bbcuk--2020-02-11--The dividing lines over Scotland's gender laws

The Scottish government is proposing to make it easier to legally change gender .
Supporters say the plans are vital to ensure transgender people are treated with dignity - but one woman who used hormones and surgery to become a man , only to regret the decision , has described the proposed reforms as `` dangerous '' .
Sinead Watson says she did n't have any issues with her gender as a child .
It was n't until she began to grow into a woman in her teens that a feeling of insecurity took hold , and she began to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her own skin .
When she was in her early 20s , she told BBC Scotland 's The Nine , she typed into Google `` something along the lines of ' I 'm a woman , I wish I was a man ' . ''
The results page introduced Ms Watson to the concept of gender dysphoria , defined by the NHS as discomfort or distress caused by a mismatch between biological sex and gender identity .
She says she read the list of symptoms - such as feeling a disconnect from one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sexual characteristics - and thought : `` That 's what I have . ''
After consulting her GP , Ms Watson was referred to the Sandyford gender identity clinic in Glasgow , one of four in Scotland ( the others are in Edinburgh , Inverness and Aberdeen ) .
It is also home to the nation 's only such facility for children .
`` I was very aware that I was n't going to literally change my sex , but I thought if I could transform to such an extent that I passed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ [ then ] it would solve all the problems I had , '' she says .
Over the next few years , Sinead had counselling sessions at the Sandyford ; changed her name to Sean ; began taking testosterone ; and finally , after two years on an NHS waiting list , had surgery to remove her breasts .
`` After the double mastectomy in 2017 , there was a period of bliss , '' she says .
Soon though `` the novelty of that wore off and I thought , you know @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ? ''
For Ms Watson the three years since have been painful .
She has now concluded that transitioning was a terrible mistake , that she did not in fact have symptoms of gender dysphoria but individual physical and psychological issues which should , she says , have been diagnosed and treated as such .
For now Sinead remains , legally at least , Sean .
She changed her gender on her passport and her driving licence but not her birth certificate and is now trying to figure out how to change them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ serious concerns about a proposed change in the Scotland 's laws that would make it easier to change a birth certificate from male to female or vice versa , and potentially to lower the age at which you could do so from 18 to 16 .
What are the laws ?
Since 2005 , trans people have been able to apply to a UK tribunal called the Gender Recognition Panel for a gender recognition certificate to allow them to amend their birth certificate ( passports and driving licences can be changed more easily @ @ @ @ @ @ @ successful applicants must obtain a diagnosis of gender dysphoria and must swear an oath that they have been living in their new gender for two years and that they intend to do so for the rest of their life .
They must provide one medical report outlining their diagnosis and a second detailing any relevant treatment or surgery .
Other information , such as utility bills to prove how they have been living , can also be requested by the panel .
The Scottish government is proposing to relax some of these requirements @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' .
Under the proposals applicants would no longer need a clinical diagnosis or medical reports , and the two-year period would be reduced to three months .
This would be followed , if an application was accepted , by three months for reflection before the gender recognition certificate was issued .
Cases would be handled by the Registrar General for Scotland , removing the need to apply to the panel .
Applicants would still have to swear an oath confirming that they intended to live permanently in their acquired gender , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ criminal offence .
Ms Watson regards some aspects of the proposed new legislation as `` dangerous '' and voices concerns that many more people will end up in her situation as the number of people transitioning rises .
She worries especially that young people are being pushed towards a diagnosis of gender dysphoria by a combination of well-meaning doctors and politicians , and the warm embrace of online trans communities .
`` It 's like social contagion , '' she says , recounting her own experience .
The system was geared up to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but not to help her when she began to have doubts .
`` I got next to no support off mental health professionals .
They seemed very uncomfortable whenever I discussed transition regret .
So I 'm really fortunate that I have amazing loved ones that were there to help me .
I probably would n't be here without them , to be honest . ''
Ms Watson said she was particularly worried about the idea that the age limit for legally changing gender could be lowered to 16 .
`` If you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you go down that route you end up like me , where you 've irreversibly changed your body with hormones and surgery and you feel humiliated , you feel ashamed of yourself and you feel completely betrayed by the people that allowed this to happen , '' she says .
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde , which runs the Sandyford , said the clinic follows internationally-agreed guidelines .
Patients undergo full assessments by psychiatrists , sexual health doctors , psychologists and occupational therapists including multiple engagements over an extended period to ensure they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ treatment and support were tailored to individual needs , and patients were regularly referred to services outwith the clinic for other health needs , including mental health conditions .
How many people actually de-transition is in dispute .
Ms Watson says she has spoken to `` dozens and dozens '' and is in a group chat with about 50 de-transitioners , although the nature of social media and a desire for anonymity makes it difficult to verify their stories .
Academic research estimates that the total number of people who have de-transitioned in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or between 1 % and 2 % of those who transition .
Similarly to Sinead , Emily Frood says she had no idea she was transgender until she was 17 years old .
She was born as a boy and had lived her childhood content with her sex until one day , `` it suddenly kind of clicked '' .
`` I 'd never thought about it before… because I had no experience and knowledge of trans people , '' Ms Frood says , adding with a smile : `` It is really @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Frood is in her final year of film and media studies at Queen Margaret University in Musselburgh , East Lothian , and her appearance has changed dramatically .
Not only is she wearing make-up and a colourful blouse but hormone therapy has stopped the growth of facial hair and redistributed muscle and fat , changing the shape of her body and the contours of her face .
Ms Frood , who hopes one day to win a seat in the Scottish Parliament for the Green Party , uses the personal pronoun `` she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but she describes herself as `` non-binary '' - meaning she does not identify as either male or female .
`` For trans people , '' she says , `` the lines get blurred a little . ''
`` I personally do n't identify fully with womanhood in a binary way , but kind of somewhere in between that .
Just not man .
If that makes sense . ''
The current heated discussion about transgender rights suggests there are many people in the country for whom this does not in fact @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anti-trans rhetoric that comes up especially in newspapers and print media is horrendous , '' says Ms Frood .
Self-harm and suicide `` are all too common in our community because the progression of our rights is framed as a debate '' , she says .
She regards critics who insist gender is an immutable biological fact defined by physical characteristics at birth as ill-informed at best .
`` Anyone who has either studied more than higher grade biology or had any kind of introduction to sociology will understand that gender does n't @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' she says .
For Ms Frood the proposed legislative changes are welcome but do n't go far enough .
An initial consultation included a recommendation that the Scottish government should recognise non-binary people in law but ministers now say they do not intend to do so .
`` We were gutted , completely let down and it 's quite shameful , to be honest , '' says Ms Frood .
`` To see that result in a consultation response was incredible and for it to be totally ignored was devastating .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the number of transgender people in Scotland but an NHS report published in May 2018 cited an estimate of 0.5 % of the population , or some 24,000 adults .
The report said the number of trans people accessing NHS gender identity services had risen sharply between 2014 and 2017 .
From 2014 to 2015 the number of children aged 16 and below being referred with gender issues more than doubled from 63 to 128 .
By the end of the period surveyed there was some indication that the rate of increase @ @ @ @ @ @ @ scarce that it is hard to be sure .
For James Morton , manager of the Scottish Trans Alliance , a Scottish government-funded project which campaigns for improved rights for transgender people , the changes , while not perfect , are a welcome step forward .
`` I 've gone through the gender recognition process myself and got a gender recognition certificate and it was really humiliating and really frustrating , '' he says .
Mr Morton says in his case a deeply intrusive psychiatric report was rejected as not detailed enough because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ detailed what toys he played with as a child or revealed whether or not he had a sexual partner .
`` What has that got to do with how I 'm living my life ? ''
he asks .
The government is also consulting on one proposal to reduce from 18 to 16 the age at which people can apply to legally change their gender and another to draw up guidance to `` protect and promote '' the rights of trans pupils in schools .
For Rhona Hotchkiss that is a worry .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of cigarettes or drink a pint at 16 , but you can make a decision that will affect the rest of your life , '' she says .
`` It just seems bizarre . ''
Ms Hotchkiss became interested in the debate about transgender rights when she was governor of Cornton Vale women 's prison near Stirling .
`` My experience is that it is always an issue to have trans women in with female prisoners , '' she says .
This was not just because of what she describes as the occasional @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also because `` the very fact of the presence of a male-bodied person '' among vulnerable women causes `` distress and consternation '' .
Ms Hotchkiss says she accepts that calling trans women `` male-bodied '' may cause offence and says she has `` no wish to disparage '' anyone , but insists that most trans prisoners `` have done nothing to change their physical appearance , or very little '' .
`` The vast majority of women in prison have been traumatised by male violence , and they are threatened by having @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an intimate living space , '' she says .
Ms Hotchkiss says she has witnessed aggression from trans prisoners including threats to rape female staff and prisoners , but is not aware of anyone actually being attacked by a trans prisoner in Scotland .
At present a trans woman does not have a legal right to insist on being placed in a women 's prison but the former governor says she is concerned that the current consultation may open up a path to that changing , making it harder , she argues , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Scottish Prison Service insists that acquiring a gender recognition certificate `` does not and will not give a prisoner any new legal rights regarding the decisions that are made by the Scottish Prison Service about their accommodation '' .
Ms Hotchkiss is one of a number of high profile lesbian , feminist activists who have attracted opprobrium for taking what other feminist activists see as the wrong side in this debate .
She says that her belief that `` it is not possible for a man literally to become a woman '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as `` a racist , a fascist , a Nazi , a bitch '' and `` much worse words than that '' .
Mr Morton points out that transgender people have also been threatened with violence and even attacked .
`` But I do n't think there should be a competition , '' he adds .
`` It 's unacceptable for anybody to be being abusive towards anybody else and I want all of that to stop . ''
He says most of the abuse is online and urges everyone involved in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which he regards as a toxic forum .
Mr Morton argues that women are not going to be put at risk in prisons , insisting that the legal ability to keep a trans woman in a male facility or a transgender facility based on individual risk assessments will remain .
`` There 's usually only about 15 to 20 trans people in the Scottish prison system so it 's not an unwieldy number of people to do in-depth , individualized assessments of , '' he says .
Mr Morton reckons there is a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which has echoes of the battle , 20 years ago , over Section 28 of the Local Government Act which prevented state schools from teaching that homosexual relationships were acceptable .
The Scottish government consultation , which has clearly generated passion , discomfort and even anger , closes on 17 March .
If you are affected by any of the issues raised in this article , you can find support and advice via BBC Action Line .

"My experience is that it is always an issue to have trans women in with female prisoners," she says. This was not just because of what she describes as the occasional "physical or sexual threat" but also because "the very fact of the presence of a male-bodied person" among vulnerable women causes "distress and consternation".


bbcuk--2020-02-11--The Smiths' producer shares his hit-making secrets

Stephen Street , the man behind classic records by The Smiths , Blur , The Cranberries and more , will be honoured with the outstanding achievement award at this month 's Music Producers Guild Awards .
`` I do hope it does n't mean they 're putting me out to pasture ! ''
jokes the Brit and Grammy-winner , who is currently working on a new Chrissie Hynde record .
`` It 's funny , '' he continues .
`` When I started working as an assistant at Island Records in the studio in the basement back in the 80s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , 'You 're going to get to 2020 and you 'll get an award ' I would 've bitten their hand off . ''
Before he commits such an atrocious act of cannibalism , we asked the 59-year-old to let us in on some of the trade secrets of producing a hit pop record .
It 's as much about managing egos as recording sounds Recording technology has changed radically since Street 's early days in that basement , `` demystifying '' the process along the way - but the emotional needs of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ They are human and they need to be loved .
The producer 's job , Street says , is largely `` getting the best out of an artist '' by `` making them feel special '' .
`` I do n't know what I 've done in a previous life but I have definitely been sent some slightly difficult people to work with , '' he says .
`` Then again , I think that 's what happens with great artists and I do n't mind that . ''
Pop personalities do n't @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Morrissey and , after being promoted from engineer to producer on The Smiths ' final album , Strangeways Here We Come , Street went on to work on the singer 's debut solo album , Viva Hate .
`` At that time The Smiths were so revered [ that ] if we failed I would have been public enemy number one , '' he recalls .
`` So I look back at it with great pride and also great relief '' .
He sees it as his role to `` guide '' artists @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whatever they want to get down on to tape '' and to `` not blunt their creative flow '' .
But , he stresses , it 's also important to consider the other talent in the room and `` not just keep bending over backwards for the front person '' .
`` Sometimes you do have to put your foot down but hopefully you 're doing it in such a way that you 're not making enemies .
`` And there 's other points where you just sit back and let them get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ band will always sort out their natural balance . ''
During the earlier recording of Strangeways , the producer remembers how [ nearly all of ] The Smiths liked to balance hard work with references to their favourite comedy .
`` Johnny [ Marr ] and Andy [ Rourke ] were completely obsessed with Spinal Tap , '' he says , `` and there were mini Stonehenges of cigarette packs left all over the studio ... .
Andy had learned - by note - the bass line to Big Bottom !
`` We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the room , though .
Do n't worry . ''
Sometimes you have to let songs stew Long after The Smiths had been left at the cemetery gates , Street found himself at the centre of another cultural cornerstone with Britpop and Blur .
The Londoner was perfectly placed to record the band 's `` diverse '' and ultimately acclaimed third album , Parklife .
He describes it as being `` here , there and everywhere , '' sonically-speaking , `` yet it all hangs together well as a perfect , perfect @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but the title song almost did n't make it out of the studio .
`` Parklife , the track , went through a very difficult process , '' Street explains .
`` It was one of the very first tracks [ to be recorded ] and we just could n't get it the way we wanted .
At this point , Damon [ Albarn ] was doing the narration on the verses and it just fell flat .
`` I think we were being too precious with it because the pressure was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ - as it obviously had a great chorus - and we made the drums too tight .
So we left it in the can for a while . ''
In stepped Quadrophenia actor Phil Daniels - who had initially been booked to lend his Cockney vocal stylings to another track called The Debt Collector - and he `` really kicked life back into the song '' .
`` We got Dave [ Rowntree ] back in to play in a much more bombastic , loose kind of fashion and it all came together @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it was saved , but at one point it nearly did n't make the record - which would 've been strange , would n't it ?
`` Sometimes you can be banging your head against a brick wall and you 've just got to walk away from it for a while , let it stew and then come back and look at it from a fresh angle . ''
Remember : The band are paying you to make the record THEY want to make When Street first got involved with The Cranberries he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ indie act , akin to the Cocteau Twins or The Sundays , but he says `` no-one could have foreseen '' the huge global success that was to follow .
Their debut album , 1993 's Everybody Else Is Doing It , So Why Ca n't We ?
featured tender tracks like Dreams and Linger but was almost `` ignored forever '' in the UK , until MTV started to show them some love in the States .
`` It was a fairy story , '' says Street .
By the time their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ band - who were playing `` every gig under the sun '' - were ready to cut loose and Street let them to do so spectacularly on the `` bona fide classic , '' Zombie : a protest song about an IRA bomb in Warrington which killed two boys and injured many more .
`` That was really the band just flexing their muscles on the second album because they were playing so many live dates at this point and wanted to rock out .
`` So much of their material was relatively @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as a way of letting off steam .
We did n't make it with any pressure really because we had no-one looking over us at that point saying 'make a classic rock record ! '
`` It turned into a huge hit for them . ''
Over the years , Street has advised The Cranberries and others , including Pete Doherty and The Kaiser Chiefs , when he thinks a song is too long , or needs of a more ear-grabbing intro .
On the whole , though , he believes it 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ my record '' .
`` I 'm not employing them , '' he says .
`` They 're employing me to do them a service and that 's one thing I always try to remember '' .
The Cranberries ' fairy story ended tragically with the death of singer Dolores O'Riordan in 2018 , aged 46 .
The band employed Street 's services one final time to piece together tracks they had been working on before her death .
`` I 'm pleased that at least we managed to make one more record @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` it 's a dangerous thing '' for a band 's remaining members to release music posthumously .
`` You can be accused of some kind of ulterior motives but it was done with a lot of love and affection , so when we were nominated for a Grammy , I was delighted for the band . ''
The 12th MPG Awards takes place at London 's Grosvenor House on 27 February .
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If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news @ @ @

"I think we were being too precious with it because the pressure was on us to make it a single - as it obviously had a great chorus - and we made the drums too tight. So we left it in the can for a while."


bbcuk--2020-02-11--Cummings: 'We need PJ Masks on the job'

Cummings: 'We need PJ Masks on the job'

The PM 's Senior Adviser , Dominic Cummings , has said superhero team PJ Masks would be better than the @ @ @ @ @ Masks will do a greater job than all of them put together , '' he @ @ @ @ @ home .

The PM's Senior Adviser, Dominic Cummings, has said superhero team PJ Masks would be better than the current Cabinet.
"PJ Masks will do a greater job than all of them put together," he told a reporter outside his home.


bbcuk--2020-02-11--Cladded flats: Residents feel trapped in 'unsafe' building

Residents in an apartment complex in Manchester have to pay for a fire warden 24/7 after their building was deemed @ @ @ @ @ Matt Hallsworth are among those in Albion Works who have been told they will have @ @ @ @ @ of the exterior timber cladding which could reach tens of thousands per flat .
The @ @ @ @ @ the government 's scheme following the Grenfell Tower fire in London .
The building owners @ @ @ @ @ ' responsibility to pay for refurbishments , and the building was compliant with regulations when @ @ @ @ @ told Politics Live reporter Greg Dawson they feel trapped in an unsafe and now worthless @ @ @ @ @ government to help .
UK viewers can watch the full edition for Politics Live for @ @ @ @ @

Residents in an apartment complex in Manchester have to pay for a fire warden 24/7 after their building was deemed unsafe.
Leanne Kilheeney and Matt Hallsworth are among those in Albion Works who have been told they will have to pay for the replacement of the exterior timber cladding which could reach tens of thousands per flat.
The cladding is not covered by the government's scheme following the Grenfell Tower fire in London.
The building owners say it is the residents' responsibility to pay for refurbishments, and the building was compliant with regulations when it was built.
Residents told Politics Live reporter Greg Dawson they feel trapped in an unsafe and now worthless home, and want the government to help.


bbcuk--2020-02-11--The Papers: Royal couple 'separate' and £5bn for local buses

The expected announcement that the government will give the go-ahead to HS2 - and pledge £5bn to overhaul local transport links - is widely reported .
The Guardian describes the cash injection as a bid to `` fend off '' a `` revolt '' about the decision to press ahead with the high speed railway , while the Times sees it as an attempt to deliver `` an immediate boost '' for new Tory voters .
The Daily Express welcomes what it calls the `` massive expansion '' of the bus network - pointing out that the services are `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and a win for rural areas '' .
After noting that one of the prime minister 's advantages is that his name alliterates so readily , it urges readers to `` get on board with the Boris buses '' .
The main news for the Sun is that the Queen has been `` hit by a split '' after learning that the marriage of her `` favourite '' grandson has broken down .
Princess Anne 's son , Peter Phillips , is said to be `` devastated '' after his wife of 12 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wanted to separate .
The paper claims there are fears that Mrs Phillips might want to start a new life in her native Canada - `` just like the Duke and Duchess of Sussex '' .
It says `` close pals '' are suggesting that the departure of Harry and Meghan `` could have sown the seeds of an Autumn exit , and hastened her shock decision '' .
A number of front pages feature the latest developments on the coronavirus outbreak , including the Daily Telegraph , which highlights what it calls @ @ @ @ @ @ @ police to force those at risk of the illness into quarantine .
The Sun claims a scout leader is suspected of being the so-called `` super-spreader '' of the virus -- who 's thought to have infected eleven other Britons during a skiing holiday in the Alps .
According to the Daily Mail , Britain is facing a `` major outbreak '' after the number of confirmed cases in the UK rose to eight , including two GPs .
The paper 's headline asks `` How many more are infected ? ''
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a photograph of flooded homes in West Yorkshire , after the River Calder burst its banks during Storm Ciara .
The paper says families in the north of England are `` fuming '' at the failure of the Conservatives to stop their homes from being flooding for the third time since 2012 .
Similar complaints are highlighted by the Guardian , which says people living in the Calder Valley are angry that a local flood prevention scheme was not finished before the storm hit .
Several papers highlight the case of a police @ @ @ @ @ @ @ offences on Monday , after being caught speeding at up to 122mph as he travelled to a meeting at his son 's college in Norwich .
The Sun says PC Paul Brown jumped four sets of red lights , approached roundabouts on the wrong side of the road and did 101mph in a 30mph-zone , as he drove an unmarked car with blue lights flashing .
The Express says magistrates believed PC Brown 's claim that he had been `` self-assessing '' his driving as part of his job .
Get news from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weekday morning There is much interest in Sunday night 's Oscars , after the awards ceremony came too late for Monday 's print editions .
The Daily Mirror hails the Best Picture winner , Parasite , as `` the best thing to come out of South Korea since Gangnam Style '' , while the Times suggests : `` It marks an important milestone for a country that 's struggled to win international respect for its remarkable achievements . ''
Finally , the Times reports that residents of a Derbyshire market town ranked one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the UK have been criticised by police `` for failing to report drug crimes out of fear that it could lower house prices . ''
The average home in Melbourne sells for more than £300,000 and the paper says a public meeting held last week heard claims that homeowners had avoided reporting offences `` for a number of years '' .
The Daily Mail quotes one resident as saying `` Melbourne is lovely but it does have its share of Hyacinth Bucket types '' - referring to the snobbish social climber from the @ @ @ @ @ @

The Guardian describes the cash injection as a bid to "fend off" a "revolt" about the decision to press ahead with the high speed railway, while the Times sees it as an attempt to deliver "an immediate boost" for new Tory voters.


bbcuk--2020-02-11--RideLondon organisers apologise after data breach

Organisers of the RideLondon cycling event are `` urgently looking into '' a data breach involving potential participants ' personal details .
It is unclear how many applicants have been affected by the issue which saw entrants receive other people 's ballot results .
The events , due to be held in August , is open to 80,000 applications and last year 28,032 riders completed it .
Prudential RideLondon has apologised for the error .
The Information Commissioner , Britain 's data protection watchdog , has been contacted for comment .
RideLondon , which claims to be the world 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 100-mile , closed-road event which takes in streets in the capital and travels through Surrey .
Due to take place on 16 August , it is normally oversubscribed so a ballot system is used select the successful applicants .
The mix-up over data means some potential riders are still unclear if they have won a place or not .
Chris Whitehead , from Rotherham , received what he thought would be his ballot result in the post on Monday .
But while the envelope was addressed to him , the letter itself contained @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and date of birth .
`` I was shocked , '' he told BBC News .
`` I felt shocked that in this day and age , a breach like that would happen and was left wondering who has my details .
`` There is a chance my identity could be stolen .
Why have n't they done any basic checking ? ''
The 36-year-old IT specialist added that he was disappointed the organisers did not communicate the data breach more proactively .
`` I first contacted them at 11:00 GMT and it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an update about it on Twitter . ''
Prudential RideLondon tweeted its apology for the `` issue with a limited number of the Prudential RideLondon ballot results mailing '' at 17:40 GMT on Monday .
All applicants will be informed of their ballot results by Thursday , according to the event helpline , meaning more people might yet receive erroneous letter over the next two days .

"We are working with our contractors to establish the full facts but it appears that the issue was caused by an error in the collation of the acceptance letter and the addressed envelope in the final stages of a mailing process which led to the people affected receiving the name, address and date of birth of one other person," he added.


bbcuk--2020-02-11--Falling ice causes first Queensferry Crossing closure

The Queensferry Crossing has been closed for the first time since it opened in 2017 after ice and snow fell from cables on to the carriageway .
The bridge connecting Edinburgh and Fife was shut on Monday night and could remain closed until at least Wednesday , the bridge operator Amey said .
Eight vehicles were damaged before the bridge was closed on safety grounds .
It has led to lengthy tailbacks as motorists take a 35-mile diversion , crossing the Kincardine Bridge .
Wintry weather is continuing to affect Scotland , with an amber warning for snow now issued @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Queensferry Crossing , which opened to traffic in August 2017 , was expected to remain open in all weathers .
It was fitted with 3.5m-high barriers designed to ensure the bridge would not be closed by high winds .
• The bridge that should never close Mark Arndt , of Forth Bridges Unit with Amey , told BBC Radio Scotland 's Good Morning Scotland that the closure was caused by a `` unique set of weather conditions '' .
`` We had a combination of strong westerly winds ... a mixture of snow @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the main cables of the Queensferry Crossing , '' he said .
`` At an elevated height , that snow accumulation became chilled .
`` It accumulated in a reasonable size and fell to the carriageway .
And it was on the grounds of safety that we took the decision to close the bridge . ''
He said he was not aware of any major injuries caused by the falling snow and ice .
There are two diversion routes via the Kincardine Bridge that add an extra 35 miles ( 56km ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said the diversion was causing delays of up to an hour , though some drivers earlier said their journey times were 90 minutes longer than usual .
ScotRail said it was running extra train services across the Forth Bridge and there are additional buses over the Forth Road Bridge .
Scottish Transport Secretary Michael Matheson said there had been a similar issue last winter when snow and ice built up on some of the cables , but the bridge had not been closed .
Mr Matheson said : `` I recognise the frustration @ @ @ @ @ @ @ much regret that the bridge has been closed for the first time , but it is a bridge that 's given us much greater resilience than the old Forth Road Bridge .
`` There 's now been something like 30 occasions when we would have had only partial or no use of the Forth Road Bridge , whereas the Queensferry Crossing is continuing to function .
The minister also pointed out that the bridge had not closed during the `` beast from the east '' cold wave in 2018 , when the Met @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for snow and ice .
`` It appears that what happened last year and what has happened over the course of the last 24 hours is that it is in specific types of circumstances that this type of build-up is occurring on the cables which is presenting a problem , '' he added .
Sensors are due to be fitted to the bridge this year that will give an earlier warning of ice build-up on the bridge structure .
The Met Office has issued an amber weather warning for southern Scotland of heavy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the evening .
Snow showers were expected to become `` frequent and heavy '' over much of Dumfries and Galloway , the Borders and into South Lanarkshire and East Ayrshire .
A yellow weather warning for wind and snow is in place for much of the rest of Scotland until midnight on Tuesday .

"We are doing all we can to mitigate the impacts of this closure. A diversion route is in place via the Kincardine bridge and I would encourage those travelling from further away... to consider an alternative route avoiding the main diversion where possible," he added.


bbcuk--2020-02-11--Irish general election: Parties turn their focus towards government

Ireland 's three largest political parties will turn their focus towards the formation of a new government after the final general election results were confirmed .
Fianna Fáil won the most seats with 38 , just one ahead of Sinn Féin who celebrated their best-ever result .
Fine Gael finished with 35 seats , down 15 from the 2016 general election .
The tight electoral numbers means that negotiations to establish a government could be prolonged .
A party has to win 80 seats in order to gain a majority in the 160-seat Dáil Éireann ( Irish parliament ) .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ seat than Sinn Féin the two parties had the same number of TDs elected , because one of Fianna Fáil 's candidates was elected automatically as he was the ceann comhairle ( speaker ) of the Dáil .
Before the election , both Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil had ruled out forging a coalition with left-wing republican party Sinn Féin , citing its tax policies and IRA past as deterrents .
On Sunday , taoiseach ( Irish PM ) and Fine Gael leader Leo Varadkar conceded it would be `` challenging '' to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Micheál Martin did not rule out working with Sinn Féin , but said `` significant incompatibilities '' still existed .
For now , government ministers , including Mr Varadkar , remain in post .
The Irish constitution stipulates they `` continue to hold office until their successors shall have been appointed '' . '
I may well be the next taoiseach' Sinn Féin President Mary Lou McDonald , who topped the poll in her four-seat Dublin Central constituency , said Sinn Féin wanted to be in government and was working to establish if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ without Fianna Fáil or Fine Gael .
On Monday evening , she said she had not heard from the leaders of those two parties and has instead been speaking to Labour , the Green Party and other smaller parties that make up the Dáil ( Irish parliament ) .
• As it happened : Irish election results and analysis day two • After the counting , how might a deal be done ?
She said that people wanted `` different politics , new politics and better government '' and `` that Sinn Féin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` I may well be the next taoiseach , '' she added .
Speaking to BBC 's Newsnight programme , Ms McDonald said she would be asking the EU to support Irish reunification if she was part of the next government .
`` I think even aside from the election , you have Brexit , you have changing demographics , you have the fact that the unionist majority has been lost in the north over the last number of elections , '' she said .
`` So that is the direction of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is in touch with the dynamic of politics on this island knows that . ''
Speaking to BBC Radio Ulster 's Good Morning Ulster programme on Tuesday , the DUP MP Sir Jeffrey Donaldson said the Irish election was fought on `` bread and butter issues '' and the result does not indicate a demand for a border poll .
`` When you consider that Sinn Fein got less than 25 percent of the vote in the Republic and less than 25 percent of the vote in Northern Ireland , that is hardly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' he said .
`` Most of the other parties , both in Northern Ireland and in the Republic have said now is not the time for a border poll . ''
Jonathan Powell , a former Downing Street chief of staff , said he believes a united Ireland is `` now possible '' .
`` If you had asked me in '97 I 'd have said there was no chance .
I 'd now say in the next decade it does seem to me possible because of the way that Brexit is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it is going to be implemented , '' he told The Nolan Show .
`` Through Brexit , Boris Johnson has done more for a united Ireland than the IRA ever did in its whole history . ''
Left-leaning Sinn Féin managed to successfully tap into the public anger felt in the Republic of Ireland over issues that have dogged centre-right Fine Gael for a number of years - a shortage of housing , rocketing rents and homelessness , analysts suggest .
That is despite the fact the country is forecast to have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the EU in 2020 .
Brexit - a considerable focus on Leo Varadkar and his deputy Simon Coveney while in power - barely registered as an issue in the campaign .
Democratic Unionist Party ( DUP ) leader Arlene Foster , whose party is in a power-sharing government with Sinn Féin in Northern Ireland , said younger voters had backed Sinn Féin as a `` protest vote '' .
`` From a Northern Ireland perspective we will have to work with whoever the government is in the Republic of Ireland , '' Mrs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also said Sinn Féin may have their focus on Northern Ireland questioned , in the way there had been a `` wailing and gnashing of teeth '' over her party 's confidence-and-supply agreement with the previous Conservative government in the UK .
Sinn Féin 's best-ever result in the Republic of Ireland is the success story of this election .
However , with how the overall vote has broken down we know that Sinn Féin will not necessarily end up in government despite its swathe of victories .
The magic number for winning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ireland is 80 seats .
None of the three big parties - Fine Gael , Fianna Fáil and now Sinn Féin - came anywhere close to that figure .
Attempts to form a new coalition-of-sorts are already getting under way , although this will be complex .
Previous administrations in the Republic of Ireland have been forged this way too , but it 's taken a while to get there .
In 2016 , it took 70 days for a government to be formed after the parties agreed a confidence-and-supply agreement , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up by Fianna Fáil votes on key policy areas .
Read more of Jayne 's analysis here .

"If you had asked me in '97 I'd have said there was no chance. I'd now say in the next decade it does seem to me possible because of the way that Brexit is going to be engineered and the way it is going to be implemented," he told The Nolan Show.


bbcuk--2020-02-11--Girl home-schooled due to lack of disabled toilets in Monmouthshire

An eight-year-old girl has been home-tutored for 20 months because of a lack of disabled toilets in schools .
Imogen Ashwell-Lewis has cerebral palsy and has not been able to find a school with suitable facilities since leaving Rogiet Primary in June 2018 .
Monmouthshire council said it was following Welsh Government guidance .
A disability charity said many parents of disabled children felt their youngsters were `` a bit of an afterthought '' .
Imogen 's mum Catherine Ashwell-Rice , from Caldicot in Monmouthshire , said her daughter left Rogiet Primary after she raised a series of concerns .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ discriminatory appeal at a special educational needs tribunal for Wales .
• Girl with cerebral palsy walks for the first time • Meet the world 's first CrossFit trainer with cerebral palsy • Runner with cerebral palsy 'scared ' of being judged The council said it had worked `` with all agencies and Mrs Ashwell-Rice to resolve the situation in 2018 '' .
But Mrs Ashwell-Rice said she had learnt Rogiet is the only Monmouthshire school with a child accessible disabled toilet - and she has had a 20-month battle to get Imogen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the schools were unsuitable because of the physical make up of them , '' Mrs Ashwell-Rice said .
`` And then we kept going further and further afield until we found schools that were suitable . ''
Despite promises adaptations would be made to a number of schools , the situation remained unresolved .
Monmouthshire council is paying for home tuition for Imogen for three hours , four days a week .
Mrs Ashwell-Rice said the last few months been `` an emotional rollercoaster '' for herself and Imogen .
`` Every time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and that things are going to move forward , we discover that the adaptations ca n't be made , or that we 're promised they 'll be done and they have n't .
`` It 's obviously been really disruptive for Imogen 's education . ''
Disability Wales chief executive Rhian Davies said it was a familiar tale .
`` And despite 25 years of equality legislation , we 're still not getting it right in Wales , '' she said .
`` We 're still a long way off a fully inclusive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Council spokesman said toilets were provided according to Welsh Government design guidance .
`` Pupils ' needs are assessed on an individual basis and further adaptations to toilets in disabled facilities are made if necessary , '' he said .
The spokesman said an independent mediator was used to try and resolve the situation which led to Mrs Ashwell-Rice withdrawing her complaint to the Disability Discrimination Tribunal .
He said the authority was working closely with Mrs Ashwell-Rice `` and other agencies to ensure that Imogen 's needs are fully met in a @ @ @ @

"Every time we think we've got a school and that things are going to move forward, we discover that the adaptations can't be made, or that we're promised they'll be done and they haven't.


bbcuk--2020-02-11--Nottingham teacher Nick Lucas banned by conduct panel

A teacher who held a pupil upside down by his legs and held another against a wall by his throat has been banned .
Nick Lucas had taught at Denewood and Unity Academies , which teaches `` permanently excluded '' pupils in Nottingham , since the mid-2000s .
A Teaching Regulation Agency professional conduct panel found the Key Stage 2 leader swore at students and made homophobic references .
• Latest news and stories from the East Midlands The panel found in one case Mr Lucas pulled a pupil `` by his legs and held him upside down '' , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and `` pulled him around like a rag doll '' .
He was also found to have held one pupil against a wall , which one witness described as `` the worst thing I have ever seen '' .
Another witness `` became increasingly offended '' by `` verbally abusive behaviour '' from Mr Lucas towards her in 2017 .
A formal grievance was submitted in June of that year , leading to his suspension and further allegations of improper behaviour being disclosed .
Mr Lucas , 48 , who from February 2015 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 11 , was dismissed from the school in May 2018 .
That decision was upheld on appeal in July that year and he was indefinitely banned by the panel on 20 November 2019 .
Its report found he `` failed to maintain high standards of behaviour '' , adding there were `` significant safeguarding issues in relation to more than one pupil '' and that there was `` sustained bullying and intimidation '' by him towards members of his team .
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Its report found he "failed to maintain high standards of behaviour", adding there were "significant safeguarding issues in relation to more than one pupil" and that there was "sustained bullying and intimidation" by him towards members of his team.


bbcuk--2020-02-11--HS2 go-ahead controversial and difficult, admits Boris Johnson

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has announced that the controversial HS2 high-speed rail link will be built .
The first phase of the route will travel between London and Birmingham , with a second phase going to Manchester and Leeds .
`` It has been a controversial and difficult decision , '' Mr Johnson said .
The prime minister added he was going to appoint a full-time minister to oversee the project and criticised the HS2 company 's management of the scheme .
`` I can not say that HS2 limited has distinguished itself in the handling of local communities .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ poor management to date has not detracted from the fundamental value of the project . ''
The prime minister said that a series of measures would be taken to `` restore discipline to the programme '' .
Supporters of HS2 say it will improve transport times , increase capacity , create jobs and rebalance the UK 's economy .
Once it is built , journeys will be shorter .
London to Birmingham travel times will be cut from one hour , 21 minutes to 52 minutes , according to the Department for Transport @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , it is expected to create thousands of jobs and provide a stimulus to economic growth .
The first phase of the high-speed rail link between London and Birmingham was due to open at the end of 2026 .
But Transport Secretary Grant Shapps told MPs in September that the first trains may not run on the route until some time between 2028 and 2031 .
The second phase to Manchester and Leeds was due to open in 2032-33 , but that has been pushed back to 2035-40 .
However , Mr Johnson @ @ @ @ @ @ @ started immediately that trains `` could be running by the end of the decade '' .
• How much ?
Six reasons why HS2 is so expensive • HS2 in Manchester : 'Waste of money ' or 'good news ' ?
The spiralling cost of the project has sparked a backlash .
The cost set out in the 2015 Budget was set at just under £56bn , but one independent estimate puts the cost as high as £106bn .
Mr Johnson added : `` We will , in line with the review , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ savings can be made in phase one without a total redesign . ''
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said Mr Johnson did not deserve praise for giving the project the go-ahead .
`` The Labour Party supports HS2 as a means to boost regional economies and slash climate emissions .
It is essential for boosting rail capacity and freeing up other lines , '' he said .
`` But we do n't see why the government should get a slap on the back for announcing it is going ahead .
`` After all , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ failure of successive Conservative governments to keep on top of the costs , that the project 's future was in any doubt . ''
Not everybody is benefitting from HS2 being given the go-ahead .
Ron and Anne Ryall have been ordered to leave their home next month as the route is due to run right through it .
Ron told BBC Breakfast : `` It 's completely wrecked our lives .
I 'm finding it difficult that someone can just walk into your life and destroy it .
My family has lived @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I was born here . ''
Meanwhile , residents of a Warwickshire village admitted they were resigned to the final decision to build the rail line - even though it will split their lives in half .
Burton Green village , home to 640 people , will effectively be bisected by the line .
Rona Taylor , who runs the village 's residents ' association , said : `` It 's a very frustrating day because we have opposed this for 10 years . ''
However , Cate Walter , a director of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the BBC : `` For Crewe this is absolutely crucial .
We 're a town been surrounded by a lot of regeneration areas in recent years , but have not been the focus of the regeneration ourselves .
`` The investment in our very local economy that HS2 should bring will be absolutely crucial for growing businesses in our area . ''
Lib Dem MP Munira Wilson said : `` Key to cutting carbon emissions and tackling climate change is cutting domestic flights and moving people on to our railways and so that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be welcomed and building a third runway at Heathrow is an act of environmental vandalism . ''
Green Party MP Caroline Lucas said HS2 would `` destroy or damage hundreds of important wildlife sites , areas of ancient woodland and local nature reserves '' .
Jude Brimble , national secretary of the GMB trade union , which represents HS2 workers , said : `` The reality is that HS2 is happening and the government should get on with it .
`` Thousands of skilled jobs depend on the project in construction and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of UK employers ' group the CBI , said the decision to back HS2 was `` exactly the sort of bold , decisive action required to inject confidence in the economy '' .
He added : `` It sends the right signal around the world that the UK is open for business .
HS2 shows the government 's commitment to levelling up the nations and regions of the UK . ''
Stephen Phipson , chief executive of manufacturers ' organisation Make UK , said : `` Industry will applaud this bold , sensible @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the country for the better .
`` Government now has a once in a generation opportunity to develop a fully integrated transport plan for the whole country which it should grab with both hands . ''
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Lib Dem MP Munira Wilson said: "Key to cutting carbon emissions and tackling climate change is cutting domestic flights and moving people on to our railways and so that's why the HS2 announcement is to be welcomed and building a third runway at Heathrow is an act of environmental vandalism."


bbcuk--2020-02-11--Coronavirus: UK businessman linked to virus cases speaks out

A British man linked to 11 coronavirus cases has spoken for the first time , saying he has `` fully recovered '' from the illness .
Steve Walsh , who remains quarantined in hospital , says his thoughts are with others who have contracted the virus .
He said his family have been asked to isolate themselves `` as a precaution '' .
Meanwhile , Health Secretary Matt Hancock warned that the spread of the coronavirus would worsen before it improved .
`` Dealing with this disease is a marathon , not a sprint , '' he told MPs in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ everything that is effective to tackle this virus and keep people safe . ''
• Can coronavirus be transmitted by door handles ?
And other questions Mr Walsh , from Hove , who works for a firm providing gas analysis equipment , caught the virus in Singapore and is thought to have infected 11 others at a French ski resort .
Five of the cases linked to Mr Walsh are in England , five are in France and one is in Majorca , Spain .
Two of the people who contracted coronavirus at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bob Saynor and his wife , Catriona Greenwood .
She worked as a locum GP at the County Oak medical centre in Brighton , which was temporarily closed on Monday .
Eight people have tested positive for the virus in the UK so far .
One of those infected is an A & E worker at Worthing Hospital in West Sussex , the Department of Health said on Tuesday .
All services at the hospital continue to operate as normal , a spokeswoman for the department said .
Public Health England is contacting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were seen by the A & E worker , who had followed advice to self-isolate .
There have now been more than 40,000 cases of coronavirus worldwide , which has been declared a global health emergency .
The death toll in China stands at 1,016 .
On Monday , the government issued new powers in England to keep people in quarantine to stop the virus spreading .
Under the Department of Health measures people will not be free to leave quarantine , and can be forcibly sent into isolation if they pose a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were `` proportionate '' and will `` help us slow down transmission of the virus '' .
The health secretary also announced that `` a capital facility '' was being launched immediately `` to support any urgent works the NHS needs for the coronavirus response , such as the creation of further isolation areas and other necessary facilities '' .
Speaking on a visit to Birmingham , Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the public had `` every reason to be confident and calm '' about the threat of the virus , adding : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' .
• How worried should we be ?
• Coronavirus : ' I walk around my block to stay sane' Meanwhile , the government has asked medical suppliers to carry out a risk assessment on the impact of coronavirus and travel restrictions introduced by the Chinese government .
Companies have also been asked to retain existing stockpiles of medical supplies , which had been compiled as a contingency measure ahead of Breixt , the Department of Health said .
The department said there were no current medicine shortages in the UK linked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ precautionary .
Mark Carney , governor of the Bank of England , described the economic impact of the virus in the UK as `` containable '' .
• As of Tuesday afternoon , a total of 1,358 people have been tested for coronavirus , of which eight were confirmed positive • Among those quarantined on the Wirral is nine-year-old Jasmine Siddle from Northumberland , who had to spend her birthday in hospital • Patcham Nursing Home in Brighton confirmed on Tuesday that it has `` closed to all visitors '' as a precaution @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a patient there • Another branch of the County Oak medical centre in Brighton - located less than two miles away in Deneway - was also closed on Tuesday , along with the Haven Practice in Brighton • All three surgeries are expected to reopen on Wednesday after deep cleaning • The World Health Organization said it now has a name for the new coronavirus - Covid-19 Mr Walsh contracted the coronavirus at a work conference in Singapore , before travelling to a French ski resort for a holiday on his way back @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from quarantine in Guy 's Hospital in London , Mr Walsh , a cub scout leader , thanked the NHS for their care .
He said he contacted his GP , NHS 111 and Public Health England , on learning he had been exposed to a confirmed case of coronavirus .
He added : `` I was advised to attend an isolated room at hospital , despite showing no symptoms , and subsequently self-isolated at home as instructed .
`` When the diagnosis was confirmed I was sent to an isolation unit in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , as a precaution , my family was also asked to isolate themselves . ''
He thanked friends , family and colleagues for their support , adding : `` I ask the media to respect our privacy . ''
What are the symptoms of coronavirus and what can help stop its spread ?
The main signs of infection are fever ( high temperature ) and a cough as well as shortness of breath and breathing difficulties .
Frequent hand washing with soap or gel , avoiding close contact with people who are ill @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and mouth with unwashed hands , can help cut the risk of infection .
Catching coughs and sneezes in a tissue , binning it and washing your hands can minimise the risk of spreading disease .
Anyone experiencing symptoms , even if mild , after travelling from mainland China , Thailand , Japan , Republic of Korea , Hong Kong , Taiwan , Singapore , Malaysia or Macau , is advised to stay indoors and call the NHS 111 phone service .
In a statement , Servomex , Mr Walsh 's employer , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' to him and his family .
It added that it had enforced travel restrictions and self-isolation for employees who attended the Singapore conference or who have shown symptoms of the virus .
Last month , two other people - who are related - were confirmed as having coronavirus after being taken ill at a hotel in York .
It was later revealed that one is a student at the University of York .
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The health secretary also announced that "a capital facility" was being launched immediately "to support any urgent works the NHS needs for the coronavirus response, such as the creation of further isolation areas and other necessary facilities".


bbcuk--2020-02-11--David Hockney's The Splash fetches £23.1m at auction

One of British artist David Hockney 's most famous works , The Splash , has been sold for £23.1m at Sotheby 's in London .
The buyer is not known .
It had been estimated to sell for £20m-£30m - and ended up going for £23,117,000 .
The painting , in Hockney 's minimalist style , depicts the moment after a diver hits the water in an LA swimming pool .
It is considered one of the stand-out pop art images of the 20th Century and is one of a trio of works alongside A Little Splash and A Bigger @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in London 's Tate Britain while A Little Splash remains in a private collection and has never appeared on the public market .
`` Not only is this a landmark work within David Hockney 's oeuvre , it 's an icon of Pop that defined an era and also gave a visual identity to LA , '' Emma Baker , head of Sotheby 's contemporary art evening sale , said in a statement .
When it was previously sold to a private owner in 2006 it went for £2.9m - a then record @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it has remained with that buyer until now .
Prior to that , the £1.9m sale of A Neat Lawn , also in 2006 , had set a precedent for a Hockney .
Since then , the growing interest among the most wealthy in the value-holding investment benefits of high-end contemporary art have seen auction prices climb .
This was illustrated at a 2018 auction at Christie 's in New York where Hockney 's Portrait of an Artist ( Pool with Two Figures ) sold for just over $ 90m ( £70m ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for a work by a living artist .
It 's since been beaten by the $ 91.1m ( £70.3m ) sale in 2019 of a sculpture by US pop artist Jeff Koons .
In May 2018 , Hockney 's Pacific Coast Highway and Santa Monica sold for $ 28.5m ( £22m ) - which was more than double the previous auction record for the artist .
The Splash captures the brief moment just seconds after a swimmer has broken the calm surface of a pool .
The painting 's protagonist is present , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ water .
The work is a classic example of Hockney 's lifelong fascination with the texture , appearance and depth of water .
The Splash series was inspired by the time Hockney spent in Los Angeles following his graduation from art school .
He first visited the Californian city in 1964 .
On return to London later that year , he began to work on his first pool painting , Picture of a Hollywood Swimming Pool , which fetched $ 7.2m ( £5.6m ) at an auction at Sotheby 's New York in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ went back to Los Angeles and moved into an apartment in the city .
It was there that Hockney , in his new sun-soaked environment , created the Splash paintings between 1966 and 1967 .
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He first visited the Californian city in 1964. On returning to London later that year, he began to work on his first pool painting, Picture of a Hollywood Swimming Pool, which fetched $7.2m (£5.6m) at an auction at Sotheby's New York in November 2019.


bbcuk--2020-02-11--Pay us fairly for our overnight shifts, care workers say

`` You 100 % have to be on top form all the time because if something happens , you 're in charge . ''
Victoria Bell is at the start of an overnight `` sleep-in '' shift , caring for two people with learning disabilities in a house in Doncaster .
A long-running battle over care-workers ' pay will reach the Supreme Court on Wednesday .
Victoria , 23 , is very clear the work she does should be better valued and better paid .
She gets the minimum wage for the nights she sleeps in - but many workers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lower flat rate .
`` People say , 'Oh , you actually sleep at work ? '
`` You do sleep sometimes but you 're always at work .
It 's not like you can get up and leave to go anywhere else . ''
• The issue of social care in 10 charts She shows the staff bedroom - small , with plain walls , a single bed and filing cabinets .
`` We 've got a phone there in case there is an emergency and the service users bedrooms are just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in their rooms and once one goes off `` you 're awake for them '' , she says .
Unions argue all care staff should receive the minimum wage for night shifts even if they are asleep .
One of the two cases being considered by the Supreme Court is against Mencap , the learning disability charity .
Thousands of workers will be affected and organisations providing care fear if they lose , they could be liable for millions of pounds in back pay , which they say they can not afford .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Victoria 's employer , says its bill alone could be £2.5m '' The funds are not there , '' he says .
Mr Bartey says the squeeze is due to councils and the NHS not paying care companies the minimum wage for providing sleep-in care at the homes of older or disabled people who might need help .
Unison brought the legal action on behalf of a Mencap care worker paid less than £30 for working a shift from 22:00 to 07:00 .
She was expected to keep a `` listening ear '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there to support needed help , otherwise she could sleep .
Over 16 months , she was called on six times at night , receiving no extra money for the first hour she was disturbed , although after that she was paid at the full day-time rate .
The High Court ruled even when she was asleep she was entitled to the minimum wage for the shift .
That was overturned in the Court of Appeal and now the Supreme Court will be expected to settle the matter once and for all .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ paid the minimum wage for sleep-in shifts .
`` We would dearly like to pay our hard-working colleagues more , '' the charity says .
But it is defending the case , it says , as , if the Court of Appeal ruling is overturned , tax officials will expect it and other care providers to pay care workers past and present six years of back pay , which `` would run into hundreds of millions '' .
Mencap says such a bill could make the care they provide unviable and wants the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ charity says .
`` Social care is chronically underfunded and many providers are warning that this could tip them into insolvency .
`` If back pay is owed , we believe the government should pay it . ''
TUC head of employment rights Kate Bell says : `` Governments for a long time have been talking about sorting the social-care crisis .
`` This is the point where they really have to step in and help out .
`` We just ca n't have the situation where we 're saying either low paid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do n't get the vital care they need .
That 's not tenable . ''
A spokeswoman said the government would pay `` close attention '' to the outcome of the case .
She added : `` Workers in the sector should be fairly rewarded for what they do and we encourage employers to pay more than the minimum wage where possible ; we hope more care-sector employers will consider doing so . ''

But it is defending the case, it says, as, if the Court of Appeal ruling is overturned, tax officials will expect it and other care providers to pay care workers past and present six years of back pay, which "would run into hundreds of millions".


bbcuk--2020-02-11--Second man killed in post-Storm Ciara winds

A second person has been killed in high winds following Storm Ciara 's passage across the UK .
A dog-walker in his 60s died after a tree branch fell during stormy weather in Liverpool on Tuesday morning , police said .
On Sunday , a 58-year-old man died after a tree fell on his car in Hampshire .
It comes as a new storm is expected to bring heavy rain and strong winds to parts of the UK this weekend , the Met Office said .
Storm Dennis could cause flooding and wind gusts of more than 60mph .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as Storm Ciara , but is likely to cause disruption .
A yellow wind warning has been issued for much of England and Wales on Saturday , and further warnings could follow .
Steve Ramsdale , chief meteorologist at the Met Office , said : `` Our confidence in the forecast means we have been able to issue severe weather warnings well in advance , giving people time to prepare for potential impacts of the storm . ''
The weather warning on Saturday will come into force at midday and run until 23:59 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 50mph but could reach over 60mph in exposed areas .
Heavy rainfall on ground already saturated by last weekend 's Storm Ciara could lead to further flooding .
The Met Office said disruption to transport services and power supplies should be expected , and that Storm Dennis could cause large coastal waves .
Much of the UK is still grappling with the aftermath of Storm Ciara , which caused disruption to trains , flights and motorists .
Wind gusts of 97mph were recorded on the Isle of Wight .
More than 20,000 properties @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wales spent Sunday night without power .
Meanwhile , more than 400 people in Cumbria were warned not to drink , wash or cook with tap water after a main was damaged by the storm .
Travel disruption continues in Wales , with some main roads blocked and train services suspended .
Cars were trapped in some areas after heavy snow on Monday .
An yellow weather warning for snow is in place for Northern Ireland , much of Scotland and parts of northern England until 12:00 GMT on Wednesday .
The Queensferry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been closed for the first time since it opened in 2017 , after ice and snow fell from cables on to the carriageway .
The bridge will remain closed on Wednesday , the Scottish government said .

Steve Ramsdale, chief meteorologist at the Met Office, said: "Our confidence in the forecast means we have been able to issue severe weather warnings well in advance, giving people time to prepare for potential impacts of the storm."


bbcuk--2020-02-11--Labour leadership: Long-Bailey backs call to expel 'transphobic' members

Labour leadership contender Rebecca Long-Bailey has signed up to a pledge to expel party members who have expressed `` transphobic '' views .
It is part of a 12-point plan by the Labour Campaign for Trans Rights .
The plan has also been backed by deputy leader hopeful Angela Rayner - but critics say it could lead to a `` witch hunt '' of party members .
It comes amid a highly-charged debate on gender identity including potential reforms to the Gender Recognition Act .
The recently-formed Labour Campaign for Trans Rights says its 12 pledges will help `` rid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pledges include accepting that there is `` no material conflict between trans rights and women 's rights '' - and supporting the expulsion of Labour members who `` express bigoted , transphobic views '' .
The group states that `` trans women are women , trans men are men '' .
They also back the fight against what the group alleges are `` transphobic organisations '' , naming two in particular ; Woman 's Place UK and the LGB Alliance .
Woman 's Place UK , which says it campaigns to defend women @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it `` absolutely refutes '' claims their organisation is transphobic , describing the allegations as `` scurrilous '' and `` defamatory '' .
Posting on Twitter , the group 's co-founders said they were Labour members and called on the party to `` defend us or expel us '' .
The LGB Alliance , who state that `` biological sex is observed at birth and not assigned '' , promised to `` keep speaking the truth and remain open to reasonable discussion '' .
A number of twitter users , who also say @ @ @ @ @ @ @ using the hashtag # expelme in protest at the pledges , while others have suggested the trans rights pledge could lead to a `` witch hunt '' .
In 2018 , the government launched a consultation on reforms to the Gender Recognition Act , the results of which have yet to be published .
A Whitehall source has told the BBC the reforms are `` on ice '' .
Leading LGBT charity Stonewall is among those groups who say that the current process , whereby trans people can have their identity legally recognised @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out of date .
But others have objected to what 's known as self-identification or self-declaration , highlighting their concerns around the implications for women 's sport and access to single sex spaces .
Broader arguments have played out in court , with the recent case of a woman who lost her job after saying that people can not change their biological sex .
The woman , Maya Forstater , was among those to tweet the # expelme hashtag .
She said she was a member of the Labour Party , and added @ @ @ @ @ @ @ males in women 's single sex spaces , sports & associations there is a conflict ( with ) women 's rights . ''
Rebecca Long-Bailey , who is seen as one of the frontrunners in the Labour leadership contest , urged others to back the Labour Campaign for Trans Rights .
`` Please sign to show your support for the trans and non-binary community , for whom the Labour Party should always be a safe space , '' she said on Twitter .
Angela Rayner , a contender for the deputy leadership , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ overdue - The Labour Party should always be an open and safe space for all . ''
The Labour Campaign for Trans Rights is not an official Labour Party affiliate but , responding to the criticism on social media , a spokesperson said that transphobia is `` totally antithetical to socialism '' and that there is `` clear evidence '' that trans people are heavily discriminated against in society .
The other Labour leadership contenders , Sir Keir Starmer , Lisa Nandy and Emily Thornberry have been contacted for a response .

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bbcuk--2020-02-11--Badger falls through Northampton Superdrug shop ceiling

Staff working in a shop had a shock when they found a badger had fallen through the ceiling and landed behind a counter .
The badger came through a ceiling panel in the Superdrug store in Northampton 's Grosvenor Centre and then ran under the perfume counter .
The Northamptonshire Badger Group was called to rescue the female animal and subsequently set it free .
Sally Jones , from the group , said it was `` the oddest rescue we 've ever had '' .
She said she did not know how the young female badger got into the shop @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the public at the time .
`` There were four of our members there to catch the badger and we are really perplexed as to how it got into the Grosvenor Centre . ''
Ms Jones said it was suggested it could have entered via ducts in the back of the shop and staff saw it `` fall through the ceiling '' .
Staff said the badger hit the floor and it `` trundled off a bit dazed '' .
Ms Jones said by the time the group arrived to rescue the badger @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the floor '' .
She explained they were able to capture the animal and took it away to `` assess her '' .
`` She was very calm , no sign of any injuries or anything and we took [ the badger ] to a safe place that we know she can be released . ''
The badger was set free later the same day .
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"There were four of our members there to catch the badger and we are really perplexed as to how it got into the Grosvenor Centre."


bbcuk--2020-02-11--'Boy B' in Yousef Makki case identity revealed

A teenager cleared of lying to police over the fatal stabbing of a schoolboy can be named after losing a High Court bid to protect his anonymity .
Yousef Makki , 17 , died in a fight with his friend , Joshua Molnar , now 18 , in Hale Barns , Cheshire in March 2019 .
During a trial Molnar argued he had acted in self-defence , and he was acquitted of murder and manslaughter .
It can now be revealed Adam Chowdhary , then also 17 and a friend of Yousef 's , was the boy on trial with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was known only as Boy B during the trial at Manchester Crown Court .
He was acquitted of perverting the course of justice but given a four-month detention order after admitting possession of a flick knife .
Chowdhary 's anonymity was due to automatically expire on 24 January when he turned 18 but he wanted to extend it until he finished his education in November 2021 .
At a hearing in London last month , his barrister Adam Wolanski QC said Chowdhary was suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and the publication of his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' .
The High Court dismissed his application and the deadline to file an appeal against the decision was reached earlier at 16:00 GMT .
Yousef , who had won a scholarship to the prestigious £12,000-a-year Manchester Grammar School , was knifed in the heart by Molnar - who was referred to as Boy A during the four-week trial in July .
He told the jury he acted in self-defence after Yousef pulled a knife on him .
He admitted possession of a knife and perverting the course of justice after initially lying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was detained for 16 months .
Rejecting Chowdhary 's application for continued anonymity , Mrs Justice Steyn ruled naming him was justified by `` public interest in open justice '' .
`` The most significant aggravating feature was that [ Chowdhary ] bought the knife with which Yousef was killed , '' she said , adding that possession of a knife was `` a serious offence '' and there was a `` strong public interest in knowing the identity of those who commit serious offences '' .
Mrs Justice Steyn found `` the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the accompanying disgrace , is a powerful deterrent '' to others .
`` There is an important public interest in understanding the prevalence of knife crime .
Such understanding depends , at least in part , on knowing who is committing such crimes , '' she added .

"The most significant aggravating feature was that [Chowdhary] bought the knife with which Yousef was killed," she said, adding that possession of a knife was "a serious offence" and there was a "strong public interest in knowing the identity of those who commit serious offences".


bbcuk--2020-02-11--Brexit: Border delays 'could cause fresh food problems'

Post-Brexit transition border checks could cause fresh food supply problems , an industry body has warned .
Shoppers will notice the supply issues next January unless there is a `` massive upgrade '' in border facilities , the British Retail Consortium said .
The warning came after cabinet minister Michael Gove said that border checks are `` inevitable '' after the Brexit transition period ends on 31 December .
Officials said firms have enough time to prepare for the changes .
Border checks could quickly cause hold-ups at Channel ports of thousands of trucks , including those carrying fresh food @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will have to `` move fast '' to put in place the necessary border infrastructure and staff to cope with those checks by the end of the year , it said .
If it does n't , `` consumers in the UK will see significant disruption , particularly in the availability of fresh fruit and vegetables '' the BRC 's director of food and sustainability Andrew Opie warned .
`` If you think this is going to hit us in January , that 's our peak import season for things like fresh fruit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to see the problems on supermarket shelves unless we get that infrastructure , '' he said .
`` So , you 've got enormous bureaucracy , enormous change , but crucially you 've got a problem with the infrastructure at the key ports around the Channel , which currently really act as an extension of the motorway for our supply chain , where you will be holding thousands of vehicles every day . ''
`` I do n't know if you 've been to Dover recently , but there is n't an enormous @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' he added .
The warning came after Mr Gove told a Border Delivery Group event on Monday : `` The UK will be outside the single market and outside the customs union , so we will have to be ready for the customs procedures and regulatory checks that will inevitably follow . ''
• Brexit : What trade deals has the UK done so far ?
• Brexit trade : What do the UK and EU want ?
The Brexit transition period is due to end at 11pm on 31 December @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will be import checks at the UK border , and traders in the EU and UK will have extra paperwork , the government said .
From next January , all traders will have to fill out customs declarations and be liable to customs checks on goods for cross-channel trade .
If no trade deal is reached with the EU , taxes such as tariffs will also need to be charged and collected .
Facilities such as the Channel Tunnel have been designed for minimal border checks .
New customs infrastructure , facilities and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and vets will have to be in place by the end of this year .
But Mr Gove told the conference there would be light touch administration of trade across the Irish Sea .
However , last week it emerged that Stena Line , the biggest operator of ferries in the Irish Sea , is preparing for trade checks between Great Britain and Northern Ireland .
It was quietly confirmed in a speech .
Some might argue it has been inevitable since the election .
But the change in the way the UK @ @ @ @ @ @ @ partner is one of the single biggest changes to the way the UK economy functions .
Put simply , many industries rely on the frictionless free flow of goods between the UK and the continent .
The unequivocal message from Michael Gove is that businesses should prepare for the the end of that as 2020 draws to a close .
Whereas the impact of all this in the Irish Sea has garnered considerable attention , the new trading arrangements between Dover and Calais and along the Channel Tunnel will have a bigger effect @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to take the prospect seriously , the government 's hope is that more will be prepared and so delays and disruption can be limited .
But we are dealing with parts of the border that are designed to run without checks .
There will need to be more customs officers , thousands more customs agents , mass recruitment of vets , and new customs posts .
Almost every independent economic analysis - and the government 's own until now - has shown that extra trade friction with what is currently our biggest market @ @ @ @ @ @ @ economy .
Preparation can help alleviate some of that hit , but not all .
Businesses also said they face extra costs from checks .
The British Chambers of Commerce ( BCC ) said that for many businesses , border delays would incur higher costs than tariffs .
Adam Marshall , the BCC director general , said : `` Additional friction will equal higher costs for a lot of our business , and while the discussion over the past few months has focussed a lot on tariffs , it 's actually these border @ @ @ @ @ @ @ source of cost for most . ''
EU trade will not be waved through with zero checks , which had been the case under a no-deal Brexit .
Traders will not be able to use special arrangements to lodge new paperwork after a grace period at a later date .
Industries from car manufacturers to food distributors , which rely on the frictionless free flow of goods with the continent , say they face extra costs , delays and red tape from what are known as non-tariff barriers .
Products of animal origin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vet .

"If you think this is going to hit us in January, that's our peak import season for things like fresh fruit and vegetables. Customers are really going to see the problems on supermarket shelves unless we get that infrastructure," he said.


bbcuk--2020-02-11--Challenger bank N26 to shut all UK accounts

Challenger bank N26 is closing accounts for UK customers on 15 April , blaming difficulties created by the Brexit process .
The bank , which had a significant marketing push after launch , only started offering current accounts in the UK after the EU referendum .
However , it said that the `` timing and framework '' of the Withdrawal Agreement made it impossible to continue .
With about 200,000 customers , it was one of the smaller operators in the UK .
Thomas Grosse , chief banking officer at N26 , which has a European banking licence , said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decision that has been taken , it means that N26 will be unable to serve our customers in the UK and will have to leave the market . ''
What must customers do ?
Accounts will operate as normal until 15 April , by which time funds should be transferred .
Will Sorby , general manager for N26 in the UK , said that accounts would be closed automatically on that date after money has been removed .
Anyone who has money in an account and fails to move it in time will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ account .
Following the closure of the company 's UK operations , the majority of its UK staff would move into new roles within the business , the bank said .
It is bigger in Germany , where it has its Berlin headquarters , and has recently launched in the US .
The move comes on the day that shadow chancellor John McDonnell has said he fears there 's a `` risk '' of an exodus from the City if the government does not get a swift deal with the EU on financial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ signs as yet of any other challenger or bigger banks following N26 in quitting the UK .
Monzo and Starling have a UK banking licence , unlike N26 .
It remains tough for challenger banks in the UK current account sector , primarily because a large number of customers do not use their products as their main transactional account .

Following the closure of the company's UK operations, the majority of its UK staff would move into new roles within the business, the bank said. It is bigger in Germany, where it has its Berlin headquarters, and has recently launched in the US.


bbcuk--2020-02-11--Grays lorry deaths: Migrants died of overheating

The 39 Vietnamese migrants found dead in the back of a refrigerated lorry died of lack of oxygen and overheating in an enclosed space , police have said .
Among those in the container on 23 October in Grays , Essex , were 31 men and eight women .
The youngest was 15 .
Post-mortem examinations listed the provisional causes of death as a combination of hypoxia and hyperthermia , Essex Police said .
Lorry driver Maurice Robinson has been charged with 39 counts of manslaughter .
Seven arrests have been made in connection with the deaths across Europe and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Essex Police said .
A 22-year-old man was arrested in Northern Ireland on Sunday on suspicion of manslaughter and facilitating unlawful immigration .
He is in custody in Essex .
Gheorghe Nica , 43 , of Mimosa Close in Langdon Hills , Essex , was detained at Frankfurt Airport on 29 January , Essex Police said .
He was subject of a European Arrest Warrant and appeared at Chelmsford Magistrates ' Court on Saturday charged with 39 counts of manslaughter and conspiracy to assist unlawful immigration .
He will next appear at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Harrison , 23 , of Mayobridge , Northern Ireland , appeared at Dublin 's High Court on 4 February and awaits extradition to the UK .
He faces 39 charges of manslaughter as well as charges for conspiracy to traffic people and conspiracy to assist unlawful immigration .
He is due to appear at the same court on Wednesday .
Robinson , of Laurel Drive , Craigavon in County Armagh , Northern Ireland , admitted conspiring to assist illegal immigration and acquiring criminal property at the Old Bailey in November .
He has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ counts or conspiracy to commit human trafficking and transferring criminal property .
His co-accused , Christopher Kennedy , 23 , from Darkley , County Armagh , denied conspiracy to commit human trafficking offences , assisting unlawful immigration and arranging to facilitate the travel of other people with a view to exploitation .
Detectives want to hear from anyone who has knowledge of two similar journeys that haulage vehicles made into Purfleet on 11 and 18 October 2019 .
Police believe lorries were used to facilitate the unlawful entry of people into the country @ @ @ @

Eamonn Harrison, 23, of Mayobridge, Northern Ireland, appeared at Dublin's High Court on 4 February and awaits extradition to the UK. He faces 39 charges of manslaughter as well as charges for conspiracy to traffic people and conspiracy to assist unlawful immigration. He is due to appear at the same court on Wednesday.


bbcuk--2020-02-11--Same-sex marriage: Couple make history as first in NI

A couple have tied the knot in the first same-sex marriage to take place in Northern Ireland .
Robyn Peoples , from Belfast , and Sharni Edwards , from Brighton celebrated their nuptials on Tuesday at a ceremony in a hotel in Carrickfergus , County Antrim .
They met five years ago at a gay bar in Belfast .
Ahead of the ceremony , Ms Peoples , a care worker , said the pair were sending a message to the world that `` we are equal '' .
`` Our love is personal but the law which said we could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
`` We are delighted that with our wedding , we can now say that those days are over .
`` While this campaign ends with Sharni and I saying ' I do ' , it started with people saying 'No ' to inequality .
Ms Edwards , a waitress from Brighton , said the couple felt humbled their wedding was a `` landmark moment for equal rights in Northern Ireland '' .
`` We did n't set out to make history - we just fell in love , '' she added @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the thousands of people who marched for our freedoms , to the Love Equality campaign who led the way and the politicians who voted to change the law .
`` Without you , our wedding would n't have been possible .
`` We will be forever thankful . ''
Same-sex marriage has been legal in England , Wales and Scotland since 2014 .
However , this is the first week that same-sex couples in Northern Ireland can legally get married .
In July 2019 , MPs backed amendments which required the government to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Northern Ireland if devolution was not restored by 21 October 2019 .
From 13 January , same-sex couples were able to register to marry .
Elsewhere on Tuesday , Westminster campaigners were at a celebratory reception to thank MPs who had acted on the issue .
Sara Canning , the partner of murdered Northern Ireland journalist Lyra McKee , attended the event organised by Amnesty International and the Love Equality campaign .
Ms McKee , 29 , was shot on 18 April while observing rioting in Londonderry .
Ms Canning described the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as a `` wonderful moment '' .
`` This really means so much and has brought me some much-needed light in what has been a dark year , '' she added .

"We are so grateful to the thousands of people who marched for our freedoms, to the Love Equality campaign who led the way and the politicians who voted to change the law.


bbcuk--2020-02-11--Bus funding: Where would it make the most difference?

Boris Johnson is pledging £5bn over five years to boost bus services and cycling in England and campaigners want it to restore `` lost '' routes in `` disconnected '' rural areas .
Where would new bus funding make the most difference ?
More than 4 billion journeys are made by bus every year in England , but the number has been in decline .
Transport campaigners blame this on cuts in funding , with local and central government support for bus services having declined by more than £800m , nearly 30 % , over the past decade .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` essential '' investments that `` people want to see '' , according to the Chancellor , Sajid Javid .
How much is spent on buses already ?
The £5bn being promised by the Prime Minister on Tuesday is for five years with new priority routes for buses and 4,000 `` zero-emission buses '' in England and Wales .
As local authorities ' and central government budgets have been cut since 2010 , the overall amount of public money spent on running bus services has also been falling .
According to the Department @ @ @ @ @ @ @ £2bn was spent in 2018-19 .
This is down £834m on 2008-09 , when that year 's spending is adjusted for inflation , but still higher than 20 years ago .
Meanwhile bus fares increased 3.3 % last year , which was faster than the Consumer Prices Index rate of inflation , 1.9 % .
DfT figures show fares in England have risen 71 % since 2005 .
Where would the funding make the most difference ?
We do n't yet know which areas will see the biggest shares of the money although @ @ @ @ @ @ @ every region outside London '' .
Official government figures reveal more than half of all England 's bus journeys are now made in London .
Outside the capital , Brighton and Hove had the most journeys per head of population in 2018-19 .
The Campaign for Better Transport said the new funding was a `` significant step change '' and welcome news for communities that had `` borne the brunt '' of cuts to services and `` poor or non-existent local public transport in recent years '' .
A 2019 study by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ routes had been lost or reduced over the past decade .
Crispin Truman from countryside charity CPRE said rural communities had been `` at the end of the queue '' for too long and the funding could be a `` lifeline '' .
He said : `` If properly targeted , this investment could help tackle loneliness and isolation , reduce car dependency and slash our carbon emissions . ''
Where has bus usage changed the most ?
Councillor David Williams , from the County Councils Network , said shire areas had seen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ since 2010 , while major cities had seen funding fall by 19 % .
Mr Williams said : `` As a result , buses are almost non-existent in some of the most rural and coastal areas where services are a lifeline , while county towns suffer from less frequent and more expensive services compared cities . ''
According to the DfT the £5bn investment will include : • At least 4,000 new zero emission buses • More 'turn up and go ' routes which the government says means people will `` not have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' • New bus priority schemes to make help buses avoid congestion • 250 miles of new , `` high-quality '' separated cycle routes and safe junctions in towns and cities

The Campaign for Better Transport said the new funding was a "significant step change" and welcome news for communities that had "borne the brunt" of cuts to services and "poor or non-existent local public transport in recent years".


bbcuk--2020-02-11--Coronavirus: Can it spread via door handles? And other questions

There have now been more than 43,000 cases of the new coronavirus , which has been declared a global health emergency .
The disease has spread to many countries , including the UK .
The BBC News Health team 's answers to a selection of readers ' questions about the new virus are below .
Can coronavirus be transmitted by things like door handles and how long does it survive ?
- Jean Jimenez , Panama If someone infected with the virus coughs on to their hand and then touches something , that surface may become contaminated .
Door handles @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that might pose a risk .
It 's not yet known how long the new coronavirus might be able to live on such surfaces .
Experts suspect it is hours rather than days but it is best to wash your hands regularly to help reduce the risk of infection and spread of the virus .
Does climate and temperature affect the transmission of the coronavirus ?
- Ariyana , Märkisch-Oderland , Germany We still have much to learn about this virus .
It is not yet clear whether seasonal temperature changes will affect @ @ @ @ @ @ @ such as flu , follow a seasonal pattern , peaking in colder months .
There is some research suggesting Middle East respiratory syndrome ( Mers ) - another virus from the same family as coronavirus - is influenced by climate conditions , being slightly more common in warmer months .
Can you catch the virus from food prepared by an infected individual ?
- Sean McIntyre , Brisbane , Australia Someone infected with coronavirus could potentially pass it on to someone else if the food they prepare has not been handled hygienically .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ on hands .
Washing your hands before touching and eating food is good advice for anyone , to stop the spread of germs .
Once you 've had coronavirus , will you then be immune ?
- Denise Mitchell , Bicester , Oxfordshire When people recover from an infection , their body is left with some memory of how to fight it should they encounter it again .
This immunity is not always long-lasting or totally efficient , however , and can decrease over time .
It is not known how long immunity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are differences between coronavirus and flu ?
- Brent Starr , Gresham , Oregon , US Coronavirus and flu share many similar symptoms , making it difficult to diagnose without a test .
The main coronavirus symptoms to look out for are fever and a cough .
Flu often has other symptoms too , such as aching muscles and a sore throat , while people with coronavirus may feel short of breath .
Anyone who suspects they may have caught coronavirus , because they have had close contact with another infected person or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ virus is circulating , should talk to their doctor .
Is a face mask useful against the virus and how often does it have to be replaced ?
- Tom Lim , Bali , Indonesia There is very little evidence wearing face masks makes a difference .
Experts say good hygiene - such as regularly washing your hands and certainly before putting them near your mouth - is vastly more effective .
It is not clear yet whether this is a route of transmission we should be concerned about .
Currently , coughs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ main source of spread .
What is the incubation period for the coronavirus ?
- Gillian Gibs The World Health Organization says the incubation period , which is the time before symptoms appear , ranges from two to 10 days .
These estimates will be narrowed down as more data becomes available .
• What does coronavirus do to the body ?
• How worried should we be ?
Do people who have contracted coronavirus return to full health ?
- Chris Stepney , Milton Keynes Yes .
Many of those who contract @ @ @ @ @ @ @ most people are expected to make a full recovery .
However , it can pose a particular risk for elderly people and those with pre-existing problems such as diabetes or cancer , or weak immune systems .
An expert at China 's National Health Commission has said it can take a week to recover from mild coronavirus symptoms .
Can the coronavirus be transferred through items bought from Wuhan and posted to UK ?
- Stefan There is no evidence this is a risk .
Some diseases , including coronavirus , can spread @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sneezing on them , but it is thought that the virus does not survive for long .
Something that has been sent in the post is unlikely to be contaminated by the time it arrives at its destination .
Is there any reason such viruses are emerging more from China ?
- Gautam Yes - large populations of people living in close proximity to animals .
This coronavirus almost certainly came from an animal source - a bat , although this may not be the host that spread it to people .
Sars @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , came from bats and the civet cat .
The early cases of this new infection were traced to the South China Seafood Wholesale Market , where live wild animals were also sold , including chickens , bats and snakes .
Is it possible to vaccinate in order to prevent this respiratory illness ?
- Hans Friedrich At the moment , there is no vaccine that can protect people against this type of coronavirus but researchers are looking to develop one .
It is a new strain that has n't been seen in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have lots to learn about it .
What questions do you have about the coronavirus ?
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Use this form to ask your question :

How is the government going to protect vulnerable children who remain unvaccinated? My son has cystic fibrosis and will now be forced to mix - he has not had any access to vaccination.
Because your son is in a clinical risk group - and as long as he is over five - he should soon be offered two doses of the Pfizer vaccine. You should be contacted by your GP or specialist team to arrange this.
With regard to the dangers of mixing, the UK has also recommended that Covid vaccines are offered to all children aged 5 to 11, not just those at high clinical risk. This is likely to start in England in April. Children are generally at much lower risk of becoming seriously ill from a Covid infection, although some do still get sick and need hospital care. Over-12s can already be vaccinated, and it's hoped that extending the rollout to younger age groups will help protect even more children from the risk of catching and spreading Covid.
Schools are expected to work with and support families who have concerns about a pupil returning to the classroom. It is compulsory for school-age children to attend, even if they were previously shielding - the only exception is a small number of children whose clinician or GP has advised them not to attend. If you have concerns about this, you should talk to your doctor.