Are being thrown a lifeline our top stories this week, with 135 of those most at risk of closing the us house of representatives getting emergency funding. Votes to pass an emergency bill to inject 25 billion into americas cash strapped postal service. The troubadour in london, where adele and ed sheeran lithuania and poland deny claims that nato performed early gigs, is building up its forces along and the jacaranda in liverpool, where the beatles held their borders with belarus. Early rehearsals, are among the recipients of the governments culture recovery fund. Heres lizo mzimba with more. President trump declares californias wildfires a major disaster artists ranging from granting federal funds to victims whove lost their homes. Chrissie hynde to paul young, tiktok takes on trump and bands ranging from the Chinese Company behind motorhead to u2, have played the social media app says here at the horn in st albans. It will sue the us government. Its one of 135 music and footballs venues across england that biggest club match, the Champions League final, are receiving emergency grants takes place later on sunday from the government. Behind closed doors. The moneys been welcomed by hard hit venues that might otherwise be facing closure over the next few months. After that, though, theres still uncertainty. Whether its going to be enough long term, i doubt it. Because were never going to get back to 100 normality very quickly, so i would think there would have to be extra funding put in place Going Forward from march, spring, next year, going into next year. Smaller grassroots venues are seen as an essential part of the industry. Places that are receiving the emergency cash include modern venues, like camp and furnace in liverpool, and historic bush hall in london, once a rehearsal space for the likes of the who and cliff richard, more recently used for socially distanced gigs which could then be viewed online by fans. Sites the government has decided need priority funding. Its over £3 million that we are giving to those venues who are right up against the wall now, and need the cash, before the allocation of the full amount, £1. 57 billion, a record investment in our culture. That figure of more than £1. 5 billion is the total allocated to the governments culture recovery fund, which aims to help areas, including the performing arts and theatres, museums, galleries and independent cinemas, all cope with the impact of coronavirus. Lizo mzimba, bbc news. Now on bbc news its witness history, where we hear from five people who have experienced important moments in history, including ajewish woman who found refuge in britain after she was transported out of nazi germany. Hello and welcome to witness history with me, razia iqbal, here at the Royal Academy in london. Today well hear from five people who have witnessed incredible moments in history. Coming up the soldiers who fought for the british but were not allowed to settle in britain. The last days of the sri lankan civil war, the first latin american coup, backed by the us, and when the soviet union banned alcohol. But first, to a story of love, hope and sacrifice. From 1938 until the start of the Second World War in 1939, thousands ofjewish children were sent from europe to the uk. Most of them travelled without their parents, fleeing the rise of the nazis. Dame Stephanie Shirley was only five years old when she said goodbye to her mother, never knowing if she would see her again. Newsreel 200 boys and girls with a greeting to england and the land of the free. They are between the ages of five and 17, the advanced guard of the first 5000 jewish and non aryan child refugees from germany have been provided with a temporary home here, while arrangements are made forthem to immigrate. Everybody always said, arent you lucky . Arent you lucky . Indeed we were. Sometimes, when ive been asked my date of birth, ive said 1939 because, to me, my life started then. The kinder transport was an amazing rescue mission, set up by christian and jewish activists, who brought nearly 10,000 mainlyjewish children out of nazi europe. I was five years old and i was one of those children. My family was secularjewish. We had moved over quite a bit of europe, starting from dortmund where my father was a judge and hed been fired in 1933 and finished up in vienna, my mothers home city. I think it was clear thatjews in Central Europe faced catastrophe. There was an announcement that there had been a concession over the nazis to allow children up to the age of 16 to leave without their parents. We knew something was afoot and we were going to england. I can remember the scene at the station of many, many families, mostly weeping, some wailing. I believe most parents did not expect to see their children again. My mother did not cry, nor did we. I was with my sister, renata, who was ten years old. I clutched her, i was scared. We had an overnight crossing to harwich and then another train to Liverpool Street station. When we got off the train, the platform was silent. Youve got 1,000 children tired and smelly after two and a half days, absolutely exhausted. There was no chatter, no noise. Eventually children were called and off we went with our new parents. We were among the last to be claimed. We were fostered by a lovely english couple in the midlands of england, who had seen a photograph in a local paper of my sister and i with just a few lines underneath, saying, two sisters, well brought up, seeking a home, can you help . They couldnt speak a word of german, i couldnt speak a word in english. I was traumatised, they were nervous, it was pretty grim. My feelings with just of being disturbed and being my feelings were just of being disturbed and being with strange people, of not understanding what was going on. When was i going to see my mother again . We were reunited after about 12 months or so and we lived with our natural parents. When i was in my teens. As i think happens quite often they separated families, i never really bonded with them again and that i really mourn. The act of sending your children away is a fantastic act of love. It didnt seem like it at the time but it is the most loving thing a parent can do. The former child refugee dame Stephanie Shirley. Next we hear the story of the first latin american coup, organised by the us government. President president Jacobo Arbenz of guatemala had proposed land reforms that were seen as a threat to americas united fruit company. He was labelled a communist in the company wanted him removed. His son, also called jacobo, remembers when his fathers government was overthrown in 195a. Translation i was only seven years old when my father was overthrown in the coup, organised by the cia. I remember having to hide under the bed during the bombing. My parents did their best not to worry us but we soon realised how serious things were and the dangers that we faced. Guatemala was a very backwards country, based on a colonial, almost feudal system. One of the first things that my father, colonelJacobo Arbenz did as president , was to bring in reforms to modernise farming. Americas united fruit company, which had Enormous Economic power in guatemala at the time did not like the changes. They became very upset when they saw that their monopoly was being affected. This was the time of the cold war, so they took advantage of this to label my father a communist, which was totally untrue and that is how they promoted and justified the idea of an invasion. Newsreel aircraft parachute meagre supplies to the airstrip as the rebels tried to oust the government. The shabbily clad, poorly trained troops from honduras over ran the sleepy town. Translation the basic plan of the cia was to promote an invasion from neighbouring honduras. They trained mercenaries in the us and in honduras, too. At first, when they crossed into guatemala, the army managed to beat them back. My father spent most of the time in the ministry of defence. I remember him always looking very worried, pacing up and down, smoking, trying to work out what to do next. When aeroplanes started bombing guatemala city, my father moved us out of the president ial palace and then his fellow officers got scared and told him, colonel, we can no longer support you. Carrying anti communist banners, jubilant soldiers celebrate victory following their two week revolt in guatemala. My father resigned as president onjune the 27th may 195a. Translation i have taken a momentous decision for our country in the hope that it will halt the invasion and bring peace back to guatemala. I remember that my sisters and i were only allowed to take a few toys with us when we left. Unfortunately, the invasion and the coup had a terrible lasting effect on our family but also on the guatemalan people. My sisters took it all very badly and resented what had happened. As a result, in 1965, one of them took her own life and the other one did the same in 200a. My father died a very bitter man, disappointed that what he had tried to do for guatemala had been so misunderstood. Jacobo arbenz with his memories of the first latin american coup organised by the cia. Now to south asia and the final days of the civil war in sri lanka. For more than two decades, the army had fought the tamil tiger rebels. In 2009, the Government Forces began to close in on them. Thousands of civilians were trapped alongside rebel fighters, beyond the reach ofjournalists, aid workers and independent witnesses. Former United Nations official gordon vice remembers it as one of the worst situations hed ever encountered. Sri lankans government says it is close to winning the islands civil war after 25 years. The fighting has been intense and bloody. In a 25 year civil war, there had been many terrible episodes. This final few months of the war was by far the most bitter and the most vicious. 250,000 people caught in the middle, hungry, frightened, tired. Many of them on the run from fighting for up to a year. Some of them had been displaced 10 or 15 times. I had worked in a number of conflict zones before and since the war in sri lanka but the sri lankan experience was unique. The conflict on the island has pitted the government, based in colombo and dominated by the sinhalese majority against the tamil tigers. Theyd been fighting in the north for a state for ethnic minority tamils. The tamil tigers or ltte have been ruthless, pioneers in suicide bombings. They also stand accused of conscripting child soldiers but the government has been using brutal methods of its own. The offensive opened with very heavy bombardment, breaking up the tamil tiger positions and rolling the civilian population back. The un had fairly good access to these areas back in september 2008, the un was told in no Uncertain Terms that it needed to move its International Offices out of the siege area. The purpose was to ensure they were not independent witnesses to what was going to happen. This footage was released by pro tamil groups yesterday. It claims to show carnage caused when shells hit a clinic. It is impossible to know for sure when or where the footage was shot. The tigers claim the army is using heavy weapons. The government says that is a lie and these imagesjust propaganda. On one particular day we had very graphic descriptions from the doctors, who were managing the hospitals inside the zone about a very heavy bombardment that had taken place in which dozens and dozens of civilians had been killed and injured and that was the day that we declared that there had been a bloodbath. The government was very unhappy with us. They began to threaten to expel various un officers myself included. My reaction was, even if a proportion of those images and reports of people getting out where true, the impact on civilians was clearly very high. This was a classic siege, of course. The tamil tigers obviously had an interest in not allowing civilians to cross the front lines into government territory, because that was the one thing that was really standing between them and defeat. The International Community had a great deal of ambivalence about what was going on because they wanted to see the tamil tigers destroyed as well. The tamil tigers were a listed terrorist organisation. In the last few days, more and more civilians were able to escape the siege zone. The siege then became smaller till it was a patch and a couple of hundred square metres. A symbolic moment. Sri lankan movements meeting today and cutting the tamil tigers last hope of escape. We had been caught between these two opposing sides, enemies who were literally intent on destroying each other and the un were stuck in the middle. It was an experience that never leaves you. Former United Nations official gordon vice. Remember, you can watch witness history every month on the bbc news channel or you can catch up on all our films, along with more than 1,000 radio programmes in our online archive. Just Search Online for bbc witness history. Now to a story of triumph over injustice. For over 200 years, soldiers from the small south asian country of nepal fought and died for the British Armed forces. The soldiers are known as gurkhas and more than 200,000 fought in the two world wars. It is only in 2009 they were actually given the right to settle in the uk. One major remembers the Long Campaign for equal treatment for gurkhas. Outside parliament, the home secretary finally ran up the white flag, government surrender on the gurkhas terms. All former gurkhas who have served more than four years will now be eligible to apply for settlement in the uk. When the announcement was made in 2009, everyone was really happy, exuberant with the news. I would call it a half baked victory. I served in the brigade of gurkhas for that he one years. Nepal allows recruitment into the british army. Nowhere we do see this arrangement into the whole world. The gurkha movement says, better to die than be a coward. Gurkhas have fought and died for the british irish since 1918. They had 20,000 casualties in the great war. We are an integral part of the British Armed forces but we have never been treated equally. We have our own terms and conditions of service. The way we were courted, a family life, barix. The pay we received was one third of what the british received. We had no right to settle in the uk. We felt like second class citizens. Having served the british loyally, people were being deported and that was really scary. They were living in fear day and night because they did not have any status. Last weekend a home office deported a former gurkhas. Despite 13 years of service in the british army. It was a disgrace. Theyve been in the British Forces for nearly 200 years. The bravest soldiers i ever served with. Disgraceful. We received massive support from the media and the british public. It has been a long battle. The government ruled only ghurkas who retired after 1997 could settle in britain. They took their battle to the doors of downing street. Over a quarter of a million signatures were on their petition. Still the government resisted untilJoanna Lumley took command. When Joanna Lumley got involved, she was instrumental. Her father served with my regiment. He was an officer in the 6th gurkha rifles. There was no gurkha present during this closed door meeting. We fought so hard for nine years and to be left out when the crucial policy was being made was a big let down in itself. Our campaign was for equality, pensions and settlement. It could be any gurkha. To actually be in the meeting, to see and hear what was discussed. Why did they come to the conclusion of settlement only . We are glad and thankful that the government did change its policy. We achieved what we thought would be impossible, i. E. Settlement rights for all the gurkhas across the world. We will now carry on for equal pension, and that is the last stand. This was the concluding chapter. It marked that we were now considered equal to the rest of the British Forces and that is certainly uplifting. Our final witness remembers a unique, if brief, name and in soviet history. In 1985, communist authorities restricted the sale of alcohol in the ussr to fight rising addiction. Three years later the campaign was abandoned as the soviet economy began to fail. We spoke to a former adviser to the essential committee of the communist party who helped to put the law into place. There used to be one image of the soviet work and this was it young, efficient and above all sober. Now there is another, half asleep and half way to get mania. A quarter of all workers would have a glass of vodka before going to work. This was widespread among our working class. The russians call alcohol the green snake and opening time the hour of the world. Put the two together and the results can be disastrous. I saw clearly that any country where a quarter of all workers are alcoholics, this country survives by killing its own people. That was very clear to me. The state makes billions in alcohol tax but the state has ordered its people to sober up. As someone who spoke to gorbachev often, i could tell he did not understand what the ussr was about. Of all the soviet Freedom Square only one was always there, the freedom to drink. Freedoms, only one. All russians love vodka. For years, ambulances have patrolled city streets by taking people to special drying centres, but medical facilities honoured to be improved. The Authorities Say they will fight this ugly phenomenon and remove from soviet life. Translation as part of the campaign, alcohol sales when emitted from the period from tpm to 7pm. Many wine shops were closed and most importantly only one bottle of vodka was sold per person. If you add a birthday party, you had to show your passport to prove it was really your birthday. About 1988, 1989, it became clear that the campaign was damaging. The soviet system simply collapsed. Millions of people lost theirjobs. In the soviet days, if a worker had a drink before going to work, at least there were some restraint on him in the workplace. With the collapse of the ussr there were no social structures any more and the alcoholic had Nothing Holding him back. We didnt understand it and neither did gorbachev. Remembering Interesting Times with the former president , mikhail gorbachev. That is all for this month. We will be back next month with more first hand accounts of more extraordinary moments in history. For now, from me and the rest of the team, goodbye. Out of nazi germany. Hello there. At the moment, the weather doesnt feel much like late summer. Over the weekend so far we have seen a mixture of sunshine and showers. Im sure rain has stopped play now and again across the country. And weve got more showers to come during the second half of the weekend. The big cricket match of course is taking place at southampton. England on top, hoping for some more wickets. And generally speaking, the day should be dry. There arent going to be many showers across this part of the country. And many places will start sunday dry with some sunshine. Soon getting showers, though, coming into northern ireland, and perhaps spilling now into southern scotland, Northern England, moving into the midlands and in the afternoon down towards the south east. Some of those showers could be heavy, possibly thundery. More sunshine for wales and the south west, the winds will be lighter on sunday, turning north westerly in scotland, but there should be very few showers away from the far south. But it will be quite cool air here, temperatures only 14 16 degrees. We could make 22 or 23 in the south east ahead of those heavy showers. Those will move away fairly quickly in the evening, linger a little bit longer across Northern England and then later in the night, well see some rain coming into wales and the south west, but some clearer spells elsewhere. A little bit cooler, though, i think, by monday morning, particularly in scotland. And quite chilly, actually, in the glens of scotland for this time of year. Mondays a messy day, i think weve got more cloud, some patchy rain in the morning moving eastwards across england and wales and then some sunny spells, a few showers around here and there. The winds will be quite light on monday. Again, temperatures may be making 17 in the central belt of scotland to a high of 21 in the south east of england. A fairly quiet day, but the changes overnight into tuesday, perhaps lingering into wednesday. Weve got more gales arriving across the uk, particularly in the south, and this is where were more likely to have some further trouble disruption. Another dose of wet and very windy weather, unusually windy for the time of year as a deep area of low pressure again sweeps its way across the uk. Rain arriving overnight, the winds picking up by the morning in the south west in particular, blowing that rain northwards, probably not reaching northern scotland. Away from here, though, the winds really picking up, particularly across wales, the midlands, southern england, gusts of 50, perhaps even 60mph around some of exposed coastal areas, too. A very bumpy ride again on tuesday, temperatures probably dont mean a great deal in that rain, its going to be pretty cold for most of the day, 00 28 41,936 2147483051 51 05,683 highs of 21 again 2147483051 51 05,683 4294966103 13 29,430 in the south east