bbcuk--2020-06-17--Coronavirus: 'We need a designated shielding hour'

Hundreds of people have backed Natasha Howard 's campaign to introduce a 'shielding hour ' .
The idea is to @ @ @ @ @ who are n't shielding stay indoors , so those who are shielding can leave their @ @ @ @ @ n't come close to someone with coronavirus .
Around 2.5 million people were sent letters @ @ @ @ @ them not to leave their homes because they were most at-risk from Covid-19 .
The @ @ @ @ @ due to expire in England and Northern Ireland on 30 June ; in Scotland on @ @ @ @ @ on 16 August .
The group National Voices , which represents hundreds of health and @ @ @ @ @ urging the government to carefully consider the issues facing those who are shielding , in @ @ @ @ @ `` two-tier pandemic society '' .
The Department for Health and Social Care says it @ @ @ @ @ life easier '' for those who are shielding .

Hundreds of people have backed Natasha Howard's campaign to introduce a "shielding hour".
The idea is to set a time when people who aren't shielding stay indoors, so those who are shielding can leave their homes and know they won't come close to someone with coronavirus.
Around 2.5 million people in the UK were sent letters on 22 March, telling them not to leave their homes because they were most at-risk from Covid-19.
The current advice on shielding is due to expire in England and Northern Ireland on 30 June; in Scotland on 31 July and in Wales on 16 August.
The group National Voices, which represents hundreds of health and social care charities, is urging the government to carefully consider the issues facing those who are shielding, in order to avoid creating a "two-tier pandemic society".
The Department for Health and Social Care says it is "looking to make life easier" for those who are shielding.
Video by health and science correspondent Laura Foster


bbcuk--2020-06-17--The 101-year-old who was once Charles de Gaulle's chauffeur

France 's President Macron will travel to London on Thursday for ceremonies to mark the 80th anniversary of Charles de @ @ @ @ @ broadcast urging the people of France to resist the German invasion .
De Gaulle led @ @ @ @ @ occupation from London .
While he was in the UK , a young English woman @ @ @ @ @ aged 101 , Olivia Jordan told the BBC 's James Landale how she came to @ @ @ @ @ French war hero .

France's President Macron will travel to London on Thursday for ceremonies to mark the 80th anniversary of Charles de Gaulle’s famous BBC broadcast urging the people of France to resist the German invasion.
De Gaulle led the fight against the Nazi occupation from London. While he was in the UK, a young English woman was his driver.
Now aged 101, Olivia Jordan told the BBC's James Landale how she came to be the driver for a French war hero.


bbcuk--2020-06-17--Rashford: 'Mum rang me 10 times' after school meals victory

Footballer Marcus Rashford says he wants to do more to help those in need after winning a battle to have @ @ @ @ @ scheme extended .
His campaign prompted a government U-turn that will see parents claim vouchers @ @ @ @ @ in England during the summer holidays .
Rashford 's mother Melanie struggled to put food @ @ @ @ @ five children and used food vouchers herself .
The England forward said there are `` @ @ @ @ @ be taken '' .

Footballer Marcus Rashford says he wants to do more to help those in need after winning a battle to have a free school meal voucher scheme extended.
His campaign prompted a government U-turn that will see parents claim vouchers for about 1.3 million children in England during the summer holidays.
Rashford's mother Melanie struggled to put food on the table for her five children and used food vouchers herself.
The England forward said there are "more steps that need to be taken".


bbcuk--2020-06-17--Newspaper headlines: 'End of the Rhodes' as fears grow over shut schools

It 's the `` end of the Rhodes '' , declares the Daily Mail , adding that Oxford dons have @ @ @ @ @ .
In its lead story below , the paper reports there is an `` urgent @ @ @ @ @ of vitamin D as a `` coronavirus lifesaver '' .
It says studies suggest those @ @ @ @ @ `` far more likely to die '' if they are `` lacking '' in the @ @

The Sun reports on an apparent dispute between German and Portuguese police and the re-testing of DNA evidence in the hunt for Madeleine McCann. The paper says German detectives want to re-examine saliva found on a piece of cloth on the missing girl's bedspread - to try to prove a link to the main suspect, Christian B. But officers in Portugal believe it may be illegal to send the sample overseas for further testing, insisting that it has "little identification value" anyway. A former Scotland Yard detective, Peter Bleksley, urges the two countries to stop "muscle flexing" - and avoid an "undignified bun fight".


bbcuk--2020-06-17--Coronavirus: 'Covid copter' flights in offshore worker rescues

More than 200 offshore energy workers displaying mild symptoms of coronavirus have been `` repatriated '' since the outbreak began , it has emerged .
The offshore oil and gas industry employs about 25,000 people across the UK .
Specially adapted helicopters have been used to bring workers with suspected symptoms back to land .
Oil and Gas UK ( OGUK ) said when the outbreak began in March `` it caught everyone a bit by surprise '' .
Trevor Stapleton , OGUK 's health and safety director , said : `` If you go back to the early days @ @ @ @ @ @ @ criticism from the workforce asking 'where are we , why have we not got precautions in place ? '
'' There were significant concerns at the start of the outbreak , he said , about the impact coronavirus could have within the confined space of an offshore installation .
A rapid spread through an offshore installation would cause not just a major medical issue but also the shutdown of a platform , which in turn would affect the UK 's energy supply .
While describing the industry 's early experience of Covid-19 as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , he said : `` It 's a testament to the industry and I 'd challenge any other industry to be able to demonstrate they 've done what the offshore industry has done - it has been amazing . ''
The plan developed by the pandemic steering group had four key strands : stopping the virus getting offshore , transporting workers to and from platforms safely , introducing social distancing at gas and oil installations and dealing with suspected cases when they arose .
As those measures have been embedded , the number @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' flight to bring them back to land has dropped from a high of 56 a week at the start of April to just three last week .
It is not known how many of those airlifted back to land tested positive for coronavirus .
`` It is great to see those numbers dropping down , '' said Mr Stapleton .
`` Whatever it is we 're doing , it is working . ''
Paul Tyman , senior health and safety adviser for exploration and production operator ONE-Dyas , said : `` Offshore @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the planet anyway , just by its very nature , and the North Sea is notorious for how rough it is and how difficult it is to operate there .
`` To then take that environment and then we have a gas processing facility and then a hotel , for want of a better word , on top of that , and then an airport on top of that .
`` Each of those individual components on land are challenging in themselves , but when you stack those things together and then you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sea , anything and everything you do becomes a major challenge - getting food , getting supplies , medical treatment and equipment and all those kinds of things .
`` It is a difficult place to do that anyway , but to do that in a Covid environment is certainly challenging . ''
He said platform operators had had to introduce measures designed to keep people apart in a `` very confined space '' .
In practice , this has meant reduced manning levels , extensive testing before workers fly offshore , staggering @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reducing double occupancy in cabins and removing anybody showing any symptoms of coronavirus from platforms as soon as possible .
In the east of England , SSI Energy has partnered with helicopter operator CHC to introduce a medical screening regime for workers heading offshore and to run Covid copter missions when required .
Duncan Higham , SSI 's managing director , said at one stage his company was `` doing several repatriations a week '' .
One of the heli-medics involved is Marie Stephenson , of Great Yarmouth .
Describing the layout of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there was a protective screen between the pilots in the cockpit and her sitting back to back with the pilots , connected via a headset , in the main compartment .
The patient is then placed on the back row of the helicopter .
`` As soon as the passenger is on board , the air conditioning is turned off in the passenger cabin , '' she said .
`` So it can get a little bit warm in there when you 're in full PPE ( personal protective equipment ) , as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for their own safety .
`` We are taking all the measures we possibly can . ''
Looking to the future , Mr Stapleton said he wanted to see the screening and testing introduced in the eastern region and in Aberdeen brought in across the UK .
`` We 've got to get back to pre-Covid manning levels and start to deal with the backlog of work that is there , '' he said .

"Each of those individual components on land are challenging in themselves, but when you stack those things together and then you put it in the middle of the sea, anything and everything you do becomes a major challenge - getting food, getting supplies, medical treatment and equipment and all those kinds of things.


bbcuk--2020-06-17--Coronavirus: Nicola Sturgeon accused of 'dithering' over school return

Scotland 's first minister has been accused of `` dithering '' over plans to reopen the country 's schools .
Pupils are due to return to a `` blended '' model of schooling from 11 August that will see learning split between home and the classroom .
There have been concerns about the impact of part-time schooling on working parents , and on children from deprived backgrounds .
It is not yet known how long the blended model will be in place .
Plans being drawn up by some councils would have a third of pupils in school at any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ potentially only spend one day a week in class .
The Scottish Conservatives said the government needed to be `` far more creative '' in finding ways of getting pupils back into school full-time .
And Labour said the government must `` pull out all the stops '' to tackle a growing `` education emergency '' .
• How will the new school term look in your area ?
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said her government would `` move heaven and earth '' to get schools `` back to normal as quickly as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she would not `` act recklessly and put the lives of children , teachers and the wider community at risk '' .
And she said she expected to announce on Thursday that Scotland can move to the next phase in her `` route map '' towards lifting the coronavirus lockdown .
Scottish schools are all due to re-open from 11 August , but will not be able to accommodate all pupils at the same time because of social distancing rules .
Some councils have already said this will mean only a third of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at once .
There have been questions over how long the blended model will continue , with Education Secretary John Swinney initially saying it was `` unlikely '' that schools could return to normal before the end of the coming school year .
Mr Swinney also said that next year 's exams could be pushed back .
But Ms Sturgeon later then insisted that it was `` absolutely not the case that we are planning for blended learning to last a year or anything like it '' How has home schooling been for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tell us about your experience and we could be in touch .
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Scottish Conservative leader Jackson Carlaw said parents were looking for `` a commitment from ministers to try and get schools back to normal '' as quickly as possible .
He said the government `` needs to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and be open to radical proposals such as bringing in extra teachers to boost staffing numbers , and to fund councils to turn other buildings into temporary classrooms .
Mr Carlaw went on to accuse Ms Sturgeon of having only offered `` soft words matched by a record of non-delivery and months of dithering '' .
The first minister replied that she would `` move heaven and earth '' to solve the issue , saying she wanted to get schools and the economy `` back to normal as quickly as possible '' However @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has to be safe - we can not have memories so short that we forget we are dealing with a virus that is dangerous and potentially deadly , and it has not gone away .
`` We must continue to move forward in a careful and phased way . ''
Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard said the government had offered `` nothing but mixed messages '' on education , and claimed there had been `` chaos '' with Ms Sturgeon contradicting the education secretary and her advisors .
He said the government must @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` education emergency '' , adding : `` We need to pull out all the stops to make sure our children return to school safely as soon as possible . ''
Unions have said more funding will have to be made available if extra teachers are to be taken on and temporary classrooms set up .
Ms Sturgeon said her government was tackling a health emergency , an economic emergency and a schools emergency simultaneously , and that `` we can not play fast and loose with the safety of children '' .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ resources and that the government would work with them to see how plans for blended learning could be enhanced .
Meanwhile , Scottish Lib Dem leader Willie Rennie said the government had `` put parents in an impossible position '' by asking them to go back to work while still having to home-school their children .
Ms Sturgeon replied that `` it 's a global health pandemic that 's putting people in an impossible position '' , but stressed that she recognised things were `` incredibly difficult '' for teachers and parents .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ chair of global public health at the University of Edinburgh and part of the government 's Covid-19 advisory team - told BBC Scotland that she could `` see right now no reason '' why schools could not return full-time in August if coronavirus is suppressed and other precautions are put in place .
She had earlier posted on Twitter her `` personal view '' that `` schools should re-open as normally as possible '' if case numbers are low enough , prompting Ms Sturgeon to agree that `` nearer normality may be possible @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` love to see local level data '' about different parts of Scotland , saying that if there were no new cases in some areas `` I 'd be pretty confident saying schools could go back if precautions are in place '' .
She added : `` We should always plan for blended learning , you should always plan as there is a lot of unpredictability with this virus - but there is light at the end of the tunnel .
`` The past weeks of lockdown has put us in a good @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like a place like Denmark and Norway - the better performing countries . ''
Ms Sridhar also dismissed suggestions she had been pressured into changing her position by ministers , saying : `` What I say here is what I think based on the data and on learning from other countries - I 've spoken out against policies I think are wrong and spoken for policies I think are right . ''
• RISK AT WORK : How exposed is your job ?
• SCHOOLS : When will children be returning ?
• @ @ @ @ @ @ @ getting out ?
• THE R NUMBER : What it means and why it matters • RECOVERY : How long does it take to get better ?

However she added: "All of that has to be safe - we cannot have memories so short that we forget we are dealing with a virus that is dangerous and potentially deadly, and it has not gone away.


bbcuk--2020-06-17--Thunderstorms cause flooding after storms strike in Wales

Flooding has been reported after thunderstorm forecasts warned of potential power cuts and damage to buildings .
Residents in Pentre , in Rhondda Cynon Taff , have taken to social media saying they have been hit by the downpours .
The community has already suffered flooding this year , described as `` horrific '' by residents .
A Met Office yellow warning is in place until the end of Wednesday for 20 of Wales ' 22 counties .
Another thunderstorm alert is in place for Thursday for all south Wales counties , pushing west into Carmarthenshire and north of Brecon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ BST .
There is also a yellow warning for rain in place from 03:00 BST until 12:00 BST on Thursday for all counties except Pembrokeshire , Vale of Glamorgan and Cardiff .
Rhondda Senedd member Leanne Wood appealed on Twitter for people to come forward if they had towels or sandbags .
Resident Bethan Clare Hughes declared on Twitter : `` Pentre , Rhondda Valleys is being flooded again for the 3rd time this year ! ''
`` It is several streets in Pentre that have been flooded before .
`` People are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ second or third time in some of their houses .
`` After a short , sharp burst of rain at around half-past six people described torrents of water coming down a hill and coming into people 's houses . ''
`` Fire engines were at the scene .
`` In some cases people have not got their houses together from the last time . ''
One Queen Street resident told BBC Wales he was angry at watching his home being flooded again : `` I would like to see some of these councillors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ through what we 've done .
`` I have n't been in this house since February .
I 've had to go around the corner and live with my daughter . ''
Rhondda MP Chris Bryant said the area had been `` badly flooded again '' and he would be staying to help rather than attending Parliament tomorrow .
And Pontypridd Member of the Senedd Mick Antoniw said 200 homes had been affected by the rain .
Natural Resources Wales said flooding had been from surface water , rather than rivers .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We 've sent officers to Pentre to offer support and to check our assets in the area , '' said the environment body .
All of Wales was covered by Wednesday 's Met Office alert for thunderstorms , with the exception of Anglesey , the Llŷn peninsula of Gwynedd and Pembrokeshire .

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bbcuk--2020-06-17--Midlands streets flooded and trains delayed as floods hit

Streets have been flooded and trains disrupted as heavy rain hit the West Midlands .
The Met Office issued a yellow weather warning for thunderstorms across most of England on Wednesday .
Forecaster Becky Mitchell said some parts of the region could expect 25mm of rain to fall in an hour .
In the East Midlands , shops , homes and streets were flooded as parts of the area were deluged in a short space of time .
It followed storms on Tuesday , which saw lightning strikes damage homes and cause buildings , including Walsall Manor Hospital , to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ potential flooding to homes and businesses as well as possible `` lightning strikes , hail or strong winds '' .
It said persistent heavy rainfall across the Midlands could lead to `` some localised disruption '' .
A couple were successfully rescued from their car by firefighters on the A34 near Solihull on Wednesday afternoon after entering a ditch in the heavy downpours .
West Midlands Police reported on Wednesday evening that Cole Hall Lane in Shard End had been closed due to flooding .
About 23mm ( almost an inch ) of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as the storms began in the early afternoon .
The heavy rain also caused floods at Birmingham homelessness charity Sifa Fireside , prompting staff to put out an online appeal for towels , dehumidifiers and cleaning products .
The sudden storm has also meant the charity 's drop-in service on Thursday has had to be cancelled .
On Wednesday afternoon trains were disrupted between Birmingham New Street and Whitlocks End due to heavy rain flooding the railway line .
There were also reports of roads being flooded across the region .
Drivers were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Green , Birmingham , due to flooding , while BBC Weather Watchers reported flooding in the Moseley area of the city .
The latest storms come after parts of England , including the West Midlands , had up to 50mm of rainfall over three hours on Tuesday evening .
West Midlands Fire Service said it received 200 weather-related calls , while Walsall Manor Hospital suffered `` severe flooding '' .
Meanwhile residents in Edison Walk , Beechdale , had to be rescued after their streets were submerged under four feet ( 1.2m ) @ @ @


bbcuk--2020-06-18--Dame Vera Lynn: Forces' Sweetheart dies aged 103

Dame Vera Lynn , the Forces ' Sweetheart whose songs helped raise morale in World War Two , has died aged 103 .
The singer was best known for performing hits such as We 'll Meet Again to troops on the front line in countries including India and Egypt .
Her family said they were `` deeply saddened to announce the passing of one of Britain 's best-loved entertainers '' .
In a statement , they confirmed she died on Thursday morning surrounded by her close relatives .
Information on a memorial will be announced at a later date .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ career of the Forces ' Sweetheart • 'An inspiration to us all ' - tributes to Dame Vera Six weeks ago , ahead of the 75th anniversary of VE Day and during the height of the coronavirus pandemic , Dame Vera said simple acts of bravery and sacrifice still define our nation .
A week later , she became the oldest artist to get a top 40 album in the UK , beating her own record when her greatest hits album re-entered the charts at number 30 .
Dame Vera , who had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the age of 22 , was also remembered for singing The White Cliffs Of Dover , There 'll Always Be An England , I 'll Be Seeing You , Wishing and If Only I Had Wings .
Her wartime classic We 'll Meet Again was referenced by the Queen in April during a speech to Britons who were separated from families and friends during the coronavirus lockdown .
The late singer 's daughter , Virginia Lewis-Jones , said she was proud of the difference her mother made through her charity work .
She @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Charity , which her mother founded to help young children with cerebral palsy , `` always held a very special place in her heart '' .
Born in London 's East Ham in 1917 , Dame Vera 's singing talent was discovered at a young age and by age 11 she had left school to pursue a full-time career as a dancer and singer .
In 1939 , in poll by the Daily Express , she was voted by servicemen as their favourite entertainer - gaining her the Forces ' Sweetheart nickname .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ said the singer 's `` charm and magical voice entranced and uplifted our country in some of our darkest hours '' .
`` Her voice will live on to lift the hearts of generations to come , '' he said .
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said : `` Her songs still speak to the nation in 2020 just as they did in 1940 . ''
BBC One will air a tribute programme at 19:30 on Thursday , the broadcaster confirmed .
WW2 veteran Sir Tom Moore , who raised more than £32m @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the coronavirus pandemic in April , said : `` I really thought Vera Lynn would live longer , she 's been speaking so well on TV recently .
She had a huge impact on me in Burma and remained important to me throughout my life . ''
In 1940 , at the height of the London Blitz , Vera Lynn would set off to the BBC 's underground studios at the Criterion Theatre in central London .
The 15-minute show was called Starlight and was broadcast at 2:30am to soldiers around the world @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was being criticised in Parliament for broadcasting slushy , sentimental songs .
A number of MPs felt there needed to be more upbeat songs to boost morale .
Her popularity even surprised the BBC , this was after all a little overseas show broadcast in the middle of the night .
Vera Lynn sang the songs that resonated emotionally with people who were separated from their loved ones and she sang them directly to you .
It was warm , intimate , heartfelt and personal , and that 's why Vera Lynn became @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Singer Katherine Jenkins , who performed Dame Vera 's wartime classics for the VE Day anniversary last month , said : `` I simply can not find the words to explain just how much I adored this wonderful lady .
`` Her voice brought comfort to millions in their darkest hours , her songs filled the nation 's hearts with hope , and her emotive performances , whether home or abroad , then or now , helped to get us through . ''
The Royal British Legion described her as `` an unforgettable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of hope to the Armed Forces community past and present '' .
Speaker of the House of Commons Lindsay Hoyle said she was a `` hero '' who captured the `` sense of longing felt by so many during our darkest hour '' , while Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said she `` lifted our nation and its Armed Forces in their moment of maximum peril '' .

The Queen echoed her famous WW2 anthem during a speech to Britons who were separated from families and friends during the coronavirus lockdown in April, telling the nation: "We will be with our friends again, we will be with our families again, we will meet again."


bbcuk--2020-06-18--Coronavirus: Bank pumps £100bn into UK economy to aid recovery

The Bank of England will pump an extra £100bn into the UK economy to help fight the `` unprecedented '' coronavirus-induced downturn .
Bank policymakers voted 8-1 to increase the size of its bond-buying programme .
However , they said there was growing evidence that the hit to the economy would be `` less severe '' than initially feared .
The Bank 's Monetary Policy Committee ( MPC ) also kept interest rates at a record low of 0.1 % .
The move comes just days after Bank governor Andrew Bailey said policymakers were ready to take action after the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ record .
The UK economy shrank by 20.4 % April , while official jobs data showed the number of workers on UK payrolls fell by more than 600,000 between March and May .
The Bank said more recent indicators of economic activity suggested the economy was starting to bounce back .
There had been a recovery in consumer spending in May and June , while housing activity was also starting to pick up .
However , it warned that the outlook for the economy remained uncertain .
The minutes from the MPC 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recent demand and output data had not been quite as negative as expected , other indicators suggested greater risks around the potential for longer lasting damage to the economy from the pandemic . ''

The Bank of England has increased its support for the economy, despite it assessing that the outlook is not quite as awful as its scenario last month. The economy is on course for a hit in the second quarter of about 20% compared with the final three months of 2019. That's still historic, and off the scale, but not quite as extreme as the 27% it predicted in May.


bbcuk--2020-06-18--Black Lives Matter: Raab criticised over 'Game of Thrones' comment

Dominic Raab says he has `` full respect '' for Black Lives Matter campaigners after he was criticised for comments about `` taking the knee '' .
The foreign secretary said the gesture `` seems to be taken '' from TV drama Game of Thrones .
He added that he would only take the knee for two people , `` the Queen and the Mrs when I asked her to marry me '' .
Labour 's shadow justice secretary David Lammy said his comments were `` insulting '' and `` deeply embarrassing '' .
Taking the knee is a sign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ movement .
• UK must do 'much more ' to tackle racism , says PM • Five pieces of context to understand the US protests Speaking to Julia Hartley-Brewer on talkRadio , Mr Raab said he understood the `` sense of frustration and restlessness which is driving the Black Lives Matter movement '' .
However , he said taking the knee `` feels to me like a symbol of subjugation , subordination , rather than one of liberation and emancipation , but I understand people feel differently about it so it 's a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the knee is a sign of protest against racial inequality and has become widely used by demonstrators following the death of the American man George Floyd .
Mr Floyd died in Minneapolis in May as a white police officer held a knee on his neck for nearly nine minutes .
In 2016 American football player Colin Kaepernick sought to raise attention to racial disparities when he took the knee during the national anthem before the game .
On Wednesday evening , Premier League football players did the same gesture before kicking off the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
And earlier this month Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer was photographed taking the knee with his deputy Angela Rayner .
Labour 's Diane Abbott wrote : `` Taking the knee began in 2016 with American athletes refusing to stand for US national anthem .
`` They were protesting police brutality and racism .
But Dominic Raab thinks it comes from Game of Thrones ! ''
In the fantasy drama , characters demonstrate their submission to others by `` bending the knee '' .
Mr Raab later sought to clarify his remarks tweeting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have full respect for the Black Lives Matter movement , and the issues driving them .
`` If people wish to take a knee , that 's their choice and I respect it .
We all need to come together to tackle any discrimination and social injustice . ''
In addition to being foreign secretary Mr Raab is also the de facto deputy , and stood in for Boris Johnson when the prime minister was ill with coronavirus .

The gesture has since spread to other sports and protests around the world and has been frequently adopted during protests following the death of George Floyd. Premier League players and staff knelt at the start of matches last night to show their support for the Black Lives Matter protests.


bbcuk--2020-06-18--Donald Trump 'unaware UK was nuclear power', says former aide

Donald Trump was unaware the UK was a nuclear power , according to a book by his former national security adviser John Bolton .
The US President is alleged to have made the comments about British military capability at a meeting with former PM Theresa May two years ago .
Mr Bolton , who worked in the White House for 17 months , said the president was `` stunningly uninformed '' .
Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab declined to comment on the claim on Thursday .
Mr Bolton 's 577-page tome , The Room Where It Happened , is due to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Trump administration is trying to block its publication .
In a tweet , the president described the book as `` made up of lies and fake stories '' .
• Nuclear weapons : Which countries have them ?
According to one except , the UK 's nuclear arsenal came up during a meeting with Mrs May in 2018 , when it was mentioned by one of the then-prime minister 's officials .
According to the book , Mr Trump said : `` Oh , are you a nuclear power ? ''
Mr @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was not intended as a joke '' .
Mr Bolton left the White House in September 2019 , saying he had quit as national security adviser .
Mr Trump however said he had fired Mr Bolton because he disagreed `` strongly '' with him .
Nine countries currently have nuclear weapons : the US , UK , Russia , France , China , India , Pakistan , Israel and North Korea .
The UK developed and tested its own nuclear weapons in the early 1950s , at a time when the US government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wartime ally .
The UK 's nuclear bombs were initially carried by the RAF 's V-force but the government later purchased the submarine-based Polaris missile system from the US , which became one of the cornerstones of NATO 's cold war defences .
The current submarine-based system - known as Trident - was launched in the 1990s , after Margaret Thatcher decided to replace Polaris in 1980 .
It is named after the Trident missiles they carry , which are serviced at a port in the US .
Some warhead components are also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ always stressed Trident 's independence , saying its firing does not require the permission , the satellites or the codes of the US .
But critics argue the UK is technically so dependent on the US that in effect Trident is not an independent system .
Asked about the reports of the book on Thursday , Mr Raab said he did not want to get `` dragged into the commentary '' on its publication .
`` Trying to get me to comment on books from a former member of the administration is not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Radio 4 's Today programme .
`` I do n't know the answer to it , '' he added .

According to one excerpt, the UK's nuclear arsenal came up during a meeting with Mrs May in 2018, when it was mentioned by one of the then-prime minister's officials.


bbcuk--2020-06-18--Dame Barbara Windsor 'may have to move into care home'

Dame Barbara Windsor 's husband has revealed the 82-year-old actress may soon have to move to a care home due to her Alzheimer 's .
In an ITV interview , Scott Mitchell told her friend and EastEnders son Ross Kemp he was given a `` stark warning from her specialist '' .
`` At some point it may not be sustainable to give her the kind of care she needs at the house '' , Mitchell said .
Mitchell told Kemp that his wife moving to a care home is `` the thing I 've always feared '' and he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' since he was told she may have to leave their home to get more care .
Dame Barbara did not appear in the programme , which will be broadcast on Thursday night , because of her condition .
Mitchell said he was scared of giving his wife coronavirus , and said he got some sort of `` virus '' shortly after lockdown in March .
`` I did n't have the cough but I had every other symptom .
I was not well .
My biggest fear at that point was that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' he said .
`` Now that we 're where we are , which is six years after diagnosis , it 's a very common thing for me to sit with Barbara at night , firstly her never having a clue that we are actually in our own home .
`` She looks around suddenly and says , 'Why are there pictures of me in this house ? '
'' Mitchell and Dame Barbara , who got married in 2000 , are ambassadors for the Alzheimer 's Society and last year they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ petition highlighting concerns over dementia care .
The news about her condition comes as BBC broadcaster Lauren Laverne and music producer Naughty Boy are helping to launch a radio station for people living with dementia and their carers .
It will be a 24-hour , non-commercial station , called m4d Radio ( short for Music For Dementia ) , playing songs from the 30s to the 70s and it hoped the lack of adverts will `` maximise the holistic benefit of the music '' .
The station will include themed shows and era-specific @ @ @ @ @ @ @ joining stars such as ex-Strictly judge Arlene Phillips , broadcaster Fiona Phillips and CBBC 's Sam and Mark in the # Song4You challenge , dedicating a song to someone affected by dementia .
Laverne dedicated The Beatles ' In My Life to her local Singing For The Brain workshop , a group of people all affected by dementia .
She said : `` We all instinctively know how music can help connect us to others , but for people living with dementia , music provides a lifeline .
`` When words fail , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ emotionally and in many cases trigger memories .
`` m4d Radio is a vital resource that aims to stop those living with dementia feeling isolated , especially during these unprecedented times and this is a simple way that everyone can help . ''
Fiona Phillips dedicated Patsy Cline 's Crazy to her late father Neville , a song they loved to dance to together , adding : `` I know first-hand how devastating dementia can be and how alleviating symptoms - even for a few moments - can make the world of difference @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
Grace Meadows , programme director at Music For Dementia 2020 , said : `` Music is a wonderful connector and has the ability to bring people together in the here and now . ''
Globally about 50 million people are currently living with dementia - but cases are predicted to soar to 130 million by 2050 as populations age .
Is dementia the same as Alzheimer 's ?
No - dementia is a symptom found in many diseases of the brain .
Memory loss is the most common feature of dementia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ events .
Other symptoms can include changes to behaviour , mood and personality , becoming lost in familiar places or being unable to find the right word in a conversation .
It can reach the point where people do n't know they need to eat or drink .
Alzheimer 's disease is by far the most common of the diseases that cause dementia .
Others include vascular dementia , dementia with Lewy bodies , fronto-temporal dementia , Parkinson 's disease dementia , amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and the newly discovered Late .
• Read @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of our time' Ross Kemp : Living With Dementia is on ITV on Thursday 18 June at 19:30 BST .

"Now that we're where we are, which is six years after diagnosis, it's a very common thing for me to sit with Barbara at night, firstly her never having a clue that we are actually in our own home.


bbcuk--2020-06-18--Enslaved African man's headstone in Bristol vandalised

The headstone of an African man who was enslaved in the 18th Century has been smashed in two .
The Grade II* listed grave of Scipio Africanus is in St Mary 's Churchyard in Bristol .
A local councillor said he believed it was a `` retaliation attack '' for the recent toppling of the statue of slave trader Edward Colston in the city .
Avon and Somerset Police said it was investigating after receiving a report of criminal damage .
The force said it believed the damage occurred between 12:00 BST on Tuesday and 08:00 on Wednesday .
Scipio @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 7th Earl of Suffolk .
An inscription on the brightly painted gravestone - which is one of two at the site in Henbury - says he died in the city in 1720 aged 18 .
A message left in chalk on the flagstones near the grave said : `` Now look at what you made me do .
`` Put Colston 's statue back or things will really heat up . ''
Conservative councillor Mark Weston , who represents Henbury on Bristol City Council , said he was `` deeply saddened by what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seen war memorials defaced and statues vandalised and I have to wonder where this will end , '' he said .
Bristol 's elected mayor Marvin Rees appealed for people not to go down the route of `` tit-for-tat '' attacks .
Speaking during a Facebook Live Q & A , he said the `` iconic piece of Bristol 's history '' had been `` smashed in two '' .
`` The opportunity is to showcase to the country and the world we are a city that has the ability to live with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ believe Scipio Africanus may have been born into the household of 7th Earl of Suffolk , Charles Howard , and was the son of an enslaved West African woman , according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service .
He was named by his `` owners '' after the Roman general Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus .
It is believed he was a well-loved member of the household because it was rare for an enslaved person to have a formal grave within a churchyard , let alone such an ornate one .
• Graffiti on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do you replace a fallen statue ?
The Colston statue was torn down and dumped in Bristol 's harbour during anti-racism protests earlier this month .
It has since been pulled from the water and is expected to be given a new home in a city museum .
There have been several other protests calling for statues and monuments celebrating controversial figures in the UK to be taken down or amended .
This includes governors at Oxford 's Oriel College voting on Wednesday to remove a statue of colonialist Cecil Rhodes , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ being removed from outside the Museum of London Docklands last week .

An inscription on the brightly painted gravestone - which is one of two at the site in Henbury - says he died in the city in 1720 aged 18.


bbcuk--2020-06-18--Pub chain and insurance hub 'sorry' for slave links

Pub chain Greene King and insurance market Lloyd 's of London have apologised for their historical links to the slave trade .
One of Greene King 's founders owned a number of plantations in the Caribbean .
Meanwhile , maritime insurance - which was focused on Lloyd 's - thrived on the trans-Atlantic slave trade .
Both corporations have apologised and Lloyd 's has said it will donate to charities representing black , Asian and minority ethnic ( BAME ) groups .
Greene King said it would make a `` substantial investment to benefit the BAME community '' , after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ money can best be used .
Lloyd 's and Greene King 's moves were first reported by the Telegraph in the UK .
Lloyd 's , which was founded in 1688 , insured slave ships .
It is often lauded as the world 's leading insurance market , focusing on specialist areas , such as marine , energy and political risk .
In a statement , Lloyd 's said : `` There are some aspects of our history that we are not proud of .
`` In particular , we are sorry for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ market in the 18th and 19th-Century slave trade . ''
`` This was an appalling and shameful period of English history , as well as our own , and we condemn the indefensible wrongdoing that occurred during this period . ''
The insurer said it would provide financial support to charities and organisations promoting opportunity and inclusion for BAME groups .
It has also launched a number of new initiatives aimed at developing black and minority ethnic talent within the organisation .
`` In recent years , Lloyd 's has driven ahead with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ improve culture across the market .
We have made progress , but not enough . ''
Pressure has been growing on companies around the world to address links to slavery and tackle racial inequality following the death of George Floyd in the US last month while in police custody .
`` Racism - the ideology used to justify slavery - is a legacy that still shapes the life chances for people of African and Caribbean heritage in the UK , '' said Dr Katie Donington , a senior lecturer in history at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is an important step that firms with historical links to trans-Atlantic slavery are now beginning the process of acknowledging the past . ''
• British History in depth- Slavery and the Building of Britain While she welcomed the commitment by Lloyd 's , she added : `` The offer of investment in BAME charities and organisations needs further scrutiny - how much will be invested and who will receive the money ?
`` This is a history which is specific to the black community and directing forms of reparative justice towards descendent groups @ @ @ @ @ @ @ companies may have been reluctant to speak out in the past , the international outcry and huge demonstrations following Mr Floyd 's death has made speaking up a `` business imperative '' .
Dwayna Hayley , a senior vice president at Porter Novelli , a communications firm that has advised companies such as McDonald 's and Pepsi , previously told the BBC : `` What is driving this is the understanding that if we do n't cater to the people that we serve , we could lose market share , '' she says @ @ @ @ @ @ @ move . ''
Brewer and pub chain Greene King was originally founded in 1799 by Benjamin Greene , who owned highly-profitable plantations .
His son Edward took over control of the brewery in 1836 and it was renamed Greene King in 1887 after merging with a local brewery .
When slavery was abolished in 1833 , the UK government raised huge amounts for compensation .
However , that money was not paid to those who had been enslaved , but was given instead to slave-owners for their `` loss of human property '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who received payment .
Details of the sums are listed in a database held by the University College London ( UCL ) .
Nick Mackenzie , Greene King 's chief executive officer , said : `` It is inexcusable that one of our founders profited from slavery and argued against its abolition in the 1800s .
While that is a part of our history , we are now focused on the present and the future . ''
To address the issue , the pub chain will `` make a substantial investment to benefit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ diversity in the business '' .
Royal Bank of Scotland ( RBS ) , Lloyds Banking Group , Barclays and HSBC were among a number of banks found by the Telegraph to be linked to the slave trade .
• Royal Bank of Scotland : In a 2009 report , the bank admitted that individuals who were partners or directors of RBSG ( Royal Bank of Scotland Group ) predecessors `` may have owned slaves themselves or been otherwise directly connected to slave enterprises in the British West Indies '' .
Founded in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ evidence that suggested other partners of its predecessors may have been part-owners of `` ships involved in slave trading voyages during the 18th and early 19th Centuries '' .
`` As an organisation with a history stretching back more than 300 years , these important and painful issues have a place in our history .
We recognise our responsibility to engage with that '' , RBS said in a statement .
The bank , currently majority-owned by the UK government , added that it had `` looked into its past links with slavery @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would look at `` what more we can do as a bank '' , including making financial contributions to BAME groups .
• Lloyds Banking Group : John White Cater was the president of London and Brazilian Bank and received compensation for five claims for estates in Jamaica .
Eight former companies associated with the group have links to claimants or beneficiaries in UCL 's database .
A Lloyds Banking Group spokesperson said : `` A lot has changed during the 300-year history of our brands and while we have much within our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ca n't be proud of it all .
Like any institution that is so interwoven with our country 's history , we must acknowledge and learn from our past . ''
They added that the firm would `` deliver better results for our colleagues and customers .
This is our aim .
We can do more , we can do better and we will do it together . ''
• Barclays : One manager , one founder subscriber and three directors of the Colonial Bank are listed as claimants or beneficiaries by UCL @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1917 .
The claims include nine by director John Bloxam Elin relating to estates in Jamaica .
`` The history of Barclays , like other institutions , is being examined following recent events .
We ca n't change what 's gone before us , only how we go forward , '' a Barclays spokesperson said .
`` We are committed as a bank to do more to further foster our culture of inclusiveness , equality and diversity , for our colleagues , and the customers and clients we serve . ''
• HSBC @ @ @ @ @ @ @ George Pollard was a trustee over a claim related to the Calhoun estate in Nevis .
Mr Pollard was manager of the London Joint Stock Bank , which was eventually merged into HSBC , now the UK 's largest bank .
HSBC did not immediately respond to the BBC 's request for comment .

A Lloyds Banking Group spokesperson said: "A lot has changed during the 300-year history of our brands and while we have much within our heritage to be proud of, we can't be proud of it all. Like any institution that is so interwoven with our country's history, we must acknowledge and learn from our past."


bbcuk--2020-06-18--Coronavirus: Social media 'spreading virus conspiracy theories'

Unregulated social media platforms like Facebook and YouTube may present a health risk to the UK because they are spreading conspiracy theories about coronavirus .
That 's the conclusion of a peer-reviewed study published in the journal Psychological Medicine , which finds people who get their news from social media sources are more likely to break lockdown rules .
The research team from Kings College London suggests social media news sites may need to do more to regulate misleading content .
`` One wonders how long this state of affairs can be allowed to persist while social media platforms continue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ medical misinformation , '' the report concludes .
The study analysed surveys conducted across Britain in April and May this year .
Facebook said it had removed `` hundreds of thousands '' of coronavirus posts that could have led to harm , while putting warning labels on `` 90 million pieces of misinformation '' globally in March and April .
People were asked if they believed a number of conspiracy theories relating to Covid-19 : that the virus was made in a laboratory , that death and infection figures were being manipulated by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to 5G radiation or that there was no hard evidence the virus even exists .
None of these theories has any basis in verifiable fact .
Those who believed such conspiracies were significantly more likely to get their news from unregulated social media .
For example , 56 % of people who believe that there 's no hard evidence coronavirus exists get a lot of their information from Facebook , compared with 20 % of those who reject the conspiracy theory .
Sixty percent of those who believe there is a link between @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or great deal of their information on the virus from YouTube .
Only 14 % of those who reject the theory are regular YouTube users .
And 45 % of people who believe Covid-19 deaths are being exaggerated by the authorities get a lot of their news on the virus from Facebook , more than twice the 19 % of non-believers who say the same .
`` There was a strong positive relationship between use of social media platforms as sources of knowledge about Covid-19 and holding one or more conspiracy beliefs , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had the strongest association with conspiracy beliefs , followed by Facebook . ''
The research also found that people who have left home with possible Covid-19 symptoms were more than twice or three times as likely than those who have n't to get information about the virus from Facebook or YouTube .
People that admitted having had family or friends visit them at home were also much more likely to get their information about coronavirus from social media than those who have stuck by the rules .
The researchers conclude that there is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ theories about the virus and risky behaviour during restrictions imposed to prevent its spread .
`` Conspiracy beliefs act to inhibit health-protective behaviours , '' the study concludes , and `` social media act as a vector for such beliefs . ''
The report notes that when misinformation about Covid-19 was propagated by conspiracy theorist David Icke on the local London Live TV station , the UK broadcasting regulator Ofcom intervened .
London Live was sanctioned for content which `` had the potential to cause significant harm to viewers '' .
YouTube and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ channels from their platforms and social networks insist they have made efforts to bring fake news about the coronavirus under control .
The study will be seized upon by those who believe social media companies like Facebook and YouTube owners Google should do more to control the publication of false information .
A Facebook spokesman said : `` We have removed hundreds of thousands of Covid-19-related misinformation that could lead to imminent harm including posts about false cures , claims that social distancing measures do not work , and that 5G causes coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we put warning labels on about 90 million pieces of Covid-19-related misinformation globally , which prevented people viewing the original content 95 % of the time .
`` We have also directed more than 3.5 million visits to official Covid-19 information and lockdown measures from the NHS and the government 's website , directly from Facebook and Instagram . ''
• SYMPTOMS : What are they and how to guard against them ?
• EUROPE LOCKDOWN : How is it being lifted ?
• THE R NUMBER : What it means and why @ @ @ @ @ @ @ look after your mental health

Those who believed such conspiracies were significantly more likely to get their news from unregulated social media. For example, 56% of people who believe that there's no hard evidence coronavirus exists get a lot of their information from Facebook, compared with 20% of those who reject the conspiracy theory.


bbcuk--2020-06-18--Racial slur councillor suspended from Cheltenham Lib Dems

A councillor who repeatedly used `` incredibly offensive racial slurs '' at a council meeting has been suspended from the local Liberal Democrat party .
Dennis Parsons said the offensive word - the name of his family 's black cat in the 1950s - four times at Monday 's Cheltenham Borough council meeting .
He apologised for using the word but said he used the cat 's name to show `` how different the culture was then '' .
Local party members voted to suspend his group membership on Wednesday .
The Local Democracy Reporting Service said the comments were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ authority 's policies in the wake of George Floyd 's death last month .
During the meeting , Mr Parsons described his family 's cat saying his mother would shout its name from the front gate .
He added that `` now obviously you ca n't do that '' because `` the culture has changed '' .
Lib Dem councillor Karl Hobley said he was `` staggered '' Mr Parsons `` chose to speak those words '' .
While Lib Dem councillor Max Wilkinson said he knew Mr Parsons `` would n't have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ truly offensive '' .
In response , Mr Parsons said he was `` obviously sorry '' if he had `` offended people 's sensitivities '' but he had `` quoted something that was perfectly acceptable in 1945 '' .
Following the meeting , calls were made for him to resign from the local group while an online petition calling for his resignation from the council , has attracted more than 200 signatories .
Rebecca Mountford said on the petition : `` I ca n't believe he has n't gone yet .
Zero tolerance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ going to eradicate it altogether . ''
And Shola Efunshile , said : `` Our elected representatives can not be allowed to behave in this way , especially at a time when our collective society is working to do better . ''
In a statement on Tuesday , Mr Parsons said he `` very much '' regrets and is `` hugely embarrassed '' by his action .
`` My parents were not racist .
I am not racist .
I was using the name of the family cat to illustrate how different the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` Unfortunately , in doing so , I articulated the N-word - which was unacceptable . ''
Mr Wilkinson , chairman of the standards committee , said it would `` treat this matter with the seriousness it deserves '' .
He also confirmed that all borough councillors would receive training on issues of race , equality and diversity .


bbcuk--2020-06-18--Cecil Rhodes protesters continue fight after vote to remove statue

Campaigners have said protests will continue while the controversial statue of colonialist Cecil Rhodes remains at Oxford 's Oriel College , after governors voted on Wednesday to remove it .
The college says there will need to be consultations over planning regulations before it can be taken down .
Sizwe Mpofu-Walsh , a founder of the Rhodes Must Fall campaign , said they felt `` greatly vindicated '' by the vote .
But he said it was crucial the college followed through on its plan .
Rhodes played a key role in the expansion of the British Empire in Southern @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , previously known as Rhodesia .
Critics accuse the campaign of trying to `` rewrite history '' , while campaigners for the statue 's removal say it is a symbol of imperialism and racism .
• How many statues of black people does the UK have ?
• How do you replace a fallen statue ?
• Why is Cecil Rhodes such a controversial character ?
Responding to Wednesday 's vote , Rhodes Must Fall said that until the statue `` ceases to adorn the facade of Oriel College on Oxford 's High @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over `` imperial and colonial iconography '' in university buildings .
`` We have been down this route before , where Oriel College has committed to taking a certain action , but has not followed through , '' a statement read , referring to a commitment to engage in a `` six-month-long democratic listening exercise '' in 2015 .
`` Therefore , while we remain hopeful , our optimism is cautious .
While the governing body of Oriel College have 'expressed their wish ' to take down the statue , we continue to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's governors said the decision had been reached `` after a thoughtful period of debate and reflection '' - and in `` full awareness of the impact these decisions are likely to have in Britain and around the world '' .
The college is to launch an `` independent commission of inquiry '' into the legacy of Cecil Rhodes , which also includes scholarships at the university .
The commission , to be headed by Carole Souter , master of St Cross College and former National Lottery Heritage Fund chief , will also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for black and ethnic minority students and a commitment to `` diversity '' .
It will consult with groups including students , local people , councillors and the Rhodes Must Fall campaigners .
Cecil Rhodes was an imperialist , businessman and politician .
Born in Hertfordshire in 1853 , he first went to Africa aged 17 where he gradually became the dominant force in the diamond mining trade .
He was a strong advocate for colonial power in Africa and played a dominant role in southern Africa in the late 19th Century , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ land .
He believed he was part of `` the first race in the world '' , writing to a friend that `` the more of the world we inhabit the better it is for the human race '' .
Some see him as one of the people who helped prepare the way for South Africa 's apartheid by working to alter laws on voting and land ownership .
Rhodes , who studied at Oriel College , left money to the college on his death in 1902 .
The Rhodes scholarships , created @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to come to Oxford each year .
He said in life that he wanted to cheat the constraints of mortality by leaving a legacy .
Read more about him here .
Former Oxford student and campaigner Mr Mpofu-Walsh said those who pushed for the removal of the Rhodes statue `` feel greatly vindicated that their position has been given a much fairer hearing this time around '' .
But he said it was `` crucially important , even at this moment of celebration '' to make sure Oriel College removed the statue .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ programme , he said the objective of the college 's commission was `` quite vague '' but he hoped it would focus on how the college can become more representative .
When asked about the Rhodes scholarships , Mr Mpofu-Walsh said : `` We need to be very careful here about suggesting that Rhodes could atone for his legacy through a handful of scholarships for people from Africa .
The legacy of Rhodes extends wide and deep .
`` Any number of scholarships can not account for the full scale of the horror @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
The fate of the statue has divided opinion .
Susan Brown , leader of Oxford City Council , backed the decision to take down the statue - and said the college 's inquiry would be a chance to decide where the statue will `` best be curated in future '' .
Labour MP Bell Ribeiro-Addy called it the `` right decision '' on Twitter , adding that it was `` time to take figures like Rhodes down off their pedestals '' .
Alan Rusbridger , principal of Lady Margaret Hall in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ However , former Conservative MEP Daniel Hannan tweeted that `` Rhodes 's generosity allowed thousands of young people to enjoy an education they could not otherwise have had '' .
Earlier on Wednesday , the universities minister had spoken against calls to remove the statue .
Michelle Donelan said : `` Racism is abhorrent and should n't be tolerated anywhere in our society , and that includes universities . ''
But she said it would be `` short sighted '' to try to `` rewrite our history '' - and rejected attempts to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Last week the vice-chancellor of Oxford University , Louise Richardson , gave little support for removing the statue - and warned against `` hiding '' the past .
`` My own view on this is that hiding our history is not the route to enlightenment , '' Prof Richardson told BBC News .
`` We need to understand this history and understand the context in which it was made and why it was that people believed then as they did , '' she said .
`` This university has been around for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ years the people who ran the university did n't think women were worthy of an education .
Should we denounce those people ?
`` Personally , no - I think they were wrong , but they have to be judged by the context of their time , '' said Prof Richardson .


bbcuk--2020-06-18--Flooding: Anger as people flee homes after third flood

A number of households have been forced to flee their homes after being flooded for the third time this year .
Rhondda Cynon Taf council said there had been significant flooding to almost 200 properties in the borough after storms swept across Wales on Wednesday .
The village flooded twice during February 's storms with the cost of the damage estimated at up to £5m .
Plaid Member of the Senedd ( MS ) for the Rhondda , Leanne Wood , said people were angry and called for an inquiry .
More flooding is feared later with further thunderstorm weather @ @ @ @ @ @ @ South Wales Fire and Rescue Service said it spent five hours pumping water out of homes in Pentre , near Treorchy in the Rhondda valley .
It said it took 51 calls for help from 18:15 BST on Wednesday and was also called out to properties in nearby Maerdy .
Ms Wood said : `` People are angry and frustrated that this has happened twice already this year ...
I share that anger and frustration - it is not acceptable .
`` What is needed is urgent assistance from the various authorities to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which were not forthcoming from the council initially - need to be delivered to every home that is at risk of further flooding throughout this spell of heavy rain . ''
'Why so vulnerable to flooding ? '
She said drains needed to be cleans and called for an inquiry to look into `` why these areas are so vulnerable to flooding '' .
`` This work should have happened already ; even with restrictions around the Covid-19 pandemic , '' she said .
The storms of Ciara and Dennis had left Wales @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and with more than 1,000 properties affected in Rhondda Cynon Taff in February .
The damage cost the local council about £15m .
Ms Wood had taken to social media to ask for volunteers to help clean up Maerdy Community Primary School after flood water entered the main hall and nursery .
Nigel Williams , from South Wales Fire and Rescue Service , was in charge of the operation on Thursday night and said the Pentre had been hit `` quite badly '' .
`` Our hearts and minds go out to people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but previously as well , '' he told BBC Radio Wales Breakfast .
Mair Hughes ' home in Pentre was badly hit in February 's flooding and was flooded again on Wednesday night .
She said facing another clean up was `` heart breaking '' .
`` All the muck again ...
I was crying , '' she said .
`` With the children in the house as well it 's just really bad .
Twice in four months . ''
Ann Inkpen , who has has lived on North Terrace in Maerdy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ All of a sudden the water came rushing in the back .
It was through the whole house in seconds .
`` My elderly neighbours on both sides , who were shielding , have had to move out .
It 's terrible . ''
Neighbour Cynthia Mainwaring said : `` It was horrendous .
It was so much rain .
`` Luckily we managed to put towels and paper down - It came through in minutes and then it was gone .
`` The damage is n't too bad , I do n't @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cleaning .
`` Lockdown is going to be remembered for some time here . ''
Adele Wilk has been distributing cleaning materials to people on North Terrace in Maerdy .
She said : `` The council brought stuff like bleach last night and I 've been handing it out .
`` There 's a lot of older people here so I 've been knocking their doors checking they 're all OK .
It 's horrible . ''
Council leader Andrew Morgan said the council had deployed additional resources to support highways crews and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ flash flooding .
He added : `` This has unfortunately impacted upon communities which have already experienced the devastation of flooding earlier this year . ''
One property in Rees Place suffered partial collapse and structural engineers attended .
One Queen Street resident told BBC Wales he was angry at watching his home being flooded again : `` I would like to see some of these councillors to live in these houses and go through what we 've done .
`` I have n't been in this house since February .
I 've @ @ @ @ @ @ @ live with my daughter . ''
At the scene : Our reporter Alun Thomas '' More rain in Pentre this morning will be the last thing that residents here will want after last night 's downpour .
`` The sandbags outside so many houses is a sign of what happened here , while skips standing in some streets show that this is a community still getting back on its feet after the severe flooding back in February .
`` For some their renovations were finished yesterday just hours before the rain returned , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nowhere in a matter of minutes .
`` As the clear up - and the rain - continues , this has become a community searching for answers . ''
Councillor Maureen Weaver , who represents the Pentre ward , told BBC Radio Wales Breakfast : `` It was dreadful last night and listening to the weather forecast it 's going to be dreadful again… '' We need drains all cleared urgently and an inquiry to see why this is happening . ''
On Wednesday , a Met Office yellow warning for thunder was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 22 counties .
Buffy Williams , from Canolfan Pentre Community Hub , said she and others were at the centre until 23:00 BST on Wednesday handing out cleaning products and would be returning on Thursday morning .
She said : `` It 's a nightmare trying to maintain social distancing with the mess .
Thankfully the police and our PCSOs are coming in to help at the centre today . ''
Another thunderstorm alert is in place for Thursday for all south Wales counties , pushing west into Carmarthenshire and north of Brecon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
There was also a yellow warning for rain in place from 03:00 until 12:00 on Thursday for all counties except Pembrokeshire , Vale of Glamorgan and Cardiff .


bbcuk--2020-06-18--Boris Johnson to welcome Macron for Resistance anniversary

Four French Resistance fighters will be awarded honorary MBEs for their role in World War Two as Boris Johnson welcomes Emmanuel Macron to Downing Street .
The French president is visiting London on Thursday to commemorate the 80th anniversary of wartime leader Charles de Gaulle 's BBC broadcast to occupied France after the 1940 Nazi invasion .
The Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall will also meet Mr Macron .
Mr Johnson paid tribute to the `` courage and sacrifice '' of the fighters .
The four men - Edgard Tupet-Thome , 100 , Daniel Bouyjou-Cordier , 99 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Simonet , 98 - are surviving members of the Order of Liberation , an honour given by France to those who played an outstanding role in setting France free .
Their MBEs will be presented at a ceremony in France in the coming months .
Mr Macron 's visit comes after it was announced that Dame Vera Lynn , the singer dubbed the `` forces ' sweetheart '' for her morale-boosting performances during World War Two , has died aged 103 .
• Prince Charles to welcome Macron to London • PM had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ New momentum needed in trade talks , say UK and EU During their Downing Street meeting , Mr Johnson and Mr Macron will discuss easing of the 14-day coronavirus quarantine measures in place for visitors to - and UK citizens returning to - the UK .
Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab told Sky News the government wanted to `` open up '' the UK when it could do so `` safely and responsibly '' .
Mr Macron was exempt from the quarantine requirements , as a `` representative of a foreign country on business @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will view artefacts and letters from General de Gaulle 's time in London and from his partnership with the UK 's wartime prime minister , Sir Winston Churchill .
After the fall of France , General de Gaulle made a speech from London 18 June 1940 .
Known as the `` Appel '' , or appeal , it rallied the country in support of the Resistance .
It was 80 years ago that General Charles de Gaulle broadcast a historic message from London to his fellow countrymen imploring them not to give up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on its knees at the time , German troops having entered Paris four days earlier , and on the verge of agreeing an armistice confirming its formal military surrender .
In the message , broadcast in French , De Gaulle said in French `` whatever happens the flame of the French resistance must not be extinguished and will not be extinguished '' .
Transmitted on the BBC 's French Service , the broadcast was not recorded and relatively few people in France heard it .
But a similar broadcast four days later on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and went a long way to establishing de Gaulle as his country 's leader in-exile .
The 18th June 1940 remains one of the most important dates in UK-French history and still has enormous resonance on both sides of the channel .
The anniversary will be marked with a flypast of the Red Arrows and their French counterparts , La Patrouille de France .
Mr Johnson said General de Gaulle had arrived in the UK 80 years ago knowing that Britain and France 's shared values of `` freedom , tolerance and democracy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ defend them .
The Resistance fighters being honoured `` symbolise the enduring depth and strength of friendship '' between the countries , he said .
Mr Johnson called them `` heroes '' and paid tribute to their `` courage and sacrifice in defending us and the whole world from fascism '' .
`` The struggles we face today are different to those we confronted together 80 years ago .
But I have no doubt that - working side by side - the UK and France will continue to rise to every new challenge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' he said .
At Clarence House , home to the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall , Mr Macron will be welcomed by a ceremonial guard of honour from the Coldstream Guards , along with music by the Band of the Coldstream Guards .

A spokesperson added that he had restated that the UK "does not believe it makes sense for there to be prolonged negotiations into the autumn". The "transition period" - during which the UK remains in the EU single market and customs union - is due to finish at the end of the year.


bbcuk--2020-06-18--Coronavirus: Only one of Wales' 17 field hospitals used

Only one of the field hospitals set up to help ease demand during the coronavirus pandemic has treated any patients , despite costing £166m .
Buildings , including sports stadiums and theatres , were rapidly turned into 17 hospitals at the peak of the crisis .
But only the Dragon 's Heart Hospital in Cardiff has received any patients .
Health Minister Vaughan Gething defended the decision saying in hindsight he would have `` made different choices at the time '' .
`` If we had needed extra capacity , in much greater numbers , and I had not acted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ public would have rightly said , 'Why on earth did n't that man in charge do something about it ? '
, '' he said .
In a bid to ease pressure on hospitals , 17 field hospitals were rapidly built to provide 6,000 additional beds , doubling the Welsh NHS 's capacity at the peak of the pandemic .
It took just eight weeks to build those field hospitals , and two additional community step-down facilities for non-coronavirus patients .
Since the Dragon 's Heart Hospital at the Principality Stadium opened in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the home of the Welsh Rugby Team , which is now empty and on standby in case of a second wave .
No-one has been admitted to the other 16 locations around the country , including the 1,000-bed facility at Swansea Bay Studios and Venue Cymru in Llandudno , Conwy .
Mr Gething said the Welsh Government had set up the hospitals after seeing how parts of the health service in Italy had been overwhelmed .
A review is due later this month to decide how many field hospitals will be retained @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Swansea University said that , in hindsight , spending £166m on 46 patients was `` not a good use of limited resources '' .
Prof Ceri Phillips said : `` Elective operations were cancelled , the level of demand was reduced , out-patients was reorganised so people were n't coming into hospital . ''
Mr Gething said it was possible `` fewer field hospitals '' would be needed in the coming months .
`` It 's also possible we can make more use of the current capacity we have as we restart more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The owner of Swansea Bay Studios , Roy Thomas , signed a lease allowing the Welsh NHS to use the largest building on his site free of charge for a year to help tackle the virus .
But Mr Thomas said the complex needed financial support to survive .
He said : `` I see myself in next 12 months serving two masters .
`` One is the health authority , to maintain whatever requirement they have 12 months in the future .
and the other is to attempt to play my @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Neath Port Talbot , Swansea and west Wales . ''
Swansea Bay UHB 's Chief Operating Officer , Chris White , said it was fortunate the beds at the two field hospitals had not been needed at the peak of the pandemic .
But while cases have fallen , Mr White said it was important the field hospitals were `` ready in case we need them '' .
Venue Cymru in Llandudno also faces financial challenges after giving over its building to create 350 extra beds for the Betsi Cadwaladr health board .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ is owned by Conwy council , has a three-month contract to act as field hospital until 6 July .
The deal , which is based on it having no financial impact on the local authority , will then be extended by agreement on a month-by-month basis .
But Venue Cymru said it would need financial help to restart shows after the pandemic .
Mark Wilkinson , from Betsi Cadwaladr health board , said the focus was now on how to `` resume services which had been put on hold to manage the initial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ University agreed to a three-month minimum lease with the Welsh Government for the use of the Canolfan Brailsford sport centre at Bangor University , to be reviewed on a monthly basis after that .
The Welsh Government review into field hospitals will look at how many extra beds the Welsh NHS might need if the transmission rate of coronavirus begins to rise towards a second peak .
It will also examine whether the field hospitals can be used to help the resumption of medical services that were suspended while the NHS focussed on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has said the Dragon 's Heart Hospital site would be `` retained until the autumn and will be available to admit coronavirus patients should a surge in capacity be required '' .
The Welsh Rugby Union , who own the stadium , have said the contract for it to remain as a field hospital has been extended until early autumn .
There are three field hospitals , Deeside Leisure Centre in Queensferry , Canolfan Brailsford sports hall at Bangor University and Venue Cymru in Llandudno .
The three `` Rainbow hospitals '' are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ patients but the health board said the focus is now to `` resume services that were put on hold to manage the initial wave of Covid-19 patients '' .
There are nine field hospitals here : Bluestone Wales resort in Pembrokeshire ; the leisure centres in Cardigan , Carmarthen , Llanelli and Plas Crug ( Aberystwyth ) ; two at the Parc y Scarlets in Llanelli , one in the stadium and the other in the training 'barn ' ; the Selwyn Samuel Centre in Llanelli and Ysgol Penweddig in Aberystwyth .
Hywel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ exploring many different options '' for the next 12 months including `` different uses of our facilities '' as part of national discussions .
Bridgend Industrial Estate is the only remaining field hospital in the region after it was announced the 290-bed hospital at the WRU 's Centre of Excellence at Hensol was being decommissioned this week .
The health board is also operating `` community step-down facilities '' Abergarw Manor in Bridgend and Marsh House in Merthyr Tydfil for non Covid-19 patients to move out of hospitals .
Cwm Taf health board @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their planning '' so that extra capacity is in place `` should we need it to respond to the challenge of Covid-19 '' .
There are two field hospitals in the area , one at Llandarcy Academy of Sport ( where the Ospreys rugby team usually train ) and one at Swansea Bay Studios .
Swansea Bay UHB 's Chief Operating Officer Chris White said : `` Flexibility is an important factor in the management of the situation as we move into the next stages . ''
There are no official field hospitals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said the new Grange University Hospital in Cwmbran is `` ready if we need to use it . ''

"If we had needed extra capacity, in much greater numbers, and I had not acted as I did, I think the public would have rightly said, 'Why on earth didn't that man in charge do something about it?'," he said.


bbcuk--2020-06-17--Coronavirus: 'My employer broke the furlough rules'

`` Initially I did n't know how to feel , but it only took about five or ten minutes ' worth of research to realise that no , you definitely could n't work in any capacity . ''
Steve ( not his real name ) is 27 and works in manufacturing in County Durham .
His employer told him that he had been furloughed but he later received a message from his boss asking him to log on and work .
Under the furlough scheme , which was brought in to minimise unemployment due to the coronavirus crisis , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up to £2,500 a month .
But once an employee has been furloughed , they can not do any work that would help their employer make money .
Nevertheless , HM Revenue and Customs has told the BBC that it has received more than 3,000 reports of furlough fraud since April .
After Steve learned that he was not allowed work while on furlough , he felt uncomfortable and refused to log on .
He lost his job in May .
`` I 'm disappointed and angry that there are companies out there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' he said .
• Listen to the 5 Live Work & Money podcast here More than a quarter of the UK workforce is now being supported by the furlough scheme and the cost so far has reached £19.6bn .
An employer applies online , giving their employees ' names , National Insurance numbers and dates of employment .
But the system has been found to be open to abuse .
One survey found that more than a third of furloughed employees have been asked by bosses to carry out work while @ @ @ @ @ @ @ job retention scheme .
A third of furloughed employees were asked to carry on doing their usual job , while 29 % were told to undertake more administrative tasks , according to the survey by Crossland Employment Solicitors .
HMRC is now preparing to tackle fraudulent and erroneous claims .
Earlier this month , its chief executive Jim Harra told the Commons Public Accounts Committee that the scheme was `` a magnet for fraudsters '' .
He said tipoffs were taken `` very seriously '' .
There is no automatic trigger that would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ work while on furlough , or if the money had not reached the right account .
But if an employee reported their employer to HMRC , it would be straightforward for the department to cross-check the Pay As You Earn ( PAYE ) system .
An employee could also produce evidence that shows they had been asked to work .
• Can I be made redundant when I 'm furloughed ?
• More than one in four UK workers now furloughed Lucy ( not her real name ) is in her mid-20s and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was placed on furlough in March but says she was then asked to work using her personal email account and phone number .
Lucy told the BBC she is still working up to 20 hours a week , even though she knows what she is doing is wrong .
`` My livelihood depends on this , '' she said .
`` I feel a huge amount of anxiety . ''
`` The whole team is still working .
They 've told us if we want to stop we can , but I know @ @ @ @ @ @ @ look bad - that I would n't look committed .
`` Also , I want my company to survive this . ''
`` On the one hand , I want to work to feel normal while the world falls apart , but it feels like a moral conundrum .
I am confused and upset and wondering what is the right thing to do . ''
Where employers are found to have inadvertently broken the rules , they could be made to return the cash .
But if HMRC can prove they intended to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up to 10 years in prison .
Toby Duthie , a forensic accountant and partner at Forensic Risk Alliance , said that while the government had needed to act quickly to cover wages , the speed at which the furlough scheme was introduced meant there was a lot of uncertainty and a lack of clarity for employers .
`` This is also open season for people who want to abuse the system , '' he told the BBC .
HMRC has stressed that some employers may accidentally be committing furlough fraud - such @ @ @ @ @ @ @ work before their starting date .
And during its first round of investigations , around one third of cases did not warrant further investigation .
It said : `` We believe the vast majority of companies will have used the system correctly . ''
Names have been changed to protect identities .
Has your employer broken the furlough rules ?
Have you had to work while on furlough ?
Share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay @ bbc.co.uk .
Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conditions and privacy policy

Under the furlough scheme, which was brought in to minimise unemployment due to the coronavirus crisis, the government pays 80% of staff salaries up to £2,500 a month. But once an employee has been furloughed, they cannot do any work that would help their employer make money.


bbcuk--2020-06-18--University deadline day: 'Covid has changed my whole future'

It 's deadline day for anyone deciding whether to accept their university offers .
The Universities and Colleges Admissions Service - UCAS - said earlier this week that more than 65,000 applicants have yet to make up their minds .
Being in the middle of a pandemic means those choices are more complicated than usual .
While university is still an exciting idea for some , others feel unsure about the prospect of a first year affected by online learning and social distancing .
• Coronavirus : Should I go to university this year ?
Abigail Coe , who is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ University , says she feels worried .
`` Covid-19 has changed my expectations of what the university experience will be .
We wo n't get freshers or nightlife , the social aspect seems almost non-existent .
For 17-year-old Abigail , university was actually a back-up plan .
She had wanted to get a journalism apprenticeship and start working once she left school .
But the coronavirus outbreak meant some media companies , like lots of others , have stopped recruiting .
`` The lack of job opportunities has pushed me into studying in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` So the pandemic has changed my whole future . ''
Abigail feels the `` freedom of adulthood '' she would have had at university has been taken away .
`` I fear I 'll be stuck at home in my first term doing lectures online .
`` I was really looking forward to joining societies and clubs like hockey , but how can a Zoom call give you that experience ? ''
Molly Scales , from Glasgow , has decided to decline all her offers and also thinks the experience will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ This also means the 17-year-old can reapply for her top choice university , from which she was rejected .
`` I personally find face-to-face learning much more useful than online teaching , '' she says .
But , she continues : `` Deferring has made me rather anxious , especially as one university admitted that competition for places may be fiercer next year . ''
Professor Wyn Morgan , Vice-President for Education at the University of Sheffield , says some people deferring or rejecting offers means there might be more places than usual @ @ @ @ @ @ @ places available at some of the world 's best universities , giving school leavers a unique opportunity .
`` In contrast , 2021 will be an incredibly competitive time to enter university , so applicants wanting to defer should think carefully before they do so . ''
18-year-old Catherine Prior is feeling more positive .
If she gets the grades she needs , she plans to go ahead and study biological natural sciences at Cambridge .
`` I am trying to keep in mind that although the first term or so may be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ third year to make up for the lost time .
Many uni students I have talked to have said it 's better in the later years anyway because you actually have friends , '' she tells Newsbeat .
Some students have complained about a lack of clarity from universities over issues like how accommodation will work .
However Catherine , from Essex , says she feels relatively well supported .
`` I have had emails with positive encouragement that the university experience will be as normal as they can make it , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ soon as they can but they are limited by the government guidelines .
`` We have been told that face-to-face teaching should still go ahead , just in a socially distant form .
`` I am still holding out hope because there is some time until October and the situation is changing so quickly .
`` I do n't yet know what is happening with accommodation but I completely empathise with the university that it is hard to know what is the appropriate action , and it all depends on if there is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not just people about to go to university in the UK who are taking difficult decisions .
Isobel Roberts , a first-year civil engineering student at Bristol University , was looking forward to heading to Sydney for a year .
But because of the pandemic , the Australian border is closed to international students .
Isobel was offered the chance to do classes online from the UK but has turned it down .
`` Some of the courses may have to be taken in real-time , meaning I would be studying in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ completely unfeasible in the long term , '' she tells Newsbeat .
Courteney Sheppard , a senior customer experience manager at UCAS , has some advice for young people still making up their minds about their offers .
`` When you have as much information as you need to make the right decision for you , log into Track and choose your firm and insurance choices before 6pm UK time .
`` It 's important to remember the reasons you chose to go to university before coronavirus , as they 'll still be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Take some time to talk things through with those people whose opinions you value the most .
That could be your teachers , parents or friends .
`` You can also speak to an expert UCAS adviser on the phone , on social media , and speak to current students through our website . ''
Listen to Newsbeat live at 12:45 and 17:45 weekdays - or listen back here .
Are you going to accept your university offer today ?
Are you going to defer ?
Share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist .
• Please read our terms & conditions and privacy policy

"I am trying to keep in mind that although the first term or so may be disrupted we will still have second and third year to make up for the lost time. Many uni students I have talked to have said it's better in the later years anyway because you actually have friends," she tells Newsbeat.


bbcuk--2020-06-18--Obituary: Dame Vera Lynn, a symbol of resilience and hope

Dame Vera Lynn , who has died at the age of 103 , was Britain 's wartime Forces ' Sweetheart , and remained one of the country 's most potent symbols of resilience and hope .
With songs such as We 'll Meet Again and The White Cliffs of Dover , she inspired both troops abroad and civilians at home during World War Two .
As Britain 's cities came under attack , her wistful songs , with their messages of yearning and optimism , were heard in millions of British homes .
And 75 years later , the country @ @ @ @ @ @ @ faced another stern test .
She was born Vera Margaret Welch on 20 March 1917 in the London suburb of East Ham , the daughter of a plumber .
She discovered her talent for singing at an early age and was performing in local clubs when she was seven .
By the time she was 11 , she had abandoned school for a full-time career as a dancer and singer in a touring music hall revue .
She had also adopted a new stage name , Vera Lynn , borrowing her grandmother 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the age of 16 , fronting a number of bands who were still clinging to the more genteel musical traditions in the face of an onslaught from be-bop and jazz .
Lynn was self-effacing , unlike many of the singing stars of the day , and her gentle persona quickly endeared her to audiences .
Her broadcasting debut came in 1935 , singing with the Joe Loss Orchestra , which led to regular radio appearances and widened her circle of fans .
But in 1939 , war intervened .
As families gathered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Minister Neville Chamberlain 's announcement that Britain was at war with Germany , Lynn remembered thinking : `` Oh well , bang goes my career . ''
But when she volunteered for war work , she was told the best thing she could do was to keep on being an entertainer .
This was reinforced when , in a 1939 poll by the Daily Express , she was voted by servicemen as their favourite entertainer , and gained her Forces ' Sweetheart nickname .
In the same year , she first sang We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more than any other came to be associated with World War Two .
Its underlying message of hope - that scattered families would eventually be reunited after the conflict - struck a chord with troops abroad and their relatives at home .
Her down-to-earth style quickly established her as the public 's favourite antidote to the misery of the blackout and the Blitz .
With appearances at the London Palladium and Holborn Empire , Vera Lynn proved a national tonic in the anxious days at the beginning of the war .
In 1941 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I do n't think I thought much of him at first , '' she later said .
`` He wooed me with chewing gum . ''
But the union lasted six decades until his death .
Lewis also became her manager .
• 'An inspiration to us all ' - tributes to Dame Vera She was given her own radio programme and , thanks to the BBC 's shortwave transmitters , could be heard across the world .
Lynn spent the war years entertaining the troops , performing in hospitals and army camps @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Burma .
She stayed in tents and grass huts , and `` went goodness knows how long without a bath '' .
Of her journeys to such threatening territory , she explained : `` It was so important to get entertainment to the boys . ''
Vera Lynn 's success continued well into peacetime and , in 1952 , she became the first British artist to have a number one hit in America with the song Auf Wiedersehen , Sweetheart .
And two years later , she had her only British number @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Son .
She never retired and was always happy to move in new directions , notably with a cover of Abba 's Thank You For The Music .
However , it was plain that the public , including those born long after the war , wanted to hear her perform her classic songs .
In 2009 , at the age of 92 , Lynn became the oldest living artist to top the British album chart , outselling both the Arctic Monkeys and the Beatles , with whom she shared the top 10 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ her fame .
`` I do n't live in the past , '' she once said , `` even though I have never been allowed to forget it . ''
As well as making frequent appearances at veterans ' reunions , Lynn was a tireless charity worker for hundreds of organisations .
In 1992 she founded the Dame Vera Lynn School for Parents and Handicapped Children .
In a 2005 speech , she remarked : `` We should always remember , we should never forget , and we should teach the children to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ made a dame and in 2000 she was named as the Briton who best exemplified the spirit of the 20th Century .
A great friend of another wartime idol , the Queen Mother , Dame Vera made her last public singing performance in front of her in 1995 .
The place was Buckingham Palace , and thousands of people had gathered to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the end of the war .
The singer was well into her eighth decade , but could still deliver a heart-wrenching tune .
Twenty-five years later @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's songs and contribution was shown to be as deep as ever .
The UK was facing another crisis - and a virus , rather than a foreign army , was the foe this time .
In a televised address in April , the Queen evoked Dame Vera 's wartime message , assuring families and friends who were separated during the coronavirus pandemic : `` We will meet again . ''
• The Queen 's coronavirus address : 'We will meet again' Just two weeks earlier , Dame Vera herself had sent a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the British public to find `` moments of joy '' during these `` hard times '' .
Then in May , We 'll Meet Again was used during the finale of the BBC 's coverage of the 75th anniversary of VE Day .
Dame Vera appeared in a virtual duet with Katherine Jenkins , while key workers also joined in with the song .
That led an album that had been released for her 100th birthday - featuring contributions from younger singers including Alfie Boe , Alexander Armstrong and Cynthia Erivo - @ @ @ @ @ @ @ After a lifetime of service to her country , Dame Vera was still held as the embodiment of the best of the British spirit .

She never retired and was always happy to move in new directions, notably with a cover of Abba's Thank You For The Music. However, it was plain that the public, including those born long after the war, wanted to hear her perform her classic songs.


bbcuk--2020-06-18--In pictures: The singer's life and career

Dame Vera Lynn , the singer who held a special place in the hearts of the British for keeping up morale during World War Two , has died .
These photographs tell the story of her life .
Vera Welch was born on 20 March 1917 in East Ham , London .
Neither of her parents were involved in showbusiness - her father Bertram was a plumber and mother Annie a dressmaker .
But by the age of seven , the talented Vera was singing in working men 's clubs - an audience she described as `` great '' - @ @ @ @ @ @ @ breadwinner .
When she turned 11 , Vera took her grandmother 's maiden name of Lynn as a stage name .
She had no formal singing lessons as a child - and just one as an adult .
She said : `` I thought I could extend my range but when the teacher heard me sing she said , ' I can not train that voice , it 's not a natural voice . '
So I said : 'Well thank you very much madam ' , and left . ''
Vera 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at Poplar Baths by local band leader Howard Baker .
He signed her up on the spot .
In 1936 , when she was 19 , she had her first solo record - called Up the Wooden Hill to Bedfordshire .
By the age of 22 she had sold more than a million records , bought her parents a house and herself a car .
However , it was during World War Two that her reputation was made .
She frequently sang to the troops at morale-boosting concerts , becoming known as The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ most famous songs , We 'll Meet Again was released in 1939 and as war progressed it increasingly resonated with the British public .
As Vera said : `` It 's a good song as it goes with anyone anywhere saying goodbye to someone . ''
A large part of her wartime appeal came from her BBC radio programme Sincerely Yours , which ran in 1941 and 42 in the form of `` a letter to the men of the Forces… in words and music '' .
One feature was announcing the arrival @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had to be cancelled because producers were so overwhelmed with news of new arrivals .
She had a wholesome appeal that made her a favourite with families as well as the troops .
Not everyone thought she was good for morale , however - one retired soldier complained in a letter to The Daily Telegraph that such `` sickly and maudlin programmes are largely responsible for the half-hearted attitude of so many people towards the war '' .
But her popularity was such that she was voted the British Expeditionary Forces ' favourite @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whom she 's pictured - and Judy Garland .
She travelled the world to entertain troops , including to Myanmar ( then Burma ) , India and Egypt .
She later recalled staying in grass huts and using a bucket of water for a shower .
In 1941 Vera married Harry Lewis .
They had one daughter , Virginia , and lived together in Ditchling , East Sussex , for 58 years until his death in 1999 .
Following the defeat of Nazi Germany , the BBC Variety Department broadcast a victory programme @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Vera ( far left ) was joined by entertainers and returned British Prisoners of War .
Her popularity survived the war years and after peace came she toured all over the Commonwealth , appeared in a Las Vegas cabaret , and performed for the British Royal Family .
Her sentimental tone went out of fashion at the BBC after the war , but she returned to the airwaves and remained a fixture throughout the 1950s , 60s and 70s .
In the very first official UK singles chart in 1952 , she occupied @ @ @ @ @ @ @ She 's pictured here making the acquaintance of glam rock band Slade in 1973 , when they gathered round a piano at the Melody Maker Awards .
In 2017 she released her latest album , and holds the record for being the oldest living artist to achieve a top 20 UK album .
Dame Vera helped mark the 70th anniversary of the Battle of Britain in a ceremony on 10 August 2010 .
Her daughter said fan letters continued to arrive from all over the world , sometimes simply addressed to `` Vera @ @ @ @ @ @ @ build-up to her 100th birthday in 2017 , Dame Vera said she found it `` humbling '' that people still enjoyed her songs .
The Queen wrote to her : `` You cheered and uplifted us all in the war and after the war , and I am sure that this evening the blue birds of Dover will be flying over to wish you a happy anniversary . ''
Dame Vera 's portrait was projected on to the White Cliffs of Dover to celebrate her 100th birthday .
She said it was `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in such a beautiful way '' .

A large part of her wartime appeal came from her BBC radio programme Sincerely Yours, which ran in 1941 and 42 in the form of "a letter to the men of the Forces… in words and music". One feature was announcing the arrival of babies back home - but that had to be cancelled because producers were so overwhelmed with news of new arrivals.