bbcuk--2020-10-02--Covid rules: How much of the UK is now under some sort of lockdown?

Tighter coronavirus restrictions are being introduced in the north of England and Northern Ireland .
Liverpool City Region , Warrington , Hartlepool and Middlesbrough are imposing new local measures from Saturday 3 October .
The area covered by Derry City and Strabane council is also introducing new restrictions on 5 October .
What new measures are being introduced ?
In the Liverpool region , Warrington , Hartlepool and Middlesbrough , people must not meet anyone outside their household , or support bubble , in any indoor setting - including private homes and gardens .
People who break these rules can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ your household in restaurants , pubs , bars and cafes will also be banned .
People are also being advised not to meet with anyone outside their household or bubble in outdoor public spaces , such as parks or beer gardens .
In Derry City and Strabane , pubs , bars and restaurants will only be able to open for takeaway , delivery and outdoor eating and drinking .
People will also not be allowed to mix indoors in private homes with other households .
Which other areas have restrictions ?
The nature @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the UK , and they affect at least a quarter of the population .
• In County Durham , Gateshead , Newcastle , North Tyneside , South Tyneside , Northumberland and Sunderland , households are banned from mixing socially with each other anywhere indoors ( although support bubbles are exempt ) • People can not mix in homes or gardens with anyone outside their household in Leeds , Wigan , Stockport or Blackpool • There are new rules and guidance for people in Merseyside , Warrington , Halton and Lancashire - with specific @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
• Residents in Bradford , Kirklees , Calderdale , Wolverhampton , Oadby and Wigston are banned from socialising with other people outside of their own household or support bubble in private homes and gardens • Households in Birmingham , Solihull and Sandwell are not allowed to mix with anyone they do not live with in their home or garden , unless they ’ re in their support bubble • Those in parts of Greater Manchester - including Salford , Bury , the City of Manchester and Oldham , are advised not to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or support bubble • In Bolton , hospitality venues will previously only able to serve takeaways .
But these restrictions will be eased on Saturday , to bring the area in line with Greater Manchester .
• In Leicester , people can not host anyone they do not live with in their home or garden , unless they ’ re in their support bubble • Four council areas in north Wales - Conwy , Denbighshire , Flintshire , and Wrexham - now face restrictions • Restrictions are now in force in Neath Port @ @ @ @ @ @ @ • Llanelli , Cardiff , Swansea , Merthyr Tydfil , Bridgend , Blaenau Gwent , Newport , Rhondda Cynon Taf and Caerphilly were already in local lockdowns • People should not enter or leave those areas without a reasonable excuse like going to work , unless you can do so from home , or school • Pubs and restaurants must close by 22:20 , but stop serving alcohol at 22:00 • People can not meet other households indoors , including members of extended households .
However , people living alone in areas under @ @ @ @ @ @ @ household indoors , • People living in Glasgow city , East Renfrewshire , Renfrewshire , East Dunbartonshire , West Dunbartonshire , North Lanarkshire and South Lanarkshire are subject to small additional restrictions relating to care home and hospital visits , as well as contact tracing Further details on the measures in place and specific areas affected have been published by the governments for England , Scotland , Wales and Northern Ireland .
How many people are under extra restrictions ?
In total , at least 17 million people are facing additional restrictions in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ UK - a quarter of the population ( 25.4 % ) .
• 12.7m people in England , or 23 % of the population The latest changes mean 66 % of northern England faces restrictions , along with 22 % of the Midlands .
When are new restrictions introduced in an area ?
There is no set level of infection that triggers this in a particular place , but if there are more than 40 coronavirus cases per 100,000 people , it is likely that extra restrictions will be considered .
The number @ @ @ @ @ @ @ considered .
For example , cases in Northampton jumped to 125 per 100,000 in August .
But because the rise was almost entirely down to workers at a local factory no wider restrictions were introduced .
• How many coronavirus cases are there in your area ?
What are 'areas of concern ' ?
Since June , Public Health England has been publishing a weekly Covid-19 surveillance list .
This lists those local authority areas where incidence of the disease is rising , sorting them into three categories : • Areas of intervention @ @ @ @ @ @ @ place • Areas of enhanced support - where the local council is receiving help from the government ( eg extra testing ) • Areas of concern - where the situation is being monitored closely , but no restrictions have been put in place On 25 September , all 33 London boroughs were listed as areas of concern .
How are these rules enforced ?
Local authorities in England have powers to : • Close specific premises ( such as shops , cafes and gyms ) • Shut outdoor spaces ( such as parks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ events ( such as concerts , weddings and sporting events ) • Close sectors or types of premises in local areas • Restrict the use of transport • What happens if I 'm in an area on the watchlist ?
Police have powers to make sure people stick to the restrictions .
For example , if they believe that somebody is staying away overnight , they can tell them to return home .
They can also fine people for breaking the rules , and may issue a `` prohibition notice '' directing somebody @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a resident from a locked-down area wants to go to a bar in another part of the city , for example , there is nothing legally to stop them .
• SOCIAL DISTANCING : What are the rules now ?
• SUPPORT BUBBLES : What are they and who can be in yours ?
• SYMPTOMS : What are they and how to guard against them ?
• LOOK-UP TOOL : How many cases in your area ?

Find out how the pandemic has affected your area and how it compares with the national average by following this link to an in depth guide to the numbers involved.


bbcuk--2020-10-02--Conservative conference: Worried party want to see the 'Old Boris'

Boris Johnson is being urged to show he has got his `` mojo '' back , as the Conservatives ' virtual conference gets under way .
In January , the prime minister predicted that 2020 would be a `` fantastic year for Britain '' .
As forecasts go it was not the finest .
Of course , no one could have predicted a global pandemic , and the impact it has had on the country 's economy and way of life .
And it is not hard to understand why his enthusiasm was uncurbed 10 months ago .
After the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 'd delivered an 80-seat majority - the best general election result for the Conservatives for more than 30 years - and he was about to `` get Brexit done '' .
Some of his own colleagues believe he is a fairweather prime minister , and he 's all at sea in turbulent political climes .
But even during the coronavirus lockdown - and just before he was taken in to hospital - on 3 April , polling company YouGov gave the Conservatives a 52-28 lead over Labour .
The main opposition party changed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But even by mid-May , the governing party was leading by 48 % to 33 % in a YouGov survey .
• Everybody got 'complacent ' over virus , says PM Going in to the virtual party conference season , the few clouds that were on the horizon in the spring now represent a gathering storm in the autumn .
With Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer spending some months accusing the government of lacking competence , a mid-September YouGov poll suggested Labour and the Conservatives were neck-and-neck , on 40 % apiece .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ summer .
The prime minister himself seemed confused over some of the rules that he had introduced .
There were rebellious noises from a swathe of his own backbenchers over a lack of scrutiny .
There is nervousness on the Conservative benches over just how many jobs the new Job Retention Scheme will actually retain .
And once private mutterings about the state of the prime minister 's health have found their way in to the newspapers .
In The Spectator ( the magazine Boris Johnson once edited ) , columnist Toby Young @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's critics had been right about `` his inability to focus on anything for very long '' .
Yet only in April , the same Toby Young had defended the PM as a `` remarkable individual '' who `` can not resist the pull of obligation to his country , the need to be of service '' .
And last month , Lord O'Donnell - formerly the UK 's most senior civil servant - argued that the PM had `` expended ' much of his political capital by defending the lockdown trip to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ One of them said to me : `` He is finding it hard to live with Dom , but he ca n't live without him .
He is too dependent . ''
So can Boris Johnson use this week 's Conservative conference to prevent simmering discontent - whether from voters or his own politicians - from boiling over ?
The mood in the Parliamentary party is , at the very least , restless .
Well-connected senior backbenchers have described the mood to me variously as `` apprehensive '' , `` worrying '' , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It is n't , as yet though , mutinous .
There are deep concerns over the effect some of the lockdown measures are having on the economy .
And some say - whatever the wider polling - that many grassroots members who were initially supportive of lockdown , want an assurance that the government will `` pull back from the precipice of doing it again '' .
One senior MP , who has been in direct touch with the prime minister , wants an explicit commitment in the coming week to rule @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But the concern goes deeper than what the government 's measures are - there is also disquiet and discontent over how they have been introduced .
The public complaints from some Conservative MPs over a lack of consultation and scrutiny is the tip of jagged iceberg .
Beneath the surface , a frustration with how Mr Johnson 's administration operates extends beyond the righteous anger of the sacked and the never-promoted .
There has been a feeling that MPs have been treated as irrelevant at best and idiots - not even useful ones @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been an attitude that they can just push anything through with a big majority and that attitude needs to be corrected , '' said one long-standing MP .
A former minister complained that the PM 's advisers `` are draining the life out of him , they are suffocating him '' .
Another said : `` There is a need for No 10 to build bridges '' .
So far this call for bridge-building , rather than bridge-burning , suggests that most Conservative MPs would like Mr Johnson to perform better , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him replaced .
Indeed , some efforts at bridge building - such as a recent address to the backbench 1922 committee - between the prime minister and and his MPs has met with the approval of some in the Parliamentary party .
But such is the mood at Westminster that one former adviser in the Boris Johnson administration believes that the main target audience of the prime minister 's conference speech should be his own MPs .
So what can he do to improve their morale and provide the wider public with a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the most prominent Tory backbenchers feels Boris Johnson has already missed a trick .
Instead of settling for a virtual conference , he believes that a physical , but socially-distanced event , would have provided a better sounding board for the prime minister .
But rather like Toby Young , some former admirers of the prime minister are more critical now - they seek the return of the Old Boris , with a gleam in his eye .
`` He must above all give a message of hope '' , said one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said he `` must banish the prophets of doom '' , meaning the PM 's scientific and medical advisers , and give a sense of where Britain would be when the virus is finally in retreat .
Some say he needs to do more - mixing the Churchillian `` we 'll get through it stuff '' with `` an apologetic , regretful tone on the need for draconian measures - that that is not really him , or who we are '' .
One former minister said : `` We need him to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ What is the party for ?
Too many people just associate us with Brexit , the coronavirus and austerity . ''
There is a remarkable consensus on two points : • That the speech should n't be a vehicle for policy-heavy announcements ( though some would like to see a limited number designed to symbolise a direction of travel ) • That there must be a relentless focus on voters in the `` red wall '' seats that turned blue in December I say `` remarkable '' because some MPs representing seats that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ message directed at those in non-traditional seats .
As one of them put it : `` The only reason we were elected to government was because of the swathe of red wall seats that came our way '' .
And a recent government adviser put it like this : `` These people made it clear on the doorsteps that they were only lending us their vote . ''
So what message will resonate with these vote-lenders ?
There is a feeling that a more voter-friendly phrase than `` levelling up '' - which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be coined .
Beyond 'Get Brexit Done' It means spreading wealth and opportunity out of London and the South East of England - but there are complaints that it is too vague a concept for some of the party 's more recent supporters .
But insiders also argue against a return to the very clear `` Get Brexit done '' election mantra .
`` Whether or not we get an agreement , people are just fed up hearing about it , '' one insider suggested .
An MP who strongly campaigned both @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lead the Conservatives told me : `` We now need a road map for the next few years , a sense of mission , as we move on - hopefully - from the Brexit era '' .
There is both hope and expectation that the PM will have more to say on the NHS , that symbolic infrastructure projects should be highlighted .
And that last week 's skills announcement , along with the language of `` radical change '' that accompanied it , will be built upon .
`` We need flesh @ @ @ @ @ @ @ agenda .
It has to be about more than a couple of shiny new train stations , '' said one member of the new intake , who defeated a Labour MP .
It 's also an unwritten rule of conference speeches that that party leaders take aim at their opponents .
And there is an expectation , with next year 's Holyrood elections looming , that the prime minister will have the SNP and not just Labour in his sights .
It is likely to be intentional that the session which precedes the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about defending the Union .
Almost as important as the tone and content for some MPs will be body language .
Last week , even though Covid has a long tail , Boris Johnson claimed he was `` fit as a butcher 's dog '' .
Yet those who are claiming that the post-Covid prime minister resembles more of an emaciated stray seem to be getting a willing hearing in what are usually supportive newspapers .
Some of those the prime minister has met in recent weeks say he is back to his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ downbeat portrait being painted of him .
The prime minister himself told the BBC the idea that he was n't his old self was `` sinister disinformation '' .
His conference speech will give him an opportunity to exude the impression that he is up to , and up for , the job .
What has got some Conservative MPs scratching their heads is why the usually outwardly ebullient prime minister has so often been the main bearer of bad news during the Covid crisis .
Sure , there is the talk of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ better '' - distant sunlit uplands - but on a day-to-day basis he has had to front up what one MP described as `` police state '' restrictions , while leaving the `` good cop '' announcements to his Chancellor .
A strategist who has worked with and for various ministers wondered why the prime minister had n't `` nicked '' the best announcements for himself .
He described Chancellor Rishi Sunak 's `` hugely popular '' Eat Out to Help Out scheme as the `` promote Rishi '' campaign .
He now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the economic agenda , `` making it clear some businesses that otherwise would have gone under only exist because of this prime minister '' .
One former minister felt the shine could soon come off the chancellor , saying : `` What happens when Father Christmas turns in to Scrooge ? ''
Significantly , Labour , too , are focussing , laser-like , some of their political attacks on the Chancellor not the prime minister .
One Tory MP with a background in government felt there was plenty of `` unexploded ordnance '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and how much - to tax will potentially put the chancellor in the firing line .
But for now , Mr Sunak - who will make his conference speech on Monday - hands things out to voters , rather than takes them away .
There are deep mutterings about whether some in government would like to see Rishi Sunak 's profile grow to the proportions of a credible replacement for - but not challenger to - his next door neighbour should the need arise .
One MP described it as `` an insurance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` we are not there yet '' but waxes lyrical about the chancellor 's ability to devise and implement bold policies- and , crucially , to wrap them in a coherent Conservative narrative .
He contrasts Mr Sunak favourably with many of his cabinet colleagues : `` They are not so much the tall poppies , but the weeds . ''
But a strong supporter of Boris Johnson said : ' I 'm not so interested in the machinations between 10 and 11 .
`` The acolytes on both sides know it was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Robin to Boris 's batman . ''
There are perhaps far more challenges ahead for the prime minister than he envisaged when he declared that this would be a fantastic year - but dissent has n't led to any attempted dethronement .
As one MP put it : `` He won us the election and , on his game , he can win us the next one . ''
One adviser put it slightly differently : `` The only question the conference has to answer is this : does Bojo have his mojo @ @ @

There are deep mutterings about whether some in government would like to see Rishi Sunak's profile grow to the proportions of a credible replacement for - but not challenger to - his next door neighbour should the need arise. One MP described it as "an insurance policy".


bbcuk--2020-10-02--Who are Asda's new owners the Issa brothers?

Two UK billionaire brothers - who made their money in petrol stations - have succeeded in buying UK supermarket giant Asda from US owners Walmart .
Zuber and Mohsin Issa , 48 and 49 , started their business with a single petrol forecourt in Bury , Greater Manchester , in 2001 .
Now their business , EG Group , owns more than 5,200 petrol stations , mainly in Europe and the US , and employs more than 33,000 people .
The speed of growth marks out the brothers as `` remarkable entrepreneurs '' , says Brian Madderson , chairman of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , of which EG Group is a member .
The expansion came as the major oil companies sold off or closed their High Street petrol outlets to concentrate on production and refining .
The supermarkets - including Asda - saw an opportunity to drum up customers by adding petrol stations to their stores .
But the Issas saw an opportunity to add more retailing to their petrol stations .
It was a `` huge opportunity , '' Mr Madderson said .
While motorists have been able to pick up a fizzy drink or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for decades , they are now being offered fast food , takeaway coffee and groceries .
One of their newest sites , near their hometown of Blackburn , is a four-acre service station and features a drive-through KFC , Starbucks and Greggs , as well as a Spar convenience store , a BP-branded petrol station and electric charging space .
Said Mr Madderson : `` When the rest of the market was quaking in their boots at the tough stance of the supermarkets , the brothers said : 'OK , if people want @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to find a supermarket , good for them , we will focus on high quality for motorists on the move ' . ''
Industry insiders describe the brothers as softly spoken and modest .
At one industry awards ceremony several years ago , the brothers were present but were said to be too shy to claim their award on stage .
People who know them say that part of their success is in remaining curious about competitors and being willing to learn and pick up new ideas .
The brothers own 50 % @ @ @ @ @ @ @ equally , with the other half owned by TDR Capital , an €8bn ( £7.3bn ) investment firm which owns David Lloyd gyms .
The Sunday Times values their fortune at £3.56bn .
They donate 2.5 % of their wealth each year to their own charitable foundation , which funds projects in the UK and abroad .
In 2019 they donated £20m .
They courted controversy in their home town when they bought eight homes , demolished them and began building five mansions , raising the ire of neighbours , the Lancashire Telegraph @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reportedly bought a £25m home in London 's upmarket Knightsbridge .
For the Issas 's purchase of Asda , a chunk of the bid is likely to have come from their own money , believes independent retail analyst Richard Hyman .
`` The world has become too corporate , '' said Mr Hyman .
`` This is the kind of economy and business climate where there 's not enough entrepreneurialism . ''
As yet specific details about the Walmart purchase have still to be revealed .
Mr Hyman cautions that while Asda can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there is no `` massive prize '' in buying a big supermarket .
`` This sector is going to get more intensely competitive than it 's ever been , '' he says , with Lidl , Aldi , B & M - which plans to open 45 new stores this year - and Home Bargains all taking custom from them .
In the UK , EG Group has 386 sites , making it the second-biggest independent petrol retailer behind Motor Fuels Group , which has more than 900 locations , according to data @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the UK totals about 8,350 forecourts .
About 1,500 are operated by supermarkets , with another 1,500 owned by large oil firms such as Shell and BP .
The remainder are owned by independents .
In 2019 , EG Group reported sales of €20bn ( £18bn ) , up from €12bn a year before .
While fuel accounted for €16bn of sales , the business is geared towards adding on other sales , from brands including including Subway , Burger King and French supermarket Carrefour .
Borrowing costs on €8bn of debt pushed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the year , of €496m .
The firm has about £9 of debt for every £1 of cash earnings , says Azhar Hussain , head of global credit at Royal London Asset Management .
Most companies would have £3-6 of debt for each pound earned before eyebrows are raised and questions are asked about repayment , he said .
But the businesses EG Group has bought with its borrowings are making plenty of cash , which appears to be putting lenders at ease , he said .
`` They are a high-risk company @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their strategy is absolutely key , '' he said .
`` But it looks like that strategy is working . ''
Although more people are buying electric cars , petrol and diesel still dominate the market .
Still , the company has said on its website that it will `` capitalise '' on the demand for new fuels .
The company 's large forecourts provide good space for fast electric charging , it says .

"We are about to go into a recession, the market is tightening, and it's already oversupplied with players," he said. "So what we're going to see is a lot of casualties and that will present opportunities along the way."


bbcuk--2020-10-02--Covid: UK live music scene on 'red alert' amid pandemic

The UK risks losing its status as a leader of live music , KT Tunstall has warned , with hundreds of venues at risk of closure due to the pandemic .
The Brit Award winner has spoken in support of a campaign to save the grassroots music sector , which industry bosses say is at risk of collapse .
The Music Venues Trust says the 10pm curfew means venues are operating at an eighth of their previous income .
The government is set to make a funding announcement on Monday .
The trust launched its Save our Venues campaign in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of its 670 member venues were under threat of `` imminent closure '' .
It has raised more than £3m since April .
Tunstall played her first show in the back room of The Vic Café in St Andrews , Scotland , when she was 16 and spent 10 years on the grassroots circuit before signing her first record deal in the early 2000s .
`` If we do n't have this eco-system of smaller venues , we do n't have big acts any more , '' she said .
`` We lose @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a country that has always been at the cutting edge of new music .
`` If you are the sort of act that can step straight out into an arena , the chances are you were made by Simon Cowell . ''
Among the fundraising drives , a guitar raffle by the Arctic Monkeys frontman Alex Turner raised more than £120,000 for the Leadmill in Sheffield , where the band played its first gig .
Acts such as Elbow and the Pet Shop Boys are also set to play one-off , socially-distanced shows @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tickets for the event called Passport : Back To Our Roots , are subject to a prize draw .
Music Venues Trust chief executive Mark Davyd said venues which reopen over winter , or which have already , will have to survive on a fraction of their usual takings .
`` The government restrictions have reduced capacity in venues down to 25 % - then restrictions on hours , we estimate , has removed something like 50 % of their income , '' he said .
`` The venue now has half of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of its usual audience .
By that marker they are getting 12.5 % of their income . ''
Despite the fundraising drive , Mr Davyd said the sector was still in a `` critical , red alert '' state .
He said more money would be needed to see it through the next six months with the furlough scheme coming to a close and many of the workers in the industry , such as sound technicians and tour managers , ineligible for government support .
Bands that have started their performance before 22:00 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of which rely on club nights after the performances , can not sell drinks after then .
Of the £2.9m raised so far , 62 % has been already been spent on clearing rent arrears alone , according to MVT .
Venues were given the all-clear to begin trading again from 15 August , but the latest survey by MVT found only 55 % had a plan to reopen before Christmas .
Some have been able to open outdoor areas for events and others have sought to set up live-streaming equipment to host @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Among them , The Georgian Theatre in Stockton-on-Tees has now spent £50,000 on such equipment in the hope of limiting its losses through winter .
Chief executive Paul Burns said : `` It 's a risk , but it 's a calculated risk . ''
Mr Burns said the venue , which also offers music training schemes in the north east , used to make most of its income through bar takings .
It is currently relying on regular applications to grant funds and donations .
`` We are just trying to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ little bit there , '' he said .
Many operators are now pinning their hopes on either local crowdfunding campaigns or the outcome of Arts Council England 's ( ACE ) Culture Recovery Fund - which aims to pump £500m into cultural venues across the country .
Around 350 venue operators have applied for the latter .
Recipients for the second round of funding were expected to be announced on Monday .
The Shed in the centre of Leicester , which last served a customer in March , is selling off all of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ under .
The venue has been a springboard for hundreds of acts , including Glastonbury headliners Kasabian , since opening in 1994 .
The 200-capacity venue used to host five separate club nights a week as well as four nights of live music .
Under the current measures , it could only open to 18 people at a time .
Manager Tom Carnell , 28 , said it was relying on the success of its application to ACE for £60,000 as well as a crowdfunding appeal to clear its backlog of bills and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ full-time staff .
He said : `` If we do n't get the [ money ] , The Shed will have to shut permanently '' We have sat and discussed different ways we can adapt to how the world is working at the moment .
`` But there is no viable option that will enable us to open the doors right now . ''
Out of 225 ongoing Save our Venues fundraising campaigns on the Crowdfunder website , only 41 have hit the target so far .
Venues are petitioning for between £60,000 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are , on average , £8,600 short of their targets .
Among the most successful , more than 2,800 people have pledged support for Camden 's Jazz Cafe in return for future gig tickets , drinks or meals .
But at a £31,000-a-month running cost , the £148,000 raised , would keep it going for less than five months without further support .
More about this story The Shared Data Unit makes data journalism available to news organisations across the media industry , as part of a partnership between the BBC and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on methodology , click here .
For the full dataset , click here .
Read more about the Local News Partnerships here .

He said more money would be needed to see it through the next six months with the furlough scheme coming to a close and many of the workers in the industry, such as sound technicians and tour managers, ineligible for government support.


bbcuk--2020-10-02--'It's hypocritical' - Constituents react to MP's Covid journey

BBC Scotland has asked people in Margaret Ferrier 's constituency about the MP 's decision to travel by train from @ @ @ @ @ positive for Covid-19 .
The SNP MP for Rutherglen and Hamilton West is under pressure @ @ @ @ @ Minister Nicola Sturgeon telling her daily coronavirus briefing that Ms Ferrier had been guilty of @ @ @ @ @ '' .

BBC Scotland has asked people in Margaret Ferrier's constituency about the MP's decision to travel by train from London to Scotland after testing positive for Covid-19.
The SNP MP for Rutherglen and Hamilton West is under pressure to resign, with First Minister Nicola Sturgeon telling her daily coronavirus briefing that Ms Ferrier had been guilty of the "worst breach imaginable".
Read more: Margaret Ferrier: Covid-positive MP faces calls to quit


bbcuk--2020-10-02--Coronavirus: Northern Ireland announces 934 new Covid-19 cases

A further 934 cases of Covid-19 in Northern Ireland have been announced by the Department of Health .
That is more than double the previous daily high of 424 on Wednesday .
One further death was recorded in the last 24 hours .
The number of hospital inpatients with the virus has dropped from 70 to 65 .
Health Minister Robin Swann told BBC News NI the rise in cases meants Belfast 's Nightingale hospital may need reactivated within weeks .
`` It is something we thought we would possibly have to do over the winter .
It now looks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Covid winter , '' he said .
Mr Swann said he was `` floored '' by the figures .
`` I 've run out of words to explain how shocked I was when I saw those figures , '' he said .
`` Our chief medical officer and chief scientific advisor were warning that we could get to 1,000 cases per day in two to three weeks , we 've got there today . ''
Mr Swann appealed to the public to see the figures `` as a wake up call '' and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ department to follow the Covid guidelines .
The figures come as Chief Scientific Adviser Prof Ian Young said Northern Ireland may need more than one Covid-19 `` circuit breaker '' this winter .
A circuit breaker is a lockdown for a short period of time , possibly two weeks , to slow the spread of the virus .
Friday 's figures show 201 new cases in the Derry and Strabane council area , 191 in Belfast and 182 in Newry and Mourne .
Derry and Strabane now has 422.8 cases per 100,000 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Northern Ireland as a whole 139.4 .
Mid and East Antrim now has the lowest rate in NI at 33.2 .
The man who died was in a hospital in the Armagh , Banbridge and Craigavon area .
Another record nobody wanted to break - today , the number of cases recorded is more than double the previous highest daily total .
That means that , in a week , Northern Ireland has recorded more than 2,600 new cases and has now had a total of 12,886 cases overall .
Two hundred @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Derry City and Strabane District Council .
It is now the second highest in the UK for cases per 100,000 , based on figures from two days ago ( 309/100,000 ) - a time lag Public Health England says is needed for the data to stabilise .
On Friday 's figures , it has an average of 422.6/100,000 .
The additional restrictions that have been put in place there will need at least a week to have any impact on numbers , and a fortnight to assess the scale of that impact .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ confirmed in Belfast and 182 in Newry , Mourne and Down council areas - places that have already caused concern in recent days .
What these confirmed case numbers tell the medical and public health experts is that , in the next fortnight , more people will need hospital treatment for Covid-19 .
And more hospital admissions may lead to more deaths .
The Department of Health has now recorded 12,886 positive cases - 2,623 of them in the last week ; 6.038 people were tested in the last 24 hours .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ since the pandemic began .
In the Republic of Ireland , 470 new cases of coronavirus were recorded on Friday , bringing the total number of positive cases to 37,063 .
One further death from Covid-19 was also recorded in the Republic .
The death toll stands at 1,801 .
Earlier , speaking on the Stephen Nolan Show , Prof Young said Northern Ireland was facing a difficult six months .
Another nine Covid-19 related deaths were registered in the week to 25 September , official figures show .
`` I think that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the executive will be able to consider to reduce the number of cases and the impact of the epidemic as we go through what 's going to be a difficult six months , '' Prof Young said .
`` I think one of those options , and probably one of the most effective , is certainly this idea of a circuit breaker or a relatively short-term lockdown .
`` I do n't think that a single period of lockdown or circuit breaker would be sufficient to get us right through the winter .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ it would be sensible to plan for the possibility of one or more period of circuit break over the course of this winter . ''
Prof Young said a wide range of options was being considered in terms of additional measures .
`` All of those will be weighed up by the executive alongside consideration of the economic damage of any of the interventions and the societal costs of any of the interventions . ''
He said while a circuit breaker might be more effective at a time when children were off school @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be contemplated at Christmas .
The number of deaths registered by the NI Statistics and Research Agency ( Nisra ) , is one more than the previous week , according to the latest bulletin .
It counts deaths where the virus is mentioned on the death certificate , and reports 901 deaths up to last Friday .
The Department of Health 's daily figure for the same date was 578 - more than 300 lower .
The figures from Nisra show 483 deaths in hospital , including the deaths of 81 people normally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ figure , and the 356 people who died in care homes , it means care home residents account for almost half of all Covid-19 related deaths ( 48.5 % ) .
Eight people died in hospices ( 0.9 % ) and 54 at residential or other locations ( 6.0 % ) .
People aged 75 and over account for 79 % of all Covid-19 related deaths , with almost a third of those who have died having a council area Belfast address ( 28.8 % ) .
The provisional number of all deaths @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 323 - 1 more than in the previous week ( 322 ) and 35 more than the five-year average ( 288 ) .
Those are deaths over and above what would normally be expected at the time of year , averaged over five years .
The agency says 1,216 'excess deaths ' have been registered in the past 26 weeks .
Meanwhile , the police have said that over the `` last short number of weeks '' they have issued 450 fines for people breaching regulations on house parties and a further 104 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ They have also issued 20 larger fines for people breaking quarantine .
ACC Alan Todd said while police have not issued any fines for people not wearing face coverings , they were working with retail premises and public transport on the issue .
He said police would use guidance from health experts to decide what areas to prioritise .
`` If the senior health adviser turned around tomorrow and said we 've got a real problem with face coverings in retail space , it would become tomorrow 's priority for policing , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ averse to issuing fines for people not wearing face coverings and I 'm sure as this develops and infection rates rise and priorities change that 'll we see some of that coming through .
`` But I think that needs to be driven legitimately and proportionately from the medical evidence . ''

"I think that there are a number of interventions that the executive will be able to consider to reduce the number of cases and the impact of the epidemic as we go through what's going to be a difficult six months," Prof Young said.


bbcuk--2020-10-02--Covid: Pandemic job hunt putting young lives 'on pause'

The Covid-19 pandemic has `` magnified '' barriers facing young people getting into work , a charity says .
A survey for the Prince 's Trust , which helps get young people into jobs , education and training , found 44 % of 16 to 25-year-olds questioned said their aspirations were now lower .
Half of those from poorer backgrounds said their future goals now seemed `` impossible '' to achieve .
Caitlyn Morgan , 20 , from Caerphilly , said her life was `` on pause '' .
Before lockdown , she was on a retail training programme in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it would have offered her a job to stay on if the virus had not hit .
`` You see how many people are now unemployed , not just young people , '' Ms Morgan said .
`` I have n't got as much experience as some people do in the workplace .
I 'm less likely to get a job .
`` It just puts your life on pause and you just feel like you 're stuck and there 's no way of getting out , '' she said .
Under the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a replacement for the furlough scheme , the government will subsidise wages of employees who can work at least a third of their usual hours .
Chancellor Rishi Sunak said the new scheme would `` support only viable jobs '' - but some people say their jobs were viable if it were not for the pandemic .
The most recent data showed the unemployment rate in Wales was 3.1 % , lower than the overall UK rate of 4.1 % .
But unemployment among young people has risen faster , reaching 13.4 % @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Using data on the uptake of universal credit and jobseeker 's allowance , BBC analysis found the proportion of young people on the benefits had doubled between March and June .
Ariane Brumwell was furloughed from a local newspaper in Cowbridge , Vale of Glamorgan , in March .
The 25-year-old was then told in August the newspaper was `` no longer viable '' and she was being made redundant .
`` I have no doubt in my mind that had it not been for Covid that I would still be in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
• Seven ways the young have been hit by Covid '' I started off applying for the roles I was interested in , so journalism , PR , social media-based roles .
`` But it 's got to a point now where because I 've got outgoings , and I 'm very aware Christmas is around the corner as well , it 's a case of applying for literally anything I can find . ''
Ms Brumwell said there were so many people in the same position as her that she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rejections or has been told she is `` overqualified '' for positions .
`` In terms of my career aspirations , it 's destroyed my motivation to an extent because I worked so hard in university and to find a journalism job years ago in the first place , '' she added .
Philip Jones , director of Prince 's Trust Cymru , said the pandemic had `` magnified '' issues among young people including `` low aspirations '' , `` low self-confidence '' and `` low self-esteem '' .
`` To think @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that their life goals are not just going to be difficult , not just going to be challenging , not just going to be laden with multiple hurdles but 'impossible ' is something we need to stand up and have a good look at , '' Mr Jones said .
He said some young people in Wales felt a `` geographic dislocation '' between where they live and `` where the opportunity is '' as well as feeling `` the mere notion of success is something they do n't feel attached to '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Prince 's Trust have helped people like Lauren Hughes build confidence .
The 20-year-old acting student from Rhondda Cynon Taf has been made redundant from two student jobs .
`` Obviously the world of theatre looks very different to what it did before the start of the pandemic , '' she said .
`` I 'm not going to stop myself following my dreams to become an actress .
My opinion has changed about how I 'm going to get into it , how hard it 's going to be .
`` I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ myself are questioning our futures , and there are a lot of young people who say ' I 'm scared about my future , I think I 'm going to be unemployed ' .
`` I think we need a lot more support from the government . ''
• A million young people may need help , says Prince Charles A UK Treasury spokesman said : `` The Job Support Scheme is designed to protect jobs in businesses facing lower demand over the winter due to Covid , and is just one form @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this difficult period . ''
He also said it was `` continuing to innovate in supporting incomes and employment through our Plan for Jobs , announced in July , helping employees get back to work through a £1,000 retention bonus and creating new roles for young people with our Kickstart Scheme '' .
You can see more on this story on Politics Wales on BBC One Wales at 13:15 BST on Sunday 4 October , and on the BBC iPlayer .

"To think that over half of young people think that their life goals are not just going to be difficult, not just going to be challenging, not just going to be laden with multiple hurdles but 'impossible' is something we need to stand up and have a good look at," Mr Jones said.


bbcuk--2020-10-02--Zef Eisenberg: Maximuscle founder dies in speed bid

Zef Eisenberg , who launched Maximuscle , died at Elvington Airfield , near York , where in 2006 ex-Top Gear presenter Richard Hammond crashed .
Motorsport UK said the 47-year-old 's car `` went out of control at high speed at the end of a run '' on Thursday .
Guernsey-based Mr Eisenberg was involved in a `` near-death '' 230mph crash at the same airfield in 2016 .
Motorsport UK said Mr Eisenberg was attempting to break the British land speed record in a Porsche 911 Turbo S when he was killed at about 16:30 BST .
The organisation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the motorsport community '' and confirmed a full investigation into the crash had begun .
• The millionaire who pushed the boundaries of speed Mr Eisenberg left behind his partner Mirella D'Antonio and two children , it added .
Sports nutrition firm Maximuscle said it was `` devastated '' at the news of the Mr Eisenberg 's death , who had `` worked tirelessly '' on his `` brain child '' during his ownership of the company .
Mr Eisenberg ran the Madmax Race Team , which attempts speed records with motorbikes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , in which he suffered 11 broken bones including his pelvis , he had set other speed records at the airfield .
He returned to racing in 2017 , despite concerns he would never walk again .
In 2019 , Mr Eisenberg set the record for the `` flying mile '' at Pendine Sands in Wales , stealing the crown from actor Idris Elba , who himself had broken the record in 2015 , after it had stood since 1927 , when Sir Malcolm Campbell set the pace .
He also holds a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 363kmh ) on a turbine-powered motorbike in 2015 , as well as three FIA records for speeds achieved on an electric motorbike .
The businessman , who left school after his GCSEs , founded Maximuscle in 1995 .
It was sold to pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline in 2011 for £162m .
Mr Eisenberg also presented ITV4 show Speed Freaks , which was aired last year .
ITV 's Satmohan Panesar said : `` Zef was a truly unique character whose passion for speed came across vividly in his presenting , and his personal and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and determination .
`` He will be missed enormously by everyone who worked with him and our condolences go to his friends and family . ''
Elvington was an RAF station until 1992 , and has become a popular motorsports venue since entering private ownership .
It has hosted dozens of world record attempts , and is also used as a filming location .

In 2019, Mr Eisenberg set the record for the "flying mile" at Pendine Sands in Wales, stealing the crown from actor Idris Elba, who himself had broken the record in 2015, after it had stood since 1927, when Sir Malcolm Campbell set the pace.


bbcuk--2020-10-03--Coronavirus: New restrictions for swathes of northern England

Tighter restrictions have come into force in parts of northern England after a spike in coronavirus cases .
It is now illegal to meet people indoors from other households in the Liverpool City Region , Hartlepool , Middlesbrough and Warrington .
Health Secretary Matt Hancock said it was `` necessary '' to bring the new measures , which includes places like pubs and restaurants , into force .
More than a third of the UK are now under heightened restrictions .
The new rules come as hundreds of Northumbria University students are self-isolating after testing positive for Covid .
After @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in April , confirmed coronavirus cases in the UK have been rising again since July , with the rate of growth increasing sharply from the end of August .
On Friday , another 6,968 people tested positive , slightly down from more than 7,000 a day earlier in the week .
Meanwhile , Germany has issued a warning to its citizens against travelling to Scotland and northern England because of increases in infections .
• How many cases are there in your area ?
• What are the Covid rules where you live @ @ @ @ @ @ @ week in Newcastle , Northumberland , Gateshead , North Tyneside , South Tyneside , Sunderland and County Durham , as well as four areas of north Wales .
• SOCIAL DISTANCING : How have rules on meeting friends changed ?
• SUPPORT BUBBLES : What are they and who can be in yours ?
• FACE MASKS : When do I need to wear one ?
• TESTING : How do I get a virus test ?
• SYMPTOMS : What are they and how to guard against them ?
Announcing the latest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Commons `` cases continue to rise fast '' in Teesside and the north-west of England .
Knowsley , an area in the Liverpool City Region , had the second highest infection rate in the country at 262 per 100,000 on 27 September .
Liverpool 's weekly infection rate rose to 258 , Warrington 's was 163 and Hartlepool and Middlesbrough both had 121 cases per 100,000 people .
Burnley , where no further restrictions are yet to be imposed beyond the Lancashire-wide ones already introduced , has the highest infection rate in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hancock also `` recommended against all social mixing between households '' , but said he wanted the restrictions to stay in place for `` as short a time as possible '' .
People in those areas should also : • Not attend professional or amateur sports events as spectators • People should not travel unless it is essential - for example to school and work The independent mayor of Middlesbrough said the changes would damage the local economy and people 's mental health .
But people in Liverpool had been expecting the tighter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's Today programme , Matt Ashton , director of public health for Liverpool , acknowledged there were `` so many different rules , so many different regulations , it is confusing for people to understand '' .
He added : `` We need to move the conversation now to people really understanding the risk of Covid in our communities ... to do the right thing and just to minimise their contact with other people as much as possible . ''
Andy McDonald , Labour MP for Middlesbrough , said it was `` imperative @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' the new measures but called for `` improvement in communication '' between the government and local councils .
He said : `` These restrictions have been imposed without due consideration or dialogue .
We have no idea of what exit strategy is planned or what achievements have to be attained in order to see these restrictions lifted .
It is simply not good enough . ''
Alice Wiseman , director of public health for Gateshead , said introducing new restrictions was a `` tricky balance '' but was about putting a `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to keep as much of the economy open while reducing the transmission of the virus '' .
A spokesman for Northumbria University , in Newcastle , confirmed 770 students had tested positive for coronavirus , 78 of whom are symptomatic .
All infected students , and their close contacts , are self-isolating for 14 days in line with government guidance .
It comes as people arriving in the UK from Turkey and Poland now have to quarantine for two weeks .
The new rules - which also apply to the Caribbean islands of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ came into force at 04:00 BST on Saturday .

Andy Bostwick said: "It's very frustrating that you can go to work with people but you then can't go for a beer with them after work, which is something I do quite a lot on Friday with the lads."


bbcuk--2020-10-03--Heavy rain brings flood risk warning for UK homeowners

Homes and businesses in parts of the UK face the risk of flooding this weekend amid heavy rain , forecasters say .
The Met Office has issued amber warnings for parts of eastern Scotland , the West Midlands , south-west England and most of Wales .
It says deep and fast-flowing floodwater may pose a `` danger to life '' in some areas and there is a `` good chance '' communities will be cut off .
Yellow less severe warnings for rain affect much of the rest of the country .
It comes after Storm Alex , which caused @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and rain to southern England on Friday .
A gust of 71mph ( 114km/h ) was recorded at Berry Head on the Devon coast during the day .
The warnings of floodwater and potential for communities to be cut off relates to areas covered by an amber warning .
The weekend will see a `` spell of challenging and disruptive weather '' and Saturday will be `` a very wet and cold day for many '' , said Met Office deputy chief meteorologist Laura Ellam .
The amber warnings are in force until @ @ @ @ @ @ @ heavy rain is expected to continue until about noon as the stormy conditions push north and west .
The wind direction associated with the rainfall is `` unusual '' and rainfall is likely to occur in some areas that are normally well sheltered and drier , the Met Office said .
It added buses and trains may face delays or cancellations , because of `` difficult '' driving conditions and drains could become blocked with debris , as trees are now in full leaf .
Carol Holt from the Environment Agency said `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to lead to flooding .
The forecasts are for 25-50mm ( 1-2 inch ) of rainfall in many areas , but 40-70mm in Scotland , and 70-90mm possible over higher ground in Wales and south-west England .
There is the potential for more than 120mm of rain on some of the most exposed high ground of Snowdonia and Exmoor and higher ground in Scotland .

The wind direction associated with the weekend's rainfall is "unusual" and rainfall was likely to occur in some areas that are normally well sheltered and drier, the Met Office said.


bbcuk--2020-10-03--Conservatives to set up second HQ in Leeds

The Conservatives plan to open a second headquarters in Leeds , the party 's co-chairman will announce later .
The new HQ - a northern counterpart to Conservative Campaign Headquarters in London - is expected to open next year , Amanda Milling will say , as she opens the party 's `` virtual conference '' .
Some MPs have urged the PM to set out a broad post-Brexit vision for the party .
It comes as Boris Johnson has promised low-deposit mortgages to help young people get onto the housing ladder .
In an interview with the Daily Telegraph ahead @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the prime minister said he had asked ministers to work up plans for encouraging long-term fixed-rate mortgages with 5 % deposits .
`` We need mortgages that will help people really get on the housing ladder even if they have only a very small amount to pay by way of deposit , the 95 % mortgages , '' he said .
`` I think it could be absolutely revolutionary , particularly for young people . ''
• Worried Tories pining for the 'Old Boris' • Everybody got 'complacent ' over virus , suggests @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Westminster , London , is where general election campaigns are run .
It was known for many years at Conservative Central Office .
According to BBC political correspondent Iain Watson , it houses press officers who undertake the more political tasks which civil servants can not do - including attacking opponents and rebutting opponents ' attacks .
It also liaises with the `` voluntary party '' - the grassroots foot soldiers - and raises funds for national campaigning .
The Conservatives argue that the new Leeds headquarters will reinforce their commitment to deliver @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the party for the first time at the general election in December .
`` This new headquarters will provide the party with a base at the heart of the blue wall , '' Ms Milling will say .
`` Because we 're in it for the long haul .
`` We 're determined to make the blue wall part of the fabric of our party and our country .
`` The best way we can deliver for people there is to be there . ''
One of the stated aims of the virtual @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is listening to those voters who said they were merely lending their support to the Conservatives .
There will be a lot of talk about `` levelling up '' - in other words , doing more to spread investment and opportunity beyond London and the South East .
But some recently elected Conservative MPs believe the term is vague and not easily understood by voters .
One of the 2019 intake told our correspondent : `` We need to put flesh on the bones of this agenda - it has be about more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stations . ''
Another said the prime minister had to `` raise his sights '' and provide a longer-term vision , amid concerns over narrowing polls .
Mr Johnson told the Telegraph that he was determined to press ahead with a `` massive domestic agenda '' and deliver on Conservative manifesto promises , despite the ongoing coronavirus crisis .
The prime minister has promised to create `` Generation Buy '' with low-deposit mortgages to help get young people onto the housing ladder .
He has also insisted he remains a low-tax , libertarian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the pandemic through a `` free market-led recovery '' .
Meanwhile , Mr Johnson dismissed newspaper reports that he and Chancellor Rishi Sunak were now rivals as `` genuinely untrue '' .
`` We are as one , '' he said .
Asked about his coronavirus strategy , the prime minister said `` all of this is being kept under constant review '' .
`` If we make progress , all of these measures are capable of being changed , '' he said .
New rules , such as restricting gatherings to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ opening hours for hospitality venues , are among the national measures that have been introduced around the UK .
• UK coronavirus cases up by 6,968 on Friday • What are the Covid rules where you live ?
Mr Johnson also offered some weight loss advice , after losing more than two stone following his experience contracting coronavirus earlier this year .
According to the paper , he now weighs 15st 8lbs - having been 17st 6lbs - and said his top tip was `` eat less , move more , weigh less @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he has hired a personal trainer to lose weight after acknowledging he was `` too fat '' when he caught Covid-19 .
You may remember that the Conservatives pledged to build 40 new hospitals in their 2019 election manifesto .
On the eve of the party conference , the prime minister confirmed £3.7bn in funding for the project - an increase on the £2.8bn previously announced .
Six Hospital Trusts had already been promised £2.7bn in funding while 21 others were given a share of £100m in seed funding to develop proposals .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ will all be fully-funded to deliver 25 new hospitals .
A new hospital at Shotley Bridge in Durham has been added to the list and the government is also inviting bids for a further eight schemes .
They say these new schemes mean 48 hospitals will be delivered by 2030 .
• TEST AND TRACE EXPOSED : Panorama hears from whistleblowers working on the coronavirus tracking system • LOVE LIFE : Fancy an escape ?
Watch the addictive new series starring Anna Kendrick

"We need mortgages that will help people really get on the housing ladder even if they have only a very small amount to pay by way of deposit, the 95% mortgages," he said.


bbcuk--2020-10-03--Brexit: PM and EU chief to hold call over post-Brexit trade deal

Prime Minister Boris Johnson and EU Commission president Ursula von der Leyen will speak in a video call later , after negotiations over a post-Brexit trade deal broke up without agreement .
Both sides are calling on the other to compromise on key issues , including fishing and government subsidies .
Mr Johnson told the Daily Telegraph chances of a deal are `` very good '' if everyone `` exercises some common sense '' .
He also said he remains `` optimistic '' about a Canada-style relationship .
It comes after Mrs von der Leyen called for talks to `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an October deadline to settle their differences .
• What are the sticking points in Brexit trade talks ?
• Brexit deal must be made , says business boss • Trade talks : What do the UK and EU want ?
After six months of trade talks with the EU , the UK 's top negotiator Lord Frost claims the outlines of an agreement are visible .
But without further compromise from the EU , he warns , differences over the contentious topic of fishing may be impossible to bridge .
Downing Street @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no deal on fish , there will be no deal at all .
Mrs von der Leyen has said she hopes the video call with the prime minister on Saturday afternoon will create a pathway to securing an agreement , but she is likely to tell him the UK must show more willingness to abide by EU competition rules to gain full access to the single market .
It has long been assumed an intervention at the highest political level would be needed to get a breakthrough .
And according to the BBC @ @ @ @ @ @ @ guaranteed topic of conversation will be Downing Street 's insistence that it will override parts of the Brexit divorce deal which was agreed last year .
Although the government insists this is only a safety net to protect the peace process in Northern Ireland , the EU says it will refuse to sign any new trade agreement as long as the most controversial parts of the internal market bill remain in place .
Speaking to the Telegraph , the prime minister said the chances of a deal `` are very good if everybody @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the deal that is there to be done '' .
He added that the UK had always been `` very clear what we want - we want a Canada-style relationship '' .
`` We have been members for 45 years , and I do n't see why they ca n't have the same deal with us , so I 'm pretty optimistic , '' he said .
News of the talks between Boris Johnson and Ursula von der Leyen is significant and Saturday can not be dismissed as more blah blah in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of course , as to why the prime minister and the EU Commission president have suddenly scheduled their digital tête-à-tête .
In general , it 's interpreted as a positive sign .
The accepted wisdom has always been that negotiating teams can only make so much progress .
And that the final push - the politically tough decisions on how much to compromise on the final sticking points - would have to come from up high .
But we 're not there yet .
It 's possible the prime minister and Mrs von @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who is really willing to make what compromises on the final outstanding issues .
For now , the why 's and what 's of Saturday 's talks are pure speculation .
The only thing we know for sure : the UK and EU say they want a deal - though not at any price .
Yet if and when a deal eventually emerges , both sides will have had to make compromises .
Read more from Katya here .
The UK formally left the EU in January , but entered a transition period @ @ @ @ @ @ @ EU trading rules and remained inside its customs union and single market - to allow the two sides to negotiate a trade deal .
Formal talks began in March and continued throughout the pandemic , but there has been concerns over whether a plan would be agreed before that period runs out on 31 December .
Issues that have become particular sticking points between negotiators are state aid - where governments give financial support to businesses - and fishing rules .
The EU has said a deal must be reached before the end @ @ @ @ @ @ @ signed off by the member states before the end of the year , while Mr Johnson has said both sides should `` move on '' if agreement was not reached by the middle of the month .
If a deal is not done , the UK will go on to trade with the bloc on World Trade Organisation rules .
In a statement , Lord Frost said the final round of negotiations had been `` constructive '' but `` familiar differences remain '' .
On fishing , he said the gap was `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ called for the EU to `` move further before an understanding can be reached '' on state aid .
The negotiator added : `` I am concerned that there is very little time now to resolve these issues ahead of the European Council on 15 October [ the deadline set by the PM to reach a deal ] .
`` For our part , we continue to be fully committed to working hard to find solutions , if they are there to be found . ''
His EU counterpart Michel Barnier agreed the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ constructive and respectful atmosphere '' , with some `` positive new developments on some topics '' - such as aviation safety and police cooperation .
But he said there was `` a lack of progress on some important topics '' , such as climate change commitments , `` as well as persistent serious divergences on matters of major importance for the European Union '' , including state aid and fishing .
He added : `` We will continue to maintain a calm and respectful attitude , and we will remain united and determined @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' • TEST AND TRACE EXPOSED : Panorama hears from whistleblowers working on the coronavirus tracking system • LOVE LIFE : Fancy an escape ?
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Asked about potential compromises that could be made, Mr Johnson said: "The balance of trade is overwhelmingly on the side of the EU in the sense that they export much more to us than we do to them, certainly in manufacturing goods, and so we think there is a big opportunity for both sides to do well."


bbcuk--2020-10-03--Covid: Faith groups' singing studied for coronavirus risk

Faith communities are being invited to take part in a study of the role singing plays in spreading coronavirus .
Participants will be asked to sing at different volumes , and lasers will be used to detect and measure the droplets they produce .
Researchers will then look into how many droplets are blocked by different types of face covering .
The hope is this can inform guidance to allow worshippers to return to communal singing safely .
The team will also collect information about how Covid-19 has affected the experiences of prayer for different faith groups .
Prof Laurence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at University College London ( UCL ) , is asking participants to complete a questionnaire on how their practice of worship has changed during the pandemic .
They will be asked about their usual involvement in communal prayer and their experiences of worship since March , when restrictions on meeting and travel were introduced .
From the respondents , a group of people will be selected to `` sing , chant or hum '' in front of a bright laser light and a high-speed camera , which will detect tiny droplets of moisture @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
There is evidence that coronavirus can be spread through these particles .
The light will enable the droplets to be seen , and a camera that flashes 7,000 times a second will record them .
Singing was suggested as a high-risk activity for spreading coronavirus after outbreaks were linked to choir groups .
Current guidance states singing should be `` limited to the performers , and worship should not include congregational singing '' .
It continues : `` People should avoid singing , shouting and raising voices .
This is because of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from aerosol and droplets . ''
But more recent research has suggested it might be the volume , rather than the activity of singing itself , that determines the risk level .
Prof Lovat plans to test this by asking participants to sing at different volumes and measuring the differences in the aerosols they produce .
He plans to recruit people of different sizes , heights , sexes , ages and ethnicities - as well as those with and without facial hair .
• What is the future of religious worship in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pandemic has significantly changed many people 's daily or weekly worshipping routines , affecting their ability to pray , enjoy group discussion or take part in singing or chanting , '' he said .
`` Our study aims to establish how the practice of worship has changed and find out what the risk of Covid-19 transmission is when singing , chanting or humming with or without a face mask .
`` We 'll have a better understanding of what 's acceptable and what is n't , '' he said .
Michelle Sint , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the study , said she wanted to take part to find out whether it was possible to `` sing without putting people at risk '' .
`` There 's something very uplifting about singing as a community in one voice , '' she said , adding that it was `` an integral part of the atmosphere and the worship '' .
For Junaid Shah , singing and communal prayer does not play such a large role in his Muslim faith , but he wanted to contribute in order to aid other communities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to him to `` highlight the importance of communal worship , even in these times '' .
`` More than anything it 's a support network .
It 's about not feeling isolated . ''

Michelle Sint, who is Jewish and has already enrolled in the study, said she wanted to take part to find out whether it was possible to "sing without putting people at risk".


bbcuk--2020-10-03--Covid: Pandemic job hunt putting young lives 'on pause'

The Covid-19 pandemic has `` magnified '' barriers facing young people getting into work , a charity has said .
A survey for the Prince 's Trust , which helps get young people into jobs , education and training , found 44 % of 16 to 25-year-olds questioned said their aspirations were now lower .
Half of those from poorer backgrounds said their future goals now seemed `` impossible '' to achieve .
One 25-year-old said she was applying for any role after losing her job .
Ariane Brumwell was furloughed from a local newspaper in Cowbridge , Vale of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ then told in August the newspaper was `` no longer viable '' and she was being made redundant .
`` I have no doubt in my mind that had it not been for Covid that I would still be in work and still reporting , '' she said .
`` I started off applying for the roles I was interested in , so journalism , PR , social media-based roles .
`` But it 's got to a point now where because I 've got outgoings , and I 'm very aware Christmas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it 's a case of applying for literally anything I can find . ''
Ms Brumwell said there were so many people in the same position as her that she often does not get feedback from job rejections or has been told she is `` overqualified '' for positions .
`` In terms of my career aspirations , it 's destroyed my motivation to an extent because I worked so hard in university and to find a journalism job years ago in the first place , '' she added .
Under the UK @ @ @ @ @ @ @ replacement for the furlough scheme , the government will subsidise wages of employees who can work at least a third of their usual hours .
Chancellor Rishi Sunak said the new scheme would `` support only viable jobs '' - but some people say their jobs were viable if it were not for the pandemic .
The most recent data showed the unemployment rate in Wales was 3.1 % , lower than the overall UK rate of 4.1 % .
But unemployment among young people has risen faster , reaching 13.4 % of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Using data on the uptake of universal credit and jobseeker 's allowance , BBC analysis found the proportion of young people on the benefits had doubled between March and June .
Caitlyn Morgan , 20 , from Caerphilly , said her life was `` on pause '' .
Before lockdown , she was on a retail training programme in Cardiff , at a business that said it would have offered her a job to stay on if the virus had not hit .
`` You see how many people are now unemployed , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Morgan said .
`` I have n't got as much experience as some people do in the workplace .
I 'm less likely to get a job .
`` It just puts your life on pause and you just feel like you 're stuck and there 's no way of getting out , '' she said .
• Seven ways the young have been hit by Covid Philip Jones , director of Prince 's Trust Cymru , said the pandemic had `` magnified '' issues among young people including `` low aspirations '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ low self-esteem '' .
`` To think that over half of young people think that their life goals are not just going to be difficult , not just going to be challenging , not just going to be laden with multiple hurdles but 'impossible ' is something we need to stand up and have a good look at , '' Mr Jones said .
He said some young people in Wales felt a `` geographic dislocation '' between where they live and `` where the opportunity is '' as well as feeling `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they do n't feel attached to '' .
Programmes run by groups like the Prince 's Trust have helped people like Lauren Hughes build confidence .
The 20-year-old acting student from Rhondda Cynon Taf has been made redundant from two student jobs .
`` Obviously the world of theatre looks very different to what it did before the start of the pandemic , '' she said .
`` I 'm not going to stop myself following my dreams to become an actress .
My opinion has changed about how I 'm going to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's going to be .
`` I think a lot of young people like myself are questioning our futures , and there are a lot of young people who say ' I 'm scared about my future , I think I 'm going to be unemployed ' .
`` I think we need a lot more support from the government . ''
• A million young people may need help , says Prince Charles A UK Treasury spokesman said : `` The Job Support Scheme is designed to protect jobs in businesses facing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Covid , and is just one form of support on offer to employers during this difficult period . ''
He also said it was `` continuing to innovate in supporting incomes and employment through our Plan for Jobs , announced in July , helping employees get back to work through a £1,000 retention bonus and creating new roles for young people with our Kickstart Scheme '' .
You can see more on this story on Politics Wales on BBC One Wales at 13:15 BST on Sunday 4 October , and on the BBC @ @


bbcuk--2020-10-03--Covid-19: Ipswich nurse's triplets pregnancy felt 'stolen'

While Mr and Mrs Steele have been enjoying the early days of parenting and establishing a new routine , Mrs @ @ @ @ @ hard for other family members who have not been able to be with them as @ @ @ @ @ place .

While Mr and Mrs Steele have been enjoying the early days of parenting and establishing a new routine, Mrs Steele said it had been hard for other family members who have not been able to be with them as coronavirus restrictions are still in place.


bbcuk--2020-10-03--Abandoned dog loves new life on the Lake District fells

A dog which was abandoned in Cyprus is enjoying her new life in the Lake District .
Cher was found @ @ @ @ @ outside Dali Dog Rescue pound in 2016 .
Hayley Leece , from Ambleside , adopted @ @ @ @ @ online and she was flown to the UK to start her new life .
Hayley @ @ @ @ @ and her partner Tom 's life `` in every single possible way and in the @ @ @ @ @ The 38-year-old , who takes part in a number of events to raise money for @ @ @ @ @ Cher doing so well in her new home is `` really , really rewarding '' @

A dog which was abandoned in Cyprus is enjoying her new life in the Lake District.
Cher was found tied up petrified and exhausted outside Dali Dog Rescue pound in 2016.
Hayley Leece, from Ambleside, adopted her after seeing the photos online and she was flown to the UK to start her new life.
Hayley said she has changed her and her partner Tom's life "in every single possible way and in the best possible way".
The 38-year-old, who takes part in a number of events to raise money for the shelter, says seeing Cher doing so well in her new home is "really, really rewarding".


bbcuk--2020-10-02--Missing cockatiel returns after singing Addams Family

`` He sings The Addams Family - that 's his favourite song - so I put it on full blast @ @ @ @ @ it out and drive around the estate , all the windows down , hoping to @ @ @ @ @

"He sings The Addams Family - that's his favourite song - so I put it on full blast in my car and blare it out and drive around the estate, all the windows down, hoping to get him back."


bbcuk--2020-10-03--Coronavirus: Are you prepared for a second lockdown?

Squatting with Joe Wicks .
Online quizzing .
The elusive hunt for a bag of self-raising flour .
It seems only yesterday that the UK was plunged into a national lockdown .
Prime Minister Boris Johnson says he does n't want another full lockdown but national measures may need to be tightened and in many areas local lockdowns are already in place .
Throughout lockdown we spoke to people in different situations to find out how they were dealing with life in a pandemic .
So what did they learn ?
And how will they cope with whatever might come @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Simms , 28 , lives with five housemates in north London .
She spoke to us in March about living in a shared house .
Having lost all her work at the beginning of lockdown she says she 's better prepared .
I 've deleted all of my social media .
It was just too much .
I put on a bit of weight in lockdown and hurt my ankle so could n't exercise and my self-esteem was getting down because I was seeing all these perfect people and bodies .
So I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and I just feel more present in the day now .
I lost my work totally at the beginning of lockdown and I missed the furlough scheme by three days .
What I really learned is that you have to protect your mental health .
I swore quite a lot , but I did n't cry , I did n't feel deflated .
I know I want to do more work as an actor , working on films and in television .
I write every single morning now .
I 've learned to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of times that I 've wanted to complain to my housemates about something and had to bite my tongue - and then you find out that person is really struggling .
We also got into a really good habit of cooking together .
I 'm really more confident now , maybe more than I was at the start of lockdown .
I 'm ready now .
Nick , a father-of-two from Kent , lives with anxiety and in March told us lockdown led to panic attacks .
He says he 's found ways @ @ @ @ @ @ @ At the start of lockdown I 'd go to bed with worries and they 'd still be there waiting for me when I woke up .
Like when you ca n't get a song out of your head .
Now I keep a notepad by my bed and write down my thoughts .
I 've learnt that distraction and also talking to people about your anxiety is the best way to deal with it .
I 've been kept busy working from home and I now know when to go to bed , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ watching the news .
I 've stopped catastrophising .
I 've started going out for long bike rides on Sundays with other local dads and taken up tennis .
But I 'm more optimistic about the future than last time .
It might take a year or two , but it will be OK. Angela Steatham , from Llanrhaeadr-ym-Mochnant , in Wales , has chronic lymphocytic leukaemia and is `` 99 % '' still shielding .
She still rarely leaves the house and has had to rethink her entire life .
I can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and not even realise the time by just being immersed in my painting .
I thought to myself I need to see lockdown as an enforced early retirement .
So that 's what I did .
I always said when I retired I would move to Wales and start to paint and read again .
Well , I was already living in Wales , so I started painting .
In the early stages I was angry and I was bitter I felt powerless and that I had lost my independence as a person @ @ @ @ @ @ @ woman to totally losing my independence and I was struggling .
But then I decided I had to change my mentality .
I think now I 've taken control of my lifestyle .
Instead of seeing all the things that have been taken away from me I am trying to focus on the things I 'd been granted .
The only thing that I really really miss and feel sad about is not being able to see or hug my son .
That has been heartbreaking .
'We dance and take walks' Single @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Paignton , faced her first pregnancy alone and in self-isolation .
While the first few weeks with her son , Troy , were a struggle , she is now enjoying motherhood .
Troy and I listen to the radio , or music , and have a sing-a-long or dance on a regular basis .
And we take walks .
It 's really good to be out in nature , taking in the surroundings and distancing yourself from the worry of the pandemic .
What I 've learned from lockdown is to just go @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nothing is guaranteed and everything changes daily .
Just check in with yourself every now and then and try your best to think positively , as nothing is permanent .
It has given me the opportunity to focus on my own postnatal needs and getting to know my baby and bond at my own pace .
I will try to meet up with other mums to socialise but I 've always got this constant anxiety about the virus .
For now , I 'm just making the most of my time I have @ @ @ @ @ @ @

What I've learned from lockdown is to just go with the flow of life, as nothing is guaranteed and everything changes daily. Just check in with yourself every now and then and try your best to think positively, as nothing is permanent. It has given me the opportunity to focus on my own postnatal needs and getting to know my baby and bond at my own pace.


bbcuk--2020-10-03--London Marathon 2020: Months late and mostly not in London

When the annual London Marathon starts this Sunday , 4 October , it will look worlds away from previous editions of the race .
The UK 's coronavirus lockdown forced the April race to be delayed for six months , and only a handful runners , all elite , will be taking part on the official course around St James 's Park in central London .
The 45,000 other participants will run or walk a marathon ( 26.2 miles , or 42km ) at a time and place of their choosing on Sunday , logging their progress on an app @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a much-revered medal .
If there is an advantage , it 's that people from around UK , and across the world , can make their front door the start and finish line .
Here are some of their stories .
Gill Silverthorn has had a few odd looks from people while preparing for her proxy London Marathon , which will take place along coastal paths and promenades around Penzance , Cornwall .
Gill , a semi-retired shop owner who lives in Sennen Cove , laughs as she describes the facial expressions of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ running earlier this week - in her 10kg rhino costume .
`` They probably thought they 'd had one too many beers last night , '' the 60-year-old says .
While it might be a comical sight to behold , wearing the costume is no laughing matter .
`` You run along holding the head still so you 're in a really difficult running style .
You 're hunched over .
You sort of have to crane your neck to see .
And you must n't swing around because your head is so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the path , '' says Gill .
Gill , who has just about recovered from the blisters she got while doing 2,000 laps of her patio on the day the marathon should have gone ahead in April , will have her husband Kevin on hand to steer her around any obstacles - `` pavement , bicycle , pedestrian or whatever '' .
She hopes wearing the cumbersome costume will be worth it to raise awareness for Save the Rhino .
`` You get people coming up taking photos , the kids love @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ask what it 's all about . ''
'We 'll be starting at midnight' Around the time Gill will pull her costume on on Sunday morning , Sue Flynn hopes to already be crossing the virtual finish line .
Runners must start and finish their run between 00:00 BST and 23:59 on Sunday - and Sue , 49 , is setting off as the clock strikes midnight .
The manager for PricewaterhouseCoopers persuaded her five fellow runners to get the race out of the way as early as possible so that she can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Army training base in Pirbright , Surrey , later that day .
She 's not daunted by the night-time excursion because she 's done plenty of miles in the dark during previous winter training sessions with her local club , Coulsdon Runners .
Sue and her fellow club runners will have an afternoon nap on Saturday , a big meal at 18:00 BST , and then set off , at a safe distance from each other , at midnight .
The group has picked a route that repeatedly loops back to a pet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ owned by another running pal - which will act a base for the inevitable pit stops needed during the seven-hour-ish effort of running and walking .
Sue , who is originally from Australia but lives in Purley , `` really missed everybody '' at the club during lockdown - and she 's found training for the virtual marathon a great way to reconnect .
The experience also means Sue can add to her tattoo collection .
She 's got inked tributes to each of the previous other three marathons she 's done - @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her leg , and is excited to add something `` a little bit different '' to the mix .
• ' I run lockdown marathons in the dead of night' Sue is n't the only one who will be starting early - in UK time , at least .
Elizabeth Gallagher lives in Brisbane , on Australia 's east coast , so it 'll be 3am UK time - and midday in Brisbane - when she starts her race .
Elizabeth , 36 , had n't been running during lockdown , but when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so excited '' and took the plunge .
`` It was midnight here and I just booked straight away .
And then the next morning I thought 'Oh no , what have I done ? '
'' she says .
Since then , training has been going well .
But Elizabeth does feel wistful about being 10,000 miles ( 16,000km ) away from the usual start line in Greenwich , south-east London , near where she lived in 2017 and 2018 .
`` I really wish I was there now .
I 've @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so they 'd be out .
Fundraising would have been easier .
The weather would 've been much nicer too , '' she says .
As Brisbane 's spring creeps towards summer , Elizabeth has been doing dawn training sessions to avoid the heat of the day .
But a forecast of 27C for Sunday morning and rain in the afternoon means she plans to set off in the middle of the day .
`` It was a decision between getting sunburnt or getting a bit of rain .
I went for rain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for Queensland 's government , says the event will be pretty low key for her , and hopes for the simple post-race luxury of fish and chips on the waterfront with her boyfriend .
As is the wish for many people on their first marathon , Elizabeth says : `` I just want to finish . ''
On the other end of the spectrum of marathon experience is Chris Finill .
Chris , 61 , is one of the `` Ever Presents '' - a group of only 10 people who have completed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1981 .
He turns up to the race year in , year out , because it gives him a `` sense of continuity and connection '' .
`` When I ran my first London I was 22 , an undergraduate at university , and now I 'm semi-retired .
My parents died long ago but they would come up and watch me when they were around , and my children first went to the London Marathon when they were three months old and now they 're all in their mid-20s or early 30s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ life , it 's always been there , '' he says .
Chris had hoped the Ever Presents might be allowed to run in central London , where the elite runners will be competing , as representatives of the non-elite field .
But he points out that most of the veterans are over 70 , and therefore at higher risk of a serious coronavirus infection .
`` It 's not the way any of us want to run our 40th Londons but under the circumstances , it 's the very best we can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is the finance bursar at the Duke of Kent School in Ewhurst , Surrey .
Chris , who lives in Cranleigh , has had his fair share of bizarre experiences while running London - such as the brutal 2018 edition which he finished in a haze of pain after breaking his arm in four places just 3.5 miles in .
But this year completing the race by running laps of Dunsfold Aerodrome in Surrey - Top Gear 's test track - will be up there with the most memorable .
As fun as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Chris is hoping the virtual race will be just `` an interesting blip in London 's history - whereas at the moment it feels like an enormous cliff face that we 're all facing '' .
`` It will be more meaningful to get to the finish on Sunday than it would be in a normal year because most people 's journeys to get to the start line have been pretty difficult - let alone the race itself , '' he said .
`` So I think we 'll all feel a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we cross that finish line . ''
Are you running the marathon ?
Tell us about how and where you are taking part by emailing haveyoursay @ bbc.co.uk .
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"When I ran my first London I was 22, an undergraduate at university, and now I'm semi-retired. My parents died long ago but they would come up and watch me when they were around, and my children first went to the London Marathon when they were three months old and now they're all in their mid-20s or early 30s. So the whole of my adult life, it's always been there," he says.


bbcuk--2020-10-02--Covid-19 left me jobless - but what happened next?

Back in the springtime , when Covid-19 was tightening its grip on the UK , the BBC spoke to a number of people whose jobs were facing the axe as a result of the virus .
So how have they fared on the jobs front in the past six months ?
The BBC went back to talk to them to find out how they are getting on .
When Katherine Densham first spoke to the BBC at Exeter airport in early March , she was understandably upset .
The airline Flybe , her employer of 13 years , had just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Katherine and the good friends she 'd made through work were being made redundant .
Flybe was described as one of the first corporate casualties of the coronavirus outbreak .
A few weeks later , lockdown restrictions were brought in and vast swathes of the UK economy ground to a halt .
Half a year later , Katherine 's job search continues .
At Flybe , she worked part-time on set days .
The youngest of her three children is only two and therefore not yet entitled to free childcare .
• 'We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is no help for us' • What jobs are available post-lockdown ?
Finding something similar in her local area has seemed impossible .
`` You 'd think I 'd have transferrable skills , but no-one wants to take on part-time staff , '' she says .
`` A lot of the companies I looked at had halted recruitment , because they just did n't know what would happen .
`` Other jobs were minimum wage , meaning it would cost me more in childcare to return to work .
I used to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ find anything on the same level without going back and retraining . ''
Her husband works in the hospitality sector .
He was furloughed and has now returned to work .
But Katherine is finding it hard to be optimistic about her situation .
`` I just feel really lost .
I 've started decorating the house to keep myself busy .
The government keep saying about supporting young people , but what about people who are n't very young any more ?
I could n't afford to go back to college to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ adds : `` We can still pay the bills for now , so I feel lucky compared to a lot of people . ''
When Junior Stewart from Luton spoke to the BBC in April , he was n't sure how he and his family would get by .
Previously self-employed , he 'd recently got a job in sales .
The idea was to provide a more stable income , with his wife expecting their third child .
However , at the end of February , he was made redundant , having @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be furloughed .
`` While I was looking for work , we were surviving on my wife 's maternity pay and Universal Credit - which took more than five weeks to arrive and did n't cover our outgoings , '' he says .
`` It was really difficult .
Then when she returned to work and was furloughed , the UC disappeared . ''
He adds : `` People did approach me on LinkedIn about work and I had a few final-stage interviews .
It felt like employers were being hesitant , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : one employer pulled a job I 'd applied for .
`` Perhaps I could have got a job delivering pizzas , but with a young baby at home , I was worried about catching Covid . ''
By July , he had decided to learn new skills in the hope of pursuing his own new business venture .
`` I took an online course and gained a diploma in digital marketing , with a distinction .
I do n't think I can put my eggs in one basket by relying on an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's now planning to launch an internet marketing training business , in the hope of helping others start their own online enterprises .
`` I want to help people who are unemployed have something else . ''
Data from the Office for National Statistics suggests some 695,000 UK workers have disappeared from the payrolls of British companies since March , when the coronavirus lockdown began .
The unemployment rate grew to 4.1 % in the three months to July , But not all industries have shed jobs .
For example , firms which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Tesco , have recruited more .
David Davies from Runcorn has been a driving instructor for 16 years .
`` The lockdown shut the door on my income , '' he says .
Given his driving experience , he looked around for supermarket delivery jobs .
After a few weeks , he found one with Iceland .
`` It was still quite hard to get , but I started with Iceland in April .
It was initially on a zero-hours basis and I now have a permanent 7.5 hour contract .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a week .
`` It 's been hard work , but I 've really enjoyed it .
Even now I have been able to give driving lessons again , there 's no way I 'm giving up the Iceland job .
`` Everything 's so uncertain , especially because our area was on the latest list for new coronavirus restrictions .
And although it was initially a matter of necessity , I 've actually enjoyed having both jobs . ''
Sian Melonie was interviewed by the BBC in May .
Her contract for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ renewed and she did not qualify for the Self-Employed Income Support scheme .
Sian spent April , May and June hunting in vain for work , before landing another marketing contract , this time with a large consumer goods company .
That will soon end after three months .
With a recruitment freeze in place , Sian does n't expect it to be extended .
`` It feels like it 's come about too soon and I 'm back where I was in April , '' she says .
`` It 's déjà @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there are challenging times ahead again , with further restrictions coming in .
But I 'll ask the agency to find another contract .
I am trying to stay positive . ''
The uncertainty over her income and her relationship ending means Sian has decided to give up her current rented flat .
`` I 'm weighing up my options .
I do n't want to be forced to move back home , that would feel like a real step back .
This has all reinforced my view that it 's important to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ''

Previously self-employed, he'd recently got a job in sales. The idea was to provide a more stable income, with his wife expecting their third child. However, at the end of February, he was made redundant, having not been in the job long enough to be furloughed.


bbcuk--2020-10-03--Coronavirus testing: What is a false positive?

There has been a lot of talk on social media about `` false positive '' test results after several commentators suggested they might be seriously skewing the coronavirus figures - but that is based on a misunderstanding of the impact of false positives .
Talk Radio host Julia Hartley-Brewer has claimed that `` nine out of 10 of the positive cases of Covid we are finding in the community when we do random testing , when anyone just puts themselves forward , will be wrong .
They will not be people who have got coronavirus . ''
Could it be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from tests in the community - that means tests not carried out in hospitals - are false ?
The answer is `` no '' - there is no way that so-called false positives have had such an impact on the figures .
Hartley-Brewer referred to both `` random testing '' and `` anyone [ who ] just puts themselves forward '' , which are different things , and the difference between them is important .
Also , there are many other signs that the rising number of positive tests is truly reflecting the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rise in Covid hospitalisations .
A false positive is when someone who does not have coronavirus , tests positive for it .
No test is 100 % accurate - there will always be some people who test positive when they do not have the disease , or test negative when they do have it .
False positives in any testing programme are important - especially when there is low prevalence of a disease - because they could potentially make us think there are significantly more cases of something than there really are .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the number of people who are not infected but get positive results , as a proportion of all the people tested who really do n't have the virus .
We do not know what the precise rate is though .
Dr Paul Birrell , a statistician at the Medical Research Council 's Biostatistics Unit at the University of Cambridge , says : `` The false positive rate is not well understood and could potentially vary according to where and why the test is being taken .
A figure of 0.5 % for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' The most important thing to know about the impact of false positives is that it varies hugely depending on who is being tested .
What Hartley-Brewer said confused the idea of random testing with community testing for Covid .
Those are two different situations , and false positives have a very different impact in each case .
If you tested 1,000 people at random for Covid-19 in early September , for example , data from the Office for National Statistics ( ONS ) infection study suggests you should have expected one of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ With a false positive rate of 0.8 % - a figure used by Ms Hartley-Brewer and within the broad range of what we think might be the actual rate for community testing - you would get eight false positives .
So in that context , it 's true that roughly 90 % of positives would be false .
But - crucially - the people going for community testing for Covid-19 ( at places such as drive-through centres ) are not a random sample of the public .
They are people who have symptoms @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in hot-spot areas .
Figures for late September from Public Health England show that 7 % of community tests were positive .
That means if 1,000 people were tested with a false positive rate of 0.8 % , eight would be false positives , but 70 would be true positives - the vast majority .
So the daily case count is not being skewed significantly by false positives .
There will also be some false negatives , meaning that some people who actually have Covid are not being counted .
When we put @ @ @ @ @ @ @ explanations of the impact of false positives , she pointed us to other articles that also discussed the impact on random samples of the population , rather than on people who are much more likely to have the virus .
There are other signs of real positive results People do not get admitted to hospital by false positives , so if more people are in hospital with Covid , then you can be pretty sure that is due to genuine cases .
The same is true of the number of deaths .
Dr @ @ @ @ @ @ @ really are increasing , the daily case count `` should always be considered alongside other information sources , such as the hospitalisations or deaths , or the community surveys run by the ONS or REACT '' .
• SOCIAL DISTANCING : What are the rules now ?
• SUPPORT BUBBLES : What are they and who can be in yours ?
• SCHOOLS : What will happen if children catch coronavirus ?
• TESTING : What tests are available ?
More or Less is on BBC Radio 4 at 09:30 BST on Wednesdays @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 20:00 on Sundays .
It 's also available on BBC Sounds .
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When we put it to Hartley-Brewer that she had misinterpreted explanations of the impact of false positives, she pointed us to other articles that also discussed the impact on random samples of the population, rather than on people who are much more likely to have the virus.