bbcuk--2020-05-17--Coronavirus: Extra support for women involved in prostitution

Extra funding has been pledged to support women involved in prostitution during the Covid-19 pandemic .
The Scottish government said more than £61,000 will be allocated to nine organisations across the country .
The additional money will enable them to increase their staffing and improve access to support and trauma counselling .
Community Safety Minister Ash Denham said the lockdown has increased the risk of gender-based violence .
• Sex workers 'should have access to emergency fund' She added : `` Women involved in prostitution may be experiencing extreme hardship due to Covid-19 as well as facing additional challenges which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have access to resources and support .
`` No one should feel unsupported during this crisis .
Stigma and the hidden nature of prostitution creates a barrier to engagement with mainstream services . ''
The funding will be delivered through the Encompass Network of support agencies over the next three months .
Linda Thompson , national co-ordinator for the Women 's Support Project and Encompass Network , said : `` Women involved in selling or exchanging sex in all settings have faced some incredibly difficult times recently and we know how hard it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for financial help .
`` This will help offer more direct support to women who are facing difficulties , work alongside them to link into local services and offer some financial help .
We need to make sure their needs are met now and in the future as well . ''
Members of the network include Aberdeen Cyrenians , Quay Services , Routes Out and Vice Versa .

"This will help offer more direct support to women who are facing difficulties, work alongside them to link into local services and offer some financial help. We need to make sure their needs are met now and in the future as well."


bbcuk--2020-05-16--Momentum founder Jon Lansman quits as chairman

The founder of the Labour grassroots campaign group Momentum , Jon Lansman , has announced he will step down as its chairman next month .
Mr Lansman , a close ally of ex-Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn , said it was time to `` hand over to a new leadership . ''
The left-wing group was formed out of the campaign that supported Mr Corbyn in his successful 2015 leadership bid .
Labour 's deputy leader Angela Rayner said Mr Lansman had made `` a big impact on politics '' .
Announcing his departure on the Labour List website , Mr @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of dedicated activists fighting for a better world '' but said he would not miss `` operating against a backdrop of warring factions , abuse and hatred '' .
He also suggested he would remain a member of Labour 's ruling National Executive Committee ( NEC ) , which he said was `` not fit for purpose '' .
He added that the group `` must not give up '' on democratising the Labour party which it `` did n't succeed ... while Jeremy was leader '' .
In January 2018 , he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the result a victory for `` 21st Century socialism '' .
Later that year he joined the race to be Labour 's general secretary before dropping out of the race to focus on his role on the party 's governing body .
He argued for a much greater say for Labour members in the running of the party .
He called for an end to the era of centralised `` command and control '' in the Labour Party , in which the views of members were `` too often ignored '' and over-ruled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who has been a leading figure on Labour 's `` hard left '' for four decades , has been criticised by some within Labour who have viewed Momentum as a party within a party .
Following Labour 's crushing defeat at the last election , former Labour home secretary Alan Johnson called Momentum `` a cult '' .
Meanwhile , former Labour deputy leader Tom Watson blamed Mr Lansman for trying to oust him from his position last year in an internal row which threatened to overshadow the party 's conference .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lansman all the `` very best for the future '' in a tweet , saying he was `` a tireless voice for Labour Party democracy for over 50 years '' .

Allow Twitter content?
This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.


bbcuk--2020-05-16--Rich List: Inventor Sir James Dyson is UK's richest person

Inventor Sir James Dyson has topped the Sunday Times Rich List for the first time after increasing his net worth by £3.6bn in a year .
The Brexit-backing entrepreneur made his fortune with the invention of the bag-less vacuum cleaner which went on sale in 1993 .
He replaced Indian-born businessmen Sri and Gopi Hinduja at the summit .
The coronavirus pandemic is being blamed for a fall in the overall wealth of the UK 's richest people .
A self-made man , Sir James , 72 , grew up in Norfolk in the 1950s and studied art before his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ design .
After inventing a wheelbarrow in 1974 which used a spherical wheel - designed to be easier to manoeuvre - he then set about creating the product for which his best known after seeing an industrial extractor and imagining how it could be downsized for home use .
It was more than 10 years before it made it to the market , and at one stage Sir James owed his bank nearly £1m .
But it was a success and soon became Britain 's best-selling vacuum cleaner , making its inventor very @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , arguing that the UK would be better off outside the European Union , and has relocated his business headquarters to Singapore , having previously moved production from Wiltshire to Malaysia .
Most Dyson products are designed in the UK but manufactured in Asia .
In March the government ordered 10,000 ventilators from the company to help with the coronavirus crisis , although Sir James later told employees these were no longer needed .
In an interview with the Sunday Times , Sir James told the paper his recent bid to build an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ £500m of his own money .
`` Ours is a life of risk and of failure , '' he said .
`` We try things and they fail .
Life is n't easy . ''
How is the Sunday Times Rich List compiled ?
The list is based on estimates of the minimum wealth of the 1,000 richest people or families in the UK .
The valuations for this year 's list were carried out up to the end of April to take into account the early impact of the coronavirus pandemic , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ significant movements in the value of listed companies .
Identifiable wealth and significant shares in publicly quoted companies are included but bank accounts and small shareholdings in a private equity portfolio are excluded .
The Sunday Times team is cautious about liabilities and any owners or large shareholders of companies which have been involved in talks with banks over debt levels have been removed from the list .
The list includes people who are not British citizens but live and work in Britain .
Family shareholdings are grouped together where it is obvious @ @ @ @ @ @ @ company 's interests .
The full methodology can be found here .
The wealth of the top 1,000 richest people in Britain fell for the first time since the financial crash , down by 3.7 % overall .
The Hinduja brothers , who are co-chairmen of the India-based conglomerate the Hinduja Group , saw their wealth drop by £6bn in a year while Sir Jim Ratcliffe , who topped the Rich List in 2018 , saw his net worth drop the same amount .
List compiler Robert Watts said : `` Ever since @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's wealthiest people have become richer and richer .
`` Covid-19 has called time on their golden period .
This year 's rich list paints a picture of Britain on the brink of calamity - two months after lockdown and already billions of pounds have been wiped out .
`` You may not like the super-rich , but it is hard to deny that our economy will need the jobs they create and the taxes they and their companies pay if we are to escape a prolonged recession that causes further misery to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a number of billionaires have sought to use the government 's emergency furlough scheme , under which staff are paid 80 % of their salary by the state , up to £2,500 a month .
Who else made it ?
The wealthiest woman on the list is Kirsten Rausing , who owns a third of the holding company which has the rights to Tetra Pak cartons .
Charlene de Carvalho-Heineken , the daughter of brewing magnate Freddy Heineken , also makes it into the top 10 .
Actress Salma Hayek and her husband @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also on the list .
The Queen comes in at 372 with an estimated worth of £350m .
The highest placed new entry is fashion mogul Anders Povlsen , who is Scotland 's largest landowner and owns stakes in online retailer Asos and Danish clothing firm Bestseller .
Sir Paul McCartney is the highest-placed musician with £800m , while singer Rihanna is a new entry with an estimated £468m .
Sir Elton John , Sir Mick Jagger and Keith Richards make up the rest of the musical top five , with Sir Ringo @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Duke of Westminster , whose fortune derives from his family 's property empire , continues to top the list of the 50 richest people under 30 .
Lady Charlotte Wellesley comes in second .
She is married to Alejandro Santo Domingo who made his fortune in brewing .
Jack Sullivan , son of West Ham co-owner David , comes in third , while musician Ed Sheeran comes in fifth off the back of his record 255-concert tour completed last year .
Boxer Anthony Joshua moved into the top 10 having regained his world @ @ @ @ @ @ @ placed at 545th with a net-worth of £224m , making him the richest active sportsman .
Former England football captain David Beckham , along with his wife Victoria , was the highest placed sportsperson at 354th - although several Premier League owners came in much higher .
Sir Jim Ratcliffe , who owns cycling 's Team Ineos as well as French football club OGC Nice , topped the sports club-owners list .
Ex-Arsenal shareholder Alisher Uzmanov and Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich were also in the top three .
• Sri and Gopi Hinduja @ @ @ @ @ @ @ £16bn .
• The Duke of Westminster and the Grosvenor family , property , £10.29bn .

"You may not like the super-rich, but it is hard to deny that our economy will need the jobs they create and the taxes they and their companies pay if we are to escape a prolonged recession that causes further misery to millions."


bbcuk--2020-05-16--Eurovision: Abba's Waterloo voted best song of all time

Abba 's Waterloo has been named the greatest Eurovision song of all time by BBC viewers .
Eurovision : Come Together saw the public vote for their favourites , on the night that this year 's song contest was due to take place .
The 2020 competition was cancelled in March amid the coronavirus pandemic .
The Swedish foursome won it in 1974 in Brighton .
The track , which topped the UK charts and set them on their way to fame , went on to sell nearly 6m copies .
Speaking later on the night , Bjorn Ulvaeus from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hard to believe '' that was where it began for them all those years ago .
The shortlist for the programme included Eurovision classics from the likes of Netta , Bucks Fizz , Conchita Wurst and Gina G. But it was Agnetha , Anni-Frid , Benny and Bjorn who ultimately triumphed , with their musical metaphor about the joys of surrendering to love .
The 19-strong song list was compiled by Eurovision experts and broadcasters , including Rylan Clark-Neal , Scott Mills , Ken Bruce , Adele Roberts and Mel Giedroyc , as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Nicki French .
Presenter Graham Norton upheld the tradition of raising a glass to the late Sir Terry Wogan , who hosted the contest for nearly 30 years .
`` We could n't deny you your Eurovision fix , '' he declared .
The programme also showcased what would have been the UK entry this year - James Newman 's My Last Breath - and Norton spoke to the singer via video link .
Newman said he was `` pretty gutted '' and `` had to have a few minutes to myself '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been cancelled .
He said the staging had already been planned and showed an image of an underwater scene leading down from some steps .
Newman added that his favourite Eurovision entry this year was Iceland 's - it was one of the favourites to win had the competition gone ahead , according to recent Spotify streaming figures .
Later on , the BBC also joined with other European broadcasters for Eurovision : Europe Shine A Light , to honour all 41 songs which would have competed this year .
Some of this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the semi-finals , where the entrants are normally whittled down to 26 but the semis were also cancelled .
Saturday night 's event was hosted from Rotterdam in the Netherlands , where the contest was due to take place , while Norton popped up again as the UK 's commentator , and acts appeared in various forms online from across the continent .
Eight highlights from Rotterdam , and everywhere 1 .
Sweden 's Måns Zelmerlöw sang an acoustic version of his winning song from 2015 , in tribute to health workers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Double Eurovision winner , Ireland 's Johnny Logan , was joined by scores of fans via videolink for a rendition of his most relevant Eurovision track , What 's Another Year.. 3 .
The Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra joined forces ( via the wonders of modern technology ) to perform an instrumental version of the UK 's 1997-winning Love Shine a Light , by Katrina and the Waves , as iconic music venues around the world lit up .
This was certainly a high point for another former UK contestant SuRie , who said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the performance… in a good way .
The track got another airing for the show 's finale , but this time with the words , as performers from all countries sang along in unison .
4 .
Iceland 's Daði Freyr Pétursson urged us all to `` stay healthy '' and `` stay fabulous '' with the help of a barbershop quartet , comprised of different digital versions of himself , all wearing the same sweater bearing an image of , yep , you guessed it ... him again .
TV critic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it .
5 .
Michael Schulte , Germany 's entrant in 2018 , and 2014 Dutch act The Common Linnets came together for a socially-distanced grand church service rendition of Nicole 's 1982 winning song Ein Bisschen Frieden .
6 .
The Austrian singer and drag act Conchita Wurst , who won in 2014 , confessed that the `` most beautiful '' part of the coronavirus lockdown was the fact , `` I hardly wear any underwear and I love it so much '' .
7 .
Graham Norton admitted , `` there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ odd programme '' - referring to the lack of an actual competition this year , for the first time since the contest began in 1956 .
It got even odder as he had to take part in a live two-way chat with the Dutch hosts , with a bit of a delay .
`` That was awkward , '' he joked , but he also said the show as a whole had `` real emotion '' .
8 .
Abba were the winners who took it all in the earlier BBC poll , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the aforementioned Bjorn in the Shine A Light show .
After recounting a sweet tale about the time his grandson Albert first realised his grandad was a Euro pop star , he described Eurovision as one of the most `` genuinely joyous events of the TV year '' which `` allows you to escape and be happy and even forget about the coronavirus for a little while '' .
The show featured messages of love and support from all of the acts who would have featured in the competition .
Some viewers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ preferred more action and less well-wishing .
`` I miss when Eurovision was fun , '' wrote one Twitter user .
`` A chance to escape everything else .
Yes the world is in a terrible place but the title is Shine a Light , not doom . ''
`` They have badly judged what we all wanted , '' offered another .
`` We wanted a party , even a Zoom party would have done , but this is a bit depressing .
Fifty Shades of Grey author EL James , however @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all the right notes .
`` Do n't know about anyone else but I 'm pretty emotional watching this , '' she posted .
None of the 2020 songs will be carried over to next year .
Instead , countries will select new entrants for the 2021 contest .
Several countries - including Greece , Spain and Bulgaria - have confirmed they will send the same acts next year to give the artists a second chance , but they will have to perform different songs .
Currently , there 's no word on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Newman will be chosen for the 2021 contest , although he has said he `` absolutely '' wants to represent his country again .
It was confirmed that Rotterdam , which missed out this year , would indeed be allowed to host the show in 2021 instead .
Follow us on Facebook , or on Twitter @ BBCNewsEnts .
If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news @ bbc.co.uk .

After recounting a sweet tale about the time his grandson Albert first realised his grandad was a Eurovision pop star, he described the contest as one of the most "genuinely joyous events of the TV year" which "allows you to escape and be happy and even forget about the coronavirus for a little while".


bbcuk--2020-05-16--Coronavirus: 'Busy but manageable' at England's beauty spots

People have returned to beauty spots in a `` manageable '' way on the first weekend after lockdown rules in England eased .
The public was urged to `` think twice '' before heading to beaches and country parks as councils feared a surge in visitors could result in a rise in coronavirus infections .
Peak District bosses said one area was `` extremely busy '' but the National Trust said people were being `` sensible '' .
In London , hundreds of people gathered to protest against the lockdown .
This is the first weekend since the lockdown rules @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to spend as much time outdoors as they want `` for leisure purposes '' , including sunbathing .
There is no longer a limit on how far people can travel and people are also allowed to meet one person outside their household outdoors .
But people in England should not travel to Wales , Scotland or Northern Ireland , where the public is still being told to avoid any travel which is not essential .
• What can you do now that you couldn ’ t on Tuesday ?
Park bosses in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` difficult '' in the Langsett area at the north-eastern edge of the park , where car parks were full .
`` Please do n't travel to the area or park outside of designated bays , '' they added .
The National Trust said that people seemed to be `` taking a pragmatic and sensible approach '' .
`` Our car parks which are open are busy , but it 's been manageable , '' a spokeswoman said .
The Lake District National Park Authority 's chief executive Richard Leafe thanked the public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Lake District .
He said : `` It 's early days but at the moment it 's quiet and we hope to see this throughout the weekend . ''
He had previously asked people not to travel `` because of the impact you will have on the local communities '' .
In central London , about 300 people gathered in Hyde Park to protest against the regulations introduced to control coronavirus .
The protesters said they objected to their rights of free speech and movement being curtailed , with some holding several @ @ @ @ @ @ @ freedom over fear '' .
Police made 19 arrests after trying to get the protesters to move on , including Piers Corbyn - the brother of former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn .
Ten people were also issued with fixed penalty notices .
Deputy Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor said in general people in parks have largely been complying with the restrictions .
He said : `` It was disappointing that a relatively small group in Hyde Park came together to protest the regulations in clear breach of the guidance putting themselves and others at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after the Metropolitan Police warned people against taking part in `` spontaneous or planned mass gatherings '' .
It said that `` games of football ... outdoor concerts or parties , protest , marches or assemblies are still not permitted '' .
Police have been stopping cars on the A23 between the capital and Brighton , where the local council is asking people to `` stay away '' from its seafront .
In Glasgow a man has been charged with breach of the peace after a small protest against lockdown measures .
Police @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the city 's Queens Park , while there had also been gatherings at Glasgow Green and Holyrood Park in Edinburgh .
An estimated 15 million leisure trips will be made by car in the UK this weekend , an RAC survey suggests .
However , almost half of the journeys will be no more than 10 miles long , according to the motoring organisation 's poll of 1,317 drivers .
With sunny weather forecast in parts of the country , the County Councils Network has urged people to stay local .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , warned that `` day-trippers '' who travel from towns and cities to exercise were likely to face long queues of traffic and difficulties parking .
And it cautioned that country parks that reopened after lockdown rules were eased on Wednesday may be forced to close again if social distancing becomes impossible .
Julian German , the network 's rural spokesman and leader of Cornwall Council , said England 's coastal and rural areas `` will be there when this is over '' .
`` We are asking households to bear with us @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coming weeks by exercising locally , '' he said .
`` While councils will be allowing cars access to country parks , it does not change the unique situation of the need to maintain social distancing . ''
He added that the councils wanted to prevent a repeat of the `` unprecedented numbers of visitors '' to parks and coastal areas over the weekend before lockdown was introduced in March .
The majority of beaches will not have lifeguards after the RNLI suspended lifeguard provision during lockdown - it usually patrol 240 beaches @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do I protect myself ?
• IMPACT : What the virus does to the body • RECOVERY : How long does it take ?
• LOCKDOWN : How can we lift restrictions ?
• ENDGAME : How do we get out of this mess ?
Peter Williamson , chairman of Norfolk and Suffolk Tourist Attractions Association , also urged people to stay away , stressing that attractions , car parks and other facilities would be closed .
`` What we 're trying to say to people is we 're not open , please @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for you here at this moment in time , '' he told BBC Radio 5 Live .
• Scotland : How lockdown rules now differ from England • Northern Ireland : First moves to ease lockdown can start next week The Chief Constable of North Wales Police , Carl Foulkes , stressed the rules were different in Wales - where people should only be exercising from their home address - to those in England .
He told BBC Breakfast that officers would be carrying out high visibility controls in key hotspots such as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as road checks to ensure people were complying with the regulations .
Mr Foulkes said vehicles breaking the rules would be told to turn around , with officers using enforcement if necessary .
The warnings come as government scientific advisers say the infection rate in the UK has gone up - and is close to the point where the virus starts spreading rapidly .
The R-number - which represents the average number of people each infected person passes the virus on to - had been sitting between 0.5 and 0.9 , but is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ needs to be kept below one in order to stay in control .
Meanwhile , modelling published by the University of Cambridge and backed by Public Health England , suggests that while London has made the most progress with suppressing the virus , it is proving more stubborn in other parts of England .
The figures do not perfectly match those from the Sage group of government scientific advisers because it assesses multiple models to reach its conclusions .

"What we're trying to say to people is we're not open, please don't come because there is nothing for you here at this moment in time," he told BBC Radio 5 Live.


bbcuk--2020-05-16--Police chief criticised over lockdown trips from Glasgow to Yorkshire home

The head of British Transport Police ( BTP ) in Scotland has been criticised for travelling to his family home in Yorkshire during the Covid-19 lockdown .
Ch Supt Eddie Wylie made two trips from his rented flat in Glasgow to Holmfirth - 236 miles away - between 21 March and 13 May .
BTP said both trips were work-related and did not breach lockdown guidelines .
However , Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard said the officer had `` serious questions to answer '' .
Mr Leonard added that the journeys suggested Mr Wylie `` believes there is one rule @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the rest of us '' .
BTP said that , on both occasions , Ch Supt Wylie travelled home alone and by car to minimise any possible exposure to others .
The force , which has its HQ in London , said officers were regularly required to travel across England , Scotland and Wales for essential meetings or as operationally required .
`` In these instances , Chief Superintendent Wylie will stay at whichever address is the most convenient , '' a statement said .
`` It would not be reasonably possible for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ solely from either the Glasgow address , or his home in Yorkshire . ''
The Scottish government 's coronavirus guidelines say people should only travel to and from essential work .
BTP Deputy Chief Constable Adrian Hanstock said Mr Wyle was a `` highly respected officer '' and that he had `` full confidence in both his integrity and his ability to perform his duties '' .
He added : `` We are satisfied that there has been no breach of the Covid-19 regulations in this case , and there will be no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ travel or his leadership . ''
Scotland 's former chief medical officer , Dr Catherine Calderwood , resigned after it emerged she had twice visited her second home in Fife - contrary to her own warnings to avoid unnecessary travel .
Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard said Mr Wylie 's actions sent out the wrong message to the Scottish public .
He said : `` Alongside the Scottish government and Police Scotland , the BTP 's message to the people of Scotland has rightly been to stay at home , and avoid any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the whole UK have made huge sacrifices during this time , including missing family funerals and spending precious time away from their loved ones .
`` But it seems as if the BTP 's top officer in Scotland has failed to learn the lessons of the Catherine Calderwood debacle , and believes there is one rule for him , and one rule for the rest of us . ''
Mr Leonard added : `` This could have serious consequences for the BTP 's ability to police the lockdown , which could in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ''

"But it seems as if the BTP's top officer in Scotland has failed to learn the lessons of the Catherine Calderwood debacle, and believes there is one rule for him, and one rule for the rest of us."


bbcuk--2020-05-16--Coronavirus test results waits 'undermining confidence'

The government needs to make sure its coronavirus testing strategy is fit for purpose instead of focusing on hitting targets , says the Royal College of GPs .
In a letter to Health Secretary Matt Hancock , chairman Prof Martin Marshall said long wait times were `` undermining confidence '' in the results .
Health professionals were also concerned about the accuracy of some test results , he said .
The government said `` 95 % of tests '' were processed `` in less than 48 hours '' .
Ensuring there are enough tests to meet demand is part of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ must be met before easing lockdown restrictions .
However , the absence of a clear strategy had left patients vulnerable , according to Prof Marshall .
He said the RCGP did not currently believe the testing strategy was capable of working to prevent a second wave of infections and `` secure the overall health of the population '' .
However , he did commend the `` clear strides to improve testing capacity '' in recent weeks .
The RCGP said it wants the testing strategy to : • Continue to ensure the right @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to protect key workers and vulnerable patients • Help us understand the virus and its spread better through test , track and trace • Deliver timely results that patients and healthcare professionals can have confidence in • Include a commitment to improve the accuracy of the tests • Make sure GPs and care homes have access to tests There was a major effort to increase the number of daily tests provided , with a target set of hitting 100,000 tests a day by the end of April .
The government said it had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on 30 April - although it has struggled to maintain testing numbers at that level over the past fortnight .
The number also included home testing kits which had been sent out but may not end up being returned .
Concerns have been raised that the focus on hitting the target had distracted from the actual purpose of testing .
At the end of April , NHS Providers deputy chief executive Saffron Cordery told the BBC there were questions to be asked about whether the `` maximum benefit '' had been gained from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when a plan to test frontline staff regularly `` had n't been thought through '' .
Testing key workers is meant to help those who can get back to work faster .
But some health professionals have reported waiting more than a week for results .
Dr Lucy-Jane Davis , chair of the British Medical Association ( BMA ) in south-west England , said some people had waited more than 10 days .
A test to see if someone has the virus is only a snapshot in time - it indicates whether the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their nose or throat to be detected at that moment .
If they are re-tested a few days later , it may have cleared up , multiplied enough to become detectable , or show whether they have newly contracted the virus .
So people receiving their results several days after being tested may find that information is no longer useful or accurate .
• RISK AT WORK : How exposed is your job ?
• SCHOOLS : When will children be returning ?
• EXERCISE : What are the guidelines on getting out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it means and why it matters • LOOK-UP TOOL : How many cases in your area ?
The Department of Health and Social Care ( DHSC ) says 95 % of tests across all settings are received back within 48 hours - but that still gives a figure of potentially 5,000 people a day waiting longer than that .
On top of this there is also a `` void rate '' of just over 5 % - where the samples are not viable and so the swabs can not produce a result .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ care homes may need to be tested once or even twice weekly , regardless of whether they have symptoms or not , according to Rupert Beale who is leading the Crick Institute 's efforts to test NHS staff .
The DHSC says the key window for testing is the first three days after developing symptoms .
The ability to have rapid results will also play a key role in the government 's `` track , trace , test '' efforts , according to Prof James Naismith at the University of Oxford .
Faster @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be used to help control the spread of infection , he said .

Staff on the frontline in hospitals and care homes may need to be tested once or even twice weekly, regardless of whether they have symptoms or not, according to Rupert Beale who is leading the Crick Institute's efforts to test NHS staff.


bbcuk--2020-05-16--Coronavirus: Wales' police seek lockdown fines parity with England

Chief constables and police and crime commissioners in Wales want fines issued for breaching lockdown rules to be the same as England .
Fines in Wales are £60 but now start at £100 in England .
In a letter to the first minister , they said there has been `` cross-border confusion '' and more people travelling into Wales for exercise where rules are different .
A Welsh Government spokesperson said it was keeping the fines under review .
First Minister Mark Drakeford has told those thinking about a weekend trip to Wales : `` Do n't do it '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Policing in Wales group said officers in Gwent force area reported `` clear community concerns '' around the recreational laws in England leading to members of the public crossing the border for cycling or walking .
• What do the new lockdown rules mean ?
In Wales , people have to exercise close to home , whereas those in England can travel further afield , although they have been advised to avoid Wales for the time being .
The letter said `` there is growing evidence that adherence to the regulations is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said there was `` public confusion '' around the divergence in regulations between the UK and Welsh Governments regarding fines and lockdown rules .
It said : `` Policing in Wales welcomes the continued engagement with both your government and officials in order to assist in the shaping of the approach to Covid 19 regulations .
`` With this in mind we are writing to request that you consider aligning the fines structure ... .
with the revised levels announced by the UK prime minister on Sunday May 10 .
`` Chief constables @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this would provide parity and consistency across England and Wales , obviating any cross-border confusion on this point that may exist .
`` It will also provide clarity for people living in our communities across Wales , who will know that their local officers and staff have exactly the same powers and sanctions as their colleagues working over the border . ''
A Welsh Government spokesperson said : `` We are keeping the fines under review and working with the police forces in Wales to ensure they have the appropriate powers they need @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Plaid Cymru leader Adam Price said : `` All four chief constables and all four of Wales ' police and crime commissioners are united in agreement that raising the fines for those breaking lockdown rules in Wales - and bringing them in parity with England , is the right step to allow them to better protect our communities during this crisis .
`` The first minister has all the evidence he needs and should act now - today - before this weekend is over . ''

Plaid Cymru leader Adam Price said: "All four chief constables and all four of Wales' police and crime commissioners are united in agreement that raising the fines for those breaking lockdown rules in Wales - and bringing them in parity with England, is the right step to allow them to better protect our communities during this crisis.


bbcuk--2020-05-16--Coronavirus: Trial begins to see if dogs can 'sniff out' virus

A UK trial to see whether specialist medical sniffer dogs can detect coronavirus in humans is set to begin .
The dogs are already trained to detect odours of certain cancers , malaria and Parkinson 's disease by the charity Medical Detection Dogs .
The first phase of the trial will be led by the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine , along with the charity and Durham University .
It has been backed with £500,000 of government funding .
Innovation minister Lord Bethell said he hoped the dogs could provide `` speedy results '' as part of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dogs could help 'sniff out ' coronavirus • Who is being tested in the UK ?
The trial will explore whether the `` Covid dogs '' - made up of Labradors and cocker spaniels - can spot the virus in humans from odour samples before symptoms appear .
It will establish whether so-called bio-detection dogs , which could each screen up to 250 people per hour , could be used as a new early warning measure to detect Covid-19 in the future .
The first phase will involve NHS staff in London hospitals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus and those who are uninfected .
Samples of breath and body odour could come from a number of sources , including used face masks .
Six dogs - Norman , Digby , Storm , Star , Jasper and Asher - will then go through training to identify the virus from the samples .
The charity said the training could take as little as six to eight weeks .
After an initial trial phase of three months , the government will decide where it believes the dogs will be most useful .
One @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at points of entry into the country , such as airports , to detect potential carriers of the virus .
The dogs could also be used at testing centres , as another form of screening alongside swab tests .
More than 10 years of research gathered by Medical Detection Dogs has shown the dogs can be trained to sniff out the odour of disease at the equivalent dilution of one teaspoon of sugar in two Olympic-sized swimming pools of water .
Dr Claire Guest , the charity 's co-founder and chief executive , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will be able to find the odour of Covid-19 '' .
If that proves to be the case , the dogs will then move into a `` second phase to test them in live situations , following which we hope to work with other agencies to train more dogs for deployment '' , she said .
Dogs have previously been trained to detect malaria from `` foot odour samples '' - in this case , nylon socks worn by apparently healthy children in the Gambia .
Prof James Logan , from the London @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said : `` Our previous work has shown that malaria has a distinctive odour , and with medical detection dogs , we successfully trained dogs to accurately detect malaria .
`` This , combined with the knowledge that respiratory disease can change body odour , makes us hopeful that the dogs can also detect Covid-19 . ''
The researchers have also successfully trained dogs to detect cancer and Parkinson 's disease in humans .
• RISK AT WORK : How exposed is your job ?
• SCHOOLS : When will children be returning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ guidelines on getting out ?
• THE R NUMBER : What it means and why it matters • LOOK-UP TOOL : How many cases in your area ?

One possibility is that they could be used at points of entry into the country, such as airports, to detect potential carriers of the virus. The dogs could also be used at testing centres, as another form of screening alongside swab tests.


bbcuk--2020-05-17--Coronavirus: The couples for whom love doesn't wait

The coronavirus outbreak may have scuppered many wedding plans , but plenty of couples are still getting engaged .
For many , lockdown has been both a bonding experience and a chance to get creative with proposals .
James French , 33 , had originally planned a blockbuster marriage proposal .
He was going to pop the question to his partner of six years , Becky Firth , during the holiday of a lifetime to Japan .
He pictured it happening amongst the blossom .
Coronavirus put a stop to that .
The holiday was cancelled .
However , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ planned move from London back to the north of England where they had both grown up .
They had planned to stay with their parents in Saltaire , near Bradford , while they looked for a new home .
But since both sets of parents are vulnerable , the couple had to move in with friends instead .
James , a product consultant for a technology firm , decided to improvise his proposal plans in these far from ideal circumstances .
“ I set up a treasure hunt in the village where she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ meaningful places , ” he explains .
Since he did it on her 30th birthday , she didn ’ t necessarily suspect what was to come .
The final clue led to a spot on the moors , where he asked the big question .
She said yes .
The tricky thing from a practical point of view was the ring , explains James .
He wasn ’ t sure he wanted to buy an expensive diamond one online and have it arrive by post , but of course he couldn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In the end , he decided to buy a ring online that he would use just for the proposal .
He knew it still had to look good , and similar to the real one he would eventually get so that they could show if off in engagement photos , he says .
The couple plan to wait until 2022 to get married , because they know there will be huge pressure to hold postponed weddings next year .
This is something we can celebrate now , and cherish , despite coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Marilyn Coles , 24 , and Roland Walet , 26 , were also in lockdown .
They met on Tinder last year and have been living together for just over six months .
They hadn ’ t been thinking about marriage before , but coronavirus focused their minds .
“ Lockdown is a stressful situation and it ’ s brought us closer together , ” says Roland .
“ Spending more time together has bonded us , we can see every side of each other.
” It allowed Roland to get to know @ @ @ @ @ @ @ relationship properly , he adds .
“ Suddenly I could see myself spending the rest of my life with Marilyn.
” Marilyn remembers the day of the proposal well.
“ The doorbell rings and he went a big giddy as he went down the stairs , bless him.
” “ I suspected it was the ring at last , ” explains Roland .
He had got one customised online .
After a quick inspection to make sure it was what he expected inside the envelope , he braced himself and returned upstairs to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of big ceremonies and occasions , says Marilyn , makes her feel anxious , so this was just the kind of proposal she wanted .
Roland is a Dutch national and the couple plan to marry next year in Amsterdam in an informal ceremony with friends .
What do I need to know about the coronavirus ?
• EASY STEPS : What can I do ?
• CONTAINMENT : What it means to self-isolate • MAPS AND CHARTS : Visual guide to the outbreak “ Love doesn ’ t wait , ” says @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Diamonds , with a wry smile .
It specialises in selling diamond rings online and ships more than 10,000 each year .
He anticipated “ a massive drop in demand ” as a result of coronavirus , up to 80 % of sales perhaps , he says .
In fact , so far his company has seen a sales drop of only around a quarter .
Normally he sells 60 % of rings online and the rest in physical stores , but online sales have risen since lockdown , helping to stabilise the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ us that even though they can no longer travel to a special proposal location , they don ’ t want to wait and are proposing at home instead in very thoughtful and imaginative ways , ” says Kormind .
“ If someone feels the time is right to propose , then it ’ s right .
The setting is only really window dressing .
In times of crisis you get to know people a lot better , a lot quicker .
“ With lockdown , it ’ s like you actually have the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ We thought our business would grind to a halt when coronavirus struck , ” he says .
Bridebook has handled more than 170,000 weddings since starting in 2015 .
In fact new sign-ups to his service this April only dropped slightly compared with the previous year , by around 5 % .
The feedback from customers is that despite unprecedented financial pressures , and the inability to hold wedding ceremonies , couples still want to get engaged , says Shephard .
He too puts it down to couples spending more time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ getting the chance to share hobbies and learn about each other ’ s interests , outside of the usual grind of work , he says .
He predicts that 2021 and 2022 will be bumper years for the wedding business .
One of 77 Diamond ’ s recent customers is police officer Daniel Hughes-McConnell , 30 .
He originally had grand plans for a proposal in New York .
He was well aware that his long-term girlfriend , nurse Emily Hands , also 30 , had dreamed of it happening next to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ d had the idea since watching the film Home Alone as a little girl .
He made the necessary arrangements , but the dream was quashed when travel firm Thomas Cook collapsed .
Daniel then planned to propose on a trip to Italy .
When coronavirus forced him to cancel their travel plans again , he thought he was cursed .
Like James , he decided to adapt his plans to the new reality of lockdown , rather than delay .
He admits to being a little apprehensive about getting the ring in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ class and recorded delivery .
But he ended up getting in a panic because he forgot there was a bank holiday coming , which delayed its arrival by a day ( Emily ’ s face winces in disbelief during our video call as he apparently shares this detail for the first time ) .
Daniel proposed on a beach near where the couple live in Prestatyn in North Wales , a place they used to take romantic walks together when they first starting going out .
He chose a spot to go down @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Emily - a bench commemorating her best friend from school , who died a few years ago .
Emily was touched by the gesture and is glad the couple didn ’ t postpone the engagement , waiting for a grander and more expensive proposal abroad .
“ In fact , the cheaper proposal has been a blessing in disguise , ” says Daniel .
“ The money we saved by not going to New York or Rome , will be spent on our first baby , who we are expecting in November.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about being in lockdown , contact reporter Dougal Shaw

However, the couple managed in March to complete their planned move from London back to the north of England where they had both grown up. They had planned to stay with their parents in Saltaire, near Bradford, while they looked for a new home. But since both sets of parents are vulnerable, the couple had to move in with friends instead.


bbcuk--2020-05-17--Coronavirus doctor's diary: A super-spreading funeral that led to three deaths

In March , before the lockdown began , the Hussain family held a big funeral in Bradford 's central mosque .
Tragically , many mourners fell ill with Covid-19 , including the dead man 's son , Mohammed .
But while three family members died , Mohammed eventually pulled through , writes Dr John Wright of the Bradford Royal Infirmary .
Being intubated and ventilated in intensive care turns out to be a long , rocky road .
In Bradford , of the 49 Covid patients who have been admitted to our ICU so far , most have been placed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of these patients have come off ventilation .
Mohammed Hussain , a criminal lawyer from Bradford , was one of the first .
He is one of our success stories .
The 51-year-old was unconscious for five weeks and was very disconcerted when he woke up in what looked like a science fiction film with everybody wearing visors and masks and gowns - he could n't remember how he got there .
He had entirely missed the month of April .
`` I remember them asking me to go on the Recovery trial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 'Yes . '
But that 's my last memory until I was waking up weeks later , '' Mohammed told me .
While under sedation , he dreamed that his family had experienced a terrorist attack .
And when he came round he remained uneasy .
`` There was some paranoia to begin with .
I thought , 'These people are trying to trick me .
What 's going on , what 's all this about ? '
'' This kind of delirium is quite normal for patients who wake up from critical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Horner , clinical director for the anaesthetics and intensive care department .
`` It 's common for patients to feel very suspicious and anxious about what 's going on around them .
You can understand it , people are telling you that it 's more than a month later and everyone 's wearing really strange clothes . ''
Usually it 's possible to give people advance warning before they get intubated , but Mohammed deteriorated quickly .
He fell ill in March , following the funeral of his father , Noor , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had come over from Pakistan in the 1960s to work in the mills in Bradford .
He raised his family here , but it was always his wish to be buried in Mirpur .
`` He was an old soldier who fought in the Second World War , in Burma , and he was a very determined man .
He wanted to be buried next to his brother in Pakistan and I honoured that wish for him , '' Mohammed told me .
Noor Hussain died on 10 March .
The funeral gathering @ @ @ @ @ @ @ very large and respected family , so people travelled from across the UK - about 600 came to pay tribute at Bradford 's Central Mosque on the first day .
The following day Mohammed flew to Pakistan with his father 's body - his mum and his wife went with him .
But back in Bradford , the funeral continued for another two days .
On Thursday 12 March , 500 mourners came and shared a meal .
About a week later , people began to fall ill with Covid-19 .
The first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ - one of the first Covid patients in Bradford to be admitted to ICU .
Three further members of that household also developed symptoms , one of them also going to hospital .
And other relatives were hospitalised too , both in Bradford and Oldham .
It seems clear that someone at the funeral - possibly one of the mourners from Bradford , possibly one of the visitors from further afield - was infected with the coronavirus and that many people contracted it there .
`` If you start looking at the number @ @ @ @ @ @ @ funeral , it 's easy to see how quickly it spread , '' says Mohammed 's son , Haroon , a radiologist.. '' At the funeral you shake each other 's hand and talk to people , you 're very close .
`` The country went into lockdown shortly after , and the reports are coming out now that coronavirus was in the population for a significant period of time before we realised .
So if you 've got a gathering of people , it increases the chances that maybe one of them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ eight family members who were hospitalised and three who died .
We have seen other patients who became ill after funerals and family gatherings in this same period , just before the lockdown .
It 's the close physical contact - hugging and shaking hands - that seems to create such a high rate of transmission .
For the same reason , weddings and parties are also super-spreading events .
By the time Mohammed returned home from Pakistan on 18 March , Haroon and his brother , who live with their parents , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to distance ourselves , '' says Haroon .
`` But when you 're living in one household that 's nigh-on impossible - there 's only a certain number of bathrooms , there 's only one fridge , one kitchen . ''
Mohammed was concerned about catching the virus because he is asthmatic , but that Saturday he developed symptoms .
He stayed home for nine days , getting progressively worse , until his sons called 999 .
`` We walked him into the ambulance , '' says Haroon .
`` That was a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ go with him and we did n't know when we would see him again . ''
When Mohammed arrived at Bradford Royal Infirmary , he saw his uncle in the waiting room , also wearing an oxygen mask .
Sadly , he has since died .
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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the next episode of The NHS Front Line on BBC Sounds or the BBC World Service • Or read the previous online diary entry : 'They say I have blood on my hands' Mohammed was intubated and put on a ventilator .
`` During that time , people are deeply sedated and their muscles are paralysed with medicines to allow the oxygen to get into the body , '' says Debbie Horner .
Twice a day , Mohammed was proned , turned from front to back , to try and get as much @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stimulating different bits of the lungs .
This was done by a team of radiologists who volunteer to do this - they call themselves the Ratters - the Radiology Turning Team .
At the start of this crisis , Covid-19 was thought to be primarily a lung disease where the life-saving treatment would be intubated ventilation , with patients sedated in intensive care .
As the weeks have passed , clinicians have increasingly turned to less invasive ventilators called CPAP machines , which blow oxygen into the lungs , keeping them inflated - @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an early stage of the epidemic and putting patients on them at an earlier stage of their illness than some other hospitals .
Predictions in March were that 30 % of patients would be on ventilators in intensive care units .
As it 's turned out , it 's less than 20 % nationally and less than 10 % in Bradford , suggesting that this early and less invasive treatment is effective .
`` I genuinely believe we 've managed to pitch it right here , '' says Dr Tom Lawton , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ using simple machines that are designed to make it all as easy as possible , and having brilliant staff that are prepared to jump in and do everything - even care that they 're not used to delivering in that kind of environment - we have n't brought as many people to intensive care as we thought we would .
And yet , our patients do n't seem to have suffered as a result . ''
Preliminary data shows the death rate of Bradford Royal Infirmary is 23 % , that 's lower @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the death rate is 50 % , in line with other ICU rates .
Once out of intensive care , Mohammed Hussain began a slow process of rehabilitation on a stroke ward .
His shoulder was damaged during proning and he needed additional physio - he could n't move his right arm much and so it was difficult for him to feed himself .
He is full of gratitude .
`` Believe me , the people who work in ICU , in this crisis , putting themselves at risk , they are the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` It 's not just the medical treatment , but it 's the human touch .
It 's the depth of the conversations , the genuine interest and how you develop relationships .
It contributes massively towards you getting better .
`` I remember when I was first taken upstairs on the ward , this poor doctor was running various tests and he went to get me a drink - he brought me pineapple juice .
It was like a drink from heaven .
`` Sometimes the enormity of what we 've @ @ @ @ @ @ @ emotional . ''
During the five weeks that his dad was unconscious , Haroon kept everyone updated via Whatsapp .
`` There were so many people worried about him , '' he says .
`` My dad is incredibly well-known in the community and the messages were going to hundreds of people throughout the world .
Everywhere you go , you meet people who my dad has helped . ''
Looking through the replies from his hospital bed , Mohammed spotted a theme : `` Oh , he 's too stubborn , he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all right… '' '' I did n't know that 's how I was viewed by people , '' he says .
But Haroon is n't having it .
`` You did know that , that 's a lie ! ''
Mohammed finally left hospital on Tuesday , to a standing ovation from ward staff .
I think one of one of the things that we did n't really do right at the start was celebrate those successes of patients leaving the ward - you tend to focus on the more tragic cases .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and every patient that is discharged now , is a source of great joy .
A couple of days ago Haroon updated us on what happened next .
`` When I went to collect him from the hospital I did n't tell the rest of the family .
I called them all down saying I needed to speak to them , and there was Dad sitting in his armchair .
It was an amazing moment , just phenomenal , to have him home .
`` He 's just been out in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he was elated .
He gets very tired very quickly so it 's a slow process , but he 's surrounded by love . ''
And Haroon 's mum has now returned from Pakistan , so the family is together again .
They 're overjoyed .
You may also be interested in : Government advisers have been considering since March whether to include loss of smell among the criteria for deciding whether someone has Covid-19 .
Evidence that it is one of the symptoms is already strong and some scientists argue this is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lockdown is eased .
Why has n't the UK listed loss of smell as a symptom of Covid-19 ?

"I genuinely believe we've managed to pitch it right here," says Dr Tom Lawton, a consultant in critical care. "By using simple machines that are designed to make it all as easy as possible, and having brilliant staff that are prepared to jump in and do everything - even care that they're not used to delivering in that kind of environment - we haven't brought as many people to intensive care as we thought we would. And yet, our patients don't seem to have suffered as a result."


bbcuk--2020-05-15--Coronavirus: Your pictures of working at home

We asked our readers to send in their pictures on the theme of `` working at home '' during lockdown due to the spread of the coronavirus .
Here are some of the pictures sent to us from around the world .
Usha Venkat : `` I work in my study at home .
I use the ironing board as a make-shift stand-up desk to stretch while working .
I took a selfie while I was multi-tasking , with the backdrop of an antique telephone booth , and enjoying the outside . ''
Gemma Lawrence : `` I do n't @ @ @ @ @ @ @ home but this one shows all the equipment I need .
Do n't ask why I need two set of headphones and two mice !
Also note the coffee mug is usually full . ''
Sue Searle : `` This is my current place of work during lockdown - caring for , entertaining and generally trying to keep happy my 96-year-old mother , Florence .
Before lockdown , we had carers but currently , no-one can visit us as it 's too risky .
Therefore , I have undertaken the task of looking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and I 'm happy to do it if it means keeping Mum safe . ''
Clare Lawson : `` One of the many Minions who is working from home .
with our cat helping me to not get stressed by the new way of working - and excellent company .
I have to add there was no desk - or video calls , thank goodness . ''
The next theme is `` The view from my window '' and the deadline for entries is 21 May 2020 .
Send pictures to yourpics @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Upload your pictures here '' below .
Further details and terms can be found by following the link to `` We set the theme , you take the pictures , '' at the bottom of the page .

Image caption,
Sue Searle: "This is my current place of work during lockdown - caring for, entertaining and generally trying to keep happy my 96-year-old mother, Florence. Before lockdown, we had carers but currently, no-one can visit us as it's too risky. Therefore, I have undertaken the task of looking after Mum 24/7. Not a problem and I'm happy to do it if it means keeping Mum safe."


bbcuk--2020-05-17--My Money: 'No expenditure at all today!'

My Money is a series looking at how people spend their money - and the sometimes tough decisions they have to make .
Here Bex Young takes us through a week in her life in lockdown .
Bex , 32 , works for the Department for Work and Pensions ( DWP ) , at the Jobcentre in Dundee .
The centre is closed to the public but she is still going into work in the office , which has introduced social distancing measures .
She loves running and has done several 10ks and half marathons .
Her next challenge is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sure she has the patience for it but is definitely going to try .
She usually spends a lot of time with friends - going for cocktails at weekends , pub crawls and trips to different cities .
She also loves fashion and is known for her bright and sparkly outfits and shoes .
She is gutted there 's no reason to get properly dressed up just now , with pubs and bars closed due to the coronavirus pandemic .
06:15 - Wake up feeling fed up , another week of lockdown .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ it 's a bank holiday on Friday so feel a lot better once I 'm up and about .
13:20 - Doing different food shops as and when I need to .
Head to Lidl on my lunch break and get a pack of Cup a Soups , hash browns , red peppers , onion dip and Mexican rice all for only £3.90 .
13:30 - Go to Tesco on my lunch break today and buy Quorn cocktail sausages and mini cucumbers to snack on .
Another nice day so I walk near @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enjoy the view .
16.30 - Waiting to move into my new house on 19 June and I 'm so glad B & Q has reopened .
I go in for paint and , after deciding I need more time , I come out with just three colour charts to study .
12:30 - M & S here is usually fairly quiet with no queue to get in but there is today .
Ca n't be bothered but persevere as I want their giant stuffed tortellini and espresso martini bottled cocktail mix , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ yay !
Also buy a box of cherry tomatoes and avocados for a sunny day salad .
Grand total £9.50 .
15:00 - Arrive home to find my retro games console has arrived from Amazon .
It was an impulse buy the other day as it had good reviews and 400 games .
After an hour on Tetris and Aladdin I finally switch it off .
Pretty good but a bit gutted no Sonic or Super Mario included , though for the price really ca n't complain - £15.99 .
Last day of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and feeling happy after 10k run as it 's super sunny .
Do n't really need any supplies but use my lunchtime exercise to buy some cocktail ingredients as due to the abroad-style sun , decide I am making some at home this weekend - crème de menthe , vanilla ice cream , gin and soya milk from Lidl and Tesco , comes to £27.59 .
Due to my daily food shops on work breaks , I am well stocked with food so do n't need anything today .
Go for a run @ @ @ @ @ @ @ packing for my house move , starting with shoes and winter jumpers .
As I ca n't go for my usual pub time this Friday , I stay in with some gin and my iPad and make my Grasshopper cocktails which taste amazing .
After a few drinks I end up online shopping and order a few bodysuits , sandals and a playsuit .
25 % off everything so the total is only £60.20 .
More blogs from the BBC 's My Money Series : • UK : 'The alcohol bill has increased @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ' • China : 'People have started leaving their houses again' • Canada : 'With love on my side , I can get through today' Wake up early and go for a run , then feeling a bit bored , sit around watching documentaries and have a few vodkas before falling asleep really early .
No expenditure at all today !
Another sunny day , decide to be productive so start with more packing - DVDs and all my jewellery and beauty sets this time .
Drive to Morrisons and Lidl for a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ breakfast ( veggie style ) as girl at work has been selling duck eggs and I have a few left .
Get beans , veggie sausages and potato scones and pleased with the result , so good .
How does Bex feel about her week ?
Not too bad , probably more than I 've spent most weeks in lockdown so far as I bought the online clothes shop which makes up almost half the expenditure .
I would usually spend about £150-£200 a week so still a decent saving .
I think @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there is nowhere else to go shop-wise .
We 're looking for more people to share what they spend their money on .
If you 're interested , please email my.money @ bbc.co.uk or get in touch via our My Money ( World ) Facebook group , or if you live in the UK , please join our My Money ( UK ) Facebook group and we 'll aim to contact you .

She usually spends a lot of time with friends - going for cocktails at weekends, pub crawls and trips to different cities. She also loves fashion and is known for her bright and sparkly outfits and shoes. She is gutted there's no reason to get properly dressed up just now, with pubs and bars closed due to the coronavirus pandemic.


bbcuk--2020-05-17--Coronavirus: 'I got a kidney transplant in the middle of the pandemic'

A teenager has spoken about how lucky he feels to have received a kidney transplant despite the Covid-19 crisis .
When lockdown was introduced , life saving transplant operations in the UK dropped by nearly 90 % and operations using living donors stopped completely .
Zak Khan is the only child to have undergone a kidney transplant in the Scotland since the pandemic began .
While he is delighted the procedure went ahead , he is also worried about contracting Covid-19 .
As a result of the transplant , the 16-year-old 's immunity is suppressed .
`` If I did @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bad for me '' , he explained .
Zak had kidney failure and was on dialysis .
He waited for two-and-a-half years for a transplant .
When the call came , he said he was `` so relieved it had actually happened '' because life has been `` really hard '' .
He ould n't eat normally and - because had a central line in - he could not go out with his friends for fear it would get damaged .
He is now recovering after receiving a transplant at the Royal Hospital @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he is very grateful to everyone who has helped him .
`` The nurses and doctors and my family , even my mum because she 's been there for me , '' he said When he has recovered from the surgery , he is looking forward to `` eating lots of different foods , spending more time with my family and having a better life '' .
And then , after the pandemic , he wants to go on holiday .
His mum , Farzana Khan , said she can hardly believe the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The `` sparkle '' has returned to his eyes since his transplant , she said .
`` I still ca n't believe it when I look at him and when I look at how healthy he actually looks now - his colour and complexion ...
He was very pale before .
`` He 's got colour in his cheeks now . ''
But Zak , who is from Glasgow , is one of the lucky patients awaiting a transplant - doctors have warned that lives will be lost because others are not getting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
At the beginning of March , there were about 80 transplant operations carried out across the UK every week .
In April , this fell to 10 per week .
It is now starting to rise again , and is sitting at about 47 per week at present .
One of Zak 's doctors , Dr Ben Reynolds , has warned that the longer children 's transplants were put off and they were left on dialysis the higher the risk that they develop complications .

He says he is very grateful to everyone who has helped him. "The nurses and doctors and my family, even my mum because she's been there for me," he said


bbcuk--2020-05-16--Coronavirus: Can gaming help stop lockdown loneliness?

Loneliness can be an issue for many people at the best of times , but especially while the ongoing coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ socially distant .
In many cases technology is key to staying connected .
Gamers like @ @ @ @ @ online activities have helped them during the crisis .

Loneliness can be an issue for many people at the best of times, but especially while the ongoing coronavirus pandemic requires people to stay socially distant.
In many cases technology is key to staying connected. Gamers like 22-year-old Millicent Thomas say their online activities have helped them during the crisis.
To find out more about loneliness during lockdown listen to The Next Episode podcast on BBC Sounds.


bbcuk--2020-05-16--Coronavirus: Jeremy Corbyn's brother arrested at anti-lockdown protest in London

Jeremy Corbyn 's brother Piers was among 19 people arrested at an anti-lockdown demonstration in London 's Hyde Park on @ @ @ @ @ people gathered to object to their rights of free speech and movement being curtailed , @ @ @ @ @ and banners including slogans like `` freedom over fear '' .
Read more : 'Busy @ @ @ @ @ 's beauty spots

Jeremy Corbyn's brother Piers was among 19 people arrested at an anti-lockdown demonstration in London's Hyde Park on Saturday afternoon.
Hundreds of people gathered to object to their rights of free speech and movement being curtailed, with some holding several placards and banners including slogans like "freedom over fear".
Read more: 'Busy but manageable' at England's beauty spots


bbcuk--2020-05-16--Coronavirus: School plans are 'small, tentative step' - Gavin Williamson

Education Secretary Gavin Williamson has asked schools to look at the government 's guidance `` very , very carefully '' @ @ @ @ @ in England .
Mr Williamson was responding to a question from the BBC 's education @ @ @ @ @ raised the `` conflicting advice '' school governors had received from the government and local @ @ @ @ @ We owe it to children to open schools - Williamson

Education Secretary Gavin Williamson has asked schools to look at the government's guidance "very, very carefully" on returning children to schools in England.
Mr Williamson was responding to a question from the BBC's education editor Branwen Jeffreys, who raised the "conflicting advice" school governors had received from the government and local authorities.
Read more: We owe it to children to open schools - Williamson


bbcuk--2020-05-16--The Papers: Rich List losers and 'docs at war on schools'

The row over schools reopening in England next month has escalated , according to the Mail on Sunday .
It @ @ @ @ @ infections has challenged the British Medical Association 's concerns about safety - saying the doctors @ @ @ @ @ clear errors '' in supporting the cautious stance of teaching organisations .

The specialists are said to have found that the disease can cause potentially deadly blood clots on the lungs, and their findings are leading to new guidance from NHS England about the use of blood-thinners for critically ill patients.


bbcuk--2020-05-16--Coronavirus: Safety watchdogs deal with hundreds of workplace complaints

Workplace safety watchdogs are dealing with hundreds of coronavirus-related complaints from Scotland .
The Health and Safety Executive said it had been contacted 390 times with concerns about Scottish workplaces since early March .
That 's about 8 % of the 4,813 cases raised across the UK over a two-month period .
The agency said it was addressing all concerns and would not hesitate to take enforcement action if required .
Ensuring social distancing and providing personal protective equipment ( PPE ) have become important issues for employers during the pandemic .
The Health and Safety Executive ( HSE ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but about 40 % triggered an investigation .
In some cases , it said work had to be suspended while safety measures were put in place .
It has not yet issued enforcement notices related to Covid-19 anywhere in the UK .
The caseload figures are for the period 9 March to 7 May .
That covers the two weeks before lockdown started and continues until just before Boris Johnson announced plans to ease some restrictions in England .
In Scotland , Nicola Sturgeon is still advising the public to stay at home @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spokesman told BBC Scotland : `` At the heart of the return to work is controlling the risk posed by the virus .
`` Ensuring safe working practices are in place will help deliver a safe return to work and support businesses across the UK . ''
`` We 'll continue to take proportionate action , but will not hesitate to take enforcement if needed .
`` We have a strong track record of using enforcement to ensure workers health and safety is protected . ''

The agency said it was addressing all concerns and would not hesitate to take enforcement action if required.


bbcuk--2020-05-16--Castlewellan: Fire crews battle gorse and forestry fire burning for 24 hours

Fire crews are fighting a `` significant '' wildfire incident involving gorse and forestry in County Down that has been @ @ @ @ @ It broke out at about 13:30 BST on Friday on the Leitrim Road in Castlewellan @ @ @ @ @ Fire and Rescue Service ( NIFRS ) personnel have attended , including seven pumping appliances @ @ @ @ @ has appealed for people to stay away .
Officers from NIFRS ' specialist wildfire team @ @ @ @ @ specialist rescue teams have all attended the scene .

Image caption,
The blaze broke out on Friday afternoon and has been ongoing throughout the night


bbcuk--2020-05-16--Coronavirus: Hopes raised as IVF clinics get set to re-open

A woman whose fertility treatment was suspended due to coronavirus has said she now has some hope after NHS clinics announced plans to re-open .
Amanda Faulkiner-Farrow , 38 , from Gwynedd , had said it was `` soul destroying '' to find out her scheduled treatment would not go ahead in June .
Non-urgent outpatient appointments and surgical procedures were suspended by the Welsh Government in March .
A fertility charity has warned patients could still be `` stuck in limbo '' .
This is because they can not undergo the tests needed to be referred to a fertility @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And one provider set to open on Monday warned it would not be at full capacity due to social-distancing requirements .
• What Covid-19 decisions are made in Wales ?
• What is the R number in Wales ?
Earlier this month , the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority ( HFEA ) , which regulates UK fertility clinics , said clinics across the UK could apply to re-open from 11 May if they could show they could provide safe and effective treatment .
Two of Wales ' three NHS fertility treatment providers - @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the Hewitt Fertility Centre in Liverpool - said their applications to re-open had been approved by the HFEA , and services would resume on Monday .
Mrs Faulkiner-Farrow said it had been a difficult time for her and husband James .
The couple had their first round of fertility treatment in January 2019 .
It was successful and she became pregnant with twins , but lost them early in the pregnancy .
`` I was thinking that these treatments would n't start again until 2021 , '' she said .
`` And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and that sits with you heavy .
`` The difference between being able to conceive in the next couple of months compared to next year… that could be the difference .
`` They do n't realise how much hope that 's given us . ''
The Shropshire and Mid Wales Fertility Centre said it hoped treatments would start again on 15 June .
The Hewitt Fertility Centre said capacity would be limited to allow social distancing .
The third provider for Welsh NHS patients , the Wales Fertility Institute , said it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ quickly as possible '' .
Ms Faulkiner-Farrow , who has a 13-year-old son , Tristan , from a previous marriage , said she had not heard from her clinic yet , but would be getting in touch .
The re-opening of a number of clinics is `` reassuring '' , according to Alice Matthews , Wales co-ordinator for Fertility Network UK , but she urged caution .
`` A large number are still unable to undergo the investigatory tests needed before even being referred to a tertiary fertility clinic , '' she said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can resume , there will still be a large number of people who are stuck in limbo , feeling isolated , anxious and ill-informed about their condition . ''
The Welsh Government said it appreciated the anxiety the situation had caused , adding that all fertility services had been asked to submit plans on how they would re-open safely .
The London Women 's Clinic Wales , a private provider , said its application to re-open had been approved .
Another , the Centre for Reproduction and Gynaecology Wales , said it had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ resume treatment from July .
• A SIMPLE GUIDE : How do I protect myself ?
• AVOIDING CONTACT : The rules on self-isolation and exercise • WHAT WE DO N'T KNOW How to understand the death toll • TESTING : Can I get tested for coronavirus ?

Two of Wales' three NHS fertility treatment providers - the Shropshire and Mid Wales Fertility Centre and the Hewitt Fertility Centre in Liverpool - said their applications to re-open had been approved by the HFEA, and services would resume on Monday.


bbcuk--2020-05-17--Coronavirus: Boris Johnson accepts 'frustration' over lockdown rules

Boris Johnson has acknowledged frustration over the `` complex '' easing of England 's coronavirus lockdown .
The PM wrote in the Mail on Sunday that more complicated messages were needed during the next phase of the response and as restrictions changed .
His comments come amid mounting criticism of the way restrictions have been lifted in England .
Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham warned the PM risked a `` fracturing of national unity '' if he ignores regions .
And Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has blamed Mr Johnson for the way Wales and England have diverged on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Mr Johnson said that the government was attempting something that has `` never had to be done before '' .
He also cautioned that , while the UK is `` leading the global effort '' to find a vaccine , it `` might not come to fruition '' .
Mr Johnson said he trusted the `` good sense of the British people '' to observe the new rules and thanked the public for `` sticking with us '' so far .
• Who am I allowed to meet now ?
• How @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
• The last 'normal ' photo on your phone The PM said he understood people `` will feel frustrated with some of the new rules '' , adding : `` We are trying to do something that has never had to be done before - moving the country out of a full lockdown , in a way which is safe and does not risk sacrificing all of your hard work . ''
But Mr Burnham said England 's regional mayors had been given no notice that lockdown restrictions were being eased .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ that without additional support for the regions , there was a danger of a `` second spike '' of the disease .
He told BBC Breakfast that `` the voice of the English regions is n't being heard at the moment '' , adding that the government has `` lost some goodwill '' with local authorities in its handling and communication of the lifting of lockdown measures .
• RISK AT WORK : How exposed is your job ?
• SCHOOLS : When will children be returning ?
• EXERCISE : What are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ THE R NUMBER : What it means and why it matters • LOOK-UP TOOL : How many cases in your area ?
Mr Burnham said that , despite having taken part in a call two weeks ago with Mr Johnson and eight other regional mayors , he was given no real notice of the measures announced last Sunday .
`` On the eve of a new working week , the PM was on TV 'actively encouraging ' a return to work , '' he wrote in the article .
`` Even though that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and people on trams , no-one in government thought it important to tell the cities that would have to cope with that .
`` The surprisingly permissive package might well be right for the South East , given the fall in cases there .
But my gut feeling told me it was too soon for the North . ''
Mr Burnham called for the government to publish the infection rate - the R-number - per region in England .
If the R-number - currently between 0.5 and 0.9 in the UK - is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of cases increases exponentially .
Meanwhile , the devolved nations , which have their own powers over restrictions , have ignored the move in England to a `` stay alert '' recommendation , and have kept their `` stay at home '' advice .
Scotland 's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said she did not know what `` stay alert '' meant .
Labour 's Sir Keir said different approaches across the four UK nations to tackling coronavirus are not going to `` help us out of this crisis '' .
The PM 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to start reopening primary schools in England from 1 June have been challenged by local authorities in the north of England and teaching unions .
Liverpool and Hartlepool councils issued statements saying schools will not reopen at the start of next month as coronavirus cases continue to rise locally .
Schools in Wales will not reopen on 1 June , while those in Scotland and Northern Ireland may not restart before the summer holidays .
Meanwhile , Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove told Sky News that more than 17,000 people have been recruited @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Isle of Wight and that the government was on track to hit its 18,000 target by next week .
It comes as No 10 announced up to £93m to speed-up a new vaccine research lab .
The new fund will accelerate construction of the not-for-profit Vaccines Manufacturing and Innovation Centre in Oxfordshire so it can open a year earlier than planned , the government said .
Ministers hope the centre will be a `` key component '' of the UK 's coronavirus vaccine programme .
Business Secretary Alok Sharma said : `` Once @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be ready to manufacture a vaccine by the millions . ''
The number of people who have died with coronavirus in the UK across all settings increased by 468 on Saturday .
It takes the total number of UK deaths , in all settings following a positive coronavirus test , to 34,466 .
There were 136,486 tests processed or sent out in the UK on Friday - the highest daily figure so far in the UK .
The figure is not the same as the total number of people tested , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has set a target of 200,000 tests a day by the end of May .
• People returned to beauty spots on Saturday in a `` manageable '' way after the public was urged to `` think twice '' before heading out • Education Secretary Gavin Williamson has said `` we owe it to the children '' to reopen schools • CORONAVIRUS NEWSCAST : How many people have had coronavirus ?
• LOCKDOWN WORKOUT ANTHEMS : Motivational tunes to get you moving How have you been affected by coronavirus ?
Share your experiences @ @ @ @ @ @ @ include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist .
• Please read our terms & conditions and privacy policy

The PM said he understood people "will feel frustrated with some of the new rules", adding: "We are trying to do something that has never had to be done before - moving the country out of a full lockdown, in a way which is safe and does not risk sacrificing all of your hard work."


bbcuk--2020-05-17--Coronavirus: Schools safe to reopen, Michael Gove insists

Michael Gove has insisted England 's schools are safe to reopen , but acknowledged that `` you can never eliminate risk '' .
Mr Gove told the BBC 's Andrew Marr Show the key was to make schools safe with smaller classes and staggered arrivals .
The government has set out plans to begin a phased reopening of primary schools in England from next month .
Labour 's Angela Rayner urged the government to publish the scientific advice guiding those plans for 1 June .
Teaching unions , backed by the British Medical Association , have raised concerns about safety @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gove could not guarantee that teachers and pupils would not catch coronavirus .
But the former education secretary said the UK can `` learn '' from children returning to schools in other European countries , such as Denmark .
`` The only way ever to ensure that you never catch coronavirus is to stay at home completely .
But there is always , always , always , in any loosening of these restrictions , a risk of people catching the coronavirus , '' the Cabinet Office minister said .
`` You can never @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` It is the case that it is extremely unlikely that any school is likely to be the source of a Covid outbreak . ''
• How England is following Denmark 's school safety model • Do I have to send my children back to school ?
• Coronavirus : How much do children spread it ?
Under government plans , children in Reception , Year 1 and Year 6 in England will return to school on 1 June .
Education Secretary Gavin Williamson said on Saturday that the government 's approach was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with children at the very heart of everything we do '' .
Shadow education secretary Angela Rayner told Andrew Marr : `` I urge the government to publish the science and to ensure testing and tracing is in place to safeguard .
`` Councils want to make sure their citizens are safe .
I support them in trying to do that . ''
Some local authorities in the north of England have challenged the government 's timetable , with Liverpool and Hartlepool councils saying schools will not reopen at the start of next @ @ @ @ @ @ @ locally .
Meanwhile , schools in Wales will not reopen on 1 June , while those in Scotland and Northern Ireland may not restart before the summer holidays .

Responding to concerns raised by local authorities, Mr Gove said: "If you really care about children, you will want them to be in school, you will want them to be learning, you will want them to have new opportunities, so... look to your responsibilities."


bbcuk--2020-05-17--Brexit: Michael Gove urges EU to show 'flexibility'

Brexit talks are going `` well '' but the EU needs to show flexibility , Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove has said .
He said there is a `` big philosophical difference '' between the sides , and the EU wants the UK `` to follow their rules even after we have left the club '' .
The EU 's Michel Barnier has suggested the UK 's demands are `` not realistic '' and warned of a looming stalemate .
The UK said `` very little progress '' had been made after the latest post-Brexit trade talks concluded on Friday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their future economic and security partnership following the UK 's withdrawal from the 27-member bloc on 31 January .
The UK has said it will not extend the negotiation process beyond 31 December , despite calls for the government to allow more time for a deal to be reached due to the coronavirus pandemic .
• What happens after Brexit ?
One of the sticking points during negotiations has been access to fishing waters .
Speaking to the Andrew Marr programme , Mr Gove said `` they [ the EU ] want to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as they had when we were in the EU '' .
He challenged the EU to show `` a little bit of their fabled flexibility '' , earlier telling Sky News that he was `` confident a deal could be done '' .
On Friday , Mr Barnier - the EU 's chief Brexit negotiator - said the UK could `` not have the best of both worlds '' adding he was `` still determined but not optimistic '' about the chances of reaching an agreement .
He also said the EU would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ price '' and was stepping up preparations for a no-deal outcome , in which the two sides would trade with each other under World Trade Organisation rules .
Insisting the EU would not negotiate `` in haste '' , Mr Barnier said the UK must consider whether it was possible to agree a deal before the end of the year , when the current 11-month transition period is due to end .
During the transition period the UK continues to follow EU rules - and the government has insisted it does not want @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sky News , shadow cabinet office minister Rachel Reeves said Labour `` absolutely do not want '' the UK to end the transition period in December without a deal and urged the government not to `` rush this '' .
`` The last thing our country and our economy needs at the moment is a further shock that could put jobs and livelihoods at risk , '' she said .
Meanwhile MPs from the other opposition parties , including the SNP , Lib Dems and the Green Party , have written to Mr @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the transition period .
The letter said there was `` significant opposition to the UK government 's extreme position '' , adding that an extension would `` enable these detailed and defining negotiations to be conducted at a time when , we hope , the efforts of national governments and the European Union will not be engaged solely with dealing with the dreadful Covid-19 epidemic '' .

One of the sticking points during negotiations has been access to fishing waters. Speaking to the Andrew Marr programme, Mr Gove said "they [the EU] want to have the same access to our fish as they had when we were in the EU".


bbcuk--2020-05-17--Coronavirus: Dozens flout lockdown rules for Telford 'rave'

A group of about 70 people have gathered in a park for a `` rave '' - flouting lockdown rules and telling police they were `` sick of self-isolation '' .
West Mercia Police said a DJ had set up for the party at Granville Country Park in Telford , Shropshire , on Saturday .
`` We have worked so hard and sacrificed so much and this group decide it does n't apply , '' one officer said .
`` I 'm shocked that people would care so little , '' they added .
Police dispersed the group from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Officers said they `` do not fine unless there is no other action open '' .
They added : `` We asked the group to disperse and they did .
`` We would ask anyone who is thinking of organising one of these events to think of the bigger picture . ''
Though lockdown restrictions have been eased in England , government advice states that people should `` not gather in groups of more than two '' except with members of their household .
The government has warned the coronavirus infection rate will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ • A SIMPLE GUIDE : How do I protect myself ?
• AVOIDING CONTACT : The rules on self-isolation and exercise • STRESS : How to look after your mental health Follow BBC West Midlands on Facebook , Twitter and Instagram .
Send your story ideas to : newsonline.westmidlands @ bbc.co.uk

Allow Twitter content?
This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.


bbcuk--2020-05-17--HS2 'badly off course' with bosses 'blindsided', MPs say

Leaders of the HS2 rail project have been `` blindsided by contact with reality '' , a report by MPs has found .
The Public Accounts Committee accused HS2 Ltd and the Department for Transport ( DfT ) of lacking transparency and undermining public confidence .
The committee 's report said HS2 was `` badly off course '' and urged the government to regularly update Parliament with `` accurate '' information .
The DfT said the project has been `` comprehensively reset '' .
Among its conclusions , the cross-party committee questioned evidence given by DfT permanent secretary Bernadette Kelly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Michael Bradley .
The report said the trio 's appearance before MPs in March 2020 `` raised questions about the previous picture provided by the witnesses of the project 's health '' last year .
• Why do big projects cost more than planned ?
It said the DfT and HS2 Ltd `` were aware of the scale of the issues facing the programme as early as October 2018 '' .
The report said Ms Kelly `` withheld from us that the programme was in significant difficulty '' during appearances in 2018 and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ specific questions '' .
It also said HS2 Ltd 's annual report and accounts `` similarly failed to give an accurate account of the programme 's problems '' .
Spiralling costs have prompted criticism of the project - granted the go-ahead by the government in February .
The cost set out in the 2015 Budget was just under £56bn , but one independent estimate has put the eventual cost as high as £106bn .
Committee chairman Meg Hillier said that , for example , the cost of community commitments in the first phase @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to £1.2bn .
Ms Hillier said : `` There is no excuse for hiding the nature and extent of the problems the project was facing from Parliament and the taxpayer . ''
`` The Department and HS2 appear to have been blindsided by contact with reality , '' she added .
`` The government unfortunately has a wealth of mistakes on major transport infrastructure to learn from , but it does not give confidence that it is finally going to take those lessons when this is its approach . ''
Deputy chairman Sir @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one of the most critical , in both the transparency of government and the handling of a project , that I have seen in my nine years in total on the committee '' .
A DfT spokesperson said Transport Secretary Grant Shapps `` has been clear that this project must go forward with a new approach to parliamentary reporting , with clear transparency , strengthened accountability to ministers , and tight control of costs '' .
`` We have comprehensively reset the HS2 programme , introducing a revised budget and funding regime , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is delivered in a more disciplined and transparent manner , '' they added .
The spokesperson also highlighted the appointment of a dedicated HS2 minister and the new six-monthly reports to Parliament .
The DfT statement added Ms Kelly had acknowledged cost pressures in May 2019 and that discussions between the government and HS2 Ltd `` were active and commercially confidential '' .

Deputy chairman Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown said the report was "one of the most critical, in both the transparency of government and the handling of a project, that I have seen in my nine years in total on the committee".


bbcuk--2020-05-17--Coronavirus: Andy Burnham warns PM risks 'fracturing national unity'

Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham says Boris Johnson faces a `` fracturing of national unity '' if he ignores the regions in the coronavirus outbreak .
Mr Burnham said mayors had not been told the lockdown was being eased .
Writing in the Observer , he warned that without extra support for the English regions , there was a danger of a `` second spike '' of the disease .
His intervention came as the prime minister accepted that there had been `` frustration '' over lockdown rules .
The devolved administrations in Scotland , Wales , and Northern Ireland @ @ @ @ @ @ @ easing plan , while cities such as Liverpool have said they will not start re-opening schools on 1 June as the government wants .
The infection rate - also known the reproduction or R number - is higher in northwest England than London .
Speaking to BBC Breakfast , Mr Burnham said : `` It 's the most deprived councils that have seen the highest number of cases . ''
While coronavirus cases have been declining in the South East , Mr Burnham believes the loosening of restrictions `` came a little early @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is a very different picture in the north , particularly in the North East where the R number is highest , so I understand why people have concerns there . ''
Despite having taken part in a call two weeks ago with Mr Johnson and eight other regional mayors , Mr Burnham said he was given no real notice of the easing in restrictions , which was announced last Sunday .
`` On the eve of a new working week , the PM was on TV 'actively encouraging ' a return to work @ @ @ @ @ @ @ put more cars on roads and people on trams , no-one in government thought it important to tell the cities that would have to cope with that , '' he said .
To prevent further divisions , he urged Mr Johnson to appoint West Midlands mayor Andy Street to represent the English regions on the government 's Cobra civil contingencies committee .
`` If the government carries on in the same vein , expect to see an even greater fracturing of national unity .
Different places will adopt their own messaging and policies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ added that the prime minister `` has n't given us a transport funding deal like in London so we can put on extra trams and buses to keep people safe . ''
A government spokesperson said they would `` continue to work closely '' with councils .
`` The suggestion that we have chosen to favour certain councils over others is entirely wrong . ''
However Mr Burnham challenged the government 's claim that an allocation of an extra £3.2bn to English councils had been `` distributed in the fairest way '' .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ acknowledge that councils need extra funding '' and to publish regional R numbers , which would help local authorities decide when to reopen schools .
`` People do not have the R information at the moment .
They can get it , but it 's not formally published by the government . ''
In the Observer , he wrote : `` Nervousness in the North about the R number will see more councils adopt their own approach on schools , as Liverpool , Gateshead and Hartlepool are doing .
Arguments will increase about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ n't get the help we need , there is a risk of a second spike here which , in turn , will pass the infection back down the country through the Midlands to London . ''
• RISK AT WORK : How exposed is your job ?
• SCHOOLS : When will children be returning ?
• EXERCISE : What are the guidelines on getting out ?
• THE R NUMBER : What it means and why it matters • LOOK-UP TOOL : How many cases in your area ?
The prime minister @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more complicated messages were needed during the next phase of the response and as restrictions changed .
In his article , Mr Johnson said changes to lockdown restrictions in England - such as unlimited exercise outdoors - were possible due to the public 's `` good common sense '' .
In a reference to confusion and criticism of the government 's new message urging people to `` stay alert '' , Mr Johnson said the government was attempting something that has `` never had to be done before '' .

"Even though that would clearly put more cars on roads and people on trams, no-one in government thought it important to tell the cities that would have to cope with that," he said.


bbcuk--2020-05-17--Coronavirus: Leicester church uses Minecraft to teach Bible to teens

A church has turned to Minecraft to teach its youngsters about Christianity during the lockdown .
Leicester 's St John the Baptist Church has been recreated on a server so the youth club have somewhere for Bible lessons .
Josh Young , the organiser , said it was a way of meeting younger people `` where they are '' and engaging with them in a world they are used to .
Virtual reality means they have also been able to get creative with lessons .
For example Mr Young made an underwater whale so they could learn about the story @ @ @ @ @ @ @ make boats to learn about when Jesus calmed a storm .
The 27-year-old youth worker added : `` Having a community for these young people is really important and I wanted to carry that on in the lockdown .
`` They ca n't hang out with friends and some of them are really struggling at the moment .
On Minecraft they can meet , talk and play games without physically being there .
It is a tool for engagement and building community .
`` Young people live in this online world and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they are , in their community .
`` Jesus pushed the boundaries of what people thought was typical worship , he would be happy with the idea that the church is moving forwards . ''
About 20 youngsters , aged between 11 and 17 , spend two-and-a-half hours on the server every Wednesday .
In that time they 're free to explore the world or pursue their own projects , but for 30 minutes they are teleported to a communal area to complete a Bible-themed challenge .
Mr Young said they had made @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , control who joined and had permission from the parents for their children to join .
Rosie , 15 , is one of the teenagers who joins regularly .
`` I love it because I can talk to my friends whilst playing , I enjoy it just the same as meeting up for our normal youth club , '' she said .
`` I thought it was good when Josh teleported everyone to the same place and we had a competition to build the best boat from Matthew , Chapter 8 , when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ won it because we built little lightning storm clouds . ''
• A SIMPLE GUIDE : How do I protect myself ?
• AVOIDING CONTACT : The rules on self-isolation and exercise • MAPS AND CHARTS : Visual guide to the outbreak Follow BBC East Midlands on Facebook , Twitter , or Instagram .
Send your story ideas to eastmidsnews @ bbc.co.uk .

"They can't hang out with friends and some of them are really struggling at the moment. On Minecraft they can meet, talk and play games without physically being there. It is a tool for engagement and building community.