Almost seventy years ago, a young British army officer arrived in the Indian subcontinent ready for adventure. He never left.
Major Geoffrey Langlands was present at the birth of Pakistan in 1947 and has spent more than half a century teaching there. Now he is looking for a successor to take over his mountain school in the Chitral Valley in northern Pakistan.
Orla Guerin went to meet him.
Al Jazeera English (AJE) began broadcasting in Canada on Wednesday. The network has also revealed its plans to open a bureau in Toronto. The channel is available via three cable TV operators in the country.
Negotiations for carriage in North America have been arduous with US services finally commencing last summer.
“We are extremely pleased that AJE’s groundbreaking news and programming is now available in Canada,” said Tony Burman, managing director, Al Jazeera English.
“Over the past year, I have had the opportunity to travel throughout Canada and hear first-hand the great demand for the channel. I believe that our cutting-edge reporting and programming will fill an important void by bringing another voice in international news to this important market,” added Burman.
Burman also revealed the opening of a bureau in Toronto to be staffed by Canadian-born journalist Imtiaz Tyab and producer jet Belgraver.
The Arabic-language service was granted carriage in Canada previously with the condition that cable service operators edit out scenes of violence and other sensitive content. The carriers baulked at the demand with most opting not to run the channel rather than incur the expense of editing. The AJE deal is understood to carry no such conditions.
Despite maintaining a base of operations in Washington, 24-hour carriage in the US market has proved elusive for AJE, which launched in 2006 and is available in more than 100 countries.
 Not too little sleep, yet not too much, the experts advise |
Getting less than six hours sleep a night can lead to an early grave, UK and Italian researchers have warned.
They said people regularly having such little sleep were 12% more likely to die over a 25-year period than those who got an "ideal" six to eight hours.
They also found an association between sleeping for more than nine hours and early death, although that much sleep may merely be a marker of ill health.
Sleep journal reports the findings, based on 1.5m people in 16 studies.
The study looked at the relationship between sleep and mortality by reviewing earlier studies from the UK, US and European and East Asian countries.
Premature death from all causes was linked to getting either too little or too much sleep outside of the "ideal" six to eight hours per night.
But while a lack of sleep may be a direct cause of ill health, ultimately leading to an earlier death, too much sleep may merely be a marker of ill health already, the UK and Italian researchers believe.
Time pressures
Professor Francesco Cappuccio, leader of the Sleep, Health and Society Programme at the UK's University of Warwick, said: "Modern society has seen a gradual reduction in the average amount of sleep people take and this pattern is more common amongst full-time workers, suggesting that it may be due to societal pressures for longer working hours and more shift-work.
"On the other hand, the deterioration of our health status is often accompanied by an extension of our sleeping time."
 |  Five hours is insufficient for most people  Sleep expert Professor Jim Horne |
If the link between a lack of sleep and death is truly causal, it would equate to over 6.3 million attributable deaths in the UK in people over 16 years of age.
Prof Cappuccio said more work was needed to understand exactly why sleep seemed to be so important for good health.
Professor Jim Horne, of the Loughborough Sleep Research Centre, said other factors may be involved rather than sleep per se.
"Sleep is just a litmus paper to physical and mental health. Sleep is affected by many diseases and conditions, including depression," he said.
And getting improved sleep may not make someone better or live longer, he said.
"But having less than five hours a night suggests something is probably not right.
"Five hours is insufficient for most people and being drowsy in the day increases your risk of having an accident if driving or operating dangerous machinery."
Hillary Clinton: "The onus is on Iran"
Iran's nuclear ambitions are putting the world at risk, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has warned.
She told delegates at a nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) conference that Iran had violated its obligations and should be held to account.
Earlier, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran accused states with nuclear weapons of threatening those who wanted to develop peaceful nuclear technology.
His comments prompted delegates from the US, the UK, France to walk out.
The US Department of Defense later disclosed that it had a total of 5,113 nuclear warheads in its arsenal, a closely-guarded secret for decades.
Mrs Clinton said the move was to improve transparency in the nuclear disarmament regime and encourage other nations to comply with it.
"So for those who doubt that the United States will do its part on disarmament, this is our record, these are our commitments and they send a clear unmistakable signal," she told the NPT conference.
'Fire against humanity'
Throughout her speech on Monday, Mrs Clinton regularly rounded on Iran, accusing President Ahmadinejad of offering the same "tired, false and sometimes wild accusations" against the US and others.
| MARDELL'S AMERICA  Mr Ahmadinejad's speech - or perhaps I mean lecture - was pure theatre. Studded with pious references, it was a stern warning about the evils of nuclear weapons Mark Mardell BBC North America editor  |
"Iran will do whatever it can to divert attention away from its own record in an attempt to evade accountability," she said.
"Iran is the only country represented in this hall that has been found by the [International Atomic Energy Agency] board of governors to be currently in non-compliance with its nuclear safeguard obligations."
"It has defied the UN Security Council and the IAEA and placed the future of the non-proliferation regime in jeopardy, and that is why it is facing increasing isolation and pressure from the international community," she added.
The US is currently negotiating with other Security Council members to impose a fourth round of UN economic sanctions against Iran over its uranium enrichment programme.
Tehran insists its nuclear programme is entirely peaceful.
The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) comprises a grand bargain, BBC Diplomatic correspondent Jonathan Marcus says.
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad criticised nuclear powers for failing to disarm
The five major nuclear powers - the US, the former Soviet Union, China, the UK and France - agreed to eventually disarm. Other signatories agreed never to develop nuclear weapons in return for receiving full access to civilian nuclear technology.
But, our correspondent says, the bargain is looking increasingly threadbare, with critics arguing that the original nuclear weapons states have not taken their disarmament responsibilities seriously.
In his speech, Mr Ahmadinejad criticised nuclear powers for failing to disarm, saying their "production, stockpiling and qualitative improvement of nuclear armaments... now serves as a justification for the others to develop their own".
"The nuclear bomb is a fire against humanity, rather than a weapon of defence. The possession of nuclear bombs is not a source of pride. Its possession is disgusting and shameful," he said.
 The Senate has not yet confirmed Mr Obama's new ambassador to Syria |
US President Barack Obama has renewed sanctions against Syria, saying it supported terrorist groups and was pursuing weapons of mass destruction.
In a statement, he said Syria "continues to pose... an extraordinary threat" to US security and policy.
The US has tried to engage with Syria but recently accused Damascus of arming Lebanese militant group Hezbollah with sophisticated missiles.
Syria has dismissed the claims it is supplying Scud missiles to Hezbollah.
In a message to Congress to renew the sanctions for a further year, Mr Obama said the Syrian government had made "some progress" in checking the infiltration of foreign militants into Iraq.
But he said its "continuing support for terrorist organisations and pursuit of weapons of mass destruction and missile programmes, continue to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States," Mr Obama said.
Former President George W Bush imposed the sanctions in 2004.
In 2005 Washington recalled its ambassador to Damascus following the assassination of Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, which was blamed on Syria.
Mr Obama named Robert Ford as new ambassador in February, but his appointment has not yet been confirmed by the Senate.
~~~~~~~
Commentary
Didn't we accuse another country of Weapons of mass destruction? Didn't we already go through all this? Didn't we learn our lesson?
Yet we still have sanctions again Syria? This is completely unjust.
| By Rajesh Mirchandani BBC News, Los Angeles |
 Governor Schwarzenegger said he did not want to risk a California oil spill |
California's Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has withdrawn his support for a plan to expand oil exploration off the state's coast.
He said the spill in the Gulf of Mexico had changed his mind about the safety of oil platforms in the Pacific Ocean.
Last year he pushed for more oil drilling off California's coastline.
But he said after seeing television pictures of the Gulf of Mexico spill he asked himself: "Why would we want to take that kind of risk?"
The state already knows the dangers of offshore drilling.
In 1969 a leak from an undersea well just six miles (9.6km) off the coast of Santa Barbara coated pristine beaches with oil and killed thousands of animals.
It led to a ban on new offshore development and helped galvanise the state's environmental lobby into the powerful voice it is today.
Governor Schwarzenegger - who has championed the green economy and environmental protection - angered many when he proposed new exploration as a way to raise $100m (£65.6m) towards the huge state budget deficit.
Now he says he would rather find another way to make up the money.
California was not part of President Barack Obama's recent proposal to increase offshore exploration.
And Governor Schwarzenegger's change of heart almost ensures no new drilling will be allowed in the state's waters.
 Green space is important for mental health |
Just five minutes of exercise in a "green space" such as a park can boost mental health, researchers claim.
There is growing evidence that combining activities such as walking or cycling with nature boosts well-being.
In the latest analysis, UK researchers looked at evidence from 1,250 people in 10 studies and found fast improvements in mood and self-esteem.
The study in the Environmental Science and Technology journal suggested the strongest impact was on young people.
The research looked at many different outdoor activities including walking, gardening, cycling, fishing, boating, horse-riding and farming in locations such as a park, garden or nature trail.
The biggest effect was seen within just five minutes.
With longer periods of time exercising in a green environment, the positive effects were clearly apparent but were of a smaller magnitude, the study found.
Looking at men and women of different ages, the researchers found the health changes - physical and mental - were particularly strong in the young and the mentally-ill.
Green and blue
A bigger effect was seen with exercise in an area that also contained water - such as a lake or river.
Study leader Jules Pretty, a researcher at the University of Essex, said those who were generally inactive, or stressed, or with mental illness would probably benefit the most from "green exercise".
| We would like to see all doctors considering exercise as a treatment where appropriate Paul Farmer, Mind |
"Employers, for example, could encourage staff in stressful workplaces to take a short walk at lunchtime in the nearest park to improve mental health."
He also said exercise programmes outdoors could benefit youth offenders.
"A challenge for policy makers is that policy recommendations on physical activity are easily stated but rarely adopted widely."
Paul Farmer, chief executive of mental health charity Mind, said the research is yet further evidence that even a short period of green exercise can provide a low cost and drug-free therapy to help improve mental wellbeing.
"It's important that people experiencing depression can be given the option of a range of treatments, and we would like to see all doctors considering exercise as a treatment where appropriate."
Mind runs a grant scheme for local environmental projects to help people with mental illness get involved in outdoor activities.
A team of doctors in western India is carrying out a study on a hermit who claims to have survived without food and water for 70 years.
The holy man claims that he derives energy through meditation.
Sanjoy Majumder reports from Delhi.
Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal warned the spill threatened their way of life
Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal has warned that the sprawling Gulf of Mexico oil slick threatens the very way of life of people in his state.
As President Barack Obama prepared to fly in to see the devastation for himself, experts said the slick had tripled in size in just days.
Attorneys general from five affected US states will meet to discuss legal options, as pressure mounts on BP.
Choppy seas and strong winds have been hampering the clean-up operation.
The BP-operated Deepwater Horizon rig sank on 22 April, two days after a huge explosion that killed 11 workers.
| The spill is expanding much quicker than they estimated Hans Graber Miami University |
Later on Sunday, Louisiana's Republican governor will meet Mr Obama to discuss the disaster, for which the president has warned BP will be held ultimately responsible.
Mr Jindal told a news conference on Saturday: "This oil spill threatens not only our wetlands and our fisheries, but also our way of life."
Keeping up pressure on the British energy giant, Mr Jindal said he had still not received detailed plans from the firm on how it would stop the spill.
As sheen from the slick began washing up on the shore, the governor said "BP will need to fund these plans" to protect coastal communities.
The energy giant's chief executive, Tony Hayward, is also expected in Louisiana on Sunday. The company has said it will honour legitimate claims for damages.
'Puerto Rico-sized slick'
The US Coast Guard initially estimated about 200,000 gallons of oil a day were gushing from the well, but conceded on Saturday it was nearly impossible to be sure how much is leaking.
Satellite images analysed by the University of Miami suggest the slick has ballooned to an area the size of Puerto Rico.
Hans Graber, a professor of applied marine physics based at the university, estimates the slick has expanded three-fold in just days to some 3,850 sq miles (9,900 sq km).
"The spill is... expanding much quicker than they estimated," he told AP news agency.
'Largest mop-up ever'
There have been warnings that within weeks the spill could eclipse the 1989 Exxon Valdez disaster as the worst in US history.
Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana and Florida have all declared a state of emergency.
 |
Attorneys general from those four states and Texas are meeting in Alabama on Sunday to discuss their legal options and how to respond to the disaster.
The BBC's Andy Gallacher, in Louisiana, says the slick is threatening some of America's most important eco-systems.
The Louisiana wetlands host a multi-billion-dollar fishing industry and is a prime spawning area for fish, shrimp, crabs and oyster beds.
Forecasters said there would be no let up on Sunday of the strong winds that have been pushing the oil towards the Louisiana shore.
Andrew Gowers, from BP, said the oil firm had launched the "largest maritime mop-up operation ever mounted, by far".
He told the BBC they had a flotilla of 76 boats trying to contain the spill, as well as a million feet of booms and five planes spraying oil dispersants.
As rescue centres took in seabirds coated in oil, environmental groups warned the impact would be felt for a long time.
One Louisiana resident told the BBC the disaster was more serious than Katrina, the hurricane which devastated the region in 2005.
"This is worse than Katrina, much worse," he said. "Because it'll take years and years to fix this."
BP has sent six submarines to try to activate a blowout preventer that could turn off the oil supply, so far without success.
The firm is also drilling a relief well that would divert the flow of oil, although this could take three months.
President Obama said he would ''spare no effort'' in responding to the crisis
US President Barack Obama has described a sprawling oil slick in the Gulf of Mexico as a "potentially unprecedented" environmental disaster.
Speaking in Louisiana, Mr Obama said his government would do whatever it takes to clean up the oil, adding that BP was responsible and must pay.
He said the focus was now on preventing any further damage to the Gulf coast.
BP says it will be at least a week before temporary measures to stem the leak are in place.
But it could take up to three months to drill relief wells that could fully contain the spillage, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar warned on Sunday.
| BP is responsible for this leak, BP will be paying the bill Barack Obama |
The BP-operated Deepwater Horizon rig sank on 22 April, two days after a huge explosion that killed 11 workers.
Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal has warned the spill threatens the way of life in his state.
Mr Obama flew to Louisiana on Sunday to see for himself the damage.
Speaking in the town of Venice, he said: "We're dealing with a massive and potentially unprecedented environmental disaster.
"The oil that is still leaking from the well could seriously damage the economy and the environment of our Gulf states.
"And it could extend for a long time. It could jeopardise the livelihoods of thousands of Americans who call this place home."
'Mitigate the damage'
The president said the slick was now nine miles (14km) off the coast of south-eastern Louisiana.
BBC meteorologist Daniel Corbett explains how the weather will affect the slick
And he warned: "BP is responsible for this leak. BP will be paying the bill."
BP chief executive Tony Hayward, who is in Louisiana to oversee the company's clean-up, said: "I agree with the president that the top priority right now is to stop the leak and mitigate the damage."
The company has said it will honour legitimate claims for damages.
BP chairman Lamar McKay said they hoped to lower a hastily made dome a mile below the surface to cap the wellhead in the next six to eight days, as a short-term option.
There have been warnings that within weeks the spill, if unchecked, could eclipse the 1989 Exxon Valdez disaster as the worst in US history.
The Louisiana wetlands host a multi-billion-dollar fishing industry and are a prime spawning area for fish, shrimp, crabs and oysters.
Mississippi, Alabama and Florida have also declared a state of emergency and are considering their legal options.
