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  Published Date: 2020-08-18 

 The four-day virtual Democratic National Convention kicks off Monday evening with a “We The People” theme. Featured speakers will include former first lady Michelle Obama, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn (D-SC), Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, and former Republican Ohio Governor John Kasich. Stay tuned to Breitbart News for live updates throughout the evening. All times eastern. — 12:20 AM: Dana Perino, Chris Wallace praise Michelle Obama’s speech: 11:30 PM: The @MichelleObama speech was recorded before @KamalaHarris was selected as running mate. That’s why she wasn’t mentioned in the speech, aides tell me, which was intended to serve as a character witness for @JoeBiden — Jeff Zeleny (@jeffzeleny) August 18, 2020 11:05 PM: CNN’s Dana Bash says Michelle Obama went for the “jugular” by hitting Trump on all of his insecurities like losing the popular vote. 10:55 PM: Michelle Obama says things can get worse and if we want to end the “chaos,” we have to vote for “Joe Biden like our lives depend on it.” She says we have to vote for Joe Biden in numbers that cannot be ignored because the Republicans are trying to stop us from voting. She says it is also not a time to play games with candidates who have no chance of winning. She asks voters to vote for Biden like they voted for Obama in 2008 and 2012. If we want to end the chaos and division—and keep alive the possibility of progress on the issues we hold dear—we’ve got to vote for @JoeBiden and @KamalaHarris like our lives depend on it. Register today by texting VOTE to 30330. https://t.co/xPu5o0SYLJ — Michelle Obama (@MichelleObama) August 18, 2020 She says Biden will govern as someone who has lived the life that the rest of us can recognize. She now goes over Biden’s many tragedies. She says Biden knows the anguish sitting at a table with an empty chair. 10:54 PM: Michelle Obama still says going high is the only tactic that works because if we use the same tactics of degrading others, we degrade ourselves. But she says going high does not mean putting on a smile and saying nice things when confronted with viciousness and cruelty. She says going high means “standing fierce against hatred.” “Going high is the only thing that works.” We can’t degrade ourselves by going low but it means “taking the harder path…unlocking the shackles of lies and distrust.” – #MichelleObama — Maya Wiley (@mayawiley) August 18, 2020 She says “Donald Trump is the wrong president for our country.” She says Trump is “clearly in over his head” and “cannot meet this moment… It is what it is.” She says her message will not be heard by some people in a divided nation because she is a “black woman speaking a the Democratic National Convention.” Former first lady Michelle Obama: “Let me be as honest and clear as I possibly can. Donald Trump is the wrong president for our country. He has had more than enough time to prove that he can do the job, but he is clearly in over his head.” https://t.co/NFCK2ZqNNI #DemConvention pic.twitter.com/9wRWB9G4Qf — ABC News (@ABC) August 18, 2020 10:45 PM: Michelle Obama says she is one of a handful of people living today who has seen the immense weight and awesome power of the presidency. She says the job is hard and it requires clear-headed judgment and a devotion to facts and history and a moral compass and an ability to listen. It also requires a belief that every life has meaning and worth. She says the president’s words have the power to move markets or start wars or broker peace. She says you can’t fake your way through the job. She says being president does not change who you are, it reveals who you are. She says a presidential election can reveal who we are. She says Americans sent someone to the Oval Office who lost the popular vote and we’ve all been living with the consequences. She talks up Obama’s accomplishments and says the Obama administration prevented an Ebola outbreak from becoming a global pandemic. She says the state of the nation is very different four years later because of a virus Trump downplayed for too long. Michelle Obama says simply stating that a black life matter is met with “derision” from the White House. She says we get division, chaos, and a total lack of “empathy” from the White House. She says kids are wondering if their parents are lying to them when they tell them what is right and wrong because they are now watching people fighting over masks, calling police on innocent people of color…she says they are watching in horror as children are thrown in cages, white supremacists are carrying torches, and pepper spray and rubber bullets are used on peaceful protesters for a photo-op. She says the nation, under Trump, is underperforming on matters of policy and character and that is infuriating. 10:35 PM: Sanders, speaking from Vermont, speaks about confronting systemic racism and climate change. Sanders says Trump cannot even lead during these crises but is leading the country down the path of authoritarianism. He says we need a movement like never before to fight for democracy and decency and against greed, oligarchy, and bigotry. Sanders says we need Biden as our next president. Sanders tells his supporters in 2020 and 2016 and says what was radical is now mainstream but if Trump gets elected all of the progress they have made will be in jeopardy. Sanders says this election is about “preserving democracy” because, under Trump, the “unthinkable has become normal.” He rips Trump’s negligent response to this pandemic and says Nero fiddled while Rome burned and Trupm golfs. Sanders says that together we must build a nation that is more equitable, compatible, and inclusive. He says he knows Biden will begin that fight on day one. He hypes various economic policies Biden supports–like raising the minimum wage and making it easier for workers to join unions. He says Biden will rebuild the infrastructure. Sanders says Biden will end the demonization of immigrants, the coddling of white nationalists, the religious bigotry, and the ugly attacks on women. Sanders tells his supporters and those who voted for Trump that the future of our economy, country, and planet is at stake. He says the price of failure is just too great to imagine. 10:30 PM: Rep. Cedric Richmond (D-LA), a Biden campaign co-chair, says when we talk about the economy, it is about people who didn’t inherit millions from their parents being able to have a fair shot. Richmond says Biden knows what it is like to live in a real neighborhood instead of penthouses. He says Biden knows what it’s like to commute to work instead of being chauffeured. Richmond says Biden understands the “dignity of work.” An Amtrak employee then talks about how Biden feels most comfortable around working people. DNC video highlights how Biden took the Amtrak to work for 30 years and features various Amtrak employees who give testimonials about how Biden treated the conductor the same as he would the president of the United States. 10:28 PM: Democrats who ran against Biden now praising him as an empathetic leader. 10:22 PM: Klobuchar says she believe the right to vote is fundamental and the post office is essential. She says Trump may hate the post office but he will have to send the post office a change of address form after November. KLOBUCHAR: "We need a president who, in George Floyd’s memory, instead of using the Bible as a prop, will heed its words: to act justly." — Ryan Struyk (@ryanstruyk) August 18, 2020 10:18 PM: Longoria talks about the importance of the Post Office and mail-in voting. Sen. Cortez-Masto (D-NV) says voting by mail has been a secure option for decades despite what Trump says. She says even Trump has requested an absentee ballot twice this year. She says her home state took the advice of scientists and experts and put in a vote-by-mail system and accuses Trump of threatening to withhold federal funds from Nevada because of their vote-by-mail system. 10:15 PM: Sen. Doug Jones (D-AL) speaks about John Lewis and talks about convicting klansmen who killed black in a church bombing. He speaks about politicians “trying to pit us against each other.” Jones says he has known Biden for more than 40 years and says Biden has been his friend and champion. 10:10 PM: Kasich, at a fork in the road, says America is at a crossroads. He says continuing to follow Trump’s path will be bad for America’s soul because he has pitted one against the other unlike other presidents who have sought to unite. He says what he has witnessed these last four years belies his principles and many can’t imagine going down Trump’s path. He says he has known Biden for 30 years and his story of “profound grief” that has defined him. He claims Biden will not go left and be influenced by the radical left. Kasich speaking from a fork in the road pic.twitter.com/5QXREMHwTi — Allan Smith (@akarl_smith) August 18, 2020 10:08 PM: Longoria says they will hear from “unexpected voices” and first up is former New Jersey Governor Christine Todd Whitman and Meg Whitman, who says Trump doesn’t know how to run a business. Former Rep. Susan Molinari says Biden is a “really good man” and is exactly what the nation needs at this time. She introduces Kasich. 10:03 PM: Michigan Governor Whitmer now speaking. She points out Trump referred to her as “that woman from Michigan.” She is speaking at a union hall and says auto workers there could have lost their jobs if not for Biden and Obama. She says they “saved the auto industry.” She says “science” and not “ego” will drive Biden-Harris when they deal with the Coronavirus. 9:58 PM: After a segment on the importance of mail-in voting, Sarah Gideon, who is running to defeat Sen. Susan Collins (D-ME), introduces singer Maggie Rogers, who will now perform. 9:50 PM: DNC features a woman whose father died of the Coronavirus because he was a Trump supporter who believed Trump when he said the virus would go away. She says her father went to a karaoke bar and his “only pre-existing condition was trusting Donald Trump and for that he paid with his life.” She says he father was not alone. She says the Coronavirus revealed there are two Americas–the America Donald Trump lives in and the America her father died in…she says we need a leader who can have a data-driven response to the Coronavirus pandemic and “do his job to care.” She says one of the last things her father said to her was that he felt betrayed by Trump. 9:44 PM: After Longoria says “Joe knows about pandemics,” New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, who has gotten a free pass from the media, speaks about anti-semitism and anti-Latino and anti-immigrant sentiment. He says a strong body can fight off a virus and America’s divisions weakened it. He blames America’s “divisions” for creating Trump. He says the “European virus” infected the Northeast while Trump was focused on China. He says New York got “ambushed” by Trump’s negligence. Andrew Cuomo's actions caused the preventable deaths of thousands of New Yorkers, including helpless nursing home residents. Tonight, he gave a speech equating the coronavirus to a metaphor. #DemocraticConvention — Abigail Marone (@abigailmarone) August 18, 2020 9:39 PM: Clyburn, from South Carolina, talks about his decision to endorse Joe Biden and essentially give him the nomination. He speaks about a community still healing from the white supremacist shooting at Mother Emanuel AME Church. He speaks about a John C. Calhoun statue being removed and says we need a president who knows about profound loss and how to bounce back and how to translate that perspective into politics and solutions while prioritizing hard-working people. He says that’s why he stands with Joe and why he will always be an adopted son of South Carolina. 9:35 PM: Biden is interviewing various people like NAACP President Derrick Johnson, who says voting should be a Constitutional right. Gwen Carr, Eric Garner’s mother, tells Biden that when her son was murdered, there was a big uprising and then things settled down. She says we can’t let things settle down and hold the politicians’ feet to the fire. 9:26 PM: George Floyd’s family is featured. His brother says Floyd and numerous Black Americans killed by police should be alive today. Floyd’s brother asks for a moment of silence for all victims whose deaths did not go viral like his brother’s. 9:23 PM: DC Mayor Muriel Bowser, speaking in front of the “Black Lives Matter” plaza/street sign in the background, rips Trump for staging a photo-op with a Bible in front of a church. She says she is tired of a president “fanning the flames of racial division.” She says we have to un-do the laws that have codified structural racism. She says we can turn this reckoning into a “re-imagining” of the nation. She says Kamala Harris and members of George Floyd’s family stood with protesters at “Black Lives Matter Plaza.” 9:22 PM: DNC features a voter who voted for Trump in 2016 and registered as a Democrat because Trump’s rhetoric is “divisive” and “dangerous.” 9:16 PM: Rep. Gwen Moore (D-WI), from Milwaukee, WI, says she is speaking from where the women’s right to vote was first ratified. She says Democrats are gathered to “reclaim the soul of America.” 9:10 PM: Longoria is interviewing a small business owner from the PA suburbs whose business has been impacted by the Coronavirus. He says he doesn’t understand how we got here. Scott, a caterer from Swarthmore, kicking things off at the DNC. Met him when Biden came to Delaware County earlier this summer. Story: https://t.co/BnnAz7Ujrw pic.twitter.com/CMlCKAN1j9 — Julia Terruso (@JuliaTerruso) August 18, 2020 9:04 PM: Virtual pledge of allegiance and singing of the Star-Spangled Banner to open the convention. Invocation delivered by Reverend Gabriel Salguero of the Latino Evangelical Coalition. 9:01 PM: Actress Eva Longoria kicks off the convention by saying this is an election to “save democracy.” 8:55 PM: On CNN, Van Jones warns Democrats that Trump will not easy to beat. Jones has said he is scared that Trump will pull out another victory in November. 8:35 PM: Progressives upset there are more Republicans featured than Latinos or Muslims: 8:25 PM: Moment of Silence of George Floyd tonight: According to @DNC schedule, #GeorgeFloyd’s brothers Philonise and Rodney will hold moment of silence during first half hour of tonight’s opening ceremony.#NexstarDC — Raquel Martin (@RaquelMartinTV) August 17, 2020 Confirmed: Mark McCloskey, the St. Louis man who pointed a gun at protesters last month, will be speaking during the RNC next week. "Mr. McCloskey will be in full oratory splendor at the RNC," his lawyer Albert Watkins tells Wake Up To Politics. First reported by @jdawsey1. — Gabe Fleisher (@WakeUp2Politics) August 18, 2020 8:15 PM: AOC fundraising off of Kasich’s comments that AOC “doesn’t represent the Democratic Party”: Now @AOC is fundraising off of @JohnKasich speaking at the @DemConvention: "Kasich’s role is not to critique the leaders of our party, because he has dedicated his career towards undermining our core mission." pic.twitter.com/6tnPgCmU7m — Johnny Verhovek (@JTHVerhovek) August 17, 2020 8:00 PM: Other featured speakers tonight include: New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, who botched his state’s coronavirus response and essentially got a free pass from the establishment media; Sens. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), and Doug Jones (D-AL); Reps. Bennie Thompson (D-MS) and Gwen Moore (D-WI). They will advance the DNC’s “We The People” theme: This country is confronting a series of monumental challenges. The COVID-19 pandemic continues its rampage, tens of millions of people are out of work, and America is confronting the racial injustice that has marginalized too many people. Throughout our history, when we stand united, we can overcome anything. On Monday, we’ll hear from the many Americans who are rising up to take on these three crises, unite our country, and join Joe Biden in rebuilding the country and moving it forward. — DNC Chair Tom Perez wants to end caucuses: Tom Perez tells @AP that the 2020 caucuses should be the last the party ever holds. https://t.co/O58BeNKYsO — Christopher Cadelago (@ccadelago) August 17, 2020 — It's going to be very challenging for the #DNCConvention speakers to deliver speeches without a live audience. Speechwriters craft these convention speeches with the audience applause in mind. A speech's tempo and rhythm is punctuated by the audience's reaction to it. 1/ — Rebecca Mansour (@RAMansour) August 17, 2020 I'm curious to see how a pro convention speaker like @MichelleObama will deliver a speech without a huge crowd to respond to it. What kind of stagecraft will be used to compensate for the lack of live applause? Will it work? 2/ — Rebecca Mansour (@RAMansour) August 17, 2020 How can you deliver a stemwinder without a live audience to play to? Do you instead go smaller and play to the camera instead of the crowd? Do you deliver a shorter speech, tighter rhetoric, go for the heart? I guess we shall see. 3/ — Rebecca Mansour (@RAMansour) August 17, 2020 A preview of Michelle Obama’s speech and how the virtual convention will look like: — Springsteen featured at DNC: — Some Democrats not happy with non-Democrats at the convention. A virtual convention likely made it easier for the organizers to invite more Republicans. AOC rips Kasich after Kasich took a jab at her in an interview before his virtual DNC convention speech. It’s great that Kasich has woken up &realized the importance of supporting a Biden-Harris ticket. I hope he gets through to GOP voters. Yet also, something tells me a Republican who fights against women’s rights doesn’t get to say who is or isn’t representative of the Dem party. https://t.co/38h6JGpbMj — Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) August 17, 2020 We can build bridges & not lose sight of our values. It’s important to remember that Kasich is an anti-choice extremist. He 100% will (and has) signed away our reproductive rights the moment he has the opportunity to do so. He is not a friend to workers.https://t.co/7S8504VZcK — Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) August 17, 2020 The former Republican Congressmember endorsing Biden, and speaking tonight at the convention, is Susan Molinari, who was Google's top lobbyist in DC for several years. — David Dayen (@ddayen) August 17, 2020 Coca Cola convention officials give prime speaking slots to Pepsi executives, then wonder why some Coke fans are suddenly expressing second thoughts about buying Coke — David Sirota (@davidsirota) August 17, 2020 NEW per @DemConvention release@GovCTW, @MegWhitman, Former Rep. Susan Molinari and @JohnKasich are all GOPers speaking at the Dem convention tonight pic.twitter.com/kIZyo0biFZ — Johnny Verhovek (@JTHVerhovek) August 17, 2020 The chorus of Democrats calling for Bloomberg to be pulled from their convention schedule is growing, and now it includes former staffers who are suing the former New York mayor after he fired them at the end of his 2020 campaign. Our story: https://t.co/2YFUzEAjhc — Dan Merica (@merica) August 17, 2020 A slate of Republican speakers brought to you by the people who couldn't stop chanting "Bernie isn't even a Democrat!" — John Iadarola (@johniadarola) August 17, 2020 — Not many Latinos featured in prime time at the DNC: Correction: more Republicans on day one than Latinos the whole week https://t.co/pjkbaralao — Sawyer Hackett (@SawyerHackett) August 17, 2020 Joe Biden and Kamala Harris have a vision for our country’s future that includes investing in the Latino community. I’m grateful to kick off the #DemConvention by addressing fired up Latino Democrats. pic.twitter.com/DupNaVEbEL — Julián Castro (@JulianCastro) August 17, 2020 "I'd be lying to you if I said I wasn't disappointed that there aren't more Latinos and Latinas generally speaking on that program," Julián Castro says. "But more important than the speaking and talking is the doing." https://t.co/ojn9LWwtXt — MSNBC (@MSNBC) August 17, 2020 — Sanders tells The Nation progressives will hold Biden to his goal of being the “most progressive president since FDR” and adds that he will push Biden to take on the “corporate establishment”: Well, number one, the first absolute necessity is to defeat Donald Trump. Trump is the most dangerous president in American history. Trump is an authoritarian who is trying to undermine American democracy. Trump is a pathological liar. Trump does not understand or believe in the Constitution of the United States or the separation of powers. He does not respect Congress. He is a racist, a sexist, a homophobe, a xenophobe, and a religious bigot. For all those reasons and more, Trump must be defeated. My view is that after we elect Biden, what we’re going to do is everything that we possibly can to move his administration in a progressive direction. Biden has told me, and I would not say it if he hadn’t made the same statement publicly, that he intends to be the most progressive president since FDR. That’s a noble ambition, and our job is to hold him to that goal. I think millions of people are prepared to do that. Sanders on transformational change in the same interview: It is imperative that we not only deal with all of the injustices and inequalities that exist in our society today, which of course have been made worse by the pandemic and the economic meltdown, but it is also imperative that we start, in the 21st century, to rethink our value systems. What Roosevelt did in his State of the Union speech in 1944 was really quite extraordinary. For whatever reason—we were in the middle of a war then and, of course, he died a year later; the media was not particularly sympathetic—what he said back in 1944 has been largely forgotten. But what he said was extraordinarily profound and revolutionary. What he said is that, yes, our country has political freedom. We have a Constitution. We have a Bill of Rights. We have freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, freedom of religion, etc., and that’s all great. But what we have to do is go beyond just political rights and into economic rights. In other words, it’s not good enough that you just have the constitutional right to vote (that’s good!), to protest (that’s great!), to assemble (that’s wonderful!), and freedom of religion (great!). What we have got to be talking about, Roosevelt said in 1944, is that economic rights are human rights, and that means you are entitled, as an American, to decent housing, to decent health care, to a decent job, to a decent retirement. Economic rights are human rights, and you’re not going to be a really free person unless we guarantee those rights. That was an extraordinarily profound statement! What I tried to do in the 2020 campaign is talk about Roosevelt’s 1944 speech and how we make it relevant to the year 2020. DNC Chair Tom Perez says socialist Bernie Sanders’ input “was invaluable” in creating the Democrat platformhttps://t.co/qGncB4KKWu pic.twitter.com/hwvLMtyfcF — RNC Research (@RNCResearch) August 17, 2020 — Virtual convention a “gut punch” to Milwaukee, which had reportedly hoped $250 million would have been injected into its economy this week: Downtown Milwaukee restaurant owner Omar Shaikh envisioned overflowing crowds, packed dining rooms and a big payday when the Democratic National Convention came to town. Shaikh, chairman of the VISIT Milwaukee board, also saw the international attention hosting a convention would bring as a chance for the city along the shores of Lake Michigan to show the world how it’s evolved from a Rust Belt manufacturing hub to a thriving, diverse, modern community. “It would have been a game-changer,” he said. “There would have been people everywhere ready to spend, hundreds of millions of dollars coming into our city.” Now, with the convention that begins Monday nearly entirely online due to the coronavirus, Shaikh and Wisconsin Democrats, who a year ago triumphantly hoisted glasses of Milwaukee’s finest after winning the competition to host the convention, are crying in their beer. “It is a gut punch,” Shaikh said. “It’s almost like you get the call you (won) the lottery, but you can’t cash the ticket in.” The convention was originally to have taken place in July, attracted about 50,000 people to Milwaukee and injected about $250 million into the economy of the key presidential battleground state. It would have been the first time Milwaukee, a metropolitan area of 1.6 million, hosted a presidential nominating convention. 

  Published Date: 2020-08-18 

 Former first lady Michelle Obama delivered a gloomy pre-taped speech at the Democrat National Convention on Monday, lamenting the state of the country under President Donald Trump. “You know I hate politics. But you also know that I care about this nation,” she said during her speech endorsing former Vice President Joe Biden for president. Obama began her speech with a serious tone, focusing on the coronavirus pandemic and the jaded feeling in the country about politics. “Its a hard time and everyone’s feeling it different ways,” she began, acknowledging that it was “hard to tune into a political convention right now or politics in general.” Obama also claimed that because she was a black woman, some people would automatically discount her message and her endorsement of Biden. “Now, I understand that my message won’t be heard by some people,” she said. “We live in a nation that is deeply divided, and I am a black woman speaking at a Democratic convention.” Obama also spoke about the pain of watching President Donald Trump winning in 2016 despite losing the popular vote, knowing that so many Democrats in key battleground states did not vote. She said: Donald Trump is the wrong president for our country. He has had more than enough time to prove that he can do the job, but he is clearly in over his head. He cannot meet this moment. He simply cannot be who we need him to be for us. It is what it is. Obama pointedly noted that she loved her country “with all my heart,” but she said that Americans continue to struggle with injustice, racism, and pain. “They see people shouting in grocery stores, unwilling to wear a mask to keep us all safe. They see people calling the police on folks minding their own business just because of the color of their skin,” she said. Obama blamed President Trump for taking what she described as a successful presidency under her husband, President Barack Obama, and making it worse. “Four years later, the state of this nation is very different. More than 150,000 people have died, and our economy is in shambles because of a virus that this president downplayed for too long,” she said. She accused Trump of emboldening “torch-bearing white supremacists,” throwing “kids in cages,” and pepper-spraying “peaceful protesters” for a “photo op.” “Sadly this is the America that is on display for the next generation,” she said, noting that America was failing on “matters of character.” “That is not just disappointing, it’s downright infuriating,” she continued. The former first lady endorsed Biden, telling voters they should vote as if their lives depended on the results of the 2020 election. “If you think things cannot possibly get worse, trust me, they can and they will if we don’t make a change in this election,” she said. 

  Published Date: 2020-08-18 

 Monday on CNN, political analyst for the network Van Jones heaped praise on former first lady Michelle Obama’s speech closing the first night of the Democratic convention. Jones said, “It was an extraordinary speech. She’s beautiful. It was so beautiful. You know, she wasn’t just putting the president down, she was trying to pick the country up. She was speaking like a lot of moms across this country. You know, the heartbreak was there, the hope was there. You know, when she talks about Joe knows the anguish of sitting at a table with an empty chair, I mean, that goes deep. She was bringing something forward in the country that just hasn’t been here for a long time.” He added, “She talks about what the young people are seeing on their phones, seeing all these shootings, seeing all this disrespect, and the young people are beginning to give up on the country. So you’re seeing one of the most effective communicators in American life putting it all on the table, and it wasn’t just putting the president down. And the other thing is she talked about empathy. She wasn’t just siding that to Biden. She says, we all have empathy. That’s a feature of this country. I was just blown away by what she did, and she was building on the incredible performance of a lot of other people, but that was an extraordinary moment, I think, in American life, what she just did for this country.” Follow Pam Key on Twitter @pamkeyNEN 

  Published Date: 2020-08-15 

 Image copyright PA Media Thousands of holidaymakers have rushed back to the UK in a bid to avoid quarantine measures imposed on France, which came into force on Saturday. The 14-day isolation requirement from 04:00 BST also applied to people arriving from the Netherlands, Monaco, Malta, Turks and Caicos, and Aruba. Eurotunnel trains sold out and air fares were up to six times more than normal, but ferries increased capacity. France warned it would take "reciprocal measures". The Netherlands warned against all but essential travel to the UK once the restrictions came into force on Saturday, but it said it will not introduce reciprocal measures. The countries were targeted for quarantine restrictions because their infections rates exceeded 20 cases per 100,000 people over seven days, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said. There were reported to be about 160,000 British holidaymakers in France and the deadline left many travellers in a frantic rush for plane, train or ferry tickets costing hundreds of pounds. Kim Wells and his family were on one last ferries to arrive in the UK before the quarantine measures began - getting in to Newhaven from Dieppe in northern France with just eight minutes to spare. He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme he had a "pretty fraught 40 minutes" online after hearing of the restrictions through a BBC News alert. "I ended up booking a ferry on a pretty unfashionable route... it was impossible to get back on Eurotunnel, which was the way we went to France originally," he said. Mr Wells is a teacher and his wife a local government worker, and felt they should cut their holiday short to avoid having to quarantine as they are key workers. Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption British holidaymaker at Calais: "We cancelled our holiday to come home" Mr Wells said he was frustrated by the short notice the government gave of the rule change, adding: "I completely understand the decision, but I think 30 hours' notice and announcing it at 11 o'clock in the evening French time... was pretty unrealistic. "I don't really understand why they can't be a little bit more clear with the public about what the tipping point is, when we might perhaps be approaching the need to quarantine... Why not 48 or even 72 [hours] just to allow those who need to or want to get home, get home without rushing dangerously." Kate Mooney and her family arrived back at their home in Cornwall at about 01:00 BST after ending their holiday to France a week early. "Our immediate response was 'let's just stay and finish our holiday', and then we started to really consider what quarantine meant," she told BBC Breakfast. "There would be no way we could leave the house... that's when we decided we would come back." Image caption Kate Mooney and her family cut their holiday short by a week Tom Duffell, who runs a small business and ended his family holiday in Nice four days early, said social distancing had "gone out of the window" in the scramble for transport, with "huge queues" at the airport. Stephanie Thiagharajah, who returned to Kent from France, criticised the "manic" way the quarantine had been imposed and said the "risky" move had created "a huge amount of people coming at the same time". Image caption Ferry companies put on extra services to help thousands of Britons make their last-ditch journeys home Eurotunnel said 12,000 people tried to book tickets for its Channel Tunnel trains in the hour after the new rules were announced at about 22:00 BST on Thursday - compared with just hundreds normally. It increased its capacity on Friday but trains sold out. P&O Ferries told the BBC it had increased its capacity on its Spirit class ships, while DFDS Ferries added an extra four departures from Calais to help Britons return in time. Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption BBC journalist Pia Harold made a video diary as her family had to cut short their holiday On Friday, France reported 2,846 new coronavirus cases in 24 hours - the highest number since lockdown restrictions were eased. The seven-day average increased to 2,041, marking the first time it has surpassed 2,000 since 20 April. Clement Beaune, France's secretary of state for European affairs, tweeted that the UK's decision was a matter of "regret" for the French, but that he was hoping for a "return to normal as soon as possible". The travel industry, already damaged by the pandemic, also criticised the move. Gloria Guevara, president of the World Travel and Tourism Council, said the UK was lagging behind other countries that had "shunned quarantines" in favour of "comprehensive" testing programmes for everyone departing and arriving back into their respective countries. Shadow home secretary Nick Thomas-Symonds said while the Labour Party supports "evidence based measures" at the border, it was "vital" that No 10 had a "joined-up strategy" and "urgently" puts in place a specific deal to support the heavily impacted travel sector. He added: "That the government has still not put in place an effective track, trace and isolate system has made matters far worse and made it more likely that we are reliant on the blunt tool of 14-day quarantine." Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption How do I quarantine after returning from a holiday abroad? According to the data company Statista, people from the UK paid 10.35 million visits to France last year, putting it second behind Spain - with 18.12 million - in terms of popularity. The Foreign Office is now warning against all but essential travel to France. The quarantine measure was imposed for Spain on 25 July. A list of more than 50 so-called travel corridors - allowing movement between the UK and the other countries with the need to self-isolate on return - was published at the start of last month and later expanded. But the ending of some of the exemptions on the list follows a "significant change" in the risk of contracting Covid-19, the Department for Transport said. It added that there had been a 66% increase in newly reported cases per 100,000 people in France since last Friday. For the Netherlands, it was up 52%. And the increase for Malta was 105%, while it was 273% for Turks and Caicos and 1,106% for Aruba. Meanwhile, lockdown rules in England have been eased further, allowing casinos, bowling alleys, skating rinks and soft play centres to resume business, along with "close-contact" beauty services such as facials, eyebrow threading and eyelash treatments. From Sunday, indoor theatre, music and performance venues will also be able to reopen with socially distanced audiences. Have you been affected by the recent quarantine changes? Share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk. Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. 

  Published Date: 2020-08-15 

 Image copyright PA Media Image caption Defence Secretary Ben Wallace (far right) laid a wreath at the Cenotaph in London on Saturday morning The Royal Family is to lead the UK's commemorations of the 75th anniversary of VJ Day - the day World War Two ended with Japan's surrender. The Prince of Wales will attend a memorial while the Duke of Cambridge will appear in a special TV programme. The Duke of Edinburgh will also feature in commemorations, appearing on screens across the country in a photo montage with other veterans. The PM paid tribute to veterans for restoring "peace and prosperity". Defence Secretary Ben Wallace was joined by military chiefs as he laid a wreath at the Cenotaph in London early on Saturday. VJ Day - or Victory over Japan Day - on 15 August 1945 ended one of the worst episodes in British military history, during which tens of thousands of servicemen were forced to endure the brutalities of prisoner of war camps. It is estimated that there were 71,000 British and Commonwealth casualties of the war against Japan, including more than 12,000 prisoners of war who died in Japanese captivity. More than 2.5 million Japanese military personnel and civilians are believed to have died over the course of the conflict. The fighting in Europe had ended in May 1945, but many Allied servicemen were still fighting against Japan in east Asia. Japan rejected an ultimatum for peace, and the US believed that dropping a nuclear bomb would force them to surrender. The US dropped two atomic bombs on Japan, killing an estimated 214,000 people, and two weeks later Japan surrendered. To mark the 75th anniversary, Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe sent an offering to a controversial war shrine in Tokyo, but did not attend in person. However, two of his ministers did visit the Yasukuni Shrine - in which 14 leaders who were later convicted by the Allies as war criminals are commemorated. What's taking place today? The commemorations will begin at sunrise, with a piper playing Battle's Over at the Imperial War Museum's HMS Belfast in London. Military pipers will also be playing at dawn in India, Australia, New Zealand and Nepal. In Japan, national memorial services have been held in Tokyo. At 11:00 BST, Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall will attend a national service of remembrance and lead a two-minute silence from the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire. The service will be broadcast on the BBC. Mr Johnson will read the Exhortation - the part of the war poem beginning "they shall grow not old" - before the nation falls silent, and afterwards the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight will take part in a flypast. The Red Arrows will perform a flypast over the cities of Edinburgh (11:30), Belfast (14:00), Cardiff (14:45) and London (17:30) - the first time such a flypast will take place since the London Olympics. Image copyright Reuters Image caption The flypast will be one of the few physical events marking VJ Day this year due to coronavirus A photo montage featuring Prince Philip and other veterans will be shown on a number of large screens across the UK. On Saturday evening, the BBC will air a pre-recorded programmed from 20:30 called VJ Day 75: The Nation's Tribute, which will tell the story of those who served in the Far East and include a message from Prince William. Boris Johnson has joined other world leaders including US President Donald Trump in recording a video message to thank veterans. In the video, each leader says in turn: "To all who served, we thank you." Image copyright PA Media Mr Johnson added: "On this 75th anniversary of the end of the Second World War, we pay tribute to the heroes deployed thousands of miles away in the mountains, islands and rainforests of Asia. "Unable to celebrate the victory in Europe, and among the last to return home, today we recognise the bravery and ingenuity of those who, in the face of adversity, restored peace and prosperity to the world. "Their immeasurable sacrifice changed the course of history and, at today's commemorations, we take the opportunity to say what should be said every day - thank you." In a letter specifically addressed to Far East veterans, Mr Johnson said: "You were the last to come home but your achievements are written in the lights of the glittering capitals of the dynamic region we see today." "All of us who were born after you have benefited from your courage in adversity. On this anniversary, and every day hereafter, you will be remembered," he added. Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer also recorded a message, paying tribute "to the wartime generation, who through the horrors of conflict showed us the spirit and determination that we need to always remember and always be grateful for". "It's important that as we face the challenges of today, we take inspiration from that generation," he said. Image copyright Getty Images Image caption At the 70th anniversary of VJ Day there was a parade in London Prince Philip, 99, was a young Royal Navy officer aboard a warship in Tokyo Bay when Japan surrendered. The photo montage will be a rare appearance for the duke, who has only been seen a handful of times in public since retiring in 2017 - most recently for a military event at Windsor Castle. Meanwhile Capt Sir Tom Moore, who served in the Burma campaign has previously encouraged the public to join in the commemorations, describing VJ Day as "the most special day". "It was VJ Day when the pain of war could finally start to fall away as peace was declared on all fronts," said Sir Tom - who raised millions of pounds for NHS charities by walking laps of his garden during lockdown. "I respectfully ask Britain to stop whatever it is doing and take some time to remember. "We must all take the time to stop, think and be thankful that were it not for the ultimate sacrifices made all those years ago by such a brave band of men and women, we would not be enjoying the freedoms we have today, even in these current difficult times." BBC One will broadcast live from the National Memorial Arboretum from 9:30 BST. VJ Day 75: The Nation's Tribute will be aired from 20:30 BST . 

  Published Date: 2020-08-15 

 Image copyright PA Media Image caption There has been widespread concern about the fairness of the 'calculated' results The government will cover the cost of schools in England appealing against exam grades after 280,000 A-level students had their marks downgraded. Ministers are also expected to set up a taskforce, led by Schools Minister Nick Gibb, to oversee the appeals process. The government previously said it wants the process to conclude by 7 September. But letting schools make appeals free of charge is "cold comfort" for pupils, the Liberal Democrats said, adding the move "should never have been needed". Education Secretary Gavin Williamson told The Times the government would cover the fees in a bid to ensure that head teachers were not deterred from making appeals. There had been fears that the costs - which can reach £150 - could stop schools from taking on harder to prove cases. The regulator, Ofqual, will give more details next week. Nearly 40% of A-level grades awarded on Thursday were lower than teachers' predictions, prompting anger among schools, colleges and students. 'You have ruined my life' Mr Gibb promised that the appeals system will be "robust" after facing a call during BBC Radio 4's Any Questions on Friday from a student who said she had been rejected by her chosen university. Nina, from Peterborough, said her grades fell three grades lower than what she had been predicted. She was predicted to achieve ABB and scored As and Bs in her mock exams but was handed three D grades. She told Mr Gibb she was distraught after failing to meet her offer from the Royal Veterinary College. "You have ruined my life," she told him. "It won't ruin your life, it will be sorted, I can assure you," Mr Gibb said. He added: "There will be these mistakes… we do know there are imperfections somewhere in the system as a result of this model. There are no models that can improve on that, this is the problem." Samantha Smith, a grammar school student from Telford, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that her results had been downgraded from As and A* grades to a B, E and U. "I know I didn't sit the exam but I didn't think I'd be treated as if I didn't turn up for the exam," she said. "I've now got no university places, because of the algorithm and the system of being treated as if you're postcode matters more than your potential." While many students discovered they lost their university places, Oxford's Worcester College said it will honour all offers it made to UK students, irrespective of their A-level results. Admissions tutor Prof Laura Ashe said it was "the morally right thing to do". Because students had not taken any exams, "we took the view there wasn't going to be any new information that could justify rejecting someone to whom we'd made an offer", she said. She said the algorithm used to adjust grades "literally copied the inequalities that are currently existing in our education system", with a quarter of the college's state school applicants being downgraded, but only 10% of private school candidates. Ofqual adjusted the results to make the spread of grades look right at a national level, she said, but "they can't possibly tell us that they've given the right grades to the right people". 'Cold comfort' The Liberal Democrats welcomed the announcement over appeals costs, but called on Mr Williamson to resign. The party's education spokeswoman, Layla Moran, said: "For the young people who have worked so hard to not get the results they deserve, through no fault of their own, this announcement alone will be cold comfort." "While this should never have been needed, it is right the government has listened to the Liberal Democrats and others and U-turned." Ms Moran added: "Ultimately, after Gavin Williamson's botched handling of the process thus far, pupils will have no confidence in him to fix the broken glass. Before he causes any more hurt, he must go." Earlier, Labour called on ministers to act immediately to sort out an "exams fiasco" in England and stop thousands of A-level students being "betrayed". And some Tory MPs have challenged the fairness of how grades have been decided. BBC News political correspondent Helen Catt said having "an efficient and effective" appeals process "is going to be really important in making sure more Tories don't join them". After exams were cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic, grades were awarded using a controversial modelling system, with the key factors being the ranking order of pupils and the previous exam results of schools and colleges. This produced more top grades than have ever been seen before in A-levels, with almost 28% getting A* and As, but head teachers have been angry about "unfathomable" individual injustices in the downgrading of some results. In England, 36% of entries had grades lower than their teachers predicted and 3% were down two grades. There has since been calls to switch away from this system and to use teachers' predictions, in the way that the government U-turned in Scotland. But England's exam watchdog Ofqual has warned that using teachers' predictions would have artificially inflated results - and would have seen about 38% of entries getting A*s and As. Labour said the lack of consistency in individual results was "heartbreaking" for those affected and the government was squarely to blame for sticking with a "fatally flawed results system". Prime Minister Boris Johnson has previously defended what he said were a "robust set" of grades and said that pupils who believed they were treated unfairly would be able to appeal or, if they wanted, sit exams in the autumn. Schools can appeal for an upgrade if their pupils' mock grades were higher than their estimated results. But the exam regulator Ofqual has still to say how a mock exam result can be validated - and head teachers have warned that mocks are not standardised or taken by all pupils, and could not be used as a fair way of deciding final exam results. 

  Published Date: 2020-08-15 

 Image copyright Getty Images The US Postal Service (USPS) has warned that millions of mail-in votes may not arrive in time to be counted on the presidential election day, 3 November. In letters to states across the country last month, the agency said "certain deadlines... are incongruous with the Postal Service's delivery standards". Critics have blamed the new USPS head - a loyal supporter of President Donald Trump - for a slowdown in deliveries. A record number of people are expected to vote by mail due to the pandemic. But on Thursday, Mr Trump said he was blocking additional funding for the USPS to help with election issues, because he opposed mail-in voting. He has repeatedly said mail-in ballots will lead to voting fraud - and give a boost to his rival Democrat Joe Biden. Experts say the mail-in voting system - which is used by the American military and by Mr Trump himself - is safe from tampering. Former President Barack Obama strongly criticised what he described as Mr Trump's "attempts to undermine the election", writing on Twitter that the administration was "more concerned with suppressing the vote than suppressing a virus". Meanwhile, Congress's two top Democrats - Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer - called on the president to stop his "assault" on the postal service and "allow the 2020 election to proceed without his sabotage tactics". Their comments come as a poll by Axios/ Survey Monkey found that three quarters of Republican voters plan to vote in person, while more than half of Democratic voters plan to use a mail vote. Private delivery services Fedex and UPS have both rejected calls to help ease the pressure on the postal agency. Meanwhile, the USPS has reportedly begun removing mail sorting machines - many of which would normally be used to process ballots during the election - according to Vice. What did the USPS say? The USPS, which has long been in financial trouble and carries about $160bn (£122bn) in debt, sent letters to states across the US in July. It warned that it could not guarantee that all votes cast by mail would arrive on time to be counted. At least 15 states have received a letter, according to NBC News. In a letter to Pennsylvania's secretary of state, the USPS said mail-in ballots requested one week before the 3 November election - allowed under the state's election laws - may not reach their destination on time because the state's deadlines are too tight for its "delivery standards". USPS General Counsel Thomas Marshall said a "mismatch" between Pennsylvania's laws and the mail system's delivery capabilities "creates a risk that ballots requested near the deadline under state law will not be returned by mail in time to be counted under your laws as we understand them". The letter was made public on Thursday as Secretary of State Kathy Boockvar asked the state's supreme court to allow ballots to be counted as long as they were received up to three days after the election. Currently, votes are discarded if they are received after election day. Pennsylvania is a battleground state, which Mr Trump won by less than 1% in the 2016 election. Other battleground states, including Florida and Michigan, also received letters, according to US media reports. The Democratic governor in Pennsylvania's neighbouring New Jersey announced on Friday that the state would pre-emptively send ballots to every registered voter in the state. The process of sending out ballots is known as universal mail-in voting, and has been adopted in nine other US states. Avoiding delays? By David Willis, BBC North America correspondent American voters have been here before of course. In the year 2000, the entire US presidential election result was decided by a few hundred contested votes in the state of Florida, after ballots were scrutinised and sometimes rejected, and the process dragged on for weeks. President Trump has said he wants a clear result on election night, not a contest that drags on through the courts. But by blocking the allocation of badly needed funding to the beleaguered US postal service, Mr Trump is potentially paving the way to a series of drawn-out legal battles that could stretch on for weeks. According to reports here, conservative groups are marshalling a massive legal effort aimed not only at limiting the allocating of postal ballots, but challenging results that prove unfavourable to them on election night. In possibly the harshest criticism of his successor to date, Barack Obama has accused Donald Trump of attempting to "kneecap" the US postal service in order to discourage people from voting, while Mr Trump's Democratic rival Joe Biden has accused the man he is seeking to replace of launching an "assault on democracy". What's the background? Critics say changes made by the new Postmaster General Louis DeJoy - a major Republican donor - like clamping down on overtime and halting late delivery trips have led to an increase in mail waiting times. But Mr Trump told Fox News he was blocking additional funding for the financially troubled agency, because he opposes mail-in voting. "Now they need that money in order to make the post office work so it can take all of these millions and millions of ballots," he said. "Now, if we don't make a deal, that means they don't get the money. That means they can't have universal mail-in voting, they just can't have it." Amid the funding controversy, the 300,000-member National Association of Letter Carriers union on Friday endorsed Mr Biden, warning that the "very survival" of the USPS was at stake. Mr Trump's campaign has not yet responded. 

  Published Date: 2020-08-15 

 Here are five things you need to know about the coronavirus outbreak today. We'll have another update for you on Sunday. 1. Free exam appeals for schools in England The government will cover the cost of schools in England appealing against exam grades after 280,000 A-level students had their marks downgraded. Ministers are also expected to set up a taskforce to oversee the appeals process. It comes after Labour called on the government to scrap the process used to award A-Level grades, with Sir Keir Starmer saying young people had been "betrayed" by the system. Accusations of unfairness plagued this year's A-level results day in England. Here's why the algorithm said "no". Image copyright PA Media Image caption There has been widespread concern about the fairness of the "calculated" results 2. Final rush to get back to UK to beat quarantine A two-week quarantine has come into force for travellers arriving into the UK from France, the Netherlands, Monaco, Malta, Turks and Caicos, and Aruba. Thousands of British nationals made last-ditch efforts to arrive on UK soil before the deadline and avoid the need to self-isolate. Many were forced to find hundreds of pounds for air fares and Eurostar tickets, while others lost out as flights and other routes sold out quickly. Find out more about the UK travel quarantine rules. Image copyright PA Media 3. Businesses reopen as England lockdown eases further Businesses such as bowling alleys, soft play centres and casinos can now reopen in England as lockdown rules ease. More beauty treatments, small wedding receptions and live indoor performances can also resume. The easing of many lockdown rules had been postponed on 1 August due to concerns about a slight increase in the number of people testing positive for coronavirus. How many confirmed cases are there in your area? Image copyright PA Media 4. 'Care home lockdown sent my grandad into spiral of decline' When lockdown began, my grandad, who had dementia, had no understanding of the virus and the changes or restrictions it brought. Three days after my grandparents quietly celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary in late June, he moved into a care home. The pandemic meant limited visiting and by the time loved ones were able to see him, he was barely recognisable as the man who had left home just six weeks before. Image copyright Family handout 5. How Covid-19 changed rough sleeper George's life When the UK entered lockdown in March, councils in England were given £3.2m to provide emergency shelter for rough sleepers. One of those helped by the scheme was 49-year-old George Murray, who had spent 15 years sleeping rough. He has now moved into his own flat - and has become a Star Trek fan. Image caption George Murray spends evenings in his flat watching TV and has become "a bit of a Star Trek fan" Get a longer daily news briefing from the BBC in your inbox, each weekday morning, by signing up here. And don't forget... ...lockdown rules are regularly changing, here's all you need to know about the latest measures around the UK. You can find more information, advice and guides on our coronavirus page. What questions do you have about coronavirus? In some cases, your question will be published, displaying your name, age and location as you provide it, unless you state otherwise. Your contact details will never be published. Please ensure you have read our terms & conditions and privacy policy. Use this form to ask your question: 

  Published Date: 2020-08-15 

 Image copyright John Swannell/Camera Press Image caption The photos of Anne were taken in February, before the coronavirus lockdown Princess Anne has been promoted by the Army and Royal Air Force to mark her 70th birthday. The Princess Royal - the Queen's second child - will take up the role of general and air chief marshal, bringing her ranks in line with her rank in the Royal Navy. It is a tradition that senior royals are treated as military members and receive promotions as they get older. Earlier this year, Prince Andrew was due to be promoted but it was deferred. Princess Anne turns 70 on Saturday and her birthday is being marked with the release of three official photographs taken at her home in Gatcombe Park, Gloucestershire. The pictures were taken in late February by John Swannell, who has also photographed other senior royals as well as Tony Blair, Sir Michael Caine and Sir Elton John. Image copyright John Swannell/Camera Press Image caption The photos were taken at her home, which has 730 acres of land and a lake Speaking earlier this week, Anne's son-in-law Mike Tindall said plans to mark the day have been "scaled back" because of the coronavirus pandemic. "We did have plans - it would've been up in Scotland - but obviously with Covid and Aberdeen being locked down a bit, I think everything's been scaled back a little bit," said the former England rugby star, who is married to Anne's daughter Zara, on The One Show. "It's a shame. I'm sure we'll do something as a family to celebrate her 70 amazing years, she's just an incredible woman in terms of how much work she can get through in the year. "We will be doing something, as yet I don't know whether she knows - so my lips are sealed." Image copyright John Swannell/Camera Press Image caption In one of the new photos, Anne wears a gold ribbon knot brooch set with 12 diamonds Speaking about her military promotion, which has been approved by the Queen, the Ministry of Defence said Anne had been "hugely supportive" of the armed forces. "This promotion on her 70th birthday recognises her invaluable contribution and commitment to the military." Anne's birthday has also been marked by a TV documentary, which was over a year in the making, and she also guest-edited an issue of Country Life magazine. She commented in the magazine about her love of nature and the need to avoid waste and conserve energy to protect the environment. In the ITV documentary, she spoke about social media, suggesting it is adding to the pressures faced by younger royals. Image copyright Cpl Rob Bourne RAF Image caption Princess Anne has been promoted by the Army and Royal Air Force to mark her 70th birthday Profile: Princess Anne Anne Elizabeth Alice Louise was born in 1950, the second child to the Queen and Prince Philip and their only daughter. She is 14th in line to the throne. She is a horse-riding enthusiast who competed in the British equestrian team in the 1976 Olympics and and was voted BBC Sports Personality of the Year in 1971. Image copyright PA Media Image caption Anne was involved in bringing the 2012 Olympic Games to London In 1973, she married her first husband Captain Mark Phillips and they went on to have two children, Peter and Zara. Anne decided her children would not have royal titles. The couple survived a kidnapping attempt in 1974, as they were returning to Buckingham Palace in a chauffeur-driven limousine. Image copyright PA Media Image caption Anne chatting to bodyguard James Beaton after he was injured in the attempt to kidnap her in 1974 Her first marriage ended in divorce after 19 years and she married her second husband, Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, in 1992. In 1990, she was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for her work as president of the charity Save The Children. In 2002, Anne became the first senior member of the royal family to be convicted of a criminal offence. She pleaded guilty to a charge under the Dangerous Dogs Act after her pet Dotty bit two children in Windsor Great Park. She lives in the 18th-century country house Gatcombe Park, near Stroud in Gloucestershire, which was a present from the Queen. It has 730 acres of land, large stables and a trout lake. 

  Published Date: 2020-08-15 

 Image copyright PA Media Businesses such as bowling alleys, soft play centres and casinos can now reopen in England as lockdown rules ease. More beauty treatments, small wedding receptions and live indoor performances can also resume. The further lifting of restrictions comes as the government introduces bigger fines for failing to wear a mask in places where it is compulsory. Meanwhile, thousands of holidaymakers have rushed to get back to the UK to beat French quarantine rules. Stephen Burns, chief executive of Hollywood Bowl, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme his venues were reopening today at 50% capacity, with customers no longer sharing the ball return between bowling lanes. Hand sanitiser and disposable gloves are provided, staff wear masks and are protected by screens, while customers are required to wear masks when they are not eating or drinking. Mr Burns said he did not know how customers would react to the changes. "I suppose all you can go on is what you've seen elsewhere - I don't think it's putting people off shopping particularly," he said. "We're all just trying to get used to what is now the new normal." The easing of lockdown rules was postponed from 1 August due to concerns about a slight increase in the number of people testing positive for coronavirus in England. Last week, figures from the Office for National Statistics showed this may be levelling off. However, the latest government figures released on Friday showed the number of daily positive tests in the UK was the highest it has been since 14 June. In the 24-hour period up to 09:00 BST on Friday, there were a further 1,441 confirmed cases, taking the total number to 316,367. Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Soft play centres are among the venues able to reopen from 15 August Under the latest changes: Indoor theatre, music and performance venues will be able to reopen with socially distanced audiences Wedding receptions in the form of a sit-down meal for up to 30 guests will be permitted The piloting of a small number of sporting events to test the safe return of spectators will resume, commencing with the final of the World Snooker Championship at Sheffield's Crucible Theatre over the weekend Casinos, bowling alleys, skating rinks and soft play centres will be allowed to reopen "Close contact" beauty services such as facials, eyebrow threading, eyelash treatments, make up application and microblading will resume Pilots will take place at conference venues ahead of the expected resumption of business events from 1 October at the earliest The prime minister said that plans to open up more of the economy this weekend "will allow more people to return to work and the public to get back to more of the things they have missed". But Boris Johnson reiterated a warning that the government "will not hesitate to put on the brakes if required, or to continue to implement local measures to help to control the spread of the virus". In England, face coverings are mandatory in many indoor settings, including public transport, shops and museums, with some exemptions for children or on medical grounds. Under current guidance, people who refuse to wear a face covering where it is required face a £100 fine, which can be reduced to £50 if paid within 14 days. The new enforcement measures will see that penalty repeatedly doubled for subsequent offences, up to a maximum of £3,200. The latest easing of restrictions will not apply in areas where local lockdown measures are in place, the government said. Local lockdown rules vary from place to place, but since July measures have been introduced in Leicester, Preston, East Lancashire, parts of West Yorkshire, Greater Manchester and Aberdeen. The Department of Health said restrictions on household gatherings in parts of north west England, West Yorkshire, East Lancashire and Leicester will continue. Devolved administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have the power to set their own timings for the easing of restrictions. Are you getting married this weekend? Or are you preparing to reopen or go back to work? Share your stories by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk. Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist.