bbcuk--2020-06-19--Q&A: What are the guidelines on childcare in NI now?

The coronavirus lockdown forced many people in Northern Ireland to work from home - but with schools closed , a lot of parents have also had to look after their children at the same time .
With some sectors of the economy now reopening , what childcare is available for parents who are expected to return to their place of work ?
Here 's a guide to the latest guidance in Northern Ireland , and what it means for parents and providers .
Who can access childcare in Northern Ireland ?
At the start of the pandemic , some schools @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a limited basis , for parents classed as key workers , and vulnerable children .
Those restrictions have not changed , but earlier this month the definition of a key worker was widened by the Departments of Health and Education .
This was to pre-empt more parents returning to jobs in retail , with the sector allowed to fully reopen from 12 June .
The full list of key workers can be seen here .
However from 1 July , that list is set to be scrapped to allow more parents to access @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hair/beauty sectors opening on 3 and 6 July respectively .
What 's the situation for day-care centres and nurseries ?
Not all of them can open yet .
There are 344 day nurseries in Northern Ireland , about 80 % of which are private businesses , according to the Early Years Organisation .
It is estimated more than nine in 10 nurseries and day-care providers closed in late March , because of the reduction in numbers of children attending .
To reopen , centres must have demand for at least 25 % of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 15 vulnerable children or those of key workers .
However , that will change at the start of July .
There are also currently restrictions on group sizes to minimise the spread of the virus .
What will day-care centres look like now ?
The Departments of Health and Education , which both have responsibility for childcare , have advised day-care centres to organise children in `` play pods '' .
First Minister Arlene Foster said there were `` no plans '' to limit the numbers of children that day-care centres can admit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ say play pods of children should be as small as possible , limited to 12 children and with the same members of staff assigned each day .
Lynda Courtney runs a day-care centre in Moygashel , County Tyrone , which is preparing to reopen in the next fortnight .
She said she feels very positive about resuming business , but advised parents that the centres will look different .
`` We 've had to remove soft furnishings and some toys , and there are now more entrances and exits , '' said Mrs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are anxious that their child ca n't be lifted up or even touched , but the play pods will make it feel like they 've their own little family in day care .
`` We 've had to think outside the box and look at ways of changing , but we 've adapted . ''
Yes , but they can also only accept vulnerable children and those of key workers , although this will change from 1 July .
There are about 2,700 self-employed , registered childminders in Northern Ireland .
Just over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Currently , they can look after the children of three families at one time , according to government guidance .
This can increase to four families at the one time from 29 June and to five families in August - subject to medical and scientific advice .
Patricia Lewsley-Mooney of the Northern Ireland Childminding Association welcomed that decision , but said more still needs to be done .
`` We need to be talking to the Department for the Economy with regard to employers being a bit more understanding when it comes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' she said .
`` We 're hearing anecdotally that some parents are being told if they do not go back to work by Monday , there could be disciplinary processes in place .
`` It 's not that they do n't want to go back to work , but it may be too short notice , or they 're not on a childminder 's list or their childminder ca n't take more kids . ''
What if I ca n't access a childminder or day care centre ?
From 12 June , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been allowed to open to provide childcare , following a decision taken by the executive .
But questions remain about staffing of the facilities , and how many hours they will open per day .
The Executive Office says a specific childcare recovery plan will be published to restore the sector to pre-Covid-19 levels `` as quickly and safely as possible to enable working parents to return to their places of employment '' .
Plans are also being made to open summer schemes on a limited basis , children with educational needs and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prioritised .
Can grandparents look after children ?
Pre-lockdown , many parents would have relied on grandparents for help with childcare .
Families are still not permitted to visit each other indoors , so many people will not be able to go down this route .
However , adults who live alone can join a support bubble .
A grandparent who lives alone could potentially form a bubble with one of their children , which means they could go to see them and interact with their grandchildren .
How many people in Northern @ @ @ @ @ @ @ workers in Northern Ireland have dependent children , according to the Nevin Economic Research Institute ( NERI ) .
Its research suggests 70 % of them are likely to have `` intensive childcare requirements '' .
Childcare was not specifically mentioned in the executive 's five-step Pathway to Recovery plan , but Ms Lewsley-Mooney said she recognised the executive is now focusing on the issue .
`` Childcare is a lynchpin for the whole economy , '' she added .
What other information is available ?
The Departments of Health and Education say @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Support NI website to find out what is available in their area .
A helpline is also available on 0808 8020 400 , where an early years team within the local health trust can provide advice on childcare solutions in a parent 's area .

"It's not that they don't want to go back to work, but it may be too short notice, or they're not on a childminder's list or their childminder can't take more kids."


bbcuk--2020-06-19--Plans for UK-wide drive-in gigs announced

A series of drive-in concerts are to take place across the UK this summer , promoters Live Nation have announced .
The likes of Ash , Dizzee Rascal , The Lightning Seeds and Gary Numan , have all signed up to play at the `` Live From The Drive-In '' events .
Outdoor spaces in Birmingham , Liverpool , London will play host , as well as Edinburgh , Bristol and beyond .
The 300-car gigs have been designed to provide a safe alternative to the many events that have been cancelled .
The concert series , which will also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will run from mid-July until September , while music venues continue talks with the government about how and when they might reopen in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic .
More than 400 grassroots venues are facing permanent closure , according to the Music Venue Trust , which says the situation for many concert halls is `` dire '' .
It has warned the UK government that an immediate cash injection of £50m is needed to prevent mass closures in July , August and September .
The organisation has also called for a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the next three years ; and is running a campaign to raise money for threatened venues .
Initiatives include a virtual festival in Bristol this weekend , with artists like Ladysmith Black Mambazo and Beth Rowley aiming to hit £20,000 in donations .
Live Nation is one of the UK 's biggest concert promoters and owns venues like Cardiff 's Motorpoint Arena and London 's Brixton Academy , which are unlikely to open their doors before the end of the year .
The company 's share price fell from $ 75 ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) in March as the lockdown took hold , although the figure is now hovering in the $ 45-50 range .
Drive-in concerts with limited audiences will not necessarily reverse its fortunes , but promoter Peter Taylor said the company was `` excited '' to help live music resume .
`` This outdoor concert series was created as a way to reimagine the live music experience during a time of social distancing by allowing fans to enjoy concerts in the safest way possible , '' said Taylor .
Concert-goers will be able to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , or sit in their own fold-out chairs , although umbrellas will not be permitted .
Pets will also be disallowed ; and attendees will prevented from bringing their own food .
Live Nation added they would be `` adhering to the Government 's current social distancing rules to protect fans , artists , crews and staff at all times '' .
Tickets will be available on the Live Nation website from 22 June for the series .
• How drive-in raves and cinemas will work in the UK Earlier this summer , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2020 was a write-off in terms of traditional concerts and festivals ; most of which were indeed scrapped .
Drive-in concerts have subsequently been tried out in Denmark , Germany and the US .
Keith Urban performed a secret show to around 200 front-line healthcare workers in Tennessee in May .
The American country star described the event as being like `` a tailgate party '' .
The gig news comes in the same week that Get Comedy announced a raft of drive-in comedy events for London 's Brent Cross London this summer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bill Bailey and Rachel Parris , as well as Jonathan Pie , Omid Djalili , Reginald D Hunter and Shappi Khorsandi .
The Drive-In Club will also host the UK 's first ever red-carpet drive-in film premiere for the British thriller Break , starring Rutger Hauer in his final film role , on 22 July .
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The concert series, which will also feature The Streets and Tony Hadley, will run from mid-July until September, while music venues continue talks with the government about how and when they might reopen in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.


bbcuk--2020-06-18--Coronavirus: How does the UK's death toll compare with other countries?

The UK currently has the third highest number of recorded coronavirus deaths in the world .
Only the United States and Brazil have had more , and both countries have far bigger populations .
But while the UK has been hit hard , how does it really rank alongside other countries ?
Just comparing Covid-19 deaths does n't give the full picture as countries have different ways of recording deaths .
Scientists and ministers say it 's better to look at total deaths , even the ones that are n't caused by coronavirus .
So what can we learn about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at it this way ?
'Coronavirus deaths ' can miss many of the victims Peru has registered very few coronavirus deaths so far compared with the UK .
But the total number of deaths tells a different story .
Both countries have seen a huge spike in deaths , with the weekly number peaking at more than double what would be expected had there not been a pandemic .
That expected number of deaths is shown by the dashed line .
There is a similar pattern in Chile and Ecuador - a large @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that is missed if you look only at `` Covid deaths '' .
• What is the true death toll of the pandemic ?
See the BBC 's full data research Since the total number of deaths registered in a week normally follows a predictable pattern , scientists use the extra deaths seen during the pandemic to estimate mortalities caused by the pandemic .
This captures the misdiagnosed deaths , but it also includes the deaths caused by the strain the virus puts on a society .
`` These deaths likely would not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ happened and they should be counted in the death toll , '' says Stéphane Helleringer , a demographer at Johns Hopkins University .
Some countries have had a better first wave While Peru 's death rates have not started to fall , in some countries they have reverted to normal or near-normal levels .
This allows us to start to assess who has been worst hit in the first wave of the epidemic .
Countries such as Denmark , Norway or Germany have had a very different first wave of the epidemic to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in those countries does n't have the same spike as in the UK .
Comparisons based on total death figures are `` not definitive '' , says Dr Veena Raleigh , of the King 's Fund health think tank .
`` But the caveats are unlikely to alter radically the relative standing of countries like the UK compared to those who have seen far fewer deaths . ''
But what causes the differences ?
Norway and Denmark are smaller countries .
And population density , or how crowded and global a country 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of a virus .
Also , the age and health of those infected will make a difference to how many people die .
But the actions taken make a difference too .
`` The speed and strength of each country 's response to control initial spreading events and develop the testing capacity needed for operational surveillance seem to have played an important role , '' says Royal Statistical Society president-elect Sylvia Richardson .
But , she adds : `` It will not be easy to disentangle the effect of a specific measure .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ club The UK is not alone in being hit hard .
Italy , Spain and Belgium have also seen at least a third more deaths than they would have expected .
And that means many tens of thousands of deaths for each of the UK , Italy and Spain .
Who is the worst ?
It is easy to change the rankings of these countries by using slightly different methods .
In the first four weeks , for example : • Italy has the most deaths above normal • Spain has the highest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ UK has the highest number of deaths per million people But by any measure , the UK consistently appears in this unhappy club of countries hardest hit so far .
Even before the pandemic , the UK 's life expectancy was lower than in many other western European countries and showed the least improvement from 2011 to 2018 .
And the UK `` risks a further slide down life-expectancy tables '' , according to Dr Raleigh , underlining the need to make comparisons with other countries , even with imperfect data .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , provided you know the cautions that come with it , '' she says .
• COMPARING COUNTRIES : Why its not straightforward • LOOK-UP TOOL : How many cases in UK ?
• EUROPE LOCKDOWN : How is it being lifted ?

The pattern of deaths in those countries doesn't have the same spike as in the UK. Comparisons based on total death figures are "not definitive", says Dr Veena Raleigh, of the King's Fund health think tank. "But the caveats are unlikely to alter radically the relative standing of countries like the UK compared to those who have seen far fewer deaths."


bbcuk--2020-06-19--Swing Low, Sweet Chariot's rugby origins explained

This story was first published on 7 March The mystery behind why Swing Low , Sweet Chariot was first sung at the home of English rugby has been solved , the Rugby Football Union ( RFU ) believes .
It has long been an anthem of England fans and is belted out lustily whenever the national team plays at Twickenham .
The African-American spiritual was not thought to have been sung there until 1988 , when Chris Oti got a hat-trick .
But archive footage has now been found of it being sung at Twickenham in 1987 when Martin `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ winger was given the nickname Chariots Offiah as a play on words with the film Chariots of Fire , which is about two athletes racing in the 1924 Olympics .
Curator of the Twickenham-based World Rugby Museum Phil McGowan , who unearthed the footage , believes Swing Low was clearly sung in 1987 with a nod to the `` chariot '' in both the song 's name and Offiah 's nickname .
The discovery of the archive footage , from the 1987 Middlesex Sevens tournament , was a surprise even to the rugby @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ask if it was a reference to me and I said , ' I do n't think so ' , '' said the 53-year-old Londoner , who is regarded as one of the greatest rugby league players of all time but who started out in rugby union .
`` When the RFU told me they had found this footage I thought , 'Wow , so I have got some link with this song ' . ''
McGowan said what sparked his detective work was a conversation with a visitor to the World Rugby @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said he remembered singing Swing Low for Offiah at the Middlesex Sevens .
`` That was n't much of a big deal but later on it occurred to me that Martin Offiah only played at the Middlesex Sevens in 1987 , which was the year before this song was supposed to have been sung for the first time [ at Twickenham ] , '' said McGowan .
He then got hold of archive footage from the BBC programme Rugby Special .
`` I played it through and there it was , it 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was `` very surprised '' because the story about England winger Oti had been established for a long time .
`` That solves the mystery of why on earth were they were singing this song , '' he said .
`` The association with Martin Offiah suggests it was a play on words .
His name was already making waves , so a lot of people would have turned out to the Middlesex Sevens just to see him play . ''
McGowan believes many rugby fans would have already known Offiah by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he actually mentions that he was given this nickname by the chairman at Rosslyn Park , which was the rugby union team he was playing for in 1987 .
So that nickname was already in circulation at that time . ''
McGowan believes the crowd at Twickenham would already have known Swing Low because it had been sung in rugby clubs since the 1960s , `` for what reason I could n't tell you '' .
Folk singer Joe Stead has claimed he introduced it to the rugby fraternity as early as 1960 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Paul Robeson .
In relation to its debut at Twickenham , the longstanding theory was that a group of boys from Douai School in Berkshire started singing the song when England played Ireland in the Five Nations Championship in 1988 .
The boys were said to have been serenading Oti , a black player , making this theory controversial because the song is linked with slavery .
Four members of Market Bosworth Rugby Club have also claimed they started singing the song first at the same match , but said they were not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ still sing Swing Low at him when he is watching matches , even though his link to the song had not been established until now .
And in a neat coincidence , Chariots of Fire screenwriter Colin Welland was a rugby fan and penned the foreword to Offiah 's autobiography .
`` He wrote some beautiful words about me and he wrote about seeing me playing rugby union at Twickenham and being Chariots , '' said Offiah .
`` I was like , 'Oh wow ' but it did n't really dawn on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I still go to Twickenham quite a lot and they sing either Jerusalem or Swing Low and a lot of people in the crowd turn to me .
`` I did n't think I had ever been on a pitch while people were singing it .
`` I 'm hoping to be at the game against Wales on Saturday and that song will resonate even more with me . ''
Swing Low , Sweet Chariot is thought to have been composed by a slave called Wallace Wallis with his wife Minerva in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its meaning , including that it conveyed a coded message to slaves , instructing them to escape .
However , Horace Clarence Boyer , a prominent scholar of African-American music , believed the song was about death .
Prof Boyer , who died in 2009 , told a BBC documentary that the song fits into a group of spirituals that say : `` I would rather die than be here .
Lord , just come and take me right now . ''
He explained : `` Swing low , sweet chariot , coming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Where 's home ?
That 's heaven .
Or at least not here . ''
The song was brought to a wider audience by the Fisk Jubilee Singers , who made the earliest known recording of it in 1909 .
It has been covered times by artists including BB King , Sam Cooke , Etta James , Eric Clapton , Johnny Cash and Beyonce .
A version called Swing Low ( Run With The Ball ) was recorded for the 1991 Rugby World Cup .
Other versions have been recorded for subsequent world @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Watson .
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"That wasn't much of a big deal but later on it occurred to me that Martin Offiah only played at the Middlesex Sevens in 1987, which was the year before this song was supposed to have been sung for the first time [at Twickenham]," said McGowan.


bbcuk--2020-06-19--Coronavirus: Will you really have to wait until 2021 for a new bike?

Toilet rolls .
Hand sanitiser .
Pasta .
Flour .
The early pandemic-induced shortages have passed , but now there is a new one : bicycles .
As people venture further afield for exercise , or return to the workplace while avoiding public transport , bikes - new and used - are at a premium , write Alice Evans and Ella Wills .
Teacher Saskia Breet had to abandon any hopes of a jaunt to a foreign land this coronavirus-affected summer - but dreamed of getting on her bike and exploring the world around her .
There are plenty of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of her Bristol home - but first the 26-year-old needed to buy a bike and she soon found that task was harder than any homework assignment she sets for her secondary school pupils .
Because she plans to follow government advice and use pedal power to get to and from work when her school reopens , Saskia signed up to the cycle-to-work scheme , which allows employees to buy tax-free bikes and equipment .
`` I finally just bit the bullet and thought , well I may as well - there 's quite @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and I 've got time [ to cycle a lot ] , '' she says .
Saskia , who has been working from home during lockdown , is `` really looking forward '' to cycling to school in September .
It will be an easy 10-minute pedal down the city 's famous Park Street in the autumn mornings - and she 's even keen about the prospect of the `` slightly more painful '' uphill return trip .
So the languages teacher began looking for bikes to buy in mid-May but the hunt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ When I rang various different bike shops around Bristol - some big brands like Trek , and some smaller independent shops - they all just said either 'it 's completely sold out and we 're not getting any more stock this year ' , or 'we do n't know when we 'll have a new shipment for that particular model ' , '' she says .
Recent high demand has meant Trek has sold out of the 2020 models of most of its bikes earlier than expected .
It has made 2021 models @ @ @ @ @ @ @ told the BBC : `` If you were to place a pre-order now the stock would likely arrive in January . ''
Smaller retailers that have already pre-ordered stock might be selling those models earlier , they added .
Giving up on Trek , Saskia found a `` really good value '' bike on the website of the French sports retailer Decathlon .
She added it to her online basket and spent a bit of time browsing for other items , such as inner tubes and a cycling jersey .
But when she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ message popped up - the limited capacity of the number of bikes available that day had been reached , so she could not complete her order .
`` It told me to log back on at 11pm [ when ] it reset the meter .
So I did that two nights in a row , with no luck - it just sold out immediately , '' she says .
She took her search elsewhere and after finding no suitable bikes in stock on Wiggle , Rutland Cycling , or Halfords , Saskia eventually @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Four weeks after ordering the bike , Saskia was finally told it was ready to pick up .
`` Whether that 's normal , I do n't know - but my hunch is it 's just this particular time is making it really tricky . ''
• Shops cash in with £1 loo roll and £15 sanitiser • Boom time for bikes as virus changes lifestyles Saskia 's hunch is correct ; bike shops across the country have struggled to keep up with what many have described as `` unprecedented '' demand @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Steve Garidis , says initial figures from across the UK industry show sales of bikes below £500 have been `` especially strong '' since lockdown - as well as for products such as home turbo trainers .
Peter Skelton , from bike shop chain Cycles UK says the entire industry was `` caught off-guard '' by the increase in demand for bikes and that most UK distributors have run out of any bikes under £1,000 .
But he adds that Cycles UK has been `` pretty lucky '' as stock from Europe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be at `` near-normal '' levels in August .
When told about Saskia 's experience using its site , Decathlon said it was `` working hard to find solutions '' after `` extremely high demand '' for many of its bikes .
Peter Lazarus , the company 's cycling chief , says he was `` expecting doom and gloom '' for his firm when the pandemic forced it to close all of its stores across the world , and rely on online sales only .
But after 23 March , when the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was a dramatic shift like someone switched on a light '' - and sales surged .
The firm `` suffered in the short term '' because some factories closed temporarily , affecting Decathlon 's ability to cope with an `` exceptional spike '' in demand .
Online bike sales in May more than doubled compared with last year .
`` You ca n't forecast growth of 200 % , it 's impossible , '' Peter says .
He said Decathlon 's production is now `` ramping up '' so that , by July @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` back to availability '' . '
I had to order parts from the Netherlands' Peter says people 's urgent desire to revamp `` dead bikes '' that had been gathering dust before lockdown had contributed to a five-fold increase in spare part sales in May , compared with May 2019 - the `` biggest growth we have ever had '' .
The boom in demand for spare parts was a spanner in the works for Claudia Watts , a data ecologist using her time on furlough to do some DIY on her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lives on the Isle of Dogs in east London , has n't used her bike much since she broke her nose cycling in London more than 10 years ago .
But when lockdown rules demanded people only exercise close to home , Claudia decided it would be easier to maintain social distancing on a bike than on a walk .
`` I live on a really busy footpath with lots of people going past , it 's quite narrow .
And I thought a bike would get me a bit further afield .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
She retrieved the old bike from the garage and was `` a bit dubious '' about its condition , having been collecting dust for a while .
It looked `` fine '' but was `` completely covered in muck '' .
After a thorough clean , a degreasing and a regreasing , Claudia set about repairing two punctured tyres .
She could not find the replacement tyres she needed in stock on any website in the UK , so ended up ordering them - along with some inner tubes - from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ surprised '' that the Dutch delivery only took a few days to arrive at the end of April , amid the peak of the epidemic when many supply chains and delivery services were choking on a backlog of orders .
While people like Saskia and Claudia waited patiently for deliveries , others took more drastic measures to get their hands on a bike .
One insurer reported a 46 % increase in claims for bike thefts for the first seven weeks of lockdown , compared with the same period last year .
One @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a physiotherapist helping coronavirus patients to recover after they return home from hospital .
The 26-year-old said she felt `` violated '' when she realised her bike had been stolen as she bought food from a Sainsbury 's in Brixton , south London , on her way back from work .
She had begun cycling into work every day after her car broke down .
She has tried to avoid contact with people throughout lockdown , due to fears for the `` really vulnerable '' patients she works with - and therefore @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Luckily for Lucy , she has been able to borrow a bike from her friend 's brother .
She wants to be able to give it back but has not managed to find a replacement .
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Companies such as Brompton Bikes , Buzzbike and the Green Commute @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or lend bikes to NHS workers during the pandemic - but none were available when Lucy inquired .
Lucy has also been bargain-hunting on Gumtree and Facebook Marketplace - `` but the ones on sale in London go so quickly '' .
She said friends have told her you must `` be ready '' for bike ads on second-hand sites , and that the bikes will sell within half an hour of ads being posted .
`` They 're all just getting snapped up so quickly , '' she added .
For now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trying .
But as the government has pumped money into cycling and walking infrastructure to encourage people to avoid public transport , it 's likely that bikes will retain their gold-dust status for some time yet .
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"When I rang various different bike shops around Bristol - some big brands like Trek, and some smaller independent shops - they all just said either 'it's completely sold out and we're not getting any more stock this year', or 'we don't know when we'll have a new shipment for that particular model'," she says.


bbcuk--2020-06-19--Marcus Rashford: Manchester United forward's campaign to make change happen

It was on 19 March that Marcus Rashford first went on social media to highlight his fears about the impact that shutting schools would have on disadvantaged children .
He may be a high-profile Premier League footballer now , but it is only 11 years since the Manchester United and England striker needed breakfast clubs and free school meals to supplement what his mum could provide .
She was the head of a single-parent family of five children , working full-time on the minimum wage .
When Prime Minister Boris Johnson stood before the nation on the evening of 18 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to help combat the spread of Covid-19 , Rashford immediately knew what that would mean .
While most parents wondered how they were going to manage childcare , Rashford wondered how kids growing up as he had would get fed .
`` Guys , across the UK there are over 32,000 schools .
Tomorrow all of these will close .
Many of the children attending these schools rely on free meals , so I 've spent the last few days talking to organisations to understand how this deficit is going to be filled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the six-post thread received 42,500 likes on Twitter .
Just under 13 weeks later , Rashford posted again .
A rather simpler message .
`` I do n't even know what to say . ''
It received 709,000 likes .
In between , Rashford had helped supply the equivalent of three million meals .
He had highlighted the damage caused by the 'invisible issue of food insecurity ' .
He had received messages of support from Liverpool and Manchester City .
He had changed government policy .
As Rashford returns to his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ why , at the age of 22 , he has been so willing to step out of his comfort zone .
It is worth understanding how he has ended up so revered and admired for his work away from the football field .
Rashford articulated his back story in the emotive letter he sent to MPs on Monday .
`` As a family , we relied on breakfast clubs , free school meals , and the kind actions of neighbours and coaches , '' he wrote .
`` Food banks and soup kitchens @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recall very clearly our visits to Northern Moor to collect our Christmas dinners every year .
It 's only now that I really understand the enormous sacrifice my mum made in sending me away to live in digs aged 11 , a decision no mother would ever make lightly . ''
For one of the most recognisable sport stars in the country , this was a brave move .
It opened the door on a life Rashford could , if he wished , now leave far behind .
He is not far into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enough to ensure none of his family need worry about their next meal ever again .
Yet that memory in itself does not tell the whole story .
It is informative to hear of the time Rashford spent , already then a highly-rated academy hopeful , kicking a ball about with his friends at public coaching sessions set up close to his home by the Manchester United Foundation .
By that time , his promise as a footballer was already evident .
If his coaches in the United youth set-up had known of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ certainly have been stopped , in just the same way as then manager Louis van Gaal would have recoiled had he known Rashford went for a kick-about with mates at a Power League complex within hours of making his United first-team debut in 2016 .
`` There is an argument that these experiences humanised him more than would have been the case if he had just gone through the system , '' says a club source , who has watched Rashford 's development from an early age .
`` He has a strong @ @ @ @ @ @ @ earth .
His mother is a great role model .
It is part of what keeps him grounded . ''
Rashford 's willingness to help out with the wider community has been obvious for some time .
When volunteers were asked to attend Foundation events , Rashford was amongst those who regularly responded .
It was soon obvious he was able to communicate with youngsters and make them feel at ease .
`` Probably because of his background , there was an empathy and a rapport which the kids really responded to .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Marcus seemed happy to be there .
He still does , '' says the United source .
This interaction should not be dismissed as insignificant .
For as Rashford 's career was progressing rather faster than many imagined , from England 's Under-16 team in November 2012 to selection for Roy Hodgson 's Euro 2016 squad three-and-a-half years later , he never lost touch with his roots .
`` After he made his debut , we asked if he would come back to the school , '' says Simon Pyne , a year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Button Lane Primary in Northern Moor .
`` We were having a school disco one night .
I was in the office talking to one of the administration staff when a group of lads appeared at one of the doors and buzzed to see if they could come in because they were all former pupils .
We did n't recognise any of them at first but Marcus was there .
`` He walked into the disco and all the kids were there .
He was brilliant .
He chatted to them , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with them and had photographs taken .
He was absolutely amazing . ''
Rashford has donated to the school .
On another Christmas visit , he handed over £1,000 so the school could provide the children with a selection box each to take home .
His ties to the area are so deep he has a tattoo of the house he lived in at that time on his stomach .
But it was an unrelated , unfortunate event last August that focused Rashford 's mind on what more he could do .
Rashford @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by Crystal Palace .
The fall-out included a number of racist posts aimed at him on social media .
Days earlier , his United team-mate Paul Pogba had been similarly abused .
Those close to Rashford said he had already started to become more inquisitive about how the public perceived him .
After the Palace experience , he thought 'this is n't OK ' and started to take more control .
As a child at school Rashford had helped fill gift boxes to give to those in need .
He remembered this .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ including thermal underwear , gloves , toothbrushes and toothpaste to homeless people in Manchester .
Twelve months on he partnered with Selfridges for a similar campaign .
The gesture was well received .
But for Rashford it was not enough .
In January , he suffered a back injury against Wolves .
It was feared it might end his season .
Rashford and the people who work closely with him began to investigate suitable partners to help deal more comprehensively with the social issues affecting his home city .
The work was still @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what a devastating toll Covid-19 was going to take .
By the time the prime minister announced schools would shut , Rashford had told FareShare he wanted to make a donation - and he wanted to help .
A nationwide charity , FareShare collects surplus goods from the food industry .
It might be from manufacturers or from farmers .
It might be because orders have been cancelled , or mistakes in packaging have been made .
Through their partners , Fare Share then divert the food to charities , including lunch clubs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ breakfast club Rashford used to go to .
`` Those sorts of organisations are about 25 % of the 11,000 organisations FareShare supports across the UK , '' says the charity 's commercial director Alyson Walsh .
`` These are children who have potentially not eaten since the previous day 's free school meal , so getting breakfast to them is massive .
Marcus knew about this because he had been to them . ''
In his interview with the BBC after Johnson 's staggering U-turn , Rashford boldly declared : `` I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ end of it because there are more steps that need to be taken .
People are struggling all year round , so we need to learn more about the situation they are in and how we can help them best . ''
Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said on Thursday that Rashford 's impact has been `` more important than any game of football '' .
But the reality is Rashford does play football for a living .
He does have a long-term desire to one day establish his own foundation , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ developing projects that would benefit the community , but for now , football must take priority again .
And until the end of the European Championships in July 2021 , Rashford is going to be quite busy .
So , for him , it is a question of identifying the projects and situations where he can help .
On 1 June , that meant a powerful social media statement in support of the Black Lives Matter movement .
Three days later it meant standing up for an autistic black boy shown in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a park .
Since suffering racism himself , Rashford does not see why he should step away from subjects he cares about .
As the past few days show , far more will embrace him for it than reject him .
And , if they do , he reasons he does n't want that kind of person attaching themselves to him anyway .
Those at FareShare believe Rashford taking a stand can help drive lasting change , beyond what has already been achieved .
`` Food insecurity is an invisible issue , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about raising money for illnesses they have been affected by .
There is not so much conversation around ' I am raising money for a Foodbank because my sister skipped lunch three times last week ' .
`` People do n't talk about it because it can be a reflection on their circumstances .
`` But the fact Marcus is doing so , not only shines a light on it , it also adds credibility because he has benefited from these clubs and seen how they work . ''

Marcus Rashford, 22, has already played 38 times for England
It was on 19 March that Marcus Rashford first went on social media to highlight his fears about the impact that shutting schools would have on disadvantaged children.
He may be a high-profile Premier League footballer now, but it is only 11 years since the Manchester United and England striker needed breakfast clubs and free school meals to supplement what his mum could provide. She was the head of a single-parent family of five children, working full-time on the minimum wage.
When Prime Minister Boris Johnson stood before the nation on the evening of 18 March to tell the country schools had to help combat the spread of Covid-19, Rashford immediately knew what that would mean. While most parents wondered how they were going to manage childcare, Rashford wondered how kids growing up as he had would get fed.
"Guys, across the UK there are over 32,000 schools. Tomorrow all of these will close. Many of the children attending these schools rely on free meals, so I've spent the last few days talking to organisations to understand how this deficit is going to be filled," he wrote.
The start of the six-post thread received 42,500 likes on Twitter. Just under 13 weeks later, Rashford posted again. A rather simpler message.
"I don't even know what to say." It received 709,000 likes.
In between, Rashford had helped supply the equivalent of three million meals. He had highlighted the damage caused by the 'invisible issue of food insecurity'. He had received messages of support from Liverpool and Manchester City. He had changed government policy.
As Rashford returns to his day job, it is worth understanding why, at the age of 22, he has been so willing to step out of his comfort zone. It is worth understanding how he has ended up so revered and admired for his work away from the football field.
Rashford articulated his back story in the emotive letter he sent to MPs on Monday.
"As a family, we relied on breakfast clubs, free school meals, and the kind actions of neighbours and coaches," he wrote. "Food banks and soup kitchens were not alien to us; I recall very clearly our visits to Northern Moor to collect our Christmas dinners every year. It's only now that I really understand the enormous sacrifice my mum made in sending me away to live in digs aged 11, a decision no mother would ever make lightly."
For one of the most recognisable sport stars in the country, this was a brave move. It opened the door on a life Rashford could, if he wished, now leave far behind. He is not far into his career but he has already earned enough to ensure none of his family need worry about their next meal ever again.
Yet that memory in itself does not tell the whole story.
Marcus Rashford: "I'm grateful the prime minister changed his decision"
It is informative to hear of the time Rashford spent, already then a highly-rated academy hopeful, kicking a ball about with his friends at public coaching sessions set up close to his home by the Manchester United Foundation. By that time, his promise as a footballer was already evident. If his coaches in the United youth set-up had known of these impromptu sessions, they would almost certainly have been stopped, in just the same way as then manager Louis van Gaal would have recoiled had he known Rashford went for a kick-about with mates at a Power League complex within hours of making his United first-team debut in 2016.
"There is an argument that these experiences humanised him more than would have been the case if he had just gone through the system," says a club source, who has watched Rashford's development from an early age.
"He has a strong family, who are very down to earth. His mother is a great role model. It is part of what keeps him grounded."
Rashford's willingness to help out with the wider community has been obvious for some time.
When volunteers were asked to attend Foundation events, Rashford was amongst those who regularly responded. It was soon obvious he was able to communicate with youngsters and make them feel at ease.
"Probably because of his background, there was an empathy and a rapport which the kids really responded to. Kids loved being in his company and Marcus seemed happy to be there. He still does," says the United source.
This interaction should not be dismissed as insignificant.
For as Rashford's career was progressing rather faster than many imagined, from England's Under-16 team in November 2012 to selection for Roy Hodgson's Euro 2016 squad three-and-a-half years later, he never lost touch with his roots.
"After he made his debut, we asked if he would come back to the school," says Simon Pyne, a year three teacher at Rashford's old school, Button Lane Primary in Northern Moor.
Rashford is a product of the Fletcher Moss Rangers junior club in Manchester
"We were having a school disco one night. I was in the office talking to one of the administration staff when a group of lads appeared at one of the doors and buzzed to see if they could come in because they were all former pupils. We didn't recognise any of them at first but Marcus was there.
"He walked into the disco and all the kids were there. He was brilliant. He chatted to them, did a quick question and answer session with them and had photographs taken. He was absolutely amazing."
Rashford has donated to the school. On another Christmas visit, he handed over £1,000 so the school could provide the children with a selection box each to take home. His ties to the area are so deep he has a tattoo of the house he lived in at that time on his stomach.
But it was an unrelated, unfortunate event last August that focused Rashford's mind on what more he could do.
Rashford missed a penalty in a home defeat by Crystal Palace. The fall-out included a number of racist posts aimed at him on social media. Days earlier, his United team-mate Paul Pogba had been similarly abused.
Those close to Rashford said he had already started to become more inquisitive about how the public perceived him. After the Palace experience, he thought 'this isn't OK' and started to take more control.
As a child at school Rashford had helped fill gift boxes to give to those in need. He remembered this. At Christmas 2018 he personally delivered items including thermal underwear, gloves, toothbrushes and toothpaste to homeless people in Manchester. Twelve months on he partnered with Selfridges for a similar campaign.
The gesture was well received. But for Rashford it was not enough.
Man Utd's Rashford speaks about mother's sacrifices in his bid to end food poverty
In January, he suffered a back injury against Wolves. It was feared it might end his season. Rashford and the people who work closely with him began to investigate suitable partners to help deal more comprehensively with the social issues affecting his home city.
The work was still in its infancy when it became obvious what a devastating toll Covid-19 was going to take. By the time the prime minister announced schools would shut, Rashford had told FareShare he wanted to make a donation - and he wanted to help.
A nationwide charity, FareShare collects surplus goods from the food industry. It might be from manufacturers or from farmers. It might be because orders have been cancelled, or mistakes in packaging have been made. Through their partners, Fare Share then divert the food to charities, including lunch clubs for the elderly or the kinds of breakfast club Rashford used to go to.
"Those sorts of organisations are about 25% of the 11,000 organisations FareShare supports across the UK," says the charity's commercial director Alyson Walsh.
"These are children who have potentially not eaten since the previous day's free school meal, so getting breakfast to them is massive. Marcus knew about this because he had been to them."
Rashford's elevation to national hero had begun.
Rashford's last match was on 15 January - when he was injured in an FA Cup win at home to Wolves
In his interview with the BBC after Johnson's staggering U-turn, Rashford boldly declared: "I don't want this to be the end of it because there are more steps that need to be taken. People are struggling all year round, so we need to learn more about the situation they are in and how we can help them best."
Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said on Thursday that Rashford's impact has been "more important than any game of football". But the reality is Rashford does play football for a living.
He does have a long-term desire to one day establish his own foundation, so he can be hands on in developing projects that would benefit the community, but for now, football must take priority again. And until the end of the European Championships in July 2021, Rashford is going to be quite busy.
So, for him, it is a question of identifying the projects and situations where he can help.
On 1 June, that meant a powerful social media statement in support of the Black Lives Matter movement. Three days later it meant standing up for an autistic black boy shown in a video being bullied by two white youths in a park.
Since suffering racism himself, Rashford does not see why he should step away from subjects he cares about. As the past few days show, far more will embrace him for it than reject him. And, if they do, he reasons he doesn't want that kind of person attaching themselves to him anyway.
Those at FareShare believe Rashford taking a stand can help drive lasting change, beyond what has already been achieved.
"Food insecurity is an invisible issue," says Walsh.
"People talk about raising money for illnesses they have been affected by. There is not so much conversation around 'I am raising money for a Foodbank because my sister skipped lunch three times last week'.
"People don't talk about it because it can be a reflection on their circumstances.
"But the fact Marcus is doing so, not only shines a light on it, it also adds credibility because he has benefited from these clubs and seen how they work."


bbcuk--2020-06-19--Domestic abuse charities predict call spike post-lockdown

Charities supporting victims of domestic abuse have said they expect an increase in people seeking safety as lockdown eases .
Women 's Aid in the West Midlands said it had seen 30 referrals for refuge since lockdown restrictions were eased .
It has been one of 100 charities in England sharing £8.1m government funding aimed at supporting victims and providing more refuge spaces .
It follows a surge in calls to helplines since lockdown began .
Charities had warned the lockdown could heighten domestic tensions and cut off escape routes .
At one refuge in the West Midlands , women @ @ @ @ @ @ @ others in a similar situation . '
I felt unsafe in my own home' A woman who came to the refuge with her child after starting lockdown living with her partner said isolation and the inability to leave home had removed her freedom to communicate with loved ones .
She told the BBC `` every day was a challenge '' .
`` To deal with the controlling and coercive behaviour from my partner on a daily basis brought me to the point of feeling so broken and I was so close to giving @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I felt very much alone and unsafe in my own home .
Because of the government 's lockdown rules and shortage of services running , I felt I was completely restricted from any route of safety or support .
`` One day my partner went out and I decided to call a Women 's Aid helpline .
I was given safety advice and eventually a plan to leave my home with the opportunity to come to a refuge .
`` Coming to the refuge was n't an easy choice and at first [ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to receiving continuous support , advice and reassurance from my support worker and staff , my child and I now feel much safer and happier during these worrying times . ''
Another woman at the refuge said she arrived there just as the lockdown restrictions were beginning to take shape .
She said for years her partner had controlled her life - when she went to work , money , what she ate and where she could and could not go .
`` I had no existence , I was n't anybody , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just there for his purpose , for his use .
`` My life was being controlled , no friendships , no family , no nothing , it was just everything on his say-so , really .
`` I knew that there would be a time that I would n't be able to cry for help or tell anybody , I just felt the need to get out and save myself , because if I did n't , I could see myself being seriously harmed .
`` As soon as I walked through those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I am grateful that Women 's Aid are here and were available to take me in and support me through the lockdown , support me through everything .
`` The staff used to still phone me everyday to see how I was , if I was n't sleeping throughout the night , I could talk to them .
`` I 've got my personality back , I 'm me again .
I can have a laugh and a joke and share funny things without feeling silly for saying these experiences .
`` I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , I do n't feel judged .
I feel like I 've got a purpose . ''
Chereene Love , who works for Women 's Aid in the West Midlands , described refuge services as a `` lifeline to people and the difference between life and death '' .
But , she said , most refuges in the country were already full .
`` Our priority is finding safe accommodation and refuge space for the people who are in need of it , '' she said .
• Lockdown exit 'must consider rise @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those who have been successful accessing some of the additional funding to expand its services .
The government funding , which it said was part of a wider package of support to help survivors of domestic abuse over the coming months , will fund more than 1,500 refuge spaces - including 200 for the West Midlands .
• A SIMPLE GUIDE : How do I protect myself ?
• AVOIDING CONTACT : The rules on self-isolation and exercise • STRESS : How to look after your mental health Follow BBC West Midlands on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ your story ideas to : newsonline.westmidlands @ bbc.co.uk

"I knew that there would be a time that I wouldn't be able to cry for help or tell anybody, I just felt the need to get out and save myself, because if I didn't, I could see myself being seriously harmed.


bbcuk--2020-06-19--Covid-19: Viral video mother Karen Mannering gives birth

A woman whose hospital bed appeal for others to obey lockdown rules went viral has given birth .
Karen Mannering @ @ @ @ @ Kent , was six months pregnant when she contracted Covid-19 .
She was hospitalised and @ @ @ @ @ .
Now recovered , Ms Mannering told the BBC : `` I just wanted everyone @ @ @ @ @ a joke , take it seriously '' .

A woman whose hospital bed appeal for others to obey lockdown rules went viral has given birth.
Karen Mannering, from Herne Bay, Kent, was six months pregnant when she contracted Covid-19. She was hospitalised and developed pneumonia in both lungs.
Now recovered, Ms Mannering told the BBC: "I just wanted everyone to know it's not a joke, take it seriously".


bbcuk--2020-06-19--Newspaper headlines: Tributes to Dame Vera amid tracing app 'fiasco'

Black and white wartime portraits of Dame Vera Lynn are on many of the front pages , as the papers pay tribute to the singer who has died at the age of 103 .
Dame Vera appears in her Entertainments National Service Association uniform on the front of the Daily Mirror , which calls her a `` true British hero '' .
It says she was `` always there for us in our darkest hours ... first against the Nazis and then against Covid-19 '' .
For the Daily Telegraph , she `` embodied the brave spirit of wartime Britain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the i , she was the plumber 's daughter who `` lifted a nation in its darkest hour '' .
`` Goodnight Sweetheart '' , says the Times , next to a glamorous black and white portrait of the singer in her heyday .
The paper comes wrapped in a tribute to Dame Vera .
The Metro 's front page carries the lyrics of her most famous song , We 'll Meet Again .
The Daily Express headline quotes the Queen 's reaction : `` I 'm so very , very sad @ @ @ @ @ @ @ joyous voice sustained the nation 's spirits .
For the Daily Mail , she was `` the voice of a generation '' .
The main story for the Mail is the government 's abandonment of its coronavirus tracing app .
`` How Many More Corona Fiascos ? ''
asks the front page headline .
It cites a string of U-turns over testing , protective equipment , schools and quarantine .
It 's also the lead for the Times , which says the failure of the technology leaves the government 's virus tracing strategy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to lift social distancing restrictions .
Its leading article says Boris Johnson `` needs to reassure the country that he really does have a plan to get out of this mess '' .
The project has become a `` national embarrassment '' , says the Telegraph , which calls Health Secretary Matt Hancock `` hapless and app-less '' .
The Guardian points out that three months and millions of pounds were spent on `` technology that experts had repeatedly warned would not work '' .
`` Another day , another U-turn '' , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Economist has an illustration of a tattered Union Flag shot through with virus-shaped holes .
`` Not Britain 's finest hour '' , it declares about the country 's response to the pandemic , arguing that the UK has the `` wrong government for the covid crisis '' .
`` It has played a bad hand badly , '' is the magazine 's verdict .
Sign up for a morning briefing direct to your inbox According to the i newspaper , millions of proposed GCSE and A level grades could be marked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` teachers have been too generous in their predictions '' for students who 've been unable to sit any papers .
Quoting analysis by a think-tank , it claims that draft predicted grades are higher than the average awarded last year in every subject .
The i expects a backlash from students and schools on results day in August .
The Financial Times reports that shares have plummeted in Wirecard , once a `` star of the German tech sector '' , after a warning by auditors that €1.9bn ( £1.7bn ) euros @ @ @ @ @ @ @ company , which is based in Munich , processes debit and credit card transactions .
The FT says Wirecard was worth €24bn two years ago but is now valued at less than €5bn .
The company says it 's working intensively with the auditor to clarify the situation .
Unusually , the Daily Star leads with politics , criticising Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab 's comments about taking a knee to support Black Lives Matter .
Mr Raab 's remark that he thought it was inspired by the television drama , Game of Thrones @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a `` gaffe '' , just three weeks after the prime minister was embarrassed by his adviser Dominic Cummings .
The paper calls the pair `` Dom and Dumber '' .
In a stinging letter to the Guardian , the former Labour leader Neil Kinnock suggests the foreign secretary 's ignorance comes from , in his words , `` the same abyss as his surprise that Dover is important to trade movements '' .
Writing in the Guardian about Labour 's general election post-mortem , Ed Miliband urges the party to `` learn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Voters `` want fundamental change '' , he argues , but in 2019 they did n't believe that Labour could deliver what it promised .
The Telegraph has a striking image of the Red Arrows and their French counterparts streaking across the sky above the statue of Sir Winston Churchill during yesterday 's visit to London by French President Emmanuel Macron .
The Sun calls it a `` love-in '' and says there 's a `` new urgency '' about a post-Brexit trade deal .
The Spectator 's political editor , James Forsyth @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which the UK could be free to `` move away from the EU 's level playing field '' .
But the EU would then have the `` right to impose tariffs '' on UK goods - allowing `` both sides to claim satisfaction '' .
The Times highlights what Nasa is billing as the `` first ever '' round-trip mission to Mars .
A rover called Perseverance is due to blast off from Florida next month with the task of gathering rock and soil specimens for a second probe , which will be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ delivery to Earth .
Nasa , it says , `` hopes to discover signs of organisms and to start creating oxygen for future explorers '' .
The Telegraph reports that families could be free to go on foreign holidays from 4 July under plans for so-called air bridges with a small number of countries with low levels of coronavirus .
The arrangement would avoid the need to spend 14 days in quarantine when tourists return home .
Government sources tell the Telegraph that ministers are keen to set up the first air bridges @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Spain , Greece and Portugal .
According to the Sun , live music will return to the UK this summer for the first time since the lockdown - at socially distanced drive-in gigs .
It says fans will be able to take cars to the festival-style events and park in designated spots to watch a host of performers .
Gary Numan , who appropriately had a big hit with Cars , is keen to take part in what the Sun is calling `` car-owner virus gigs '' .

The Financial Times reports that shares have plummeted in Wirecard, once a "star of the German tech sector", after a warning by auditors that €1.9bn (£1.7bn) euros was missing from its accounts. The company, which is based in Munich, processes debit and credit card transactions. The FT says Wirecard was worth €24bn two years ago but is now valued at less than €5bn. The company says it's working intensively with the auditor to clarify the situation.


bbcuk--2020-06-19--North Sea US jet crash: Pilot returned home to family in US

A US fighter jet pilot who died after a crash over the North Sea has been returned to his family in the US .
Lt Kenneth `` Kage '' Allen , from the 48th Fighter Wing at RAF Lakenheath in Suffolk , crashed on Monday while on a training mission .
Pilots from the base honoured Lt Allen by performing a missing man formation on Thursday , a tradition to respect fallen airmen .
An investigation into the cause of the crash is under way .
Lt Allen was transported back to his family , including his wife Hannah , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Pilots from the 494th squadron performed the missing man formation in memory of Lt Allen as he was returned to the US .
Col Will Marshall , of the 48th Fighter Wing at RAF Lakenheath , said : `` We are deeply saddened by the loss of Lt Allen , and mourn with his family and his fellow Reapers in the 493rd Fighter Squadron . ''
Lt Allen , known as Kage , had been the assistant chief of weapons and tactics for the 493rd Fighter Squadron since his arrival on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ told the BBC that a formal investigation into the cause of the crash had begun but it would `` take some amount of time '' before the results would be known .
Radio data , the wreckage and information from other pilots would form the basis of the investigation , he said .
Lt Allen , who had just completed upgraded training for the F-15C Eagle , was on a training exercise with 11 other aircraft when his plane went into the sea 74 nautical miles ( 85 miles ) off the East @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lifeboat crews from Bridlington and Scarborough were among those who took part in the search after the plane was reported missing .

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bbcuk--2020-06-19--Coronavirus: NI school return plan 'unrealistic and undeliverable'

Expectations need to be managed about the reopening of schools in September , according to the National Association of Head Teachers ( NAHT ) .
Its NI vice president , Graham Gault , said comments by the First Minister Arlene Foster on Thursday were `` unrealistic and undeliverable '' .
Mrs Foster told BBC NI 's The View the executive wanted `` to get everybody back to school in September '' .
Mr Gault said that would need `` very drastic changes '' .
On Thursday , Education Minister Peter Weir announced that the 2m social distancing rule would be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` full classes to attend '' school as coronavirus lockdown restrictions are eased .
In a letter sent to principals , the minister said : `` The 1m guidance between children is to be followed as far as possible within the confines of the physical capacity of each classroom and the 2m rule for staff adhered to fully . ''
Peter Weir added , subject to ongoing review , the new term will start on 24 August for Primary Seven , Year 12 and Year 14 pupils .
Graham Gault , who is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he had measured his own classrooms and could manage 15 pupils rather than the usual 30 .
`` At the moment it looks likely , if nothing changes , that I 'll be able to welcome back half of my school cohort , '' he told BBC News NI 's Good Morning Ulster .
Mr Gault said `` great progress '' had been made in recent days and trade unions have worked with the Department of Education to create `` workable solutions '' on how to manage school numbers safely .
However , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first minister that schools should `` find extra space '' , such as assembly and dining halls , as well as `` facilities beside the schools '' , Mr Gault added the comments `` stopped me from sleeping last night '' .
`` I wondered where I was going to be finding the teachers from to take a class of children into another building on up the road .
`` There are so many implications to that , '' he explained .
`` It 's really important that our communities do n't listen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ children will be coming back to school as normal in September .
`` Schools want our children to be back full-time , it 's what we crave , but that 's not going to happen unless something very drastic changes . ''
There is a hope that as many children can go back to as many schools as possible , as often as they can , come September .
We 're not at the stage though of most schools being able to take pupils back full-time , I think everyone would admit that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ where we might be in mid-August .
I understand that in the guidance that comes out today there will be that aspiration to get all children back to school full-time , but that part-time element has been flagged up .
The fact that primary school children will probably only be in school around two days or half of a week , that most post-primary children will be in one week in every two , that guidance is still in there , it has n't disappeared .
Julie Thomas , principal of Clandeboye Primary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ulster the reduction of social distancing guidelines has welcomed , however `` has not given us any more hope that we will be able to bring the entire school community back into our building '' .
`` It 's very important that at this point we do not overpromise the parents what we are going to be able to deliver once we enter the new academic year . ''
Methodist College Belfast Principal Scott Naismith said : `` The minister has been overly optimistic in his assessment that this will enable many schools @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' He said `` favourable pupil-staff ratios and accommodation '' means Methody 's preparatory schools can `` get all the pupils back all the time from August '' , however , complexities in the senior school means `` at best we will get half the school accommodated safely in line with the new rules '' .
• A SIMPLE GUIDE : How do I protect myself ?
• IMPACT : What the virus does to the body • RECOVERY : How long does it take ?
• R NUMBER : Why does it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we get out of this mess ?

Mr Gault the principal of Maghaberry Primary School, said this would need "very drastic changes", as even with the 1m distancing rule his classrooms would only be able to cater for 15 pupils at one time rather than the usual 30.


bbcuk--2020-06-19--Coronavirus: 'Utterly irresponsible' attitude to zoos

`` You ca n't furlough fish '' is the reaction of one owner to help given to Wales ' 30 licensed zoos since lockdown .
Frankie Hobro said her frustration was when the public recognised the plight of her Anglesey Sea Zoo and fundraised to save it , but the Welsh government failed to offer specific help .
A government spokesman said a `` generous package '' meant more money was available than if a special scheme was created .
He pointed to eight attractions already having accessed £350,000 .
But Ms Hobro said : `` The Anglesey Sea Zoo @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with high running costs , staffing costs and the pressure of maintaining ultimate animal welfare , with absolutely no income during closure and currently no promise of when we will be allowed to reopen for our income to return . ''
• Zoo warns it might have to put down animals • Zoos and safari parks set to reopen in England Major zoo attractions opened earlier this week in England with reports of `` unprecedented '' ticket sales , but there is still no indication when this may happen in Wales .
Anglesey @ @ @ @ @ @ @ life such as octopus , lobsters , seahorses , conger eels and jellyfish with running costs of £20,000 a month whether it is open or closed .
Ms Hobro said it was not possible to reduce costs , as the Welsh government suggested , without `` cutting corners '' and `` sacrificing the quality of care '' .
Money from a special Economic Resilience Fund ( ERF ) has helped it get back on track after three months of closure , and Ms Hobro described a Development Bank of Wales bounceback loan of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But she accused the government of `` a total failure to appreciate the unworkable challenges we are currently facing on a daily basis '' .
`` We had exciting plans for the Anglesey Sea Zoo in 2020 , with several fundamental changes planned across the site and the prospect of an exciting expansion project on the horizon , '' she added .
`` Sadly , as a result of the Covid-19 crisis , instead we have been faced with a fight for survival . ''
Her views were echoed by Jan Garen of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Abercrave , Powys , who described an `` utterly irresponsible '' and `` frankly insulting '' attitude to zoos .
While she was able to access £10,000 from the ERF , Mrs Garen believes there has been a failure to recognise the unique challenges faced by the industry .
`` It assumes all businesses are in the same boat .
We have no income but our overheads are the same , '' she said .
`` There should have been special funds recognising that we have to stay functioning even though we are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , for example , does n't need to be buying food and drink or pay their staff .
It 's not the same thing . ''
The sanctuary has 200 animals to feed and care for .
While two part-time reception staff were furloughed at the start of the pandemic , the other four employees stayed on to look after the animals .
She blasted the Welsh government for sending a letter suggesting cost-cutting or collaboration work , saying mowing lawns was the only work they could stop and the individual zoos had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to help each other .
Although the sanctuary lost £30,000 in net sales in April alone , Mrs Garen praised supporters .
More than £7,440 was raised in a raffle for which 100 prizes were donated and people have donated online .
Owners of attractions in north Wales have joined together to help raise funds for the Welsh Mountain Zoo in Colwyn Bay - which has animals including Sumatran Tigers and Snow Leopards .
Denbighshire Leisure is giving free Ninja TAG games - an obstacle course on Rhyl promenade - to everyone making @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The zoo 's Marcia Azevedo Moreira said : `` It is incredible to see another popular attraction in the area putting something together that will help us push our plight further . ''
A Welsh Government spokesman said : `` Zoos and other animal attractions in Wales have been able to access a more generous package of support through our ERF than they would have had through a sector specific scheme and several weeks before England announced their fund on 4 May . ''
He urged those that had not applied to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the possibility of lifting restrictions during each review - the latest set to be announced on Friday .
The spokesman also pointed out Scotland and Northern Ireland have no specific fund either , and like in Wales , officials are working with zoos to identify key difficulties .

But Ms Hobro said: "The Anglesey Sea Zoo is in a particularly untenable position, with high running costs, staffing costs and the pressure of maintaining ultimate animal welfare, with absolutely no income during closure and currently no promise of when we will be allowed to reopen for our income to return."


bbcuk--2020-06-19--Coronavirus: All children in England 'back to school in September'

All pupils in all year groups in England will go back to school full-time in September , Education Secretary Gavin Williamson has announced .
At the daily coronavirus briefing , he said the government was `` signed up ... to bring every child back , in every year group , in every school '' .
Guidance on safety measures will be published in the next fortnight .
It comes after the prime minister announced a £1bn fund to help England 's pupils catch up with learning .
Mr Williamson also said class size limits - or `` bubbles '' - @ @ @ @ @ @ @ virus could be increased to allow every child to return to school .
Under current rules imposed during the coronavirus pandemic , class sizes are limited to a maximum of 15 pupils , but the education secretary said ministers were looking at `` expanding those bubbles to include the whole class '' .
Class sizes vary in England , but this could be around 30 pupils .
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Teachers ' unions say the proposals have not been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ social distancing if you 've got 30 children in one classroom , '' Kevin Courtney , joint general secretary of the National Education Union ( NEU ) , told the BBC .
`` But then you 're going to ask them to abide by social distancing when they go out , I think that wo n't work and that will mean children are n't looking at social distancing at all . ''
Schools closed to everyone except vulnerable children and those with a parent identified as a key worker on 20 March , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the lockdown measures started easing at the beginning of this month , children in nursery , reception , Year 1 and Year 6 were encouraged to return to primary schools in England , albeit in smaller class sizes .
Some Year 10 and 12 pupils - selected because they are sitting GCSEs and A-levels respectively next summer - returned to secondary schools and colleges this week .
Ministers now want all pupils in England to return to classrooms full-time in the autumn , ending a near six-month absence for many pupils .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our children , that is why we will bring all children , in all year groups , back to school in September , '' Mr Williamson said .
It is a promise that many parents will have been waiting to hear .
Education Secretary Gavin Williamson has committed to all school pupils in all year groups going back full-time in September .
The part-time , online , often not-really-anytime lessons will be over .
But the much trickier question will be how to deliver this .
Even if social distancing is reduced - @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 15 pupils can be increased - there will still be massive logistical challenges .
Head teachers have warned any social distancing , even 1m , will require additional classrooms and teachers .
And they have been exasperated at time ticking away without any clear plan - with heads ' leader Geoff Barton complaining schools are working in an `` information black hole '' .
When the government had to U-turn on bringing back all primary pupils it was because nobody listened to similar warnings about lack of space .
But a September deadline @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will be high political stakes if there is another failure to deliver .
The education secretary said signs that the spread of coronavirus was reducing meant that ministers could now look at `` making sure that every child returns to school '' .
He said he understood `` there is anxiety still among parents '' about their children going back to school , but stressed : `` I want to assure you that the well-being of your children is the absolute top priority for every single one of us . ''
The government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ next two weeks on how to bring children back `` so that schools have the maximum amount of time to prepare for the next phase '' , Mr Williamson said .
However , there was no confirmation of whether the government 's 2m social distancing rule was going to be relaxed in schools .
Mr Williamson reiterated that a review of the measure is under way , and added that could not provide an exact date for a decision .
• School catch up : No such thing as a free launch • @ @ @ @ @ @ @ set work' Current Department for Education ( DfE ) guidance states that primary school classes should be split in half and contain no fewer than 15 pupils , desks should be spaced as far apart as possible and lunch , break , drop-off and pick-up times should be staggered .
Schools should also consider introducing one-way circulation , or placing a divider down the middle of the corridor , to keep young people apart , it adds .
Mr Williamson was speaking after the coronavirus alert level for the UK was downgraded from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for a `` gradual relaxation of restrictions '' .
At level four , transmission of the virus was thought to be `` high or rising exponentially '' ; at three , it is thought be `` in general circulation '' .
Earlier , Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he was `` determined to do everything '' he could to get all children back in school from September .
`` We will bring forward plans on how this will happen as soon as possible , '' he said .
The prime minister 's pledge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ further clarity on the proposals .
Geoff Barton , general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders ( ASCL ) , said schools and colleges were trying to prepare for September amid an `` information black hole '' from the government .
Mr Barton said school and college leaders were preparing for two scenarios for the autumn - using rotas to stagger the return of pupils or bringing students back full-time - amid an `` absence of information '' .
Paul Whiteman , general secretary of school leaders ' union NAHT @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bring everyone back is correct but we need to know what the government is thinking and the scenarios they are planning for .
`` This will give school communities what they need to get through this term and plan for the new academic year in September . ''
Mr Courtney , of the NEU , said earlier : `` The prime minister 's hopes are not enough . ''
`` If the requirements of social distancing - in order to stop a second peak - are reduced even to 1m , then most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a classroom , '' he added .
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There are separate rules for managing the threat of coronavirus in England , Wales , Scotland and Northern Ireland .
Schools in Wales are reopening at the end of June , with only a third @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , while in Scotland , schools are preparing to reopen on 11 August .
Social distancing in schools has been halved to 1m ( just over 3ft ) in Northern Ireland , where ministers are aiming for a full reopening of schools on 24 August .
However , head teachers have warned that parts of the Northern Ireland plan are `` unrealistic and undeliverable '' .
The £1bn fund to help England 's children catch up will see the most disadvantaged pupils gain access to tutors through a £350m programme in the year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will be given £650m to spend on one-to-one or group tuition for any pupils they think need it .

He said he understood "there is anxiety still among parents" about their children going back to school, but stressed: "I want to assure you that the well-being of your children is the absolute top priority for every single one of us."


bbcuk--2020-06-19--Coronavirus: Quarantine rules for some countries set to be relaxed

The government is planning to relax its travel quarantine rules in early July for some countries .
UK officials are talking to their counterparts in Portugal , France , Italy , Greece and Spain .
However , the UK hopes to make an announcement on 29 June that it has secured a number of `` travel corridors '' .
The government had previously said that the quarantine would be reviewed every three weeks and 29 June marks the end of the first three-week period .
A travel corridor would mean that two people travelling in both directions between two countries @ @ @ @ @ @ @ travel .
The first travel corridors could come into force on 4 July , although that date is by no means confirmed .
Even if certain routes are exempt , the travel quarantine for people arriving from other destinations will remain in place .
A senior aviation source has told the BBC that the quarantine could remain throughout the summer for anyone arriving from countries which do not have a travel corridor with the UK .
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Portugal 's foreign minister previously said that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Portugal this summer would be `` most welcome '' despite the coronavirus pandemic .
Augusto Santos Silva said he hoped an `` air bridge '' between the UK and Portugal could be secured by the end of June .
However , the broader travel quarantine is expected to remain in place .
What are the new rules ?
• People arriving in the UK should drive their own car to their destination , where possible , and once there they must not use public transport or taxis • Arrivals must not go @ @ @ @ @ @ @ areas , or have visitors - except for essential support .
They are also not allowed to go out to buy food , or other essentials , where they can rely on others • Those arriving in England , Wales and Northern Ireland could face a fine of £1,000 if they fail to self-isolate for the full 14 days , while they face a £480 fine in Scotland .
The maximum fine for repeat offenders in Scotland is £5,000 .
For more on the rules click here .
Anyone arriving from the Republic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Isle of Man does not have to complete a form or enter quarantine upon arrival in the UK .
There are also exemptions for workers in some industries such as road haulage and medical professionals who are providing essential care .
The travel industry has been vocal in its criticism of the government 's quarantine rules , warning that the isolation period will deter visitors and put jobs at risk .
Some airlines were in the early stages of legal action .
The manufacturing industry has also highlighted that fewer flights will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have a knock-on effect for the freight industry , as well as hampering the recovery of some businesses .
Despite criticism from businesses , Home Secretary Priti Patel said that the measures were `` proportionate '' and being implemented `` at the right time '' when they came into effect on 8 June .

The travel industry has been vocal in its criticism of the government's quarantine rules, warning that the isolation period will deter visitors and put jobs at risk. Some airlines were in the early stages of legal action.


bbcuk--2020-06-20--Coronavirus: Scam warning over NHS test and trace

People are being warned to be on their guard against scammers posing as NHS contact tracers .
Local councils in England and Wales have issued alerts following reports of bogus calls and messages asking for money to cover the cost of coronavirus testing kits .
The councils include Hampshire , Bath and North East Somerset , and Bournemouth , Christchurch and Poole .
Official tracers will never ask for payment of any kind or bank details .
The test and trace system is part of the government 's efforts to reduce the spread of coronavirus , with contact tracers getting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recent close contact with someone who has tested positive for Covid-19 .
However , a number of fraudsters are using this to their advantage and posing as contact tracers to deceive people into parting with money or personal details .
The Local Government Association ( LGA ) said the `` ruthless scam '' was `` another worrying and sickening attempt to trick people out of their money by preying on the public 's fears '' .
A recent survey by Citizens Advice found more than one in three people in the UK have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ began .
Chairman of the LGA 's safer and stronger communities board , Simon Blackburn , said the latest scam to come to light undermined `` vital work to save lives by exploiting people who want to do the right thing and stop the spread of the virus '' .
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In the scam , a message or phone call claiming to be from the NHS test and trace service informs somebody they have come into contact with coronavirus and need to self-isolate and take a test .
The scammers ask them to confirm their address so a testing kit can be sent to them .
Bank card details are then requested - purportedly to cover the cost of the testing kit .
In a genuine call , contact tracers will never : • ask you to dial a premium rate number ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 087 ) • ask you to make any form of payment • ask for any details about your bank account • ask for your social media identities or login details , or those of your contacts • ask you for any passwords or Pin codes , or ask you to set up any passwords or Pin codes over the phone • ask you to purchase a product - including a test • ask you to download any software to your device or ask you to hand over control of your PC , smartphone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ any website that does not belong to the government or NHS Anyone receiving a call they suspect is not genuine should report the call to Action Fraud .

The test and trace system is part of the government's efforts to reduce the spread of coronavirus, with contact tracers getting in touch with those who have had recent close contact with someone who has tested positive for Covid-19.


bbcuk--2020-06-20--Coronavirus: Traffic levels 'now double the lockdown low'

Traffic on Britain 's roads is now at a similar level to that seen in the late 1980s and early 1990s , the AA says .
It slumped to between 35 % and 40 % of the pre-coronavirus volume at the beginning of lockdown but has since doubled to around 75 % .
AA head of roads policy Jack Cousens told the BBC that traffic could return to normal `` by the end of July '' .
But Friends of the Earth said pollution should not be allowed to `` creep '' back to the pre-pandemic level .
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Traffic has gradually increased since early April , as travel restrictions have eased and hundreds of thousands of people have returned to work .
The government is discouraging people from using public transport if it is avoidable , and has told passengers to wear masks , in an effort to limit the spread of coronavirus .
Jack Cousens , head of roads policy for the AA , said : `` The message @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as , week by week , more people have ventured out in their cars . ''
He added that `` due to the disappearance of the night-time economy '' there was still `` very little traffic '' after 19:00 , while weekends were quieter than usual because of the cancellation of mass events .
`` As shops re-open , while hairdressers and other up-close occupations prepare to return in early July , traffic could reach pre-lockdown levels by the end of July , '' Mr Cousens said .
UK carbon emissions reportedly fell @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have increased since .
Mike Childs , head of science at Friends of the Earth , said : `` Any decline in emissions during enforced lockdown will be for nought if levels ramp back up .
`` By saying that people should get behind the wheel now , the government themselves are contributing to increased pollution from road use . ''
The UK government has pledged £250m for improvements in cycling and walking infrastructure and many towns and cities are making more road space available for pedestrians and those on bikes .
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He added that "due to the disappearance of the night-time economy" there was still "very little traffic" after 19:00, while weekends were quieter than usual because of the cancellation of mass events.


bbcuk--2020-06-19--Sir Ian Holm: Lord of the Rings and Alien star dies aged 88

Stage and film actor Sir Ian Holm , who played Bilbo Baggins in The Lord of the Rings films , has died aged 88 .
Sir Ian , Oscar-nominated as Olympic running coach Sam Mussabini in Chariots of Fire , also played the android Ash in 1979 's Alien .
`` It is with great sadness we can confirm that the actor Sir Ian Holm CBE passed away this morning at the age of 88 , '' his agent said in a statement .
`` He died peacefully in hospital with his family and carer , '' he added .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ confirmed .
Holm , who also played Dr Willis in The Madness of King George , was classically trained and put in memorable performances in numerous plays .
The National Theatre remembered him as an `` extraordinary actor '' whose performance as King Lear in 1997 created `` wonderful memories '' .
Samuel West , whose father Timothy played Gloucester in the production , recalled on Twitter that the older cast members were all asked to grow beards .
When they came together for a read-through , he remembered , `` [ director @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a garden gnome convention '' .
Sir Ian originated the role of Lenny in Harold Pinter 's The Homecoming in 1965 , reprising his performance on film eight years later .
However , his stage career was cut short after he developed acute stage fright during a production of The Iceman Cometh in 1976 .
He went on to work primarily in film , thanks to roles in such high-profile movies as The Fifth Element and the Lord of the Rings series .
It was 1981 's Chariots of Fire that saw him @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The same film won him a Bafta , as did his supporting performance in The Bofors Gun in 1968 .
Sir Ian played Bilbo in Peter Jackson 's Lord of the Rings films , having played Frodo Baggins for BBC radio in 1981 .
Diminutive in stature , he was similarly well-cast as Pod in 1992 children 's series The Borrowers .
`` I 'm never the same twice , '' he told the Los Angeles Times in 2000 , `` and I 'm not a movie star-type , so people do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ same . ''
He received a knighthood in 1998 for his contribution to drama following the CBE he received in 1989 .
Comedian Eddie Izzard remembered Sir Ian as `` a wonderful actor '' , adding : `` It 's so sad to see him go . ''
Director Edgar Wright also paid tribute , calling him `` a genius actor who brought considerable presence to parts funny , heartbreaking and terrifying '' .
`` What an actor , '' tweeted League of Gentleman star Reece Shearsmith .
`` A lifetime of incredible @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Webb was among many others to express respect for `` a splendid actor '' who `` could be very funny too '' .
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He went on to work primarily in film, thanks to roles in such high-profile movies as The Fifth Element and the Lord of the Rings series.


bbcuk--2020-06-19--Katie Hopkins permanently suspended from Twitter

Controversial commentator Katie Hopkins has been permanently suspended from Twitter for violating its hateful conduct policy , the social media giant said .
Ms Hopkins , who had more than one million followers , was previously suspended in January for a week .
But Twitter said her latest ban is permanent .
The social network did not , however , say which tweets Ms Hopkins had posted , to result in the ban .
`` Keeping Twitter safe is a top priority for us - abuse and hateful conduct have no place on our service and we will continue to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' it said .
The cited hateful conduct policy bans promotion of violence or direct written attacks and threats on other people , based on a wide range of personal characteristics such as race , gender or sexual orientation .
Ms Hopkins is well-known for both her media appearances and controversial right-wing viewpoints .
She has been re-tweeted by US President Donald Trump on several occasions .
Twitter has recently taken a firmer line against Mr Trump himself over tweets it says break its policies .
The US President has seen warnings @ @ @ @ @ @ @ others hidden from general view , although they remain online .
But leaving such tweets up in the public interest is an exception Twitter makes for world leaders - other accounts like Ms Hopkins ' risk being suspended when they break Twitter 's rules .

"Keeping Twitter safe is a top priority for us - abuse and hateful conduct have no place on our service and we will continue to take action when our rules are broken," it said.


bbcuk--2020-06-19--Tories suspend activist over 'back to Pakistan' comment about Labour MP

A Conservative activist has been suspended after tweeting a British Muslim MP should `` go back to Pakistan '' .
The party said they were investigating the comments made by Theodora Dickinson on Twitter about Labour 's Naz Shah .
Responding to a GIF of the MP talking about her experience of poverty while growing up in Yorkshire , she wrote if Ms Shah `` hates this country so much why does n't she go back to Pakistan '' .
The Muslim Council of Britain said such `` blatant racism '' was unacceptable .
The group - which has previously @ @ @ @ @ @ @ eye to Islamophobia - said it showed there was still a `` serious problem '' within the party .
Former party chair Baroness Warsi has also suggested the Conservatives are in denial about the extent of Islamophobia within its ranks .
The Conservatives have launched an inquiry into all forms of prejudice within the party .
But critics have said it is not independent and would not specifically address anti-Muslim racism .
Ms Dickinson posted the tweet in response to a clip from a speech the MP made in a Commons debate on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ministers of having `` no real understanding , care or emotion '' about the extent of child poverty in the UK .
In the clip , the Labour politician - who was born in Bradford and now represents the city - spoke of her experience , being `` palmed off '' to social services when she was a child , separated from her family and taken on trips to Scarborough , adding `` that is what poverty is '' .
Ms Dickinson 's comments , which were first reported by the Huffington Post @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her Twitter handle , Ms Dickinson describes herself as a political communications and social media consultant .
She is understood to have worked for the Vote Leave campaign during the 2016 Brexit referendum .
The Muslim Council of Britain claimed the party activist had previously shared an Islamophobic conspiracy theory in response to the 2019 terror attack on a mosque in Christchurch , New Zealand , but no action had been taken against her .
In a statement , the group said : `` Will this latest blatant racism elicit action ?
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chooses to ignore widespread concerns about its institutional Islamophobia .
`` If a truly independent inquiry is not enacted with its recommendations implemented , there will be a drip-feed of these stories for a long time to come . ''
A Conservative Party spokesman said : `` Theodora Dickinson has been suspended pending the outcome of an investigation . ''

In the clip, the Labour politician - who was born in Bradford and now represents the city - spoke of her experience, being "palmed off" to social services when she was a child, separated from her family and taken on trips to Scarborough, adding "that is what poverty is".


bbcuk--2020-06-19--Daisy Nook and Carrington illegal raves: Father's warning after son stabbed

The father of an 18-year-old who was stabbed at an illegal rave in Greater Manchester said his son will regret attending `` for the rest of his life '' .
About 6,000 revellers descended on an industrial site in Carrington and at Daisy Nook Country Park on Saturday .
Police struggled to maintain order at both events , which had their venues changed at the last minute , as they dealt with a surge in 999 calls .
One parent said his son was `` dying in a field '' as officers tried to find him .
On Friday , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ area and arrested a 33-year-old man on suspicion of conspiracy to cause a public nuisance and criminal damage .
They seized audio/visual equipment and a laptop linked to Carrington .
A 20-year-old man died of a suspected drug overdose at the Daisy Nook rave in Failsworth while a woman was raped and three people stabbed in Carrington .
As a warning to others , Greater Manchester Police ( GMP ) has released footage of the struggles officers faced trying to reach the teenager because there were no safety precautions in place .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ planned this weekend .
The parent , who has asked not to be named , told BBC Radio Manchester if it had n't been for the actions of emergency services , his son `` would n't be with us today '' and warned that next time `` it might be too late '' .
`` Kids think they are invincible and they make these decisions and I know my son will regret it for the rest of his life , '' he said .
`` These events are n't safe , there 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ where it was and the inaccessibility .
`` They had to do amazing things just to get to him to save him . ''
The video shows officers running across scrubland , having abandoned their vehicles , to try and find the injured teen .
Despite the warnings , the force said it was aware of further illegal raves being planned this weekend .
GMP said those who attend face the prospect of arrest .
`` They are utterly unacceptable and we will do all we can to prevent them from happening , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ order has been imposed this weekend covering land surrounding Carrington and temporary road closures have been put in place .
Merseyside Police has also appealed to the public 's `` better nature '' not to break lockdown rules and attend illegal gatherings , after about 200 people turned up for an illegal rave in Rainford on 5 June .
Lancashire Police said it was aware of an illegal rave planned on the Fylde Coast and will have a `` dedicated policing operation in place '' .
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The parent, who has asked not to be named, told BBC Radio Manchester if it had not been for the actions of emergency services, his son "wouldn't be with us today" and warned that next time "it might be too late".