31/07/2017 BBC News at One

Remembering the fallen, one hundred years after the start

of the World War I Battle of Passchendaele,

commemorations are taking place in Belgium.

This is Tyne Cot cemetery, most of those buried

here died in the 3 months of fighting near Ypres.

Members of the Royal Family and the Prime Minister

to remember those who fought and died here in one

of the bloodiest battles ever fought.

The battle we know today as Passchendaele would last for over

100 days. We remember it's not only for the rain that fell, the mud that

weighed down the living and swallowed the dead, but also for the

courage and bravery of the men who fought here.

Four thousand guests have been invited to attend,

among them descendants of those who fought and died,

here today to honour their sacrifice.

STUDIO: And in other news this lunchtime.

Ministers insist they can deliver thousands more mental

despite questions about whether it's feasible.

Like all times, it will be challenging to deliver it but we are

determined to hold true to our promise, to transform mental health

services. BBC presenter Vanessa Feltz says

she's upset and hurt suggesting she's well paid

because she's Jewish. Cristiano Ronaldo gives his

testimony as he faces Coming up in sport: England close in

Good afternoon from Tyne Cot cemetery in Belgium,

where commemorations have just taken place to mark the centenary

of the start of the Battle of Passchendaele,

it was one of the bloodiest of World War One.

Around half a million Allied and German soldiers were killed,

wounded or went missing in three months of fighting.

As the battle raged, torrential rain fell,

many of the soldiers simply drowned in the mud,

This afternoon Prince Charles, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge

have joined 4000 guests to remember the sacrifice made by so many

in a battle that has come to symbolise the horror

There are few more peaceful places than the gentle slope of Tyne Cot

and today among the white headstones, families look back

across the years, to another big push. At ten to four in the morning,

less than five miles from here, thousands of men drawn from across

Britain, France and the Commonwealth attacked German lines. The battle we

know today as Passchendaele would last for over 100 days. We remember

it is not only for the rain that fell, the mud that weighed down the

living and swallowed the dead, but also for the courage and bravery of

the men who fought here. Tyne Cot overlooks the rolling farmland,

streams and woods that were once no man's land. A scar of liquid mud and

stagnant, stinking craters. This rare film, held by the Australian

national archive, gives a sense of the struggle to gain ground as more

and more men were thrown into the attack.

Bert Ferns was with the Second 6th Lancashire Fusiliers,

He joined at 18, struggling up slimy duck boards.

We were very often taking a quarter of an hour to move a few yards.

Fellas were sliding off them, falling into shell holes.

We got some out, I'm afraid there were some

we could not get out, and the point was, was it worth

Private Edward Michael Batten. D Company, 45th Battalion... Private

James Munro, one South African infantry regimen. My

great-great-grandfather... My great great uncle... Voices and stories

from around the world, in an army that came to Ypres, men from distant

corners of the Empire fought and died alongside each other. Bert

began his attack here, decide the German bunker that now lies within

Tyne Cot Cemetery. The Lancaster Fusiliers made their way uphill

towards Passchendaele village, and a spot which Bert later said he would

never forget. We came across, would have been

about 100 yards square, of bodies. That had been caught

in an artillery shrapnel attack. Tyne Cot may not see an event of

this scale again, it has been a place of pilgrimage for a century,

and it is likely to remain so for generations to come.

Well the ceremony finished a short time ago,

there was a flypast by the Belgian air force.

The F16s flew in a missing man formation to honour

died or went missing in northern Belgium.

from the commonwealth war graves commission,

who's been involved in organising the event.

Incredibly moving ceremony that took place. Particularly reflections from

soldiers on both sides, British and German soldiers, letters written

home during the battle, particularly moving. The conditions they were

fighting in as it began, 100 years ago, could not be more different

than today, blue skies, sunshine, 100 years ago, heavens opened, and

these fields were turned into mud. The first day of the battle, the

artillery bombardment, 4.5 million shells destroyed the very delicate

water management and drainage system. The mud defined the battle,

not continue throughout the battle, in September and October the rain

stopped, the ground dried up and the British were successful, causing

huge casualties and a huge crisis of morale, then the rain returned, and

not far from here, the village of Passchendaele came to some of the

worse of World War I. Large numbers of descendants were here, watching

the ceremonies, a big event for the Centenary, do you think this act of

remembrance will continue in decades to come? I think it is very

important, a very emotional moment, I moving occasion, for all of the

rest of us. Also important to try to understand what happened, a

complicated war, a complex war, it is important that alongside that

emotion, we try to comprehend and understand, for me that is at the

heart of true remembrance. Among the 4,000 people here this

afternoon are 100 British teenagers brought to

Belgium as volunteers Earlier I went into the cemetery

to meet two of them. Morgan, what made you want to come

here? At first, I thought this would be an amazing opportunity for young

people to get involved but as I was making my research, I realised I had

such a personal connection, not only to the war but all of my ancestors

who fought in the war. Tell us about the role they played here. One of my

grandmother's uncles, he fought in the Battle of Passchendaele, and

died on the 26th of September, 1917. He survived a long time. Even what

happened to so many of these men, it is difficult to imagine, standing

here today, the battle started 100 years ago today, to imagine what

those men went through. We have been lucky enough to have a few tours of

cemeteries and the numbers are getting to us, we cannot get our

head around them, something that has impacted on me, I am a similar age

to a lot of the soldiers who fought, and 100 years ago this would have

been me, this would have been asked fighting, it is important to keep

young people involved. -- this would have been asked fighting. You came

here and had a surprise when you discovered your own connection. I

thought this would be an opportunity to meet old friends, make new

friends, but when I began my research, but I found I had a

relative, that was my great grandmother's cousin, and so it was

really nice to find a connection with the event, before I had no

idea. You have spent the past few days escorting some of the

descendants of the people who fought here, around these events, what has

that been like? It has been quite warming, hearing other people

stories, I have my own story but it not compare to those I have heard,

amazing how much time has been put into people's research, and hearing

what they have come for. To be here to commemorate, it is amazing.

People find it incredibly moving, there is a strong connection, you

see your name, you spot an ancestor, poignant moment. Everybody has a

connection with this whether they know it or not, somebody from their

village, their town, a young person going out of their way to look for

somebody to connect with in the war, I think it is something that

everybody can connect to, and it bonds us all. Hopefully I am hoping

that with all the cross generation work, we can work to not let

something like this happen again. This is the Centenary, what happens

next, it is your generation that must keep this alive. Especially

with the involvement of the national citizen service, I hope that people

can understand they are so vital to these commemorations, it is

important to have all generations working together to ensure this does

not happen again. Do you think it will be possible to keep people

fascinated and remembering events like this. The amount of involvement

we have had even 100 years after, it will continue for many more years to

come, it is essential. Thank you very much, Max and Morgan.

Two young teenagers whose ancestors were fighting near 100 years ago at

the Battle of Passchendaele. We'll have more from

Tyne Cot Cemetery later in the programme, now though,

it's back to you Reeta. STUDIO: The government has pledged

to recruit another 21,000 mental health workers in England

over the next four years. The Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt

says it's time to end the "historic imbalance" between mental

and physical health services, and wants an extra one million

people to be treated by 2021. The Royal College of Nursing says

more money is needed to be able VOICEOVER: Underfunded and not

prioritised, mental health care has suffered in recent years according

to campaigners and charities, with patients often experiencing long

wait for NHS treatment. The government says that is changing

with new investment and an expansion of the mental health workforce in

England. We have worked out exactly how me more doctors, nurses,

therapists we need, we have worked out where we think we can get them

from, and like all plans it will be challenging to deliver it but we are

determined to hold true to our promise to transform mental health

services. The plan involves an extra 21,000 mental health staff in

England by the 2020 financial year, including children's services,

adults talking therapies and crisis care. Official figures show that

there was a fall in the number of mental health nurses of more than

6600 between 2010 and 2016. The move has been welcomed by the Royal

College of Nursing, though leaders are sceptical about what can be

delivered. How are we going to do that in such a short timescale when

other government policies are getting in the way of that. We

already know we have one in ten posts in mental health vacant, we

will fill those as well as putting additional nurses in.

Mental health campaigners say it is a step in the right direction.

Because mental health services have been underfunded for such a long

time, this initiative will not help us to achieve the parity of esteem

that so many of us want, but it will set the foundations to be able to

look forward to a future where mental health is treated on an equal

footing to physical health. Labour argued that by keeping the lid on

public sector pay, the Government was making it harder for the NHS to

recruit and retain staff. To expect people going to flock when there is

nothing being done about pay, where there are real workload and morale

problems, it is just not realistic. A key part of the Government's plan

is to encourage psychiatrists and mental health nurses who have left

the NHS to return. Whether that can be achieved is far from clear.

There are many uncertainties over it. A number of NHS trusts in

England have said it is difficult to recruit staff right now. So this

policy is extremely ambitious. It has also been pointed out that in

England, new nurse trainees from September will have to start paying

their own tuition fees and they will have to borrow the money, and there

has been a decline in application forms for that position. There is a

public sector pay cap, 1% pay which many would argue has deterred people

from going into jobs like this and which has led to some people

rethink, a big debate going on about that in government. Whether that is

changed or not. So a number in the health world saying, yes, this is a

very welcome move, but it is an aspiration and it has to be

delivered before anyone can say it is going to make a huge difference.

The Governor will say in the past, money has been promised, but no

proper workforce planning has gone ahead. This time, it is different,

it has been given the right parity. But it is not new money, it is

already in the NHS England budget and whether it does result in 1,000

new posts by 2020 is highly uncertain as things stand now. Thank

you. The Prime Minister's spokesperson

has insisted the free movement of people will end when the leaves the

European Union. Downing Street said it was wrong to speculate on the

sort of immigration system which would need to be permitted after

Brexit. Norman Smith is at Westminster, and there are so many

different messages coming out of government, what is going on. There

has been a veritable hubbub of rival ministers setting out their

different takes on Brexit, with former Remain ministers the loudest,

with the Chancellor saying there may need to be a three-year transitional

period after we leave in March 2019, the Home Secretary saying EU

migrants might still be able to come for a period of two years as long as

they register, and you sense Downing Street has said, in of! Stop the

bickering! With the Prime Minister's spokesperson saying the plan remains

as set out by Theresa May at the start of the year, freedom of

movement will end when we read. It is not going to continue in all but

name, and we will not have an off-the-shelf trade deal keeping us

in the single market. It looks like an attempt by Number 10 to reassert

control. The real question is whether ministers pay heed. Norman,

thank you. Russia's President Putin has ordered

that hundreds of staff working for the US diplomatic service

in the country must The move comes after the US

Congress imposed tough Washington has branded the decision

"regrettable and uncalled for". Several people have been killed

in clashes in Venezuela during the country's controversial

election. President Nicolas Maduro

has claimed victory - calling it the biggest vote ever

for the revolution. He wants to put in place

a new constituent assembly, with powers to rewrite

the constitution. The opposition boycotted

the vote and at least ten people died in clashes

between police and protesters. Will Grant is in

the capital, Caracas. The election appears only to have

added to Venezuela's problems? That is right, this was the

bloodiest election day in living memory. In Venezuela. And as you

say, it is completely compounded existing problems. The Government

says around 41.5% of the electorate turned out to vote for them. And

they are taking that as a resounding victory. But most Venezuelans, I

think not watched in disbelief when that result was announced. They

simply do not believe that many people turned out in support of the

Government, given the disillusionment, the anger, the

frustration on the streets, the long queues for basic foods and the

violence. Nicolas Maduro have has a serious problem in terms of the

credibility of the vote and of governing Venezuela, moving forward.

Thank you. Remembering the fallen -

100 years after the start of the World War I battle

of Passchendaele, commemorations South Africa clinging on as England

chase victory at The Oval. Coming up in Sport: It's

straight back to training for England's women,

after an historic win over France puts them through to the semifinals

of the European Championship. One of the world's highest-paid

sports stars, Cristiano Ronaldo, has appeared in court in Spain,

accused of defrauding the authorities of millions

of pounds in tax. Prosecutors say the Real Madrid

star used a company Ronaldo has allegedly evaded

paying more than ?13 His earnings last year

amounted to ?72 million - which included his salary,

bonuses and endorsements. Ronaldo has denied the allegations,

saying in a previous statement Let's go live now to Madrid

and to our sports news There has been quite a bit of drama

outside the courtroom at the very least. Inside, it was a closed

session, Cristiano Ronaldo appearing before judges, who will decide if in

due course these allegations will proceed to a full trial, we will

note that in due course. But he arrived via a side door and he did

not go through the waiting media. But his employer Real Madrid, an

employer who are quite worried that perhaps Ronaldo will leave because

the player is very angry over these allegations, he said indeed, he

would leave Spain, such was the anger about the allegations. Real

Madrid put on a big show and they brought in a sound system and said

Ronaldo would be addressing the world's media when he finished,

giving testimony, and so we waited. But a lawyer for him appeared and

said he had gone home and he would not be appearing here today, read

into that what you will, a fine of ?22 million awaits him and

potentially a three-year jail term, theoretically, it would be difficult

to see if he would be jailed. But a big fine awaits if he is convicted.

So no word from Ronaldo today, he has gone away and we wait to see if

this tax case will proceed into a full trial. Richard, thank you.

Offering HIV tests to people when they register with a GP

is cost-effective and could save lives, according

Patients at 40 GP surgeries in Hackney, in London,

were given finger-prick tests when they signed up.

The research, by two London universities,

suggested the tests should be rolled out to all the 74 local

authority areas in England with high rates of infection.

The BBC presenter Vanessa Feltz has said she was "extremely upset"

by a Sunday Times column, which suggested she earned a high

salary at the corporation because she was Jewish.

She described the piece, written by Kevin Myers,

as "so obviously racist, it's surprisingly hurtful".

Our media editor, Amol Rajan, is here.

Yesterday, in the Irish edition of the Sunday Times, there was a call

by a controversial list by somebody who is a regular contributor to the

Sunday edition of the Irish Times, Kevin Myers, and he wrote how BBC

stars are paid and in that list, Vanessa Feltz and Claudia Winkleman,

who are Jewish, were reported. Kevin Myers said they were paid that much,

he implied it was because they were Jewish and he said Jewish were not

known for having lower salaries and is demanding less money. He said

these things about how men deserve to be paid more because they are

seldom found to be pregnant. It was intellectually incoherent and the

question people would ask is how this got through. The usual process,

I know this from a daisy newspapers, is the editor on the desk says, what

do you think about writing? The columnist writes it and you check it

with a headline to your editor. There is a question about how the

Irish edition allowed a column that was anti-Semitic and misogynistic to

make it onto the page. We can hear what Vanessa Feltz had to say right

now. When you write something,

it's read by the sub-editor... It's usually read

by whoever it is... In the old days, it was

setting to print but, And then it's read by,

supposedly read by the legal It's not like you just write it

and the next minute, So I said I just couldn't understand

how all those layers of command had allowed something so blatantly

racist to be put in the paper. What is likely to happen now? I have

spoken to people at the Sunday Times and News International and they said

Kevin Myers is no longer going to write for the Irish edition of the

Sunday Times and I would be amazed if he ever writes for a News

International, the owners of the Sunday Times, if he ever writes for

their publications again. Many thanks.

It's day five of the third test, and England's

The pressure on the visitors intensified after Toby Roland-Jones

took two wickets in quick succession.

South Africa are trailing by 320 runs.

Our sports correspondent, Joe Wilson, is at

Yes, England came into this Test match looking for some answers after

a heavy defeat in the last Test match. They picked three new

players. They are here in a dominant position on Monday afternoon,

starting the day needing six wickets, South Africa needing to bat

out the day for a draw. You could forget about the school, unless it

was a ?20 note. ?20 got you for the kids, ?1, this

way, please. It's certainly tempted some, it created a queue, the very

best of test cricket was on offer. South Africa could not rely on the

weather. Is that a blue sky? Nobody holds up placards celebrating stoic

defence, but that is what the situation demanded. Dean Elgar

batting, do not show them you are hurting! Infant had not taken a

wicket, in Ken Toby Roland-Jones, the man who makes things happen, the

umpires said no. Inman said review, inspired decision. Bavuma was gone,

he faced 97 balls. Philander faced one. Now Toby Roland-Jones on his

debut going both barrels for the hat-trick. It did not carry! Very

nearly! If it was a bruising fight, Dean Elgar was still fighting, he

reached 100. England is needed is to be patient as well, remember that

runs do not matter. South Africa's victory target was purely

theoretical. What counted was getting the batsmen out and Elgar

was playing like a man who saw life after lunch. By the very last ball

before the break, Chris Morris went. Three more to take for England.

And shortly, South Africa resume in the second innings on 205-7, is

there any chance of the rain coming to their rescue the to frustrate

England? Not where I am standing, it does not look like it.

Thank you. The person who can answer that is

with me now. This was the view in Kent from a

weather watcher, patchy cloud in the distance. But this was the lovely

double rain will captured in Wales and you need rain to have a rain

will. And we have showers and some sunshine. Midweek, wetter weather

spreading across the country. Then it turns breezy as we return to

sunshine and showers. Low pressure to the North West of the UK. That is

driving the weather. The closer you are 2% of the low pressure, that is

where the showers will be at their heaviest, so wettest in Scotland,

Northern Ireland, some thunder and few showers in the South East.

Largely dry here. Further North and West, rumbles of thunder and hale

mixed in with showers, but further spells of sunshine and temperatures

in the upper teens. Similar in Northern England. Sunny spells,

heavy showers. Across Wales and the scattered showers, like flea

falling. Few showers across the East Anglia and the South East and the

England -- East Midlands. Very pleasant outside in spite of the

breeze. At The Oval, it should stay dry with patchy cloud and sunshine,

temperatures in the low 20s, with a bit of a breeze. But a dry

afternoon. Through the evening, showers around in the North and

West, some heavy. But they fade away for many central and eastern areas.

It will turn chilly in rural areas by the end of the night. Major towns

and cities around ten, 14 degrees. Dipping into single figures in rural

areas. A chilly start for some but a bright spot --. For many. Across the

North and West, showers around and a chance of hale and thunder and a

higher chance of showers in the South East. The far South East

should stay dry with showers in London. 22, 20 three degrees.

Tuesday night and Wednesday, into the Atlantic, we have this weather

system. This brings a breeze. You can see the isobars. And it will

bring some rain. On Wednesday, the rain is on the south-west of

England, Wales and Northern Ireland, making steady progress North and

East. The North East staying dry is to longest. The rain mostly out of

the way on Thursday and back into breezy conditions with a mixture of

sunny spells and scattered showers, and temperatures similar to what

they are at the moment. Let's return now to Tyne Cot

Cemetery in Belgium where, 100 years on from the Battle

of Passchendaele, the Prime Minister and members of the Royal Family have

joined relatives of those who fought There were many of the descendants

of those who fought at the Battle of Passchendaele today.

Among them, the former England rugby player Lewis Moody.

It was only recently you discovered one of your ancestors fought and

died here. Yes, I was doing work with the RFU on England rugby

players who died and my mum text to say one of our relatives is buried

at Tyne cut and I thought we would like to know that. I was stood here

at Tyne cut at the time and I had never heard his name mentioned and I

was able to find his name on the memorial at the back, which is on

the unknowns. It was incredibly moving. And it takes you by complete

surprise emotionally when you see this place and when you find a

relative. It was your great-great-uncle? And he fought at

the Battle of the Somme and he survived almost the entire Battle of

Passchendaele. Yes, he joined in 1915 and he went through all those

battles and the major one at the Battle of the Somme and he got here

to Passchendaele and died four days before the battle finished. He also

lost two brothers, Sydney and Albert, one was torpedoed any troop

ship on his way to Malta. So coming here to pay respects was something I

felt I had to do. 100 years pass is really quite quickly and it does not

feel that long ago when you see the names you are connected to. What was

it like in the cemetery during the service today? It was incredibly

peaceful, what I find whenever you come to Tyne Cot and during that

ceremony was held the sadness and sorrow creeps up without you being

prepared for it. And you are restraining the tears. And hearing

stories from the various people who spoke about the Canadian infantry,

the medical corps and the stories and the hardship and the brutality

they had to go through here, it brings it back. And they were all

normal people from the privates to the Lieutenant Colonel, to the

generals, they fought and died and they will be remembered with the

same gravestones. So young. Lewis Moody, thank you very much.

Pleasure. In a moment on BBC One,

we'll join the BBC's News But first, we'll leave you with some

of the moving images from the service to mark

the Passchendaele Centenary. My great-grandfather remarked, I

have many times as myself whether there can be more potent advocates

of peace upon Earth through the years to come than this must

multitude of silent witnesses to the desolation of war.