bbcuk--2020-07-19--Mark Drakeford 'will not serve whole Senedd term'

The first minister has said he does not plan to serve the whole of the next Senedd term if re-elected to the job in the 2021 election .
Mark Drakeford , 65 , said he hoped to lead the Welsh Government `` well into the next Senedd term '' .
But he said around his 70th birthday would `` be time for somebody else to have a chance to do this job '' .
Mr Drakeford has been first minister since 2018 after taking over the role from Carwyn Jones .
The first minister told BBC Politics Wales it was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' to step down at the milestone birthday .
But opposition parties said it was time for a change at next year 's election .
• A guide to devolution in the UK When he announced he was standing for the leadership of Welsh Labour in April 2018 , Mr Drakeford said he would lead the party into an election .
If successful , he intended establish a government in the next term before standing aside for a `` new generation of leaders to put themselves forward for election '' .
Asked whether @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his first two years as first minister being dominated by Brexit and the coronavirus pandemic , Mr Drakeford said : `` My plan has n't changed from when I said it originally .
`` My plan is , if I 'm able to do it , I will lead the Labour Party in Wales into May 's election next year .
`` If we 're successful I will form a government , I will serve as head of that government well in to the next Senedd term and then my plan will be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in advance of an election .
`` It will be time for somebody else to do this difficult and demanding job .
As well as a job , it is a privilege to have had the opportunity to fill . ''
'The normal pattern of things in Wales' Asked whether that would be an issue for people voting in the 2021 election , Mr Drakeford said : `` Well , that 's what they would have done with Rhodri Morgan who stood in 2007 and then passed it on to Carwyn during that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would have done with Carwyn in 2016 who led us in to that election and then passed it on to me .
`` So , this is the normal pattern of things here in Wales . ''
Paul Davies , leader of the Welsh Conservatives , said : `` The people of Wales do n't need a caretaker first minister .
`` We need someone who 's committed to the long term and I will give them that commitment .
`` He [ Mr Drakeford ] may not have the energy and determination @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I do , and I ca n't wait to have the opportunity to serve my country and implement a radical agenda to change Wales for the better . ''
A Plaid Cymru spokesman said : `` The current pandemic has taught us that leadership means seeing things through to the end .
`` Voters next May will have the choice between voting for another distracting internal Labour battle in a few years , or backing Adam Price who would be a relentlessly focused first minister , determined to deliver Plaid Cymru 's five-year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Wales . ''
The leader of the Brexit Party in the Senedd , Mark Reckless , said : `` Our plan to directly elect the first minister would ensure that they always had a proper democratic mandate . ''
BBC Politics Wales is on BBC One Wales at 10:00 BST on Sunday 19 July and on the BBC iPlayer .

"If we're successful I will form a government, I will serve as head of that government well in to the next Senedd term and then my plan will be to hand it on to somebody else in advance of an election.


bbcuk--2020-07-19--Changing Places toilets for disabled people to be compulsory

Large accessible toilets for severely disabled people - known as Changing Places - will be made compulsory for new buildings in England from 2021 .
Shopping centres , supermarkets , sports and arts venues will be required to include at least one Changing Place , a government spokesman said .
The facilities include hoists , changing benches and space for carers .
Campaigner Zack Kerr said the announcement was `` nothing short of life changing '' .
A government spokesman said there were more than 1,400 Changing Places toilets in the UK , compared with 140 in 2007 , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ severely disabled people .
Many disabled people have spoken about restricting their drinking to avoid needing the toilet when they were out , risking dehydration and urinary tract infections .
Other issues include sitting in soiled clothing or dirty nappies until they find a suitable toilet or returned home , and carers having to change a disabled person on a dirty toilet floor .
Helen Whately , Minister for Care , said : `` Compulsory Changing Places in new public buildings is a major step in reducing the health inequalities .
`` All @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disabilities so they do n't have to suffer discomfort , embarrassment , or even injury without access to a Changing Place . ''
The government 's announcement will be a major change for building rules in England which now require Changing Places , which are at about 12 sq m , to be designed for new public buildings .
A £30m fund to install Changing Places in existing premises was also announced in March 's Budget .
On Sunday , the Department for Transport and Muscular Dystrophy UK announced a £1.27m fund to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stations across England .
It means 87 of England 's 118 service stations will have the facilities in the next few years .
Zack Kerr , who has cerebral palsy , launched a campaign for more Changing Places after a `` distressing '' journey from his Lancashire home to south Wales three years ago .
`` We stopped at three service stations on route along the M62 , M6 and M5 but none of them had an accessible changing facility , '' he said .
Mr Kerr said when he started his service @ @ @ @ @ @ @ [ Changing Places ] in the whole country and none of them were north of Birmingham '' .
He said he was `` especially pleased '' there would be more facilities in northern England .

Mr Kerr said when he started his service stations campaign "there were about 10 [Changing Places] in the whole country and none of them were north of Birmingham".


bbcuk--2020-07-19--Coronavirus in Scotland: The piper who played at more than 150 care homes

Just before lockdown Conner Pratt , 21 , piped for the Queen at Westminster Abbey on Commonwealth Day .
But as Scotland ground to a halt , he swapped grand performances for the gardens and car parks of care homes near where he lives .
Conner , who normally plays in the house band for the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo , piped more than 150 times in Glenrothes , Kirkcaldy and Leven at free gigs to keep up the resident 's spirits .
And when his own birthday came around on Thursday , the local community decided it was time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , colleagues , family and friends marched to the bellow of his old pipe major and surprised Conner on his 21st birthday at his home in Coalton of Balgonie , near Glenrothes .
`` I was absolutely gob-smacked .
I was bright red face in the face , '' he explained .
`` I heard bagpipes and I was like who plays bagpipes around here ?
That 's my territory '' .
Conner said that it was `` emotional '' for the community to honour him and that he nearly cried .
'We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ along with some members of the Glenrothes and District Pipe Band where he used to play , performed at local care homes .
They would take requests and pipe regardless of the weather for the residents who watched through their windows , unable to go outside .
He played for one resident to mark their 100th birthday and for the NHS staff at the Royal Hospital for Sick Children in Edinburgh to commemorate VE day .
The student , who studies music at the University of Highlands and Islands , said piping was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ make people happy .
`` We just kept going and going and going .
It was simply to cheer up the community .
`` And it kept me going too .
I was bored and wanted to make the residents smile .
`` Some of them would have a wee dance , it was all quite cute , '' Conner said .

Conner, who normally plays in the house band for the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, piped more than 150 times in Glenrothes, Kirkcaldy and Leven at free gigs to keep up the residents' spirits.


bbcuk--2020-07-19--Nottingham postie leaves note suggesting door colour

A woman who had been trying out different patches of colours on her front door received some surprise advice from @ @ @ @ @ , from Nottingham , painted the swatches on the black door before receiving a handwritten @ @ @ @ @ .
The teacher said finding the card recommending the `` 2nd green up from bottom @ @ @ @ @ .
Ms Pocklington 's tweet about what happened has been liked 80,000 times .
`` @ @ @ @ @ about the note and she was so shy about it , '' she said .
@ @ @ @ @ colour about a week and a half ago but I do n't know whether to @ @ @ @ @ .
`` The response has been awesome on Twitter and Facebook , obviously we 've @ @ @ @ @ a story that has put a smile on people 's faces . ''
Follow BBC @ @ @ @ @ Twitter , or Instagram .
Send your story ideas to eastmidsnews @ bbc.co.uk .

"The response has been awesome on Twitter and Facebook, obviously we've had lockdown and this is a story that has put a smile on people's faces."


bbcuk--2020-07-19--Horse Island: Shopping for a private island in a pandemic

Social distancing during a pandemic is not so much of a problem if you have your own private island to escape to .
The sale of an island off Ireland 's southern coast attracted interest `` from all corners of the globe , '' according to the agents who helped seal the deal .
Horse Island , which had an asking price of €5.5m ( just over £5m ) , has been snapped up by a mystery buyer .
The selling agents were contacted by the buyer 's representatives just as Ireland 's Covid-19 lockdown began .
The secluded retreat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has all the potential to provide a self-sufficient shelter for the super rich during a pandemic .
The 157-acre island off the County Cork coast comes complete with its own electricity grid , a water treatment system , a private pier and a helicopter pad .
The buyer was not alone in shopping for a private island during the pandemic .
The coronavirus outbreak appears to have sparked international interest in this very niche market , according to German businessman Farhad Vladi who has been in the trade for more than 50 years @ @ @ @ @ @ @ strong demand for self-sufficient private islands , '' he told BBC News NI .
Mr Vladi is the founder and president of Vladi Private Islands , which has sold more than 3,500 private islands around the world since he set up the firm in 1969 .
`` People are looking for the opportunity to stay for longer on their island , especially amidst a pandemic , so being self-sufficient would be a must , '' he said .
`` As the owner of your own island , you are in control of what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the virus reaching the island .
That seems to be the reason behind the new demand for such islands . ''
Horse Island lies in Roaringwater Bay , Ireland 's southernmost bay , but is just a short distance from the Cork coast .
The new owner may have no neighbours to meet when he moves in , but has seven houses to choose from as well as a large wine cellar to stock up on supplies .
Keeping fit in splendid isolation wo n't be a problem either as there are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gym and a games house .
`` Horse Island has been fully re-developed with self-sufficiency in mind , '' the vendors ' agents said , describing it as `` entirely self-contained '' .
The sale was negotiated by phone and email rather than face-to-face during the lockdown , according to the joint selling agents , Colliers International .
In fact , it is believed the buyer made the purchase without even setting foot on Horse Island .
His identity has not been made public , but he was described by the selling agents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The man began island shopping in December 2019 , instructing a London-based real estate broker to find a suitable location .
Horse Island had been on market in 2018 with an asking price of €6.75m ( £6.1m ) but it was reduced to €5.5m in February this year .
The sale sparked enquiries from the USA , Asia , Europe and the UK , but it came down to two bidders .
Callum Bain , a senior surveyor at Colliers International , helped secure the sale on behalf of the vendors .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ bidder first made enquiries about Horse Island just as lockdown began .
Asked if the pandemic influenced the sale , Mr Bain said he did not know the buyer so could not comment on the reasons for the purchase , other than a public statement from the buyer 's agent which said their client intended to use the island as a `` private residence '' .
However , Mr Bain said in general terms he believed Ireland was ideally placed for those seeking to shield from the pandemic .
`` If you want @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to isolate , I think Ireland is in a brilliant position , '' he said .
`` We 're on the western border of Europe but we have good connections , if we so want them . ''
Mr Bain has conducted private island sales before , but said this kind of transaction is relatively rare as they do n't come on the market very often .
`` People like to hold on to them , '' he said .
Mr Vladi meanwhile conducted his first sale in 1971 and since then he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ $ 35m ( £28m ) down to a more modest $ 50,000 ( £40,000 ) .
He said for an island to be considered self-sufficient it needs to have a good agricultural potential , allowing owners to grow their own vegetables and keep animals on site .
Although sales enquiries have been strong at his firm during the pandemic , actual transactions have been hit by international lockdowns and quarantine rules .
Mr Vladi explained that `` due to the travel restrictions worldwide , many people can not inspect these islands before they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he believes it is only a matter of time before restrictions ease and viewings begin again .

"As the owner of your own island, you are in control of what you see and there is no risk of the virus reaching the island. That seems to be the reason behind the new demand for such islands."


bbcuk--2020-07-19--Live gigs are back - but social distancing poses problems

`` It 's wonderful to be here this evening , '' says Elton John - or rather Ultimate Elton , a tribute act with an uncanny voice and an even more uncanny wig .
`` It 's wonderful to be anywhere , really . ''
After four months with no concerts - at least none with a live audience - Ultimate Elton ( AKA Paul Bacon ) headlined one of the first gigs to return , a hastily-arranged , scaled-back , socially-distanced ( mostly ) Hale Barns Carnival .
Ultimate Elton shared Saturday 's bill with George Michael ( actually @ @ @ @ @ @ @ garden on the outskirts of Manchester may not be Wembley Stadium , and Paul and Andrew may not actually be Elton and George , but they are the best we 've got for now .
As most of the 200 people in the Bulls Head garden got on their feet as Ultimate Elton launched into I 'm Still Standing ( `` A good end of lockdown song '' ) , it showed what we have all been missing - people together , in the same place , at the same time , having @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can they do it safely ?
Most families or groups had their own tables , which were a good four metres apart , and others sat on camping chairs in squares marked on the grass .
There was plenty of space , plus signs telling us to `` Keep calm and maintain social distancing '' , as well as reminders from the host .
To avoid queues , there was an app to order food and drinks from the pub to be delivered to your square .
Anyone craving the sweaty rush of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ while , but those who prefer not to be jostled might quite like this new normal .
Most people kept their distance .
But as the night went on and the excitement ( and alcohol ) levels rose - who would n't be excited to see George Michael perform Wake Me Up Before You Go Go ?
- the social distancing boundaries did become blurred .
Before the event , organiser Max Eden said he wanted to show there was `` some light at the end of the tunnel '' for live concerts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that this is safe , and that outdoor concerts can be done and can be done well , '' he said .
`` A lot of people will be worried about coming back , and the longer we delay starting up events , the more it 's going to feel scary coming back .
I think it 's important that the first experience is a good one . ''
On 9 July , the government announced that open-air gigs , festivals and theatre shows would be able to resume in England two days @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for most venues and promoters , but this weekend has seen a smattering of small outdoor shows .
Those rules recommended online ticketing , and for singing and wind and brass playing to be `` carefully controlled '' .
That did n't always appear to be the case .
One gig promoter in Newcastle has come up with a way to try to ensure social distancing is maintained .
They will put groups of fans on their own cordoned-off podiums .
Acts like Supergrass , The Libertines and Maximo Park will play at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mid-August .
The venue , a converted polo field , will have 500 platforms , each surrounded by rails .
Only one person from each group will be able to go to the toilet or the bar at any one time , to avoid too many people moving around the site at once .
Steve Davis of promoters SSD says he has been `` inundated '' with requests from artists who want to play , and will announce another 15 shows on Tuesday .
`` It 's mad , the take-up and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ play '' , he says .
`` A lot of people want to raise money for their crews , a lot of people are just going stir crazy and want to get on a stage , and a lot of people just want to get back and show willing to their fans . ''
Davis started planning the shows the week after lockdown , after postponing 700 gigs and festivals from 2020 to 2021 .
`` We realised that something has to come before the [ indoor ] venues open again , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he said .
`` So although it 's a hybrid and no-one 's done it before , we think this is quite a good middle ground . ''
Drive-ins had been touted as another stopgap , but drive-in tours featuring stars like Kaiser Chiefs , Dizzee Rascal and Sigala were cancelled last week over fears about what might happen if the host towns and cities were put into local lockdown .
On Friday , the government gave indoor concerts and plays the green light to resume in England from 1 August - if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a test event saw 30 classical music lovers , seated on chairs safely scattered around the floor of the London Symphony Orchestra 's St Luke 's Church , become the first audience to watch an indoor concert since lockdown .
The performers were a violin duo who had played the same works in an empty hall a week earlier .
`` When you put the people there , you feel the connection , '' musician Julian Gil Rodriguez said .
`` It 's a different energy .
It 's a real thing .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of summer left if they are lucky , and any excitement about their resumption is tempered by the plight of regular venues after a string of closures and redundancy announcements .
Many fans will be more reluctant to return indoors than they would to see music outside , and most venues wo n't be able to afford to put on gigs if social distancing means they can only sell a fraction of the tickets , even if they do have permission .
The live music industry has been working on its own solutions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ festivals promoter Melvin Benn proposed a Full Capacity Plan , under which every gig-goer would have a coronavirus test beforehand , and would n't be allowed in unless they show an app confirming a negative result .
• Is it safe to sing yet ?
Lots of acts have done virtual concerts in recent months , and the industry is also thinking about whether pay-per-view streamed gigs could make up a shortfall from live ticket sales .
Laura Marling , Nick Cave and Lianne La Havas are among those who have streamed , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ paid-for concerts from atmospheric empty venues .
Gigs that combine the two - with some socially-distanced fans watching in person and others watching online - is `` definitely one of the options '' , according to Brian Message of ATC Management .
But he is banking on near-full audiences being allowed by next March , when Cave and another of his acts , Thom Yorke , are due to go on tour .
`` Many of us are trying to make sure that there is some level of normality at least by then @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the beer garden , there was only one possible way to close Saturday 's show .
George/Andrew and Elton/Paul united for a duet of Do n't Let The Sun Go Down On Me , which the real stars famously performed together .
`` Do n't get too close , '' Elton joked to George on the pub terrace , which was their stage .
He could have aimed that advice at the fans below them too .
Some moved forward for the final song to soak up the moment together .
It still @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it no longer felt distanced .
This was as near as most of the audience will have come in recent months to feeling part of a shared special experience - which is what live music is all about .
Sadly , shared experiences are also the highest risk .
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If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news @ bbc.co.uk .

Acts like Supergrass, The Libertines and Maximo Park will play at the 2,500-capacity Virgin Money Unity Arena from mid-August. The venue, a converted polo field, will have 500 platforms, each surrounded by rails. Only one person from each group will be able to go to the toilet or the bar at any one time, to avoid too many people moving around the site at once.


bbcuk--2020-07-18--Coronavirus: Are mutations making it more infectious?

The coronavirus that is now threatening the world is subtly different from the one that first emerged in China .
Sars-Cov-2 , the official name of the virus that causes the disease Covid-19 , and continues to blaze a path of destruction across the globe , is mutating .
But , while scientists have spotted thousands of mutations , or changes to the virus 's genetic material , only one has so far been singled out as possibly altering its behaviour .
The crucial questions about this mutation are : does this make the virus more infectious - or lethal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pose a threat to the success of a future vaccine ?
This coronavirus is actually changing very slowly compared with a virus-like flu .
With relatively low levels of natural immunity in the population , no vaccine and few effective treatments , there 's no pressure on it to adapt .
So far , it 's doing a good job of keeping itself in circulation as it is .
The notable mutation - named D614G and situated within the protein making up the virus 's `` spike '' it uses to break into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ initial Wuhan outbreak , probably in Italy .
It is now seen in as many as 97 % of samples around the world .
The question is whether this dominance is the mutation giving the virus some advantage , or whether it 's just by chance .
Viruses do n't have a grand plan .
They mutate constantly and while some changes will help a virus reproduce , some may hinder it .
Others are simply neutral .
They 're a `` by-product of the virus replicating , '' says Dr Lucy van @ @ @ @ @ @ @ They `` hitch-hike '' on the virus without changing its behaviour .
The mutation that has emerged could have become very widespread just because it happened early in the outbreak and spread - something known as the `` founder effect '' .
This is what Dr van Dorp and her team believe is the likely explanation for the mutation being so common .
But this is increasingly controversial .
A growing number - perhaps the majority - of virologists now believe , as Dr Thushan de Silva , at the University of Sheffield @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to say this version of the virus has a `` selective advantage '' - an evolutionary edge - over the earlier version .
Though there is still not enough evidence to say `` it 's more transmissible '' in people , he says , he 's sure it 's `` not neutral '' .
When studied in laboratory conditions , the mutated virus was better at entering human cells than those without the variation , say professors Hyeryun Choe and Michael Farzan , at Scripps University in Florida .
Changes to the spike @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to human cells seem to allow it to `` stick together better and function more efficiently '' .
But that 's where they drew the line .
Prof Farzan said the spike proteins of these viruses were different in a way that was `` consistent with , but not proving , greater transmissibility '' .
At the New York Genome Center and New York University , Prof Neville Sanjana , who normally spends his time working on gene-editing technology Crispr , has gone one step further .
His team edited a virus so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spike protein and pitted it against a real Sars-CoV-2 virus from the early Wuhan outbreak , without the mutation , in human tissue cells .
The results , he believes , prove the mutated virus is more transmissible than the original version , at least in the lab .
Dr van Dorp points out `` it is unclear '' how representative they are of transmission in real patients .
But Prof Farzan says these `` marked biological differences '' were `` substantial enough to tilt the evidence somewhat '' in favour of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ virus better at spreading .
• BUBBLES : How do they work and who can be in yours ?
• SYMPTOMS : What are they and how to guard against them ?
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• TESTING : Who can get a test and how ?
Outside a Petri dish , there is some indirect evidence this mutation makes coronavirus more transmissible in humans .
Two studies have suggested patients with this mutated virus have larger amounts of the virus in their swab samples .
That @ @ @ @ @ @ @ others .
They did n't find evidence that those people became sicker or stayed in hospital for longer , though .
In general , being more transmissible does n't mean a virus is more lethal - in fact the opposite is often true .
There 's no evidence this coronavirus has mutated to make patients more or less sick .
But even when it comes to transmissibility , viral load is only an indication of how well the virus is spreading within a single person .
It does n't necessarily explain how good @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` gold standard '' of research - a controlled trial - has n't yet been carried out .
That might involve , for example , infecting animals with either one or the other variant of the virus to see which spreads more in a population .
One of the studies ' leads , Prof Bette Korber , at Los Alamos National Laboratory in the US , said there was not a consensus , but the idea the mutation increased patients ' viral load was `` getting less controversial as more data accrues '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it comes to looking at the population as a whole , it 's difficult to observe the virus becoming more ( or less ) infectious .
Its course has been drastically altered by interventions , including lockdowns .
But Prof Korber says the fact the variant now appears to be dominant everywhere , including in China , indicates it may have become better at spreading between people than the original version .
Whenever the two versions were in circulation at the same time , the new variant took over .
In fact , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it is now the pandemic .
And it has been for some time - perhaps even since the start of the epidemic in places like the UK and the east coast of the US .
So , while evidence is mounting that this mutation is not neutral , it does n't necessarily change how we should think about the virus and its spread .
On a more reassuring note , most of the vaccines in development are based on a different region of the spike so this should not have an impact on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ evidence the new form is just as sensitive to antibodies , which can protect you against an infection once you 've had it - or been vaccinated against it .
But since the science of Covid-19 is so fast-moving , this is something all scientists - wherever they stand on the meaning of the current mutations - will be keen to keep an eye on .
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In fact, the D614G variant is so dominant, it is now the pandemic. And it has been for some time - perhaps even since the start of the epidemic in places like the UK and the east coast of the US. So, while evidence is mounting that this mutation is not neutral, it doesn't necessarily change how we should think about the virus and its spread.


bbcuk--2020-07-19--Coronavirus: Northumberland holiday home for sick children remains closed

A holiday home in Northumberland for families with sick children is to remain closed until next year due to the @ @ @ @ @ House at Seahouses opened in March 2006 and provides free accommodation for families with children @ @ @ @ @ terminal illness to give them a much-needed break .
Run by the charity Chin Up @ @ @ @ @ they do not have the money or the resource to ensure the house is deep-cleaned @ @ @ @ @ welfare of the children is `` paramount '' .

A holiday home in Northumberland for families with sick children is to remain closed until next year due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Jonathan's House at Seahouses opened in March 2006 and provides free accommodation for families with children suffering from a life-threatening or terminal illness to give them a much-needed break.
Run by the charity Chin Up, chair Ellen Phillips says they do not have the money or the resource to ensure the house is deep-cleaned after each use and the welfare of the children is "paramount".


bbcuk--2020-07-18--Coronavirus doctor's diary: So, did the Bradford choir have Covid-19 in January?

Many people would feel happier if they knew they had already had Covid-19 , but the antibody tests designed to answer this question are not 100 % reliable .
Dr John Wright of Bradford Royal Infirmary was therefore pleased when a local choir , which had Covid-like symptoms as early as January , got the opportunity to take a T-cell test , the gold standard for prior Covid infection .
Four months into the pandemic and there is one burning question on the lips of every one of our front-line staff .
Have they had Covid-19 ?
Many doctors and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when testing was shambolic , so have never had the diagnosis confirmed .
The majority of staff have remained asymptomatic but we know that over half of cases display no symptoms .
The roll out of large-scale antibody testing is the opportunity we have all been waiting for .
We do n't know how long immunity lasts , so we know that there will be no `` immunity passport '' , but intuitively it is better to have had the infection and have some protection than not to have had it and be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nervously for the virus to strike .
So unlike Ebola , HIV or recreational drug tests this is one where , deep down , we all want to test positive .
An unexpected delivery of home testing kits arrives in our Clinical Research Facility and my colleague Dinesh Saralaya and I decide to take the plunge and find out if we have had the lurgy .
An anxious 10-minute wait and long , silent drum roll while we wait for the lines to appear on our pregnancy test-like strip : mine turns out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ am like a child at Christmas and have to hide my joy .
Dinesh , in contrast , is glum but resigned .
I try to cheer him up by telling him it shows how good he has been at wearing PPE .
A few days later and we both have the hospital laboratory antibody test .
This time mine comes back negative and I take the mantle of glumness from Dinesh 's shoulders .
Well , at least I have been wearing my PPE properly .
It turns out that quite a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ positive swabs have had negative antibody tests .
I can hardly believe that anyone working in the hospital in the first few weeks of the epidemic managed to avoid such an infectious virus , particularly when the PPE was so inadequate .
Studies from across the world are finding that less than 10 % of people have Sars-CoV2 antibodies , even in countries that have been badly hit by the virus .
This is rather depressing , as it suggests that we are a long way from the infamous herd immunity that could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But a quick investigation into the accuracy of antibody tests uncovers doubts about their reliability .
They have been evaluated on small numbers of hospitalised patients , from the more severe end of the spectrum and so may not detect antibodies in milder cases .
Antibodies are also just one part of our immunity .
They are produced from our B-cells ( a type of white blood cell ) in response to attacking antigens from viruses or bacteria .
We also have T-cells ( another type of white blood cell ) that have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ help protect the body from subsequent infections .
Antibody immunity tests are quite easy to develop and part of everyday hospital investigations .
T-cell immunity tests are trickier , but we do use them for diagnosing infections such as latent tuberculosis .
Prof John Wright , a doctor and epidemiologist , is head of the Bradford Institute for Health Research , and a veteran of cholera , HIV and Ebola epidemics in sub-Saharan Africa .
He is writing this diary for BBC News and recording from the hospital wards for BBC Radio .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ The NHS Front Line on BBC Sounds or the BBC World Service • Or read the previous online diary entry : She 's fit , young and has been ill with Covid for months A study from the Karolinska Institute in Sweden examined the blood of 200 blood donors and their family members and found that about 30 % had evidence of T-cell immunity , despite the fact that many had had no symptoms , and had no measurable antibodies .
Studies from other countries are also finding evidence of T-cell memory in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Covid-19 , perhaps related to other `` common cold '' coronaviruses .
This is potentially good news and suggests that many more of us have been infected than antibody testing is finding , or have some cross-immunity to other similar viruses .
The next big question is whether or not this T-cell immunity will provide protection against Covid-19 in the short or long term .
This brings me to the choir .
Ever since I wrote about the local singers who had symptoms reminiscent of Covid-19 as long ago as January - before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ UK - people have not stopped questioning me about it .
With the help of colleagues from the University of Oxford , who are running a national study on Covid-19 immunity , we were able recruit some of the choir members to test both antibody and T-cell immunity .
At the end of the clinic session there was one testing kit left , so I eagerly volunteered : having had one positive and one negative antibody test , I was itching to find out more about my T-cell immunity .
( It 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ - Dinesh would have leapt at the possibility of getting a positive result after his two negative antibody tests . )
Prof Paul Klenerman of the Oxford Biomedical Research Centre , who offered to do the tests , points out that the immune system 's memory of coronavirus fades over time , so may not get picked up without a sensitive test .
It is , after all , six months since the first choir members became ill. '' We will look for cells that have gone to sleep - these can provide @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to find , '' he says .
`` You have lots of T-cells at the beginning and can measure them in the blood , then they go back into the lymphoid tissue and the lymph nodes in the spleen and there are some in the blood , but you have to wake them up again .
So we will do a proliferation assay , where we give them a few days to get going and give them something that mimics the virus , and see if they can respond to that . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the results come back .
The choir members and the landlady of the Bulls Head in Baildon - whom the singers appear to have infected with their virus - are all negative , for both antibodies and T-cell memory .
This is fairly persuasive evidence that they did not in fact have Covid-19 and shows that there are other nasty viral illnesses out there , not to mention flu , that can sometimes make people ill enough to need hospital treatment .
I received a downcast email from Jane Hall , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ story , who first brought the choir 's illness to my attention .
`` I do n't know what we all had but it was very similar to Covid in so many ways and there were just so many people asking the question that once I found the possible link , I felt it should be brought to the attention of a medical expert , '' she wrote .
`` I am disappointed with the results as it would have been good to know I had had it . ''
When I first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that other people had also told me they 'd experienced coronavirus-like symptoms before the virus 's recorded arrival in this country - and I said I had generally reassured them that it was most likely a different viral infection .
What made the choir 's case stand out was their loss of taste and smell , and an intriguing link to Wuhan - the infections began after the return of one of the singer 's partners from a business trip to the city in December .
As I have said before , an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and time .
But in this case we now have a convincing negative result .
For those who had the symptoms without an obvious link to Wuhan , I would still say that it is highly likely that , like the choir , you had a different virus .
As I also wrote in my first diary about the choir though , in all epidemics , when you start tracking back , you find that there were cases long before you became aware of them .
The first confirmed case of transmission in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ February .
I still expect we 'll discover that some people caught it in the UK before that .
As for me , while my results came back negative for antibodies , my CD8 T-cell memory was said to be consistent with prior exposure to Sars-CoV2 .
This positive test is a ray of hope .
It suggests that I have been infected , and it might provide longer-term protection , or reduce symptoms if I get infected again .
However , as we write at the end of every scientific paper , @ @ @ @ @

"We will look for cells that have gone to sleep - these can provide very good protection but they're harder to find," he says. "You have lots of T-cells at the beginning and can measure them in the blood, then they go back into the lymphoid tissue and the lymph nodes in the spleen and there are some in the blood, but you have to wake them up again. So we will do a proliferation assay, where we give them a few days to get going and give them something that mimics the virus, and see if they can respond to that."


bbcuk--2020-07-18--'I was found as a baby wrapped in my mum's coat – but who am I?'

Tony May was only a few weeks old when he was abandoned by the River Thames in London , in the middle of World War Two .
He had no idea who his parents were for more than 70 years .
Then a DNA detective dug up the truth about his past .
A few days before Christmas , in 1942 , a baby boy was brought in to a police station near the Houses of Parliament in London .
He had been found wrapped in a bright blue woman 's coat on Victoria Embankment , a road lined with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the north bank of the Thames .
The boy was judged to be one month old and , after no-one came forward to claim him , he was allotted a birthday .
He also needed a name .
It was common at the time to refer to the place a child was found - and so he became Victor Banks .
`` I always wondered who they were , you know ?
And why I would have been abandoned , I think that 's the main thing . ''
Tony May is sitting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ flat in St Albans , just to the north of London .
There are jazz CDs piled on a side table , and photos of trumpet players on the wall .
`` I used to run a club on the jazz circuit , '' he tells me .
`` We 'd get musicians who had played at Ronnie Scott 's . ''
Tony is in his 70s .
Though he moves carefully around his flat his voice is full of energy .
He gestures now to one of the pictures crammed on to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dad , Arthur and Ivy , did n't have any brothers or sisters so they had friends who we called aunt and uncle .
They were lovely to me . ''
The couple adopted Victor Banks when he was a toddler in 1944 , changing his name to Tony May .
They went on to adopt a little girl called Eleanor who became Tony 's sister .
Tony remembers being told he was adopted when he was about seven .
`` It was no big deal really .
But I remember my sister @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and I was so embarrassed . ''
When he was growing up , Tony was particularly close to his father .
`` My dad was very bright but although he was very interested in sport he was no good at it at all .
When he realised I was good at it , he used to give me and my friend Mick cricket catching practice every night .
He 'd come home from the bank - I can see him now with his hat and umbrella - and he 'd come down the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 'd take me to see major sporting events at White City stadium in London .
`` I became a very good cricketer and schoolboy athlete because he believed in me .
And when you 're adopted you need people to believe in you . ''
Tony 's adoption was rarely mentioned by his parents .
`` I remember once my dad knocked on my bedroom door when I was a teenager and asked what music I was listening to , '' Tony says .
`` It was John Coltrane on tenor sax playing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ think you play such mournful music , because you 're adopted ? '
I said : 'No Dad , this is world-class music played all over the world . '
He said : 'Oh , OK then . '
That was that , there was no dialogue about it . ''
Tony only discovered he had been found as a baby on his wedding day , at the age of 23 .
`` My dad sidled over to me after the service , '' he says .
`` He told me that when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 'd have an envelope for me with my exam passes and adoption order .
He said : 'There 's a word on it that you might not know , the word foundling .
Just letting you know . '
I did n't twig for ages what it meant .
It was much later that I realised I 'd been abandoned . ''
Tony went into banking , like his father , and then into recruitment .
He also had two children .
Looking back , he wonders whether not knowing where he came @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he told his father about the music he 'd been listening to that day .
`` I worried a lot about things going wrong , which meant I worked extra hard at getting things right .
It did mean when the auditors came around at work I knew I 'd get a clean sheet .
`` Though I laugh and joke and muck about , I 'm not tactile .
I 'm fairly reserved , I would say , about showing emotion .
But I can cry my eyes out watching a rugby @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his adoptive parents had died that Tony felt ready to investigate where he came from .
His first port of call was the London Record Office , where he was amazed to find out he was n't allowed to look at his own adoption file .
The rules at that time stipulated that a social worker had to go in and make notes in pencil on his behalf .
The file revealed that after being found on Victoria Embankment on 19 December 1942 he was taken to the old Canon Row police station @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no mention of who had found him or at what time of day .
After being examined at a hospital in Chelsea , he was evacuated to Easenye Nursery in Ware , Hertfordshire , away from the risk of bombing .
Little Victor first met Arthur and Ivy May at Easenye .
Before they were allowed to adopt him they fostered him for a year and Tony is visibly moved as he reads out a welfare report from that time .
`` Date on which visit made : 5 November 1943 .
Is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ answer is : 'She devotes her whole time and attention to the baby and he is responding well to individual care and is becoming interested in people and things . '
Are the applicants satisfied with the child ?
'They are very pleased with him and delighted to have a baby of their own . '
'' `` That 's lovely , that , '' Tony says , tapping the table for emphasis .
Letters in Tony 's file reveal the Mays wrote to the authorities to see if they could find out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reply was definitive - exhaustive inquiries had been carried out to trace the parents , but all efforts had been unsuccessful .
Having reached this dead end , Tony then took his story to the media in the hope it might jog someone 's memory .
He appeared on radio , TV and in newspapers in the mid-1990s .
Some nurses who had worked at Easenye nursery during the war came forward , but Tony was no closer to finding out about the circumstances of his birth .
`` I had given up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do more than I have done , so that 's it , ' '' he says .
Then , four years ago , Tony joined a Facebook group for foundlings .
They swapped stories about their lives and their theories about why they might have been left .
Tony thought he could be the result of a liaison between a British woman and an American GI .
It 's estimated that about 22,000 children were born in this way between 1942 and 1945 .
`` I was found in London and I know @ @ @ @ @ @ @ happening , '' he says .
He mentioned his theory in the Facebook group , and it was a move that would change his life .
The post was spotted by Julia Bell , a genetic genealogist who has used DNA to track down American servicemen who fathered children during World War Two .
Julia 's first successful case was working out who her own GI grandfather was .
`` My mother was over the moon to find out .
Her father had died in 2009 but she had five brothers and sisters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ send her presents for her birthday . ''
Julia was inspired by her experience to work on other GI cases , but she was now looking for a new challenge .
`` I was finding the American servicemen cases very easy .
They all knew who their mothers were , but not their fathers .
I thought , 'How about giving that gift of knowing where you come from to people who do n't know who either side was ? '
'' She had started looking at foundling cases when she came across @ @ @ @ @ @ @ introduced herself and offered to help free of charge .
`` I thought , why not ? ''
Tony says .
`` I 've tried everything you know , if you like you might as well go for it .
I did n't think she 'd be successful .
How can you possibly be from so little information ? ''
And he was right that the case was a tough one , in fact it was the hardest that Julia had ever attempted to crack .
The first thing Julia did was search @ @ @ @ @ @ @ small article from 20 December 1942 reporting Tony 's discovery .
It read : `` A blue-eyed boy four weeks old , wrapped in a bright blue jacket , part of a woman 's costume , has been found abandoned on the Embankment . ''
Julia wondered whether this could be a sign that Tony was left in a hurry , and that perhaps it had n't been planned .
She then turned to DNA , which she was convinced could help unravel Tony 's case .
It was 2016 , and there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ number of people in the US and the UK using DNA testing kits to research their family history .
Her first step was to send off a saliva sample from Tony to one of several privately owned companies that offer DNA matching with other clients on their database .
The amount of DNA we share with other people is measured in centimorgans .
The number ranges from single digits for distant cousins to 3,400 centimorgans for a parent and child .
The test revealed a woman called Deborah in Toronto , who appeared @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tony 's , judging from the amount of DNA they shared .
But this promising link proved a dead end .
Julia realised Deborah was most likely related to Tony on her father 's side , and Deborah said she did n't know who her father was .
After Deborah , Tony 's closest relation was a fourth cousin called June , in Scotland .
That meant she probably shared with Tony a pair of great-great-great-grandparents , who lived sometime in the 1800s .
`` Now June had more of a complete tree @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with me , '' Julia says .
To find out which ancestor pair Tony and June shared , Julia searched the databases of the DNA-matching companies and found someone who was a cousin of both Tony and June at a similar distance .
`` I found an ancestor pair living in the 1860s that all three people shared .
Then I created a chart with all the different possible lines of descent , with every marriage and every birth .
`` I looked for people further down the lines who were living descendants @ @ @ @ @ @ @ test .
Each time I found a closer match that would help me refocus and refocus , getting closer to my goal . ''
By a closer match , Julia means a cousin closer to Tony in his family tree , sharing a larger amount of DNA .
The most common DNA test examines the pairs of chromosomes inherited from each parent ( except the pair of sex chromosomes ) , but Julia also got Tony to do another test that looked at mitochondrial DNA , which is passed from mother to child @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a strong maternal link to Lanarkshire , in the central lowlands of Scotland .
Every cell in your body contains DNA molecules , packaged in structures called chromosomes , which hold the instructions the body needs to develop , survive and reproduce .
The most common DNA test focuses on chromosomes from the cell nucleus , and particularly those inherited from both parents ( 22 `` autosomal '' chromosome pairs ) .
The test matches you with anyone else on the database who shares a direct ancestor , reaching back about seven generations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to test the Y chromosome , which is passed from father to son and helps identify the paternal line .
The maternal line can be investigated by testing the DNA in mitochondria - subunits of a cell responsible for generating the cell 's energy .
This DNA is passed from mother to child in the egg cell .
It was slow and painstaking work but towards the end of 2018 Julia identified a couple she thought could be Tony 's maternal grandparents , who had lived in Kirkcaldy , north of Edinburgh .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Scotland called Bill who was in his 90s and was reluctant to do a test .
However Bill 's daughter , Kathleen , agreed to help once she heard Tony 's story .
The results showed Kathleen was almost certainly his first cousin .
`` So I 'm thinking it 's most likely that Tony 's mother was Bill 's sister , '' Julia says .
`` Bill had a sister called Mary who died in 1988 .
Mary had had two children - a son , Peter , who had died in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sheena , who was still living . ''
After thinking about it long and hard , Sheena agreed to meet Julia .
`` Well this was back in January 2019 , '' Sheena says , sitting across from me in her conservatory in Kettering , Northamptonshire .
`` My cousin Kathleen had explained to me about Julia and this person who was looking for his parents .
I thought whoever this Tony is deserves to know who his family is , but I did n't click at all what it had to do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and told me , ' I 'm 80 % sure that your mum is Tony 's mother . '
Well you could have knocked me over with a feather , I knew nothing about it !
`` I thought , 'How could my mum have done it ? '
And then I thought , 'What must she have been through to feel she had to do something like that ? '
If only she 'd been able to talk to us . ''
Sheena agreed to take the test and it confirmed Sheena @ @ @ @ @ @ @ went to Tony 's house to tell him the news .
`` When she came I had a friend with me , who was writing it all down .
It was a hell of a lot to absorb , '' Tony says .
`` It was strange , I felt much less happy than I thought I would do .
It did n't have as huge an effect as I thought it would .
But then I heard Sheena was willing to meet me , that was a big bonus . ''
Sheena @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only live an hour 's drive away from Tony and they agreed to meet him and Julia at a hotel .
`` I just thought it was unbelievable .
That I 'm hugging the daughter of the woman who abandoned me and that she had been prepared to meet me , '' Tony says .
`` Sheena gave me an album full of old photographs of the family .
It was just lovely .
She 's a great girl . ''
`` He walked in and I thought : 'That 's my mum @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so much like her it was scary .
I just could n't take my eyes off him . ''
Over time , Sheena , 65 , has helped Tony build a picture of their mother .
Mary married Sheena 's father in 1946 and had two children .
They moved to Rhodesia , now Zimbabwe , when Sheena was two .
However , they came back to the UK after her father was injured in a car accident .
He never left hospital and Mary raised Peter and Sheena alone .
`` She @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a loving person .
She 'd do anything for anybody , '' Sheena says .
`` I 've missed her more this year than I 've done in a long time . ''
Meanwhile , Julia was still at work trying to find Tony 's biological father .
She discovered Mary had been married once before , which was a complete surprise to Sheena .
`` Julia told us mum had married a man from Kirkcaldy called James on 1 August 1942 , but she applied for a divorce in 1946 , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in late November or early December , Julia knew Mary would have been about five months pregnant at the time of the wedding .
Although the DNA had n't indicated a strong Scottish lineage on Tony 's paternal side , Julia decided to follow up the lead .
She found out that James had gone on to remarry after his divorce from Mary and had had a daughter called Anita .
When Anita was approached and told about Tony 's story , her response took everyone by surprise .
`` Her first words @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : 'Thank goodness he 's fine , ' '' Julia says .
Anita says discovering the existence of Tony has laid to rest a family mystery that had troubled her for most of her life .
`` I 'd heard a whisper of a story but I was never sure it was true , '' she says .
`` I was anything between eight and 10 .
I heard raised voices and I was listening at the door .
I just heard , 'Oh , it 's awful you know that a baby @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been my mother speaking and my father was saying things like , 'You were n't there .
It was dreadful , she was in a terrible state and she was going to jump off a bridge and I had to calm her down . '
'' It 's not clear if James knew Mary was pregnant when they got married , but Anita says her father insisted the baby was n't his .
Her understanding was that this led to some sort of argument between James and Mary in London .
At the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and serving on the south coast .
Perhaps Mary came down with the baby from Kirkcaldy to meet him ?
`` I suppose that 's how the abandonment happened , '' Anita says .
`` My father removed Madie [ Mary ] from the baby to calm her down and perhaps - I think I remember hearing my mum saying something like 'Did you never go back to see if it was still there ? '
And I remember him saying 'Of course I did , but obviously the baby was n't there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ account , told decades later , but it does suggest that both Mary and James were involved in leaving Tony on Victoria Embankment .
An action that their children think profoundly affected both of them for the rest of their lives .
Mary had always told her daughter , Sheena , that her brother , Peter , had been a twin , but that the other baby had been stillborn .
Sheena 's cousin recently revealed she 'd once asked their gran about the stillborn baby .
`` My gran had been there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said that was a load of rubbish , there was only one baby .
So we now think that was my mum trying to make sense of it , '' Sheena says .
Anita said her father , James , was delighted when she had three girls and seemed uncomfortable around baby boys .
`` He was a very supportive and helpful person .
It just seems such an out-of-character thing for him and I think it weighed heavily on him , '' she says .
`` In fact , in his late @ @ @ @ @ @ @ life and was treated for severe depression .
I think the incident in 1942 with the baby [ is something ] he 'd carried all those years and felt guilt and shame for .
I think it contributed to his suicide attempt . ''
Both Sheena and Anita wish their parents could have known that Tony had been found and adopted .
Anita took a DNA test that confirmed what her father had always said , he was not Tony 's father .
So Julia 's hunt continued , looking at DNA databases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , marriage and death records .
She narrowed down her search to two family lines based in Yorkshire and Hertfordshire .
This meant he was unlikely to be a GI as Tony had first supposed .
Then , just a few months after finding Tony 's mother , Julia hit the jackpot with his father .
She discovered a 1906 marriage that seemed to bring those two lines together .
The marriage resulted in a son called Eric .
`` I found this man called Eric Wisbey who looked to me to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ relatives who told me he had gone to Australia , '' Julia says .
`` Eric had died in 2004 and he had a son called Ken who had died in 2011 .
But Ken had a daughter called Leesa and she agreed to do a DNA test . ''
Leesa lives in Wodonga , on the border of New South Wales and Victoria .
`` I Googled Julia Bell 's name to make sure that it was n't a hoax , '' she says over Skype .
`` You never know nowadays @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , it 's not going to hurt me . '
So I agreed and she sent the test over . ''
The results came back a month later and confirmed Leesa was Tony 's half-niece .
This meant Julia was correct and Eric Wisbey was Tony 's father .
How Julia did it Starting in 2016 , Julia Bell identified cousins of Tony on his mother 's side , and used them to reconstruct part of his family tree , which led her to Mary , Tony 's mother , and to Sheena @ @ @ @ @ @ @ met in January 2019 .
In her search for Tony 's father , Julia established that Mary 's first husband , James , had been present when Tony was abandoned , but was not his father .
Her attention then focused on two families in Yorkshire and Hertfordshire and a man called Eric Wisbey .
When Eric 's granddaughter , Leesa , did a DNA test in spring 2019 , the result showed she was Tony 's half-niece , and the case was closed .
Tony was amazed to discover he had family @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` I have got a father that went out to Australia and now I 've spoken to my father 's granddaughter out there over the internet .
These are huge bonuses , '' he says .
Leesa was able to tell Tony a little about his father .
`` Eric was sort of a reserved fella , sometimes he 'd take my brother , dad and I fishing , '' she says .
He was a painter and decorator who moved around the state of Victoria .
After his wife , Leesa @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one of her friends .
But how did Eric Wisbey , from the south of England , come to meet Mary Hunter from Scotland ?
Leesa pulled out her grandfather 's war records , which revealed he was in the Army Pay Corps in World War Two .
In 1942 he was stationed in Edinburgh , 11 miles across the Firth of Forth from Mary 's hometown of Kirkcaldy .
At the time Mary was 22 and living with her parents , while Eric was 35 and married with a young son back @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unlikely couple get together ?
Mary 's brother , Bill - who has since died aged 93 - was asked if he could remember anything from that time .
• Who were my parents - and why was I left on a hillside to die ?
• The mystery of the baby in the box • The Christmas present that could tear your family apart • I met my boyfriend 12 years after giving birth to his child '' He remembered an older guy coming to stay at the house because he had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' Sheena says .
`` He was 15 years or so older than my mum and he said he thinks she 'd had an affair with him .
But he does n't remember her being pregnant or a baby being born . ''
Sheena and George have speculated that Eric was billeted with the Hunter family , and was perhaps involved in paying the munition workers in the town .
But did Eric ever find out that Mary was pregnant ?
Leesa reveals a tantalising clue .
`` I had rung my mum @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on with Julia and then mum spoke to John , who was my dad 's friend .
And John said Dad had told him he thought he had a half-brother or had an inkling .
I do n't know how Dad got that information .
I wish he was still alive so we could ask him about it . ''
Eric Wisbey left Scotland in 1943 after he moved from the Pays Corps to the Intelligence Corps .
By 1944 he was stationed in India .
`` He did n't really like speaking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him about it .
We found his records in a drawer , '' Leesa says .
Sheena thinks her mother was left in an impossible position .
`` Whether he knew about it or not , Eric was married and quite a lot older than my mum .
Then he went off to Australia .
I think he got off scot free , '' she says .
`` I feel angry and bitter that my mum felt she had to hide it all .
What she must have gone through for the rest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , is absolutely heart-breaking . ''
For Tony , the discoveries have helped him better understand why he was left on the Embankment .
But he says he has never blamed his mother for leaving him .
`` I wish I could tell her ' I 'm sorry you had to do it , ' '' he says .
`` I was sure she would n't have abandoned me without a damn good reason . ''
Dr Marilyn Crawshaw from the University of York has worked for decades with people who were adopted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ warns people to think carefully before embarking on a journey like Tony 's .
`` I very definitely believe a child has a right to know where they come from , '' she says .
`` But I always say to people do n't go rushing into it , stop and think first .
Talk to your mates about it .
Are you prepared for all the different things you might find out ?
`` Some bits might feel immensely satisfying , but you may also find a birth parent who refuses to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no idea what is happening in the lives of the people you are approaching .
You really are stepping into the unknown . ''
Tony says there are some things he will always wonder about , such as whether he was born in Scotland or London , but he is `` happy to know what I now know '' .
His relationship with his half-sister has gone from strength to strength .
Sheena and her husband , George , have met Tony 's sister , Eleanor , while Tony has gone to watch @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a concert in London .
Tony is now looking forward to introducing Sheena and her family to his children and grandchildren .
`` When Julia first told me she had a result I think I was a bit stunned , '' Tony says .
`` But now I 've met my half-sister , I 've corresponded with my half-niece in Australia .
I 'm looking forward to introducing my son and daughter to Sheena 's family .
It 's given me a new lease of life . ''
You may also be interested @ @ @ @ @ @ @ horror of Hurricane Katrina , artist Matjames Metson was broke , traumatised and `` braced for the end '' when he received an unexpected phone call .
It was from the daughter he had n't seen since she was a baby , and it gave him a reason to live . '
I left her as a baby - 16 years later she saved my life '

"My dad was very bright but although he was very interested in sport he was no good at it at all. When he realised I was good at it, he used to give me and my friend Mick cricket catching practice every night. He'd come home from the bank - I can see him now with his hat and umbrella - and he'd come down the garden to help us. And he'd take me to see major sporting events at White City stadium in London.


bbcuk--2020-07-19--The Papers: 'No national lockdown' and 'missing' Prince Andrew

`` A royal wedding like no other '' is the claim of many front pages which splash official photos of the `` lockdown '' wedding of Princess Beatrice and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi .
The Mail on Sunday reveals the bridal dress was first worn by the Queen in 1962 , and that the event featured glamping pods and a bouncy castle .
For many papers though , the focus is the absence of the bride 's father from the official snaps , which picture only the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh alongside the happy couple .
`` Where 's Dad @ @ @ @ @ @ @ while the Sunday People notes : `` At least granny 's allowed . ''
The main focus for The Sunday Telegraph is its interview with Boris Johnson , with the PM playing down any suggestion that there could be another national lockdown because of coronavirus .
Mr Johnson is pictured with his fiancee and son for the piece , which marks a year since he took office and he discloses that he is feeling much healthier since shedding a stone and a half whilst battling Covid himself .
Concerns about NHS Test and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Independent .
It claims to have obtained leaked analysis which shows the service is failing to reach more than half the contacts named by infected residents in the current outbreak in Blackburn .
The analysis was carried out by the public health director for the area , Professor Dominic Harrison .
The Independent says the findings have left officials scrambling this weekend to put in place new local contact tracing as fears grow the outbreak could get worse - and lead to a Leicester-style local lockdown .
Similar concerns occupy The Telegraph 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would not cope with a second wave '' is the claim as the paper reports that , in an industry briefing , Alex Cooper - an official responsible for part of the government 's national testing programme - revealed that the system was only identifying 37 % of those it should be .
In response the government said the test and trace system had already isolated 180,000 cases , helping to control spread , prevent a second wave , and save lives .
`` TikTok shelves plan for global HQ in Britain '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Times .
The paper claims fears of a growing trade war have put hopes for 3,000 new jobs on hold as talks between the Chinese social media giant and government officials stall .
The paper reports that amid growing hostilities over the situation in Hong Kong , and the role of Huawei in British telecoms , UK business leaders in Beijing were told by a Chinese government official on Friday that `` retaliation is coming '' and that British firms operating in China would be in the firing line .
And it is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ workers , according to The Observer .
It reveals that Sir Ian McKellen - famous for his role as Tolkien 's wandering wizard in The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings - is donating £40,000 from the proceeds of his recent 80th birthday tour to kickstart an emergency fund specifically to help backstage theatre staff such as ushers , sound operators and props assistants .
The Theatrical Guild , which represents the industry , has warned that many have been left struggling to survive since theatres closed for lockdown .
Sign up for @ @ @ @ @ @ @

Similar concerns occupy The Telegraph's front page. "Test and Trace would not cope with a second wave" is the claim as the paper reports that, in an industry briefing, Alex Cooper - an official responsible for part of the government's national testing programme - revealed that the system was only identifying 37% of those it should be.


bbcuk--2020-07-19--Suffolk Punch horse born using sex-sorted sperm technology

A Suffolk Punch foal is the first in the UK to have been born using technology to determine its sex .
The filly , born in Whitchurch in Shropshire , was conceived using sex-sorted sperm .
There are fewer than 72 female Suffolk Punches remaining in the UK and fewer than 300 in the world .
The new method could be used to save the breed , which has been described as `` rarer than the panda '' , from extinction .
The technology makes it possible to select female foals to increase the breeding population more quickly .
Tullis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Stallion AI Services where the foal was born .
said it was `` fantastic news '' for all rare breeds .
`` Last year , I think there were about 35 born , 19 were male and 14 female , so it always tends to be more gender male heavy and we need more females on the ground so they can breed more , '' he said .
`` These are the horses that ploughed our fields during the war , they are the ones that put food on the table .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our heritage going and so we 've got to find a way of getting more females on the ground .
There is a glimmer of hope at the end for them , there really is . ''
Christopher Price , chief executive of the Rare Breed Survival Trust , said : `` This is tremendous news for anyone concerned with the conservation of our native equines . ''
Dr Gareth Starbuck , head of animal and equine sciences at Nottingham Trent University , which owns the mare that gave birth to the foal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this foal marks a major step towards securing the future of the Suffolk horse and all other rare animal breeds . ''
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"For me we have got to keep our heritage going and so we've got to find a way of getting more females on the ground. There is a glimmer of hope at the end for them, there really is."


bbcuk--2020-07-19--Scottish churches hold first Sunday services since March

Sunday church services are taking place in Scotland for the first time since the lockdown began in March .
Places of worship were allowed to open for communal prayer and services on Wednesday as the Scottish government eased more lockdown restrictions .
However , numbers will be limited to 50 , singing and chanting will be restricted and those attending will be asked for their contact details .
Separate rules are still in place for marriage ceremonies and funerals .
Many places of worship have been live streaming services for the last few months .
The Scottish government said its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' to reopen places of worship , adding : `` Each place of worship should make its own decision about when it is ready to do this and should only reopen if this can be done safely . ''
• What can I now do - and what are the rules ?
The Church of Scotland said it would be `` some time '' before all its buildings were open for worship .
The church is also encouraging all congregation members to wear face masks .
The Very Reverend Dr John Chalmers , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Church of Scotland , said the church had lessons to learn from `` life in lockdown '' .
Writing in the church 's magazine , Life And Work , he said : `` Across the whole Church of Scotland from the most rural parish to the most ancient cathedral , from our presbyteries to our central offices , we have been offered a tantalising glimpse of a very different kind of church .
`` One in which we have discovered that we are not as reliant on buildings as we thought we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we are able , online , to reach a constituency that has been missing from our pews for generations .
`` So , as we emerge slowly from this great difficulty , we need to make it a prayer that across the church we build on the lessons we have learned and do not slip back into old ways . ''
The President of the Bishops ' Conference of Scotland , Bishop Hugh Gilbert said Catholic parishes would be resuming the celebration of Mass with `` infection control protocols '' in place .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ parishes have been preparing for the safe resumption of communal prayer and the celebration of Mass , which is at the centre of the life of the church , '' he said .
`` To have been unable to attend Mass for many months has been a source of real sadness for Scotland 's Catholics and I am sure there will be great joy at the prospect of returning . ''
The Scottish Episcopal Church has also been opening its buildings for communal worship after the restrictions were eased .
In a video @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Scottish Episcopal Church , the Right Reverend Mark Strange , said he wanted to address the concerns and anxieties of those coming to church .
`` Some things will be different but ultimately we 're there for the same reason we always have been - to give worship and praise to God , '' he said .
• DEATHS : Who is dying and where with Covid-19 in Scotland ?
• THE R NUMBER : What it means and why it matters • LOOK-UP TOOL : How many cases in your area @

"One in which we have discovered that we are not as reliant on buildings as we thought we were and it is one in which we are able, online, to reach a constituency that has been missing from our pews for generations.


bbcuk--2020-07-19--Coronavirus: Libraries to open with a new approach to book borrowing

Libraries across Northern Ireland are preparing to reopen as part of a pilot scheme launched by Libraries NI .
Customers will be able to borrow books from 20 July with new operational measures put in place for their safety .
All libraries in Northern Ireland closed on 20 March due to the coronavirus pandemic .
Here 's everything you need to know about returning to your local library and the new normal approach to book borrowing .
How do you borrow a book ?
A new Book and Collect service will be provided to customers in 90 libraries from Monday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ local library to request a selection of books and arrange contactless collection .
Each library will have their own contactless collection measures in place and some will have staff at the front door for book collections and drop-offs .
This will be an interim service which will remain in place until each library fully reopens .
Some libraries will have a self-service machine for customers to check out books .
Which libraries will reopen and when ?
A list of the 90 libraries offering the Book and Collect service from 20 July can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Five libraries will fully reopen for book browsing and limited IT access in July .
Omagh library and Lisburn City library will reopen on 21 July and Bangor Carnegie , Derry Central and Belfast Central will reopen on 23 July .
These five libraries are the first phase of a larger pilot to test the new approach to service delivery to facilitate the reopening of other local libraries .
Are all the services available ?
IT services will only be available in the five libraries opening in the pilot scheme initially .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and help-sheets and telephone support will be provided to customers who need it .
Customers will be asked to limit themselves to 30-minutes computer use .
Printing or photocopying will be unavailable and toilet facilities will be closed during the pilot phase .
A range of online services are available on the Libraries NI website including free access to e-books , e-magazines and more than 3,000 free newspapers .
Can you still browse in a library ?
Initially customers will only be able to browse the shelves in the five libraries reopening in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
All other library members can browse through an online catalogue and telephone their local library to reserve books .
There will be controls on the number of people allowed in libraries at any one time to adhere to social-distancing measures .
Customers will be asked to limit themselves to 30-minutes browsing time .
What happens when you return a book ?
When a customer returns a book it will be stored for a period of time in each library before being returned to the shelves .
Books will be placed on a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ where they will be laid out for 72 hours before being put back on display .
The government advice on the risk of infection on hard surfaces also applies to books .
Government guidance states that the risk of infection from coronavirus on a surface is likely to be `` reduced significantly '' after a three-day period .
Libraries NI said staff would be equipped with relevant personal protective equipment ( PPE ) , screens will be installed at customer desks , hand sanitiser will be available for all customers entering the library @ @ @ @ @ @ @ take place throughout each of the libraries .
In preparation for reopening , Libraries NI has asked customers to return books they loaned before lockdown so they can be safely stored , with collection times available on their website .
Libraries NI had 15,000 new members over the lockdown period and saw a surge in demand for e-books , audio books and e-magazines .
When libraries closed in March , customers were allowed to take out up to twice the usual amount of books .
Julie Reid , deputy head of service at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ branches who are preparing to reopen .
`` It 's been lovely to see customers returning their books and expressing how happy they are to see the staff back , '' she said .
`` Libraries are for everybody , our members range from babies to senior citizens and everyone can benefit from accessing their local library .
`` Whether it 's children who are starting to read and develop their language skills right through to someone who just calls in for a chat and a quick browse . ''
She added libraries @ @ @ @ @ @ @ community who did not have access to the internet at home .
`` Whether it 's for information services , online banking or simply keeping in touch with friends and family via email or on other online platforms , it really is a lifeline for some .
`` I can understand that people may have some anxiety about coming back into a public space and we have put the safety of our customers and staff at the top of our list .
`` There 's so many measures that are in place , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the library , screens , social-distancing marking and all of that advice is there to keep everybody safe .
`` Our staff are really looking forward to getting their customers back . ''

Libraries NI said staff would be equipped with relevant personal protective equipment (PPE), screens will be installed at customer desks, hand sanitiser will be available for all customers entering the library and a high level of cleaning will take place throughout each of the libraries.


bbcuk--2020-07-19--Coronavirus: Wales 'could have done' to prepare for Covid-19 crisis

Wales should have been better prepared when coronavirus arrived in February , according to the chair of the Senedd 's health and social care committee .
Dai Lloyd said Wales `` did not have '' appropriate coronavirus testing capacity and did not have enough personal protective equipment ( PPE ) .
The first minister said it would have been difficult to persuade people in Wales to introduce lockdown earlier .
But Dr Lloyd , who is also a GP , said : `` We could have done more . ''
Coronavirus was declared a global health emergency by the World @ @ @ @ @ @ @ January and Wales ' first coronavirus case was confirmed on 28 February .
• Figuring out the stats on coronavirus in Wales • Wales 'may have had more time to prepare ' for virus The first death with coronavirus in Wales was on 16 March and lockdown began on 23 March by which time there had been 16 deaths and 666 positive cases reported by Public Health Wales ( PHW ) .
`` We knew it was coming , we knew in January that there was a pandemic and pandemic means an epidemic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' Dr Lloyd told Sunday Supplement on BBC Radio Wales .
`` We did n't have the testing capacity at the start and governments at all levels did n't recognise the importance of testing despite the WHO saying test , test , test and contact trace .
`` We should have had the PPE stocks ready - and we were nowhere near that . ''
At least 2,470 people in Wales have died of coronavirus and at its height in April , 43 deaths were being recorded a day in Wales with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ intensive care units .
`` Lots of people thought it would be just like the flu and we 'd heard of Sars and we should have regarded Covid as like Sars , particularly nasty and particularly lethal , '' added Dr Lloyd , the Plaid Cymru MS for South West Wales .
`` Governments had n't really treated the possibility of a pandemic with any seriousness and as a society we have forgotten how serious infectious diseases can be .
We think we 've got antibiotics , let 's get on with it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
`` We saw what was happening in other countries and saw the horror , if nothing else that was a warning to us , '' said Angela Burns , the Welsh Conservatives ' new spokeswoman for government resilience and efficiency .
`` The organ of government is slow to gear up , it 's like a great big machine and we were not fast enough at the beginning .
`` We needed to be far more alert and have resource planning in place with really good contract management in place to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The number of patients with coronavirus in intensive beds has fallen to 10 , and in the last week there have been no Covid-19 deaths recorded by PHW in four of the seven days .
Mark Drakeford said he started lockdown on 23 March `` more because of the circulation of the virus in London ... than because we thought that the virus was already in rapid circulation in Wales '' .
`` I think that at the point we did it , it was possible to convince people of the need to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ told BBC Politics Wales .
`` Had we done it much earlier , I think it would have been more difficult to have persuaded people in Wales , at least , that the virus was in such rapid circulation , that such a drastic set of decisions was needed . ''

"Had we done it much earlier, I think it would have been more difficult to have persuaded people in Wales, at least, that the virus was in such rapid circulation, that such a drastic set of decisions was needed."


bbcuk--2020-07-19--Wolverhampton machete attack: Man charged with murder

A man has been charged with murder after a father of one died in a machete attack .
Paulius Petrasiunas @ @ @ @ @ the scene in Chervil Rise , Heath Town , Wolverhampton , on Monday .
Sean @ @ @ @ @ Clover Ley , Heath Town , will appear before Wolverhampton magistrates on Monday , West @ @ @ @ @ 47-year-old man arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender has been released under investigation .
@ @ @ @ @ officers wanted to hear from anyone with information who had not yet spoken to police @ @ @ @ @ on Facebook , Twitter and Instagram .
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Det Insp Jim Mahon said officers wanted to hear from anyone with information who had not yet spoken to police.


bbcuk--2020-07-19--Coronavirus: 'Almost half' of Blackburn Covid-19 contacts not reached

England 's contact tracers have only reached about 50 % of people who have been in close contact with someone with Covid-19 in an area of Lancashire where new cases are rising .
The figure was revealed by Prof Dominic Harrison , public health director of Blackburn with Darwen Council .
He warned of `` exponential growth '' of new infections if the system did not become more efficient .
The government said the NHS scheme had helped identify thousands of cases .
It is not clear why the contacts provided were not able to be reached .
The government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the people in England who tested positive for Covid-19 between 2-8 July , 17.1 % could not be reached and a further 4.1 % did not provide their phone number .
It said 71.1 % of the contacts provided were reached , but 21.8 % of those who originally tested positive said they had not been in close contact with anyone during the required time frame .
A leaked report , seen by the Independent , suggested that fewer than half of contacts were reached in Oldham , St Helens , Manchester and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's Broadcasting House programme , Prof Harrison said that Blackburn with Darwen in Lancashire , which he oversees , faces a `` rising tide '' of infections .
`` The key issue here is that 40 % of people who are infected by someone with Covid-19 who goes for tests because they have symptoms , will be infected by them before they have those symptoms , '' said Prof Harrison .
`` So , there 's a 48 hour window which is critical to get the contacts of the first case contacted , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contacted , and if they do n't then get tested and self-isolated , and they then have symptoms , we do risk the spread progressing . ''
• Do I have to give contact details if I eat out ?
It later emerged that the Jamia Ghosia mosque in Blackburn said it is being investigated by the police and public health officials after holding a funeral on 13 July , attended by 250 people .
The Imam has since tested positive for coronavirus and is recovering .
The mosque has emailed its congregation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` made a mistake '' in allowing more than the officially-permitted 30 mourners to attend .
Prof Harrison called for testing and tracing to be carried out at a local rather than national level , and for Public Health England to share more data with local authorities .
Prof Harrison said PHE had only begun sharing data about the postcode areas in which new infections were being registered on 29 June .
`` That has made a great difference in three weeks for us in being able to identify what our local outbreak @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` Had we had that data much earlier in this pandemic , I think we could have made progress much more rapidly . ''
In response the Department for Health and Social Care said the NHS test and trace scheme had so far `` helped test and isolate more than 180,000 cases '' .
`` The service is working closely with local authorities across England to help manage local outbreaks and data is shared daily , '' it added .
It also urged anyone with coronavirus symptoms to seek a test and self-isolate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ everyone playing their part - please book a test if you have symptoms , self-isolate and help us trace anyone you 've been in contact with . ''
The NHS test and trace scheme is a crucial part of the government 's plan for managing the spread of the virus .
It began on 1 June and Prime Minister Boris Johnson claimed it would be `` world beating '' .
Sage , a committee of medical experts which advises the government , has said that at least 80 % of contacts would need @ @ @ @ @ @ @ system to be effective .
• BUBBLES : How do they work and who can be in yours ?
• SYMPTOMS : What are they and how to guard against them ?
• FACE MASKS : When should you wear one ?
• TESTING : Who can get a test and how ?

"So, there's a 48 hour window which is critical to get the contacts of the first case contacted, and if we don't get them contacted, and if they don't then get tested and self-isolated, and they then have symptoms, we do risk the spread progressing."


bbcuk--2020-07-19--Coronavirus: Outbreak investigated at contact tracing centre

Health officials are investigating an outbreak of coronavirus at an NHS Test and Trace call centre in North Lanarkshire .
Sitel , which carries out contact tracing for the NHS , said it was aware of a `` local outbreak '' at its Motherwell site .
One employee said they believed at least seven colleagues had tested positive .
NHS Lanarkshire said it was aware of a number of `` potentially linked cases '' .
Sitel said it was `` urgently investigating '' the outbreak with Public Health Scotland .
The company said it had requested that all staff who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ testing within the next 24 hours .
`` We take the safety and wellbeing of our staff very seriously , '' it said in a statement .
Dr David Cromie , NHS Lanarkshire consultant in public health medicine , said : `` We became aware this morning [ 19 July ] of a number of potentially linked cases of coronavirus ( Covid-19 ) in Lanarkshire .
`` We instigated some immediate measures to reduce risk and are currently investigating the situation . ''
Earlier , the Scottish government said 23 new cases of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the past 24 hours , although only three of these were in the Lanarkshire health board area .
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said it was still a low number of cases and fluctuation was `` to be expected '' .
The proportion of positive tests remains well below 1 % .
It follows an increase of 21 new cases on Saturday , which was the highest daily figure in almost a month .
Health officials said at the time they did not believe they were dealing with a linked cluster as the new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Scotland .
The Scottish government said contact tracing is under way following the detection of `` a small number of potentially linked cases in North Lanarkshire '' .
`` Where potential clusters of cases develop we must find them and act quickly to prevent further spread and we are grateful to local partners for their swift response , '' a spokesman said .
The spokesman said `` a small increase in the number of cases is not unexpected as lockdown is lifted '' , adding that it highlights the importance of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as following guidelines on social distancing and wearing face coverings .

When asked if penalties could levied against Sitel, Mr Swinney said: "These are all issues that will be explored, but what our primary focus is on is to make sure that we interrupt any transmission of the virus.


bbcuk--2020-07-19--UK accuses China of 'gross' human rights abuses against Uighurs

UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab has accused China of `` gross and egregious '' human rights abuses against its Uighur population and said sanctions against those responsible can not be ruled out .
Reports of forced sterilisation and wider persecution of the Muslim group were `` reminiscent of something not seen for a long time '' , he told the BBC .
The UK would work with its allies to take appropriate action , he insisted .
China 's UK ambassador said talk of concentration camps was `` fake '' .
Liu Xiaoming told the BBC 's Andrew Marr that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the law as other ethnic groups in his country .
Shown drone footage that appears to show Uighurs being blindfolded and led to trains , and which has been authenticated by Australian security services , he said he `` did not know '' what the video was showing and `` sometimes you have a transfer of prisoners , in any country '' .
`` There is no such concentration camps in Xinjiang , '' he added .
`` There 's a lot of fake accusations against China . ''
It is believed that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been detained over the past few years in what the Chinese state defines as `` re-education camps '' .
• Uighurs ask China : 'Are my family alive ? '
China previously denied the existence of the camps , before defending them as a necessary measure against terrorism , following separatist violence in the Xinjiang region .
The authorities have recently been accused of forcing women to be sterilised or fitted with contraceptive devices in an apparent attempt to limit the population , prompting calls for the UN to investigate .
Asked whether @ @ @ @ @ @ @ legal definition of genocide , Mr Raab said the international community had to be `` careful '' before making such claims .
But he said : `` Whatever the legal label , it is clear that gross , egregious human rights abuses are going on .
According to recent research by the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation , the rate of population growth in the two largest Uighur prefectures in Xinjiang fell by more than 80 % between 2013 and 2018 .
China does not accept the findings and pressed on the figures @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Liu Xiaoming said that the Uighur population in Xinjiang stood at four to five million 40 years ago and had now grown to 11 million .
''People say we have ethnic cleansing , but the population has doubled , '' he added .
Demographic research , which draws on Chinese official data and media reports , does n't go back as far as 40 years .
But it suggests there was a rapid rise in the growth rate of the population in Xinjiang between 2005 and 2015 , followed by a sharp fall @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deeply , deeply troubling and the reports on the human aspect of this - from forced sterilisation to the education camps - are reminiscent of something we have not seen for a very long time .
`` We want a positive relationship with China but we ca n't see behaviour like that and not call it out . ''
There are growing calls for the UK to impose sanctions , such as asset freezes and travel bans , on Chinese officials responsible for the persecution of the Uighurs .
A petition backing the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , meaning it will be considered for debate in Parliament .
The UK recently took action against senior generals in Myanmar who orchestrated the campaign of violence against the Rohingya and against North Korean bodies behind forced labour camps .
Mr Raab said this showed that the UK was prepared to take action unilaterally , as well as through bodies like the UN , but it was `` not as simple as deciding you can willy nilly sanction X or Y '' .
`` You have to , as we have done with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up an evidence base and that takes a long time to do because you have got to identify accurately and responsibly those involved , '' he said .
BBC News diplomatic correspondent James Landale said : `` The risk for Britain is that it gets caught in the crossfire between Washington and Beijing .
`` The price for defending human rights could be less trade with China - and that could prove costly in a post-Covid economic downturn . ''
Conservative MPs are also pressing for action against senior officials in the Hong @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new security law which the UK says violates international agreements protecting freedoms .
The foreign secretary is due to update Parliament on Monday on the UK 's response , amid speculation it will scrap the UK 's existing extradition treaty with the former British colony .
Speaking on The Andrew Marr Show , the Chinese ambassador said if the UK - which has also offered residency rights to three million Hong Kongers eligible for British passports - targeted its officials , his country could retaliate .
`` If the UK goes that far @ @ @ @ @ @ @ China , China will certainly make a resolute response to it , '' he said .
He dismissed claims of `` ethnic cleansing '' of the Uighurs as baseless , saying they `` enjoy peaceful , harmonious coexistence with other ethnic groups of people '' .
He said figures suggesting population growth in Uighur areas had fallen by 84 % between 2015 and 2018 were `` not correct '' , claiming the number of Uighurs in the whole of Xinjiang had `` doubled '' over the past four decades .
`` There is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ among Uighur people in China , '' he added .
`` Government policy is strongly opposed to this kind of practice . ''
While he `` can not rule out single cases '' of sterilisation , he insisted `` we treat every ethnic group as equal '' .

Shown drone footage that appears to show Uighurs being blindfolded and led to trains, and which has been authenticated by Australian security services, he said he "did not know" what the video was showing and "sometimes you have a transfer of prisoners, in any country".


bbcuk--2020-07-19--Clive Wyard: 'Full truth' sought in driveway murder probe

Detectives want to `` uncover the full truth '' over the death of a man who was found collapsed on his driveway two years ago .
Clive Wyard was found unconscious with a fractured skull on Valley Road in Ipswich at 07:15 BST on 20 July 2018 and died on 1 August .
His children said the 74-year-old was `` ripped from us '' in a `` horrific manner '' .
A man , 33 , arrested on suspicion of murder , remains under investigation .
Suffolk Police said the grandfather-of-nine had spent the previous evening in the Royal George @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a quiz , before leaving between 00:15 and 00:20 on 20 July .
He was seen on CCTV walking home along Colchester Road and later on Valley Road , about 200 yards from his home , at 00:37 .
A post-mortem examination found that in addition to the severe head injury , Mr Wyard also had black eyes and cuts to his face and body .
Police initially described his death as `` unexplained '' but last year it became a murder investigation and officers made an arrest .
The unnamed suspect @ @ @ @ @ @ @ already serving a prison sentence for an unrelated offence .
Det Insp Lewis Craske said : `` We are determined to uncover the full truth behind the circumstances leading to Mr Wyard 's death and to provide his family with the answers that they deserve . ''
Mr Wyard 's children Jo Wyard , Des Wyard and Jackie Garnham said they would `` never stop until the truth is told , justice is served , and our dad can finally rest in peace '' .
In a statement , they added : `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ words that can express how much we continue to be devastated by our dad 's death and the circumstances in which he died .
`` Two years have passed and each of us still can not believe the horrific manner in which he was ripped from us , his grandchildren , and all who loved him .
`` So please , we urge anyone who knows anything , no matter how small , to please report it .
Someone must know something . ''
Find BBC News : East of England on Facebook @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have a story suggestion email eastofenglandnews @ bbc.co.uk

"Two years have passed and each of us still cannot believe the horrific manner in which he was ripped from us, his grandchildren, and all who loved him.


bbcuk--2020-07-19--Rightmove and Compass say no to job retention bonus

Property website Rightmove and catering giant Compass have said they will reject the offer of millions of pounds in payouts from the government 's job retention bonus scheme .
They follow Primark and John Lewis in shunning the bonus , which pays firms £1,000 for each furloughed worker they keep on past January .
It is meant to help stop a spike in joblessness when wage support programmes end in October .
But some firms say they do not need it .
It comes as MPs and economists warn that job retention bonus money could be claimed for staff that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Rightmove , which furloughed 160 employees after the coronavirus crisis hit , would have been eligible to claim £160,000 in bonus payments had it applied .
However , it said : `` Now that the housing market has reopened across all parts of the UK we 're in a fortunate position that by the end of July all of our furloughed employees will be back at work , and therefore we will not need to make use of the furlough bonus scheme . ''
Some 21,000 Compass staff are currently on furlough @ @ @ @ @ @ @ meaning it could have claimed up to £21m .
• Primark says no to £30m job retention payment Earlier this month , fashion retailer Primark promised to sacrifice a £30m payout after saying the bonus was unnecessary under `` current circumstances '' .
Fashion retailer Asos , holiday park operator Center Parcs and retailer John Lewis are among others to have said they will not use the scheme .
Some 9.4 million workers are currently having 80 % of their wages , up to £2,500 a month , paid under the government 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fears unemployment could top 11 % after the programme is wound down .
Earlier in July , Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced the bonus scheme as part a package of measures designed to prevent this outcome .
However , if every furloughed worker returned to their jobs , it could cost the public purse more than £9bn in bonus payments - something that has fuelled scrutiny of the policy .
The most senior civil servant at HM Revenue and Customs , Jim Harra , wrote to Mr Sunak this month , raising doubts over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
And MPs on the Treasury select committee last week echoed warnings from economists that the scheme could risk funnelling money to already-rich companies .
Mr Sunak rejected the criticisms , saying he believed the bonus would `` serve as a significant incentive '' to preserve jobs amid the pandemic .
A Treasury spokesman told the BBC : `` It 's great to see employers getting their staff back to work and protecting jobs without needing to draw on the extra support the job retention bonus offers , and we welcome the decision @ @ @ @ @ @ @ For those who do need further support , the £1,000 bonus will represent a significant benefit to them and make a difference to those people in the nine million jobs currently furloughed who can be brought back to their jobs . ''

However, it said: "Now that the housing market has reopened across all parts of the UK we're in a fortunate position that by the end of July all of our furloughed employees will be back at work, and therefore we will not need to make use of the furlough bonus scheme."