Available for hospital patients across the uk. More than a thousand flights in and out of beijing have been cancelled, as fears grow of a fresh coronavirus outbreak. Eds the day football fans have been waiting for. The premier league restarts after three months away. Waiting for. The premier league restarts after three months awaylj am live at the Etihad Stadium as Manchester City prepared to take on arsenal, albeit from behind closed doors. Sleepwalking into a Cashless Society. As a new scheme launches, well hear the concerns of the woman in charge of making access to cash easier for communities that struggle to get money in the palm of their hands. Good morning. Weve had a lot of low cloud, mist, and fog roll in from the north sea overnight. It will burn back to the coast where it will lingerfor burn back to the coast where it will linger for some burn back to the coast where it will lingerfor some bring the burn back to the coast where it will linger for some bring the day. Burn back to the coast where it will lingerfor some bring the day. For most it is a dry, bright, sunny start during the day. As temperatures rise those thunderstorms will get going once again. I will have all the details at 27 minutes past. Good morning. Busy programme for you this morning. Its wednesday the 17th ofjune. Our top story the footballer Marcus Rashford has vowed to continue speaking up for disadvantaged families after he successfully campaigned for children in england to continue receiving Free School Meals over the summer. The Manchester United and england star said he was shocked and grateful that his campaign, which he talked about exclusively on breakfast, prompted a government u turn. John mcmanus reports. The premier leagues about to resume but Marcus Rashford has already scored a major goal thats got more than just football fans are setting up than just football fans are setting up and taking notice. Hes open letter calling for Free School Meal vouchers in england to be continued over the Summer Holidays was a skilful piece of footwork that forced the government to concede. More than1 forced the government to concede. More than 1 million children will benefit. At the man united player was characteristically modest as he spoke exclusively to bbc breakfast. That must make you feel like you have achieved an incredible thing . Yes, yes, its a nice feeling. But imjust yes, yes, its a nice feeling. But im just not happy that, you know, peoples lives and peoples summers, especially, will be changed for the better. That was the important thing that id try to change going into it. Last week, the Prime Minister was still insisting he wouldnt change his mind over the meal vouchers. But by yesterday Boris Johnson appeared to have thought again. I talked to Marcus Rashford today and congratulated him on his campaign which, to be honest, they only became aware of very recently, today. And i thank you for what is done. Why do think its right that we should be looking after families of the most vulnerable, the neediest, right now. Labours welcomed the change of heart. Neediest, right now. Labours welcomed the change of heartm neediest, right now. Labours welcomed the change of heart. It was obvious that there was a need for this Free School Meals. They should never have put that in jeopardy. We had to push them all the way. But Marcus Rashford played a really important part in that. So far, Marcus Rashford seems to have avoided all the usual criticism that sportsday should stay out politics, mainly by insisting that this wasnt about politics. Among those lending in the support, gary lineker, who said it was great to see Manchester Uniteds number 10 changing policy at numberio, uniteds number 10 changing policy at number 10, Extraordinary Campaign and went for the brilliant Marcus Rashford. Rival city congratulated rashford. Rival city congratulated rashford. And olympic gold medallist denise lewis told him he had accomplished so much, but this was a beautiful thing. This doesnt appear to be the end of his campaign though. You achieve this incredible thing in such a short space of time. You have a platform. Whats next . I think, obviously, this is only going to be successful throughout the summer to be successful throughout the summer period and then, you know, weve bought ourselves an extra six weeks of time there to figure out whats next and how we keep taking steps forward, because they dont wa nt steps forward, because they dont want it to be, dont want this to be the end of it, you know, because there are definitely more steps that need to be taken and so we just need to analyse the response. John mcmanus, bbc news. Three things a pickup that, just that little chat, sally was chatting to marcus last night and we will talk to later in the programme stop one, great slippers. Ithought talk to later in the programme stop one, great slippers. I thought you might like the slippers. Ive approved greatly. They are co mforta ble. Approved greatly. They are comfortable. Two, he is so humble, so comfortable. Two, he is so humble, so understated. Any support he has got across the board, from rivals is about being a good guy. |j got across the board, from rivals is about being a good guy. I think he is shocked by the response. And his mum is so proud of him. Three, thunder was coming down, cats and dogs when sally was doing that interview, the sun was shining on Marcus Rashford. I am that slippers we re Marcus Rashford. I am that slippers were your number one. Our Political Correspondent nick eardleyjoins us now from westminster. Nick, im sure you appreciate the slippers as well. What was interesting was the press conference yesterday, borisjohnson came in talking about dexamethasone. This is the transformative drug, but you look at the front pages this morning, Marcus Rashford is on there and this u turn. Morning, Marcus Rashford is on there and this uturn. Yeah, absolutely. And it looks like sallys original interview with Marcus Rashford was pretty important in the Prime Ministers decision making. I hear that he watched it yesterday morning before the big meeting he has with his inner team where they discuss the coronavirus response. Then he had cabinet and it was early afternoon that we political journalists were told there had been theirs u turn and they were now going to find these Free School Meals for kids in england over the summer meals for kids in england over the Summer Holidays. The Prime Minister also brought up that interview in his call with Marcus Rashford last night. So it has clearly had a big impact on Boris Johnson. Night. So it has clearly had a big impact on borisjohnson. What happens now is if you are an eligible child in england you will get a six week voucher which will last you the Summer Holidays. There will be similar schemes in scotland and wales and we think there will be one in Northern Ireland as well. There are trying to figure out where the money comes from at the moment. Using different pages morning, obviously Marcus Rashford had a really big impact in this. Yesterday, things started to change as well, because labour were really on the front foot on this with the government. There are a lot of conservative politicians who were really u nco mforta ble conservative politicians who were really uncomfortable with the way the government was trying to defend the government was trying to defend the policy of not funding these Free School Meals. It has raised a few questions about the Prime Ministers judgement and why they didnt get on top of this earlier. But absolutely a big win for Marcus Rashford. Ive got to say, as well as is slippers i was jealous of his garden, so well kept. It was mine like that. You know what, all you have done now is cast aspersions on your own gardening abilities and the state of your garden. It is later. Thanks very much, nick. I love the way we are getting into the meaty issues this morning, slippers, gardening. Well be speaking to the Health Secretary, matt hancock, at 7 30. Iam not i am not sure slippers will come up. Obviously mentioning the Marcus Rashford news, but Something Else were talking about this morning. A breakthrough drug which has been proven to help the most severely affected coronavirus patients is being dispensed across the uk. The steroid, called dexamethasone, is cheap, widely available, and has been used in britain since the 1960s. Research led by Oxford University found that it cuts the risk of death by a third for patients on ventilators. This is a result that can save lives tomorrow, during the course of the next week, immediately in all parts of the world. The second thing is, from a sort of science point of view and giving us hope for the future, which is its the first time weve had a treatment that improves survival. And that offers the hope that there will be other drugs that will produce further improvements beyond that to. Will produce further improvements beyond that to. More than 1000 flights in and out of beijing have been cancelled by chinese officials as they try to contain a fresh outbreak of coronavirus in the city. Schools have been ordered to close and residents have been urged not to leave the capital, which had previously gone 50 days without any local transmission of covid i9. The latest cases are linked to a wholesale food market. Brazil has reported a Record Number of new coronavirus cases over the past 2a hours nearly 35,000. The country, second only to the us in the number of infections and deaths, is on course to register a million cases by the end of the week. More than 16,000 people in brazil have died with the disease. The met office has issued further yellow weather warnings for thunderstorms this afternoon, after heavy rain and lightning struck parts of the uk yesterday. These pictures show heavy rain in manchester last night and lightening near birmingham. Warnings are in place from midday today until nine this evening, with the possibility of further flooding and disruption to road networks. Carol will have more on that later. I loved the thunderstorms last night. You are one of those. Stand out in the rain type person. Three children, two love it. How about the dog . She is ok. A bit too dopey to realise. Its been exactly 100 days since premier League Football was suspended because of the coronavirus pandemic and today its back, but it will look and feel very different. How are you feeling, dan . It will be strange. Im glad they will finish it. Hopefully it is all safe and that side is taken care of. So long as that is fine its ok. Premier League Football is was suspended because of the pandemic. It will look and feel very different. No supporters will be allowed inside stadiums and all 92 matches are being broadcast live on television. Janes at Manchester Citys Etihad Stadium for us this morning to look ahead to the restart. Good morning to you, jane. Good morning. It has been such a long wait, hasnt it . Imagine the logistics that have been involved in ensuring the premier leagues project restart gets off without a hitch and, of course, safely. Here at the etihad Manchester City will host arsenal later on tonight. The earlier kick off is that villa park we re earlier kick off is that villa park were aston villa will take on Sheffield United. Those matches, as you mentioned, are going to have a very, very different look and feel to them in orderfor very, very different look and feel to them in order for them to very, very different look and feel to them in orderfor them to go ahead. Just imagine the logistics of enduring this stadium is a safer two different teams to play when social distancing isnt going to be able to actually happen on the pitch. Here at the etihad it has been deep cleaned inside and pitch side and since training resumed, under the premier leagues protocol, players have been tested twice a week for coronavirus. At the Training Ground there has even been a testing station for players to undergo as they arrive. And when they have arrived for training they have been seen arrived for training they have been seen by the club doc for temperature checks and a Health Questionnaire while in their cars and when they have left they have to put on gloves and masks as well while walking around, there are sprayed instructions on the ground saying you must go this way, you cannot go this way, so they can familiarise themselves with where they can and cannot go. So dont forget, though, that both managers are acutely aware of how m porten Safety Measures are. Mikel arteta was diagnosed with having coronavirus at the start of the pandemic in britain how important. And Pep Guardiolas mother very sadly passed away after being diagnosed with coronavirus as well. As you mentioned, there itself, no fans there, it means that when there are celebrations plays cant celebrate with each other but there will be a specific camera they can celebrate into to try and interact with the fans. So very different but i think everyone is relieved that football is back in some form or other. Indeed, jane, thank you so much. What im thinking now is how do they practise the faces when they do their celebrations to the camera . That is the most important thing. Slippers and faces. The most important things. We can talk to sally now. Sally, its been a rather eventful two days since your interview with Marcus Rashford was broadcast. He is changing policy at number 10. What a remarkable days it has been for him. A few days it has been for him. And you spoke again to him last night. Yes. My feel a bit shellshocked by the way can only imagine how Marcus Rashford this morning was not well, they know how he feels because we were around at his house last night to get his reaction to the u turn. Wasnt it an Interesting Development of events . Niggardly was taking you through it a short time ago. We were very, very to speak to Marcus Rashford many months ago when he got involved in a Literacy Campaign that we were working on and again when he wanted to talk about the situation with Free School Meals, was with him late on sunday night. Just put it into a little bit of conscience, is less than week since he tweeted the words does anybody know how to talk to somebody about Free School Meals . So to be the place where we are now is really rather incredible. As i said, i went to catch up with him last night. This is what he had to say. When you heard the news, how surprised were you . When you heard the news, how surprised were you . |j when you heard the news, how surprised were you . I was obviously, obviously shocked. Its a big decision for someone to make and im just grateful that the Prime Minister did change his decision and, you know, he understood and i spoke to him earlier on today and thanked him for that and, yeah, it was a nice conversation to have with him and we understood each other. How did that chat go . And does he phone up and say, hi, marcus, its boris . No, he wasjust obviously saying thank you for using what ive sort of built in a positive manner and, you know, sort ofjust thanking each other really, because he didnt have to do what he did and neither did i. So he wasjust grateful that someone did i. So he wasjust grateful that someone had basically had an opinion and shared it with people and, you know, just been that voice for people that didnt really have the platform to speak out as much as they would have liked to. Are you aware that the way borisjohnson was informed about your campaign was he was actually played the interview that we did the other night . Yeah, he mentioned that on the phone. And he mentioned that on the phone. And he just he mentioned that on the phone. And hejust said he mentioned that on the phone. And he just said thats what sort of moved him, really, because he probably understood it a little bit more, hearing it from someone, rather than just reading it or hearing about it. So i think that was obviously a key factor to in his decision. That must make you feel like youve achieved an incredible thing. Its a nice feeling, but im just more happy that peoples lives and peoples summers are going to be changed for the better. That was the important thing that i try to change going into it. And, you know, coming at the end of it now its something that its obviously a proud moment. Your mum, obviously, we talked at length about your mum the other night. What has she said to you ab