bbcuk--2020-09-21--Covid: UK coronavirus alert level moving to 4

The UK 's coronavirus alert level is being upgraded from 3 to 4 , meaning transmission is `` high or rising exponentially '' , its chief medical officers have said .
It comes after the government 's scientific adviser warned there could be 50,000 new coronavirus cases a day by mid-October without further action .
On Monday , a further 4,368 daily cases were reported in the UK , up from 3,899 .
The prime minister will make a statement in the Commons on Tuesday .
BBC political editor Laura Kuenssberg said it sounded `` very likely '' that pubs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ forced to have 22:00 closing times , alongside other measures .
• How does the Covid-19 alert level system work ?
• Is it time we learned to live with the virus ?
• How many cases are there in my area ?
In a statement confirming their recommendation on moving to level 4 , the chief medical officers for England , Scotland , Wales and Northern Ireland said cases were now `` rising rapidly and probably exponentially in significant parts of all four nations '' .
They urged people to follow government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and exceptional pressure in the NHS '' over the autumn and winter .
Health Secretary Matt Hancock said the move reflected `` the significant shift in the current threat posed by coronavirus '' .
`` This country now faces a tipping point in its response and it is vital everybody plays their part now to stop the spread of the virus and protect lives , '' he said .
The alert level , which is recommended by the Joint Biosecurity Centre , was reduced from level 4 to 3 on 19 June - @ @ @ @ @ @ @ general circulation '' but there could be a `` gradual relaxation of restrictions '' .
The proposed upgrading comes as the PM prepares to chair a Cobra emergency meeting on Tuesday morning - which will be attended by the leaders of Scotland , Wales and Northern Ireland .
Amid data showing London was `` catching up '' with Covid-19 hotspots in northern England , the capital 's Mayor Sadiq Khan said he believed acting early , `` rather than having to impose more stringent measures later '' , was the right thing to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ economy .
Speaking at Downing Street earlier , alongside chief medical adviser , Prof Chris Whitty , Sir Patrick Vallance said : `` At the moment we think the epidemic is doubling roughly every seven days .
`` If , and that 's quite a big if , but if that continues unabated , and this grows , doubling every seven days ... if that continued you would end up with something like 50,000 cases in the middle of October per day .
`` Fifty-thousand cases per day would be expected to lead @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of November say , to 200-plus deaths per day .
`` The challenge , therefore , is to make sure the doubling time does not stay at seven days .
`` That requires speed , it requires action and it requires enough in order to be able to bring that down . ''
The move to level 4 should not come as a surprise given the warning from the UK 's two most senior pandemic advisers this morning .
Infections are rising - although some experts question whether the situation is as dire @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Vallance set out when they raised the prospect of 50,000 cases a day by mid-October .
Cases were always expected to increase at this time of year when respiratory viruses tend to circulate more coupled with the continued re-opening of society .
Certainly the trajectory of countries like France and Spain is not as sharp as the worst-case scenario put forward .
But it is clear the government wants to act early this time - one of the big criticisms is that they were slow to introduce lockdown in March , which resulted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the way for extra restrictions to be introduced with an announcement expected on Tuesday .
Officials are very aware a fine balance needs to be navigated , which is why a full lockdown is not on the cards .
Schools will certainly be protected .
But any restrictions have a cost to society .
Go too far and the risk is the cure becomes worse than the disease .
Prof Whitty and Sir Patrick also said : • The rising case numbers can not be blamed on an increase in testing as there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the tests done '' • Around 70,000 people in the UK are estimated to currently have the disease - and about 6,000 per day are catching it ( based on an ONS study ) • Less than 8 % of the population has been infected to date , although the figure could be as high as 17 % in London • Even though different parts of the UK are seeing cases rising at different rates , and some age groups are affected more than others , the evolving situation has to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ exception • Evidence from other countries shows infections are `` not staying just in the younger age groups '' but are `` moving up the age bands '' • The rising transmission is a serious `` six-month problem that we have to deal with collectively '' - but science will eventually `` ride to our rescue '' • The virus is not milder now than in April , despite claims to the contrary • It is possible `` that some vaccine could be available before the end of the year in small amounts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first half of next year '' is much more likely On Sunday , the prime minister held a meeting in Downing Street with Prof Whitty , Chancellor Rishi Sunak and Health Secretary Matt Hancock to discuss possible further measures for England , ahead of an expected announcement on Tuesday .
Shadow health secretary Jon Ashworth said Labour did not want to see another lockdown but it would be understandable if new measures were introduced as the `` exponential growth of the virus can not be ignored '' .
It is not a question @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will have to introduce extra restrictions to try to slow down the dramatic resurgence of coronavirus .
You would only have to have dipped into a minute or two of the sober briefing from the government 's most senior doctor and scientist on Monday morning to see why .
What is not yet settled however , is exactly what , exactly when , and indeed , exactly where these restrictions will be .
Here 's what it is important to know : The government is not considering a new lockdown across the country @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not about to tell everyone to stay at home as he did from the Downing Street desk in March .
Ministers have no intention at all to close schools again .
Nor , right now , are they planning to tell every business , other than the essential , to close again .
What is likely is some kind of extra limits on our huge hospitality sector .
Read more from Laura here .
Restrictions on households mixing indoors will be extended to all of Northern Ireland from 18:00 BST on Tuesday .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the Midlands and four more counties in south Wales will also face further local restrictions from Tuesday .
And additional lockdown restrictions will `` almost certainly '' be put in place in Scotland in the next couple of days , First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has said .
`` Hopefully this will be with four-nations alignment , but if necessary it will have to happen without that , '' she said .
Welsh Health Minister Vaughan Gething added : `` It may be the case that UK-wide measures will be taken but that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our varying share of power and responsibility to do so . ''
Prime Minister Boris Johnson spoke with leaders of the devolved administrations on Monday afternoon .
Meanwhile , the health secretary announced a new exemption to local restrictions in England for formal and informal childcare arrangements , covering those looking after children under the age of 14 or vulnerable adults .

"If, and that's quite a big if, but if that continues unabated, and this grows, doubling every seven days... if that continued you would end up with something like 50,000 cases in the middle of October per day.


bbcuk--2020-09-21--Erlestoke Prison 'less safe' following Covid-19 restrictions

A prison 's response to the Covid-19 pandemic led to it being `` less safe '' and `` less purposeful '' , a report found .
Some inmates in the segregation unit were held in cells without running water or toilets for weeks at a time .
A scrutiny visit took place last month to assess how conditions had changed , since heavy restrictions were imposed at the start of the pandemic .
HM Chief Inspector of Prisons , Peter Clarke , said the response to the pandemic at the category C prison , near Devizes in Wiltshire , had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ less decent and less purposeful prison '' .
`` Although the amount of time prisoners could spend out of their cells had been increased in the early stages of lockdown , during our visit ... most prisoners still only received 45-minute sessions in the morning and the afternoon , and an additional half an hour one evening a week , '' he said .
`` Prisoners reported being frustrated about daily delays in the delivery of this limited regime , and about the lack of activity . ''
Mr Clarke said it was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some issues `` systemic , arising from the apparent inflexibility of the recovery programme '' .
`` Well-led and properly supported local innovation and flexibility are now urgently needed to restore the acceptable treatment and conditions of the prisoners held there , '' he added .
He said he had raised concerns in a letter to Justice Secretary , Robert Buckland , and had received a response which was `` in effect '' an action plan to address the issues .

"Although the amount of time prisoners could spend out of their cells had been increased in the early stages of lockdown, during our visit... most prisoners still only received 45-minute sessions in the morning and the afternoon, and an additional half an hour one evening a week," he said.


bbcuk--2020-09-21--Amazon criticised over 'Black Lives Don't Matter' caps

A barrister has criticised Amazon for selling hats with the slogan `` Black Lives Do n't Matter '' , marketed as being elegant and a `` nice present '' .
Alexandra Wilson , from Essex , said it was `` honestly embarrassing '' the company was selling the caps and questioned whether it had any checks in place .
Amazon has since removed the hats , which were being sold by a third party .
Ms Wilson , 25 , who has previously been the subject of racist abuse , said it was `` really disappointing '' it took some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ down .
She said she wanted to make sure the item was never sold again .
`` Multiple people reported it and racist material should be removed immediately , '' she said .
`` Websites like Amazon definitely need to have better checks in place for both their descriptions and photos because this is n't the first time something like this has happened . ''
The hat , which cost £12.96 , was described by the seller as `` high quality '' with a `` unique and fashionable '' design which was `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hat 's `` elegant '' appearance made it a `` nice present '' for family and friends .
In a statement , Amazon said : `` All sellers must follow our selling guidelines and those who do not will be subject to action including potential removal of their account .
The product in question is no longer available . ''

In a statement, Amazon said: "All sellers must follow our selling guidelines and those who do not will be subject to action including potential removal of their account. The product in question is no longer available."


bbcuk--2020-09-21--Broadband: Old TV signal hit village internet speed for 18 months

Engineers have solved a mystery which left villagers with broadband problems for 18 months .
Connectivity could be poor along with slow speeds from 07:00 , causing issues for households trying to get online .
Openreach engineers replaced cables at Aberhosan , Powys , but it did not fix the problem so they had to think again .
They then switched to a monitoring device and found the fault was due to electrical interference emitted by a householder 's second-hand television .
The owner , who does not want to be identified , was `` mortified '' to find out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , according to Openreach .
`` They immediately agreed to switch it off and not use again , '' said engineer Michael Jones .
Engineers walked around the village with a monitor called a spectrum analyser to try to find any `` electrical noise '' to help pinpoint the problem .
`` At 7am , like clockwork , it happened , '' said Mr Jones .
`` Our device picked up a large burst of electrical interference in the village .
`` It turned out that at 7am every morning the occupant would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , in-turn , knock out broadband for the entire village . ''
The TV was found to be emitting a single high-level impulse noise ( SHINE ) , which causes electrical interference in other devices .
Mr Jones said the problem has not returned since the fault was identified .
What else can cause broadband problems ?
Suzanne Rutherford , Openreach chief engineer 's lead for Wales , said anything with electric components - from outdoor lights to microwaves - can potentially have an impact on broadband connections .
`` We 'd just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their electric appliances are properly certified and meet current British standards , '' she said .
`` And if you have a fault , report it to your service provider in the first instance so that we can investigate . ''

The owner, who does not want to be identified, was "mortified" to find out their old TV was causing the problem, according to Openreach.


bbcuk--2020-09-21--Countryside improvements fund 'could be raided'

A budget designed to fund improvements to Britain 's countryside is set to be raided , the BBC has learned .
Cash will be diverted away from ambitious conservation projects and towards protecting farm businesses .
The government previously promised that the £3bn currently paid to farms under EU agriculture policy would be wholly used to support the environment .
Ministers had said that , after Brexit , farmers would have to earn their subsidies .
Farmers would secure the case by undertaking actions such as large-scale forestry or catching flood waters .
But many farmers complained that they 'd @ @ @ @ @ @ @ made easier to achieve .
The existing budget to fund ambitious countryside improvements , from which cash will be diverted , is called the Environmental Land Management Scheme ( ELMS ) .
• The long-running debate over greening the land But ministers are drawing up a parallel grants scheme called the Sustainable Farming Incentive to reward farmers for basic activities like conserving their soil .
Environmentalists argue that improving farmland soil makes good business sense and so should n't be funded by the taxpayer .
They say that funnelling cash to what are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will divert money from bigger landscape-scale changes such as re-wilding .
But farmers are relieved .
They say that , with all the Brexit uncertainty , it 's important for them to secure some income without too much difficulty .
How much are farmers being paid ?
The sums are substantial .
Under the EU ’ s Common Agricultural Policy , farmers are paid public money based on the size of their farms .
It tots up to £3bn a year in the UK .
Sheep farmers , for instance , get between @ @ @ @ @ @ @ basically for owning land .
Many fear they won ’ t get as much cash under the proposed “ public goods ” scheme known as ELMS .
This will pay them for big-money actions such as planting forests and joining up habitats .
So they ’ ve been lobbying government to make it easier to qualify for grants .
In response , a new low-level scheme is now being developed at the environment department , Defra .
What is the latest plan ?
The Sustainable Farming Incentive is being designed to run in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ farmers for activities such as boosting soil fertility , and preventing topsoil and fertilisers from running into water courses .
Environmentalists say farmers should carry out these actions anyway , because they ’ ll make their farms more productive and profitable .
And they point out that firms in other sectors of the economy don ’ t get subsidised by the taxpayer to stop polluting .
Richard Benwell , from environmental campaign group Wildlife and Countryside Link , has written to the government condemning the proposed lowering of ambition .
He told BBC @ @ @ @ @ @ @ real risk that we recreate a scheme for paying farmers for what they would have done anyway .
We run the risk of wasting a lot of public money .
“ The scheme needs to persuade them to go beyond business as usual - and start to move them towards a more environmentally-efficient farming system for the future.
” What do farmers want ?
Farmers take a very different view – they ’ re relieved that the government is looking to find a way of paying them without imposing uncomfortably high hurdles .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Association , told BBC News : “ Most livestock businesses have ended up through the years being dependent on support ( subsidy ) .
Any change is going to cause a lot of uncertainty .
“ We ’ d like to be paid for really good soil management that protects soil life ; for good management that stops nutrients and soil going into water courses ; for managing hedgerows and looking after trees .
They cost the business , and we know the public love these environments.
” He was backed by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who told BBC News : “ It ’ s right to have some level of the scheme available to all to contribute something through soil management , water management , maybe trees .
These are all things pretty much all farmers can join in with.
” Some farmers are also pushing the government to reward them for contributing to secure supplies of food – so-called food security - or for producing artisanal local foods .
Farmers argue that the public also want to see small farms stay in business , and this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
A debate is bubbling about whether the kinds of rewards farmers would like can qualify as public goods .
Farmers and campaigners alike agree that devising a robust system without massive cost in administration and monitoring is a task of enormous complexity .
They agree on the need for urgent decisions from a department that ’ s seen staff diverted off the farm brief to work on Covid-19 .
Tom Bradshaw from the farmers ’ union NFU told BBC News : “ We are just lacking clarity now at an incredibly important @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Brexit deal , new immigration policy , and ( farm grants ) transition .
There ’ s so much uncertainty in the industry .
Farmers can ’ t plan .
We desperately need clarity.
” It ’ s all the more urgent when farmers suffering from uncertainty over – potentially - Brexit tariffs and trade deals with countries producing cheaper food .

The head of Natural England, Tony Juniper, added: "It's right to have some level of the scheme available to all to contribute something through soil management, water management, maybe trees. These are all things pretty much all farmers can join in with."


bbcuk--2020-09-21--Theresa May 'cannot support' government's Brexit bill

Former Prime Minister Theresa May has said she `` can not support '' the government 's plan to override parts of its Brexit agreement with the EU .
She told MPs the move , which breaks international law , would damage `` trust in the United Kingdom '' .
The Internal Market Bill will be voted on in the Commons on Tuesday , having passed its first hurdle last week .
Ministers say it contains vital safeguards to protect Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK .
The bill is designed to enable goods and services to flow freely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Northern Ireland when the UK leaves the EU 's single market and customs union on 1 January .
But it gives the government the power to change aspects of the EU withdrawal agreement , a legally binding deal governing the terms of the UK 's exit from the EU earlier this year .
• PM in compromise with Tory critics over Brexit bill • What is the row over 'internal markets ' all about ?
Ministers say this is a failsafe mechanism in case the EU interprets the agreement , in particular the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` extreme and unreasonable '' way .
The section - know as the protocol - is designed to avoid a hard border on the island of Ireland , As well as Mrs May , the other four living former prime ministers - Sir John Major , Tony Blair , Gordon Brown and David Cameron - have spoken out against the bill .
Labour is opposing it and some Conservative MPs have raised concerns over its legal implications .
Amid all this , Prime Minister Boris Johnson last week agreed to amend the bill @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vote before he could use the powers involved in breaking international law .
But Mrs May , whose own withdrawal agreement with the EU was repeatedly rejected by the Commons when she was prime minister , told MPs : `` Frankly , my view is to the outside world it makes no difference as to whether a decision to break international law is taken by a minister or by this Parliament - it is still a decision to break international law .
`` This can only weaken the UK in the eyes of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , if the Internal Market Bill were passed , `` our reputation as a country that sticks by its word will have been tarnished '' .
The Conservative MP for Maidenhead added that governments around the world had `` trust in the United Kingdom '' , asking : `` Where will that trust be in future if they see a United Kingdom willing to break its word and break international law ? ''
Mrs May also said there would be `` untold damage to the United Kingdom 's reputation '' .
Northern Ireland @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hoped to reach a trade agreement with the EU .
He added : `` Through this bill , we are acting to uphold those priorities and deliver commitments we made in our election manifesto that we will provide unfettered access between Northern Ireland and Great Britain , and maintain and strengthen the integrity and smooth operation of our internal market . ''
Mr Walker also said there were `` harmful legal defaults in some interpretations '' of the Northern Ireland Protocol .
`` The consequences of this for Northern Ireland in that scenario @ @ @ @ @ @ @ told MPs .
`` We can not and will not run that risk . ''
For Labour , shadow Cabinet Office minister Paul Blomfield said giving MPs the power to decide whether to use measures in the bill the Commons did not `` resolve the issue '' , which was `` the breach of international law '' .
SNP Westminster deputy leader Kirsten Oswald called the legislation `` a grubby power-grab which we can not and will not support '' and that sections of it hung `` like a badge of dishonour around @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' .

But Mrs May, whose own withdrawal agreement with the EU was repeatedly rejected by the Commons when she was prime minister, told MPs: "Frankly, my view is to the outside world it makes no difference as to whether a decision to break international law is taken by a minister or by this Parliament - it is still a decision to break international law.


bbcuk--2020-09-21--Covid lockdown for Newport, Bridgend, Merthyr Tydfil and Blaenau Gwent

Four more counties in south Wales will go into lockdown from 18:00 BST on Tuesday , meaning more than a quarter of the Welsh population will be under tighter restrictions .
Merthyr Tydfil , Bridgend , Blaenau Gwent and Newport follow Rhondda Cynon Taf and Caerphilly county into lockdown .
People will not be able to enter or leave those areas except for a limited number of exemptions , such as work .
Licensed premises such as pubs and bars will need to shut by 23:00 every night .
People will only be able to mix with those not in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from extended households indoors will be banned in the four areas .
The pub rule will also be extended to Caerphilly county borough .
Vaughan Gething , Welsh Government health minister , said there had been a `` worrying and rapid rise in cases in four other south Wales council areas - Blaenau Gwent , Bridgend , Merthyr Tydfil and Newport '' .
`` It 's always a difficult decision to introduce restrictions but coronavirus has not gone away - it is still circulating in communities across Wales and , as we are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ small clusters can quickly cause real issues in local communities . ''
It comes as the UK 's four chief medical officers agreed to upgrade the coronavirus alert level from three to four , meaning transmission is `` high or rising exponentially '' .
• What can I do during local lockdowns ?
The new measures affect 431,000 people , meaning that just over 850,000 people in Wales will be under local lockdown from Tuesday .
What are the restrictions ?
The rules mean you can not visit or leave the six counties @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
• For work , if you can not work from home • For buying essentials like food or medicine • To meet a legal obligation , and to access or receive public services • To avoid injury or illness or escape a risk of harm • To visit family or close friends on compassionate grounds Motorists can continue to travel through the areas on the M4 and other roads .
People can continue to meet outdoors in groups of up to 30 people , but can not meet other households indoors at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 'People just come out earlier' Customers at the The Pen and Wig pub in Newport on Monday were not convinced a pub curfew would help to control the virus .
Richard Wooding said the earlier closing time could encourage people to have house parties : `` If the bars shut earlier , then people just come out earlier .
`` I came out last Saturday , I was appalled at the number of people out .
The bar staff ca n't police it .
But I do n't think you can stop it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in their own houses . ''
Another customer , Rebecca James , said : `` I do n't think there 's much of a nightlife here anyway .
On the weekends it will affect people , going home early , but during the week everything closes around 11 anyway . ''
But Justin Cliffe , who runs events for Le Pub , was concerned : `` For us as a pub , to close at 11 , it 's not good .
This venue runs until 1am so it 's a nightlife spot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pub lunch .
`` So the options that we 're discussing are whether the pub closes completely or whether we just revert to doing take out or food for delivery .
We 're going over the options , but it does n't look good . ''
Jack Bannister , who owns Newport bar Breeze , said he was hoping people would make up for the curfew by starting their night earlier , but feared some may stay away altogether .
He said : `` Inevitably , I think it will be quieter .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , there will be no point in going out .
And with this rule of one household - well that 's going to be impossible . ''
The bar had to shut earlier this month after a customer tested positive for Covid-19 .
`` We were doing really well before that happened , '' he said .
`` We did the responsible thing we felt , by informing our Facebook page '' .
`` But there 's always going to that stigma - that Breeze had a case , do I want to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ though it 's not our fault . ''
Newport Live , which runs Newport council 's leisure facilities , said it will turn away people who are not from the city with the exceptions for elite athletes and people with specific health or mobility issues .
What are the figures ?
On Monday , Public Health Wales ( PHW ) said there had been a further 234 cases of people with coronavirus , but no new deaths .
Of these , 40 were in Rhondda Cynon Taf , 20 in Blaenau Gwent , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , 12 in Merthyr and 11 in Newport .
In the past seven days , the number of people with the virus per 100,000 of the population was 102.8 in Merthyr , 83.3 in Rhondda Cynon Taf , 60.1 in Blaenau Gwent , 53 in Caerphilly and Bridgend and 45.3 in Newport .
The threshold for the UK government to consider triggering quarantine conditions for people returning from countries outside of the UK is 20 .
PHW figures showed in the week from 16-22 March , when national lockdown was announced , there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a case rate of 12.5 per 100,00 people .
Last week , 14-20 September , there were 921 cases and a case rate of 29.2 per 100,000 people .
On Monday , speaking at a Downing Street briefing , Chief Medical Officer for England Prof Chris Whitty said the rising case numbers could not be blamed on an increase in testing as there was also an `` increase in positivity of the tests done '' .
Could there be wider regional restrictions ?
At a press conference Mr Gething said he would hold @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with councils , health boards and police forces from Bridgend to the English border .
It will discuss the wider regional situation and whether further measures are needed .
Earlier , senior UK government advisers warned of a `` six-month problem '' of rising cases .
Mr Gething said he could not `` definitively '' give a timescale of how long lockdown measures would be needed .
He said `` all-Wales '' measures may be needed to tackle the virus .
But Mr Gething said such action may be short of the full @ @ @ @ @ @ @ call between Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Wales ' First Minister Mark Drakeford took place on Monday afternoon .
A Welsh Government spokesman said the pair `` agreed on the need to work on a four-nation basis to discuss UK-wide measures where these were necessary '' .
Mr Drakeford is due to take part in a Cobra meeting on coronavirus with UK and devolved government ministers on Tuesday .
Downing Street , which also held calls with senior ministers from Scotland and Northern Ireland , said the prime minister was taking the rising @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` He reiterated his unwavering commitment to working with the devolved administrations as we continue to tackle the virus , '' a spokesman said .
`` They all agreed to act with a united approach , as much as possible , in the days and weeks ahead tomorrow to discuss next steps for the country . ''
What is the political reaction ?
`` Ministers and governments must do everything possible to avoid another blanket national lockdown as the other public health and economic impacts would be disastrous , '' he said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ called for furlough to be extended to support local lockdowns .
`` If Westminster wo n't extend furlough scheme to support local lockdowns , then the Welsh Government needs to look at what support they might be able to provide , '' she said .
UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock said the UK government would be introducing a new isolation support payment for people on low incomes in England who could not work because they had tested positive or were asked to self-isolate .
He said funding would be provided to the devolved @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to people in Scotland , Wales and Northern Ireland .
Mr Gething said once the Welsh Government had seen the detail of the funding , it would decide how to spend the money .

He said: "Inevitably, I think it will be quieter. In a lot of people's eyes, there will be no point in going out. And with this rule of one household - well that's going to be impossible."


bbcuk--2020-09-21--Christian school assistant's shock at dismissal for LGBT posts

A Christian school assistant has told a tribunal she was `` shocked '' to be sacked for posting her concerns on Facebook about LGBT relationship lessons .
Ms Higgs posted concerns that pupils at her son 's school would be taught the No Outsiders in Our School programme - books on teaching the Equality Act .
She shared two posts on Facebook , under her maiden name in October 2018 to about 100 of her friends , the tribunal heard .
And in one Facebook post , she urged people to sign an online petition against making relationships education mandatory @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Higgs , from Fairford , said : `` As a Christian , I believe it is morally necessary to speak out in defence of the Bible truth when false and harmful doctrines are being promoted . ''
The secondary school she worked at received an anonymous complaint and she was suspended and then later dismissed for gross misconduct following a disciplinary hearing .
The employment tribunal heard she was shocked to be suspended by the academy and she said she was `` still shaking when she got home '' .
`` I rang @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Both of them were in shock .
My boys were also in shock to know I was not going back to work , '' she said .
Ms Higgs explained her religious beliefs in her statement and said she believed that `` God created mankind as 'male and female ' and what He has created is good '' .
`` I am aware that same-sex marriages are now recognised under UK law , but I believe that is contrary to God 's law - which only recognises marriages between one man and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her statement .
Ms Higgs ' case is expected to last five days at the employment tribunal , being held in Bristol .

"I rang my dad and then rang my husband. Both of them were in shock. My boys were also in shock to know I was not going back to work," she said.


bbcuk--2020-09-21--Nuisance biker from Coventry jailed after killing 'peacemaker'

An off-road biker who killed a man with a single punch has been jailed for nine years , after being asked to stop nuisance riding , a court heard .
James Rowley , 21 , who had been noisily `` showing off '' on grassland , attacked `` peacemaker '' Joe Higgins , 41 , in Radford , Coventry , on 17 March .
Rowley had no licence or insurance and left the scene of the killing .
He was ordered to serve a two-year driving ban after being released from prison .
Mr Higgins , a care sector manager @ @ @ @ @ @ @ originally from Coventry , hit his head on the ground and died in hospital .
Judge Sylvia de Bertodano was told he had been given a referral order as a teenager for an assault in which his victim lost consciousness .
After riding on the wrong side of the road and through a red light , he arrived at Jubilee Crescent and started riding on the grassed area , Warwick Crown Court heard .
`` The bike had no lights and the danger you were causing was obvious , '' the judge said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ asked him if he 'wanted to get battered ' .
`` You then got off the bike ... You were described by one witness as bouncing on your toes like a boxer .
`` It [ the punch ] was sufficiently hard to bring a 17-stone man to the ground , a man who was acting as peacemaker , had his hands down and was unable to react to the blow . ''
In a statement , twin brother Chris Higgins described his sibling , a stepfather-of-three , as a `` gentle giant @ @ @ @ @

"It [the punch] was sufficiently hard to bring a 17-stone man to the ground, a man who was acting as peacemaker, had his hands down and was unable to react to the blow."


bbcuk--2020-09-22--Rathlin Island: The UK island with no coronavirus cases

No shopping trips , no nightclubs , no cinema visits .
National lockdown felt pretty different for most of us .
But on Rathlin Island , a small L-shaped bit of land off the coast of Northern Ireland , they 're used to it .
Although it has n't had any cases of Coronavirus , Rathlin went in to lockdown in March .
`` It 's definitely a slower pace here anyway , '' 18-year-old Orlagh tells Radio 1 Newsbeat .
She 's one of around 150 people who actually live on Rathlin Island , and she works in its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a post office and gift shop .
Then there 's a wee museum with things divers found in shipwrecks . ''
`` And loads of people come to see the bird sanctuary . ''
When she was at primary school , there was only one teacher .
But no worries about over-subscribed classes here , at that time just three students were enrolled in the whole school .
`` Now , there are seventeen kids in the school '' , she tells me incredulously .
`` The teacher 's having to manage all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lot . ''
There 's no secondary school on the island .
Instead of getting the ferry twice a day to the nearest one , Orlagh went to boarding school in Belfast .
`` I know what the city is like because I went to school there .
But I do n't think I 'm missing out by living here , it 's just different . ''
On the ferry from Ballycastle to Rathlin , you can quickly see why the island is so appealing to visitors .
The unspoiled landscape is a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cans , if you 're lucky you 'll see dolphins in the sea surrounding the island .
But the main difference between Rathlin Island and the rest of the UK at the moment is that it has n't had any coronavirus cases .
`` We locked down back in March .
`` At first they reduced the ferry timetable , but then they stopped it completely . ''
The ferry is the only way to get to mainland UK from Rathlin , so shutting it off completely was a big decision .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ post was all that could come over . ''
The island has one district nurse who stays there , and can be contacted by phone .
There 's no hospital or doctors surgery .
It opened back up for visitors in July , with social distancing in place , although not many have come .
Orlagh says some residents were n't keen on reopening the island .
`` Some people are still shielding now , they 're still nervous and they do n't want to mix with anybody . ''
Although Rathlin residents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the island has been hugely affected .
Usually on a sunny day like today , it would be brimming with visitors .
Orlagh tells me summer is `` usually mental '' .
`` We usually have hundreds of tourists over every day . ''
Kieran moved to the island four years ago and says since then it 's been `` hot and full of tourists '' .
`` I enjoyed lockdown , it was some peace and quiet for once .
I 've been quite content . ''
Kieran has n't been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's been working as a cleaner at McCuaig 's Bar .
He says : `` Covid has taken a chunk of our profits , so we 'll have to see how we are over the winter .
`` It would be such a shame if something happened to the bar because - well , it 's our only bar . ''
Like most businesses there , McCuaig 's relies on a busy summer to get them through a winter with few visitors .
`` This year is a hard hit for everybody , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is only operating outside , and that 's very weather dependent .
Nobody wants to sit outside on a rainy day . ''
Orlagh says it was important to put the islanders ' health first .
`` We only have one district nurse , no hospitals .
If she had to stop transmission of the virus it would have been quite a big procedure .
As some businesses on the island roll up their shutters again , some felt the restrictions on distancing and cleaning meant it would n't be worth it this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ should be able to bounce back from this , but it 's going to take a long time . ''
Listen to Newsbeat live at 12:45 and 17:45 weekdays - or listen back here .

"I know what the city is like because I went to school there. But I don't think I'm missing out by living here, it's just different."


bbcuk--2020-09-21--Coronavirus: Childcare exemption added to new restrictions in England

People subject to tighter coronavirus regulations will be allowed to look after children from other households .
The restrictions prohibit people in affected areas from meeting other households .
But after complaints from parents , Health Secretary Matt Hancock said people looking after children under 14 or vulnerable adults would be exempt .
The rules apply to 11 million people in England , in the North East , North West and West Midlands .
Mr Hancock told the House of Commons : `` I 've heard the concerns about the impact of local action on childcare arrangements .
For many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , without which they could n't do their jobs .
`` So , today I 'm able to announce a new exemption for looking after children under the age of 14 or vulnerable adults where that is necessary for caring purposes .
`` This covers both formal and informal arrangements .
It does not allow for play-dates or parties , but it does mean that a consistent childcare relationship that is vital for somebody to get to work is allowed .
`` I hope this change will provide clarity and comfort to many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ restrictions . ''
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People in the following areas are currently banned from mixing with other households at private homes : • Parts of Greater Manchester including Salford , Bury and the City of Manchester The new restrictions will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Tuesday : • Merseyside , Warrington , Halton and the parts of Lancashire not already under tightened restrictions excluding Blackpool The move has been welcomed by families with one mother , Michelle McDaid , from Solihull , saying she was `` over the moon '' .
She relies on her parents Angela and Fred Dale to care for her two year-old son Alfred while she works two days a week as an accounts assistant .
She also said her parents would have missed seeing Alfred and her eight-year-old son Finley .
Mrs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , it will make my life so much easier .
`` It has been a juggling act this past week trying to fit work in where I can .
`` My parents have missed them incredibly because they see them so often , it has just been really sad for them . ''
Anne-Marie Trevelyan , the Conservative MP for Berwick who was name-checked by Mr Hancock as being one of the North East MPs who contacted him over the issue , said she was `` delighted '' and the exemption was `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ City Council 's Labour leader Nick Forbes said : `` This is a victory for common sense .
`` I know parents and carers will be breathing a huge sigh of relief . ''

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bbcuk--2020-09-21--Small shops call for police enforcement over masks

Shopkeepers have said there was very high compliance to start with , but mask `` fatigue '' is now rising with a growing number of people refusing to cover their faces .
He said : `` We have asked customers to wear masks and some say they have a medical condition and we have to respect that .
`` Others just shrug their shoulders and say they either forgot it or it 's in the car , but there seems to be a hardcore who for whatever reason wo n't wear one or refuse to wear one .
`` As @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I want to refuse to serve them , there is so much competition and people will take their business elsewhere .
He said : `` I have not heard of anyone with the virus , I got fed up doing it and I do n't believe in it any more .
I feel fine , my family 's fine .
If people really care about it they have masks on and if they are following all the rules , and what they believe in they should be all right themselves . ''
Another @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would like a badge or something that could explain why you 're not wearing it , because people look at you , '' she said .
In Musselburgh , East Lothian , Dan Brown at Pinkie Farm stores says his staff are at risk not just from the virus but also from abuse .
He told the BBC : `` There can be some quite strong opinions on wearing masks which can sometimes lead to confrontation , abuse and even violence .
`` We have seen various levels of confrontation and abuse over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to make sure staff and customers are as safe as possible . ''
He said : `` There seems to be a growing group of customers who , for whatever reason , are simply not complying and simply not wearing their masks .
`` So it is those people I think we have to target and that means reinforcing it though health messages , reinforcing that this is mandatory and also backing that up with more reinforcement and perhaps Police Scotland being able to give this more operational priority . ''

He said: "I have not heard of anyone with the virus, I got fed up doing it and I don't believe in it any more. I feel fine, my family's fine. If people really care about it they have masks on and if they are following all the rules, and what they believe in they should be all right themselves."


bbcuk--2020-09-21--Coronavirus: Six challenging months for undertakers

`` We 've had to deal with a very real problem that was right in front of our faces . ''
It 's been six months since the UK started putting restrictions in place to limit the spread of coronavirus .
For undertakers like Colum O'Shea , it 's been a challenging time as the pandemic has caused extra pressure .
`` We 've had no choice , because we ca n't just close and have a think for a few months , '' the 28-year-old tells Radio 1 Newsbeat .
Co-op revealed a 22 % rise in its funerals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ year , compared with the same period last year .
Like the rest of us , funeral directors have also had to limit human contact .
`` Normally we would sit around a desk in my office or go and see the family at home - that 's all had to stop . ''
`` In some ways , it 's become more desensitised , '' Colum , who is a funeral director at A.M. Lymn in Nottinghamshire , adds .
`` The biggest challenge has been trying to reassure and support families @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because Colum has `` lost the ability '' to look families in the eyes .
`` A lot of what we try to achieve is empathy . ''
`` Normally , on the day of a funeral , we 're very reassuring .
Shaking people by the hand , giving them a touch on the elbow or the shoulder . ''
' A profession that now says no' Colum says the funeral industry prides itself on providing families with whatever they need .
But the last six months have meant `` we 've @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` We have n't provided private room viewings or limousines that would follow the hearse . ''
It 's been `` awful '' for Colum having to tell family members they are n't allowed to invite as many people as they would like .
The Smallman family know exactly how that feels .
They wanted a huge funeral to celebrate the life of Holly , 18 , who was born with a series of serious medical problems that left her unable to see or speak .
Her funeral is one of thousands @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but only with immediate or close family attending , and following social distancing rules .
Colum adds : `` I know from personal experience , friends of mine that have sadly passed away during this time , how difficult it is knowing that I ca n't attend the funeral service . ''
For Meera Bhanot , it 's been an `` emotionally charged and hectic '' period .
She is a funeral director assisting families from an Indo-Asian background and with BAME groups at greater risk of death from Covid-19 , Meera @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ever .
`` Traditionally there 's services held at home where there 'd be an open coffin viewing at home , with rituals such as washing the deceased , dressing them and preparing them for their funeral . ''
`` But that 's not possible .
So we 're on the front line , having to tell people 'no ' , and effectively police this . ''
The difficulties hit home on a personal level for Meera - she lost both of her grandparents during the pandemic .
Having to plan the arrangements @ @ @ @ @ @ @ toll '' , especially as it `` was a shadow of what it should have been '' .
`` I was having to deal with family members saying I should be able to change things for us so we could follow our rituals and traditions . ''
`` But you ca n't , because the rules are for everyone and you need to stick to them . ''
• Funeral services 'could have been overwhelmed' Rules in England now say family and friends up to 30 people can attend funerals , as long @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coverings are worn .
Both Meera and Colum say they are proud of how the funeral industry has responded to the crisis .
`` My colleagues around the country have done a wonderful job guiding people who are uncertain , '' Meera says .
`` It has been stressful .
There 's been a lot of late nights and early mornings , '' Colum adds .
So what about the next six months ?
Both Colum and Meera feel the streaming of funerals could become more common .
Meera thinks given the current @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it `` a godsend '' for family members who could n't attend her grandparents funeral .
`` It 's actually one of the few positives from the last six months , as it allows people to be in touch regardless of how far away you are , '' she adds .
Listen to Newsbeat live at 12:45 and 17:45 weekdays - or listen back here .

Having to plan the arrangements for their funeral took "an emotional toll", especially as it "was a shadow of what it should have been".


bbcuk--2020-09-21--Renters: Eviction cases resume after six-month ban

Eviction hearings will now resume in courts in England and Wales - but the most serious cases will be given priority .
A backlog has built up during a six-month ban on proceedings in place during the coronavirus outbreak .
Cases involving domestic violence or anti-social behaviour will be heard first .
Restrictions also exist in local lockdown areas and over Christmas .
But Labour and campaigners have called for the ban to be extended .
• What are the eviction rules ?
There have been warnings from charities and health bodies about the dangers during the pandemic of people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conditions .
A recent survey by homelessness charity Shelter suggested that more than 170,000 private tenants had been threatened with eviction by their landlord or letting agent , while 230,000 in England have fallen into arrears since the pandemic started .
However , the government and landlord groups do not expect a wave of eviction notices .
Wedding DJ Ian Forest has seen his income `` killed for a year '' as a result of the coronavirus outbreak .
His letting agent allowed him to pay 50 % of his rent for a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ demands for full rent again , as well as £3,000 of arrears .
He has claimed all the financial support available , but is concerned that it is insufficient to cover his bills and his tenancy is at risk .
`` I feel for the landlord as well , but my future here is in the balance .
Who knows what will happen , '' he said .
In England , Wales and Scotland , landlords must now give six months ' notice of eviction compared to two months before the pandemic in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it is 12 weeks , but the authorities said notices should not be issued unless `` absolutely unavoidable '' .
Courts in England and Wales will prioritise serious cases , and historic ones where the rent has not been paid for more than a year .
Chris Norris , of the National Residential Landlords Association , said that a switch would not be turned on leading to a sudden spate of evictions .
But he said the last six months had seen `` real restrictions '' on landlords trying to deal with `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jenrick said that evictions would not be enforced by bailiffs if a local area was in a lockdown that included restrictions on gathering in homes .
Bailiffs have also be told not to enforce possession orders over Christmas , other than in `` the most serious circumstances '' , such as cases involving domestic abuse or anti-social behaviour .
But Labour said there were still unnecessary risks created by the government 's policy .
Shadow housing secretary Thangam Debbonaire said : `` The government needs to come forward with a credible plan to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lose their home because of coronavirus . ''
• Anyone under threat of eviction should start gathering evidence , such as receipts for rent paid or any communications with your landlord • Landlords have to give you notice before they can apply to court for a possession order .
For most tenancy types , this notice must now be at least six months in England , Wales and Scotland , but lodgers may get less notice • If a possession order had already been made against you before 27 March 2020 , then @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be enforced now the ban is at an end .
You should receive 14 days ' notice of the eviction date • Anyone now struggling to pay rent should speak to their landlord and organise a repayment plan to pay off arrears • Those receiving housing benefit or Universal Credit and unable to pay rent might be able to get a discretionary housing payment from the local council

In England, Wales and Scotland, landlords must now give six months' notice of eviction compared to two months before the pandemic in many areas. In Northern Ireland, it is 12 weeks, but the authorities said notices should not be issued unless "absolutely unavoidable".


bbcuk--2020-09-20--One-in-20 pupils at home with lockdown-related issues

Around one in 20 children in England are out of school due to issues linked to the pandemic and lockdown , the Children 's Commissioner has suggested .
Anne Longfield stressed the number of schools who have sent pupils home due to a Covid-19 case was very small .
There were many others , she said , with special needs or emotional problems , who had not yet returned from lockdown .
But getting Covid tests to schools quickly was a test the government could not afford to fail , she added .
Some eight million children attend England 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is about 400,000 pupils .
Ms Longfield told BBC News that the number of children back in school was good , thanks to the heroic efforts of teachers and school staff .
And the number of schools forced to close due to an outbreak , or having to send pupils or class groups home , was very small , she said .
This is despite numerous reports of schools sending children home .
She urged parents and schools to `` hold their nerve '' .
However , quoting official figures , she added @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of children are away from the classroom , not necessarily with Coronavirus , '' We think 5 % of children are out of the classroom on average on a regular day - outside of the pandemic .
`` But there will be children with SEND [ Special Educational Needs and Disabilities ] , and there will be children , often troubled teens , who have n't been in school over this period of time who will need extra help to get them back into school . ''
`` We also know there are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ n't in school do n't have symptoms themselves , but are in year groups with children who might . ''
She stressed : `` So there needs to be extra clarity from the government in terms of who does need to not be in school if there are symptoms .
`` Also teachers need that help from public health officials locally , to be able to make those really difficult decisions , and really difficult risk assessments of how they can keep their schools going .
`` This is a test for government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pass , '' she said .
There was a danger that the goodwill of parents and teachers that had seen a successful return to school would be lost by the lack of access to testing , she warned .
`` A lot of problems come because teachers are showing symptoms and therefore need to be tested and this affects the schools , especially small ones , because there comes a point when you ca n't run a school because there are n't enough staff . ''
Teachers and schools needed to be prioritised @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , she said .
She warned that the situation with suspected Covid cases would worsen when children get the usual rounds of seasonal colds and flu .
`` That 's going to be really difficult for teachers to be able to manage if they do n't have the test and do n't have the back-up they need to make those really difficult decisions . ''
Her comments come after a snapshot survey of heads , mainly in primary schools in England , painted a worrying picture of schools struggling to get tests for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Head Teachers survey , which had 736 responses from its 30,000 members , suggested that , where a suspected Covid case had hit a school , the system of public health support was not working well .
Of those who replied , 82 % had children not attending because they could not get a test , while 87 % had children not attending while waiting for results .
This compared to 14 % with confirmed cases of Covid-19 .
NAHT general secretary Paul Whiteman said : `` Tests for Covid-19 need to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pupils and staff who get negative results can get back into school quickly .
`` But we are hearing the same thing repeatedly from our members across the country .
Chaos is being caused by the inability of staff and families to successfully get tested when they display symptoms .
`` This means schools are struggling with staffing , have children missing school , and ultimately that children 's education is being needlessly disrupted . ''
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A government spokesperson said 99.9 % of schools were open with the vast majority of pupils attending .
`` Where staff or children have symptoms of Covid-19 , testing capacity is the highest it has ever been , and we are working to provide further priority access for teachers .
`` Schools only need to identify close contacts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when a case is confirmed from a positive test result .
`` Close contacts of confirmed cases must follow the full 14 day self-isolation period and should only seek a test if they have symptoms . ''

"But there will be children with SEND [Special Educational Needs and Disabilities], and there will be children, often troubled teens, who haven't been in school over this period of time who will need extra help to get them back into school."


bbcuk--2020-09-21--Long Covid: 'My fatigue was like nothing I've experienced before'

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In one of our calls, Jade told me that after becoming ill she really felt like her life was over. It was only once she started getting support, care and understanding that things started to change for her. She now feels like she may be able to find a way to cope with her new normal.


bbcuk--2020-09-22--In pictures: The beauty of the fens

In pictures: The beauty of the fens

For the past decade , photographer Paul Hart has focused his attention on the Lincolnshire Fens , capturing the often-overlooked beauty of the farmland , and the relationship with those who work it and those who just pass through .
At this time of year Hart is usually preparing to show his work at a number of art fairs in Paris and London , but with the current restrictions due to the coronavirus , that has not been possible .
Instead a selection of work , entitled Edgelands , can be seen at the Fen Ditton Gallery in Cambridge .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ so restricting , with so many events in this country and abroad cancelled , so I 'm thrilled to be able to share this work now and show actual pictures in a gallery presentation , '' says Hart .
`` I hope that my quiet contemplative pictures of quite an ordinary British landscape may resonate at this time when we 've all been forced to look a little closer at our immediate surroundings . ''
People do not appear in the images , yet the landscape has been shaped by them and their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Given the wide open landscape , Hart was easy to spot while working .
`` Often farmers would approach me , quite wary of what I was up to with bulky equipment and a tripod , '' he says .
`` They usually thought I was from the Internal Drainage Board ( Local IDB ) making checks on the ditches and dykes .
But once I explained it was just `` old-fashioned photography '' equipment they were generally quite appreciative of my interest in the land , and as one said : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , it 's as good as it gets . '
`` It 's not a land that has received very much attention from picture-makers previously so that was quite appealing to me .
But also I 'm always interested in the human interaction and use of the land , rather than the picturesque . ''

"They usually thought I was from the Internal Drainage Board (Local IDB) making checks on the ditches and dykes. But once I explained it was just "old-fashioned photography" equipment they were generally quite appreciative of my interest in the land, and as one said: 'You can grow anything in this soil, it's as good as it gets.'


bbcuk--2020-09-22--Coronavirus: There's no law to 'harvest' DNA from Covid-19 tests

The BBC 's anti-disinformation team has been looking into misleading and false claims about coronavirus tests , a death in police custody and the origins of the pandemic .
Claim : Legislation will allow 'DNA harvesting ' through Covid-19 tests Social media posts shared more than 2,500 times have claimed incorrectly that recent legislation would allow the UK government to take DNA samples from people having a Covid-19 test .
This is a covert plan for the `` harvesting and retention of DNA '' , they say .
But the legislation cited does not relate to samples taken for coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with testing , the Home Office told the BBC .
Its purpose was to extend the time DNA and fingerprint records could be kept under anti-terrorism laws , because staff with security clearance had had only limited access to their IT systems during the pandemic .
`` Owing to the ongoing impact of coronavirus , the government has further extended the retention deadlines for biometrics data being retained by counter-terrorism policing for national security , '' an official added .
The claims emerged last week and spread across Facebook , Reddit and Twitter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the anti-vaccination movement and anti-5G and QAnon conspiracy theories all questioning the legislation .
Claim : A man died in police custody after police clashed with protesters in London At the weekend , thousands of people gathered at an anti-lockdown protest in London .
According to the Metropolitan Police 32 arrests were made .
Someone who has gained a following on social media after falsely linking 5G networks to coronavirus posted on Facebook `` the Met Police murdered an innocent man '' on Saturday afternoon .
As the false story spread on social @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Police issued a denial on their Twitter account .
The man became unwell while being arrested , was taken to hospital and subsequently released into police custody , they said .
When we contacted the police on Monday , we were told that he remains in custody , having been arrested on suspicion of assault on police and possession of Class A drugs .
This is a claim the BBC science team has looked at in past and found no credible scientific evidence .
But now a Chinese virologist has claimed on British @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not from nature '' and was created in a Chinese lab .
Former University of Hong Kong research fellow Dr Li-Meng Yan , made these claims on ITV 's Loose Women programme and then repeated them on Fox News .
Her research was posted on a website and has since been viewed more than 500,000 times .
Links to it have also been shared across multiple platforms , including Facebook , Instagram and Twitter .
It claims specific characteristics of the virus show it was artificially manipulated .
But the scientific basis for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` While to a non-virologist this may seem legitimate , '' Columbia University virologist Dr Angela Rasmussen said , `` the primary claims made in the paper are demonstrably untrue and easily debunked . ''
She said the characteristics of the virus that the paper claims are unusual arise naturally in other viruses , and there is no indication they have been engineered .
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University of Southampton senior research fellow in global health Dr Michael Head pointed to a peer-reviewed study from March that found no evidence for the claim .
The new study had not been formally peer-reviewed , he said , and `` does not obviously offer any data that overrides previous research '' .
Dr Andrew Preston , an expert in microbial pathogenesis , at the University of Bath , said the claims were `` unsubstantiated . ''
Dr Li-Meng Yan has not responded to a BBC request for comment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cause pleurisy - an inflammation of the tissue around the lungs , sometimes caused by an infection - have been circulating on social media .
One post shared more than 1,200 times on Facebook shows a stained mask with the words : `` Your child is going to get very sick very soon and it wo n't be with corona .
It will be pleurisy.
`` Another - shared more than 2,000 times on Facebook alone by users promoting an anti-vaccination agenda and opposing local lockdowns in the UK , Ireland , Romania @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a `` friend '' whose daughter is said to have become ill with pleurisy and blames wearing a mask .
But medical experts say there is no evidence masks can cause pleurisy .
• dispose of single-use masks after use


bbcuk--2020-09-21--The long-running debate over greening the land

The BBC has learned that cash could be diverted away from funding ambitious conservation projects in the UK and towards protecting farm businesses .
But how should farmers be rewarded for tending the land ?
The EU 's farm policy has been no stranger to controversy .
Under this system , farmers have been collecting taxpayers ’ money according to the amount of land they own .
The government promised that after Brexit , farmers would only be rewarded if they tend the land in a way that ’ s good for society .
But that ’ s proving a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ relative value of , for example , reducing water pollution vs connecting fragmented habitats ?
To understand the background to the current debate over farm payments , it 's useful to go back in time to World War Two .
The UK ’ s farm subsidies system started after the war , which had cruelly exposed the vulnerability of Europe ’ s food supplies to German U-boats .
Those subsidies paid farmers to increase food production , so that ’ s what they did .
And in the EU , an aggressive farmers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ way .
Farmers , being business folk , followed the money .
Production of crops and livestock soared , but before long food production outstripped demand .
Huge quantities of produce had to be stored in so-called wine lakes and butter mountains .
The EU off-loaded cut-price food to countries in the global south – but farmers there complained they were undercut by Europe ’ s subsidised food .
How did the subsidies affect the countryside ?
Subsidies transformed the countryside .
Wetlands were drained , rivers polluted with fertiliser and fields expanded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out by pesticides , and this contributed to a 57 % decline , on average , in the farmland birds index between 1970 and 2018 .
The EU changed the system of payments .
Instead of being encouraged to grow extra food , farmers were paid directly according to how much land they manage .
So , the bigger the farm , the bigger the subsidy .
What is the government ’ s plan to improve the countryside ?
The former Environment Secretary Michael Gove said farmers should only get paid if they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the phrase “ public money for public goods ” .
Those goods would include helping wildlife , catching flood waters on fields , planting woods to soak up carbon emissions and improving the soil .
The reform will be delivered through the Environmental Land Management Scheme ( ELMS ) – and pilot projects are due to start next year .
But ministers are also drawing up a parallel grants scheme called the Sustainable Farming Incentive to reward farmers for basic activities like conserving their soil .
This scheme has proven controversial with environmentalists @ @ @ @ @ @ @ makes good business sense and so should n't be funded by the taxpayer .
How will the improvements be delivered ?
Three tiers of grants are planned through ELMS , according to the level of ambition .
Tier One will improve air quality by curbing gas from livestock , reducing water pollution and tending to hedges and grassland .
Tier Two will pay for new ponds and woodlands .
Tier Three will deliver landscape changes by connecting fragmented habitats and planting new forests – or re-wilding .
Is it all going smoothly ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ problem of mind-numbing complexity .
How , for instance , will ministers strike the right balance between payments for re-introducing grey partridge , or capturing heavy rainfall , or increasing organic matter in the soil ?
What is the value of a tonne of stored carbon versus an increase in the number of rare small blue butterflies ?
And how many butterflies are enough , anyway ?
Does that mean it ’ s getting delayed ?
Farmers and environmentalists alike are frustrated that the scheme is held up with the environment department , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the future .
Environmentalists , meanwhile , fear that the department is leaning too far to please farmers in Tier One of the scheme .
They say it ’ s looking as though farmers may be paid for basic activities like improving soil health which , they argue , are good business practice anyway .

Why do farmers get paid by taxpayers? Published 22 September 2020
Image caption, Sheep farming is part of British history
The BBC has learned that cash could be diverted away from funding ambitious conservation projects in the UK and towards protecting farm businesses. But how should farmers be rewarded for tending the land?
The EU's farm policy has been no stranger to controversy.
Under this system, farmers have been collecting taxpayers’ money according to the amount of land they own.
The government promised that after Brexit, farmers would only be rewarded if they tend the land in a way that’s good for society.
But that’s proving a challenge. How does one assess the relative value of, for example, reducing water pollution vs connecting fragmented habitats?
To understand the background to the current debate over farm payments, it's useful to go back in time to World War Two.
The UK’s farm subsidies system started after the war, which had cruelly exposed the vulnerability of Europe’s food supplies to German U-boats.
Those subsidies paid farmers to increase food production, so that’s what they did. And in the EU, an aggressive farmers’ lobby fought to keep them that way.
Farmers, being business folk, followed the money. Production of crops and livestock soared, but before long food production outstripped demand.
Huge quantities of produce had to be stored in so-called wine lakes and butter mountains.
The EU off-loaded cut-price food to countries in the global south – but farmers there complained they were undercut by Europe’s subsidised food.
How did the subsidies affect the countryside?
Subsidies transformed the countryside. Wetlands were drained, rivers polluted with fertiliser and fields expanded as hedges disappeared.
Insects were wiped out by pesticides, and this contributed to a 57% decline, on average, in the farmland birds index between 1970 and 2018.
The EU changed the system of payments. Instead of being encouraged to grow extra food, farmers were paid directly according to how much land they manage. So, the bigger the farm, the bigger the subsidy.
What is the government’s plan to improve the countryside?
The former Environment Secretary Michael Gove said farmers should only get paid if they provided a public service. He coined the phrase “public money for public goods”.
Those goods would include helping wildlife, catching flood waters on fields, planting woods to soak up carbon emissions and improving the soil.
The reform will be delivered through the Environmental Land Management Scheme (ELMS) – and pilot projects are due to start next year.
Image caption, In the UK, wheat is the largest arable crop
But ministers are also drawing up a parallel grants scheme called the Sustainable Farming Incentive to reward farmers for basic activities like conserving their soil.
This scheme has proven controversial with environmentalists, who argue that improving farmland soil makes good business sense and so shouldn't be funded by the taxpayer.
How will the improvements be delivered?
Three tiers of grants are planned through ELMS, according to the level of ambition. Tier One will improve air quality by curbing gas from livestock, reducing water pollution and tending to hedges and grassland.
Tier Two will pay for new ponds and woodlands. Tier Three will deliver landscape changes by connecting fragmented habitats and planting new forests – or re-wilding.
Is it all going smoothly?
Of course not. This is a problem of mind-numbing complexity.
How, for instance, will ministers strike the right balance between payments for re-introducing grey partridge, or capturing heavy rainfall, or increasing organic matter in the soil?
What is the value of a tonne of stored carbon versus an increase in the number of rare small blue butterflies? And how many butterflies are enough, anyway?
Does that mean it’s getting delayed?
Farmers and environmentalists alike are frustrated that the scheme is held up with the environment department, Defra. Farmers need clarity to plan for the future.
Environmentalists, meanwhile, fear that the department is leaning too far to please farmers in Tier One of the scheme.
They say it’s looking as though farmers may be paid for basic activities like improving soil health which, they argue, are good business practice anyway.


bbcuk--2020-09-21--'Lack of investment' behind snarled-up legal system

When Louise Westra and her partner decided to adopt a child in November 2018 , they were aware of the long process that was ahead of them , but they were not to know that the coronavirus pandemic would hold them back from completing the adoption of their son .
On 27 March , their petition was due in court .
As lockdown had taken effect , telephone conferencing would be used instead of going to court .
However , after the phone call , Ms Westra received an email from her solicitor explaining that the papers had not been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ child .
This continued every month after lockdown , as it was n't possible for the papers to be physically served .
`` It 's farcical because one of them is the biological father who lives with the biological mother who has had her petition but the biological father has n't and they live in the same premises , '' Ms Westra says .
Serving papers has to be completed by post via Royal Mail or in some cases lawyers would instruct a process server to physically take the papers and hand them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ very archaic but if [ the person ] wo n't take them by hand , the processor has to touch them on the shoulders and drop the papers at their feet and that 's technically counted as full service , '' says Rebecca Ranson , a solicitor for Maguire Family Law .
E-mailing or any other forms of digital communication are not considered valid - even though the majority of people in the UK have access to e-mail and the internet .
It is this kind of process , in need of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ms Westra .
Ms Westra 's case is one of many that have been delayed .
The number of outstanding Crown court cases was 43,676 on 26 July , and the entire backlog across magistrates ' and Crown courts is more than 560,000 .
The Commons Justice Committee has announced an inquiry into how these delays could be addressed .
The reality , however , is that there was already a huge backlog back in December , and Covid-19 has just exacerbated an existing problem .
Cases like Ms Westra 's have been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lawyers believe that the legal system could have been better prepared through technology investment over the years .
`` We 've got people being held for longer than they otherwise would be , and for every person in custody waiting for trial or waiting on bail for trial , there are witnesses , and complainants and their families awaiting a resolution .
Whether it 's the lack of technology links in prison , using Skype and improvising or not having enough Nightingale courts - it all boils down to a lack of investment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ London-based barrister .
• When changing a light bulb is a really big deal • Why are there so few black tech entrepreneurs ?
In 2016 HM Courts & Tribunals Service began a £1bn court reform programme .
This included a video-conferencing tool called the Cloud Video Platform ( CVP ) , which allows for a dedicated private conference area , so criminal lawyers can speak to their clients without visiting prison .
A programme for testing and adopting video technology was planned out until 2022 , but in the pandemic , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ running in 10 weeks .
This has since been extended to civil courts .
But this implementation has been challenging , as there are only a restricted number of physical video links allowed .
`` As we were n't ready for this huge technological revolution no-one had manned the tech rooms or built enough rooms on the other end in the prison .
We can have as many laptops as we like , as much software as we like but if we ca n't put a prisoner into a room with a screen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' Ms Hardy says .
According to Ms Hardy , the waiting times to get these slots have been `` completely unacceptable '' , and it has meant that sometimes hearings had to go ahead without the defendant present .
`` It 's like human beings failing where technology could have bridged the gap , '' she says .
A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said that it had offered more than 400 CVP meeting rooms since the outbreak of coronavirus , but added that it is taking steps to increase the available capacity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ extending operating hours .
The spokesperson said that the MoJ is also undertaking urgent action to increase the physical number of video link outlets at critical sites .
At the moment , criminal trials are going ahead using social distancing - meaning sometimes a second courtroom is linked by technology , but this is creating further backlogs , as it means one case is occupying the same space as two .
Justice , the all-party law reform and human rights organisation , has trialled a virtual jury trial with a mock case , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a possible option , but this has n't been taken on by the courts .
The issue with virtual jury trials is whether or not they could affect the outcome of a trial .
Some lawyers feel like juries should see a witness , feel an exhibit and dispense justice to a fellow human being in the confines of a court room .
`` You can lose the impact of cross examination .
When you 're challenging their evidence in person it 's easier to get them to trip up if they 're @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 're on video it might be easier for them to cover it up , '' says Jodie Hill , solicitor and managing director of Thrive Law , an employment law specialist .
For smaller hearings , online alternatives could be here for the long term , as it means lawyers do n't have to travel all over the UK unnecessarily .
This does n't mean that every hearing that can be done remotely , should be done remotely .
`` We do n't want overkill .
We think some cases still need to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you 're dealing with vulnerable people or sensitive cases .
It has to be a balancing act of harnessing the benefits of technology and thinking about the specific case , '' says Ms Hardy .

"We've got people being held for longer than they otherwise would be, and for every person in custody waiting for trial or waiting on bail for trial, there are witnesses, and complainants and their families awaiting a resolution. Whether it's the lack of technology links in prison, using Skype and improvising or not having enough Nightingale courts - it all boils down to a lack of investment," says Joanna Hardy, a London-based barrister.


bbcuk--2020-09-21--Labour: Historic divisions over patriotism pose challenge for Starmer

Early in his tenure as new Labour leader , Sir Keir Starmer said he wanted the party to be `` proud of being patriotic '' .
Now , in his first speech to the party 's conference as the party 's head , he will say to voters : `` I ask you : take another look at Labour .
We 're under new leadership .
We love this country as you do . ''
It seems to be a stance that chimes with many Labour members .
According to a YouGov poll in January , as the leadership contest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thought it was important for the new chief to have a sense of patriotism .
It resonates among the public too : in a survey , 67 % of respondents told YouGov in June they were proud of being British .
But the party has a complex relationship with the concept of patriotism and Sir Keir will face challenges in getting it right .
Labour historian and author of Old Labour to New , Greg Rosen , says the party tradition is rooted in patriotism , but tensions came with the approach of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ members joined Labour , upset by the Liberal stance on foreign policy - and the split between those for and against the war encompassed not just the House of Commons , but the Labour Party as well .
Shami Chakrabarti , the former shadow attorney general under Jeremy Corbyn , says she was surprised by the divisions as she learnt the history of the party .
She points to a story in a new book by Rachel Holmes , Sylvia Pankhurst - Natural Born Rebel , featuring an incident with Keir Hardie - @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hardie was against World War One and spoke out about it in the Commons .
But some Labour backbenchers defied him by quietly singing the national anthem `` like a cold , cold wind '' from behind , in a stunt to discredit him as anti-patriotic .
`` I was shocked , not just that Labour MPs could be so wrong about that tragic imperialist war , but that they were so nasty to their first leader who brought them into being , '' says Baroness Chakrabarti .
Keir Hardie was n't alone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mr Rosen points to the resignation of Ramsay MacDonald , who quit as Labour leader in 1914 , after saying he believed Britain should have remained neutral .
Yet , at the same time , other leading Labour figures made it onto the frontbench of the coalition government to lead the war effort .
This divide on foreign policy - with only those supportive of the war deemed `` patriots '' - continued .
Mr Rosen said there were `` immense tensions '' in the 1930s and 1940s within Labour over the rise @ @ @ @ @ @ @ saw some figures far firmer in their determination to stand up to fascism than the Conservative Party , while others were quitting over their beliefs in pacifism , '' he says .
The former shadow chancellor , Ed Balls , says this was a time Labour could point to , when it showed its patriotic background .
`` There have been points of tension , but if you think back to the moment of greatest peril in the last 100 years - 1939 , when our national identity and national security were the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Labour Party joined with Churchill in a war time cabinet , '' he says .
`` British patriotism and unity at that time of greatest need was underpinned by Labour but that was consistent with the party pushing for change . ''
In 1945 , despite Churchill 's leadership through the war , it was Labour and Clement Attlee that won the post-war election .
`` Part of the reason Labour won in 1945 was because it was seen as the party that was both patriotic but also had vision for a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ willing to act - to defend and change the country , '' says Mr Balls .
But Attlee , who is celebrated as the great reformer and founder of the NHS , was also responsible for securing the UK 's nuclear deterrent - another topic which divides Labour opinion .
John Denham - a cabinet minister under Tony Blair and Gordon Brown - said Labour 's approach began to change after the `` explicitly patriotic '' governments of the post-war era .
`` From the early 1980s , that question of defence policy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' he said .
`` The party made a pledge in its manifesto for unilateral nuclear disarmament .
But the merits of this went up against the patriotic representation of Margaret Thatcher 's policies around the Falklands War .
`` It put Labour on the back foot for voters who looked for strong military presence from their leaders . ''
Mr Balls points out : `` Every Conservative conference had flown the Union Jack and used as many patriotic symbols as possible , as well as being strong on law and order , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , there was an issue on the left over whether to even try .
Ed Balls says there was a tension between `` people who wanted to start international engagement from a place of patriotism , like David Owen , and those like Roy Jenkins , who I think saw internationalism as an alternative to patriotism '' .
Mr Denham , who also co-founded of the English Labour Network , says it was `` crucial '' to Tony Blair 's election win in 1997 that accusations of the party not being patriotic were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ - who won his seat as an MP in 2005 - saw some new and surprising moves by Labour .
He says : `` I remember very well in the run up to 1997 election , Peter Mandelson brought a bulldog to a press conference in a Union Jack waistcoat .
`` It was part of New Labour signalling that this was now a party that was very proud of Britishness and would do the things that were necessary to protect out national security . ''
As well as embracing a more overt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ushered in another change - this time , in the party 's membership .
`` Historically , the membership was filled with trade unions and their even bigger base in the manual , industrial working classes , '' says Mr Denham .
`` There was a built-in socially democratic , patriotic structure here .
`` But the membership became more middle-class , with more graduates and more city-based people .
That means it is drawn from that section of society that , in general , is less likely to think about the issue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ continued to expand among Labour members in the years after Tony Blair and Gordon Brown .
And in the latest chapter of Labour 's history , it has been coupled with growing numbers on the very left of the party .
The party 's contortions were epitomised by the incident where Emily Thornberry resigned from Labour 's front bench in 2014 , after sending a tweet during a by-election which was branded `` snobby '' .
She apologised for the tweet , which showed a terraced house with three England flags , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Corbyn was a well-established backbench rebel who showed off his left wing stripes when he took over as leader in 2015 .
He would speak on the record about his love for the country and support for the Armed Forces but his well-known views on the monarchy , military action and incidents such as criticism from Labour MPs that he opted to remain silent rather than sing the national anthem at a service to mark the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Britain , left a question mark over him for some voters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their next prime minister .
Former Labour MP Jenny Chapman - who lost her seat in the 2019 election and chaired Sir Keir 's campaign to become leader - says : `` He cleared the pitch .
He walked away from the flag , he did n't stand up for the national anthem , he did n't dress appropriately for an important remembrance event .
`` People care about these things and it is about respect - respect for them and respect for the country .
It may sound very superficial , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and that is where Jeremy lost permission to have any nuance on this . ''
Ms Chapman says patriotism was a `` real issue '' on the doorstep in the 2019 election - which saw her lose her seat as an MP in Darlington .
`` They would be very blunt about it , '' she says .
`` They would call Jeremy a communist or a terrorist and it is n't fair .
I have never been a Jeremy fan , but he is n't those things .
`` And they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ country .
I am not saying it was true or fair , but that was the perception and it is one we need to correct . ''
Other issues were , of course , at play , but few dispute that the perception of Mr Corbyn - true or not - damaged the party 's performance in those more traditional , working class constituencies , especially in the north of England and the Midlands - the so-called `` Red Wall '' seats .
For Baroness Chakrabarti , Sir Keir 's task is to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ personally have no problem calling myself a patriot , '' she said .
`` I am a universalist , an internationalist , a human rights activist , but I also understand that people are rooted in place , language , culture and stories . ''
She is happy to list things that make her feel patriotic , including the English language , the rule of law , and the Commonwealth , but says : `` Rather than reducing patriotism to flags and uniforms , we should change the narrative . ''
Baroness Chakrabarti @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sources of pride - rather than taking on the more traditional , flag-waving patriotism of the right - such as Britain 's `` greatest national treasure '' , the NHS .
`` Contemporary patriotism should be about loyalty to care and health workers in blue , sent into modern day mines , mills and trenches without adequate testing or protection , '' she says .
`` We should be patriotic about the NHS , not looking for more wars or trying to compete with the right wing populism of Johnson and Trump .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ internationalist view with the country 's national interest is the right balance - and one which has proven fruitful in the past for Labour .
`` The 1945 government was a reforming one , but it did so with strong patriotic language about the kind of Britain we wanted to build , '' he says .
`` Labour must use the 1945 election as exemplar of patriotic reform because , if you are not a reformer , why are you in Labour , and if you are not a patriot , you do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` Those red wall seats , areas I used to represent , want change and are deeply patriotic places that are very proud of that Britishness .
Standing up for that combination of change and national pride is vital if Labour is to succeed . ''
• New leader not enough for victory - Labour report So what is the feeling in Sir Keir 's camp ?
Jenny Chapman says they have accepted that some voters `` sense we see the world in a different way and that we are embarrassed , uncomfortable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` I have never felt like that , Keir does n't feel like that and many Labour MPs do n't either , '' she adds .
`` But it is the reality of what people think and we ca n't just ignore it . ''
But how do you appeal to voters who want to celebrate their Britishness without losing the membership less comfortable with the notion ?
`` You highlight that they have more in common , '' she says .
`` There are things very important to both groups of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the quality of public services , economic credibility - and Labour needs to make those the most important questions . ''

He would speak on the record about his love for the country and support for the Armed Forces but his well-known views on the monarchy, military action and incidents such as criticism from Labour MPs that he opted to remain silent rather than sing the national anthem at a service to mark the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Britain, left a question mark over him for some voters who were looking for a patriot in their next prime minister.


bbcuk--2020-09-20--One of the ‘dodgiest addresses in the world’

The FinCEN Files consist of more than 2,500 documents which were sent to US financial authorities reporting banks ' concerns @ @ @ @ @ is the US Financial Crimes Investigation Network .
Concerns about transactions made in US dollars @ @ @ @ @ FinCEN , even if they took place outside the US .
Suspicious activity reports , @ @ @ @ @ example of how those concerns are recorded .
A bank must fill in one of @ @ @ @ @ worried one of its clients might be up to no good .
The report is @ @ @ @ @ The files were obtained by BuzzFeed News which shared them with the International Consortium of @ @ @ @ @ and 400 journalists around the world .
Panorama has led research for the BBC .

The FinCEN Files consist of more than 2,500 documents which were sent to US financial authorities reporting banks' concerns about their clients.
FinCEN is the US Financial Crimes Investigation Network.
Concerns about transactions made in US dollars need to be sent to FinCEN, even if they took place outside the US.
Suspicious activity reports, or SARs, are an example of how those concerns are recorded. A bank must fill in one of these reports if it is worried one of its clients might be up to no good. The report is sent to the authorities.
The files were obtained by BuzzFeed News which shared them with the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) and 400 journalists around the world. Panorama has led research for the BBC.


bbcuk--2020-09-21--Dr Patrick Vallance: 'Epidemic is doubling every seven days'

The government 's chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance says measures must be taken to stop the almost-weekly doubling of @ @ @ @ @ a press conference alongside England 's Chief Medical Officer Professor Chris Whitty , he said @ @ @ @ @ place to slow the virus ' growth but `` it requires speed , it requires @ @ @ @ @ exponential growth does n't continue .
Sir Patrick warned that the UK could could see @ @ @ @ @ by mid-October without further restrictions .
And he added that `` would be expected to @ @ @ @ @ per day '' a month after that .

The government's chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance says measures must be taken to stop the almost-weekly doubling of coronavirus cases.
Speaking at a press conference alongside England's Chief Medical Officer Professor Chris Whitty, he said there are already things in place to slow the virus' growth but "it requires speed, it requires action" to make sure exponential growth doesn't continue.
Sir Patrick warned that the UK could could see 50,000 new cases a day by mid-October without further restrictions.
And he added that "would be expected to lead to about 200 deaths per day" a month after that.


bbcuk--2020-09-20--Mother and son write lockdown book to explain autism

A mother and son have written an illustrated book during lockdown to help explain his autism to others .
Rebecca @ @ @ @ @ who live in Dorset , set about creating Awesome Archie to show how his `` @ @ @ @ @ works .
The book took four months to complete and has now been published , @ @ @ @ @ away as California and Australia .

A mother and son have written an illustrated book during lockdown to help explain his autism to others.
Rebecca and Archie, 11, who live in Dorset, set about creating Awesome Archie to show how his "awesome and adventurous brain" works.
The book took four months to complete and has now been published, attracting fans from as far away as California and Australia.
A film by Simon Marks


bbcuk--2020-09-21--Social media 'a blessing and a curse' for Little Mix

The band say the pressures associated with an online presence can be harmful to young people 's mental health .
@ @ @ @ @ a huge platform and 'greatly beneficial ' for them but that her and her bandmates @ @ @ @ @ much time they spend on it .
Little Mix , who were put together on @ @ @ @ @ , were speaking to BBC Breakfast about the new talent show they are fronting , @ @ @ @ @ .
In their programme , they will choose a boy or girl band to support @ @ @ @ @ .

The band say the pressures associated with an online presence can be harmful to young people's mental health.
Jade Thirwall said it was a huge platform and 'greatly beneficial' for them but that her and her bandmates also put restrictions on how much time they spend on it.
Little Mix, who were put together on ITV's The X Factor, were speaking to BBC Breakfast about the new talent show they are fronting, Little Mix: The Search.
In their programme, they will choose a boy or girl band to support them on their next tour.


bbcuk--2020-09-21--Pitch-invading alpaca 'absolutely adores football'

A football match was disrupted by an unusual pitch invader when an alpaca bounded onto the field .
Carlton Athletic @ @ @ @ @ in West Yorkshire on Saturday was halted for 15 minutes when Oscar escaped from a @ @ @ @ @ action .
Attempts were made to entice him off the pitch with food , before @ @ @ @ @ it home .
After the unusual delay , Ilkley went on to secure a 2-0 @ @ @

A football match was disrupted by an unusual pitch invader when an alpaca bounded onto the field.
Carlton Athletic's game against Ilkley Town in West Yorkshire on Saturday was halted for 15 minutes when Oscar escaped from a nearby farm and joined the action.
Attempts were made to entice him off the pitch with food, before a farmer managed to shepherd it home.
Oscar's owner Jill Howell told BBC Breakfast that he "absolutely adores football".
After the unusual delay, Ilkley went on to secure a 2-0 away win.


bbcuk--2020-09-20--'Mythical' Aston Martin Bulldog supercar being restored

When Aston Martin unveiled the Bulldog 40 years ago it quickly became the stuff of legend for car fans .
@ @ @ @ @ and its futuristic design and high-performance engine helped it become the fastest car on the @ @ @ @ @ record-breaking 192mph ( 308km/h ) .
But in 1981 , Aston Martin needed to raise @ @ @ @ @ sell the Bulldog to a buyer in the Middle East and the car disappeared from @ @ @ @ @ moved around storage units .
Now the son of the former head of Aston Martin @ @ @ @ @ thanks to a wealthy American Bulldog fan , it 's been bought and is being @ @ @ @ @ in Shropshire .

When Aston Martin unveiled the Bulldog 40 years ago it quickly became the stuff of legend for car fans.
Only one was ever built and its futuristic design and high-performance engine helped it become the fastest car on the road when it reached a record-breaking 192mph (308km/h).
But in 1981, Aston Martin needed to raise cash and was forced to sell the Bulldog to a buyer in the Middle East and the car disappeared from view, ending up being moved around storage units.
Now the son of the former head of Aston Martin has tracked it down and thanks to a wealthy American Bulldog fan, it's been bought and is being restored by classic car specialists in Shropshire.
Correspondent: Phil Mackie; Camera: Steve Lammiman; Online editor: Catherine Mackie


bbcuk--2020-09-21--The Papers: 'The second shutdown begins' as Covid fears grow

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Read about our approach @ @ @ @

The Mail quotes Mr Kruger as saying that if the person who spotted his mistake had reminded him rather than taking a photo and posting it on social media, he would have put his mask on "then and there".