this is bbc news — and these are the top stories developing at 11: the government announce plans to recruit thousands more mental health workers in england over the next four years. we are confident we can get these numbers, as there are people trained in mental health nurses and psychiatrists who are not currently working in the nhs and have a programme to attract them back. 100 yea rs programme to attract them back. 100 years on from passchendaele. ceremonies are held. prince charles and the duke and duchess of cambridge will attend a ceremony here at tyne cot cemetery, where 12,000 servicemen are buried, many who fell during the battle passchendaele. the sunday times columnist is sacked over a column labelled anti—semitic

and sexist. we meet the campaign is working to reclaim our streets to enrich the lives of children. the health secretaryjeremy hunt has announced that thousands more mental health workers are to be recruited by the nhs in england. he said it was time to end the "historic imbalance" between mental and physical health services. the plans include the recruitment of 2000 more nurses, consultants and therapist posts in child and adolescent mental health services. 2900 additional therapists

and health professionals supporting adult talking therapies. a800 additional posts for nurses and therapists working in crisis care settings. there will also be more mental health support for women around the time they give birth, and early intervention teams working with people at risk of psychosis. our health correspondent dominic hughes reports. ministers in england have already acknowledged the treatment offered to patients struggling with mental health problems suffers in comparison to those with physical ailments. an extra £1 billion in funding for mental health services in england was promised last year. now we know that some of that cash will be spent on recruiting thousands of extra nurses, doctors, psychologists and other clinicians. the plan includes recruiting 2,000 staff to work in child and adolescent mental health services, nearly 3,000 extra therapists working with adults, and an extra 4,800 staff,

mostly nurses, working in crisis care. because mental health services have been underfunded for such a long time, this initiative, in and of itself, won't help us to achieve the parity of esteem that so many of us want. but what it will do is set the foundations to be able to look forward to a future where mental health is treated on an equal footing to physical health. but simply creating posts does not always mean you can always find the staff to fill them. these jobs are among the most challenging in the health service. data published last week showed that, even before this latest recruitment drive, many thousands of nursing posts across the wider nhs remain unfilled. the health secretaryjeremy hunt told the bbc it was time to end the "historic imbalance" between mental and physical health services in england. we are confident we can get these

numbers, people who are trained in mental health nursing and psychiatrists who are not currently working in the nhs and we have a programme to attract them back. what we wa nt programme to attract them back. what we want to say to them as we probably have the biggest expansion in mental health provision in europe going on at the moment, we are proud of what we're doing but want to do lot more. today is the 100th anniversary of the start of the battle of passchendaele, where around 500,000 allied and german soldiers were killed or wounded near the belgian town of ypres. but the next hour a ceremony begin at the tyne cot cemetery, worth thousands are buried. then brown is there. that service here will be attended by prince charles and the duke and duchess of cambridge also. for those people who have came over from britain who are

descendants of the men who fought and often died during the battle of passchendaele, a three—month battle but resulted in 500,000 casualties on both sides and gained just five miles an territory. there were commemorative events in ypres last night. in flanders fields, the poppies blow between the crosses... in ypres‘s main square last night, dame helen mirren spoke the words of the war poetjohn mccrae, who recounted the horror he had witnessed. the larks, still bravely singing, fly. scarce heard amid the guns below... ...a trench at passchendaele. winston churchill wanted to keep the ruins of ypres preserved for posterity, so we would not forget. but instead it was agreed the city would be rebuilt, exactly as it once was. the story of men now gone was retold in a place that has kept its promise, and continues to remember their passing. officially known as the third battle of ypres, passchendaele lasted

until november 1917, fought in the west flanders region of northern belgium. it became infamous not only for the number of deaths, but also the mud. constant shelling and the heaviest rain for 30 years created a muddy wasteland, that became so deep, men and horses drowned in it. last post sounds the last post has been played in ypres through the decades. the menin gate has over 5a,000 names carved into its stone, remembering those who have no known grave. it marks where troops marched when heading to the battlefields. the duke and duchess of cambridge

attended a ceremony of remembrance there, together with the prime minister. with the sounding of this bugle call, the 250,000 british and commonwealth soldiers who were killed on the ypres salient during the first world war are remembered. the defence of the city at such great cost meant that it became hallowed ground. today's commemorations will continue with a special service at tyne cot cemetery, where thousands are buried. such was the slaughter, the majority of the graves remain unmarked. jane frances kelly, bbc news. here at tyne cot cemetery, as the military band strikes up, let's talk to the defence secretary and also the chief of the general staff.

thank you both forjoining me. michael fallon, how important is it that today's generation remember what happened 100 years ago?m that today's generation remember what happened 100 years ago? it is vital because there are no survivors left who fought in this battle and that means it is all the more important we remember it, one of the very biggest battle of that defining year of the first world war, involved all of us, notjust british troops, french troops, australian, canadian, all fighting against aggression and those same allies who are now alongside each other fighting terrorism in the middle east and defending freedom around the world. this was supposed to be the war to end all wars but we saw the horror and hail of it, is it important for military men to read about it and research what happened during things like passchendaele? a huge number of lessons, of world what one such as

the importance of learning" is and the importance of learning" is and the tactical adaptation our forefathers put in place, integrating infantry with artillery, a power began to prevail and as we will learn next year when we commemorate 1918 combine arms manoeuvre when the 100 day campaign won the war. one of your predecessors and this campaign was much criticised, the prime minister at the time was very uncertain the whole battle was a good idea. it was done for the right strategic reasons but beach a challenge when the rubber hits the road it was very challenging to break through. the number of german stronghold were ta ken break through. the number of german stronghold were taken and that gives some people but what took place the following year was possible. sacrifice was enormous but many who fought and died here were volunteers and because, although the sacrifice was enormous, the cause was right,

it was right to resist aggression and defend freedom that it is a reminder we expect our delivery service men and women to do extraordinary things to defend us. —— our delivery service men and women. at the time, young men and women. at the time, young men and women were desperate to join up, one person we spoke to, their father joined up at 15 and came and four at passchendaele. people serve because they realised there was an overwhelming moral argument to defeat germany at that time. we talk a lot about the second world war and perhaps a first world war seems so long ago that is easier to forget but it is important for future generations they are poor about what happened here. and in schools they are taught. it is important they come to the battlefields and begin to understand what happened here as

well as during the second world war, but you have to stand up to aggression and in situations you have to ask ordinary people to do extraordinary things sort the rest of‘s can enjoy the freedoms we have. it was an extraordinary thing but it was necessary at the time. we look around flanders fields now and they are green, but at the time the rains we re are green, but at the time the rains were torrential and it became a sea of mud and men actually drowned in the mud. it is very hard to imagine and looking back, the amount of artillery used before the offensive actually took place, it is questionable whether that was a successful thing to do what it tells you that on land: soldiers deal with that fiction is one of the most confusing thing soldiers have to deal with. it was one of the most awful battle is probably in human history, with levels of casualties

on both sides. it is very hard for us now on both sides. it is very hard for us now to understand just how awful it wobbles, the noise of the battle, the mud, —— how awful it all wars. in the end, the war was won and i think it is important for today's service men and women remember we have allies fighting alongside us. these commemorate the event we saw last night in ypres and here today, do you think they are a fitting memorialfor this do you think they are a fitting memorial for this 100 years on centenary anniversary? it is very important for those whose bodies we re important for those whose bodies were never important for those whose bodies we re never recovered important for those whose bodies were never recovered to have a markerfor were never recovered to have a marker for the descendants and the descendants or at the menin gate last night and although they do not have the graves of their own their names are there and recorded and thatis names are there and recorded and that is so important for future generations to know just that is so important for future generations to knowjust what that is so important for future

generations to know just what they are grandfathers and great grandfather for all of us. thank you to both of you. that commemorative ceremony will be getting underway at tyne cot cemetery shortly. you can see some of the 4000 descendants who are here for that ceremony behind me, and the band marching through the cemetery at the moment. coverage when that begins on bbc one. back to you in the studio. the chancellor, philip hammond, appears to have stepped back from a suggestion that the uk could cut taxes and regulation in a bid to undercut eu countries after brexit. in an interview with the french newspaper, le monde, he says the government has no plans to make big changes to tax policy in order to attract global investment. his remarks are in sharp contrast with what he said earlier in the year. our assistant political editor

norman smith. she says this now having said something different before. i think we are seeing the continued push back by philip hammond and other former continued push back by philip hammond and otherformer remain ministers in the cabinet trying to shape their distinct version of brexit was mr hammond pretty much ruling out we could start to aggressively cut taxes and regulations to make us what some have described as a singapore of europe and instead sailing week will remain in the mainstream of european economic and social models. not much change, in other words, and that contrasts with some of the language we heard from him at the start of the year went in another interview he said if there was no deal and the eu in effect chose to drive a hard bargain then we can walk away and aggressively cut taxes to compete against them. you sense we are

seeing a real push back now by those former remain ministers, increasingly confident with last week we saw amber got what that announcement of an enquiry into eu migration and then the chancellor p°ppin9 migration and then the chancellor popping on friday about a transitional deal possible rusting forup to transitional deal possible rusting for up to three years. because of the result of the election, do you think?” because of the result of the election, do you think? i think there is a vacuum in terms of the brexit direction. there is also an awareness that the timeline for reaching a deal is now a very tight, we have done... after everything pretty much ready to go by march 2019 but the eu chief negotiator says it must be pretty much ready by next autumn and that sort of time constraint, reaching a final deal is a very difficult and the idea of just ending freedom of movement, those sort of close its scenarios

have alarmed former remain ministers and if they are now trying to soften our departure from the eu. norman, thank you very much. the editor of the sunday times has apologised for an article suggesting the bbc presenters claudia winkleman and vanessa feltz earned high salaries because they were jewish. the article, by the columnist kevin myers, was published in the newspaper's irish edition and online and has since been taken down. speaking on bbc radio london, ms feltz has expressed her hurt over the article. i couldn't believe such a thing had been printed, i really couldn't. it absolutely gratuitous, it's not cleverly done, it's a blatantly racist and that's all that is, it's just racism. when you write something it is read by a sub—editor, the features editor, it is supposedly read by the legal team and the editor. ijust couldn't understand how all those layers of command had allowed something so blatantly racist to be put in the paper. the headlines on bbc newsroom live:

government announces plans to recruit thousands more mental health workers in england. 100 years on from passchendaele, said are held to mark one of the bodies battles of the first world war. —— ceremonies are held. the editor of the sunday times has apologised for an article suggesting the bbc presenters claudia winkleman and vanessa feltz earned high salaries because they were jewish. let's get the latest sports news. the headlines, england are closing in on victory in the third test against south africa. they need six michael ricketts to take a 2—1 lead.

—— six wickets. england beat france for the first time in 43 years to reach the semifinals of the women's europe where they will play the horse the netherlands next. and sebastian vettel is now 14 points ahead of the hamilton in the standings. i will be back with more on all those stories about 11:30pm. a controversial documentary about the late diana, princess of wales is to be shown on channel 4 this weekend. it will show recordings that haven't been played in the uk before, in which she discusses her marriage, and relationship with a royal protection officer. with me is our news correspondent matthew cole. there is quite a debate. what is being said? it is fair to say these are extraordinarily candid recordings of princess diana talking

about her life, they are recorded in 1992 and 93, a series of sessions of about five hours worth of recordings with her voice coach. this was her practising and rehearsing and getting better at putting across her story ultimately ahead of the one major broadcast interview she did about her life was a bbc panorama in 1995. within these tapes she is understood to talk about her sex life with prince charles and such is the fact she only met him three —— 13 times before they were married and covers an extensive range of personal details. after her death there was a legal battle over these tapes, her family did there was a legal battle over these tapes, herfamily did not want there was a legal battle over these tapes, her family did not want them to be made public but ultimately the voice coach got them back and sold them to an american broadcaster, nbc, so some has been aired before but not in this country and potentially some more never went to

a could no emerge. it is next sunday. the royal biographer, penny, says they should never be broadcast. she had children, and do her children, i don't care what age they are, do they want to know how often their parents had sex? is that anybody's business? it is certainly not our business. all we need to know about our royal family is they do theirjob and they are worth the money. we do not need to pry into their private lives, and this may have historical interest, but 20 years on, when her sons are still young, youngish, when her ex—husband is alive, when the royal family that welcomed her into their family and when her sisters and brother are still alive, this is not the right time. there are others who have called it

a bloody drug money being paid for these —— blood money. the bbc had these —— blood money. the bbc had these takes ten years ago but they decided not to broadcast them, however channel 4 are going ahead and they maintain these are documents of immense historical importance. the head of factual programming, ralph lee. there were two, i would say, key factors in deciding to air the tape. one is, we can argue about when things become history, but in the end 20 years have passed, diana was conscious of being filmed, these aren't things being filmed surreptitiously, she is sitting comfortably in front of the camera and is happy to be recorded by peter. i think when people see that they will see a relaxed, informal diana, comfortable talking about her own story and they will see the process she is going through is one of bringing to light her stories, not one of concealing it, or being someone other than who she is, it's a process

about channelling her natural voice and using her personal experiences to inform that voice. i do not think people will find the experience of watching the tapes anything but illuminating. he maintains it is in the public interest these tapes are broadcast, at the moment that will be next sunday but there is a clamour from people close to princess diana to say they should not be. president vladimir putin has confirmed that 755 staff from us diplomatic missions will be expelled from russia by september the first. he added that further sanctions were being considered. the move is in retaliation to us sanctions on russia — which were overwhelmingly approved by both houses of congress on tuesday. our correspondent, sarah rainsford is in moscow. a further complication to us and

russian relations. it isa russian relations. it is a very serious complication that relations and from the language coming from moscow and saint russia has lost hope for any improvement in relationship —— it seems that russia has lost hope of any improvement and it happened under the president that russia hoped with rooney —— renewed relations. russia was hoping all the sins of! allege sins of the past would all be forgotten and the two countries could move on into a brighterfuture. countries could move on into a brighter future. that is countries could move on into a brighterfuture. that is not going to happen and now we are seeing 755 staff members at us diplomatic missions across russia on several consulates as well as the embassy, will now lose theirjobs. we understand the majority are russian

local staff at those missions but amongst them are american diplomat who will have to leave the country. at the moment we do not know how many are american and how many are russian but a very significant message and russia are sending in response to those tough sanctions by the us thank you. afghan police say there's been a suicide explosion outside the iraqi embassy in kabul. several explosions were heard and a gun battle is said to be underway. civilians are being moved from the area. the course of block in bid to bring a prosecution against tony blair and jack straw over the iraq war. it was brought by former chief of staff of the iraqi army who called the invasion a crime of aggression at the high court refused to allow the

case to proceed, upholding the decision from the of lords that such a crime did not exist under the law of england and wales. dozens of people were left suspended in mid—airaftera cable car came to a stop over the river rhine in germany. fire crews and rescue teams in cologne used a crane to reach the 75 trapped passengers, some of whom were left 130 feet in air. some of whom were left a number of children were lowered to the ground. no injuries were reported. hsbc has reported a rise in first—half profits. europe's biggest bank made a pre—tax profit of £7.8 billion, as was widely expected, they also announced the buy—back share it intends to complete by the end of next year. shares rose by 3% on the news. the

now, how many of you used to rush home from school, call for your friends, and then spend hours playing in the road before being called in for your dinner? it's a tradition that has virtually disappeared, because of concerns about safety and traffic issues, not to mention the attraction of gadgets — but as graham satchell has been finding out there is a movement to get children back out playing in the street. music we're in north london. the street is closed, the bunting is up, it's time to play. i'm rolling! for many of these children, it's the first time they've ever played out on the street. five—year—old noah is doing noughts and crosses with his dad and brother, and loving it! i think it's quite amazing and i like that we're having a party! yeah, man, a big party. party, let's go, party! organised street play sessions like this started about five

years ago in bristol. today groups of residents from across the country are applying to local authorities to close roads and let their children play. i have two kids and they spend quite a bit of time inside the house and its old school. it's how i used to play back in the day. we used to go outside and play on the streets, so bringing it back. it's like reliving your childhood. through my children. a series of studies published today show these play projects have increased children's physical activity, improved their mental health and their social skills, but the advantages are even more widespread. it's not just about the children playing out, it's about the neighbours starting to know each other. there is a nice community here and having the chance to get out and see each other and relax is nice, and it reminds us of what it was like when we were kids, i guess. there are now more than 500 streets in 45 locations doing play sessions like this,

but today's study does say that there would be more if local authority procedures were streamlined and some cost barriers removed. local authorities need to make it as easy as possible for residents to do so that there is not lots of bureaucracy and people can simply reclaim their street for a couple of hours monthly with minimal paperwork. i think there would be a much bigger uptake. meanwhile, noah has been trying to draw... a snake man — half snake, half man. perfect. carry on, young man. now let's check on the weather forecast. whatever you are doing it would be wise to keep an umbrella handy because it's another day of sunshine and showers. the showers already

getting going, particularly heavy across northern ireland and scotland and parts of wales. as you head further south and east fewer showers and for much of the country fewer showers than over the weekend and in the sunshine feeling pleasantly warm. still his lively show in scotland and northern ireland through this evening, fading and the night becomes merely by apart from a future was on coastal fringes. for many we get off to a bright start tomorrow with a good spell of sunshine and once again showers waiting to push eastwards and like today some could be heavy. the rise and the latest the further south and east you are and here it will be quite warm in the sunshine. this is bbc newsroom live.

the headlines at 11.30. the government insists it can recruit another 21,000 mental health nurses in england over the next four years — despite criticism from the royal college of nursing that the time frame for training additional staff is unrealistic. we do have concerns about the fact, in terms of recruit, retain, and retrain, how is that going to happen? it is a laudable

ambition but there is very detail in the plans about how that's actually going to be achieved. the duke and duchess of cambridge are among those who've arrived at a ceremony to mark the 100 year anniversary of the battle of passchendaele, one of the bloodiest battles of world war one. the high court has blocked a bid by a former chief of staff of the iraqi army to bring a private prosecution against tony blair over the iraq war. now, let's catch up with the morning's sports news. starting with cricket, england need to ta ke starting with cricket, england need to take six more south african wickets to move to a 2—1 lead in the series. joe wilson is at the oval for us. sunny conditions and it

should be a straightforward when. why not? it is possible. it is right to flag up the weather. we are in an elevated position, in the clouds and there are few. this guy is generally believed and there is a breeze. that is good news for england that we can predict a full day's play if england need it. the downside is that those heavy clouds have created good bowling conditions that toby roland—jones in particular has thrived upon. south africa have two get through the day. they are still forwarded down. dean elgar has pulled a couple of shots for four. bavuma is with him as well. if they can get to lunch without losing a wicked, they might start to feel

they have a realistic chance of saving the match. today, it is £1 for children, just 20 quid for adults if you've got the cash. we are getting an atmosphere here. it could be an exciting day. thank you very much for now. england are through to the semi—finals of the women's euro 2017 football championship after a 1—0 win over france. sebastian vettel has extended his lead at the top of the drivers championship. lewis hamilton kept a promise to his team—mate valtteri bottas and allowed him to reclaim third position after he failed to overta ke third position after he failed to overtake into second place. adam peaty drag the british team

back into contention to finish second to the usa and it is the third medal of the week for adam peaty. some areas to work on. i get a lot of criticism for the start. it's a good job i'm at the best in the other part of the swim. i'm going to be even more the ruthless than i have been last year. i've already picked up by time from rio into the hundreds. progression is very good for me. england are through to the semi—finals of the women's euro 2017 football championship it was jodie taylor with her fifth goal of the tournament that ultimately set up a clash against hosts the netherlands on thursday. some of the players not involved in the squad last night train this morning. england go to meet the netherlands on thursday. australia's

karrie webb double bogeyed and dropped two shots for a round of 66. the south korean player took the lead by one shot from her compatriot. in bosnia—herzegovina, 10,000 people gathered to watch an annual diving competition that dates back hundreds of years. those brave enough to leap from the 27 metre high bridge into the fast flowing with below. it was all but destroyed in the balkans war but has been painstakingly rebuilt after the conflict. it is an exact replica of the original structure and that is an awfully long way to dive into fast flowing cold water. not for the faint—hearted. that's all the sport for now. thank you much indeed.

a line about the free movement of eu citizens coming from the lobby. it will end in march 2019, that has been reiterated by the prime minister's spokesman in the last few moments. a line saying that there is broad agreement in cabinet about making brexit as smooth as possible. some of these comments following what the chancellor said in an interview over night with reference specifically to tax regulation post brexit. a couple of lines from the lobby therefore you. more now on the health secretary, jeremy hunt, announcing thousands of extra mental—health workers are to be recruited by the nhs in england. the government aims treat an extra one—million people by 2021. with me is mark rowland, director of fundraising and communications at the mental health foundation.

good morning. what your reaction to the announcement? understandably, we are delighted to hear that the government is prioritising mental health, something we've called for four long time. what's encouraging is the focus within what has been announced for both specialist and nonspecialist staff and focus on preventing. we want to treat more people but we know that you can't respond to a crisis in mental health with a service that is in crisis. more capacity is needed. we've got to prevent the flow of people experiencing such debilitating experiences of mental health problems that there have been. the emphasis is on more staff. some of the doubters have been wondering whether there is time to train these numbers to do the job. we've been saying for a long time that the time

for action is really now. let's get going with this. it's an ambitious plan. rather than start by saying we can't do it, let's push the government to deliver on this. let's push together and make sure we are doing all we can so that people in the next generation, young people, are given the tools and knowledge and literacy to manage their mental health more successfully. you say push the government, how do you do that? it's important that all sectors of society come together and use their voice and influence. from the bottom—up, for change. today's announcement is the bottom—up, for change. today's announcement is an the bottom—up, for change. today's announcement is an example of the fa ct announcement is an example of the fact that we've been calling for a preventative focus for many years was the we need to get on the five—year plan. this is a concrete step in that direction. the issue of retention is there. the stuff might arrive but can you keep them? one of

the key to keeping staff is knowing that they are in a profession that is valued. knowing that there is continuity. we had an individual with an acute mental health problem who saw seven individual members of staff. they were all working different shifts. that's not good for the individual or the medical staff either. more capacity should help retention and the quality of ca re help retention and the quality of care that we can provide. what about the language and tone coming out of government now. jeremy hunt talking about a historic imbalance between mental health treatment and other forms of health treat it. is this something new and solid? the government have stressed that the resources announced today are new as aussies. it would be even better if the government hadn't reduced the combat to see of mental health nurses since 2007. it's important

that we look at all arms of government. it's about social security, education, department of justice, all arms of government working on creating a community and culture that supports mental health particularly for the most vulnerable. thank you very much for coming in. several people have been killed in violent clashes in venezuela during a controversial election. president nicolas maduro has claimed victory — calling it the biggest vote ever for the revolution. a victory would put in place a new constituent assembly that will have powers to rewrite the constitution. the opposition boycotted the vote. this has been an election unlike any other in venezuela. the controversial vote was met by widespread demonstrations and became the bloodiest day in months of violent street protests. with the opposition boycotting the process, the government was always going to claim victory. nevertheless, in some

neighbourhoods, like in matadero in the east of caracas, there appeared to be little enthusiasm and low turnout for the vote. in years past in votes under hugo chavez, the queues would spread around the block. on this occasion, the interest seems a little more subdued as many are concerned about what it might mean for the future of venezuela. government loyalists like this local candidate insisted the process was legitimate, calling a new assembly "the will of the people". but it is not the will of these people. young protesters have spent weeks engaged in civil disobedience. scores have died. even as the votes were being cast and counted, they vowed to remain on the streets. translation: i have a 2—year—old son

and i don't want him to grow up in a world of violence and dictatorship. opposition leaders insist they are not encouraging the violence and aren't trying to drag the country down a path to further conflict. so let's be clear, we are not fighting venezuelans against venezuelans. we have a real union of venezuelan people fighting against a minority which has kidnapped the power, in venezuela. in this broken and deeply catholic nation, many chose to go to church instead of vote. as mass ended, neighbours shook hands with the traditional sign of peace. whatever the new assembly brings, it will be years before's politicians bridge their divide. will grant, bbc news, caracas. hiv testing should be offered

to patients when they register with a new gp in areas where there are high rates of infection, according to new research. more than 13,000 people are unaware that they have the condition — researchers from two london universities say screening is affordable and could save lives. our health correspondent, jane dreaper, reports. a simple finger prick test — that is all that is needed now to find out whether you have hiv. gps' surgeries in some parts of london are making this test more routine. this study says those efforts should be much more widespread. the researchers looked at surgeries where new patients are offered a hiv test when they register. this led to a much higher rate of diagnosing the virus. each test costs around £25. the authors say the benefits mean more screening is affordable. many patients are undiagnosed. that means they carry the virus without actually knowing it. so having an hiv test at your surgery will allow

you to have access to excellent treatment, but then also prevent people — prevent you from passing on the virus to someone else. routine testing has previously been recommended by public health england for cities with high hiv rates. but investment in testing has fallen in some areas because of financial pressures on local authorities' public health budgets. the charity terrence higgins trust called on healthcare commissioners to act on these latest findings. jane dreaper, bbc news. the so—called islamic state group is responsible so they claim for an attack on the us embassy in kaboul.

nearly four hours after the operation, the gun battle goes on as the security forces are trying to repel the attack. an hour or so when i was on the scene, i could hear sporadic firing and also a couple of bomb blasts. when you speak to local police at the scene, they tell you that because the militants are hidden inside the compound, the operation goes on very slowly in order to avoid any civilian casualties. because this embassy compound is in the middle of a residential area because according to the interior ministry, iraqi diplomats are in there. it is a tough area, a difficult area, the

security forces are slowly trying to clear it. let's return now to belgium and the ceremonies being held near ypres to mark the centenary of one of the bloodiest battles of world war one, passchendaele. prince charles is to attend a commemoration at tyne cot commonwealth cemetery shortly, where thousands of soldiers are buried. my colleague ben brown is there. 12,000 soldiers buried here at tyne cot, about a quarter of them unidentified. this is where the ceremony is about to get underway. the ceremony is to commemorate the start of the battle of passchendaele 100 years ago. it lasted more than three months, half a million

casualties on both sides, killed, wounded, and missing, all for the gain ofjust some wounded, and missing, all for the gain of just some five wounded, and missing, all for the gain ofjust some five miles. torrential rain fell, the battlefield became a mod bat, a swamp, in which many men drowned. there was mustard gas fired and of course machine guns. it was that real hell of battle, one of the most horrific battles in human history. it all began a century ago today. that is why this commemoration is taking place here today at tyne cot. as we wait for the service to begin, let's talk to charlotte chiswick a historian at the imperial war museum. these graves are just a fraction of the men who died in passchendaele and in the first world war. there are around 12,000 gravestones in the cemetery, around

three quarters to unknown soldiers whose remains could not be identified. that shows the destruction of this battle. the fact that thousands of people just disappeared in the mod and were never seen again. disappeared in the mod and were never seen again. here for the service, we might see them gathered in the cemetery, some 4000 descendants of those who fought at passchendaele. for them it is important for them to come back and remember their ancestors who fought and often died in the battle. they are literally walking in the footsteps of their ancestors whether they died in the battle or survived. a lot of people i spoke to have spoken of amazing stories that they have passed down through the family. a lot of them have brought personal items and it is a real privilege to see those. i was speaking to one man whose father was in the battle who joined up when he was only 15 years

of age. he was gassed but somehow survived. it's hard to imagine now but young men were desperate to join up but young men were desperate to join up and volunteer. that's right. you'd get young men lying about their age, through patrick to feeling, wanting to join their age, through patrick to feeling, wanting tojoin up their age, through patrick to feeling, wanting to join up with friends and older brothers. for a lot of people, the army was a good job. regular pay, you would get accommodation, food, smart uniform. there was a whole range of reasons why young men decided to lie about their age. the fear must have been unthinkable going into battle facing those german guns and later on the mustard gas and of course the mud. we were talking to one young man whose father had tied and had written a letter to his wife and was certain that he was going to die. he was telling her that would not make

it. the germans had a shell with his name on it. is it possible to know whether many of the men felt like that? a certainty that they wouldn't make it through. we have some incredible accounts in the imperial war museum, from those who were there, diary entries and that kind of thing. people realise that this was a huge event and one that they've necessarily might not come through unscathed. i think it was quite common to have those fears and doubts before the battle began. important, really, just ahead of this commemorative service, important that a century had, we remember. it is important to remember. it is important to remember. it is important to remember. it was 100 years ago, but it was ordinary people like as taking part. the duke and duchess of cambridge arriving now. last night, they were in ypres, the town down

they were in ypres, the town down the road which has been almost com pletely the road which has been almost completely rebuilt from the rubble at the end of the first world war. the duke and duchess of cambridge we re the duke and duchess of cambridge were there last night for events in the market square at ypres and very movingly at the menin gate in ypres, as well, which bears the names of tens of thousands of the missing from the first world war. let's join my colleagues kirsty young and dan snow with full coverage of this commemorative event. worth noting that there are over

15,000 canadian casualties at passchendaele and the duke and duchess of cambridge recently conducted a tour of canada, in october last year. and the duke of cambridgejust october last year. and the duke of cambridge just having a chat there with the mayor of the town. there has been meticulous organisation that make sure that for these events, people arrive and

leave, the man in charge is lieutenant colonel david hamman hannah. it's no job lieutenant colonel david hamman hannah. it's nojob to make sure that everybody gets to where they are meant to be. i will wait with you to find out who is going to be in this latest car. the welcoming party here at tyne cot is made up of karen bardsley bradley —— karen bradley. indeed, theresa may is now the girls. —— with us. she is the mp for

maidenhead, has been since 1997. that is of significance because the commonwealth war graves commission is in her constituency. she visited their offices in june last is in her constituency. she visited their offices injune last year and paid a tribute. she said, the commission does vital work in ensuring our soldiers are never forgotten and respect is shown to all of those who died in the world wars. she has seen this morning the work that the commission does at tyne cot cemetery. we believe now that given the flag

on the car, this is the german foreign minister. he served as vice chancellor of germany since 2013 and in his current position as foreign minister since january this year. so the duke and duchess, it looks

like they have decided to become pa rt like they have decided to become part of the welcoming committee which is going to be a lovely surprise for anybody who gets out of their car this morning. the duchess of course is no stranger to commemorative events such as these, she accompanied the duke and the king and the queen of the belgians toa king and the queen of the belgians to a series of events in 2014. they are going to welcome the king and queen of the belgians to tyne cot when they arrive. we expect that in a moment or so. present arms! band plays god save the queen. of

course, we see the arrival of the prince of wales who will be joining their royal highness is to welcome their royal highness is to welcome the king and queen of the belgians. in so many ways, for so many of the dignitaries and vips taking part in the ceremony this morning, there are highly personal connections with passchendaele and the first world war. the prince of wales great—grandfather george v was involved in the design of this very cemetery. a warm embrace therefore his daughter—in—law. it was george v awarded that the cross of sacrifice be built on top of a captured german

pillbox. you will see in some of the wide shots that we show you this morning, that is the highest point of tyne cot cemetery. just beyond the cambridges the belgian attendees lining the route

in preparation for the arrival of their king and queen. royal salute! present arms. band plays. and so the royal highness is welcome

the king and queen of the belgians to tyne cot cemetery, king philippe and queen mathilde. king philippe was commander—in—chief of the belgian army, and after leaving school, he attended their royal military academy and joined the belgian airforce. and the queen of the belgians' grandfather was a sergeant in the eighth regiment of the belgian army. and the king's great—grandfather,

king albert i, he was nicknamed the king albert i, he was nicknamed the king soldier, he took command of the belgian army in the field. he led them to victory against german forces. the prince of wales, no doubt, enjoying the music of the welsh guards, a key part of today's ceremony, in terms of the music they are making, and the prince of wales is colonel of the welsh guards, a position he took up in march of 1975. band plays

now, there were 15,600 canadian casualties at passchendaele, and the duke and duchess of cambridge, they recently conducted a tour of canada, highlights included meeting justin trudeau, the canadian prime minister, and hosting an event for members of the canadian military at government house. the prince of wales, of course, not

in regimental dress today, as this isa in regimental dress today, as this is a commemorative ceremony, but he has a very special relationship with the military, 12 uk regiments in particular and ten across the commonwealth. this includes being colonel—in—chief of the parachute regiment, colonel—in—chief of the royal gurkha rifles, colonel—in—chief of the army air corps, and the royal colonel of the black watch, 3rd battalion the royal welsh and of scotland. —— the royal regiment of scotland. so very shortly the ceremony will

begin and it will include first person testimony read by individuals who all have links through their family to the battle of passchendaele, which began in 100 yea rs passchendaele, which began in 100 years ago today. and some of the choral music that we will enjoy today will be the national youth choir of scotland, conducted by colonel roberts of the welsh guards, overseeing all of the splendid music that we are enjoying today. and their voices will mark the beginning of this very special

commemoration. # in flanders fields the poppies blow # between the crosses, row o n row # that mark our place, and in the sky # the larks still bravely singing fly # scarce heard amid the guns below. # private edward michael batten of the d company, 13th platoon, 45th battalion, australian infantry. a glazier from new south wales.

killed in action on the 12th of october 1917, aged 40. second lieutenant frederick falkiner mc, 17th service battalion of the royal irish rifles. killed in action flying over enemy lines near ypres on the 21st of august 1917. age 22. private james munro, ist south african infantry regiment. killed in action on the 20th of september 1917. his commanding officer wrote home, "your son was a general favourite, and we shall all miss

his cheerful personality." my great—great—grandfather, rifleman stanley durra nt of the king's royal rifle corps. killed in action on the 24th of august 1917. his son, my grandfather, was only three years old. my great—great—uncle private walter stevenson of the 4th battalion grenadier guards. a coal miner and amateur footballer. killed in action on the 29th ofjuly 1916. age 20. private dafydd griffith of the 7th battalion the king's shropshire light infantry. killed in action on the 26th of september 1917.

his younger brother was killed three months later. my great—great—uncle and namesake?, sergeant william rhodes, cheshire regiment, awarded the distinguished conduct medal. killed in action on the 31st ofjuly1917. 100 years ago today, the third battle of ypres began. at ten to fourin battle of ypres began. 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'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. the advance was slow, and every inch was hard—fought. the land we stand upon was taken two months into the battle by the third australian division. it would change hands twice again before the end of the war. in 1922, my great—grandfather, king george polona hercog, came here as part of a pilgrimage to honour all those who died in the first world war. —— king george v. whilst visiting tyne cot, he stood before the pillbox that this cross of sacrifice has been built upon, a former german

stronghold that had dominated the ridge. once taken by the allies, the pillbox became a forward aid opposed to treat the wounded. those who could not be saved were buried by their brothers in arms in makeshift graves. these became the headstones that are before us today. after the end of the war, almost 12,000 graves of british and commonwealth soldiers we re of british and commonwealth soldiers were brought here from surrounding battlefields. today, a further 34,000 men who could not be identified or whose bodies were never found have their names

inscribed on the memorial. thinking of these men, my great—grandfather remarked, i have many times asked myself whether there can be more potent advocates of peace upon earth through the years to come than this massed multitude of silent witnesses to the desolation of war. in 1920, war reporter philip gibbs, who had himself witnessed this, wrote that nothing that has been written is more than a pale image of the abomination of those battlefields, and that no pen or brush has yet achieved a picture of that armageddon in which so many of our men perished. drawn from many

nations, we come together in their resting place, cared for with such dedication by the commonwealth war g raves dedication by the commonwealth war graves commission, to commemorate their sacrifice, and to promise that we will never forget. kirsty: the welsh poet was killed on the first day of the battle of passchendaele. we will now hear rhodri jones sing a tribute to him. they hum # y bardd trwm dan

bridd tramor — y dwylo # na ddidolir rhagor # y llygaid dwys dan ddwys ddor # y llygaid na all agor # wedi ei fyw y mae

dy fywyd — dy rawd # wedi ei rhedeg hefyd # daeth awr i fynd i'th weryd # a daeth i ben deithio byd # tyner yw‘r lleuad heno — tros fawnog trawsfynydd yn dringo # tithau'n drist a than dy ro # ger yffos ddu'n gorffwyso

# trawsfynydd tros ei feini — trafaeliaist # ar foelydd eryri # troedio wnest ei rhedyn hi # hunaist ymhell ohoni they hum

a tribute in song to the welsh poet hedd wyn, who is buried at artillery wood cemetery alongside the irish poet, lance corporal francis edward ledwidge of the royal inniskilling fusiliers. ledwidge was an irish nationalist who enlisted when war broke out in 1914. both poets were killed in action, one hundred years ago today. a soldier's grave by francis ledwidge. then in the lull of midnight, gentle arms lifted him slowly down the slopes of death lest he should hear again the mad alarms of battle, dying moans, and painful breath. and where the earth was soft

for flowers we made a grave for him that he might better rest. so, spring shall come and leave it sweet arrayed, and there the lark shall turn her dewy nest. sergeant walter hubert downing, 57th battalion australian imperial force. men fell silent, or spoke casually, or made surlyjests, according to their natures. no one spoke of the task before us. occasionally we stirred to brush the dirt from our necks and to empty our pockets of dust. dry, heavy clods of earth flew on the air. shells roared and moaned incessantly across the floor of heaven.

the sky was starry. private c miles, 10th battalion, royal fusiliers. the moment you set off you felt that dreadful suction. it was forever pulling you down, and you could hear the sound of your feet coming out in a kind of sucking "plop" that seemed much louder at night when you were on your own. in a way, it was worse when the mud didn't suck you down, when it yielded under yourfeet you knew that it was a body you were treading on. it was terrifying. private leonard hart, 2nd battalion otago regiment. dear mother, father and connie, in a postcard which i sent you about a fortnight ago, i mentioned that we were on the eve of a great event, and that i had no time to write you a long letter. well, that great event is over now, and by some strange act of fortune

i have once again come through without a scratch. the great event mentioned consisted of a desperate attack by our division against a ridge, strongly fortified and strongly held by the germans. for the first time in our brief history as an army the new zealanders failed in their objective with the most appalling slaughter i have ever seen. my company went into action 180 strong and we came out 32 strong. still, we have nothing to be ashamed of as our commander afterwards told us that no troops in the world could possibly have taken the position, but this is small comfort when one remembers the hundreds of lives that have been lost and nothing gained. i remain your affectionate son, len. sisterjean calder, casualty clearing station at remy siding.

we'd had boys coming in all week, of course, and we'd been busy but the ones we got at the weekend were in a shocking state because so many of them had been lying out in the mud before they could be picked up by the first—aid orderlies. their clothes were simply filthy. they didn't look like clothes at all. we had to cut them off and do what we could. in a civilian hospital, even an army hospital, the man had a home quite near and relations possibly, but the wounded man on the battlefield is miles away from his home and his family. he's in pain and he's amongst strangers, and i think that was why sympathy went out from one to the other. music: "lux aeterna" by edward elgar

# lux aeterna luceat # eis lux aeterna # domine cum sanctis tuis # in aternum # quia pius es lux # lux aeterna # luceat # eis lux aeterna # domine cum sanctis tuis # in aeternum

# luceat eis # domine # luceat eis domine # lux aeterna # luceat eis domine

# dona eis # dona dona eis # requiem aeternam # luceat eis domine # dona eis # dona dona eis # requiem aeternam.

private bert fearns, 2/6th lancashire fusiliers, describing an attack in october 1917 on the land we are gathered on today. mr kay came up and said, "come on, lads, it's our turn," and we just walked round the corner of the pillbox and up the hill. the germans didn't have much to fear from me that morning. there was no fire in my belly — no nothing. i staggered up the hill and then dropped over a slope into a sort of gully. it was here that i froze and became very frightened because a big shell had just burst and blown a group of our lads to bits. there were bits of men all over the place, a terrible sight, men just blown to nothing. i just stood there. it was still and misty, and i could

taste their blood in the air. i couldn't move. i stood there staring. then an officer came across and shouted we were too far left and must go half right, i would have probably been dead but for him jolting me out of it. these men had just been killed, and we just had to wade through them to get on. that's one thing i'll never forget, what i saw and what i smelt. private f hodgson, 11th canadian field ambulance, canadian army medical corps. i was at a place called tyne cot. we had two pillboxes there. it was a group of pillboxes. the doctor and his helpers were in one, and we stretcher bearers were in another about a hundred feet away. we put the stretcher—case in a depression in the ground. he was very frightened, the wounded boy. he said to me, "am i going to die, mate?"

i said, "don't be stupid, fella, you're going to be all right." "as soon as heinie stops this shelling, we'll have you out of here, and they'll fix you up ok." "you'll be back across the ocean before you know it." the shelling eased off, and we picked him up and set off again. he died before we got to the dressing—station. on the way back we passed the remains of our number one squad. there were nothing but limbs all over the place. we lost ten of our stretcher—bearers that day. hell was never like that. # in flanders fields the poppies blow # between the crosses, row o n row # that mark our place:

and in the sky # the larks still bravely singing fly # scarce heard amid the guns below. # my great—uncle, rifleman harold emmens, rifle brigade. the youngest of 11 from manchester. missing in action on the 8th of september 1917. of the 9th service battalion scottish rifles.

he joined the scottish horse in 1914, before transferring to the cameronians in march 1917. missing in action on the 20th of september 1917. private hugh dalzell of the royal irish fusiliers. identified by a photograph he was carrying of his mother. missing in action on the 16th of august 1917, aged 20. private albert james ford, c company, 14th service battalion, the royal warwickshire regiment, husband to edith and father to six. in a last letter to his wife he wrote, "know that my last thoughts were of you, in the dugout or on the firestep, my thoughts went out to you, the only one i ever loved,

the one that made a man of me." killed in action on the 26th of october 1917. private ernest gays, x corps cyclist battalion, army cyclist corps. killed in action aged 19. dear friend, i am addressing you as friend as any friend of my boys is my friend. i thank you for sending us word of how our dear ernest died. it is dreadful, though, to lose our dear boy in this way. we would not believe it till we had the letter from someone who saw him. did you see my boy after he died, could you tell us how he was? i should like to know what time of the day or night

it happened or thereabouts. i am sure we are all the while thinking of you dear lads, hoping and praying for you to be kept safe, and then when these awful tidings are sent us, it shakes our faith. but then again when we get calm we know that god is still in his heaven and he orders all things for the best. i sent ernie a parcel off on 21st august. if you could see anything of it, will you share what is good between you and his friends. i shall never forget you and hope you will write often to me. so thanking you, i close. yours truly, mrs gays. ps — write soon. letter from an unknown german officer, september 1917.

dear mother, on the morning of the 18th, the dug—out, containing 17 men, was shot to pieces over our heads. i am the only one who withstood the maddening bombardment of three days and still survives. you cannot imagine the frightful mental torments i have undergone in those few hours. after crawling out through the bleeding remnants of my comrades and the smoke and debris, and wandering and fleeing in the midst of the raging artillery fire in search of refuge, i am now awaiting death at any moment. you do not know what flanders means. flanders means endless endurance. flanders means blood and scraps of human bodies. flanders means heroic courage and faithfulness unto death. your otto. kirsty: and now the german foreign

minister will bejoined by kirsty: and now the german foreign minister will be joined by the queen of the belgians and the duchess of cambridge, and they are going to collect posies from three local children. they are children that live locally in the community, the municipality of zonnebeke. # the day thou gavest, lord, is ended # the darkness falls at thy behest # to thee our morning hymns ascended # thy praise shall

sanctify our rest. # we thank thee that thy church unsleeping # while earth rolls onward into light # through all the world her watch is keeping # and rests not now by day or night # as o'er each continent and island # the dawn leads on another day # the voice of prayer

is never silent # nor dies the strain of praise away # the sun that bids us rest is waking # our brethren ‘neath the western sky # and hour by hour fresh lips are making # thy wondrous doings heard on high # so be it, lord, thy throne shall never # like earth's proud empires,

pass away # thy kingdom stands and grows for ever # till all thy creatures own thy sway. # let us pray. faithful god, compassionate and merciful, hear us as we remember those valiant hearts who fell in the heat of the conflict and died here in the mire

and clay of the trenches. we honour the examples of selfless service, of comradeship and care, that shine out of the loss and waste. we remember the proud and sorrowing lands from which they came, those who returned wounded in mind and body, all at home who mourned the dead and all here who suffered the loss of home and community. guide the nations, united today in sorrow, into the light of freedom, contentment and glorious hope, and hear the longing of our hearts for peace. we ask this for the sake of your world and the good of all your children, throuthesus christ, our lord. amen. kirsty: and we will now hear from

the british prime minister, theresa may, she is going to be reading from ecclesiastes, and you can listen out for the phrase, their name liveth for the phrase, their name liveth for evermore, carved on the stone of remembrance here at tyne cot. all these were honoured in their generations, and were the glory of their times. there be of them, that have left a name behind them, that their praises might be reported. and some there be, which have no memorial, who are perished, as though they had never been, and are become as though they had never been born, and their children after them. but these were merciful men,

whose righteousness hath not been forgotten. with their seed shall continually remain a good inheritance, and their children are within the covenant. their seed standeth fast, and their children for their sakes. their seed shall remain for ever, and their glory shall not be blotted out. their bodies are buried in peace, but their name liveth for evermore. guard, ‘shun! they shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old.

age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. at the going down of the sun, and in the morning we will remember them. we will remember them. music: " last post" music: "reveille"

private robert stokoe, private edward wright and private peter hulland of the east lancashire regiment. killed in action on the 27th of november 1917, aged 21, 19 and 23 respectively. private william dominey, 21st battalion canadian infantry.

he did his duty. killed in action on 3rd or 4th of november 1917, aged 18. my great—grandfather, private albert james goff of the devonshire regiment, agricultural labourer and father of eight. killed in action on the 26th of october 1917, aged 38. private henry morris, 2nd battalion aukland regiment, farmerfrom matakohe. killed in action on the 4th of october 1917. a tribute to him read, "in a hero's grave he sleepeth." "how little we thought when we

parted, it was the last farewell." my great—uncle, sergeantjohn kerwin of the duke of wellington's west riding regiment. throughout my childhood i was intrigued by his portrait in my grandparents' home. killed in action, 10th october 1917. age, 22. a soldier of the great war, known unto god. brass band plays

music: "god save the queen" music: "la brabanconne" and so as part of the laying of the reads this morning we saw the combatant nations taking part, their representatives, including australia, canada, france, germany, ireland, malta, new zealand and south africa. in a few moments' time we will be witnessing a fly past by

the belgian air component. we will see four f—16 planes and they will be flying approximately 1500 feet above tyne cot cemetery in flanders. they will be flying in the missing man formation, a classic aircraft manoeuvre, and it is used to honour the dead or the missing. take note as one aircraft breaks away from the rest of the formation, leaving one single gap. and well they might look up. clear

skies today above tyne cot cemetery, to enjoy that moment. four f—16s from the belgian air component. all of the splendid music we have enjoyed today has been under the charge of the conductor, lieutenant colonel kevin roberts. he has single—handedly overseen four different groups of musicians participating in this commemorative ceremony. and the buglers that we saw and heard performing the last post were led by buglerjohn sumner

and buglerjohn challis was played under his charge, and mike thomas. and so we see prince philip along with the king of the belgians, i beg your pardon, prince charles along with the king of the belgians, king philippe. and queen mathilde along with the duchess of cambridge, her husband behind. and so as the royal guests depart from tyne cot that brings to an end to the official commemorations here in belgium. the battle 100 years ago

on the fields of flanders left behind the shattered, broken landscape and in its wake of a million men killed or wounded. passchendaele touched the lives of so many families from all corners of the earth. they lost fathers, brothers, sons and uncles. and so on this centenary, in the words of siegfried sassoon, we look down and swear by the slaying of the war that we will never forget. for now, from my guests here at tyne cot, i say thank you to them for their contributions and to the entire bbc tea m contributions and to the entire bbc team who have brought all this coverage from belgium. thank you, goodbye.