? | You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
If you cannot see the quiz, click here. To try last week's quiz click here. Why not test yourself on our 2018 Quiz of the Year? 2018 Quiz of the Year 1: Jan - Mar 2018 Quiz of the Year 2: Apr - Jun 2018 Quiz of the Year 3: Jul - Sep 2018 Quiz of the Year 4: Oct - Dec Picture credits: Getty Images, PA Join the conversation - find us on Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and Twitter. |
Google surprised Indians on Wednesday, when it published a Google Doodle of Rakhmabai Raut, one of British India's earliest practising women doctors, to commemorate the 153rd anniversary of her birth. | You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
This had many in India asking who was Rakhmabai Raut? Before the doodle appeared on screens across the country, India's first female doctor was often recognised as Anandibai Joshi. But while Joshi was the first to study medicine, which she did in the United States, she died at 22 before she could formally practise. Raut became a doctor when modern medicine was in its infancy, which is noteworthy. Even in Britain, which established the first medical college for women in 1874, there weren't many women practising doctors at the time. Her life in India was certainly unusual, as women were mostly confined to the home at the time, which makes her achievements all the more striking. Why was Rakhmabai Raut in court? Raut was born in Mumbai (then Bombay) in 1864. Her mother, a widow, got her married at the tender age of 11. But she never went to live with her husband and continued to stay with her mother. Many found this very unusual, and this is reported to have created a huge scandal at the time. Undeterred, Raut took her husband to court, where the two were engaged in a long legal battle over the status of their marriage. When her husband asked the Bombay High Court for "restitution of conjugal rights", she claimed that she couldn't be forced into a marriage that she never consented to because she was so young. Ultimately, the court case resulted in the affirmation of the marriage. But not quite done yet, Raut wrote to Queen Victoria, who overruled the court and dissolved the marriage. The case was extensively followed in Britain, where it attracted press and made appearances in women's magazines. A rather radical turn of events, the publicity from this incident and Raut's petition to dissolve her marriage was a major factor in the enactment of the Age of Consent Act, 1891, which raised the legal age for sex for girls in British India from 10 to 12. Her rebellion against her husband marked Raut as a crusader against child marriage, but it also ostracised her from the larger Indian community around her. It is worth noting that at the time of the court case, it was widely believed that Raut wrote two articles to the Times of India under the pseudonym "A Hindu Lady", which were critical of the roles women were forced to play in Indian society. Where did she study medicine? Raut's mother later remarried, and it was Raut's stepfather, a surgeon named Sakharam Arjun, who encouraged her to pursue further education. "Her stepfather identified her talents and skills early on, challenged societal norms and helped her follow her dreams," said Dr Swapna Patker, a clinical psychologist and producer of a forthcoming film based on Raut's life, called Doctor Rakhmabai. Soon after her marriage was dissolved, Raut enrolled at the London School of Medicine for Women in 1889. After graduating in 1894, she was a qualified doctor and returned to India to practise. But the societal stigma that surrounded her when she left was still there. "Women who knew her and people she had grown up around decided they wouldn't be treated by her," said Dr Patker. She quit her first job at the Cama Hospital in Mumbai, which is still open today, and moved to Surat to continue her work. She eventually returned to Mumbai, and retired around 1930, after practising medicine for a total of 35 years. 'The first Indian rebel' In spite of her many achievements, Raut is a relatively unknown figure in Indian history. Anant Mahadevan, the director of Doctor Rakhmabai, said that he was surprised by how many people had never heard of her. "This is why we decided to make a film on Rakhmabai's life," he told BBC Marathi's Anagha Pathak. "She was the first Indian rebel. Her whole journey is truly inspiring." |
A Cuban military helicopter has crashed into a hill in the east of the island, killing all five people on board, the armed forces ministry said. | You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
The aircraft crashed after leaving the eastern province of Holguín for a short trip to Guantánamo province, it said. The identities of the victims have not been released. An investigation has been launched. The last serious air accident in Cuba was in May 2018 when a plane crashed on take-off at Havana airport. A total of 112 passengers died in that accident. One person survived. |
Pakistan's Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has proved himself to be a wily and resilient political operator who up until June 2012 had persistently defied his critics and the might of the judiciary to cling onto his job. | You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
But it appears that defiance has finally came to an end with his shock disqualification from office by Pakistan's Supreme Court. Its announcement came two months after it convicted the premier of contempt because of his refusal to ask Swiss authorities to reopen corruption cases against President Asif Ali Zardari. Mr Gilani's strategy of not appealing against his conviction so as not to antagonise the court appears to have failed. His determination to stand up for himself helped Mr Gilani grow in stature in the eyes of many Pakistanis. He became the longest-serving prime minister in the history of Pakistan, where civilian governments have been repeatedly overthrown by the powerful military, often with the support of the Supreme Court. When he was appointed to the job in March 2008 many commentators did not expect his tenure would be long. But he repeatedly rose to the challenge and fended off his critics. In April 2012, Mr Gilani seemed in a stronger position than at any point during his confrontation with the Supreme Court. Although he was found guilty of contempt, the court gave him only a symbolic sentence and he did not have to serve any time in jail. The prime minister had argued that the president, who rejects the charges, had immunity as head of state. In April, the court in effect backed down from its efforts to remove the elected prime minister, and its symbolic judgement and token sentence were seen as something of a personal victory for Mr Gilani - the judiciary, the army and the opposition had apparently failed in their efforts to remove him. It is not clear whether Mr Gilani will now try to appeal against his disqualification. The ruling Pakistan People's Party should have the necessary majority in parliament to elect a new prime minister. In spite of his conviction, Mr Gilani emerged from his trial with his reputation enhanced, having succeeded in portraying himself as a man defending democracy in the face of a politically motivated campaign against him and his government. Throughout his time in office it was clear that whatever the criticisms levelled at him - from poor governance to corruption - no party wanted to be seen as the one to bring down yet another elected government in Pakistan. Supporters said that his long period as PM reflected Mr Gilani's sound political judgement and staying power. He refrained from followed the bidding of former President Pervez Musharraf, despite heavy pressure by his government to coerce him into joining many of his Pakistan People's Party (PPP) colleagues in switching sides. Mr Gilani's refusal to do a deal with Mr Musharraf is much admired within his party. He went to jail in 2001, serving five years following a conviction over illegal government appointments that were alleged to have taken place during his term as Speaker of parliament between 1993-96. A tall, softly-spoken man with an air of authority, he has acquired a reputation for doing the right thing. Political family Yousuf Raza Gilani was born on 9 June 1952 in Karachi in the southern province of Sindh, but his family comes from Punjab. The Gilanis are among the most prominent of landowners and spiritual leaders in the south of Punjab province. Their home town is the ancient city of Multan. The family's prominence naturally led to its members vying for political power. Mr Gilani's grandfather and great-uncles joined the All India Muslim League and were signatories of the 1940 Pakistan resolution. This was the declaration which eventually led to partition. His father, Alamdar Hussain Gilani, served as a provincial minister in the 1950s. Mr Gilani joined up in 1978 when he became a member of the Muslim League's central leadership. This was soon after he completed his MA in journalism at the University of Punjab. His first term as a public servant was as a nominee of General Zia-ul-Haq. The then Pakistan army chief had been the country's dictator since overthrowing elected Prime Minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto in a 1977 coup. Mr Bhutto was executed in 1979, an act that forever soured the relationship between the army and the PPP. Figurehead Mr Gilani joined Mr Bhutto's PPP in 1988, months before Gen Zia's death brought an end to its political exile. Observers say it is his loyalty and his disdain for politicking within the party that earned him the nomination for prime minister. "[Mr Gilani] was perhaps the only man among the top leadership who did not badger Zardari for this or any other position," says one PPP insider. "This along with the fact of his proven loyalty, earned him the nod." But it was his independent thinking that won him many admirers after taking over as the country's chief executive. Correspondents say his first few months were uncomfortable, with many doubting whether he had the charisma and standing to lead the country. This feeling was strengthened when Mr Zardari, the PPP chairman, was elected president. It was felt Mr Zardari would now take a more hands-on approach to government - leaving Mr Gilani as little more than a figurehead. That did not happen and Mr Gilani grew in stature as his term progressed. He had to contend with some of the worst crises in Pakistan's history, including extensive flooding, rising Taliban militancy and deteriorating relations with the US after the killing of al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden. Related Internet Links National Assembly of Pakistan Pakistan People's Party The New York Times |
Iran has signed a deal to buy 118 Airbus planes worth $25bn (€22bn; £17.4bn) at list prices in one of the biggest deals signed since Western sanctions against Tehran were lifted. | You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
By Chris JohnstonBusiness reporter The agreement was signed during a visit by Iranian President Hassan Rouhani to France. The order included 73 wide body and 45 narrow body jets, including 12 A380 superjumbos. Iran's decision to buy the A380 is a significant boost for Airbus. The company has struggled to convince airlines to order the world's biggest passenger aircraft in the past two years. Airbus only broke even on the A380 programme last year, a decade after it first took to the air. The huge deal will depend on Airbus winning US export licences because more than 10% of the parts for the planes are made in the United States. It also covers the training of pilots, airport operations and air traffic management support, the company said. The UK stands to benefit from the order as wings for Airbus planes such as the A320 are made in Broughton, north Wales. Iran is also interested in buying planes from Boeing, Airbus's arch rival. Transport Minister Abbas Akhoundi has estimated that his country will need 400 medium- and long-range planes, and 100 short-haul jets, in the next few years. An embargo imposed in 1995 has prevented Western manufacturers from selling equipment and spare parts to Iranian companies. Iranian airlines have about 140 planes that are an average of 20 years old, with many needing to be retired. Direct flights Flag carrier Iran Air has three weekly flights to London and two to Paris and Amsterdam respectively. It is also considering resuming direct flights to the US, which ended more than 30 years ago. About one million Iranians live in the US, with the thousands who fly home every year forced to change in London, Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Istanbul or Dubai. Iran Air chief executive Farhad Parvaresh said: "Today's announcement is a first step towards restoring the prestige of the civil aviation sector in the region, and alongside partners such as Airbus we will offer unparalleled services." Several European airlines, including Air France-KLM, plan to resume flights to Iran this year. Many European companies are lining up to strike deals with Iran following the lifting of sanctions. |
One week from now, Jack Garratt will win his first ever award. | You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
By Mark SavageMusic reporter The 24-year-old singer, producer and songwriter has been waiting in the wings for six years, ever since he uploaded a song to the BBC Introducing website in the hope of being played on his local station. He was later championed by Zane Lowe, who made his debut single, Worry, his "next hype" track; while Ellie Goulding and Katy Perry declared themselves fans. Garratt's stock in trade is the heartfelt ballad, performed in a wistful falsetto that has seen him compared to Ed Sheeran. What sets them apart is the smart production - spliced vocals, dubstep drops and treated guitar lines - which suggest an attempt to bring Jamie xx and James Blake's electronic experimentalism into the mainstream. Next Thursday in Birmingham, he will accept the Introducing Award at the BBC's Music Awards. He's also been announced as the winner of the Brits Critics' Choice Prize, and as one of the 15 artists on the BBC Sound of 2016. In other words, big things are expected of the luxuriantly-bearded singer from Little Chalfont in Buckinghamshire. "It's the first moment of validation I've had from a peer figure in the UK music industry," he says of the sudden onslaught of praise. "It really is a genuine honour and a real privilege." Speaking ahead of the awards, he discusses celebrity endorsements, synaesthesia and how he "swallowed a lake" on his latest video shoot. How does it feel to win the BBC Introducing Award? It's pretty intense actually. It's not something I ask for or look out for, but it's the first moment of validation I've had from a peer figure in the UK music industry. So it is a genuine honour and a real privilege. Have you written a speech? I'm way too terrified to entertain the idea that I'll actually be going up on stage. But if that's what I need to do, I'll definitely write something down, otherwise I'll end up talking for 10 minutes. Maybe you could challenge Liam Gallagher to a fight, like Robbie Williams at the Brits. Yes! I'll rewind time and pretend I'm one of them. That would be great! Your association with BBC Introducing goes back to 2009. What prompted you to upload your music? I was writing acoustic music - sort of singer-songwriter bluesy stuff - and a producer mentioned it me. I was, admittedly, sceptical about it. It hadn't quite proven itself to be a successful platform at that point. But I'm very glad I listened. Your first radio play came shortly afterwards on BBC Beds, Herts and Bucks - so why did it take six years to get to this stage? When I was a kid and writing more acoustic songs, I was doing it more for the attention than for the love of the music. I knew I needed to change something because I wasn't having fun, and wasn't liking the songs I was writing. What was the song that showed you the way forward? It was called I Couldn't Want You Anyway, and it was the first time I really sat down at a piano and wrote a song. It was a completely new sound and it really resonated with what I was feeling at the time. I remember saying to my management: "I've got this song. I'm going to try and produce it myself. Give me some time to have a crack at this." And I had a couple of days in a friend's studio and I came up with a demo version that I ended up using on my first EP, Remnants. You have several songs called Synaesthesia [a condition where one of the senses, such as hearing, triggers a sensation in another, like taste or colour]. Is it something you have? No, but I know a lot of people who have synaesthesia, or who can see colours through sound. It's something I'm fascinated by. The goal with those songs was to give people the idea of what synaesthesia could possibly feel like. Or to make music that's so dynamic or vivid it could trigger synaesthesia in someone who does have it. Has anyone ever told you what colours they hear when they play your music? People tell me different things. There's a song of mine called The Love You're Given. In the second verse, there's a big falling synth pattern and someone told me that when they hear it, it's just spots of purple on a background of blinding white. What's interesting is that when I was making that piece, that was the image I had in my head - tiny dots on a background that's too bright for your eyes to be able to comprehend. For someone who has the condition turn around and go "that's actually what I saw", was a nice piece of validation. Your latest video, Breathe Life, sees you lying on your back in a lake, while half a dozen synchronised swimmers dance around you. Was it a hard shoot? It was fun but it was challenging. We filmed it in California, so it was a sunny 72 degrees the whole day - but that doesn't make much difference when you spend 12 hours floating in tepid water. I was a prune within the first half hour. How often did you get kicked in the face? Only a couple of times! The real problem was the splashback when their limbs re-entered the water. I swallowed half of the lake. You've played a lot of gigs this year. What has that taught you? Not be intimidated by whatever stage you walk out onto - whether it's big or small. If you can fool every single member of the audience into thinking you're confident and you deserve to be there, everyone will jump on your side. Do you have any pre-show rituals? Honestly, it is really very boring. I just stand in my dressing room and jump up and down and freak out for about 10 minutes. Then I'll walk out on stage. I used to be in a band where the singer couldn't perform unless he'd eaten a Mars Bar, downed a pint of Guinness and thrown up. That's brilliant! I'm stealing that. I'm telling that to everyone from now on. Earlier this year, Katy Perry tweeted a link to your song The Love You're Given, calling it her song of the day. How did that change the trajectory of your career? It completely opened up another door. She has 78 million followers so you're talking about someone who has, at her fingertips, the ability to reach more people than the population of the country I was born in. That's crazy to think about. Your album, Phase, was finished in October but it isn't out until February. Is the wait driving you crazy? Pretty much. But it's going to be a good four months. The plan is to go all over the world and say: "Hey, this is going to be available to you in February and if you want it, please go and get it." For now, it's a little bit of waiting time. The hard work has been done and the album is fermenting. Then it's going to come out and everyone's going to get wasted on it. |
Is Kim Jong-un rational? The new US ambassador to the United Nations thinks he is not. Nikki Haley said after North Korea's simultaneous launch of four ballistic missiles: "This is not a rational person." But is she right? | You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
By Stephen EvansBBC News, Seoul Kim Jong-un may have many flaws. He is without doubt ruthless - the bereaved relatives of the victims of his regime, including within his own family, would testify to that. He may have driven through an economic policy that keeps his people living at a standard way below that in South Korea and, increasingly, China. And he seems to have personal issues, such as eating a lot - photographs show his bulging girth - and being a fairly heavy smoker. But whatever these failings and foibles, is he actually irrational - which the Oxford English Dictionary defines as "not logical or reasonable, not endowed with the power of reason"? Scholars who study him think he is behaving very rationally, even with the purging and terrorising of those around him. Prof Andrei Lankov of Kookmin University in Seoul told the BBC: "He is perfectly rational. He sometimes overdoes it. He sometimes tends to apply excessive force. Why kill hundreds of generals when dozens will do? "Most people he kills would never join a conspiracy but he feels it's better to overdo it. It's better to kill nine loyal generals and one potential conspirator than to allow a conspirator to stay alive. "But he is rational." Prof John Delury of Yonsei University in Seoul said that even having his half-brother killed (as the allegation is - denied by Pyongyang) would be a rational act; not nice but rational. "A sad fact of history is that young kings often kill their uncles and elder brothers. It may be cruel, but it is not 'irrational'. If you don't take my word for it, read Shakespeare." On this assassination of Kim Jong-nam, allegedly at the hands of agents of the regime, Prof Lankov says it is similar to the Ottoman Empire, where concubines of the Sultan had countless children, any of whom had a bloodline that might one day legitimise a claim to the throne. Prof Lankov thinks that Kim Jong-nam was, accordingly, a threat, probably not that great a one but still intolerable: "Probably he was not that dangerous but you never know. He was definitely under Chinese control." Prof Delury said that there was nothing irrational about Kim Jong-un's drive to obtain credible nuclear weapons: "He has no reliable allies to guarantee his safety, and he faces a hostile superpower that has, in recent memory, invaded sovereign states around the world and overthrown their governments. "The lesson North Koreans learned from the invasion of Iraq was that if Saddam Hussein really possessed those weapons of mass destruction, he might have survived." This was compounded by the lesson of Libya, according to Prof Lankov: "Did American promises of American prosperity help Gaddafi and his family? Kim Jong-un knows perfectly well what happened to the only fool who believed Western promises and renounced the development of nuclear weapons. And he's not going to make that mistake. Once you don't have nuclear weapons you are completely unprotected. "Did Russian or American and British promises to guarantee Ukrainian integrity help Ukraine? No. Why should he expect American, Russian or Chinese promises to help him stay alive? He is rational." If he is rational, what does he want? On this, scholars are divided. Prof Brian Myers of Dongseo University in Busan in South Korea said that Kim Jong-un wants security but also a united Korea as the only way he and the regime can survive in the long term. "As every North Korean knows, the whole point of the military-first policy is 'final victory', or the unification of the peninsula under North Korean rule." A credible nuclear force would give him the ability to pressure the United States to remove its troops from the peninsula. "North Korea needs the capability to strike the US with nuclear weapons in order to pressure both adversaries into signing peace treaties. This is the only grand bargain it has ever wanted," said Prof Myers. And once the US troops had gone, on this argument, North Korean rule would be unstoppable. Prof Lankov doesn't agree with the emphasis. He thinks survival is by far the most important motive behind Kim Jong-un's actions: "Above all, he wants to stay alive. Second, economic prosperity and growth - but it's a distant second." So what's to be done? Prof Lankov sees no good options: "I don't see any solution right now." He thinks the best option is to persuade North Korea to freeze its development of nuclear weapons at a particular size of arsenal "but it will be very difficult and North Koreans may not keep their promises". And money would have to be paid. "But this deal isn't good from an American point of view because it means paying a reward to a blackmailer, and if you pay a reward to a blackmailer once, you invite more blackmail. "The second option which might work is a military operation but that is likely to trigger a second Korean war and will permanently damage American credibility as a reliable ally and protector. "Worldwide, a lot of people would see that it's better to have enemies than such friends." |
Police are at the scene of an ATM raid at a Co-op store on the outskirts of Aberdeen. | You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
Officers were called to the Kingswells store in the early hours of Monday morning. The incident, which left the ATM badly damaged, took place at about 01:00. Police Scotland Det Ch Insp Alex Dowall said it had still to be established if any money was taken, and they were keeping an open mind as to it being connected to other incidents. |
The BBC has seen a letter from Northern Ireland's attorney general, in which he questions whether a move to allow for abortion in cases of fatal foetal abnormalities is compatible with international human rights law. | You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
The proposal is one of a number of amendments to the Justice Bill. MLAs are due to vote on the issue at Stormont on Wednesday. On Tuesday, the DUP asked the Northern Ireland health minister to set up a working group to examine it. In the letter, John Larkin QC expresses concern to TUV MLA Jim Allister that the move may not be compatible with a United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Mr Larkin wrote that "providing for a criminal law exception for 'fatal foetal abnormality', as proposed by this amendment, provides unborn children diagnosed with such a disability with much less protection under the law of Northern Ireland than those without such a disability". The attorney general pointed to cases in Spain and Austria, in which the UN committee which oversees the convention, has recommended that states should abolish any distinctions related to abortion in foetuses with disabilities. Mr Larkin said: "those unborn children who are 'doomed to die' or are otherwise regarded by the proposers of this amendment as unworthy of life because of the nature of their disability" are as protected by the UN convention as any others. He also said he thinks the 'conscience' provisions in Wednesday's amendments - proposed for NHS employees who have a religious or ethical objection to participating in abortions - are inadequate. Appeal In January Mr Larkin lodged an appeal to a High Court ruling that found Northern Ireland's abortion legislation to be "incompatible" with human rights law. A judge made the ruling in December. A case had been taken by the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission against the Department of Justice. The judge said there should be exemptions in the law for women who were the victims of sexual crime and in cases of fatal foetal abnormality. He said the current legal provisions in Northern Ireland breached the European Convention on Human Rights. Unlike other parts of the UK, the 1967 Abortion Act does not apply to Northern Ireland, where abortions are illegal except where the life or mental health of the mother is in danger. |
It's taken almost two weeks, but most of the dust has finally settled from the 2018 mid-term elections. What initially appeared to be a mixed picture for Donald Trump and the Republicans has grown darker - but there is a Sunshine State silver lining. | You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
Anthony ZurcherNorth America reporter@awzurcheron Twitter On the morning after polling, Mr Trump said the results showed almost a "complete victory". Even at the time that was difficult to square with the reality that his party had lost control of the House of Representatives for the first time in eight years. There was the prospect that the Republicans were going to make historic gains in the Senate, however. The president boasted of the possibility of a four-seat pick-up - which would build the largest majority for his party in more than a century. Such a historic win was not to be. Here's a look at some of the most significant developments since the first round of election-night instant analyses, many of which were written when it was challenging to spot the Democratic wave among the evening's early returns. Orange (County) is the new blue It became clear near midnight on election day that Democrats would take control of the House of Representatives. The only question was the size of their majority. Much of that depended on the outcome of very close races and the slow trickle of results from California mail-in balloting. What could have been only a tenuous Democratic hold on power has slowly grown to a more robust advantage - and California is a big reason why. In Orange County, the heavily populated suburbs south of Los Angeles, Republicans were routed. What used to be the backbone of conservatism in the state - the home of Richard Nixon, a place Ronald Reagan once referred to as "Republican heaven" - turned Democratic blue. Four Republican-held districts in the county fell, marking the first time since 1940 that all seven of its House seats will be represented by Democrats. Add another two seats that have been called for the Democrats elsewhere in California and one that appears poised to go blue, and there could be only seven Republicans left in the state's 53-seat congressional delegation. There's still plenty of Republican red on the California map, but it's all in the relatively unpopulated eastern portion of the state. Most Californians live on the coast. In fact, except for a small Republican-held slice of southern Washington, the entire Pacific coast of the continental US will now be represented in the House by Democrats. Orange County was expected to be a battleground in 2018. Democrat Hillary Clinton beat Mr Trump throughout the area in 2016, and the president remains largely unpopular there. The scope of the rout, however, was remarkable. Combined with post-election-day victories for Democrats in New Jersey, Washington, Georgia and Maine (and more on that in a minute), the Democratic House majority will have at least a 14-seat cushion with five races left to be decided. Although the size of the victory in terms of seats is dwarfed by the Republican waves of 2010 and 1994, it is the largest Democratic House gain since the post-Watergate election of 1974. A more modest Senate swing If the House results were good news for the Democrats, the Senate appeared to be another story. Midway through election night, a flurry of embattled Democratic Senate incumbents were toppled. Joe Donnelly, despite pre-election polls showing he might hang on to his seat in conservative Indiana, was quickly defeated. Claire McCaskill, who seemed to be living a charmed political life, saw her luck run out in Missouri. Heidi Heitkamp in North Dakota, a state that Mr Trump won by more than 30% in 2016, was buried. Yes, Democratic incumbents won surprisingly easy victories in Trump-carried states of West Virginia, Pennsylvania, and across the Midwest, but the losses were mounting. Later in the evening, it became clear that Democrats would pick up a seat in Nevada - beating the one Republican running in a state Mrs Clinton carried - but it still seemed like the Republicans were on a roll. Instead, Democrats stopped the bleeding. Jon Tester held on in Montana, another very Trump-friendly state. And Kyrsten Sinema defeated Martha McSally to pick up a Republican-held seat in Arizona. After a week of recounting battles, Rick Scott upended Democratic Senator Bill Nelson in Florida, which - along with governor wins in Georgia and Florida - gave Mr Trump a bit of late good news. It's hard to over-estimate the value of Florida to the president - some might say it's his real home. There's still a Mississippi run-off scheduled in a week, but the chances are that the Republicans will hold that seat. Add in the Democratic win in an Alabama special election last year, and Trump will probably enter the second half of his first term with one more seat in the Senate than he had when he started, 53 to 47. It provides a bit of breathing room for his party, but it also means the chamber is decidedly in play in 2020, when more Republicans will have to defend their seats in battleground states. Mr Trump, in a Friday tweet, called his party's two-seat gain in the Senate an "epic victory" and downplayed the Democratic pickup in the Senate. The Senate gains are indeed somewhat rare for a president, although that has much more to do with the idiosyncrasies of the 2018 seats up for election than larger trends. As FiveThirtyEight's Geoffrey Skelley explains, in state after state Democratic Senate candidates in 2018 outperformed the "partisan lean" (compared to the national average) of the states they were running in. Meanwhile, in the House, only five of the last 15 mid-terms had larger gains for the out-of-power party. If this was an epic victory, Republicans probably shudder when thinking what defeat might have looked like. Mia gets love from voters, not Trump One of the more unusual portions of Mr Trump's post-election press conference was when he began listing names of Republican candidates he felt had not adequately supported him - and went on to lose. "I'm not sure that I should be happy or sad, but I feel just fine about it," he said. Carlos Curbelo of Florida, Mike Coffman in Colorado, Barbara Comstock in Virginia and Illinois' Peter Roskam. None of them wanted the Trump "embrace", the president said, and all paid the price. "Mia Love gave me no love, and she lost," he noted of the only black Republican congresswoman, who was trailing her opponent on election night. "Too bad. Sorry about that, Mia." The thing is, Ms Love, running for re-election, is in a back-and-forth fight for her northern Utah seat. Since the president's remarks, she pulled ahead by more than 1,000 votes and is currently trailing by around 700. Victory is far from assured, but it's going to be close. 21 NOV UPDATE: In final tabulations, Democrat Ben McAdams defeated Ms Love by 694 votes. The Democrats pick up another House seat, and Trump gets a bit of costly vindication." And one for the political nerds... Maine As mentioned, that Maine election was a bit unusual. The Second Congressional District race was the first test of the state's new "ranked choice" voting system. Because of it, a Democrat unseated an incumbent Republican who would have been re-elected under the old system. When Maine residents headed to the polls two weeks ago, they voted for their first choice - and then marked who their second preference would be if their first pick didn't end up in the top two and no one received a majority of the vote. On election day, Republican Bruce Poliquin received 46.2% of the vote, while Democrat Jared Golden tallied 45.5%. After the second choices of those who opted for independent and third-party candidates were tabulated last Thursday, however, Mr Golden pulled ahead and won the seat. "Instant runoff" systems like this have been cited by electoral reform advocates as a means to avoid third-party spoiler candidates and ensure that elected officials enter office with a majority of support. The Republican is already challenging the legality of the process, but if it's upheld, other states may give the system a look. |
A cannabis factory with plants worth about £250,000 has been uncovered in Salisbury. | You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
Wiltshire Police raided a house in Old Blandford Road on Wednesday and found 786 plants, along with hydroponics equipment. Hoa Thi Hoang, 21, from Vietnam was arrested and charged with the production of cannabis plants. He has been remanded in custody and will appear before Salisbury Magistrates' Court at a later date. |
The first official photographs of Prince George have been released. | You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
The baby - who is third in line to the British throne - is pictured with his parents, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. The pictures were taken by the duchess's father, Michael Middleton, in the garden of their family home in Bucklebury, Berkshire. Taken earlier this month, they show the royal couple, Prince George and their black cocker spaniel, Lupo. Tilly, a golden retriever belonging to the Middleton family, can be seen lying down behind them. The photographs of Prince George, who was born on 22 July, were released by Kensington Palace. On Monday Prince William, giving his first interview since becoming a father, told CNN: "He's a little bit of a rascal, I'll put it that way. "He either reminds me of my brother or me when I was younger, I'm not sure - but he's doing very well at the moment." BBC royal correspondent Nicholas Witchell said the new family look "unselfconscious, relaxed and happy - much like most couples might look with their first-born baby". He added: "Of course they're aware of what's expected of them. There will be staff - a nanny - to help in due course, but for the moment it's all rather informal and many might think, refreshing." Renowned photographer Terry O'Neill said he thought the pictures were "absolutely charming". "It reminded me when I first started photography for myself - I just went for the light, and it was really interesting lighting. As a matter of fact when I heard about these pictures, I thought 'Who have they got to do these pictures' - and the thought crossed my mind they might have asked the Queen because she's quite a good photographer - I thought that would be one up to the paparazzi." The cultural and education manager of Magnum Photos, Fiona Rogers, told Radio 4's Today programme the photograph of the couple and Prince George with the family's dogs was "technically not the most accomplished photograph". "It's a photograph that any one of us could have in our family albums," she said. |
The last time I met a Blackberry boss it ended rather badly. Eighteen months ago Mike Lazaridis, then co-CEO of RIM, took exception to a question and terminated our encounter . So I was very grateful that Thorsten Heins, now in sole charge, agreed to meet me this week and give me so much of his time. | You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
Rory Cellan-JonesTechnology correspondent@BBCRoryCJon Twitter He took over in January, after Mr Lazaridis and his co-CEO Jim Balsillie stepped down, battered by the crisis at the Blackberry company which probably explained the tensions of our interview the previous spring. With its share of the smartphone market heading south and investors agitated about the precipitous fall in the share price, Mr Heins faced an unenviable challenge. When I asked him how much progress he made, he took me through a list of management changes and restructuring initiatives. But he knows his real challenge is to turn around perceptions of Blackberry. Last week the New York Times ran a feature which could hardly have been more damaging, suggesting that Blackberry owners were now ashamed of their devices. In the city where every Wall Street banker and hotshot lawyer once flaunted this symbol of their need to be connected to their email 24/7, this was hurtful stuff. When I brought up the article, Mr Heins insisted it was poorly researched and far from the truth: "80 million users that are loyal is a different testament." But as if to highlight the huge problem that Blackberry has in the United States, he went on: "What I see in my markets outside the US is huge growth, huge commitment to Blackberry." But there appears to be no growth and no commitment in the US - indeed, figures show that RIM's smartphone market share keeps on falling, down another 3% between May and August this year. Blackberry is still a very respected brand across the developing world - but it is undeniable that it has lost its cachet in the US and Europe. Turning that around and pulling the company out of its death spiral all depends on a new operating system, Blackberry 10. Mr Heins gave me a demo, telling me that this was a "whole new paradigm" in mobile operating systems. Unlike the pattern set by Apple's first iPhone, where a user has to continually go in and out of a menu of apps, Blackberry 10's trick is something called Flow. This enables you to move seamlessly between a whole range of apps, heading from an email to your calendar to a social network without returning to a home screen. The key difference, though, is that RIM has finally surrendered fully to the touchscreen experience, having insisted for years that a physical keyboard was integral to its appeal. There will still be devices with keys to tap but Mr Heins indicated that the buttonless Blackberry was the future. The CEO and his executive team have been travelling the globe spreading the gospel of Blackberry 10 to developers - who will provide the apps on which its appeal depends - and the mobile operators who will sell it to consumers. He said there had been plenty of support. But here's the rub - the new system won't be available until the first quarter of next year, and that may be too late. With every passing week, more consumers choose Android or Apple phones, and even more crucially, more corporations switch away from Blackberry. The management consultants Booz Allen and US Customs are amongst the recent deserters. Winning them back will be a lot harder than losing them. But Mr Heins remained resolutely cheery. "Quality matters," he insisted when I suggested RIM had already missed the boat. "We're not just building an update of Blackberry 7, we're building a whole new mobile computing platform. Don't underestimate the dynamic that this platform is going to create in the market." And he made this bold claim: "In the US we are going to regain our market share with Blackberry 10." With Android and Apple now grabbing most of that market, the road back looks hard - and that is if you ignore the much better-funded Windows Phone platform. I know plenty of people who are anything but ashamed to own a Blackberry - as I left my office to interview Mr Heins, a colleague told me to tell him he couldn't live without his. But a brand that has been left behind in a fast-changing world has only a short time to turn things around. |
A raid on a cashpoint machine by thieves using a JCB telehandler has left a 6ft (2m) wide hole in the side of a Co-op store. | You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
The ram raid on Polka Road, Wells-next-the-Sea, happened between 02:50 and 03:00 GMT on Monday. The suspects used the telehandler to remove the cash machine before loading it on to a 4x4 truck, said police. Officers believe a dark-coloured hatchback was also used. Witnesses are asked to call Norfolk Police. Police have cordoned off the scene and there is a hand-written note at the store saying it is closed. |
It was reported on Tuesday that a North Korean diplomat in London, Thae Yong Ho, had defected to a third country. The BBC's Korea correspondent, Steve Evans, has pleasant memories of Mr Thae - who, he says, always seemed unusually at home in the suburbs of West London. | You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
The last time I saw Thae Yong Ho was in an Indian restaurant in Acton, in West London. He was eating a curry, but without rice - we had been discussing pre-diabetes, a condition which middle-aged men who enjoy food come to think about a lot, usually at the suggestion of their doctors. His GP had told him that he should think of diabetes as a monster running towards him. He could slow it down or he could speed it up, but towards him it was coming. Rice and other carbohydrates would bring the monster closer faster. Now the curries will have to be elsewhere - in Seoul, with a bit of luck. He is here with his family after disappearing from London. His stint as a diplomat for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, as he called North Korea, came to an end earlier in the summer and he told me he was returning with his family to Pyongyang. But he wasn't. He is a dark horse - but of course he had to be. He worked for a regime which has a history of abducting people and the least hint of defection would have landed him in deep trouble. Thinking about it though, the signs were there. I recall he asked me about life in Seoul. I told him it was a mega-bustling city, a world away from Pyongyang . But he seemed so British. He seemed so at home. He seemed so middle-class, so conservative, so dapper. He would have fitted in nicely in suburbia. In fact, he did fit in nicely in suburbia. He told me how he had been passing the local tennis club in Ealing and had seen a sign asking for new members. In he went and joined, and became a stalwart of the tennis club. He took to tennis when his wife complained about his obsession with golf. There must be a million conversations like it in the shires - his wife told him it was either golf or her. If he didn't put down the putter, she was off to Pyongyang. For North Koreans, as for everyone else, love (often) conquers all. So he put down the golf bag and took up the tennis racket which - the tennis club being closer - left him more time for home. We often talked of family - and health. The children of North Korean diplomats in Britain go to local state schools. They sometimes note how their children's first words of English are "Stop doing that!" or "Enough!" - echoing the teachers of Acton. Mr Thae's son had a degree in the economics of public health from a British university. His son had concluded from his studies that what Pyongyang really needed to make it a world-class city was more disabled parking spaces. I'm no expert in these things but I am sceptical. Of all the things Pyongyang needs, more parking space for the disabled is not top of the list. More cars, maybe. More freedom, certainly. Disabled parking can come later. That is my opinion. Mr Thae had done his duty, going round Britain promoting the country's ideology. He gave a talk to the Revolutionary Communist Party of Great Britain (Marxist-Leninist) where he bemoaned British house prices. He would tell his friends how much he paid to rent a house in Acton and they assumed it must be a mansion with a swimming pool rather than a small semi. Despite that, he has chosen not to have the free accommodation he cited as one of the benefits of life in Pyongyang. I am pleased at his decision. Who knows how much agony there must have been wrestling with the choice. When I met him, it was always with another diplomat present - that's the way Pyongyang keeps control - one diplomat watches the other for disloyalty. He had never given any hint of disloyalty to the regime, not a flicker of doubt. But when you talk to North Korean officials you know where the red lines are. In Pyongyang there are the hardliners from the security agency - hatchet-faced men with bulges under their identical suits - but there are also the minders from the foreign ministry, with whom human engagement is possible. They can be helpful, though never disloyal to the regime. It is more than their jobs are worth - more than their lives are worth. And so it was with Mr Thae - helpful within the constraints of his job. I should say that while there is no doubt fear in the minds of public officials there is also, I think, genuine patriotism and even pride in the country. Mr Thae must have done a lot of dirty work, despite showing such a charming face to me in the curry house in Acton. Was he one of the two men who turned up at the barber's shop in London to complain about the picture of Kim Jong-un with the caption, "Bad hair day?" Did he follow North Korean defectors in the Korean enclave in New Malden in South London? I don't know, but it was part of the job as a representative of Pyongyang's despotism. He was one of the minders escorting Kim Jong-un's brother to an Eric Clapton concert in the Albert Hall - he is the balding man seen in the first few seconds of this video: According to the South Korean media, the diplomat has defected because of pressure from Pyongyang to counter bad publicity. In this regard the BBC - to its great credit - may be to blame. On our last trip to North Korea, BBC reports upset the regime greatly. My colleague, Rupert Wingfield-Hayes, was banned from the country for life and was lucky not to get hard labour. I can imagine the phone calls: "How could you let this happen?" "Why did you trust the capitalist lackeys?" They had already said the opening of the BBC's new Korean Service would be viewed as an act of war. If you were Mr Thae, what would you do? Get on the plane to Pyongyang to get more abuse and perhaps even severe punishment, or seek asylum with your family in the UK, or perhaps the US? I do not know - but there's got to be a spy novel or a movie in it. Despite the skulduggery which Mr Thae may have been involved in, I like him. It should be a movie with a happy ending, perhaps with Mr Thae playing tennis in his later years, perhaps on the hard courts of South Korea. Better still on the gentle grass of Britain. Follow @BBCNewsMagazine on Twitter and on Facebook |
The north of England has always been a place of big imaginations and ingenuity. That pedigree is being celebrated with The Great Exhibition of the North, an 80-day festival of art, design and innovation that is billed as "the country's biggest event in 2018". | You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
By Ian YoungsArts & entertainment reporter It takes place in Newcastle and Gateshead and opened on Friday, and visitors can see objects like Robert Stephenson's Rocket, John Lennon's piano and Helen Sharman's space suit. As well as items that have shaped our past, there will be the chance to examine ideas and technologies that might shape our future, and the work of artists who are based in the north today. Here, three artists talk about how the north feeds their work, and what it means to them. Frances Disley "There's a lot of freedom," Liverpool-based Disley says when asked why the north is a good place to make art. She spent seven years in London, but a city like Liverpool doesn't have the fixed pecking orders and expectations of the capital's art establishment. What it does have is a go-ahead ethos, she says. "Nobody turns their nose up if somebody says, 'OK I'm sick of nothing happening - I'm going to set up a gallery and do something' or 'I've not been busy for a while - I'm going to put a show on'. Lots of DIY things can happen." Disley is showing two "activated" paintings (which come to life when a performer appears as part of the work) at the Baltic 39 gallery as part of the Great Exhibition of the North. The cheaper cost of living in Liverpool, compared with London, gives artists more security and makes it easier to focus on being creative. "You're not having to work six jobs and it's not exhausting," she says. Despite that, many graduates decide to move on to brighter lights - but there is "a really supportive community". "I think that feeds into the work because you're not necessarily afraid of somebody being really critical, so there's some room to make some awful things and play without being scrutinised 100%. That blank canvas is really useful." Harry Meadley The north has "this weird dual state of feeling both superior and inferior", according to Leeds-based Meadley. In some ways, it can't compete with the London-centric art world. But, Meadley says: "You have this sense that northerners do feel like we are 'better than', and we shouldn't have to play into the rules as set by what's perceived as a London-based establishment." All those hang-ups just end up holding people back, "and in different ways had held me back at times". The 30-year-old lived in the capital for a couple of years before moving back to Leeds and has decided that the art scene in the north is on an equal footing. "I had to see the north of England as a whole as an equivalent to London," he says. "If you view the entire area of the north of England, it is an equivalent in terms of the number of institutions, the number of opportunities and the number of people doing things - it's just slightly more stretched out." Meadley interviews artists for his Ey Up podcast and at Baltic 39, he is showing a video work - a fly-on-the wall look at another project he's doing, which is an attempt to exhibit Rochdale Council's entire fine art collection. The cheaper costs mean artists can be more experimental outside the capital, he says. "There's no way I could be in the position I am now and working the way I am now in London," he says. "If you fit into an easier commercial [art] model, then maybe it's possible - but even then for most that's not a reality." Becky Peach Between two pawn shops on Gateshead High Street, in the window of a shop that was once home to Woolworths and Poundland, Becky Peach is putting the finishing touches to her contribution to The Great Exhibition of the North. The shop has been taken over by The Newbridge Project, which was set up in 2010 to support and exhibit emerging artists, and Peach's installation has taken inspiration from the local surroundings. "I'm interested in little snippets of shapes of textures around the area that we may be not quite so aware of," the 28-year-old says. "I tend to blow them up or distort them." So she has made wallpaper using double yellow lines from the streets outside, the "o" from the Woolworths logo, images of brickwork and Perspex and window frames, all twisted and reshaped. "Part of it is to do with the fact we've become so immersed in technology you can really miss out on a lot of your surroundings," she says. Peach is based in Liverpool and is director of The Royal Standard, a studio and gallery complex in the city. "It's just got such a do it yourself attitude," she says. "If things don't exist there then people make them happen. And it's a really affordable place to be working as an artist. My rent's really cheap and I've been able to keep practising since uni for those reasons." What is the Great Exhibition of the North? Other Great Exhibition highlights Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk. |
A gritter lorry got wedged in a house after smashing into it in the early hours. | You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
Police found the yellow lorry stuck in the semi-detached house on Chester Road in Helsby, Cheshire at about 01:00 GMT. None of the house's occupants were hurt, but have been temporarily rehoused with friends and family, Cheshire Police said. The lorry driver was taken to hospital but is not believed to have sustained any serious injuries. The A56 in Helsby is completely closed as a result of the smash and diversions are in place via the M56. |
The body of a man has been discovered in a flat in Southampton, sparking a murder investigation. | You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
The 70-year-old was pronounced dead after police were called to the property in Bursledon Road shortly after 21:00 GMT on Wednesday. Hampshire Constabulary said the man's next-of-kin had been informed of his death. Officers remain at the scene. Anyone with information is urged to contact the force. |
A man has been charged with assaulting Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage by throwing a milkshake at him. | You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
The Brexit Party leader had given a speech in Newcastle on Monday ahead of the European elections when a drink was thrown at him. Paul Crowther, 32, of Throckley, Newcastle, has been charged with common assault and criminal damage relating to Mr Farage's microphones. He is due to appear at North Tyneside Magistrates' Court on 18 June. |
The release of a review of Guernsey's education standards has been delayed by the island's Policy Council. | You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
The Mulkerrin Report was set to be released to the public on 11 January, but was put back to 13 January. It was commissioned in the wake of poor GCSE results at two of the island's secondary schools, and was discussed by the Policy Council on Monday. The group said the delay would give the Education Department a chance to read the report ahead of its release. |
Gabon's opposition says it was cheated of victory, after official results showed a turnout of 99.93% in President Ali Bongo's home region, with 95% of votes in his favour. Elizabeth Blunt has witnessed many elections across Africa, as both a BBC journalist and election observer and looks at six signs of possible election rigging. | You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
Too many voters Watch the turnout figures ‒ they can be a big giveaway. You never get a 98% or 99% turnout in an honest election. You just don't. Voting is compulsory in Gabon, but it is not enforced; even in Australia where it is enforced, where you can vote by post or online and can be fined for not voting, turnout only reaches 90-95%. The main reason that a full turnout is practically impossible is that electoral registers, even if they are recently compiled, can rarely be 100% up-to-date. Even if no-one gets sick or has to travel, people still die. And when a register is updated, new voters are keen to add themselves to the list. No-one, however, has any great enthusiasm for removing the names of those who have died, and over time the number of these non-existent voters increases. I once reported on an election in the Niger Delta where some areas had a turnout of more than 120%. "They're very healthy people round here, and very civic-minded," a local official assured me. But a turnout of more than 100%, in an area or an individual polling station, is a major red flag and a reason to cancel the result and re-run the election. A high turnout in specific areas Even where the turnout is within the bounds of possibility, if the figure is wildly different from the turnout elsewhere, it serves as a warning. Why would one particular area, or one individual polling station, have a 90% turnout, while most other areas register less than 70%? Something strange is almost certainly going on, especially if the high turnout is an area which favours one particular candidate or party over another. Large numbers of invalid votes There are other, more subtle ways that riggers can increase votes ‒ or reduce them. Keep an eye on the number of votes excluded as invalid. Even in countries with low literacy rates this isn't normally above 5%. High numbers of invalid votes can mean that officials are disqualifying ballots for the slightest imperfection, even when the voter's intention is perfectly clear, in an attempt to depress votes for their opponents. More votes than ballot papers issued When the polls close, and before they open the boxes, election officials normally have to go through a complicated and rather tedious process known as the reconciliation of ballots. After they have counted how many ballot papers they received in the morning, they then need to count how many are left, and how many ‒ if any ‒ were torn or otherwise spoiled and had to be put aside. The result will tell them how many papers should be in the box. It should also match the number of names checked off on the register. The first task when the box is opened is to count the number of papers inside, this is done prior to counting the votes for the different candidates. If there is a discrepancy, something is wrong. And if there are more papers in the boxes than were issued by the polling staff, it is highly likely that someone has been doing some "stuffing". That's a good enough reason to cancel the result and arrange a re-run. Results that don't match Mobile phones have made elections much more transparent. It is now standard practice to allow party agents, observers and sometimes even voters to watch the counting process and take photographs of the results sheet with their phones. They then have proof of the genuine results from their area ‒ just in case the ones announced later by the electoral commission don't match. It has clearly taken crooked politicians some time to catch up with the fact that people will now know if they change the results. In south-eastern Togo, local party representatives told me that they witnessed the count in 2005 and endorsed the result; they saw the official in charge leave for the capital, taking the signed results sheet with him. Yet the results announced later on the radio were different. The same thing happened in Katanga Province of the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2011. The results announced on the radio were not the same as those international observers saw posted outside the polling stations. But this transparency only works if the official announcement of results includes figures for individual counting centres ‒ and this has become an issue in the current Gabonese election. Delay in announcing results Finally something that is not necessarily a sign of rigging, but it is often assumed to be so. Election commissions, particularly in Africa, can appear to take an inordinately long time to publish official results. This is not helped by local observer networks and political parties who, tallying up the results sent in by their agents on mobile phones, have a good idea of the result long before the more cumbersome official process is completed. But the official process takes time, especially in countries with poor communications, and the introduction of modern electronic transmission systems has not necessarily helped. Where these systems have proved too demanding for the context, as in Malawi last year, they can actually increase delays as staff struggle to make the technology work. In that particular case the results eventually had to be transmitted the old fashioned way; placed in envelopes and driven down to the capital under police escort. By then, allegations of rigging were flying. Delay is certainly dangerous, fuelling rumours of results being "massaged" before release and increasing tensions, but this is not incontrovertible proof of rigging. |
Beautiful to some, a blot on the countryside to others, Didcot Power Station's monumental cooling towers have dominated the landscape of rural Oxfordshire for decades. But they will produce clouds of dust rather than steam when they are demolished on Sunday. | You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
By Michael RaceBBC News The power station's gigantic, concrete towers in the heart of Midsomer Murders country have stood in stark contrast to their surroundings for more than 50 years. Public opinion is divided over the structure's good, bad, and ugly aspects. Some point to the jobs and communities it has created, while others highlight its 655ft (199.5m) smoke-belching chimney - one of the tallest structures in the UK - and say it is part of dirty industry they want to abolish forever. Country Life readers voted the landmark Britain's third worst eyesore in 2003 and the site has long been the site of protests by environmentalists. But to others the towers have been a source of inspiration. The novelist, Dame Marina Warner, who made a BBC documentary about the power station in 1991, described them as "like the dark satanic mills [but with] a sort of incredible furious beauty". "It appealed to me because I just used to find the cooling towers very beautiful when I saw them from the road," she said. "The big streaming clouds of steam over this beautiful valley and also there were points to make. I wanted to make a point about the ecology. "I just thought they should be recognised as achievements and also of expressions of a certain moment of triumphalism, a sort of human excessive triumphalism over nature which we now must say goodbye to." To the poet Kit Wright, who published An Ode to Didcot Power Station in 2014, they are "a marvel of the plain". "No-one would normally think that a coal power station was actually tremendously beautiful, but you get lured into it, you get to think it - so it becomes so," he said. "The eye becomes accustomed to places and so does the heart really. "It sort of earns its place it ones emotions. It'll be interesting to see what it looks like when nothing is there." That enough people will be sad to see the towers go is possibly due to their design. The architect Sir Frederick Gibberd, who had already designed Liverpool's Metropolitan Cathedral, took care to ensure the cooling towers and chimney were "sympathetic" to the landscape. Artists Rachel Barbaresi and Susanna Round, who were commissioned to photograph the station prior to it being decommissioned, discovered Sir Frederick's early drawings of the power station at the back of a filing cabinet in the coal plant. Plans from 1965 showed eight cooling towers standing together before Gibberd reduced the number to six and constructed them in two sets of three, a mile apart, to mitigate their visual impact. "You cannot see it without being aware of the environmental consequences, but in terms of the design we found it very fascinating," Ms Barbaresi said. So why was this concrete pile placed in the middle of the verdant Thames valley? For the Central Electricity Generating Board (CEGB), which commissioned the power station back in 1964, it was a strategic decision. The site, a former Ministry of Defence depot, was "freely available" to the government at the time, according to Lyn Bowen, who switched on the power station in 1970 and turned it off in 2013. The town's railway line and proximity to the Thames also meant the location was right for the tonnes of coal and gallons of water the power station would require. Despite local protests - employment benefits outweighed the landscape concerns - the six towers were completed in 1968, before the power station joined the National Grid in 1970. During its construction, a recruitment campaign was launched in areas where heavy industry jobs had been cut, but experienced workers remained. At the age of 25, Des Healy, had already been made redundant three times from jobs in Glasgow's shipyards and steel works. Unemployed and with a young family, the skilled engineer signed up and moved to Didcot. "We went to a local library to ask where Didcot was and I had three little librarians with maps of the south of England trying to find out and making phone calls," he laughed. "One guy said I think it is in Oxfordshire and the second question was 'Where is Oxfordshire?'." The 72-year-old said journeys like his were not uncommon, with workers drafted in from industrial areas in Scotland, northern England and south Wales. Mr Healy would go on to become a senior shop steward and retire after 28 years in the town, where he still lives today. The arrival of new employees saw houses built and new communities forged as the historic railway town entered a new era and identity. Lyn Bowen, who moved to the area to run the plant, said the "only thing missing" when he first visited Didcot was "tumbleweed". The 79-year-old remembers the excitement he felt, flicking the switch in the control room as the power station was turned on. "All the pieces had been put together and it works," he recalled. From that day, its boilers consumed 185 tonnes of coal every hour, which was burned to raise the temperature of the steam so high - 568C - so that it powered four mighty turbines. The turbines then spun a generator rapidly to produce 2,000 megawatts (MW) of electricity to power millions of homes. The steam, still roaring hot, was condensed and allowed to escape through the six giant cooling towers. But despite an increase in jobs and prosperity, Mr Healy said opinions were always split on the station. "A lot of people felt it was dirty and noisy, which it was, because coal by virtue of what it is, coal is dirty," he said. "If this power station had been built on the Clyde or the Tyne, I'm sure there would be a different attitude because all the money and jobs it brought to this area - those areas would have welcomed it with open arms." Mr Healy, who became a Labour councillor and was mayor between 2015 and 2016, said he "always wanted to give back" because "Didcot was good to me and my family". After new EU reduced emissions rules were brought in, the owners RWE Power decided to decommission the power station in 2013. The three southern cooling towers were demolished a year later, but in February 2016, as engineers prepared the rest of the site for demolition, tragedy struck. The 10-storey boiler house collapsed, killing workers Ken Cresswell, 57, John Shaw, 61, Michael Collings, 53, and Christopher Huxtable, 34. It took more than six months for their bodies to be recovered from the site. Three years on, investigators have examined 870 tonnes of the collapsed structure and Thames Valley Police and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) are investigating possible manslaughter and health and safety offences. Mr Bowen said it was a "poignant moment" when he switched off Didcot A after 43 years of service. "The big sadness I have got with it going is that it reflects the end of British Engineering," he said. "It's the end of an era." Mr Healy, who says he will watch the towers come down with his family, added: "People who are happy to see it come down will be rejoicing. "People like myself who were brought out of unemployment and who were given secure futures for our families will think of the good times it brought us." The future of the site is not known, although more than 15,000 new homes are set to be built in the area over the next 20 years. Perhaps these developments will signal the start of another new era for the town, with new families moving in just as the power station workers did in the 1970s. The government plans to phase out the UK's last coal-fired plants by 2025 to reduce carbon emissions. Dame Marina believes the architects of such stations should not be "vilified". "The work these buildings were doing was for everybody," she says. "This was the engine of society - this kind of fuel consuming and fuel making machine." Between 06:00 and 08:00 BST hundreds will watch on as the three northern cooling towers are blown down, leaving the giant chimney to stand alone until the autumn. The Oxfordshire skyline will never look the same again. |
A man has been arrested on suspicion of murder after the sudden death of a 64-year-old woman. | You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
Police were contacted by paramedics who had been called to a house on Cant Crescent in Carlisle at 10:55 BST on Thursday. Cumbria Police said relatives had been informed but the woman's death was currently unexplained. A 31-year-old man has been arrested and is in custody being questioned by police. |
A 63-year-old woman died when she was hit by a car near a village in Powys. | You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
The victim was fatally injured on the B4398 at Carreghofa, just south of Llanymynech, which straddles the Wales-England border, at about 15:30 GMT on Friday. A BMW X1 was involved in the collision and the woman died at the scene, Dyfed-Powys Police said. The force said it was investigating the crash and called for witnesses to come forward. |
How much tech can you take? Next week aims to stretch your horizons, as well as your credulity, as thousands of new products are launched and demoed at the giant CES expo. | You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
By Leo KelionTechnology desk editor Artificial intelligence, 5G, foldables, surveillance tech, 8K and robotics are set to be among this year's buzzwords. But also expect Trump to feature. The President's clashes with China have led some of the communist country's biggest tech firms to cancel or reduce their involvement in the Las Vegas event. But the prospect of an imminent trade deal points towards tensions easing and greater access to Chinese consumers. Ivanka Trump - the US leader's daughter - is also attending to give a "keynote" interview to CES chief Gary Shapiro. He once called on Americans to oppose her father because of "his racism and inanity". Now Mr Shapiro faces criticism himself for inviting Ivanka to discuss "the future of work". Critics claim she is benefiting from nepotism while better-qualified female tech champions are overlooked. But some of Silicon Valley's most powerful women are taking part. Apple's privacy chief Jane Horvath is making a rare public appearance. It's the first time her company has formally been involved in CES since it hawked its Newton handheld back in 1992. In addition, ex-Hewlett Packard chief Meg Whitman will co-host another keynote with former Dreamworks co-founder Jeffrey Katzenberg, to showcase Quibi. The platform aims to outmanoeuvre Netflix and Amazon on mobile with a range of 10-minute-long shows. But the reason CES generates so much interest is its gadgets. Here are our hot spots from this years show: SMART HOME Amazon and Google will once again be hiring out lots of floor space to spotlight products that tie into their virtual assistants. The success of their smart speakers helped global demand for net-connected home products grow by a healthy 24% in unit terms in 2019, according to research firm IDC. The challenge at this point is to pioneer new types of devices, rather than tweak what is already on the market. Bathroom specialist Kohler is already attracting attention for Moxie. The shower head integrates an Alexa-enabled speaker and microphone - but thankfully no camera. Meanwhile many of CES's smaller start-ups have looked to the kitchen for inspiration. Smartypans has a frying pan that checks the weight and temperature of ingredients before guiding you through the cooking process via an app. Inirv wants you to swap your cooker's knobs for its smart dials. They let owners turn up the heat via voice command, and automatically turn off the stove if it is left unattended for too long. And PantryOn aims to automate food shopping lists via smart shelves that monitor when a family's favourite groceries run low. The caveat is that its current prototypes look to be quite bulky, leaving less storage space as a result. Not all home tech requires an always-on net connection. BrightLock unlocks front doors by detecting a pattern of light pulses fired from a smartphone's flash. The idea is that you can easily share a light-based code with friends, tradesmen or others needing temporary access. Townew promises to liberate you from the toil of having to tie up rubbish bags. The bin self-seals sacks at the touch of a button, but requires you to be locked into buying the manufacturer's bin liner refills. And Lua wants to "turn your plant into a pet" with a sensor-packed pot that shows animated faces to let you know when your foliage is thirsty, or in need of sunlight. One theme to watch out for is the further rise of the pod, with a number of companies seeking to emulate Nespresso's coffee capsules. They include Tigout, whose machine makes bite-sized bakes and souffles, and AI-Plus Plantbox, a smart-farming appliance that turns pods full of seeds into small batches of vegetables and herbs. One further home-tech trend is smaller appliances for compact homes. Morus Zero is a countertop tumble dryer that uses a vacuum-based system to dry clothes. Its makers claim the technology makes it more energy-efficient than traditional heat-based models. But they may have to address concerns raised by some crowdfunder backers about whether it's possible to deliver what has been promised. DaanTech's Bob is another example, with what it claims is the world's smallest dishwasher. It only has space for two people's tableware. Surely the sink wouldn't take too much longer? There will be lots of new home security products too. Ring should expand its portfolio of thief-deterrent tech, but will this be the moment it upgrades its surveillance capabilities? Its parent Amazon has the AI know-how, but may be biding its time to avoid controversy. Others aren't hanging about. Amaryllo will promote Athena, a security camera that recognises people's voices and faces, to distinguish friends and family from strangers. Furthermore, it can recognise a fire from afar and raise the alarm. TELEVISIONS TVs have been at the heart of CES since its start. It looks like the big news this time will be a no-bezel edge-to-edge screen from Samsung and a flexible OLED model from LG that rolls down from the ceiling. The question for both is whether the impressive engineering involved comes at the cost of fragility. There's also likely to be a big push to take 8K mass-market. The tech features four times as many pixels as 4K sets and 16 times as many as 1080p screens. Tokyo's Summer Olympics are being filmed in the "super hi-vision" format, but it's still unclear which broadcasters will support it beyond Japan's NHK and Italy's Rai. With little other 8K content, TV-makers are under pressure to prove that their upscaling technologies noticeably enhance lower-resolution Blu-Ray disks and video-streams. It can take considerable computing smarts to do this well, but several companies say they have trained "deep learning" systems that are capable of the task. As if the differences between LED, OLED, QLED and microLED were not baffling enough, there will be a new technology in town: Mini-LED. This involves using smaller light-emitting diodes than normal, to illuminate a screen's colour pixels. This allows there to be more distinct lighting zones, which in turn should reduce the blooming effect you sometimes get when light spills from bright objects in a scene into surrounding darker areas. It won't produce the deep blacks of OLED, where each pixel is self-illuminating. Nor will it match microLED tech, where the diodes are so small they can be assigned to the pixels on a 1:1 basis. But it should deliver an impressive HDR (high dynamic range) picture at a relatively affordable price. TCL has confirmed it will launch Mini-LED TVs at CES, and other brands may do so too, even if they call them by another name. Also look out to see which brands adopt the new Filmmaker Mode. A number of Hollywood directors, including Martin Scorsese, James Cameron and Christopher Nolan, have spearheaded an initiative to let TVs display movies as their creators intended. At a single button push, motion-blurring is switched off, and the colours, frame rate and aspect ratio are all adjusted. LG, Panasonic and Vizio have already indicated they will adopt this in at least some new TVs. ROBOTS & AI Samsung's skunkworks unit Star Labs has teased Neon in the run-up to CES 2020. It is described as being an "artificial human" but little else has been confirmed beyond the fact it isn't intended to replace the firm's Bixby virtual assistant. All will be revealed on Monday. Other companies have been more forthcoming about their robo-plans. Picnic will show off a machine that can prepare up to 300 pizzas an hour, each with a customised set of toppings controlled by an app. The start-up has ambitions to extend into sandwiches, salads and tortillas soon, and is pitching the product at restaurant chains, rather than consumers. Other robots on show will be more focused on keeping us entertained, rather than concentrating on the workplace. China's Elephant Robotics will demo MarsCat. It's a kind of feline twist on Sony's robo-dog Aibo - it can play with toys, recognise its owner's voice and even interact with real cats. But what extends its appeal is that it runs off a Raspberry Pi, which means it is programmable and can be used to teach students to code AI applications. At the other end of the scale, Tombot will promote its robotic labrador puppy. The touch-sensitive machine is designed to provide comfort to residents in old people's homes, and others who would benefit from a pet, but cannot deal with a real animal. It has been designed by Jim Henson's Creature Shop - the team behind the Muppets - and is certainly cute, if limited in function. Pibo looks set to be a trickier sell. The humanoid robot with a camera in its mouth is being pitched at teenage girls. Marketing videos show it taking photos of them and their food, recording their diary entries and telling them it loves them. It seems odd and a little creepy. Yukai's Bocco robots may have a better chance of hitting the mark in the cuteness stakes. They offer a way for children to send and receive voice messages to their parents, and babble back in their own language if addressed themselves. They can also be paired with add-on sensors to disclose when a family member has arrived home, what the weather is doing and whether or not the front door was closed properly. Switching tack to software-focused AI, there's a tension between what can be done and how to prevent it. For example, facial recognition specialist Cyberlink will demo its latest capabilities. They include using its FaceMe system to determine the age, gender and emotional state of passers-by, to show them appropriate ads. But D-ID is seeking to frustrate facial recognition checks with a program that makes minor changes to photos, to prevent people being recognised by computers even though they remain identifiable to the human eye. It should give people a way to share images online with less risk of being tracked as a consequence. Elsewhere, Hour One will demo its synthetic character software. It uses AI to create the video and voices of computer-generated characters. In time, the company hopes to build up a bank of celebrities who will let their likenesses be leased to promote products, without the stars having to get directly involved. Mirriad will be holding private meetings to show off a system that lets TVs and movies add brand placements after they have been shot. Check out the results in our video above. And keeping it quirky, Getcoo will exhibit its crowdfunded Lego-scanner. The Piqabrick is a small cabinet that uses object recognition software to identify any part of the toy's vast library of pieces. TRANSPORT You can keep your self-driving cars (and there will be a lot of them). Manta5's Hydrofoil e-bike offers a new way to travel that's ready to roll - or at least glide. The water cycle's pedals push a propeller, and in the place of wheels there are wing-like parts that create more lift the faster the user cycles. The rider's efforts are aided by an electric motor, which can help the e-bike achieve speeds of up to 13mph (21 km/h). It's the first commercial product of its kind. But a decade's worth of R&D doesn't come cheap - each e-bike costs £5,800. Staying off-shore, there's a number of companies pitching underwater drones for recreational use, or as a way to aid fishing expeditions. But one aquatic vehicle has the potential to save lives. OceanAlpha's Dolphin1 is a remote-controlled lifebuoy designed to save people at risk of drowning. Rescuers can avoid putting themselves at risk by staying out of the sea, and may even be in a better position to keep the victim in sight as a result. Back on land, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Hyundai and Nissan are among the automakers promising to show off new concept designs. The Detroit Auto Show was previously held soon after CES. But this year it has shifted to June. That may give the car giants more scope to make real-world announcements, as well as show off dream designs. For now though, only the electric car start-ups Byton and Fisker are certain to show off new models destined for production. The former is hosting a press conference to demo the user interface of its forthcoming M-Byte four-wheel drive, which includes a "dark mode". The latter will show off its Ocean car to the public for the first time. It features a full-length solar panel roof to drip-feed the battery, although the tech is at least decades away from being capable of being the main power source. There will also be lots of chatter about new in-car infotainment experiences too. Honda has said it will unveil its own virtual assistant, which can be summoned with the wake words "OK Honda". LG will showcase webOS Auto, an operating system for internet-connected cars. It is based on the firm's much-commended smart TV system, but will face competition from the incumbents Apple Carplay and Android Auto. Meanwhile, Bosch has been teasing a new kind of 3D display for car dashboards that doesn't require the driver to wear special glasses. The firm claims that drivers' brains react more quickly to alerts as a consequence, in addition to it being able to show turnings on sat-nav maps more clearly. Elsewhere, scooter giant Segway Ninebot will demo a self-balancing, self-driving two-wheeler that can be summoned via an app. It will also seek feedback to the Apex - its first motorcycle, which it has yet to commit to putting on sale. And French start-up Wello hopes to attract interest for an unusual compact three-wheeler. It is designed for short journeys in which a single passenger is transported at up to 25mph (40km/h). HEALTH & WEARABLES Beyond headphones, the wearable tech market has never taken off to the degree the industry had hoped for, with the possible exceptions of Apple's Watch and, in Asia, Xiaomi's wristbands. Fitbit, once the dominant player, is set to be sold to Google, so may be quieter at this year's CES than in the past. But others are hoping to make headway by aiming above the arm. They include Human Capable, which will be showing off the Norm glasses. It says they will be able to make calls, show directions and recipes, and both shoot and play videos - so a less geeky-looking Google Glass for the 2020s. The start-up has already acknowledged problems with the noise-cancelling tech in the prototype it will exhibit, yet claims it will be able to launch a fixed product within months. Waverly Labs is back at the expo with its second take on language-translating earbuds. Ambassador lets up to four people chat by pairing their headsets to a single smartphone. When the BBC tested it last month, there was a 2-3 second delay, but the firm says 5G networks should help it deliver near-instantaneous interpretations soon. Plus, Ao Air has a face mask that looks like a cyberpunk movie prop. The Atmos uses a fan-based system to filter the air, and doesn't need a tight seal against the wearer's face. That means make-up shouldn't get smudged and glasses won't steam up, at least in theory. Feet also get a look-in at the show. Wahu is a pair of shoes that change the shape of their soles to suit the local environment. The goal is to produce extra grip or cushioning, as required. The trick will be keeping both shoes in synch. Staying with footwear, Shoeblast has a gadget that promises to prevent older shoes from stinking. The device uses a humidity sensor to judge how much heat and ultraviolet light to apply to sterilise trainers. Other body parts will be addressed by a new sex toys zone, which was created after last year's confusion about whether such products should be allowed on the show floor at all. And there are also all kinds of new ways to address our wider physical health. They include Bisu and Vivoo, rival pee-on-a-stick smart urine analysers. Both analyse the results to make diet and lifestyle change suggestions. Just make sure to wash your hands before using their apps. Meanwhile, EnvisionBody wants to help the public get fitter by showing them what they would look like if they did more exercise. It plans to work with gym equipment-makers to show idealised versions of users' physiques as they work out. Whatever the physical benefits, the firm will face questions as to what effect this would have on users' mental health. OTHERS And there's more. Impossible Foods' chief executive is hosting a press conference as well as headlining a high-profile dinner. He's already acknowledged work on a follow-up to the firm's plant-based beef substitute, so is it ready for mass consumption? Big smartphone news is typically held back for Mobile World Congress in February. But OnePlus will have a concept handset at CES that hides its rear cameras when they are not in use by electronically tinting an otherwise transparent glass panel above them. Samsung could also have more to disclose about a folding design it trailed in October. Others are working on ways to retrospectively turn existing handsets into foldables. The makers of the Castaway will show off progress on a flip-open case that doubles as a detachable second screen. And Pocket Display aims to go one better with an add-on that trebles the owners' view. Plenty of gadgets will be of even more questionable value. Does the world really want a circular handset? Is there truly a gap in the market for a table-in-a-suitcase? And are dog owners crying out for a harness to show them how their pet is feeling? These may seem like money-losing nightmares. But bad ideas are sometimes the stepping stones to good ones. So with that in mind, who can be sure that Procter & Gamble's Rollbot - a smartphone-controlled robot that fetches you more loo paper when you run out - might not go on to wonderful things after its CES 2020 debut? |
Three years ago Pietro Bartolo, sometimes known as the doctor of Lampedusa, was working round the clock to treat migrants landing on the Mediterranean island. Now he is tackling the same problem but in a different way, reports the BBC's Emma Jane Kirby. | You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
By Emma Jane KirbyBBC News, Lampedusa Dr Pietro Bartolo blinks at me from the top of the hot, bleached staircase that leads up to his apartment. He kneads his knuckles into his eyes a few times as though trying to untangle himself from the comforting clutches of Morpheus's arms. I apologise for waking him and he protests feebly that he hasn't been sleeping, just resting a little. As he makes his way slowly down the stairs, I see him fiddling with his mobile phone, switching the sound back on. By the time he reaches me in the lobby, his phone is ringing. "Pronto?" he says wearily, tucking the mobile under his ear and offering me his right hand. "No, no," he protests to whoever is on the phone, "I wasn't asleep I was just… there was a problem with the mobile. Anyway, what can I do for you?" When I first met Pietro Bartolo three years ago at Lampedusa's hospital, he looked completely exhausted. He was completely exhausted. He had been suffering from a fever and had not gone to bed that night as two migrant boats had arrived in the dark hours and he'd been called out to tend to sick passengers. I remember that during our interview his mobile phone and his desk phone never stopped ringing. And I remember him hurling his fax machine against the wall in frustration to stop its incessant, impatient beeping. But when a newly rescued giggling four-year-old girl from Mali burst through his office door and climbed into his lap for a cuddle, I can also recall how he threw back his head in delight and told me this was why he did his job, this was why it was worth the exhaustion. Bartolo isn't Lampedusa's doctor any more. He can't be Lampedusa's doctor any more, he tells me, with his eyes fixed firmly on the pavement, because what has he changed as Lampedusa's doctor? For 30 years, he reminds me, he's been visiting migrants, meeting every landing, treating the sick and injured, performing autopsies on those who didn't make it. "But nothing changes," he says looking up at me with his heavy-lidded eyes that are circled with dark, bruised shadows. "I've written books, taken part in documentary films, what more can I do? Nothing changes. "So that's why I've gone to Brussels. Maybe from there I can change things." Dr Bartolo has exchanged medicine for politics. In March this year he was elected as a member of the European parliament. He is proud he says to have been invited to be part of a working party tasked with reforming the Dublin Regulation, an EU law that determines which EU member state is responsible for dealing with a migrant's application for asylum. Sometimes, as we talk, he dives into the opaque lingua franca of Strasbourg and Brussels - directives, recommendations and binding legislative acts. Then, quite suddenly he surfaces, returning to plain Italian/English. "How is it possible," he snarls, "that it's becoming a crime to save someone at sea?" Find out more Listen to Emma Jane Kirby's reports from Lampedusa for PM, on BBC Radio 4, at 17:00 on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday Or catch up later online Italy's populist Deputy Prime Minister, Matteo Salvini, has banned civilian or NGO search and rescue ships - and recently even the Italian coastguard - from docking at Italian ports if they are carrying asylum seekers. Salvini believes rescued migrants should simply be returned to Libya, pointing out that under current EU rules, if migrants disembark on Italian soil, it will be up to Italy to process the passengers' asylum claims. And why, he asks, should Italy serve as Europe's refugee camp? "But more people are dying!" argues Bartolo, tightly squeezing his mobile in his right fist. "More people than ever." In 2017, one out of every 41 people attempting to make the perilous Mediterranean crossing from North Africa to Italy drowned on route. Today fewer people are making the journey, but with limited search and rescue facilities as many as one in six are dying at sea, according to the UN refugee agency. "This violates all human rights, our constitution and international law," snaps Bartolo, thumping his phone into his thigh. "It's our duty to save lives - but today it's becoming a crime?" A few metres up from Bartolo's house, the parish church of Lampedusa offers some calming respite from the unpitying sun. Hanging over the altar, Christ is crucified on a stark cross made out of the rotten oars from shipwrecked migrant boats; it was a gift from Pope Francis to thank parishioners for the humanitarian work they do to help desperate migrants who land on the island. But in the European elections last Spring, Salvini's right-wing nationalist League party came first in Lampedusa. Pietro Bartolo is close to tears when he tells me how homesick he is in Brussels and what a wrench it's been to leave his island and his calling. He returns as often as he can. "But here I only see suffering!" he protests. "I can't make it change!" He holds his head in his hands. "When I've solved the problem, I'll come back here," he says with forced determination, staring at the kerb. "I'll be the doctor of Lampedusa again. Because once a doctor always a doctor." His mobile phone begins to vibrate in his hand and he clears his throat. "Pronto?" says MEP Pietro Bartolo, in a different voice. You may also be interested in: When a Syrian stonemason and his family were granted asylum in Greece in 2017 they immediately made their way to the island of Crete - completing a journey begun by their great-grandparents 130 years ago. Read: Coming home after 130 years |
In our series of letters from African journalists, Ghanaian writer Elizabeth Ohene looks at the fraught relationship between Ghana and Nigeria, which underlies the current tensions over the closure of some Nigerian-owned shops in Ghana. | You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
We see them as too loud, and abrasive and chaotic and we believe they think they can outsmart everybody, especially Ghanaians. They think we are too submissive, not very smart, always punching above our weight and nothing upsets them more than Ghana defeating Nigeria, in anything. The Ghana-Nigeria rivalry has been around for as long as both countries have existed. When I was a child, there was a Nigerian in every town and village in Ghana. I went to school with them and there was the Nigerian woman - "Mami Alata" they were called - who sold everything and you could wake her up in the middle of the night to buy three cubes of sugar. The Nigerians were especially visible in the retail trade sector and in the diamond mining towns. The two countries do not share borders, but it has always felt like we did. That we are separated by Togo and Benin has never really mattered - we feel like we are neighbours. Obviously, something to do with the two countries being English-speaking and British colonies in the midst of French-speaking countries. Until independence, we had the same currency and airline, and the same apex court settled all judicial matters. There were regular sporting competitions between our Achimota School and their Kings College. I know of one lasting marriage that came out of those sporting meetings. Then in 1955, came the 7-0 thrashing by Ghana of the Red Devils, as the Nigerian national football team was called at that time. It is the stuff of legends, and for years, it hung there behind every conversation, every argument, private or national, between our two countries. Then Ghana got her independence in March 1957 and our Nigerian cousins got theirs in October 1960. This did not feel right - for many Nigerians, they were bigger and should have got their independence before small Ghana. They might be bigger, but at the time, Ghana felt and was richer than Nigeria - before oil was discovered. Mass expulsions We kept up the neighbourly rivalries and friendships. Then came the Progress Party government's Aliens Compliance Order of November 1969, which ordered all undocumented aliens to leave Ghana. Even though there were Togolese, Burkinabes, Ivorians, Nigeriens and other West Africans in the country, Nigerians, mostly ethnic Yorubas from the south-western states of Nigeria, formed the majority of the foreign population in Ghana then. Some of them had been living here for years and were into their second and third generations. It felt like the exercise was aimed at Nigerians and their journeys home were not pleasant. Then oil came to Nigeria and as they became rich, Ghana's economy collapsed and from around 1974, the exodus to Nigeria was on. University professors, architects, engineers, carpenters, masons, tailors, hairdressers, maidservants and our classrooms were emptied of all teachers from kindergarten, primary, secondary and tertiary. You may also be interested in: If you were a Nigerian family of any worth, you had to have a Ghanaian nanny, a Ghanaian maidservant, a Ghanaian cook, a Ghanaian gardener and your children were likely to have a Ghanaian teacher at school or as a private tutor. Then in 1983 the Nigerian government announced the expulsion of all undocumented aliens. Since Ghanaians constituted the majority of the aliens, it felt like this was aimed at Ghanaians. The unofficial name for the exercise, and for the plastic bag that the desperate departing Ghanaians used to carry their possessions, became "Ghana Must Go". It was not a pleasant journey back to Ghana. We were at our lowest ebb and we were mocked mercilessly as we shopped for toilet roll and cooking oil to take home. The Nigerians would never admit it, of course, but it did feel like the hurt of the Ghanaian 1969 Aliens Compliance Order had been finally assuaged. Diplomatic stand-off Gradually, we went back to building a relationship, because we really couldn't do without each other. The West African regional organisation, Ecowas, had come into being in 1975 and as the two major English-speaking countries in the group, we needed each other to make things work. Things were stable for as long as we recognised their "seniority". That we were the poor relations was firmly established. They brought Ghana to a halt in 1982 by stopping the special terms for selling us oil. We went to beg, and it was restored. Nigeria's leader in the 1990s, General Sani Abacha, sent a suitcase full of $2m, some say $5m, to his Ghanaian counterpart Flt Lt Jerry Rawlings. In the early 2000s Ghana's President John Kufuor went to see Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo to tell him the Ghana Police Service had 100 vehicles to its name and Nigeria gave us vehicles for our police. But we remained a favourite destination for their rich and famous, and they send their children to school here in Ghana. The Black Stars also did not often play according to the script and every now and again, defeated the Super Eagles, as Nigeria's national football team were now known. The current tensions between the two countries are being blamed on bilateral trade differences. There is a law that restricts foreigners from retail trade - and Ghanaian traders do not want the Nigerian traders in the markets. Ghana's law and the current crisis: As the trade ministry try to resolve things, matters have assumed diplomatic dimensions. The Nigerian federal information minister has spoken some strong words. The Ghana information minister has issued a comprehensive rebuttal. The Nigerian foreign minister has been busy on his Twitter account complaining about "the forceful closure of the shops of Nigerian traders in Ghana" and ascribing reasons for the closure. Our foreign minister felt her counterpart had overstepped the mark and summoned the Nigerian high commissioner to her office to tell her some choice, straight words. The speaker of our parliament stepped into the fray and invited the speaker of the Nigerian House of Representatives to Ghana. He came with a strong delegation and after four days of meetings he pronounced that "the issue at hand is basically a misconception and misinformation". There have been stories in the Nigerian media that Nigerians own most of the buildings in the fancy parts of Ghana's capital, Accra, and that might well be true. They are talking about the number of Nigerian banks in Ghana and there are suggestions they have enough economic muscle to squeeze us where it hurts. The Ghana retail traders might not have 100% support among their compatriots about wanting the Nigerian traders out of the markets. Because, like the "Mami Alata" in days of yore, the Nigerian trader would stay open for one would-be buyer and not close up for three days to go to a funeral. We are all holding our breath and the feeling is maybe we should learn to do without these cousins of ours. But we are yet to learn how the tongue learns to do without the teeth. More Letters from Africa: Follow us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica |
A union has called off strikes on the Heathrow Express after a dispute over disciplinary action taken against two employees was resolved. | You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
The Rail Maritime and Transport union had walked out twice and had scheduled two more strikes for this weekend. The industrial action had been in protest at the sacking of a driver and action against another worker. The Heathrow Express rail link runs from the west London airport to Paddington station. |
A man has died after falling from a tug boat into the River Mersey, with police treating the death as unexplained. | You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
It happened at about 18:40 GMT on Sunday near the Tranmere Oil Terminal in Wirral, police said. The man, who has not been named, was pulled from the water at Liverpool Pier Head and taken to hospital where he was pronounced dead. The incident is also being investigated by the Department for Transport's Marine Accident Investigation Branch. A post-mortem examination is due to be carried out, and Merseyside Police have appealed for witnesses to contact the force. A Marine Accident Investigation Branch spokesman said: "We have sent inspectors to Liverpool to investigate an accident involving a tug boat." |
Guernsey's two States-owned fuel tankers are "giving a good return" to the island, according to a director of the company that manages them. | You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
The tankers were bought for 16.9m euros (£15.2m) in December 2008 to ensure the long-term future of the islands' fuel supplies. Jeff Vidamour, a director of JamesCo, said the exact amount they were generating was confidential. However, he said they achieved their purpose and "a reasonable return". Mr Vidamour said as well as serving the Channel Islands, the Sarnia Cherie and the Sarnia Liberty were also carrying cargoes to the Scottish islands, the Isle of Man and France. He said both ships had contracts for work for at least the next five years. |
Tinchy Stryder has announced details of a new tour for 2010. | You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
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 |
The grim task of forensic science and the glamour of jewellery may seem worlds apart. But for Maria Maclennan, the world's first forensic jeweller, the pair can be a perfect match in unravelling the secrets of the dead. | You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
By Graeme OgstonBBC Scotland Tayside and Central reporter Ms Maclennan, 27, a Dundee PhD student, has spent the past five years helping investigators identify victims by studying jewellery found at crime scenes or disaster sites. These include the Germanwings crash site in the French Alps in March last year and the Mozambican airliner which crashed in Namibia in 2013. Ms Maclennan, who grew up in Muir of Ord, will complete her four-year PhD project in forensic jewellery at Dundee's Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design in October. She said: "What seemingly might be two quite opposite fields are not as distant as one might think. "They involve experts with training looking at real detail that other untrained eyes might miss and looking at them in a way we can glean information about an individual and perhaps their life and family. "Jewellers have been intrigued for centuries by the notion of identity in the human body and why people wear jewellery and its symbolic nature and traditions." Vital clues After studying jewellery at art college, Ms Maclennan worked with designers, forensic anthropologists and police officers during her Masters degree on a project at Dundee University's renowned Centre for Anatomy and Human Identification. This involved working on a jewellery database classification system to assist victims' families trying to describe individual items. Ms Maclennan said: "It opened up jewellery and human identity in a way I hadn't thought about. "I took elements of that research forward into a PHD proposal. "I just got really fascinated with the research and felt that we'd maybe been missing a trick, that these two disciplines had not really spoken." Jewellery can withstand high-impact, extreme-temperature environments associated with disasters such as plane crashes, leaving vital clues for investigators. Ms Maclennan said: "I was deployed over the last couple of years for various mass fatalities, mainly aviation crashes but also building collapses. "One of the companies I work with on a freelance basis is a disaster response company, so I'm part of a database of experts. "Certainly through the contacts I've made and the people I've worked with, I now know that there's a need for the research." 'Microscopic level' Closer to home, Ms Maclennan has also been contacted by murder investigators who have found jewellery at a crime scene. She said: "Particular engravings or personal inscriptions might have some clues as to who the owner was. "Equally, there are a lot of genealogical markings, serial numbers and inscriptions that appear at microscopic level on gemstones and watches. "When they are brought in to be repaired, all these little marks all link, in some way, the jewellery to a particular location. "Some of the research was on hallmarks and how they might be able to narrow down where an item was made and who made it." Ms Maclennan will give a talk on forensic jewellery at the Dundee International Design Festival on 28 May. She said: "It seemed to me there was a lot of knowledge in the jewellery industry that might be of benefit in the forensic context that perhaps wasn't being tapped into. "I'm always very open with people and say it's a very exploratory and new field and I'm using the PhD to explore the potential and try and create a basis for further research. "I think coining the phrase "forensic jeweller" really did help in engaging the scientific and design communities and how they responded to the idea of these two fields working together." |
US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin says he supports sending money directly to Americans as part of a $1tn (£830bn) stimulus aimed at averting an economic crisis caused by the coronavirus. | You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
"We're looking at sending cheques to Americans immediately," he said. The $250bn (£207bn) in cheques are part of a huge aid package which the White House is discussing with Congress. It follows widespread school and shop closures as the number of coronavirus cases in the US approached 6,000. The US has been debating how to provide relief as activity grinds to a halt in response to curfews and other measures intended to slow the spread of the virus. Details such as the size of the cheques, and who would qualify for them, are still under discussion. A $1tn aid package - roughly the size of the entire UK budget - would be larger than the US response to the 2008 financial crisis, amounting to nearly a quarter of what the US federal government spent last year. In addition to the $250bn in cheques for families, the plan includes a bailout for airlines and hotels, among other measures. The proposal must be approved by Congress to move forward. Wall Street rebounded sharply on Tuesday after the plan was announced, though not nearly enough to make up for the previous day's heavy losses. Separate from the $1tn package, Mr Mnuchin said the government would also allow companies and individuals to delay their tax payments for 90 days. "We look forward to having bipartisan support to pass this legislation very quickly," he said. US President Donald Trump initially proposed a payroll tax cut, which would reduce the money the government automatically withholds from worker pay to pay for social programmes. However, critics said that relief would come too slowly and leave out those without jobs. Several high-profile economists had urged more direct assistance, including $1,000 payments, winning support from lawmakers such as Republican Senator Mitt Romney. Mr Trump said he had come round to the view that faster, more direct relief is necessary. "With this invisible enemy, we don't want people losing their jobs and not having money to live," Mr Trump said, adding that he wanted to target the relief to those who need it. Mr Mnuchin said he hoped to send the cheques within two weeks. "Americans need cash now and the president wants to give cash now and I mean now, in the next two weeks." Jason Furman, an economist at Harvard University who had championed the idea, wrote on Twitter that he was thrilled to see it gain traction. Speaking to the BBC earlier, he said direct payments would help, even with so many shops closed for business. "It would enable people to not work, if that's what they need to do. It will prevent some people from not making their rent payments," said Mr Furman, who served as a top economic adviser under former President Barack Obama. "There are a lot of ways to spend money that don't involve going out." But economist Gabriel Zucman, a professor at the University of California who has advised Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren, said the government should prioritise help to businesses if it wants to avoid mass layoffs and company failures. "What the US needs is massive support to small businesses to cover wages and maintenance costs during shutdown," he said, adding that lawmakers could opt to do both. The White House push for relief comes as Republicans and Democrats in Congress remain divided about what help is necessary. It follows actions by the Federal Reserve to ease financial strains. The bank on Tuesday said it will use emergency powers to purchase up to $1tr in short-term corporate debt directly from companies, reinstating a funding facility that was created during the 2008 financial crisis. It is also offering another $500bn in overnight loans to banks. It has previously enacted two emergency rate cuts, and other stimulus measures. US markets rallied about 6% following Tuesday's announcements after steep falls a day earlier. They have been in turmoil for weeks, as investors respond to the likelihood that the coronavirus will cause a sharp contraction in the US economy in coming months. |
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. | You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
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. |
A 63-year-old man has appeared in court charged with the murder of man stabbed to death at a house in Hull. | You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
Colin Cadamartriea is accused of killing Jarrad Marsh at the property in Albert Avenue on Saturday. Police said 31-year-old Mr Marsh died at the scene, despite treatment by paramedics and police officers. Mr Cadamartriea, of Albert Avenue, appeared before Hull Crown Court and was remanded in custody. He will face a trial in June. More on this and other Hull stories |
The main route along St Peter Port's sea front is to be dug up by Guernsey Electricity as it repairs a fault. | You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
The landward side of the Town Quay will be closed on Monday and the two lanes normally used for southbound traffic will become a contra-flow. To allow for this, a central island will be removed, which will mean the Quay becomes one way southbound for 12 hours from 18:00 BST on Sunday. Guernsey Electricity has estimated the cable repairs will take one week. Northbound traffic will be diverted via La Charroterie and The Grange. |
For Israelis and Palestinians everything is politicised, even the olive harvest. | You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
By Jeremy BowenBBC Middle East editor, West Bank The first time I realised how delicious olive oil from the West Bank can be was more than ten years ago when a Palestinian farmer offered me breakfast as I stood watching a broad strip of his land being destroyed. He was unlucky enough to live close to Ariel, one of the biggest Jewish settlements Israel has inserted into the land Palestinians want for a state. In the first few years of this century Israel was in the early stages of building its separation barrier, the complex of walls and high tech fences that it says are necessary to protect its people from attacks by Palestinians. The barrier would be less controversial if it followed the old 1949 ceasefire line. It was the boundary between the West Bank, including East Jerusalem and Israel, until the Israeli army captured the area in the 1967 war. But instead the barrier takes big bites out of land Palestinians consider to be theirs. That morning it was the turn of the farmer to see the dark earth of his olive groves torn up. He had tried to move as many trees as possible, but his land was still going to be divided by a fence. He was going to have to get permits to tend his trees on the other side of the wire. Most farmers, if they are lucky get a day to plough and a day to harvest, assuming the Israeli army is there to let them through gates in the barrier. Powerful symbol He invited me back to his house, and served glasses of sweet tea, traditional taboon flatbread, cheese made from the milk of his sheep, and a great bowl of olive oil from his own trees. I could taste the fruit in the oil, and then a pungent, peppery mouthful. It was impossible to imagine the hills of the West Bank producing anything bland. Olive oil from the West Bank is perhaps the most political food in the world. The conflict between Israel and the Palestinians has politicised every part of life, from the birth rate to some burials. The annual olive harvest is about much more than oil. According to the UN office for humanitarian affairs, attacks by Jewish settlers in the last five years on Palestinians and their property have destroyed around 50,000 fruit trees, mainly olives. Palestinian farmers get a quarter of their incomes from olives, but it's about more than money. The trees are the most powerful symbol of Palestinian attachment to the land. A Palestinian farmer called Salah touched one of the branches of the most remarkable olive tree I saw during my trip through the West Bank. The central core was steel-hard caldera, ancient, gnarled, almost hollow and huge. I could not get my arms around even a quarter of the main truck, which makes the diameter something approaching 20 feet (more than six metres). Over centuries new shoots became branches and big trunks in their own right. It is more like a thicket of olives than a single tree, and it would be Salah's prize possession, except he talks about the tree as if it owns him. "Only God knows how old it is. But it might be around 4,000 years or more. I am honoured to be this tree's servant. The connection goes back to my father and grandfather. I feel so connected to this tree, it's as if it's part of my body and soul," he says. Salah Abu Ali says: "This is life, like water, honestly I love this tree. I have a relationship with this tree. I know what it needs, what pains it. When I'm around it, I feel safe, I would give it my sweat. This tree stands as a symbol to the Palestinian people, a history, and a civilisation. "How many generations have passed by it and are now gone, yet the tree is still here today and bearing fruit." Annual battleground Mr Abu Ali's land is in Wallejah, a village close to Jerusalem, not far from Bethlehem. The route of the separation barrier runs very close to the massive, ancient tree. Mr Abu Ali smiled at me as if I couldn't understand when I told him that the tree, however massive, was just a tree. For him it was a symbol of his life, the lives of his children and ancestors and their place in the land of Palestine. It was also economically important. The oil was sought-after, and expensive. I found feelings like that everywhere I went. The harvest is about much more than olives and oil. It is an annual battleground in the struggle for possession and control of land. The Israeli occupation of the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, is enforced by violence and breeds violence. Jewish settlers and Palestinians attack each other. Some Jewish extremists believe the land is theirs alone, and the trees are legitimate targets. Increasingly too, olives have their place in the growing religious war between Muslims and Jews. In a valley not far below the Jewish settlement of Tapuach, I met Avraham Herzlich. He is a sharp, charismatic, and a religious Jew who emigrated to Israel from Brooklyn in New York more than 50 years ago. Mr Herzlich is a guru to the young men in his settlement. His daughter Talia was killed in a Palestinian gun attack in 2000, along with her husband, a rabbi who was the son of the notorious Jewish militant, Meir Kahane. He herds goats. Mr Herzlich says they give him a connection to the land he believes God gave to the Jews, a link to the soil and the vegetation that is unobtainable for Israelis living in Tel Aviv and the other towns on the Mediterranean coast, which can seem a long way from the conflict. He pastures his goats in olive groves that belong to Palestinians from a nearby village. His rangy, wiry animals stand on their long hind legs to pull and chew on the olive branches and the mature fruit. Under his arm, Mr Herzlich carries the Torah. He has an answer for Palestinians who are angry about the damage his goats do to crops. "Well, I tell them very simply this is our land. When I see an Arab with a tree I say this is Israel - this is the land of Israel. Are they are your trees? Then take them to your village. This is our land. It's not their land," says Mr Herzlich. 'This is our land' He brandished his holy book: "Torah tells us this land was given to the people of Israel, to the seat of Abraham, to the seat of and Isaac and Jacob, not to Ishmael. This is our land." And then Mr Herzlich produced what he said was not a threat, but a statement of fact: "I speak to the Arabs, I tell them I don't want to see them dying. "They have to leave. Because if they don't leave they're going to die here, they're going to die here. There's going to be another war, and the next war they're not going to be leaving. It's going to be a very difficult war. "You see there are many who speak about peace with the Arabs but a person that suffered so directly, the Arabs killed my daughter, and made my grandchildren orphans, you cannot measure the pain. The epitome of brutality are these people. They can explode themselves." Settlers like Mr Herzlich are leaders in their communities, but many mainstream Israelis, including some settlers who moved to the occupied territories for cheap housing and fresh air rather than to be closer to God, consider them at best an expensive nuisance and at worst a threat to the future of Israel and its democracy. But Mr Herzlich and other ideological settlers are important, because settlers dominate Israeli right wing politics and the debate over the future settlements is one of the key issues that would need to be discussed if ever there was to be another peace process. In the valley below Tapuach is a Palestinian village called Yasuf, where Bassem Rashed and his wife Naja were harvesting their olives. A few days earlier they had heard settlers had used chainsaws to cut down some of their trees, including some that were more than a century old. Mrs Rashed was close to tears and full of anger: "It feels like bringing up a child, and then losing him. Those trees are our base and roots. 'Everlasting war' "We felt we were burying a family member. Every week the settlers try to come down to our land. Our men try to stop them and fight them. "Those settlers say we should be the ones to leave? We prefer to die in our land, let them cut the trees, destroy the land, demolish the homes and attack the children, we will still remain in our land. We won't ever leave, and if they don't, this will continue to be an everlasting war." The problem is economic as well as emotional. Mrs Rashed says: "We have a lot less to harvest. We can't get to that land to get the oil and the olives. Almost a third of our harvest is up there, and we've lost all of it. "We used to take the kids and the old people out with us to the harvest, but we don't anymore. We worry about the settlers coming and attacking us. "We fear trouble, or getting beaten up, because even if we try to defend ourselves, it becomes our fault, and we're taken to jail or harassed, and we lose our travelling permits." In a valley not far from Ramallah, where Palestinians living close to a settlement were harvesting olives, two young Israeli officers, Or Maliki and Yam Matir, insisted the army did all it could to stop trouble between Palestinians and settlers. Public order, they said, was the priority and they did not automatically favour Israelis. The local Palestinian landowner, Abdullah Nassan, welcomed the soldiers and offered them tea from a blackened pot that was sitting on a bonfire of olive trimmings. Mr Nassan, who owns 7,000 olive trees, did not see things the same way. He pointed to an olive grove he said the settlers had claimed, which he and his men were not allowed to touch: "When there is a conflict they push us back and they let the settlers do whatever they want. "But the nice thing about them, when they're here the settlers don't come around. When they're not here they come around, they push us around with guns." He pointed to a settlement on a neighbouring hill. "Every time I come here they follow me from that settlement right there. It's very dangerous here to come alone. People are scared because the settlers are very violent and they will come down from that hill and they will harm them," he says. One day, says Mr Nassan, olives will be a vital part of constructing an independent Palestinian state. "It's a symbolic issue. This is the only thing that we have left to be honest. What else can we grip on, we have to hold on to the trees. Our goal is to protect our land," he says. Listen to Jeremy Bowen's report on Olive Wars, broadcast on Radio 4 on Sunday 7 December at 13:30 GMT. |
RAF fighter pilot Andy Green intends to get behind the wheel of a car that is capable of reaching 1,000mph (1,610km/h). Powered by a rocket bolted to a Eurofighter-Typhoon jet engine, the Bloodhound car will mount an assault on the land speed record. Wing Cmdr Green is writing a diary for the BBC News Website about his experiences working on the Bloodhound SSC (SuperSonic Car) project and the team's efforts to inspire national interest in science and engineering. | You are an expert at summarizing long articles. Proceed to summarize the following text:
By Andy GreenWorld Land Speed Record Holder COSWORTH POWER COMES ON BOARD The engineering team remains hugely busy with the detailed design of the car. We are still on course to start manufacturing the chassis next month, so there's a real buzz in the Bloodhound Technical Centre down in Bristol. Last month, we announced that we'd be using a Cosworth F1 engine to drive the pump for our Falcon hybrid rocket. The engine will be mounted "backwards" in the Bloodhound SuperSonic Car (when compared with a Formula 1 car), so it will have to produce 700hp to drive the rocket pump under high G loads in the "wrong" direction. One more technical challenge to add to the list - but at least we've got Cosworth's expertise to help with solving this one. The Cosworth engine will pump a tonne of HTP (the oxidiser) into the rocket in just 20 seconds, while accelerating Bloodhound SSC from 350 to 1,000 mph - it's going to be quite a ride! If you haven't seen the Falcon rocket in operation yet, have a look at the video of the rocket test firing. Our education team continues to work hard, with more schools signing up to our education programme every week. I was able to join in last month, giving the Sir Isaac Newton Annual Schools Lecture at the Royal Air Force College, Cranwell. I think Newton would have liked the physics of the Land Speed Record. Jet and rocket cars work using Newton's third law of motion: "Every action has an equal and opposite reaction" - in other words, the jet/rocket blast from the back of the car pushes it forwards, and more jet blast equals more speed. Slowing the car down is Newton's first law: "A vehicle continues in a straight line at constant speed unless acted on by an external force" - so we need airbrakes and drag chutes to provide enough "external force", to stop the car running off the end of the track. The airbrake design is coming on well - the results from last month's computer modelling showed that the "perforated" airbrakes give more drag and less vibration than solid panels - so this is what we'll use. The picture also shows the lower tailplane and larger fin shapes that we're testing. We need the larger fin to give the car enough directional stability - the problem is that with a bigger fin, the loads at the back end of the car increase. Hence the chassis needs to be stronger and heavier at the back, which moves the centre of gravity back - and means that we need an even bigger fin… This vicious circle is our current aerodynamic problem, but we've solved bigger problems than this, so I'm not too worried. And there is one obvious advantage to a bigger fin - more room for you to put your name on the fin of Bloodhound SSC. Now's your last chance to buy a unique present for Christmas 2010! We had a very special visitor at the Bloodhound Technical Centre in Bristol last month - Neil Armstrong. Our engineering team gave Neil and his party a detailed brief on the car and its technology. At the end of the brief, Neil gave us a fascinating insight into his test pilot and astronaut experiences - and I'm delighted to say that he fully supported our step-by-step development approach with Bloodhound SSC. Neil also gave us a perfect summary of Bloodhound's engineering approach, in the form of a famous school-room question. "Two students, a young man and a young woman, are standing 10m apart. Every 15 seconds, the young man halves the distance between him and the young woman - so how long will it take for them to get together?" The mathematician in the class immediately answers 'Never - it's an infinite series and they never actually meet'. The engineer in the class thinks for a moment and then comes up with a different answer: 'Two and a half minutes'. Why? 'Because after two-and-a-half minutes, they will be close enough for all practical purposes!'" This has to be the aim of Bloodhound's engineering solutions - not perfect, but "close enough for all practical purposes". Our huge thanks to Neil for his time and his encouragement in our race to 1,000 mph. Great news from South Africa - the Northern Cape team has started work on the world's fastest race track. The huge task of clearing 24 million square metres by hand, plus removing the soil causeway at the northern end of Hakskeen Pan, will take several months. In order to help them as much as possible, we advertised for some extra help in The Times last month. "People wanted to clear desert track for 1,000mph racing car. No wages, constant heat, tough work in beautiful but remote Hakskeen Pan, Northern Cape, South Africa. Scorpions may be present. Inspiring next generation of engineers the reward." We've already had over 100 volunteers, with more still applying to come out with us early in 2011 to help clear the desert - come along and join us! Alternatively join our Supporters' Club and come out to see the car run in 2012. There's never been anything like this before - ever. Despite all the effort to clear the desert, there is always the chance of the car hitting small stones. If the front wheels throw up a stone, then it will hit the rear wheels with an impact speed of 1,000 mph - the speed of a bullet. To find out what this would do, last month we used a gas gun to fire lumps of stone from Hakskeen Pan into samples of aluminium alloy. The bad news is that the aluminium is not "bullet-proof" - but that's OK, as we can fit steel "mudguards" in front of the rear wheels to protect them. Another problem solved; one step closer to 1,000 mph. Looking back, it's been an amazing year. The major achievement of 2010 must be finding the aerodynamic solution that will get us to 1,000mph. On top of that, we signed up major product sponsors to make the chassis and to supply our F1 engines, and we launched our full-sized show car at Farnborough. The wheel profiles were agreed and tested, the vehicle technical specification was published on the Bloodhound website. We also now have well over 4,000 schools and colleges signed up for our education programme. In South Africa, work has started on the world's fastest race track. We've achieved a huge amount in 2010, as the major design effort draws to a close. It's almost 2011 - the year that we build the world's fastest Car. Meanwhile, here's wishing you a Merry Christmas and Supersonic New Year! |
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