bbcuk--2020-08-19--Manchester attack: Families speak of 'impossible' loss

Families of those who died in the Manchester Arena attack have been giving emotional statements to a court where the bomber 's brother is awaiting sentencing .
Hashem Abedi is facing a two-day sentencing hearing for the murder of 22 people in the 2017 terror attack , but refused to leave his cell .
Family members broke down in tears as they spoke about their grief and how `` life will never be the same '' .
Lisa Rutherford from South Shields said her `` heart snapped '' when she received a phone call with the news her 17-year-old daughter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
She said : `` We are lost , we are devastated and we feel an overwhelming loss .
`` Somehow we are expected to get through life without her , without our baby girl , and it just feels impossible .
There is always that empty chair where she should be . ''
`` As a family we need answers - we are destroyed , '' she told the court .
Liam Curry , 19 , also from South Shields , was Chloe 's boyfriend and he too died in the blast @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a photo of her son as the court heard her message to Abedi .
`` You took from me something more precious than gold , a beautiful boy , inside and out .
`` Life now is not a life , it 's an existence I tolerate , '' she said .
`` He would have been an amazing husband to Chloe and that has all been taken from me , from them , and the wider family . ''
'We ca n't move on' Daryl Price , father of John Atkinson , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' him and he `` simply can not move on '' .
He said Abedi had shown a `` total disregard for human life '' and `` the repercussions of that night are beyond measure '' .
Mr Price added : `` I ca n't see a day when my pain will ever subside . ''
Simon Callander , father of Georgina Callander , 18 , said his `` beautiful little girl '' had been `` so excited '' about the Ariana Grande concert .
He said out of goodness people talk to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do n't want to talk .
I want to die '' .
'He was at the top of his game' Figen Murray told the court she is unable to go to sleep until after 22:31 , the time the bomb went off and her son , Martyn Hett , was killed in the blast .
She said : `` I still can not reconcile that I was fast asleep while my son lay dead on the floor , and I am ashamed about that .
`` The enormity of the loss has left @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the top of his game . ''
Mr Hett 's father Paul said the family would `` never get over '' his death .
`` We are living in constant fear that something like this can happen again , that knock on the door , '' he said . '
I saw her die in my arms' Mrs Leczkowski tried to resuscitate Sorrell , despite being seriously injured herself .
She said her daughter 's `` senseless death '' has `` devastated us all '' .
`` Losing one of my children has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be dead .
`` I do n't care that my leg does n't work - the pain in my heart is the worst pain that wo n't go away .
`` I had to see Sorrell die in my arms . ''
'We still call her for dinner' The parents of Eilidh Macleod , 14 , who lived on the Isle of Barra in the Outer Hebrides , described her as a popular friend who was `` wise , well beyond her years '' .
They said : `` We still have to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our dinner , that will never stop .
`` Anger , fear , resentment and heartbreak is something we all have to live with .
`` No parent who ever takes their child to a concert should ever have to take them home to bury them . ''
'Dad ca n't walk her down the aisle' Survivor Claire Booth , who was injured in the attack , broke down in tears as she read her statement in memory of her sister Kelly Brewster , 32 .
`` Since 22 May 2017 our family @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our hearts are broken , '' she said .
`` My dad has not been able to walk his daughter down the aisle , my mum ca n't take her shopping for a wedding dress . ''
Paul Price was left in a coma after suffering `` dreadful '' injuries in the attack , and may yet require his leg to be amputated below the knee .
His partner , police officer Elaine McIver , was killed in the blast .
`` Elaine planned all of our social events and get-togethers , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her , '' he said .
`` The loss of Elaine overshadows everything and I do n't think I will get over it . ''
Jane Tweddle 's children said `` we know our mum will be with us forever '' and they hope to make her `` proud every day '' .
Daughter Harriet Taylor paid tribute to the 51-year-old school receptionist from Blackpool .
She said in a statement : `` We simply will not let evil win .
Evil is invisible , it has no face , no heart , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have that evil never will have is love . ''
In a poignant tribute , the family of 15-year-old Megan Hurley chose not to make a statement , but simply asked to show the court an image of their daughter .
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Manchester attack: Families speak of 'impossible' loss Published 20 August 2020
Image source, Family handouts Image caption, A total of 22 people were killed in the blast after an Ariana Grande concert on 22 May 2017
Families of those who died in the Manchester Arena attack have given emotional statements to a court where the bomber's brother is awaiting sentencing.
Over the course of a two-day sentencing hearing, relatives broke down in tears as they spoke about their grief and how "life will never be the same".
Hashem Abedi, who was jailed for at least 55 years for the murder of 22 people in the 2017 terror attack, refused to leave his cell to hear them.
Judge Mr Justice Jeremy Baker told the Old Bailey the "despair and desolation of the bereaved" was "palpable", and praised the "tremendous dignity and courage" of those who attended.
'Always an empty chair'
Image source, FAMILY HANDOUT Image caption, Chloe Rutherford was aged 17 when she died in the attack
Lisa Rutherford from South Shields said her "heart snapped" when she received a phone call with the news her 17-year-old daughter Chloe Rutherford had died in the bombing.
She said: "We are lost, we are devastated and we feel an overwhelming loss.
"Somehow we are expected to get through life without her, without our baby girl, and it just feels impossible. There is always that empty chair where she should be."
"As a family we need answers - we are destroyed," she told the court.
'A beautiful boy, inside and out'
Image source, FAMILY HANDOUT Image caption, Caroline Curry said her son Liam was a "beautiful boy, inside and out"
Liam Curry, 19, also from South Shields, was Chloe's boyfriend and he too died in the blast.
His mother Caroline Curry held up a photo of her son as the court heard her message to Abedi.
"You took from me something more precious than gold, a beautiful boy, inside and out.
"Life now is not a life, it's an existence I tolerate," she said.
"He would have been an amazing husband to Chloe and that has all been taken from me, from them, and the wider family."
'We can't move on'
Image source, FAMILY HANDOUT Image caption, John Atkinson was aged 28 when he was killed in the attack
Daryl Price, father of John Atkinson, 28, said his grief "consumes" him and he "simply cannot move on".
He said Abedi had shown a "total disregard for human life" and "the repercussions of that night are beyond measure".
Mr Price added: "I can't see a day when my pain will ever subside."
Daughter 'so excited about concert'
Image source, FAMILY HANDOUT Image caption, Georgina Callander, 18, had been "so excited" about going to the Ariana Grande concert
Simon Callander, father of Georgina Callander, 18, said his "beautiful little girl" had been "so excited" about the Ariana Grande concert.
He said out of goodness people talk to him about the incident but "I don't want to talk. I want to die".
'He was at the top of his game'
Image source, FAMILY HANDOUT Image caption, Figen Murray said the loss of her son Martyn Hett had left a "massive void" in their family
Figen Murray told the court she is unable to go to sleep until after 22:31, the time the bomb went off and her son, Martyn Hett, was killed in the blast.
She said: "I still cannot reconcile that I was fast asleep while my son lay dead on the floor, and I am ashamed about that.
"The enormity of the loss has left a massive void. Martyn was at the top of his game."
Mr Hett's father Paul said the family would "never get over" his death.
"We are living in constant fear that something like this can happen again, that knock on the door," he said.
'I saw her die in my arms'
Image source, FAMILY HANDOUT Image caption, Samantha Leczkowski tried to resuscitate her daughter Sorrell
Samantha Leczkowski, from Leeds, lost her 14-year-old daughter Sorrell.
Mrs Leczkowski tried to resuscitate Sorrell, despite being seriously injured herself.
She said her daughter's "senseless death" has "devastated us all".
"Losing one of my children has killed me, I may as well be dead.
"I don't care that my leg doesn't work - the pain in my heart is the worst pain that won't go away.
"I had to see Sorrell die in my arms."
'We still call her for dinner'
Image source, Family handout Image caption, Eilidh Macleod's family said "every day has been a struggle" since she died in the explosion
The parents of Eilidh Macleod, 14, who lived on the Isle of Barra in the Outer Hebrides, described her as a popular friend who was "wise, well beyond her years".
They said: "We still have to stop ourselves calling out her name for our dinner, that will never stop.
"Anger, fear, resentment and heartbreak is something we all have to live with.
"No parent who ever takes their child to a concert should ever have to take them home to bury them."
'Dad can't walk her down the aisle'
Image source, Family handout Image caption, Kelly Brewster's sister said her mum had hoped to go shopping for a wedding dress with her daughter
Survivor Claire Booth, who was injured in the attack, broke down in tears as she read her statement in memory of her sister Kelly Brewster, 32.
"Since 22 May 2017 our family has not been the same - all our hearts are broken," she said.
"My dad has not been able to walk his daughter down the aisle, my mum can't take her shopping for a wedding dress."
'Losing her overshadows everything'
Image source, Police handout Image caption, The partner of police officer Elaine McIver said losing her "overshadows everything"
Paul Price was left in a coma after suffering "dreadful" injuries in the attack, and may yet require his leg to be amputated below the knee.
His partner, police officer Elaine McIver, was killed in the blast.
"Elaine planned all of our social events and get-togethers, and now I find myself socially isolated without her," he said.
"The loss of Elaine overshadows everything and I don't think I will get over it."
'We won't let evil win'
Image source, Family Handout Image caption, Jane Tweddle was a school receptionist who lived in Blackpool
Jane Tweddle's children said "we know our mum will be with us forever" and they hope to make her "proud every day".
Daughter Harriet Taylor paid tribute to the 51-year-old school receptionist from Blackpool.
She said in a statement: "We simply will not let evil win. Evil is invisible, it has no face, no heart, no race.
"But what we have that evil never will have is love."
No words
Image source, Family handout Image caption, Megan Hurley was 15 when she was killed in the attack
In a poignant tribute, the family of 15-year-old Megan Hurley chose not to make a statement, but simply asked to show the court an image of their daughter.


bbcuk--2020-08-19--Halifax 'choke' video arrest man Hassan Ahmed feared for life

A man who was filmed apparently being choked by a police officer during an arrest believed he was going to die .
A video of the arrest , shared on social media , shows Hassan Ahmed being held on the ground with an arm around his neck .
The 27-year-old , from Halifax , has since been released under investigation and says he was not resisting arrest .
The officer involved has been suspended by West Yorkshire Police pending an investigation Mr Ahmed said : `` I was afraid for my life , I thought 'that 's it , he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ' .
`` I honestly thought it was my final moments , I was in shock , I was really scared . ''
• More stories from across Yorkshire He said the arrest came after he was called to the area by a family member and got into an argument .
`` He did push me as if he were going to arrest me , I complied , I did n't resist him , I complied all the way .
I even had my hand by my sides . ''
During the video @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` chill out or I 'll choke you out , chill out or you 're going to sleep '' .
Mr Ahmed is seen tapping on the floor and another voice can be heard saying `` I give up '' before he is told to `` turn over now '' , with another officer helping to detain him .
`` I was just thinking about my family , I thought 'He 's not going to let go , he 's going to keep going , he 's going to finish me ' , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was in pain , I could n't breathe , I could n't feel anything , I could n't even gasp for air .
`` He carried on , then he punched me in my face . ''
Mr Ahmed says the incident has left him unable to sleep or work .
His sister Safyah , earlier joined a demonstration outside Halifax police station by about 100 protesters .
She said she had felt sickened when she saw the video .
The protesters carried signs which read `` Stop police brutality '' and `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` It 's obviously struck a chord with everyone from every background , '' Safyah said .
West Yorkshire Police said the officer involved had been suspended pending an investigation .
The Independent Office for Police Conduct ( IOPC ) also confirmed the incident had been referred to them .
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Mr Ahmed is seen tapping on the floor and another voice can be heard saying "I give up" before he is told to "turn over now", with another officer helping to detain him.


bbcuk--2020-08-19--A-levels: Algorithm at centre of grading crisis 'unlawful' says Labour

The algorithm used to downgrade thousands of A-level results in England was `` unlawful '' , Labour have claimed .
The computer-based model used by Ofqual to standardise results after exams were cancelled breached anti-discrimination legislation as well as laws requiring it to uphold standards , Labour says .
The party wants Gavin Williamson to publish the legal advice he was given .
The education secretary has backed the regulator but apologised for the hurt caused to pupils by the chaos .
Labour are calling for A-level pupils in England to be given a `` cast-iron guarantee '' they will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ university place next month or in the future .
Mr Williamson , who is facing calls from students and opposition MPs to resign , has urged universities to show flexibility after Monday 's results U-turn threw September 's admission process into further confusion .
• Hancock : Williamson has 'done his best ' over exams Thousands of pupils remain uncertain about which university they will end up at after Ofqual said centre and school-assessed grades ( CAG ) would be accepted following a furore over its process for calculating them .
The regulator @ @ @ @ @ @ @ algorithm to `` moderate '' the grades submitted by schools , giving substantial weight to schools ' past performance as well as other factors .
This resulted in nearly 40 % of marks being downgraded , in some cases by more than one grade , with high-achieving pupils from schools in deprived areas being disproportionately affected .
Labour said there had been `` no proper assessment '' of this year 's cohort of pupils because the process used by Ofqual did `` not accurately reflect '' their level of knowledge , skill and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ results could not be `` properly compared '' with those of previous years or other exam boards , meaning the regulator was in breach of its legal obligation to uphold assessment and qualification standards .
In a letter to Mr Williamson and Ofqual 's chief executive Sally Collier , Labour said the weight given to past results from individual schools had caused `` a mass of discriminatory impacts '' .
This , it said , was `` bound to disadvantage a whole range of groups with protected characteristics , in breach of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said Ofqual 's policy of not allowing any right of appeal `` beyond errors of application in the system '' was also unlawful .
The opposition are pressing Mr Williamson to make clear when he was first informed about concerns about the algorithm and what legal advice he received before approving its use .
`` Ofqual and the Secretary of State have been fully in the knowledge that the standardisation formula that was being used was unlawful , '' it said .
`` It is regrettable that only when threatened with legal action @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what Labour have been calling for ; for grades to be allocated based on CAGs . ''
The decision to allow students to use the grades estimated by their teachers - or stick to the grades provided by the algorithm if they were higher - followed similar decisions in Scotland , Northern Ireland and Wales .
Labour is seeking assurances students who received offers from universities at clearing will not now lose them .
Several institutions have said they will honour all offers made to students before and immediately after the original results @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their places have since been withdrawn .
Labour said this was unfair and ministers needed to `` right this wrong '' immediately .
It said all pupils must have their final grades confirmed by the end of the week and no-one should lose out on their first choice place `` because of government incompetence '' .
It is calling on ministers to `` bend over backwards '' to support students , including by helping universities to fund additional places needed to meet the demand .
`` This fiasco is far from over , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the BBC .
`` There are many , many students that are still uncertain about whether they can go to university or which university they can go to .
`` Every student that has n't got their firm grades given to them needs to have them by the end of the week so they can start to make decisions about their future . ''
Students are being urged to contact their universities as soon as possible to discuss the options .
The government has lifted its cap on the numbers each institution can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ potential financial ruin if students switch to other institutions in huge numbers .
Meanwhile , Durham University has promised a bursary and guarantee of accommodation for everyone who defers their place until 2021 .

"This fiasco is far from over," Shadow Communities Secretary Steve Reed told the BBC. "There are many, many students that are still uncertain about whether they can go to university or which university they can go to.


bbcuk--2020-08-19--IS 'Beatles' will not face death penalty in US

The US has told the UK that two Islamic State suspects will not face the death penalty if convicted of the killings of Western hostages in Iraq and Syria .
Alexanda Kotey and El Shafee Elsheikh are accused of being the last two members of an IS cell dubbed `` The Beatles '' because of their UK accents .
The US sought the UK 's help in the case but a legal fight over the use of the death penalty has stymied co-operation .
The US has now made clear the two will not be executed if found guilty .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Patel , US Attorney General William Barr said the US authorities would not seek the death penalty against the two men and `` if imposed , it will not be carried out '' .
In the light of the assurances , he said he hoped the UK would share `` important evidence '' about the men promptly .
`` If we receive the requested evidence and attendant cooperation from the UK , we intend to proceed with a United States prosecution , '' he wrote .
• What is behind Britain 's IS @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Islamic State group 'Beatles ' cell ?
• Where should the IS 'Beatles ' be tried ?
`` Indeed , it is these unique circumstances that have led me to provide the assurance offered in this letter . ''
A Home Office spokesman said the UK `` continue to work closely with international partners to ensure that those who have committed crimes in the name of Daesh are brought to justice '' .
The pair , who are in US military custody in Iraq , were British citizens , but have been stripped @ @ @ @ @ @ @ alleged to have been members of an IS kidnap gang behind the killings of a number of Western hostages , including American journalists and British aid workers , in Iraq and Syria in 2014 .
The victims were beheaded and their deaths filmed and broadcast on social media .
The UK believes the men can not be legally extradited to the UK , but in 2018 it emerged that the US was preparing the ground to prosecute the men - and that it had asked the UK for information that would help convict @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they would share intelligence , without opposing a death penalty sentence .
But co-operation with the US was halted after the mother of El Shafee Elsheikh launched a legal challenge , arguing the UK 's position was in breach of its internationally recognised opposition to capital punishment .
In the past Britain has sought assurances from foreign governments that the death penalty would not be used in cases where the UK provided information or extradited suspects .
The Supreme Court has ruled that the US government 's demand to use crucial evidence from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
At the time , the UK said it was `` a long-standing position '' to oppose the death penalty but added that in this case it was `` a priority to make sure that these men face criminal prosecution '' .
However , the UK has made clear that if the pair were sent to the controversial US military prison Guantanamo Bay - where suspects have been detained without trial - the UK would withhold intelligence .
The BBC 's security correspondent Frank Gardner said the US were warning that if the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of October , the two men would be handed over to the Iraqi government .
Several relatives of the murdered western hostages have said they want the men to face a fair trial , rather than the death penalty .

"I feel that the death penalty is too easy. It allows them to be martyrs... I really feel if they truly have done these horrible crimes, they really need to face life imprisonment, so they have a chance for redemption themselves and a chance to really recognise the horror of what they've done to others," she told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.


bbcuk--2020-08-19--Two of PC Andrew Harper's killers to appeal against convictions

Two of PC Andrew Harper 's killers have launched appeals against their manslaughter convictions .
The police officer sustained catastrophic injuries when he was dragged behind a getaway car driven by Henry Long in Berkshire last August .
Albert Bowers and Jessie Cole , who were also in the car , have lodged applications with the Court of Appeal .
PC Harper 's mother Debbie Adlam called the pair 's appeals a `` kick in the stomach '' .
Following a trial at the Old Bailey , Long , 19 , was jailed for 16 years while passengers Bowers and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to 13 years each .
Bowers and Cole are seeking permission to challenge their convictions and sentences .
Ms Adlam said : `` We 've only just come through the first anniversary of Andrew 's death .
`` It 's been the most painful year of my life and the trial was absolutely gruelling .
`` We clearly did n't get the justice that we all felt that we deserved - but this application to appeal both conviction and sentence is a further kick in the stomach .
`` We will obviously have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ system but I 'd like to think that I do not live in a country where people can be involved in taking a life whilst committing a crime and be allowed to walk away from it and serve anything other than a lengthy custodial sentence . ''
Earlier this month , the Attorney General 's Office confirmed it had been asked to review the killers ' sentences after claims they are too lenient .
PC Harper , 28 , from Wallingford , Oxfordshire , had only been married for a month when he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ On Tuesday his widow Lissie said it was `` heartbreaking '' to be denied `` real justice '' over his death .
She has launched a campaign for killers of emergency workers to face mandatory life sentences .
Harper 's Law calls for all `` criminals convicted of killing a police officer , firefighter , nurse , doctor , prison officer or paramedic to be jailed for life .
No ifs .
No buts '' .
Mrs Harper has declined to comment on the appeals launched by Bowers and Cole .
No date @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be heard .

"We will obviously have to leave it up to the judicial system but I'd like to think that I do not live in a country where people can be involved in taking a life whilst committing a crime and be allowed to walk away from it and serve anything other than a lengthy custodial sentence."


bbcuk--2020-08-19--House of Lords: Temporary move to York rejected by repairs body

Peers will not be packing their bags and moving to York after a proposal to relocate the House of Lords during rebuilding work was effectively axed .
Boris Johnson wants the Parliamentary authorities to look at the idea of moving the Lords out of London while the Palace of Westminster is revamped .
But the body in charge of the project said it would not be considered .
The government says it is up to MPs and peers to decide but it will continue pushing for a move out of London .
The government is also considering setting up a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
• Ministers 'looking into ' relocating House of Lords MPs and peers agreed in 2018 to a plan that would see both Houses move to temporary facilities near the existing site - a `` full decant '' - to allow essential repairs and upgrades to be made to the crumbling Victorian palace .
Amid concerns about the cost - estimated at almost £4bn in 2014 - a review of the plans is being carried out by the Restoration and Renewal Sponsor Body and Delivery Authority .
The idea of moving the Upper @ @ @ @ @ @ @ January .
Downing Street was said to be keen on the idea as a way of demonstrating its commitment to its `` levelling up '' agenda to spread opportunity and decision-making outside London and the south-east of England .
But the Restoration and Renewal Sponsor Body , whose members include MPs and peers and which is chaired by property expert Liz Peace , said such a move would not form part of its review .
In a letter to the prime minister , it said there were `` constitutional implications '' for moving @ @ @ @ @ @ @ makes this a matter for both Houses to determine rather than for our review '' .
`` This option will not , therefore , be considered as part of the scope of the strategic review , '' they said .
It said urgent action was needed to address the state of parts of the Palace of Westminster , which it said was `` falling apart faster than they can be fixed '' .
It added : `` In line with best practice , we remain committed to developing a business case that will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ restoring Parliament including cost estimates and timescales . ''
Several leading peers criticised the York plan , saying it was impractical to separate the Lords from the Commons .
Lord Speaker Lord Fowler said it was `` gesture politics '' while Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle said the idea was `` great PR '' but questioned how it would work .
But the Lib Dem leader of City of York Council has said such a move could bring real economic benefits to the city and the wider region in the form of high-skilled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ confirm or deny reports that a feasibility study has been carried out in possible sites in the city .

Downing Street was said to be keen on the idea as a way of demonstrating its commitment to its "levelling up" agenda to spread opportunity and decision-making outside London and the south-east of England.


bbcuk--2020-08-19--Coronavirus: Dundee school closed after six adults test positive

A school in Dundee for pupils with additional support needs has been closed after six adults connected to it tested positive for coronavirus .
Dundee City Council and NHS Tayside said the move to shut down Kingspark School was a `` precautionary measure '' .
The school will not open on Thursday and Friday while a deep clean is carried out .
Kingspark has about 185 pupils , aged between five and 18 , and all have additional support needs .
Many of the youngsters also have additional physical disabilities or medical problems .
Dr Ellie Hothersall , consultant in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said : `` We would like to reassure parents that we are taking this measure as a precaution due to the varied needs of the pupils who attend the school . ''
• Where have school pupils tested positive for Covid-19 ?
A decision is yet to be taken on whether the school will reopen on Monday .
Paul Clancy , Dundee City Council 's executive director of Children and Families Services , said the challenges faced by the school 's pupils meant `` safety had to be paramount . ''
He said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and other mitigations in place throughout Kingspark School .
However , given the vulnerabilities and complex needs of the pupils , we can not take any risks .
`` This has been a difficult decision to reach , but it is one I hope that families can understand and appreciate . ''
It comes as an entire class of primary pupils and their teacher have been asked to self-isolate after a case of coronavirus .
Contact tracers are working to identify close contacts at St Albert 's Primary School in Pollokshields on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spokeswoman said `` control measures are in place at the school , and there is currently no evidence of transmission within the school itself '' .
The number of pupils and staff asked to self-isolate has not been confirmed .
Elsewhere , a fourth pupil at a school in Coatbridge tested positive for coronavirus .
The student from St Ambrose High had already been identified as a contact and is part of a cluster in North Lanarkshire and North East Glasgow .
In Perth and Kinross , two primary pupils - one at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Oakbank Primary in Perth - have been confirmed as having the virus .
In Renfrewshire a pupil at Todholm Primary in Paisley has tested positive and contact tracing is taking place at Wallace Primary in Elderslie after a positive test .
• DEATHS : Who is dying and where ?
• RULES : What 's still closed in Scotland and why ?
• QUIZ : Test your knowledge of the coronavirus restrictions • FACE MASKS : When should you wear one ?

Dr Ellie Hothersall, consultant in Public Health Medicine with NHS Tayside, said: "We would like to reassure parents that we are taking this measure as a precaution due to the varied needs of the pupils who attend the school."


bbcuk--2020-08-19--Coronavirus: Pope's vaccine plea and universities facing 'crazy demand'

Here are five things you need to know about the coronavirus outbreak this Wednesday evening .
We 'll have another update for you on Thursday morning .
Pope Francis has said the world 's poorest people must have access to a coronavirus vaccine if one becomes available .
`` How sad it would be if access to a Covid-19 vaccine was made a priority for the richest .
It would be sad if the vaccine became property of such-and-such nation and not universal for everyone , '' the Pope said during his weekly general audience from the Vatican .
Teams @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a vaccine that will be effective against Covid-19 .
2 .
Will masks be mandatory in offices ?
France is set to make face coverings compulsory in most workplaces , with the rules likely to apply in all shared spaces in offices and factories .
But Health Secretary Matt Hancock has said the UK is not looking to follow suit .
`` We constantly look at the scientific advice and the answer here is that we are not currently considering doing that , '' he said .
Face coverings are currently required in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ UK .
Find more about the rules here .
After the government 's U-turn over how A-levels were graded , thousands of students who thought they had missed out on their first choice of university may now have the grades to trade up .
So how is this affecting universities ?
`` The demand from students has gone crazy , '' says Emma Reay , director of admissions at Newcastle University .
She said offers to students will be honoured but they may have to consider coming a year later .
Aberdeen 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Nicola Sturgeon has announced .
Scotland 's first minister said although the lockdown was having an impact , it was still `` not yet safe '' to lift the restrictions .
A spike in Covid-19 cases linked to bars and nightlife in the city led to pubs and restaurants being shut two weeks ago and restrictions being placed on travel and visits to other households .
Now that masks are an inevitable part of our everyday life , it looks like people are seeking to make a big impression with what asset @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
According to analysts NPD , eye makeup has been taking a larger proportion of prestige cosmetics sales during and after lockdown .
And interestingly , with lips now often hidden behind a mask , makeup sales in that area are taking a lesser share of spending .
Read more about how the pandemic is affecting makeup and fashion sales .
Get a longer coronavirus briefing from the BBC in your inbox , each weekday morning , by signing up here .
Find more information , advice and guides on our coronavirus page @ @ @ @ @ @ @ live page .
You can also find out how many cases there are in your area here .
What questions do you have about coronavirus ?
In some cases , your question will be published , displaying your name , age and location as you provide it , unless you state otherwise .
Your contact details will never be published .
Please ensure you have read our terms & conditions and privacy policy .
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• @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Binge-watch the new series

France is set to make face coverings compulsory in most workplaces, with the rules likely to apply in all shared spaces in offices and factories. But Health Secretary Matt Hancock has said the UK is not looking to follow suit. "We constantly look at the scientific advice and the answer here is that we are not currently considering doing that," he said. Face coverings are currently required in a number of indoor settings in the UK. Find more about the rules here.


bbcuk--2020-08-19--Coronavirus: Local lockdown in Aberdeen extended

A local lockdown in Aberdeen will be extended for another week , First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has announced .
Pubs and restaurants were shut two weeks ago , and restrictions placed on travel and visits to other households , after a spike in Covid-19 cases linked to bars and nightlife in the city .
Ms Sturgeon said the lockdown was having an impact - but that it was `` not yet safe '' to lift the restrictions .
Aberdeen City Council said it did not support continuing the lockdown .
A midweek review will be carried out on Sunday , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ restrictions could be eased next Wednesday .
This could involve lower-risk businesses , such as non-licensed cafes .
• Restrictions 'having an impact on cases' • What are the local lockdown rules ?
Ms Sturgeon said 15 of the 50 new cases in Scotland on Wednesday were in the Grampian area .
There have now been 398 cases since 26 July in Grampian , 226 of which have been associated with the Aberdeen cluster .
`` We are not yet in a position to say that this outbreak is over or completely under @ @ @ @ @ @ @ She said there was some evidence that the original cluster , linked with bars and nightlife in the city , was being contained .
`` However , we are also continuing to see a number of individual cases and other smaller clusters in the city , '' she said .
`` That is not necessarily unusual for an outbreak of this scale , but it is something we must monitor very carefully because these cases do n't appear to be linked to the original outbreak . ''
The first minister said she accepted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ continuation of the restrictions .
But she added : `` Moving too quickly with transmission levels as they remain just now would , in our view , risk the hard-won progress that people in Aberdeen have made . ''
However , the administration leaders on Aberdeen City Council - which is run by a coalition of Conservative , Labour and Independent councillors - said they did not support the city being locked down any longer .
Co-leader Jenny Laing said : `` It is apparent that Covid-19 has already had a significant impact @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the current restrictions is only going to make a bad economic situation even worse . ''
She said that at a meeting on Tuesday the incident management team said they believed the situation was now under adequate control , and that mitigation measures could be put in place to allow lower-risk settings to open from Saturday .
Co-leader Douglas Lumsden warned more than 5,000 jobs were at risk .
Aberdeen 's Lib Dem group leader Ian Yuill said the administration 's stance was `` completely irresponsible '' , adding : `` The last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ confusion and uncertainty . ''
NHS Grampian said the local incident management team had been asked to make recommendations to the Scottish government .
It said the team , which was set up to manage and investigate the cluster , supported the `` precautionary approach '' and the decision to maintain the restrictions .
`` We want to encourage everyone in Aberdeen City to keep following the enhanced restrictions , '' it added .
The current restrictions , which apply to 228,000 people in Aberdeen , are : • no travel more than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no travel to the city for leisure or to visit friends and family , even if you live in Aberdeenshire • no indoor visits with other households A £1m support fund has been set up for the city , with grants of up to £1,500 available for hospitality businesses .
Russell Borthwick , chief executive of Aberdeen and Grampian Chamber of Commerce , said : `` It 's good the government has accepted that business is struggling .
`` We 've already seen business closures and we fear that we may see more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with that .
`` Of course £1m sounds like a chunky figure but at an individual business level at up to £1,500 , that is n't going to make the difference between survival or not . ''
Mike Henderson is involved a number of businesses in Aberdeen as a live entertainment booker , including Bridge Street Social Club .
He expressed concerns about the future .
`` Once the furlough ends , there 's really no plans there - there 's nothing in place for us , '' he said .
`` That @ @ @ @ @ @ @ opportunity for ourselves and our 50 staff to keep them in the job . ''
• DEATHS : Who is dying and where ?
• RULES : What 's still closed in Scotland and why ?
• QUIZ : Test your knowledge of the coronavirus restrictions • FACE MASKS : When should you wear one ?

"That is not necessarily unusual for an outbreak of this scale, but it is something we must monitor very carefully because these cases don't appear to be linked to the original outbreak."


bbcuk--2020-08-19--Coronavirus in Northampton: 'I wake up and hope we have no lockdown'

A town where hundreds of factory workers tested positive for Covid-19 now has the highest rate of new cases in England .
What does that mean for traders on an already struggling High Street ?
Even before nearly 300 people tested positive for coronavirus at a sandwich factory , Northampton was already on a watchlist .
The county 's police chief had warned the town was `` odds on '' for a lockdown unless people took precautions .
Residents were urged to `` limit contact '' with people `` outside their household '' .
When news broke of the positive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ council leader Jonathan Nunn described it as a `` huge disaster '' but said the authority hoped to avoid a lockdown .
The town has lost major department stores in recent years , leaving large empty units on the main shopping street .
A local lockdown , like the one less than 40 miles ( 64km ) away in Leicester , would have further serious implications .
For many businesses in the town , it is a nervous time . '
I worked through the darkest hours of lockdown' Steffans Jewellers has been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more than 40 years .
Owner Wes Souter said sales have been `` very positive '' since the national lockdown was eased but is concerned about the pressure the pandemic is putting on business owners .
`` I worked through the darkest hours of lockdown , '' he said , revealing how he spent days in the closed Abington Square-based business dealing with online orders and `` fearing we were going to have looting '' .
He said : `` This is a story of anxiety and fear .
For a lot of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like . ''
With the busy Christmas period approaching , Mr Souter said he has not been able to have a holiday this year .
The potential for a Northampton lockdown has added to his concerns , with questions swirling around whether he would be able to furlough staff or which businesses would have to close .
`` If the advice is go into lockdown , stay away from town centres but businesses do n't have to close and we do n't get assistance , what happens then ?
`` It is the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hope Northampton does n't get locked down today ' . ''
In total , 262 new cases of coronavirus were recorded in Northampton in the week ending last Saturday - three times as many as the previous week .
There were 97 cases recorded on 10 August alone and 94 the day after , although these figures were initially higher until the data was updated on Wednesday .
While this gives Northampton the highest rate of new infections in England for the week - nearly 117 in every 100,000 residents - across England @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 100,000 .
However , the vast majority of Northampton 's cases for the week - 208 - came from the Moulton area of the town , which is also home to the Greencore factory .
The next highest area was the town centre and Semilong , where 12 cases were recorded in the week to 15 August .
Northampton town centre had its struggles before the world had even heard of Covid-19 .
On Abington Street - the main thoroughfare - about a third of units are vacant , with retail giants like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Fraser having disappeared from the town centre landscape .
The borough council has acknowledged it `` wanted something better for the town '' and last year unveiled plans to use money from the government 's Future High Streets Fund to tackle some of the long-standing issues .
One thing they want is more independent shops and cafes .
Cafe Track , situated in the central Market Square and operating as a social enterprise , fits the bill perfectly .
Yet the eatery , which helps people with autism into employment , has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Owner Tom Cliffe said they were planning to do so on 3 August , but a Covid-19 testing centre opened right outside the cafe 's doors .
While Mr Cliffe says such testing is essential , he had to postpone the reopening as only six people can sit inside the cafe .
You might also like : • ' I was living in a tent in a graveyard' • 'Floods flung the door open as I was tattooing' • Will a £50 voucher get this bike-shy town moving ?
He said the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the town going into a local lockdown but is hoping it can be moved elsewhere .
Ultimately though , Mr Cliffe wants to help do everything to avoid lockdown : `` If that means it is negative for us but saves the town then that 's a good thing .
`` There 's a lot of small , independent and brilliant businesses that would struggle . ''
'The town has n't had a chance to get back up again' One of those independent businesses is Vintage Guru , a two-storey St Giles Street @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cluster of small traders .
It turned two on Tuesday and owner Julie Teckman said trading figures have remained stable since it was able to reopen .
But she said the `` town is really struggling '' and while some customers `` act like nothing has happened , '' others are `` really worried '' .
Mrs Teckman said figures showing Covid-19 cases in the town often only cause confusion .
`` Some days we are in the top 10 , others we are not so people do n't know what is true @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she hopes the authorities can `` pull off '' avoiding a local lockdown .
`` The town centre has been knocked down and it has n't had a chance to get back up again .
`` It is all very well having loans to keep us ticking over , but you need to know there is something to come back to . ''
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The potential for a Northampton lockdown has added to his concerns, with questions swirling around whether he would be able to furlough staff or which businesses would have to close.


bbcuk--2020-08-19--Former swimmer Harry Needs on coming out as bisexual

The former swimmer Harry Needs wants people to know that being bisexual is n't `` a gateway to becoming gay @ @ @ @ @ greedy '' .
The 28-year-old was married to two-time Olympic champion Rebecca Adlington .
They @ @ @ @ @ remain friends and continue to co-parent their five-year-old daughter , Summer .
Harry speaks about @ @ @ @ @ attracted to both sexes , his marriage to Becky , and having his first same-sex @ @

The former swimmer Harry Needs wants people to know that being bisexual isn't "a gateway to becoming gay" or about "being greedy".
The 28-year-old was married to two-time Olympic champion Rebecca Adlington. They split in 2016, but remain friends and continue to co-parent their five-year-old daughter, Summer.
Harry speaks about growing up knowing he was attracted to both sexes, his marriage to Becky, and having his first same-sex relationship.
Video by Jimmy Tam


bbcuk--2020-08-19--Three Portsmouth island forts go on sale for £9m

Three manmade island forts off the coast of Portsmouth have been put on the market for £9m .
They were @ @ @ @ @ as part of sea defences against a feared French invasion .
Two of them , @ @ @ @ @ Spitbank Fort , have been converted into luxury hotels .
The third , Horse Sand @ @ @ @ @ a `` living museum '' .
The BBC 's John Maguire took a look around @

Three manmade island forts off the coast of Portsmouth have been put on the market for £9m.
They were built about 150 years ago as part of sea defences against a feared French invasion.
Two of them, No Man's Fort and Spitbank Fort, have been converted into luxury hotels. The third, Horse Sand Fort, is described as a "living museum".
The BBC's John Maguire took a look around.


bbcuk--2020-08-19--Newspaper headlines: BTec results pulled amid 'exam fiasco'

The Daily Telegraph 's front page is dominated by a picture of the Manchester Arena bomber Salman Abedi , who @ @ @ @ @ a whole-life sentence '' because of his age at the time of the attack .
@ @ @ @ @ , however , is the news that exam board Pearson has pulled its BTec results @ @ @ @ @ them .
`` Close to half a million pupils face fresh exam turmoil today after @ @ @ @ @ the paper says .

The Times says that Mr Williamson was told directly, six week ago, about the risk that A-level and GCSE grading would produce unfair results - but pushed ahead anyway. The paper says it was told by a "senior source" at the Department for Education that concerns about the statistical formula were raised in a letter by a former director general for schools - Sir Jon Coles.


bbcuk--2020-08-19--Manchester attack: Hashem Abedi refuses to face victims' relatives

The brother of Manchester Arena bomber Salman Abedi refused to leave his cell as a court heard emotional testimony from bereaved relatives .
Hashem Abedi is due to be sentenced for the murder of 22 people in the 2017 terror attack .
At a two-day court hearing , family members of some of those killed have told of the impact of their loss .
One bereaved mother told the Old Bailey Abedi 's `` horrendous act of cowardice changed our lives forever '' .
The 23-year-old worked with his brother to source materials used in the `` sudden and lethal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ end of an Ariana Grande concert on 22 May 2017 .
During the hearing , parents broke down in tears as they recalled the moment they discovered their loved ones had died .
Some held up photos of their children as they paid tribute to them and described the `` devastating '' effect of their grief .
Others slammed the Abedi brothers , branding them as an `` evil '' pair who launched a cowardly attack on innocent people .
• 'There is always that empty chair where she should be' • The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rutherford , whose daughter Chloe was killed at the arena , said the `` horrendous act of cowardice changed our lives forever '' , adding that her loss was a `` pain that never leaves us '' .
It is normal for defendants to be present in court but Abedi - who dismissed his legal team - refused to attend .
Judge Mr Justice Jeremy Baker said he had `` no power to direct that force be used to compel him to come into court '' . '
A pain that never leaves @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Old Bailey , the court heard a series of victim impact statements from survivors and the bereaved .
Jayne Jones , mother of 14-year-old Nell Jones , said words did not `` come anywhere near '' describing their grief .
`` We miss her laughter , her wicked sense of humour .
But we cherish her legacy , '' she said .
June Tron , the mother of Gateshead plumber Philip Tron , 32 , told the court `` my world fell apart '' when she was told he had died and she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ off .
`` I felt immense guilt .
I just want the trial over .
I want justice so I can start to breathe . ''
Michael Thompson said his family was `` going from day to day on autopilot '' since his daughter Michelle Kiss , 45 , had been `` taken from us in the most terrible and cowardly way '' .
`` We believe there is more good in the world than bad but unfortunately it only takes one bad person to devastate and destroy so many lives , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is always that empty chair where she should be' In March this year Abedi was found guilty of 22 counts of murder , one count of attempted murder - encompassing injured survivors - and conspiring to cause explosions .
Abedi would have been eligible for a whole-life term had he been over the age of 21 at the time of the bombing , the court heard .
Mr Justice Baker said it was a `` matter for Parliament who pass legislation which prevents the court of making a whole-life order in the circumstances @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bailey was told some of the victim impact and witness statements should not be read in open court , but instead be considered by the judge in private .
The hearing has been adjourned until Thursday when Abedi 's sentence is due to be handed down .
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Michael Thompson said his family was "going from day to day on autopilot" since his daughter Michelle Kiss, 45, had been "taken from us in the most terrible and cowardly way".


bbcuk--2020-08-19--Coronavirus: Nearly 600 suspected Scotland workplace cases

Nearly 600 people in Scotland are thought to have caught coronavirus at their place of work , new figures show .
The data includes eight people who died from the virus since April .
Care home workers account for nearly two thirds of the suspected occupational exposures , according to Health and Safety Executive ( HSE ) data .
But hairdressers , funeral directors , beauty therapists and NHS workers are among those who are also thought to have been exposed to the virus at work .
Gary Smith , secretary of the GMB Scotland union , said there is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ suspected workplace coronavirus cases .
He said : `` The events of the last six months simply do not give any confidence in these figure .
`` In sectors which predominately employ women , such as social care and food manufacturing , we are talking about industries notorious for the under-reporting of workplace incident and injury pre-Covid .
`` We now know that many of the workers in these industries have been failed on basic health and safety issues , from the delay in the delivery of proper PPE provision to the ability @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
Mr Smith said such under-reporting should be a `` cause for alarm '' for efforts to try and understand the impact of coronavirus in the workplace .
Employers have a legal duty to report cases where there is reasonable evidence to suggest an employee diagnosed with coronavirus caught it while at work .
Latest figures show that between 10 April and 8 August there were a total of 594 such reports by employers in Scotland to the HSE and local councils .
• What went wrong in Scotland 's care homes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were workers in residential care , 32 were healthcare staff and a further 146 were classed as working in `` personal services '' such as hairdressers or funeral directors .
A further 43 people worked in other industries , according to the HSE figures .
Of the eight suspected Covid-19-related workplace deaths reported , four were in residential care .
The HSE has so far made inquiries into five reported deaths in Scotland and concluded that in four of these cases there was insufficient evidence to confirm they were the result of work-related @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is still under investigation .
A spokeswoman for the health and safety watchdog said : `` We continue to carry out a detailed assessment of deaths that have been reported to us .
`` Where those reported meet HSE 's incident investigation criteria , they are being processed and an investigation initiated .
`` We are in regular dialogue with the Crown Office , Scottish government , regulators and others on reporting and investigation of Covid-19 work related deaths . ''
• CASES : Where are the latest cases ?
• DEATHS : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ RULES : What can I now do - and what are the rules ?
• QUIZ : Test your knowledge of the coronavirus restrictions • FACE MASKS : When should you wear one ?

"We now know that many of the workers in these industries have been failed on basic health and safety issues, from the delay in the delivery of proper PPE provision to the ability to access testing for suspected Covid infection."


bbcuk--2020-08-19--Coronavirus: Church leaders call for face coverings at services

The leaders of NI 's four main Christian churches have asked parishioners to wear face coverings during services .
The heads of the Church of Ireland , Methodist Church , Catholic and Presbyterian Churches said it was their responsibility `` to ensure that our services of worship are safe places '' .
The move comes following consultations with health authorities .
The statement said face coverings should be used alongside two-metre social distancing .
Currently , under the rules in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland face coverings are not mandatory at services of worship .
In its statement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in part to people attending services in household groups and maintaining two-metre social distancing .
`` We join with Christian church leaders all over this island in formally recommending and encouraging the use of face coverings at all services of worship , along with the ongoing maintenance of two-metre physical distancing , from Sunday 30 August 2020 , and earlier if practicable , '' the statement said .
`` It has become increasingly clear that the wearing of face coverings , in conjunction with hand washing etc ... is likely to reduce the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protect others .
`` Their use is therefore one way in which we can evidence protection for the most vulnerable , support for our health workers , and practical love for our neighbours . ''
It comes after the Republic of Ireland announced on Tuesday it would be tightening restrictions following an increase in coronavirus cases .
Indoor gatherings - excluding shops , restaurants and other businesses - are to be restricted to six people .
Religious services have been exempted from this and are allowed to have up to 50 attendees .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ been allowed since the end of June , with the two-metre social distancing rule limiting the number of attendees .
On Wednesday , Health Minister Robin Swann said he would be recommending Covid-19 restrictions to the executive when it meets on Thursday , although it is unclear if church services will be affected .
In Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland , there are a number of reasons a person can be exempt from wearing a face covering .
These include having a physical or mental impairment which means you can not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will cause you severe distress ; and if you are travelling with someone who needs to lip read .
A person is not required to provide proof they are exempt from wearing a face covering .

"We join with Christian church leaders all over this island in formally recommending and encouraging the use of face coverings at all services of worship, along with the ongoing maintenance of two-metre physical distancing, from Sunday 30 August 2020, and earlier if practicable," the statement said.


bbcuk--2020-08-19--GCSE results come in Wales after week of turmoil

Thousands of pupils in Wales will be getting GCSE results later - but this year based on how their teachers thought they would do .
It follows the uproar after last week 's A-levels with 42 % of moderated grades lower than teacher assessments .
It escalated into a major political row and a U-turn by the Welsh Government , amid similar moves elsewhere in the UK .
Overall GCSE results will be significantly higher , now that some grades will not have been lowered .
Exams were cancelled in the summer because of coronavirus but it has led to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ claims of unfairness to pupils .
• Minister 'truly sorry ' for exam results handling • Teacher estimates to be used for Welsh grades Education Minister Kirsty Williams has apologised to young people , for the turmoil of this year 's results process .
As usual , pupils getting their grades will find out results through their school but , due to the pandemic , some will receive an email rather than visiting the school in person .
As for the bigger picture , for this year at least it will be impossible @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2019 , which saw nearly two thirds of pupils getting good GCSE grades .
It will also be difficult to glean meaningful data about how pupils are performing in different subjects - or compared with other parts of the UK .
Ioan , 16 , a pupil at Ysgol Y Moelwyn in Blaenau Ffestiniog , Gwynedd said : `` After what 's gone on with A-levels , hearing that they 've changed it for GCSEs , it 's boosted morale for everyone .
`` We had our reports a few weeks before lockdown @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of where we 'll stand .
I know what 's on my report card , I was told As and double As and A*s in science .
`` It was a weird feeling knowing I 'd be in the first year not to have to sit GCSEs , all the preparation we 've done in class , but not to have to put in that studying [ for exams ] .
`` One side of me says we 've not had stress - but the other side says it 's a cheap way @ @ @ @ @ @ @ did it , even though I know I 've put in 100 % and done the work . ''
Imogen , from Llanfair Caereinion in Powys , is expecting 10 results but is disappointed that she wo n't find out what her moderated grades might have been .
She also questions what future employers might make of the 2020 grades .
`` I 'm not nervous , excited or worried - it 's spoilt the day really , when lots of people could now be getting similar results , you ask yourself why @ @ @ @ @ @ @ couple of years ? ''
she said .
What are the teacher assessment grades ?
This summer 's results were due to be calculated by `` standardising '' grades submitted by teachers based on their view of how pupils would have done had exams not been cancelled .
We know already the proportion of top grades awarded under teacher assessments is more than last year .
Qualifications Wales set out that 24.5 % would have a grade A* or A , compared to final results of 20 % in 2019 .
And 73.4 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ grade , compared to 64.4 % in 2019 .
Dr Rhian Barrance , education lecturer at Cardiff University , said teacher assessments in general should be seen as reliable indicator of pupil performance .
`` Having said that , there is some evidence that in some cases teacher judgement might be biased against certain groups of students - those from disadvantaged and certain ethnic minority backgrounds - so it 's really important when the data comes out it 's monitored so that does n't happen and students have a right to redress , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not just through their schools . ''
What will it mean for pupils now ?
• Pupils can not get a grade which is any lower than their teacher has assessed • But if the grade which has been `` standardised '' by the exam board is actually higher than the teacher 's assessed grade , then pupils will not lose out and will get this higher grade • Before the row , it was announced the appeals process would be widened but the details are now being reviewed in view of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ soon How has this all happened ?
After it emerged a quarter of students received lower Highers results than estimated , the Scottish government stepped in - raising alarm bells in other parts of the UK .
A last ditch move by the Welsh Government to provide a safety net that A-level grades would not be lower than AS failed to avoid the fallout once schools and pupils saw the grades .
There was mounting pressure as pupils , teachers and politicians said the process had generated unfair results in Wales .
Although @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as fair and `` very robust '' , it was announced on Monday that pupils would be awarded grades assessed by teachers after all .
Nevertheless , the chief executive of the WJEC exam board Ian Morgan has warned that `` grade inflation '' could have an impact on future groups of students .
`` We 've got to maintain a qualification standard that says , if you 've got a GCSE in English language , your GCSE in English language for this year is the same level as your GCSE in English @ @ @ @ @ @ @ told the Welsh Parliament 's children , young people and education committee .
`` I think we 've got collective challenges in that '' , he added .
Qualifications Wales said next year 's exams were being looked at , warning that there was `` a problem , potentially '' .
Ms Williams meanwhile has promised an independent review to look at what went wrong .
In an interview with BBC Wales , she said her main focus was making changes to ensure a `` successful results day '' on Thursday for GCSE @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the end of the week .
She said the original system had been robust `` there or thereabouts '' .

But the exams watchdog said A-level results were likely to go up slightly when a pledge that pupils will get their AS grade if that was higher is taken into account.


bbcuk--2020-08-20--Exam-crisis-algorithm authori Jessica Johnson's uni place reinstated

A writer whose dystopian story about an algorithm that sorted students into bands based on class has had her first choice university offer reinstated .
Jessica Johnson , 18 , required an A in English A-level to earn a place at the University of St Andrews with a £16,000 scholarship , but initially got a B .
But after a government U-turn students grades will now be estimated by their teachers , rather than by an algorithm .
The Orwell Youth Prize winner said she was `` relieved '' to get into St Andrews .
`` I have now got @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Literature and I have been offered a place at St Andrews .
`` I 'm so excited , happy and relieved , '' the student from Ashton Sixth Form College in Ashton-under-Lyne , Greater Manchester said .
Ivar Møller , the University of St Andrews director of UK and EU admissions , said : `` We are delighted for Jessica and look forward to welcoming her and all our new students into the St Andrews family in a few weeks ' time . ''
Exams were cancelled this year because of the pandemic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were downgraded by exams regulator Ofqual .
Ofqual calculated results using a formula in which the biggest determining factor was the school 's performances in each subject in the previous three years .
On Monday , following an outcry , the government decided to use teachers ' estimates .
Ms Johnson said the B grade awarded to her in English Literature on Thursday had resulted in her losing her place to read at the Scottish university with a scholarship .
She said it was `` ironic to become a victim like one of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a dystopian story about an algorithm that sorts students into bands based on class , for which she received the Orwell Youth Prize last year .
`` I feel like I missed out on celebrating because of all this chaos .
I 'm glad it is all sorted out for me - I just hope it works out for everyone else , too .
`` It has caused a lot of unnecessary stress and anxiety to students . ''
She added : `` If people in power had read my story maybe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ situation . ''
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She said it was "ironic to become a victim like one of her characters" in A Band Apart, a dystopian story about an algorithm that sorts students into bands based on class, for which she received the Orwell Youth Prize last year.


bbcuk--2020-08-20--Pupils get record GCSE grades as BTecs are pulled

GCSE passes for England 's pupils , in the most disrupted academic year in UK history , have risen dramatically .
Grades have been awarded by schools , after exams were cancelled , and data shows 78.8 % of papers were rated grade 4 or above .
It was 69.9 % in 2019 .
There was a rise of a quarter in the top grades - a 7 or above , which is equivalent to an A in the old system .
The exams season has been dogged by chaos , with policy changes leading to grades being altered at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ debacle BTec grades were pulled hours before pupils were to receive them although some schools are giving out grades , which were assessed by schools , anyway .
And universities are still waiting for pupils ' adjusted A-level results , while they attempt to squeeze as many as possible into the courses they have qualified for .
Universities and the government have now agreed to honour all degree places - this year or next - to students who have obtained the right grades , but there are concerns about the funding of these @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and exam disruption • How were this year 's results decided ?
England exams watchdog , Ofqual , says this year 's results can not be compared to last year 's results .
The watchdog 's efforts to maintain standards through a , now discredited , algorithm led to problems for the awarding of A-levels last week and stress for students .
In Wales , where grades are alphabetical , 26 % of results were at grade A*or A - up by eight percentage points from just over 18 % in 2019 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ received passes at A*-G grades , compared to 97.2 % last year .
In Northern Ireland , 37.1 % of pupils achieving grade A* to A - up by 5.7 percentage points on last year .
The numbers receiving A*-G grades increased by 0.9 percentage points to 99.7 % .
'The U-turn was for the best' At Bolton 's Canon Slade School , Sophie , 16 , said she was `` super happy '' with a string of top grades which will allow her to start her A-level course in a few weeks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ BTec results last week and is `` over the moon '' with her distinction scores .
At Bexleyheath Academy in London , parent Heather Dockerill said the results system could have been managed better : `` These kids have been through hell . ''
But her daughter Jess said that , in the end , she was relieved to have got the grades she needed for sixth form .
Evie , 15 , agrees it 's been a challenging year , but but she 's `` over the moon '' with the results @ @ @ @ @ @ @ off so there 's a sense of relief . ''
Cory , 16 , who did both GCSEs and BTecs said he was proud of his grades .
`` 2020 has been unfortunate , but I feel like I 've made the best of the situation and I 've stayed happy for the whole year . ''
Harriet , 16 , relieved when her GCSE grades came through : `` I honestly do n't think I could have been happier with the results . ''
`` The U-turn was for the best .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Academy , said it was great to see happy students .
`` It 's reassuring that the awarding bodies have agreed to look at the results again - the important thing is that students get the results they deserve . ''
Education Secretary Gavin Williamson said young people should feel `` incredibly proud of all they 've achieved in the face of immense challenge and uncertainty '' .
`` I also want to pay a special tribute to teachers and school leaders this year who have shown dedication , resilience and ingenuity to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ moment . ''
Geoff Barton , head of the head teachers ' union ASCL , said students and teachers should be congratulated .
• Teacher estimates to be used for Welsh exam grades • NI GCSE results to be based on teacher predictions '' These have been extraordinarily difficult circumstances , and this generation of young people has suffered a degree of uncertainty and disruption that is without precedent . ''
On BTecs , exam board Pearson said it needed to look again at grades following the education secretaries ' reversion to centre-assessed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ However , the late decision is causing even further disruption to students seeking places in further and higher education .
Heads ' leader Mr Barton he could not understand why it had taken Pearson until so late to realise the implications of grade changes for its BTec qualifications .
`` It really does need to give an explanation of why this has happened .
We feel desperately sorry for the students affected in a year when they have already undergone far too much disruption . ''
Pearson said in a statement : `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ consistent with teacher and learner expectations , but we have become concerned about unfairness in relation to what are now significantly higher outcomes for GCSE and A-levels . ''
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bbcuk--2020-08-20--Croatia could be next on UK quarantine list, say sources

Quarantine measures could be imposed on people travelling to the UK from Croatia , the BBC has learned .
Ministers will meet in London later on Thursday to discuss any changes to the UK 's list of safe travel corridors .
If Croatia is removed from the list , people returning from the country will have to quarantine for 14 days .
It follows similar decisions by the government in recent weeks over Spain , France and Malta , leading to a rush of tourists trying to return home .
• Where can I go on holiday without having to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after my holiday ?
There has been a significant rise in coronavirus cases in Croatia in recent days .
The country had a record number of new cases on Wednesday , with 219 people testing positive - including a player for Croatian football league champions Dinamo Zagreb .
The 14-day cumulative number of cases is 37.7 per 100,000 , compared to 21 in the UK .
The UK relaxed blanket restrictions on people coming into the country at the start of July , creating a list of travel corridors where people could go @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Many European countries were included on the safe list - excluding Portugal - but the government warned it would add destinations if coronavirus cases rose .
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps told BBC Breakfast the decision to remove a country from the travel corridor list was triggered when its rate of infection exceeded 20 cases per 100,000 people over seven days .
Quarantine restrictions have now been reapplied to several countries : • They were reintroduced for travellers from Spain on 27 July • Then from Luxembourg on 31 July • Belgium , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ back in place on 8 August • And on 15 August , France , the Netherlands , Malta , Monaco , Turks & Caicos and Aruba joined the quarantine list The rules mean anyone travelling to the UK from the destination must isolate for 14 days .
People who do not self-isolate can be fined up to £1,000 in England , Wales and Northern Ireland , and £480 in Scotland , and there are fines up to £5,000 for persistent offenders .
The most recent figures released by the National Police Chiefs Council @ @ @ @ @ @ @ July , showed just one person had been fined in England and Wales for breaching quarantine rules .


bbcuk--2020-08-20--Tesco blackmail plot: Nigel Wright contaminated baby food

A farmer has been found guilty of adding metal shards to baby food in a plot to blackmail Tesco .
Nigel Wright , from Market Rasen in Lincolnshire , tried to extort £1.4m from the supermarket chain .
The Old Bailey heard how two mothers were moments away from feeding their infants when they spotted the shards .
Wright was convicted of three counts of blackmail and two charges of contaminating goods .
He will be sentenced on 28 September .
The 45-year-old was convicted of a further charge of blackmail for demanding £150,000 worth of Bitcoin from a driver @ @ @ @ @ @ @ altercation .
Mr Justice Warby asked for a psychiatric report to be prepared ahead of Wright 's sentencing hearing saying : `` ( Wright ) has or appears to be mentally disordered . ''
The judge warned Wright that he faced a lengthy custodial sentence , telling him that punishments for these types of offences range from between eight and 17 years in prison .
When police raided his sheep farm they found photographs of contaminated baby food and draft blackmail notes on his laptop .
One note read : `` Imagine a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pouring out , or the inside of their bellies cut and bleeding .
You pay , you save them . ''
Wright , who signed off as the fictional character `` Guy Brush '' and `` the Dairy Pirates '' , claimed to be part of a cohort of farmers angry at the low price they were paid for their milk .
The farmer admitted placing a jar of Heinz baby food on a shelf in a store in Lockerbie , but claimed he was forced into it by travellers who threatened to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ court heard .
The discovery of the jar in Scotland prompted Tesco to issue a product recall .
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Morven Smith, who is from the Scottish town, told the court she was feeding her baby when she spotted the shard of metal in the bowl. "I gave my son a couple of spoonfuls and noticed something shiny," she said. "It was horrendous. I felt sick I was so shocked."


bbcuk--2020-08-20--Jeremy Corbyn: Ministers had herd immunity strategy for coronavirus

The government had a `` herd immunity '' strategy at the start of the coronavirus pandemic to tackle the outbreak , Jeremy Corbyn has claimed .
The former Labour leader said he had a briefing at the Cabinet Office and was given a `` lecture '' about the plan .
Mr Corbyn claimed `` allowing people to die '' was the `` absurd '' official policy at the time .
But the government said it was `` categorically wrong to suggest herd immunity was [ its ] aim '' .
• Did 'herd immunity ' change the course of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to opposition leaders at the start of the pandemic .
Mr Corbyn stood down as Labour leader on 4 April , when Sir Keir Starmer won the contest to replace him .
In an interview with left-wing magazine Tribune 's A World to Win podcast , Mr Corbyn said he and Labour 's shadow health secretary , Jon Ashworth , had been given an update on the coronavirus outbreak by officials .
He told the podcast : `` I distinctly remember Jon Ashworth and I going to a meeting at the Cabinet Office @ @ @ @ @ @ @ immunity… the last time I discussed herd immunity had been when I worked on a pig farm 40 years ago .
`` It was absurd , that you 'd build up herd immunity by allowing people to die .
`` And so , while the government was going into eugenic formulas of discussing all this stuff , they were not making adequate preparations . ''
Mr Ashworth declined to comment on the meeting , which was held under Privy Council rules , meaning the participants are not meant to discuss what was said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government 's chief scientific adviser , Sir Patrick Vallance , at a press conference on 12 March - 11 days before a UK-wide lockdown was imposed .
He said : `` It 's not possible to stop everybody getting it and it 's also actually not desirable , because you want some immunity in the population .
We need immunity to protect ourselves from this in the future . ''
But the government has persistently denied herd immunity was ever its official strategy for handling the pandemic - and denied Mr Corbyn 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` Our goal is to reduce the impact of coronavirus - protecting the most vulnerable and ensuring our NHS and social care system has capacity to cope , while leading the world on scientific research into therapeutics and a vaccine .
`` This is an unprecedented global pandemic - our strategy was clearly set out and guided at every stage by the advice of scientific experts . ''
The spokeswoman added : `` Our response ensured the NHS was not overwhelmed even at the virus ' peak , so that everyone was always @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''

He said: "It's not possible to stop everybody getting it and it's also actually not desirable, because you want some immunity in the population. We need immunity to protect ourselves from this in the future."


bbcuk--2020-08-20--Aman Vyas trial: Serial 'night stalker' rapist jailed for murder

A serial rapist dubbed the `` night stalker '' has been jailed for life for the murder of one of his victims more than a decade after her death .
Aman Vyas was extradited from India to face trial for the 2009 murder of Michelle Samaraweera , 35 , in Walthamstow , east London .
The 35-year-old was also found guilty of five counts of rape and causing grievous bodily harm with intent .
He was sentenced to a minimum jail term of 37 years at Croydon Crown Court .
The court heard Vyas preyed on lone women at night @ @ @ @ @ @ @ home into a `` hunting ground '' for violent rapes .
He was 24 years old when he attacked his his first victim on 24 March 2009 .
Vyas followed the woman into her block of flats , raping and beating her in her own home .
He threatened his second victim before violently raping her in an alleyway just after midnight on 22 April the same year .
Vyas followed his third victim from a shop before attacking her and raping her in a churchyard in the early hours of 29 April @

Vyas was 24 years old when he attacked his first victim on 24 March 2009, following the woman into her block of flats before raping and beating her in her own home.


bbcuk--2020-08-20--More House of Fraser store closures 'anticipated'

More House of Fraser closures are `` anticipated '' and the department store chain 's owner warned of continuing job losses on the High Street .
The chain , part of Mike Ashley 's Frasers Group that owns Sport Direct , has closed about 10 of the 59 stores bought out of administration in 2018 .
Frasers said it could not say how many would close as rent negotiations were continuing with landlords .
But the group 's finance boss told the BBC the High Street is still suffering .
Frasers Group , whose other brands include Evans Cycles , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pre-tax profits down 20 % to £143.5m as lockdown store closures led to `` the most challenging year '' in its history .
However , group revenue rose 6.9 % to £3.96bn helped by acquisitions .
The company also said it was seeing `` a semblance of normality '' returning to trading , although there was a warning that this could be hit by any further lockdowns from a second Covid-19 wave .
More shop closures could not be ruled out , it said , as it invests £100m online operations following a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The group highlighted the continuing threat to House of Fraser outlets .
`` There are anticipated to be further closures over the coming period , the number of which will depend on the outcome of lease negotiation , '' Frasers said .
Chris Wootton , finance director of Frasers Group , told BBC Breakfast : `` The High Street as a whole is absolutely in a mess .
Business rates certainly contribute to that . ''
Next April , the government moratorium on business rates ends , and they return to normal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Mr Wootton called that `` insanity '' .
`` Unless the government does something , thousands and thousands of jobs and businesses will go .
House of Fraser was paying double , treble , quadruple the rates they should be , and that 's not sustainable . ''
Frasers Group has now reopened the majority of its stores after lockdown , while online sales were described as being `` strong '' .
The company also renewed its attack on the management of Debenhams during the High Street crisis .
The chain is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
• M & S to cut 7,000 jobs over next three months There were reports last week that Mr Ashley , who saw a near £150m investment in Debenhams wiped after the first administration , is interested in taking on 30 stores .
`` We continued to follow the further demise of Debenhams during the year with much frustration and disappointment as it entered administration for a second time , '' Frasers said in a statement .
`` We raised our concerns and gave numerous warnings about what we were seeing there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Our offers of help were repeatedly disregarded and it is scandalous that this business has now been in administration twice . ''
Talking to the BBC , Mr Wootton declined to be drawn on buying Debenhams .
`` We look at things with varying degrees of seriousness . ''
Publication of Frasers Group 's results was delayed a week , which the company said was due to finalising the figures in accordance with new accounting rules .
The results were also delayed last year .
On Monday , it was disclosed that chairman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of shares `` in error '' during the closed period when directors are not allowed to trade .
Despite it being `` another chaotic situation '' for Frasers , said Global Data retail analyst Emily Salter , the company 's reorganisation appeared to be paying off .
Analysts at Liberum described the profit numbers as `` robust '' and pointed to further growth over the next 12 months .
However , Sophie Lund-Yates , equity analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown , said that despite the `` decent set of results '' , Mr Ashley @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to re-organise Frasers ' array of brands for the future .
`` Exactly how all the pieces of Ashley 's High Street puzzle fit together remains to be seen , '' she said .
`` Getting the stores where they need to be , and securing long-term , sustainable growth is going to take a while , and a lot of money . ''
Shares in Frasers , down a third so far this year , had jumped 14 % by mid-morning on Thursday .

"We raised our concerns and gave numerous warnings about what we were seeing there, much of which has materialised. Our offers of help were repeatedly disregarded and it is scandalous that this business has now been in administration twice."


bbcuk--2020-08-20--BBC News boss Fran Unsworth says some TV bulletins may disappear

The BBC 's head of news has said the number of traditional TV bulletins may be cut over the next decade as more people watch news online .
Fran Unsworth told The Daily Telegraph she thought there might only be one bulletin a day .
Asked whether the News at Ten might survive but not the News at Six , Ms Unsworth replied : `` Possibly , or maybe the other way round . ''
The News at One is the corporation 's other major daily national bulletin .
Asked by the newspaper to predict how TV news would change @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , she replied : `` I think TV journalism will still be around because of the power of pictures to tell a story , but it wo n't necessarily be received in quite the forms it currently is .
`` So I still think , ultimately in 10 years ' time , we probably wo n't be consuming linear bulletins exactly .
I mean , I might be wrong about that .
I doubt it .
`` There might be one [ bulletin ] a day , or something .
I think there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I think that the power of how you tell stories through television , pictures , video will just be in a different space .
`` It 'll be in the digital space , it 'll be on , you know , iPlayer .
It 'll be on your tablet , your iPhone .
`` We have to think creatively about what the product is , but that 's the direction of travel and I do n't think that 's changed . ''
News bulletins are regularly the most-watched programmes on British TV , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at Ten usually behind only the regional 18:30 news as the BBC 's highest-rated broadcasts .
The audience for news has risen during the coronavirus pandemic , with more young viewers tuning in .
But Ms Unsworth said she did not expect that to last .
`` They 're sitting down and watching a television bulletin in a way that I thought they were n't ever really going to again , '' she said .
`` So that has been what 's been really interesting about this .
`` I 'm not under @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with you , because I 've seen it in the past .
You get these big peaks , the big stories like the Bataclan [ attack in Paris in 2015 ] and London Bridge attacks [ in 2017 and 19 ] , then the audience falls off again quite rapidly .
`` What I would hope is that we 've changed our image in the mind of the younger viewer , which is that we are there to be relied on , and if they really do want to know what 's happening @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out .
We 're not just any other news source . ''
'The direction of travel is clear' When ITN created the UK 's first half hour news bulletin in 1967 , it was only commissioned for 13 weeks , because the bosses feared that viewers would find it too boring .
The BBC 's Six O'Clock News was , at the time , under 10 minutes long , while the Nine O'Clock News was 15 .
Fifty-three years on , the four main daily BBC news bulletins are at the moment more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on BBC One .
The audience for the BBC 's regional news programmes topped five million on Wednesday night - more than a million ahead of the most popular non-news programme of the evening , The Repair Shop .
The audience for traditional news bulletins has also been boosted by the impact of coronavirus .
Not only is there a fast-moving story that affects everyone , more people are at home and able to turn the TV on .
And what 's more , the basic shape and style of those bulletins has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we spend watching live TV schedules has been dropping for many years .
There is , however , still a large and loyal ( and largely elderly ) audience who turn the TV on as a daily habit .
The prime time TV audience even on a sunny August evening is usually around 16 million .
However , Reuters ' Digital News Report noted that the number of people tuning in to TV news has begun to drop .
For many years , 75-80 % of people regularly watched a TV bulletin , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had dropped to 55 % .
Of course , predictions are always a fool 's game .
The demise of print newspapers has long been predicted but so far the Independent is the only major paper to go digital only .
News is a habit and habits change slowly .
However , the direction of travel is clear .
There will probably always be an audience for a daily digest of TV news reports but the online world offers so many new options for presenting news in greater depth and clarity .
Visual @ @ @ @ @ @ @ going through an extraordinary moment of innovation and transformation .
The traditional TV bulletin with its rigid storytelling formulas , desks and serious presenters will for a dwindling number of people be their preferred way of tuning in to global events , but the question is whether those in their 20s and 30s today will develop that habit in years to come .
I suspect not .
Follow us on Facebook , or on Twitter @ BBCNewsEnts .
If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news @ bbc.co.uk .

The amount of time we spend watching live TV schedules has been dropping for many years. There is, however, still a large and loyal (and largely elderly) audience who turn the TV on as a daily habit. The prime time TV audience even on a sunny August evening is usually around 16 million. However, Reuters' Digital News Report noted that the number of people tuning in to TV news has begun to drop. For many years, 75-80% of people regularly watched a TV bulletin, but in January 2020 it said that had dropped to 55%.


bbcuk--2020-08-20--IS 'Beatles' will not face death penalty in US

Two Islamic State suspects will not face the death penalty if convicted of the killings of Western hostages in Iraq and Syria , the US has told the UK .
Alexanda Kotey and El Shafee Elsheikh are accused of being the last two members of an IS cell dubbed `` The Beatles '' because of their UK accents .
The US sought the UK 's help in the case but a legal fight over the use of the death penalty has stymied co-operation .
The US has now made clear the two will not be executed if found guilty .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Patel , US Attorney General William Barr said the US authorities would not seek the death penalty against the two men and `` if imposed , it will not be carried out '' .
In the light of the assurances , he said he hoped the UK would share `` important evidence '' about the men promptly .
`` If we receive the requested evidence and attendant cooperation from the UK , we intend to proceed with a United States prosecution , '' he wrote .
`` Indeed , it is these unique @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the assurance offered in this letter . ''
• What is behind Britain 's IS duo decision ?
• Who were the Islamic State group 'Beatles ' cell ?
• Where should the IS 'Beatles ' be tried ?
A Home Office spokesman said the UK `` continue to work closely with international partners to ensure that those who have committed crimes in the name of Daesh are brought to justice '' .
The pair , who are in US military custody in Iraq , were British citizens , but have been stripped @ @ @ @ @ @ @ alleged to have been members of an IS kidnap gang behind the killings of a number of Western hostages , including American journalists and British aid workers , in Iraq and Syria in 2014 .
The victims were beheaded and their deaths filmed and broadcast on social media .
The UK believes the men can not be legally extradited to the US , but in 2018 it emerged that the US was preparing the ground to prosecute the men - and that it had asked the UK for information that would help convict @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they would share intelligence , without opposing a death penalty sentence .
But co-operation with the US was halted after the mother of El Shafee Elsheikh launched a legal challenge , arguing the UK 's position was in breach of its internationally recognised opposition to capital punishment .
Several relatives of the murdered western hostages have said they want the men to face a fair trial , rather than the death penalty .
Diane Foley , whose son James , an American journalist , was murdered by the cell in 2014 , said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with this assurance that the death penalty will be waived , that will allow the United Kingdom and United States to pool their evidence so that true justice might be served . ''
`` I feel that the death penalty is too easy .
It allows them to be martyrs ...
I really feel if they truly have done these horrible crimes , they really need to face life imprisonment , so they have a chance for redemption themselves and a chance to really recognise the horror of what they 've done to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 4 's Today programme .
In the past Britain has sought assurances from foreign governments that the death penalty would not be used in cases where the UK provided information or extradited suspects .
The Supreme Court has ruled that the US government 's demand to use crucial evidence from the UK in the case was unlawful .
At the time , the UK said it was `` a long-standing position '' to oppose the death penalty but added that in this case it was `` a priority to make sure that these @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the UK has made clear that if the pair were sent to the controversial US military prison Guantanamo Bay - where suspects have been detained without trial - the UK would withhold intelligence .
The BBC 's security correspondent Frank Gardner said the US was warning that if the issue was not settled by the middle of October , the two men would be handed over to the Iraqi government .
IS once controlled 88,000 sq km ( 34,000 sq miles ) of territory stretching from western Syria to eastern Iraq .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ eight million people .
The liberation of that territory control exposed the magnitude of the abuses inflicted on their inhabitants , including summary killings , torture , amputations , ethno-sectarian attacks , rape and sexual slavery imposed on women and girls .
Hundreds of mass graves containing the remains of thousands of people have also been discovered .
UN investigators have said IS militants committed acts that may amount to war crimes , crimes against humanity and genocide .

"I feel that the death penalty is too easy. It allows them to be martyrs... I really feel if they truly have done these horrible crimes, they really need to face life imprisonment, so they have a chance for redemption themselves and a chance to really recognise the horror of what they've done to others," she told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.


bbcuk--2020-08-20--Dounreay site available for reuse in the year 2333

The site of a Scottish nuclear power facility should be available for other uses in 313 years ' time , according to a new report .
Dounreay , near Thurso , was the UK site for the development of fast reactor research from 1955 to 1994 .
The facility on the north Caithness coast is in the process of being closed down , demolished and cleaned up .
However , the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority said it would be 2333 before the 148-acre site is safe for reuse .
The date forms part of the authority 's newly-published draft strategy .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ 300 years They said `` credible options '' for the site in future will be developed over the next two years .
Buildings to be demolished include the distinctive dome-shaped Dounreay Fast Reactor ( DFR ) .
Important stages in the removal of radioactive material from the Prototype Fast Reactor ( PFR ) are expected to be competed over the next three years .
A target date has also been set for the clean-up of a highly contaminated area called the Shaft .
Built in the 1950s , it plunges 65.4m ( 214.5ft @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disposed there from 1959 to 1977 , when an explosion ended the practice .
Waste is to be removed from the Shaft by 2029 , according to the NDA report .
The document also sets out investment made so far aimed at helping Caithness and Sutherland adjust to the closure of Dounreay , a major employer for the two areas .
The NDA has spent £8m over the past year supporting socio-economic projects , including upgrades to Scrabster and Wick harbours .
It is also supporting plans for the Sutherland Space Hub , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a year of small satellites into space from a site near Tongue .

The document also sets out investment made so far aimed at helping Caithness and Sutherland adjust to the closure of Dounreay, a major employer for the two areas.


bbcuk--2020-08-20--University offer reinstated for exam crisis author Jessica Johnson