Tonight at ten one of the best loved british entertainers of the past century, Dame Vera Lynn, has died at the age of 103. Well meet again, dont know where, dont know when. The singer was known as the forces sweetheart throughout the Second World War, as she entertained troops around the world. Her songs became enormously popular, but her visits to the troops were also about giving hope and inspiration. They didnt always want me to sing to them, just to sit there and talk to them and reassure them that everything was all right at home. And her enduring popularity among both old and young made her an iconic figure in post war british culture. Well be looking back at dame veras remarkable life and the causes she fought hard to promote including the war widows. Also tonight. A change of course the Smartphone App to trace coronavirus in the uk will now be based on apple and google technology. The foreign secretary is accused by critics of insulting the victims of racism by suggesting that taking the knee is a sign of subordination. John bolton the National Security adviser sacked by donald trump accuses the president of seeking chinese help to get re elected. Vive la france. And its 80 years since general de gaulles celebrated wartime broadcast to the french people from the bbc in london. And coming up in sport on bbc news us open organisers are accused of discrimination as they scrap
the Wheelchair Tennis events for the delayed grand slam in august. Good evening. Dame vera lynn, one of the most popular british entertainers of the past century, the singer known as the forces sweetheart throughout the Second World War, has died at the age of 103. Dame veras songs, including well meet again and the white cliffs of dover, became enormously popular not only among the armed forces, but also in homes across the united kingdom, as she lifted spirits and gave hope to so many. In later years, dame vera fought hard to win fair treatment for war widows. The Prime Minister said her voice would live on for generations to come. Our correspondent robert hall looks back at her remarkable life. Therell be bluebirds over. It is a voice that has spanned the decades. The voice of an ordinary london girl, born at the end of the first world war, who became an iconic symbol of the second. Vera welch, daughter of a plumber and a dressmaker, began singing as a child. She took her grandmothers surname, lynn, as a stage name, made her first record aged 19, and sold a million records in the next three years. This little girl from east ham would never have had the opportunity if she hadnt have been singing. If my mother hadnt put me on the stage this letter of mine is getting to be a sort of rendezvous, where husbands and wives, torn apart by war, can be brought together by music. When war broke out again, vera began broadcasting with the bbc. Through a forces request programme, sincerely yours, she became the girl that thousands of fighting men hoped theyd meet when they returned home,
although some accused the programme of damaging the war effort. Too sentimental, making the boys homesick. And i said, thats rubbish, a lot of rubbish, because the letters are so thankful for the programmes. Vera was a star, but her desire to do more took her to meet fans halfway around the world. They said, well, where do you want to go . I said, well, if im going in, i know europe are getting well supplied i want to go somewhere where there isnt any entertainers. So they said, well, burmas the only place, you know . She kept a record of herjungle adventures in a secret diary. I took my little diary and my little pencil, and you can just about see it. Tiny little writing. Slept on stretcher. Oh, yes. Balanced on two kitchen chairs. A rotten night . I should think so its not been awarded. You earned it. It was another a0 years before vera lynn received her own burma star. By then, she was Dame Vera Lynn and as busy as ever. Am i allowed to kiss you . Yes roll out the barrel. In 1995, dame vera led the singing outside Buckingham Palace to mark the 50th anniversary of ve day. She topped the charts, aged 93, in 2010. And on her 100th birthday, she listened to the children of her old school and remembered the singing coach who she had ignored. Dont know where, dont know when. When she heard me sing, she says, no, i cant train that voice, its not a natural voice. So i said, well, thank you very much, madam, and left keep smiling through just like you always do. Dame vera was still with us this year, as communities were tested by the current pandemic. A unifying spirit, reflected on by the queen during her recent, very personal message. We should take comfort that while we may have more still to endure, better days will return. We will be with our friends again, we will be with our families again, we will meet again. Well meet again, dont know where, dont know when. Vera lynn was never happier than when she was with the veterans she still called my boys. The words that meant so much will survive long after they have left us. But i know well meet again some sunny day. Dame veras popularity didnt fade after the war ended far from it. She found new generations of admirers, and no major commemoration of the Second World War was complete without her presence. Just last month she became the oldest artist to achieve a top a0 album in the uk. The tributes paid today have come from all over the world, as our correspondent Sarah Campbell reports. Well meet again. 0n the 75th anniversary of ve day, with the country in lockdown, the nation turned once again to the songs of Dame Vera Lynn. Few people have resonated through the decades in the way she managed to. Shes always been there, obviously, shes my mum, and shes always been this star. The younger military element also think shes wonderful and part of them. So its not just the older generation. Two veterans at the Royal Hospital chelsea, aged 90 and 73. Too young to have fought in the Second World War, but, to them, her songs are still special. People in the army, particularly when theyre away fighting, youre lonely for home, you know. You cant forget it, sort of thing. And she was home to them. She put so much emotion and feeling into her singing, it was different. It was home for them. So, what were your immediate thoughts when you heard today that shed died . Well, i think we expected it
would happen at some time. But i think her name will go on for a long, long time. You know . Well always remember her. In london today, the coldstream guards played their own tribute to her. She was the forces sweetheart in later life, campaigning for veterans and their families, and, in her younger years, fearless in her support for the troops. In tribute to her today, the Prime Minister tweeted that shed entranced and uplifted the country in some of its darkest hours. The singer katherinejenkins, whod recently recorded a duet with dame vera, described her as a legend, an inspiration, my mentor and my friend. And here, at home in east sussex, she will be greatly missed. I found her a very kind, caring person, who was so friendly towards everyone. Vera was a lovely person. She would be quite happy speaking to everybody. Her london roots came through very well, with no airs and graces. An inspiration and a source of hope to so many. The emotion Dame Vera Lynn managed to convey never lessened. The many tributes to the forces sweetheart, Dame Vera Lynn, whos died at the age of 103. Theres been a major change in the uk governments approach to tracing people, using a Smartphone App developed by the nhs. Ministers have now decided that the app, which has been trialled on the isle of wight, is now going to use technology provided by apple and google. The original aim was to get the app up and running by mid may, but theres still no date for its full operation, as our Health Editor hugh pym reports. All eyes were on the isle of wight for the trial of a Smartphone App. It was set to go live across england in may to help trace people whod been in contact with those whod tested positive for coronavirus. There was even an official publicity video. The nhs covid 19 app lets you know quickly if youve come into contact with someone who has symptoms. But technical issues were revealed in the trial. It proved not to be effective on all devices. A parallel trial with an app provided by apple and google was being carried out elsewhere. Now the nhs will work with the companies to develop a new design, using data gathered from both projects. You had said that the Smartphone App would play a central role in testing and tracing. Its now been delayed. When do you think the app will be involved in identifying and tracing contacts . We are working on it, is the answer. Were not going to put a date on it, im afraid, because im absolutely determined that whilst this technology can help, its got to be working effectively. Very different from what was said to isle of wight residents last month. I have a simple message please download the app to protect the nhs and save lives. It now wont be launched till the autumn at the earliest, perhaps only for booking tests and reporting symptoms, and possibly never for full contact tracing. The focus now will be on human tracing. If someone tests positive, theyll get an e mail or phone call asking for details of people theyve recently met up with. Since it was launched in england in late may, details of more than 111,000 people who tested positive were put into the system. Of those, around 10,200 were reached and asked to provide contacts just under three quarters of the total. As lockdown has eased, the amount of calls ive seen over the last few days have increased, in terms of the amount of contacts that theyre giving me. So, for example, previously they might have only had three or four people that theyve actually
been in close contact with. Thats now doubled to maybe seven or eight. But some others who have to follow up the contacts and wish to remain anonymous say theyve had little to do. I went live on the 30th of may. In that time, i have dialled two numbers, and they were both no answer. Ive had no other calls since then. Youve been identified as a close contact of someone who has covid 19. In scotland, more than 1,200 contacts were traced between late may and mid june. As in england, this will be the way forward for now, rather than with smartphone technology. Hugh pym, bbc news. The lockdowns in wales, scotland and Northern Ireland are being eased. In a moment well speak to sarah smith in glasgow and Hywel Griffith in cardiff, but first, emma vardy is in belfast. Today, Northern Ireland became the first part of the uk to make a major
change to the social distancing rules. The Stormont Executive announced that the children in schools, social distancing can change from two metres to one metre. This is something that some teachers have been calling for for a while, saying in some classrooms two metres wasnt very realistic. The idea is, by changing this, it will allow four classes of children here in Northern Ireland to return when the schools reopen at the end of august. That social distancing rule will remain two metres for adults. Another match anticipated announcement today on hairdressers. They along with barbers and beauty salons will be able to reopen a Northern Ireland from the 6th ofjuly, as long as they had some Safety Measures in place. Another piece of news today for people who have been shielding all of this time, the devolved government said today that shielding can pause from 31st ofjuly and people this will effect will be receiving letters to say this. But of course all of this is conditional on transmission of the virus
remaining low. Scotlands coming out of lockdown at a slower and more cautious pace than the rest of the uk. From tomorrow, a total of three households will be allowed to meet up households will be allowed to meet up as long as they are outside with a maximum of eight people. And couples who live apart, as long as one of them lives alone or with children, will be allowed to meet indoors and they will be permitted to stay overnight. Most shops are going to be allowed to reopen but not until the 29th ofjune and not including shops that are inside indoor shopping centres. And face masks are going to be compulsory on Public Transport from monday and possibly inside shops when they reopen at the end of the month. I think it is fair to say there has been a degree of disappointment across scotland at bars and restau ra nts across scotland at bars and restaurants that have outdoor space arent going to be allowed to reopen just yet but the Scottish Government say there is emerging evidence they can be hotspots for the transmission of the virus. Nicola sturgeon is making no apologies about taking a
more cautious pace than the rest of the uk. She has always said when it comes to this crisis, she is taking no unnecessary risks. Its more than 12 weeks now since the shops here in cardiff were told to close. Tomorrow, we understand they will be told formally they can be open from monday, provided that they have the right monday, provided that they have the rig ht safety monday, provided that they have the right Safety Measures in place. They we re right Safety Measures in place. They were told about three weeks ago that they could start to prepare but the Welsh Government has never given definitive dates. It says its decisions have been based on data and a key bit of data here in wales is the transmission rate of the virus is down to 0. 7. However, we understand that one other major limitation, the five mile limit on nonessential journeys, limitation, the five mile limit on nonessentialjourneys, will remain in place for a couple of weeks. So that means people outside cardiff cant come shopping here next week and perhaps more importantly, people who live a little further away from their loved ones still wont be able to meet up for a couple of weeks. 0ne date we do have here in wales is when all year groups return to
school, that is onjune 29. It was meant to be the start of a four week catch up period that period that included an extra week the summer term. However, tonight the Welsh Government said there will now be up to councils or schools whether they offer that extra week following pressure from england. Wright many thanks, Hywel Griffith in cardiff, sarah smith in glasgow and emma vardy in belfast. The latest official figures on deaths in the uk linked to coronavirus show that 135 deaths were registered in the last 24 hour period. It brings the total since march across the uk to 42,288. Among the latest victims was a 13 day old baby with no known Underlying Health conditions. The seven day average now stands at 144, compared to 943 at the height of the pandemic. The foreign secretary dominic raab has been heavily criticised for saying the anti racism gesture known as taking the knee seemed like a symbol of subordination
rather than one of liberation. He added that he thought the gesture had come from the Television Drama game of thrones. Following a wave of negative reaction, mr raab insisted he had full respect for the black lives matter movement. 0ur Political EditorLaura Kuenssberg reports. The pitch became a site of protest, kneeling to show strength and sympathy in the fight for black rights echoing last night the stance, the anger of protesters around the world and here at home. Yet the full story seemed rather to have passed the foreign secretary by. I understand this sense of frustration and restlessness which is driving the black lives matter movement. Ive got to say on this taking the knee thing i dont know, maybe its got a broader history but it seems to be taken from the game of thrones, it feels to me like a symbol of subjugation and subordination rather than one of liberation and emancipation. But i understand people feel differently about it, so its a matter of personal choice. So would you or wouldnt you do it . Id take the knee for two people, the queen and the mrs when i asked her to marry me. There is a broader history. A few years ago, the American Football star Colin Kaepernick angered donald trump, but inspired supporters by kneeling rather than standing for the american anthem, to protest against discrimination. But its a modern echo of the public prayer of civil rights leaders like Martin Luther king. Labours less than impressed. A lot of people in the black Community Felt very, very let down and hurt by the flippant tone the that foreign secretary took this morning, at a time when a lot of people in the black community are grieving over loved ones that theyve lost and are very, very anxious about the future and really reeling from those images of george floyd over in america. Weve got to see a more serious approach. The foreign secretary wrote later that he has full respect for the black lives matter movement, saying, if people wish to take a knee, thats their choice and i respect it, calling for everyone to come together
to tackle discrimination. Ministers have said again and again they understand the frustration felt by those who came here and elsewhere to demand an end to racism. But this less than diplomatic choice of words by our diplomat in chief adds to the sense of frustration among those who believe the understanding in government is not complete, and that even though there have been years of promises, progress has been far too slow. Now is the time to get the governments knee off the neck of the black, african, caribbean, asian, minority ethnic communities. Foreign secretary, would you like to say anything about the taking the knee issue . The foreign secretary chose to not add any more comment this afternoon. When strong feelings are stirred, perhaps our politicians might be advised to always proceed with care. Laura kuenssberg, bbc news, westminster. As weve been reporting
consistently the killing of george floyd, an African American being detained by police in minneapolis, has led to demonstrations around the world including here in the uk where its also prompted black people to share their experiences of treatment by the police. According to the latest figures for england and wales, black people are almost ten times more likely to be stopped and searched than white people, and three times more likely to be arrested. The government has announced a commission into racial inequality, but as my colleague clive myrie reports, many are calling for action, not words. Racism can manifest as crude but when subtle, it causes the same pain. Its 12 oclock on a bright summers day and a motorist is stopped by a Police Patrol in cambridgeshire looking for drug dealers. The reason i stopped you. Yeah . No offence to you, but youre a black male, 0k . Im not going to lie to you. So thats racist that youve stopped me . Im not saying that at all. The reason ive stopped you, and ill explain if you let me finish. The drivers name is ryan and he doesnt want to show his face. Police have stopped him more than 20 times in the last several years. He says the video can be summed up in one word. Disgusting. When i first came to ely, i got stopped by a Police Officer just before i started driving i was on foot. And he said, youre a new face around here, i havent seen you before, but im just going to give you a little warning just cos youre black, its more likely you will get stopped by the police round here. The footage is five years old, but George Floyds death in america prompted ryans sister to put it online, where its been seen millions of times. The independent 0ffice for Police Conduct is investigating cambridgeshire police. Countless inquiries and reports tell us again and again racism is a problem in our society. The brixton riots led to lord scarmans indictment of racial disadvantage in inner cities. The killing of Stephen Lawrence saw macphersons castigation of the met police as institutionally racist. Discrimination in the workplace, deaths in police custody, bias across Wider Society and the criminaljustice system all got the same treatment. Bias in schools, and
the windrush review. Yet few recommendations have been implemented, and now more and more videos are appearing online highlighting problems with the police. Right, listen, open the vehicle, please, or we are going to have to put the windows in. Neomi bennetts car has been stopped late at night. Officers have blocked her path with their patrol vehicle in whats called a hard stop. Theres something in here that you are trying to hide. In a cell for 18 hours. But nothing illegal was found in her car and her conviction for obstructing the police has been overturned. An injury to me. Youre scaring the life out of me. The officers had no clue who they were stopping. Boris, can you just say hello to my son . Yes, whats his name . His names meshack. Hello, meshack. How are you . Neomi was awarded the British Empire medal for
services to nursing and went to downing street. All the police saw, she says, was her skin colour. And especially when i explained to the officer that i am a nurse and im not a criminal and they didnt accept that and they progressed it and then they ended up taking me back to the station and locked me up. I dont think that would happen to a white person. What do we want . Justice when do we want it . Now the met police says its assessing neomis complaint. But to understand racism, you have to try to walk in others shoes. Reporting on the black lives matter marches, i came across many whod beenjudged by the police. Ive never been stopped but i regularly get racist abuse as an employee of the bbc. The vilification isnt in the mind, it isnt about perceptions its real. Black lives matter listen to barrister leon lynch, stopped seven times in his life by police. The first when he was 14 and the last time aged 25
by armed officers. But the whole time throughout that incident i remember thinking to myself, here i am, a young, black, articulate man who knows the law. Who knows the law and yet im powerless to stop these officers. How many people are placed in situations like that that dont know the law, arent well spoken, havent been taught their rights by their parents beforehand . And it. It scares you. In the wake of George Floyds death, too many black people here say a few bad officers are tainting everyone. Events in america may have triggered a reckoning on both sides of the atlantic. Clive myrie, bbc news. A fund to pay for tutoring to help children in england to catch up with lessons lost during the lockdown is expected to be announced tomorrow. Headteachers say they havent been fully consulted and are warning that the plan needs to be properly funded and of sufficiently high quality to have any meaningful impact. 0ur education editor,
branwenjeffreys, has been taking a look at how it might work. So, if i have this sentence here, and it says, i went to london on saturday, can you see anything thats missing in this sentence . Ellie works as a tutor for a charity. Have a good look at it, let me know if you cant see it properly. Shes been helping ruby one to one in english and maths all supervised by rubys school. This kind of tutoring cant replace a teacher, but it can help build confidence. And thats going to be badly needed, because by this summer, most children will already have missed four months of school. Shes helping me with maths. Weve got to do fractions and everything, and shesjust helping me with them. Rubys mum, emma, says the sessions have been a lifeline. Im her mum, not a teacher. So she wont listen to me. Some things i cant explain, because her works quite hard for her age. So theres things, like, i dont know what. So, her confidence has gone a little bit, hasnt it, with your work . This is brilliant because its one to one, she wont just walk away and think, i cant do it. Excellent, where would the comma go . To pay for more tutors like ellie, a nationalfund is expected. The challenge whether enough can be trained in time to meet childrens needs. I think it will really help at least give them that boost in confidence to go back to school. I think its really scary for students to have that pressure of going back if they havent had that school environment, especially the classroom environment. At this birmingham school, the worry is childrens health. Activities like this are part of their plans for summer school. Some of our families have been in and not left their homes for 11 weeks. They need the space. They need the space, they need routines. So, were hoping that the summer programme, whatever that might look
like, and the support from the government, will be around physical and mental well being. Back in school to meet a teacher, year 10 aamnah. Her dad keen that she catches up before gcses next year. Theres a lot of pressure, and the exams are getting harder each year. And we are missing out on quite a lot. Obviously me as a parent, and aamnah as a student, doesnt mind giving part of her summer to be able to come to school and catch up. Right, morning, everyone. And still, in england, no one knows when or how theyll all be back in class. Branwen jeffreys, bbc news. John bolton, one of the most prominent and experienced National Security experts in the usa, a man who served as president trumps National Security adviser until last year, has written a book which contains a series of damning allegations about the trump administration. He accuses the president , among other things, of seeking chinese help to get re elected later this year. White house lawyers have been trying to prevent publication,
as our north america correspondent, nick bryant, reports. He was Donald TrumpsNational Security adviser a staunch conservative his Foreign Policy right hand man. Butjohn bolton is now publishing a tell all memoir that reads like an indictment of the president. Among the damning allegations is that donald trump pleaded with his chinese counterpart, xijinping, at the g20 summit injapan to help him achieve victory in this years president ial election. Its been reported he said, make sure i win. In the midst of a trade dispute, there was hammering american farmers, he wanted the chinese to buy Agricultural Products from rural states, vital for his reelection. The book claims there were embarrassing gaps in Donald TrumpsForeign Policy knowledge and that at a meeting with theresa may in 2018, he expressed surprise that britain was a nuclear power. Another allegation is that
donald trump offered to stop a criminal investigation into a turkish company, as a personal favour to president erdogan. And was easily flattered by other authoritarian leaders such as vladimir putin. I think putin thinks he can play him like a fiddle. I think putin is smart, tough, i think he sees that hes not faced with a serious adversary here. I dont think hes worried about donald trump. John is a. He has strong views on things, but thats ok. This was donald trump speaking warmly aboutjohn bolton before he left the white house. But today, the president called him a wacko, whose book is made up of lies and fake stories. He was a disgruntled boring fool who only wanted to go to war but never had a clue. What a dope. Why you keep hiring people that you believe are donald trump remained stony faced tonight as journalists asked him to address these bolton bombshells